Apocalypse Star House Hoarding-Chapter 154

Thingyan
: Revised chapter. Thanks to the reader Madness for letting me know the issues with chapter. It’s been fixed ☺️
…
Bang! Bang!
Two heavy crashes echoed as the roadblock blocking the intersection was destroyed. The van rammed through, scattering the shattered remains of the barrier. The slightly worn vehicle swayed twice before speeding along the road toward the bridge.
Before anyone could react or take a closer look, Yu Xi swiftly put away her Air hairdryer, glancing at the image in the rearview mirror.
Their reckless move to break through the barricade caused several police officers to cry out and give chase. But after only a few steps, their attention shifted back to the man clutching his neck. Blood dripped incessantly from his neck, staining his uniform and pooling at his feet in a rhythmic splatter.
The man pleaded desperately with his colleagues, begging for help. However, these officers, having already witnessed the city overrun by “monsters” since midnight, remained vigilant. They held their guns firmly, demanding the man not move closer, promising to take him to the hospital if he put down his weapon.
But the man didn’t lower his gun. His eyes were fixed on someone restrained behind the officers. Earlier, he had tried to stop that person, insisting he wasn’t a monster, but the other had broken free in a desperate struggle. Even so, that person couldn’t escape because the man’s blood had splattered on them, turning them into a target as well.
The man loosened his grip on his neck, raising his hand to examine it. His palm was wet with blood—his own. Staring at the crimson stain, he muttered in shock, “So I tore off my own skin? But it itched… it itched so much, I couldn’t help it…”
For the past two days, he had been itching uncontrollably. By last night, the scratches on his body had begun to fester. He had planned to visit the hospital today, but…
At least tearing it off stopped the itch. It just hurt—a deep, bone-penetrating pain.
The officers, seeing his dazed state, thought they were finally persuading him. They cautiously urged him to put down the gun, promising to take him for treatment and reassuring him that his family was worried about him.
But as he listened, he suddenly realized something. His colleagues wouldn’t spare him. They wouldn’t even spare ordinary people contaminated by his blood—how could they possibly let him go?
Perhaps overwhelmed by the unbearable pain, rage overtook him. He raised his gun and began firing indiscriminately.
The officers quickly returned fire. Bullets pierced his body, and more blood gushed out, yet he felt little pain. The bullet wounds didn’t compare to the agony of tearing off his own flesh.
After emptying his magazine, he discarded the gun and charged at the group, screaming. The officers, horrified, fired while retreating, but still ended up drenched in his spraying blood.
Yu Xi furrowed her brows and looked away. From the shouting of someone who had run out of a nearby tent, she gathered that the officer had been fine until recently. Then he started scratching his neck incessantly, eventually tearing off large patches of flesh.
She recalled the girl she had encountered at the pharmacy in L City. That girl had also been scratching her skin, complaining about the unbearable itch even as she bled.
That girl was likely in the early stages of Blood Mutation, with mild symptoms of infection. The officer, on the other hand, seemed to be in the second stage—his sclera remained clear, and he could still speak coherently, even begging for help.
The flight attendant from the airplane had been in the third stage. Half of his sclera had turned red, large patches of flesh were torn off, and his speech had deteriorated, though he still displayed anger and a capacity to fight back.
As for the amusement park victim who fell from the Ferris wheel, they seemed fully mutated. Language skills were gone, all skin had sloughed off, yet they could laugh while ripping off their own face and cruelly delight in others’ terror and panic.
If this progression holds true, Baicheng Airport wasn’t the sole source of transmission. Infections in Baicheng had likely begun well before midnight.
Piecing together the details, Yu Xi gained a clearer understanding of Blood Mutation but was still left with many unanswered questions:
How exactly is the infection transmitted? If blood is the medium, what level of contact leads to contagion?
What is causing the mutation, and where did it originate?
Besides sunlight, are there other factors these mutants fear?
The Ferris wheel victim survived a fall. What about someone stabbed in the heart? Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to confirm this with the flight attendant she had dispatched, as he had fallen from the plane before she could.
Zombie viruses typically destroy the brain, making mutations irreversible. What about Blood Mutation?
…
As Yu Xi organized the fragments of information, a classmate finally broke the silence.
“Xiao Xi, what did you use to blow up the barricade just now? How do you even have a weapon like that?”
“Yeah, you moved so fast! Before I could even react, you were leaning out and taking aim. You scared me half to death.”
“To be honest, you’ve been acting so different this whole trip. You’re calm and reliable, but…”
The rest of their thoughts went unsaid.
