The Apocalypse 10
Seeing her plan fail, Huang Jiaxin forced a sweet smile. “Sorry, Brother Lu, I was too careless.”
But Lu Mang didn’t spare her a glance. Instead, he was entirely focused on Tang Xi, checking if he was hurt.
Tang Xi snapped out of his shock and shook his head to indicate he was fine.
He poked 1551. [Is my poop scooper’s ability some kind of devouring power?]
[Like devouring other people’s abilities… or maybe copying them? I’ve seen that in movies!]
1551: [Actually, it’s———]
It let out a frustrated sigh. No matter how hard it tried, every time it attempted to reveal the truth, it got silenced.
It didn’t even know what kind of existence this clueless cat’s poop scooper really was.
[You’re very close, but if his ability was really that overpowered, why wouldn’t he devour or copy your support-type abilities?]
Tang Xi frowned. He had indeed never seen Lu Mang use any support abilities.
As he was deep in thought, a malicious gaze suddenly bore into him.
Tang Xi turned toward the delicate-looking girl from earlier. The shy sweetness in her eyes was gone—what remained was only anger and jealousy.
Her white handkerchief was twisted into a tight spiral, making Tang Xi shudder. It was as if she were wringing his neck instead of the fabric.
Around them, many people were watching, and thanks to his enhanced senses as an ability user, Tang Xi could hear every hushed whisper.
“Captain Lu actually found himself a little lover?”
“Miss Huang has been chasing him for so long—she’s going to lose her mind over this.”
“This little lover looks way better than Huang Jiaxin. Anyone with eyes can tell who’s the better choice.”
“Not necessarily. Don’t forget who’s backing Miss Huang.”
Through their gossip, Tang Xi not only learned who Huang Jiaxin was but also got a detailed rundown of her long, fruitless pursuit of Lu Mang.
Tang Xi: …
With an air of nonchalance, he declared that he wanted to grab a small cake and sit in a quiet corner.
In reality, he just wanted some snacks while eavesdropping.
Lu Mang gently ruffled his hair, his gaze darkening with some unknown thought. “Go ahead. I’ll handle this.”
Handle? Handle what?
Tang Xi was confused but walked away.
The moment he left, Lu Mang’s entire presence shifted.
The easygoing demeanor vanished, replaced by the cold, volatile captain everyone feared. His sharp gaze swept across the whispering crowd, and they all fell silent, like startled prey sensing a predator nearby.
Then, he turned his attention to Huang Jiaxin, who had yet to leave.
Under his piercing stare, she began to feel uneasy.
She had always known Lu Mang had a bad temper. Back when she was chasing him, she had been frightened by his sudden outbursts more than once—but this was different.
This time, he looked downright terrifying.
As if she had really crossed a line.
But how could that random boy be his bottom line?
Gritting her teeth, Huang Jiaxin forced out a smile uglier than crying. “Brother Lu, I wasn’t—”
Her throat abruptly tightened, cutting off the rest of her words.
Her face turned purple.
The people around them stiffened, but no one dared to speak up.
They all stood frozen, like ducks with their throats clutched shut, fearfully watching Lu Mang as if he were a monster.
Lu Mang didn’t care. He knew how frightening he must look right now. That was precisely why he had sent Tang Xi away to eat cake.
Just when Huang Jiaxin thought she was about to die, a familiar voice finally broke the tension.
The base leader had finally arrived, angrily demanding that Lu Mang release his niece.
Lu Mang’s dark gaze shifted to him, and the base leader instinctively took a step back.
“Keep your people in check, or I won’t mind seeing a change in leadership.”
It was a blatant threat, yet no one doubted his words.
As the highest-ranking ability user in the base, Lu Mang had more than enough power to overthrow the current leader.
If he wanted, he could take control in an instant.
In this world, the strong ruled.
The base leader’s face flushed an ugly shade of purple—just like his pampered niece’s, except his was from rage.
Meanwhile, Tang Xi scooped up a bite of soft cake and popped it into his mouth, having secretly snuck away to an empty corner.
[1551, why do I feel like it’s getting lively in there again? Did something happen?]
1551: [It’s better if you don’t know.]
Tang Xi blinked in confusion. Just as he was about to step inside, someone stopped him.
The one blocking his way was a young man in a suit, his fox-like eyes exuding a sense of charm.
“Where did you come from?”
[Beep beep beep—Target detected.]
The moment “target” was mentioned, Tang Xi instantly became alert.
[Is this the protagonist gong?]
According to the plot, after the original protagonist gong became the leader of Dawn Base, the villain turned into the Zombie King. This part of the story was only briefly mentioned.
Most of the plot focused on the touching love story between the original protagonist gong and shou, as well as how the two of them joined forces to defeat the Zombie King.
Tang Xi cautiously said, “I am…”
Before he could finish, he was interrupted.
Huang Ziyu spoke with certainty, “You’re here to freeload food, aren’t you? Those useless security guards didn’t even stop you.”
He had never seen Tang Xi in the base before, and due to the angle, he hadn’t noticed the deep purple medal on his chest. Naturally, he assumed Tang Xi was just another ordinary person sneaking in for a meal.
There were plenty of people like that—though some weren’t just after food, but after people.
In the apocalypse, people found all sorts of ways to survive.
Tang Xi sighed in frustration. [Is my healing ability too weak?]
1551: [It’s more like it’s too gentle. Some healing abilities are so intense that they actually cause severe pain while healing others.]
The gentler the healing ability, the better it was suited for support.
