Apocalypse Star House Hoarding-Chapter 149

The person squatting there couldn’t move their body. Even though their ankle was merely gripped by the other, facing those blood-red, cold eyes left their whole body stiff. Especially at the part where the bloodied hand grasped—it was utterly immobile.
The figure stared at them with crimson-black, icy eyes for a moment before suddenly breaking into a wide grin.
Perhaps it was due to injuries sustained from falling from the Ferris wheel or something else entirely, but its smile stretched all the way to the ears, splitting the corners of the mouth.
Beneath the torn skin, red, quivering flesh pulsed, moving grotesquely in time with its laughter.
Abruptly, the figure got up, ripping off a piece of its already cracked facial skin, and slapped the bloody strip of flesh straight onto the squatting person’s eyes.
The individual saw nothing but red as a wet, cold, and slimy sensation engulfed their face. A horrified, blood-curdling scream erupted, sharp enough to make anyone’s skin crawl.
The crowd gathered under the Ferris wheel quickly descended into chaos.
The person who had stepped forward earlier to offer medical aid was now frozen in terror after witnessing the grotesque, and even the friends of the victim dared not approach.
The “skinned figure”—if it could still be called human—wobbled to its feet, staggering into the brighter light.
It was then that everyone saw clearly: the creature’s entire upper body was devoid of clothing. What had looked red earlier was exposed muscle, with patches of hanging or entirely missing skin. Fresh blood mixed with pus dripped steadily onto the ground, creating a nauseating sight.
The creature’s right half of the face was similarly flayed, likely due to the fall from the Ferris wheel. One leg was visibly broken, causing it to limp as it lunged at the nearest group of people.
To have fallen from such a height, been left in that condition, and still be able to move and attack?
The onlookers screamed, scattering in all directions to avoid the creature.
Yu Xi suppressed her urge to step forward and examine the scene. She remembered the “biochemical” tag in the world mission description and the mention of “blood.” Trusting the system’s warnings, her intuition told her to avoid any contact with blood without proper precautions.
Her classmates stumbled backward, many shaky and disoriented. Two students prone to fainting at the sight of blood were almost being carried along by others.
“Yu Xi… let’s go…” Next to her, Kong Lin’s trembling voice broke the tension as he grabbed her hand, trying to pull her in the opposite direction of the skinned man.
“Wait a moment.” Yu Xi stayed in place, observing the situation carefully.
Nearby, amusement park staff and security guards arrived on the scene. The skinned man had pinned a tourist to the ground by the neck, showing alarming strength. The victim’s friends frantically attempted to pry him off, but none succeeded.
The guards, wielding batons, issued warnings. When they saw the creature remain unresponsive, they began striking its arm in an attempt to make it let go.
The first few strikes seemed ineffective, likely too weak. The skinned man continued to strangle the victim, who was visibly struggling to breathe.
Seeing this, the guards hit harder, dislodging a strip of loose skin from the creature’s shoulder in the process.
The action enraged the skinned man, who turned with a guttural snarl. With astonishing force, it grabbed the baton mid-swing and yanked it away, then counterattacked, swinging it violently at the guards.
Yu Xi watched closely, analyzing every move.
The creature’s strength far exceeded that of an average human. Its attacks were aggressive but followed no discernible pattern, targeting whoever was nearest. Notably, when struck, it howled in pain, indicating that it could still feel.
Furthermore, its previous behaviors—laughing, ripping off its own skin, and wielding a weapon—suggested that it retained some level of intelligence, unlike the brain-dead movement of traditional zombies.
However, it was undeniably beyond the realm of normal human behavior, likely in a state of uncontrollable madness. It was unclear whether this madness was curable.
Meanwhile, the people who had been directly attacked—the one whose eyes had been covered with skin and the strangled victim—were finally helped up by their companions. Their expressions were filled with fear, but they seemed conscious and coherent.
This led Yu Xi to two conclusions:
This type of contact might not result in immediate infection.
If infection did occur, the transmission process was not rapid.
Summary of findings: The infection was of an unknown nature, leading to mutation. The infected had heightened strength, retained intelligence, exhibited vocalizations (possibly from pain or loss of language), and could use weapons. Blood likely carried infectious properties, as hinted in the mission description.