A familiar person suddenly behaving differently is indeed unsettling. At this stage, while the group desperately needed calmness and a sense of security, it was impossible for them to be without concerns.
The fact that they openly asked her about it rather than gossiping behind her back reflected their trust.
“It’s a weapon I picked up after entering the city. You guys just didn’t notice before,” Yu Xi casually fabricated an excuse. She wasn’t worried about further questions—without evidence, they couldn’t do anything, and she could explain however she wanted.
“What kind of weapon? I want to see it too,” Wu You said sincerely. He truly believed her and was even wondering if he could find something similar for himself.
“Stop asking for now. The situation is urgent—let’s leave this place first,” Kong Lin said from the passenger seat. He, too, had been a steady presence for the group throughout their journey.
Min Min agreed. “Yes, even the Baicheng police are mutating now. It’s like there are time bombs everywhere.”
Yu Xi glanced up, locking eyes with Kong Lin in the rearview mirror. His gaze carried a hint of complexity, but when she looked over, he didn’t conceal it. Instead, he smiled faintly at her, as if to reassure her.
Just as one crisis settled, another arose. After driving a short distance, the sound of police sirens echoed behind them. The officers, having resolved the earlier chaos, were now in pursuit of their van.
“How much further?” Wu You anxiously asked Radek.
“Just around the corner.”
“Drive faster!”
The van turned onto a side road, and soon the shadow of a police car appeared at the intersection. Ahead, the gate to the travel company came into view, and Radek’s friend, who had been notified earlier, was already waiting and opened the iron gate.
The van rushed through the gate, braking sharply. Radek’s friend squeezed inside, announcing that he had secured the plane keys. He directed Radek to drive past the building complex and toward the runway at the back.
Radek had introduced his friend earlier. Though currently a security guard, he had previously been a pilot. However, his license was permanently revoked due to violations, forcing him to take the security job at the travel company.
This connection gave Radek the confidence to propose this plan—after all, they couldn’t leave without a pilot.
Glancing in the rearview mirror, Radek saw the police car drawing closer. He suddenly swerved sharply, abandoning the route around the buildings and heading toward a tall iron gate.
The gate led to a massive hangar used for aircraft maintenance. Radek had been there before and knew it had two large doors, front and back, both wide enough for the van to pass through. His plan was to lock one door after entering, escape through the other, and buy time for the plane to take off while blocking the police.
The van entered the hangar smoothly, but before it could stop, a blood-covered figure suddenly darted from the shadows. Radek swerved, but the van crashed into a pillar, its old engine sputtering before stalling completely.
“Was that a blood ghoul?” a terrified classmate asked, trembling.
“Yes,” Yu Xi replied calmly. She opened the window and jumped out. “Don’t just stand there! The van’s useless now. Everyone get out and run to the plane. The runway should be on the other side of the hangar.”
“But there are blood ghouls!”
“Don’t be afraid. They fear sunlight, so they’re hiding in the hangar. Just run faster than they do!”
“What about you? What will you do?”
“I have weapons. I’ll hold them off. Don’t hesitate—don’t waste time!” As Yu Xi spoke, she pulled a tri-edged military dagger from her backpack (
Star House Storage
) and charged toward the iron gate without looking back.
The classmates hesitated for only a moment before scrambling out of the van, grabbing their bags, and sprinting toward the far end of the hangar.
The infected were not limited to one. Previously lurking in the shadows, they emerged from various corners, growling and charging toward the commotion.
“Oh my god! There are so many! I’m going to die!” Wu You screamed as he ran.
“Stop yelling! You’re always the first to shout whenever something happens! My head’s splitting from your noise!”
“Let him scream—it’s distracting the blood ghouls. Look! Two of them just changed direction and are heading toward Wu You instead!”
Wu You glanced back and almost froze in fear. “Oh no—!” He hit the ground in a roll, narrowly avoiding a bloodied hand reaching for his backpack. The two infected snarled but didn’t continue their attack.
“Sunlight! It’s the sunlight!” Min Min quickly realized. The hangar, though large and shadowy, had skylights that let beams of afternoon sunlight pour in. Wu You had rolled into one such brightly lit area.
“Everyone, stick to the sunny spots!” Xiao Nan shouted, adjusting her direction.
The group ran, casting nervous glances over their shoulders. At the other end of the hangar, Yu Xi had already closed the towering metal sliding door. But as the door shut, the sunlit area near the entrance was plunged into deep shadow.
