The Apocalypse 12
Yu Chengye.
He hadn’t died in that zombie tide. He had actually made it out alive.
Tang Xi’s gaze locked onto him, his voice dropping to a murmur. “It’s nothing, I’m fine.”
Just thinking about that name made his stomach churn with disgust.
The stench of blood seemed to fill his nostrils—a physiological reaction inherited from the original character.
Yu Chengye, who had been talking nonstop, suddenly paused. He could feel a sharp, murderous gaze on him.
He turned his head to look, but due to the angle, he saw nothing.
Lu Mang cast a deep glance at Yu Chengye.
He didn’t recognize this person, nor did he know why his little team member was so afraid of him.
But in that moment, he memorized Yu Chengye’s face.
A violent thought had just surfaced in his mind when it was quickly dispelled by Tang Xi’s small action.
Lu Mang lowered his gaze, amused to see Tang Xi gripping the hem of his shirt—a silent admission of guilt.
The moment Tang Xi had sneaked into the back of the team, Lu Mang had noticed. He hadn’t expected the boy to really follow.
This mission was incredibly dangerous. Lu Mang had even planned to bring back a gift to appease his sulking little team member after returning. But now, that little team member had come along on his own.
Knowing exactly how to soften his poop scooper’s heart, Tang Xi took the initiative before Lu Mang could get angry.
He whispered, “I promise to behave and not run around.”
Unaware of how Lu Mang had eventually become the Zombie King and the ultimate villain, Tang Xi felt uneasy. No matter what, he didn’t want to be left alone at the base.
Just then, the base leader’s speech was reaching its conclusion.
He had prepared an emotional, rousing address to deliver before their departure.
Though he had initially opposed this expedition, now that nearly all of the base’s high-level ability users were part of it—along with many mid- and low-tier ones—he needed to win their loyalty. Even if it meant contradicting himself, he had to maintain his composure.
Satisfied with his speech, he then handed the stage over to Lu Mang.
Lu Mang didn’t have time to be mad at his sneaky little team member. He simply ruffled Tang Xi’s hair hard and told him to behave.
The moment Lu Mang stepped forward, the ability users below erupted in wild cheers.
Unlike the leader’s carefully crafted speech, Lu Mang’s very presence was an intoxicating force.
A mere lift of his hand sent waves of excitement through the crowd. A slight lowering of it silenced them instantly.
The contrast between this and the leader’s earlier speech—where people had barely paid attention—was stark. The leader was visibly irritated.
It was at this moment that Huang Ziyu approached him.
The base leader was his uncle. Using his connections, Huang Ziyu had secured himself a spot to stay behind, taking up one of the few reserved positions.
His eyes held a trace of resentment as he murmured, “Uncle, you’re really letting him lead this mission? If he returns victorious, he’ll be a threat to your position.”
The leader’s gaze darkened momentarily, but he quickly masked it with an affable expression.
Lowering his voice, he replied, “I have other plans…”
He didn’t elaborate, but Huang Ziyu understood. A knowing smirk spread across his face as he turned to glance at someone in the crowd.
With so many people in the expedition, not everyone was a combat ability user. There were also support-type ability users and ordinary people with some self-defense skills.
Tang Xi, as a space-ability user, blended in seamlessly—even if he had snuck in.
Xue Shuirong hadn’t come along. She had a child to care for, and the base was lenient toward parents with children, so she hadn’t been selected.
Before they left, however, she had exhausted nearly all of her ability to stock Tang Xi’s space with a large supply of water.
The convoy set off in dozens of vehicles, including several large trucks, moving in a loose but structured formation.
Tang Xi sat in the lead vehicle with Lu Mang, enduring a lecture from Chen Yao and Huang Yuanmiao.
They were deeply frustrated by his choice to abandon the safety and comfort of the base to join them in this dangerous mission.
For once, even 1551 shared their sentiment.
Wei Xuncheng and Yi Feng, however, had a different perspective. They were older and more experienced.