Having gathered enough information, Yu Xi decisively turned to Kong Lin. “Let’s go!”
Moments ago, Kong Lin had struggled to drag her away. Now, with a single pull, Yu Xi was practically dragging him as they sprinted.
Following the fleeing crowd, they quickly moved away from the Ferris wheel. Yu Xi recalled the map she had seen earlier: the shortest route to another exit passed through the haunted house. Shouting to her classmates ahead, she warned, “Don’t go through the haunted house! There might be blood creatures there too! Head straight and take the path past the roller coaster!”
Her words caused a momentary pause among the students, some of whom had been blindly running.
A girl turned back in panic. “Yu Xi, are you sure? Is there really—”
“Yes!” Kong Lin interrupted. “We saw people running out earlier, shouting about monsters in the haunted house—”
Before he could finish, a commotion erupted down the haunted house path. Screams filled the air as those who had reached the area turned and ran back, colliding into others in their frantic retreat.
“Careful! He has a fire axe!”
“Don’t go that way! He’s too strong!”
“Watch out—move!”
Amidst the chaos, guttural growls interspersed with terrified screams and the sickening scent of blood filled the air.
“Don’t just stand there! Run!” Yu Xi had already overtaken the classmates who had initially been at the front. Dragging Kong Lin, she continued sprinting toward the main path.
The other classmates saw this and began helping each other move, scrambling to follow behind.
They dashed down the straight path, passed the roller coaster corridor, and eventually reached another exit. Those who had made it through the haunted house ignored the confused tourists nearby, squeezing desperately through the exit. Some, unable to find a way out, vaulted over the barriers at the ticket checkpoint.
Yu Xi and Kong Lin’s group managed to locate the exit smoothly, finally escaping the amusement park. No one stopped; they kept running along the road until, exhausted, they collapsed onto the sidewalk, gasping for air.
The streets ahead were still filled with festive energy. Dressed in quirky costumes and masks, the locals of the country continued their All Souls’ Day celebrations, oblivious to the horrors unfolding inside the amusement park.
Yu Xi surveyed the surroundings carefully. For now, everything outside appeared normal, suggesting the large-scale outbreak hadn’t yet begun. This gave her precious time.
The walk back to their hotel would take just over thirty minutes, while a car ride would only be ten minutes. Some classmates suggested walking, but the eerie sight of masked and costumed pedestrians around them made them uneasy. If “skinned people” like those in the amusement park were hiding among the crowd, they wouldn’t realize it until it was too late.
Ultimately, everyone decided to take cabs. With sixteen people, they needed at least four cars. While the others debated transportation logistics, Yu Xi had already used the phone of her world character to map out the route to the hotel and note nearby buildings. She began downloading maps of this city and D City’s neighboring areas.
The route to the hotel passed by two supermarkets—both medium-to-large-sized, though with different product focuses.
Her supplies brought into the mission world were limited, and the Star House warehouse was practically empty. She needed to fill it up as much as possible.
“Yu Xi, Kong, let’s ride together?” a classmate suggested.
Kong Lin was about to nod, but Yu Xi interjected, “I’m stopping by a supermarket. You all go back first.”
“Now? To a supermarket?” The other was confused. “Let’s head back to the hotel first; there’s a convenience store there with everything you need.”
“I’m looking for things only large supermarkets carry. Go ahead without me,” Yu Xi replied firmly, offering no further explanation. She knew she couldn’t guarantee the safety of all fifteen classmates—she could only do her best within her limits.
“I’ll go with you,” Kong Lin said resolutely.
Yu Xi looked at him but shook her head this time. “No, you go back to the hotel and wait for me.”
Videos of the “skinned people” that had been circulating online earlier had now vanished.
The D country authorities were intervening to prevent widespread panic—a good sign that the situation was still under control.
With the time difference between D country and C country, it was around 2 a.m. back home. Yu Xi decided against waking her brother with a call and instead sent a message: she informed him of an incident, her decision to return immediately, and not to worry if he couldn’t reach her while she was traveling.
She also advised him to take two days off from work and to monitor the news and online updates. If anything urgent came up, he could leave her a message.