Normally, ability users could sense each other’s powers—just like how he could tell that the man in front of him was an offensive type.
Highly offensive. Unlike his poop scooper, who was tolerant and accepting, this man’s presence was overwhelmingly forceful.
Tang Xi slowly replied, “I’m not here to freeload. I was brought in.”
Huang Ziyu’s expression subtly shifted. “Who brought you in?”
His scrutinizing gaze made Tang Xi uncomfortable.
Tang Xi finished his last bite of cake and politely said, “I’m leaving now.”
Still without an answer, Huang Ziyu refused to let him go. “Have you considered giving me a chance? I…”
Before he could finish speaking, he abruptly stopped.
A well-defined hand suddenly gripped his shoulder tightly.
Tang Xi looked past him and saw Lu Mang. Delighted, he asked, “Are you done with your socializing?”
Lu Mang smiled. “It’s over.”
Not wanting to show his violent side in front of the little one, he held back and refrained from crushing the shoulder he was gripping.
Huang Ziyu struggled to keep his expression composed. Even though it was just his shoulder being held, it felt as if his very lifeline had been seized. After a long moment, he finally forced out a sentence: “Mr. Lu, what is the meaning of this?”
Lu Mang replied calmly, “Nothing much. I just saw you chatting with my new teammate and came over to take a look.”
He glanced at his watch and said, “It’s getting late. We’ll be heading back now.”
The moment Huang Ziyu heard the words new teammate, his expression completely crumbled. All his earlier arrogance now felt like a series of slaps to his own face.
Lu Mang let go as if nothing had happened and instead took Tang Xi’s hand.
Then, as if asking for a beating, he turned back and said, “We’ll be off, then. He’s rather timid and doesn’t like talking to strangers.”
Strangers?
Huang Ziyu’s face turned completely dark. He rubbed his sore shoulder, barely restraining the murderous intent rising in his heart.
Tang Xi remained on guard after encountering Huang Ziyu. He had no idea what was going to happen next that would eventually turn Lu Mang into the Zombie King.
But he could feel the subtle tension in the air just now.
“Isn’t Huang Ziyu the leader’s nephew? Do you two not get along?” Tang Xi asked worriedly.
He was simply concerned that his poop scooper might get framed.
But Lu Mang’s expression clearly showed he had misunderstood. He smiled, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “How do you know who he is? Have you been paying close attention to him?”
Tang Xi blinked in confusion. He had no idea how the topic had suddenly shifted. He couldn’t exactly say it was because he had seen it in the story’s plot, so he just mumbled vaguely.
Lu Mang’s expression remained indifferent, and he dropped the subject.
. . . . .
Tang Xi: [Will I have nightmares again tonight?]
1551 gently reminded him: [Maybe you should think about why you’ve been having nightmares so often lately.]
If it had eyes, they would have been twitching from how hard it was trying to hint at the answer.
It wished it could just slap the words “The culprit is Lu Mang” right onto its forehead.
But Tang Xi completely missed the hint. He pondered seriously for a moment. [Maybe it’s the atmosphere of this world. Hopefully, my next character setting will be in a more relaxed world]
1551: [Forget it. He’s beyond saving.]
Tang Xi pulled out a plush ball from his space inventory and transformed back into a kitten, playing around happily.
He even hid all the plush balls under the blankets.
Only after he was exhausted did he finally fall asleep.
This time, his dream was free of terrifying monsters licking him. Instead, it was filled with nothing but cute plush balls.
Tang Xi ran and tumbled joyfully among them in his dream.
Ten minutes later, 1551 witnessed the locked bedroom door click open.
Lu Mang approached silently, exuding an air of casual indifference.
And just like that, the plush balls in Tang Xi’s dream disappeared. The monster returned. Tang Xi whimpered, pleading for mercy.
But his pleas were useless. The moment he opened his mouth, it was sealed shut.
The monster bit down from his shoulder, lingering especially long over his chest.
Tang Xi struggled to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt unbearably heavy.
An indescribable fear gripped him—he truly felt like he was about to be eaten alive.
In desperation, he twisted and turned in his dream.
In reality, his body responded, and he rolled over twice—straight into the headboard.
Lu Mang reached out and blocked the nightstand to prevent him from hitting it directly. He lowered his gaze, looking down at Tang Xi like a predator watching a helpless little prey.
Although he hadn’t crashed into it, Tang Xi still flailed, knocking his backpack off the nightstand.
1551 jolted in alarm. It prayed the villain wouldn’t pick up that bag.
But the heavens were unkind—Lu Mang’s gaze landed on the papers that had fallen out.
He wasn’t ready for the little one to discover his obsession just yet, so he paused, then bent down to pick up the two sheets.
The dark mist that had been lingering over Tang Xi dissipated with its master’s movement.
Before it completely vanished, a lingering wisp teasingly brushed against Tang Xi’s collarbone.
Without that suffocating presence, Tang Xi drowsily opened his eyes.
At last, the monster in his dream was gone.
1551, now able to speak again, shrieked: [Stop him!]
Tang Xi jolted awake, his sleepiness vanishing instantly.
[Those documents about you being a research subject are still in his hands!]
Tang Xi’s pupils shrank. “You…”
He widened his cat-like eyes, watching as Lu Mang, expressionless, turned with the research documents in hand.
In a mechanical, emotionless voice, he slowly asked, “What is this?”
I think some paragraphs repeated itself in this chapter. Around the parts where the protagonist gong was detected T^T
fixed! ❤️