Yi Feng had already advised Lu Mang against treating Tang Xi as something fragile to be protected. In the apocalypse, that kind of love was a dangerous delusion.
Now that Tang Xi had followed along, he was actually relieved.
Wei Xuncheng, ever straightforward, simply taught him some survival tricks.
Inside the vehicle, the lively atmosphere felt less like they were heading into a life-or-death battle and more like they were off on a routine mission—one they’d soon return from, ready to drink, grill meat, and chat.
The tension in Tang Xi’s body gradually melted away.
Due to disruptions in the magnetic field caused by the apocalypse, communication devices were unreliable, making it impossible to track the zombies’ movements precisely.
But Lu Mang had fought countless battles against them. With just a map, he could predict their general route.
On the first night, they camped in an abandoned village.
There were so many people that even the beasts avoided them on the road.
Some of the foolish ones who charged straight ahead were all slaughtered and served as dinner. Meanwhile, someone found several large jars of pickled vegetables in the village cellar.
Lu Mang used the pickled vegetables and exotic beast meat to make a bowl of soup.
Tang Xi drank it, feeling warmth spread through his entire body. He narrowed his eyes in satisfaction, completely at ease.
Since they were gathered around the bonfire, some unfamiliar faces ended up sitting beside him.
A young man in a blue shirt noticed Tang Xi’s blissful expression and seemed amused.
He teased him on purpose, “Is it that good?”
Tang Xi put down his bowl. Under the firelight, his eyes looked especially round as he nodded earnestly. “Mm, it’s really good.”
The young man smiled. “You’re a support ability user, right?”
Tang Xi blinked in confusion. “How did you know?”
It seemed like he was the only one who couldn’t tell such things.
He could sense that this delicate-looking young man was an ability user, but he couldn’t determine whether he was offensive type or support type.
The young man’s smile widened, his whole demeanor exuding warmth. “You don’t look like someone who fights zombies.”
His gaze lightly swept over Tang Xi’s soft hands—fair and delicate, clearly well taken care of.
Tang Xi suddenly understood and let out an “Oh,” but then, unwilling to concede, he guessed, “Then you must be support ability user too.”
To his surprise, the young man shook his head, his voice carrying a gentle laugh. “No, I’m a offensive ability user.”
He didn’t specify what kind of ability he had, and Tang Xi politely refrained from asking further.
Meanwhile, 1551, who had been busy playing a game, glanced up for a moment—only to see its host chatting with a stranger.
It looked closer and was so shocked that it trembled, losing the game instantly.
1551: [Silly cat! Do you even know who he is!?]
Tang Xi nearly jumped in surprise, his eyes growing even rounder. [Who?]
1551: [He’s the original protagonist shou!]
The shock in its voice was so strong it nearly cracked.
In the original storyline, he shouldn’t have appeared this early, and he was never supposed to have any interaction with Lu Mang.
Yet here he was, standing right in front of Tang Xi, casually chatting with him.
This was likely the result of Tang Xi flapping his butterfly wings—every mission taker’s worst nightmare.
But Tang Xi only responded lazily, [Oh.]
He had no idea why the system was freaking out.
“What’s your name?”
Jiang Wenshu: “My surname is Jiang, given name Wenshu. I already know yours.”
Tang Xi tilted his head curiously. “How do you know?”
“I heard them call you ‘Tang Tang.’”
Jiang Wenshu’s tone carried an unconscious warmth, making it sound intimate.
Tang Xi felt a little embarrassed. “That’s just a nickname they gave me. My real name is Tang Xi. Nice to meet you.”
When he smiled, his eyes curved into crescent moons, infectiously bright.
Jiang Wenshu smiled in return, as if he genuinely liked Tang Xi.
Chen Yao, who had been listening from the side, suddenly felt a sense of crisis.
That was their boss’s person—was he about to get stolen?
She had initially found the young man rather agreeable, but now, her guard was up.
Deliberately inserting herself into the conversation, her words sounded somewhat forced.