Recalling memories of the world character and her brother, Yu Xi noted their relationship seemed amicable. Her brother, ten years her senior, was a steady and reliable figure. Thinking of the sister she had encountered in the meteorite world, Yu Xi found herself curious about her brother’s appearance.
After closing the messaging app, she pocketed her phone and donned a 3M mask before quickly pushing a shopping cart into the supermarket.
No matter whether the apocalypse had officially begun, at what stage it was, or what challenges lay ahead, stocking up on supplies was always the right move.
This medium-to-large supermarket focused on daily essentials, offering everything from staple foods and snacks to fresh and frozen goods, beverages, hygiene products, and home goods.
Although the world character was still a student, her parents had left behind a substantial inheritance when they passed. By law, the assets were divided equally between the siblings, with her brother managing her share until she turned sixteen.
Over the years, her brother’s careful management had not only preserved but grown her funds. Now eighteen, she had taken over the finances herself. Since she wasn’t one to waste money and had few expenses as a student, her bank account was quite healthy.
With time pressing, Yu Xi planned to stock up first and later liquidate gold stored in her Star House warehouse if needed.
The supermarket was bustling with festive cheer, with many items discounted for the holiday. Pushing her cart to the food section, she quickly loaded up on bread, cheese, smoked sausages, fruits, and various meat, fish, and bean cans.
Starting with the canned goods at the bottom of her cart, she piled on white bread, whole-grain bread, carrot buns, and cheese rolls. Finally, she added vacuum-packed sausages and cured meats to the top.
Once her cart was full, she headed straight to the checkout, paid, and pushed it to the dimly lit corner of the underground parking lot she had scouted earlier. There, shielded by a large pickup truck, she transferred the items into her Star House warehouse, ensuring no cameras or dashcams caught her actions.
Afterward, she found a secluded restroom between floors and used her Disguise Lipstick. Moments later, a “tall, thin man” walked out, pushing a cart back into the supermarket’s fresh produce section.
This time, Yu Xi loaded up on onions, carrots, kale, celery, tomatoes, potatoes, spices like pepper and curry, and a variety of fruits before heading to checkout again.
Moments later, a “middle-aged woman from D Country” entered the supermarket, pushing a cart toward the refrigerated section. She loaded it with pre-portioned beef, lamb, chicken, duck, pork, seafood, sashimi, and shellfish.
Following her, a “plain-looking middle-aged man” stepped inside, heading straight for the instant food section. He grabbed ten boxes of instant noodles. Notably, D Country didn’t have particularly tasty local options, so most of the instant noodles on the shelves were imports. Alongside noodles from T Country, Yu Xi also spotted brands from her own homeland.
Next came a “plump young woman” who walked into the frozen foods aisle, filling her cart with ready-to-eat pizzas, fried chicken, pasta, burgers, steaks, fish fillets, and lamb chops.
Following that, she returned as a “tall man,” pushing a cart filled with assorted drinks and milk.
Then came a cart loaded with bottled water.
Another followed, brimming with personal hygiene and care products.
In total, Yu Xi used five Disguise Lipsticks, amassing ten fully loaded shopping carts of supplies. At 3 Star Coins each, granting two uses per stick, the lipsticks felt absurdly cost-effective for such results.
The process, while simple and somewhat cumbersome, was effective. Considering that nearby supermarkets weren’t open 24 hours and her time was limited, this was the best short-term strategy she could devise.
Afterward, she moved on to another medium-to-large supermarket. While this one didn’t have as wide a selection of food items, it did feature a section for protective gear, including the very equipment she needed: hazmat suits, toolkits, masks, gloves, disinfectant, and more.
Such items were highly valuable in both this apocalyptic world and her original one. While her personal stockpile was already sizable, no one would complain about having more. Given the opportunity, she intended to purchase the maximum allowable amount.
After leaving the second supermarket, Yu Xi felt the growing security of her Star House warehouse, now stocked to a reassuring degree. She found an unmonitored, empty restroom, stored the final batch of goods, and wiped off the Disguise Lipstick from her lips with a wet tissue.
Stepping out of the stall, the mirror reflected her original appearance.