A nearby “blood ghoul,” which had been growling but hesitant to approach, suddenly lunged forward.
“Watch out—!” several classmates shouted in unison.
Yu Xi didn’t dodge. She had already prepared her tri-edged military dagger and thrust it fiercely toward the creature’s heart, driving the blade into its bloody, sinewy chest. Gripping the dagger tightly, she kicked the creature off, sending it sprawling to the ground.
The “blood ghoul” lay there briefly, adjusting its posture before crawling toward her again. Yu Xi stepped back, observing its behavior.
It lasted only about ten more seconds before clutching its chest and falling silent.
The heart is a fatal weakness.
Having reached this conclusion, Yu Xi wasted no time. She grabbed a heavy iron chain nearby and quickly secured the warehouse door. Then, keeping to the sunlight, she sprinted toward the other end of the warehouse.
By now, Radek’s family of four and the security guard had already boarded the small plane. The guard started the engine, sliding the plane toward the warehouse’s exit.
The classmates burst out of the warehouse one by one, scrambling into the cabin. Kong Lin was the last to run. He stood in the sunlight just outside the cabin, looking back at Yu Xi still inside.
From the far end of the buildings, the sound of police sirens grew louder. Two police cars were racing toward them. The security guard cursed and pushed the plane forward again.
“We can’t leave! Some of our classmates are still down there!” the students in the cabin shouted. “Kong! Yu Xi—hurry up and get on!”
Urged by his classmates, Kong Lin jumped onto the plane. He turned to look at the warehouse, now swarming with “blood ghouls.” Yu Xi was the only person left inside, surrounded by dozens of them.
The last stretch of distance was shrouded in darkness, with no sunlight reaching it. The “blood ghouls” clustered there, growling with excitement, seemingly waiting for their prey to walk into their trap.
Through the layers of bloody figures, Kong Lin caught a glimpse of Yu Xi. She saw him too.
Her face was expressionless as she gripped the dagger tightly and maintained a steady pace, charging straight toward the creatures.
Suddenly, a thunderous explosion shattered the cacophony. A heavy weapon blasted through the wall of “blood ghouls,” opening a gap in their ranks. Yu Xi darted through the breach, rushing into the sunlight outside the warehouse.
“Hurry—!” Kong Lin stood at the open cabin door, which was already sliding forward with the plane. He tossed the shoulder-mounted rocket launcher aside and reached out to her.
Yu Xi glanced at him, then surged forward with a burst of speed, moving twice as fast as before. Grasping Kong Lin’s outstretched hand, she let him pull her aboard the plane.
The cabin door slammed shut. The security guard accelerated, driving the plane toward the far end of the runway. Moments before colliding with the police cars, the plane lifted into the air.
The plane left the D Country airspace, heading for N Country. The pilot, Hanla, had close friends there who could assist with entry procedures for their plane.
N Country, though small, was still safe for now. Due to the “blood ghoul” incidents that had erupted overnight in multiple nations—including D, Di, F, and Y Countries—the authorities were on high alert and screening all arrivals.
As long as they passed the checks, they could temporarily stay in N Country. From there, the students could buy tickets to return safely to H Country.
To avoid trouble, everyone on board carefully removed their bloodstained raincoats (protective gear). After donning masks, they sealed the contaminated clothing in a large bag, tying it securely and storing it far from their seats.
Yu Xi distributed fresh masks and gloves to everyone, ensuring they were properly protected again.
The students were tense, worried they wouldn’t pass the entry screening. No one dared to ask Kong Lin about the weapon he had suddenly pulled from his backpack.
It wasn’t until hours later, when the plane landed safely, that they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
After undergoing a series of inspections, Hanla’s friend escorted them out of the airport quarantine area to a nearby house.
The house had running water and electricity. Though cramped, it was a place to rest for the night while they planned their next steps.
Exhausted and hungry, the group quickly cleaned up and ate simple food like bread and biscuits. Nobody complained about the limited space—those who found beds slept in them, others took the couch, and many of the boys simply laid out on the floor.
Yu Xi took a five-minute shower and came out to find her classmates sprawled in disarray, fast asleep. Shaking her head with a small smile, she decided not to sleep that night. She planned to keep watch.
Grabbing a bottle of water from her backpack, she stepped out onto the balcony. The view was good, making it ideal for a night watch.
Someone else was already there—Kong Lin.
He saw her and gave a slight smile.
Yu Xi said nothing at first, drinking half the bottle in one go before speaking. “Since when were you no longer Kong Lin?”