The Apocalypse 16
Tang Xi as if struck by lightning, letting out an angry “meow meow” and swiping fiercely at the hands holding him.
Unfortunately, his soft little paw pads couldn’t cause the slightest harm to Lu Mang.
Lu Mang gently squeezed the cat’s paw and spoke seriously, “S-stop hitting me.”
His voice was hoarse, his vocal cords slightly damaged.
Tang Xi let out a smug “meow!”—See? Now you’re scared!
Proudly, he flicked his little tail against the man’s wrist.
Lu Mang slowly finished his sentence: “Your paws will hurt…”
Ever since turning into a zombie, his skin had become tough as iron, making Tang Xi’s attacks feel like punches against solid metal.
Tang Xi:…
Lu Mang was at a loss. Just moments ago, the little kitten had been full of energy, yet now he had turned away, completely ignoring him.
His tiny, bald patch of a butt faced Lu Mang, tail swishing unhappily.
And so, the newly crowned Zombie King found himself despised by the very kitten he had just reunited with.
Holding the kitten with a serious expression, Lu Mang suddenly thought of something. He reached into his pocket, fumbling around.
Tang Xi’s ears twitched. Hearing the sound, he turned to look.
That’s when he noticed—the poop scooper was still wearing the bloodstained clothes he had died in, a gaping hole right where his heart used to be.
Yet, here he was, rummaging for something.
Tang Xi wrinkled his nose at the awful smell but still obediently let himself be held.
He was a little curious. What was Lu Mang trying to take out?
Could it be some kind of treasure?
Meeting the little kitten’s expectant gaze, Lu Mang finally pulled out… a crumpled, colorful candy wrapper.
A question mark slowly appeared above Tang Xi’s head.
“Meow?”
Lu Mang, as if presenting a grand offering, handed it over. “F-for you.”
In his memory, this was something very important.
So, it had to be given to the most important little kitten.
Tang Xi recognized it—it was the wrapper from a candy he had eaten earlier.
[What do I do, 1551? I think my poop scooper is actually a total weirdo!]
1551: [Oh.]
Tang Xi, filled with secondhand embarrassment, grabbed the candy wrapper with his mouth and tossed it away.
Lu Mang looked regretfully at the discarded wrapper, seemingly unable to understand why the little kitten didn’t appreciate his gift.
If he had cat ears, they would definitely be drooping right now.
Tang Xi found the drastic change in his poop scooper’s demeanor after turning into the Zombie King oddly amusing.
He told the system to record all of this and turn it into reaction memes.
Pitiful and Wronged.jpg
He bit Lu Mang’s sleeve and pointed to a room, signaling him to go inside.
The poop scooper was simply too filthy—he couldn’t stand the smell of blood on him any longer.
Lu Mang obediently followed the direction and found the bathroom. The bathtub inside was so old and overused that it had become dirty.
Tang Xi decisively spent some points in the system’s shop to buy a new bathtub.
After all, he was now a wealthy little kitten.
Even the contract he had signed was top-tier, so he never had to worry about running out of points to spend.
He filled the bathtub with water and motioned for Lu Mang to take off his clothes and get in.
Without the slightest shame, Lu Mang stripped completely and sat down as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
His utter nonchalance made Tang Xi embarrassed instead. No matter how many worlds he had traveled through, he still couldn’t help blushing whenever he saw his poop scooper’s abs.
Even as a zombie, Lu Mang still had a deep-rooted instinct for cleanliness. He instinctively scrubbed the dried blood off his body.
Then, his gaze suddenly fell on Tang Xi.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he vaguely remembered that little kittens were supposed to be clean. They weren’t supposed to be a dirty, scruffy little mess like this one.
Tang Xi, who was just about to groom himself with a few licks, didn’t even get the chance to start before he was suddenly grabbed and pulled into the water.
“Meow!”
He let out a miserable cry, startled.
The feeling of water soaking his fur was unbearable. Without thinking, he instantly transformed into his human form.