In this world, “Yu Xi” had a petite and slender frame. Her facial features were the same as when she was seventeen or eighteen years old—delicate, with a slightly pale complexion, lending her an air of frail elegance that often evoked protectiveness from others.
She pulled out scissors and let down her long hair, cutting it to a clean ear-length bob. Shortly after, she donned a baseball cap, tucking the short strands neatly under it.
Washing her hands thoroughly with portable disinfectant, she completed her disguise with a 3M mask.
On her walk back to the hotel, Yu Xi passed a still-open pharmacy. Following her principle of “leave nothing behind,” she went inside. It was past 10 p.m., and the pharmacy was open until midnight.
She bought standard medications for colds, fevers, and headaches, along with antibiotics. She also picked up a substantial quantity of health supplements for Yu Feng and Fan Qi. Additionally, she stocked up on as many protective items—masks, gloves, and disinfectants—as the pharmacy allowed her to purchase.
As she left the store with large shopping bags, three or four people rushed in, nearly colliding with her.
Yu Xi reacted quickly, stepping aside to let them pass. The group went straight to the staff, their urgency evident.
“Do you have anti-itch creams? Something very effective? My friend seems to have a skin allergy!” one of them asked anxiously. Another pulled their friend forward and rolled up her sleeve to show the staff.
Yu Xi paused slightly, her curiosity piqued. She glanced back at the person with the alleged allergy.
The young woman kept scratching her arm, her pale skin now broken and red from relentless clawing. Yet, she showed no signs of pain—or perhaps the itching was so unbearable that she couldn’t stop despite the discomfort.
“Linda, hold on. The cream will help!” her friends reassured her while explaining the situation to the staff. “She was fine this morning but started itching suddenly in the afternoon. Could it be her clothes?”
The staff examined the situation. “It’s peak pollen season for Chinese privet flowers—it might be pollen allergies. It could also be fabric-related. Does she have a history of allergies?”
The group didn’t know for sure and asked the woman herself. She coughed lightly and admitted she’d never had pollen allergies before but mentioned a family history of sensitivities.
The staff provided several tubes of strong antibacterial and anti-itch cream, instructing them on application and advising them to visit a hospital if the symptoms didn’t subside overnight.
Carrying her bags, Yu Xi exited the pharmacy before the group left.
When she returned to the hotel, her classmates were still awake, gathered in the teacher’s room. They recounted the evening’s events at the amusement park, visibly shaken.
Some narrated the ordeal, while others searched the news on TV or online. However, there were no s of the incident, and the “skinned person” videos Yu Xi had seen earlier were nowhere to be found—scrubbed entirely from the web.
Considering it was All Souls’ Day, even if someone did stumble upon a “skinned person” covered in gore, their first reaction, especially through a screen, might be to assume it was part of an elaborate costume.
Just like the group from the haunted house earlier—even with their vivid descriptions of monsters and their desperate calls to the police—no one believed them.
It wasn’t until witnesses saw the “person” who fell from the Ferris wheel not only survive but start attacking others that panic truly set in.
Yet, the chaos was so sudden that no one had managed to capture footage of the fall, and none of Yu Xi’s classmates had dared to film the ensuing attacks.
Now, without evidence, a group of students in eccentric costumes and face paint excitedly recounting tales of “bloody men” to their teacher only earned looks of skepticism.
Their teacher, evidently unconvinced, wore an exasperated expression as he once again urged them to return to their rooms and rest. At that moment, the partially open door swung wider.
“Mr. Ge.” Yu Xi, dressed in a crisp long-sleeved tracksuit, entered with a hat and mask, pulling a suitcase behind her. “I’d like to retrieve my ID documents.”
“Y-Your hair… What happened? Where are you going? This is just the first stop of the study tour!”
“I cut it,” Yu Xi replied calmly. “I’m heading back home.” She glanced at her classmates and added, “As for the reason, you’ve probably already told the teacher. Regardless of whether he believes it or not, I’m scared, and I don’t want to continue participating in the tour.”
The teacher, Mr. Ge, though responsible for the students’ safety, did not have the authority to restrict their freedom. After all, these students were legally adults. He requested Yu Xi to fill out a withdrawal form, explaining that once it was completed, he would return all her identification documents.