She even started subtly contradicting Jiang Wenshu.
However, Jiang Wenshu remained patient and good-tempered, continuing the conversation without minding Chen Yao’s interruptions. He even adjusted the topic so she could join in.
1551 clicked its tongue.
[As expected of the original protagonist shou.]
Tang Xi nodded in agreement—his impression of Jiang Wenshu was quite favorable.
Chen Yao grew even more alert. She glanced around but didn’t see her usual ally, Huang Yuanmiao, before remembering that he had been called away by their boss.
She still wasn’t sure why their boss had suddenly taken an interest in an ability user named Yu Chengye and even told Huang Yuanmiao to keep an eye on him and fish for information.
With that realization, Chen Yao felt an even greater weight on her shoulders. To prevent Tang Xi from being poached, she kept inserting herself into the conversation.
When Lu Mang finally appeared, she almost teared up in relief.
Lu Mang had just finished discussing matters with a few squad leaders. The moment he returned, he saw the little guy who had been drinking his soup chatting and laughing with another man.
His expression immediately darkened.
His deep, dark eyes carried a warning when they landed on Jiang Wenshu, but when he looked at Tang Xi, his face changed entirely.
He pulled out a piece of candy wrapped in colorful foil.
This kind of cheap pre-apocalypse treat had become more precious than jewels in the current situation.
It was something Lu Mang had just stumbled upon, and without hesitation, he handed it to Tang Xi.
Tang Xi’s smile was even sweeter than the candy itself. He carefully unwrapped it and popped it into his mouth.
Since it had been stored for a long time, the small round candy had slightly stuck to the wrapper. Tang Xi extended his soft pink tongue, carefully licking at the spot where the candy and wrapper met.
He was very focused on licking.
And Lu Mang was just as focused on watching. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, his gaze dark and unreadable.
The moment Tang Xi finally got the candy free, Lu Mang naturally reached out and took the saliva-dampened wrapper from his hands.
Without a word, he discreetly tucked it into the pocket near his chest.
With unusual gentleness, he asked, “Do you want to go to sleep?”
Tang Xi, still sucking on the candy, rubbed his eyes. Now that he thought about it, he really was feeling a bit sleepy. Seeing Yu Chengye earlier that day had startled him so much that he’d been extra cautious about wandering around, afraid of running into that person again. Sleeping in the tent would indeed lower that risk.
So, he obediently let Lu Mang lead him away.
Lu Mang meticulously set up the bedding for him.
If it were just him, a single blanket would be enough. But now, with a soft, well-behaved little companion beside him, he had to prepare everything properly—even choosing the most comfortable pillow.
If not for the current circumstances, Tang Xi suspected Lu Mang would’ve even lit a calming aromatherapy candle for him.
The moment Tang Xi lay down, Lu Mang finally dropped his act.
He buried his face against Tang Xi’s neck, inhaling deeply, his expression filled with obsession. Even his breathing grew heavier.
After taking a few deep breaths, he finally asked with a hint of jealousy, “Who was that man talking to you just now?”
Tang Xi shrank back slightly, a bit frightened. Seeing his poop scooper like this reminded him of the nightmares he had a few days ago—where he kept turning into a pile of ribs, flipped over and over.
But ever since the night he accidentally caught his poop scooper acting like a crazed fan over him, he had sworn never to make the same mistake again.
So why was it happening again tonight?
Tang Xi wanted to back away, but there was nowhere to go. Instead, his movement only brought him closer to Lu Mang.
And in doing so, he accidentally brushed against “Little Lu Mang,” who was very much full of energy.
Lu Mang simply reached out, trapping his little prey who had stumbled into his arms. He took Tang Xi’s earlobe between his lips and asked again, “Who was that man?”
“Just… a friend I met today—”
Before Tang Xi could even finish his sentence, his lips were sealed shut.
All that was left were muffled whimpers.
And they lasted half the night.
I lowkey want to see a mermaid arc…