Now in his human shape, he was still wearing a white dress shirt. But the moment he landed in the bathtub, it got completely soaked, clinging tightly to his body—far more seductive than wearing nothing at all.
Lu Mang’s eyes glazed over.
Tang Xi, unaware of the danger, pouted and started scolding Lu Mang in a string of complaints.
His soft pink lips opened and closed, babbling away.
Lu Mang held back so hard that his eyes turned red. He desperately wanted to bite down on that mouth—but as a zombie, he knew that if he bit someone, they would “break.”
They would turn into mindless creatures, devoid of thought.
Lu Mang didn’t want those clear, lively cat-like eyes to become dull and lifeless.
He licked his sharp zombie fangs, and suddenly, an idea struck him.
If he couldn’t bite… then he could lick.
Tang Xi, caught off guard, was licked before he could even react. Before he could protest, Lu Mang, now eager, pressed forward again.
Like gnawing on a meaty bone, he licked with force.
Tang Xi’s soft lips accidentally brushed against the cold sharp fangs, making his cat ears pop out in fright.
He pretended to be angry and grabbed Lu Mang.
“No!”
Lu Mang instantly froze, like a big dog being scolded by its owner, looking at him with a pitiful expression.
He didn’t dare to move a muscle.
Tang Xi secretly rejoiced—he never expected that after turning into a zombie, his once-rebellious poop scooper would become so obedient.
For a moment, he felt like his image had grown tall and imposing in Lu Mang’s eyes.
Lu Mang stared at him intently. A voice inside him urged him—lick him, tease him.
But then he saw Tang Xi, drenched in water, curled up like a small, helpless creature.
He looked tiny and soft, as if the slightest bullying would make him cry.
Lu Mang couldn’t bear it. He could only suppress his desires with all his might.
Both of them finished their shower, each lost in their own thoughts.
Suddenly, the growls of zombies echoed from downstairs.
They were the ones Lu Mang had left behind. The ones that managed to keep up were high-level zombies, while the lower-level ones had lost track of him.
The pressure exuded by high-level zombies was entirely different from that of ordinary ones.
Tang Xi climbed onto the window and peeked outside, shivering in fear.
With trembling hands, he poked at his system.
[1551, aren’t they supposed to ignore me?]
1551 was also scared.
[They might not be here for you.]
But in truth, what 1551 feared was the man standing beside Tang Xi.
Faint black mist appeared around Lu Mang’s body, but it was quickly suppressed.
If Tang Xi turned around now, he would notice that Lu Mang’s eyes had shifted from normal to completely black—the signature look of a Zombie King.
The pitiful, obedient big dog from before was gone. Now, he radiated pure menace.
Lu Mang narrowed his eyes and released his aura toward the high-level zombie leading the group below.
Instantly, the zombies that had been wandering in search of their target froze, as if struck by lightning.
A few seconds later, they all retreated in an orderly manner.
Tang Xi blinked in surprise. “They left.”
Lu Mang let out a low hum in response, his hands unwilling to let go of Tang Xi’s soft, newly revealed cat ears.
But the moment Tang Xi looked over, he quickly put on an innocent expression.
Tang Xi tilted his head in thought. “Let’s go back to the base.”
He wanted to let his teammates know they were safe and also look for a way to restore Lu Mang’s memories.
Gazing at his amnesiac poop scooper, Tang Xi felt an immense sense of responsibility weighing on his shoulders.
Lu Mang had no idea what the cat-eared boy was thinking, but he enjoyed the feeling of being watched by him.
As for the so-called base, he had no interest in it whatsoever. He simply nodded absentmindedly.
1551, however, detected that the zombies hadn’t actually left. They had merely hidden in places beyond Tang Xi’s line of sight, awaiting further orders.
After some hesitation, 1551 decided to let its host continue living blissfully unaware.
After all, his poop scooper would never harm him.
Although Lu Mang rarely displayed any zombie-like traits in front of Tang Xi—instinctively suppressing them for fear of scaring the little kitten—his cold, pale skin and faintly visible fangs were still noticeable up close.