Seeing Yu Xi packed and ready to leave, the other students exchanged glances before one of them had a realization.
Right! Why were they still here? Studying abroad was important, but after witnessing what had just happened, what did the study tour even matter? The priority should be to return home and stay with their families!
Kong Lin was the first to speak up, declaring his intent to withdraw as well. His decision set off a chain reaction, like dominoes falling, as more classmates announced their departure, leaving Mr. Ge utterly stunned.
Just as he was about to speak, Yu Xi handed her phone to him, showing a video playing on the screen. In the amusement park background, a bloodied, skinless figure could be seen rampaging and attacking those nearby.
**
Mr. Ge wasn’t a stubborn man. Faced with concrete evidence, his primary concern shifted to ensuring the students’ safety.
Fortunately, there were other level-headed individuals among the students.
“We’ve all read zombie novels, right?” Min Min, Yu Xi’s former roommate, stepped forward decisively. “While we don’t yet know what’s happening or whether it’s contagious, we all understand this much—if it is contagious,
time
is of the essence! Gather your things quickly, ditch any unnecessary luggage, and let’s move!”
Kong Lin chimed in, “Also, remember, we were the first group to encounter this. The amusement park has surveillance cameras, and if the D Country authorities want to find us, they absolutely can. We don’t know how they’ll handle the situation, but while they’re still dealing with the chaos, we must leave as fast as possible!”
He continued, “Let’s divide tasks: who’s handling checkout? Who’s booking rides to the train station? Who’s buying train tickets? Who’s booking plane tickets? And who’s running downstairs to the hotel convenience store to grab food and water? Time is critical!”
“I’m fluent in D Country’s language; I’ll handle checkout!”
“I’ll look up train schedules!”
“Xiao Nan and I need five minutes to pack; we’ll head to the convenience store right after!”
Perhaps due to the unique testing and academic systems of this world, the students were particularly quick to react and adept at problem-solving.
Within ten minutes, everyone had packed their belongings and regrouped in Mr. Ge’s room. Most had abandoned bulky suitcases in favor of duffel bags or travel backpacks. The girls swapped out impractical skirts and shoes for sweatpants and sneakers.
Yu Xi was the only one still pushing a suitcase, though it was mostly for show—there was hardly anything inside.
Another ten minutes later, the group assembled in the hotel lobby.
Ten more minutes after that, they had stocked up on food and water from the convenience store. Two students distributed the supplies among the group, ensuring everyone carried their share.
Twenty minutes later, they had completed the checkout process and rushed to the train station, where they successfully boarded a night train bound for B City in D Country.
At the time, the students had no idea that later that night, in multiple locations across L City, “skinned people” had attacked civilians. Police and hospital personnel were overwhelmed with rescue efforts and investigations.
Ten hours later, preliminary findings were compiled, and the was uploaded.
Three hours after that, L City began setting up roadblocks throughout its streets. The entire police force was armed and mobilized as the city entered a full lockdown.
Meanwhile, Yu Xi and her group had already boarded a long-haul flight from B City to C Country before the initial findings were released.
Due to the urgency of their ticket purchase, they couldn’t secure a direct flight. Instead, they had to transit through Country D.
Yu Xi stirred, her head nodding slightly as she woke from a light doze.
She was aboard a large, twin-aisle night flight. The cabin lights were dim, leaving only a few faint amber overhead lights. Outside the airplane window, the night sky stretched endlessly. She estimated she had only slept for about half an hour.
They were seated toward the back of the economy class cabin, where space was limited. After a night of exhaustion and terror, her classmates had all fallen into deep sleep.
Yu Xi sat in an aisle seat, with Kong Lin beside her, leaning back in his chair, also asleep.
Someone rose and walked past her toward the rear restroom.
Across the aisle, a passenger lightly pressed the call button. A flight attendant, previously resting, approached with a friendly demeanor, bending down to quietly inquire about their needs.
Somewhere up ahead, an infant’s cries broke the relative silence.
At the same time, Yu Xi caught a faint but familiar scent in the air.
The metallic tang of blood, tinged with the foul stench of decayed flesh.
It was exactly the same as what she had smelled at the amusement park.