Tang Xi deliberately picked out long-sleeved clothes and pants, wrapping him up tightly.
He even found a mask for him to wear.
Ever since turning into a zombie, Lu Mang had developed an inexplicable obsession with Tang Xi’s cat ears.
Left with no choice, Tang Xi continued to keep them exposed, only covering them with a small hat.
The entire journey, Lu Mang kept teasing his ears.
Under the scorching sun, they had no choice but to travel on foot.
Tang Xi didn’t dare let a zombie drive.
Too tired to walk, Tang Xi shifted into his cat form and flopped onto Lu Mang’s arm.
It felt just like hugging a giant ice pack—cool and comfortable.
Nestled in Lu Mang’s arms, Tang Xi contentedly gnawed on a thick strip of beef jerky.
They had been walking for two days straight. Since zombies neither got tired nor sleepy, Lu Mang simply kept moving without stopping.
Along the way, they hadn’t encountered a single person. Even mutant beasts were scarce, as if avoiding something.
Tang Xi flicked his tail. He had just been wondering why they hadn’t seen anyone—only for a group of people to appear around the corner.
He panicked for a moment, afraid that the humans would recognize Lu Mang as a zombie.
“Meow meow meow!” Go back!
Anxiously, he raised a paw and patted Lu Mang.
Lu Mang lowered his head and let out a deep, soothing growl.
He didn’t understand why his little kitten was suddenly scared, so he instinctively released his aura in a sweeping motion, scanning the area for any threats.
To him, humans were nothing more than ants—not even worth noticing.
The people around the corner had barely started to feel relieved before they were hit by an overwhelming pressure. Instantly, they froze in place, paralyzed by fear.
Tang Xi, unaware of what Lu Mang had just done, only saw the group suddenly stop moving as if they had seen a ghost.
Curious, he tilted his head.
It was then that he realized Lu Mang’s mask and sunglasses were still firmly in place, making it impossible for his identity to be exposed.
Lu Mang, having found no real danger, withdrew his mental scan and gently patted the kitten in his arms before pushing the beef jerky back into his mouth.
Tang Xi happily resumed chewing, his tiny milk teeth gnawing away.
The humans, meanwhile, were utterly baffled. They had just felt an overwhelming, deathly presence sweep over them, only for it to disappear just as suddenly.
After whispering among themselves, a chubby man took the lead, jogging over while panting and greeting Lu Mang with a friendly smile.
Lu Mang ignored him, completely focused on the little kitten nibbling away in his arms.
The man, seemingly unfazed, kept smiling and said, “Hey brother, do you know the way to Dawn Base?”
“Meow meow meow!”
Tang Xi perked up the moment he heard “Dawn Base,” his excitement clear.
Only then did Lu Mang glance up at the man.
Encouraged, the chubby man continued, “We’re lost. If you have a map or know the way, would you mind traveling with us?”
“Meow.” Sure, sure!
But Lu Mang was visibly displeased. He had a feeling his precious alone time with his little kitten was about to be disrupted.
The man, however, was sharp—he could tell at a glance that Lu Mang was someone not to be trifled with.
In the apocalypse, only a true powerhouse would dare to fight alone while bringing along a pet.
To stay close to such a strong ally, the chubby man had no choice but to shamelessly tag along.
That recent wave of mental energy sweeping through them confirmed one thing—there were definitely high-level zombies nearby.
With a cold expression, Lu Mang couldn’t resist the kitten’s pleading and ultimately agreed to travel with them.
Along the way, Tang Xi kept glancing back out of curiosity.
At the very end of the group followed a young man wrapped from head to toe, just like Lu Mang—even his face was completely covered.
Judging by his demeanor, he seemed to have joined the chubby man and his group only recently and wasn’t particularly familiar with them.
Tang Xi stared too intently and failed to notice that the zombie carrying him was growing increasingly agitated due to his distraction.