Apocalypse Star House Hoarding-Chapter 181

However, more pressing than the next apocalyptic world’s type was a crucial question for Yu Xi.
“Is this a fragmented world or a complete world?” This would determine whether she needed to be wary of dangers beyond the apocalypse itself.
【Sorry, further information about the upcoming mission world is currently unavailable.】
Xing Min’s neutral voice echoed in her mind, though it had lost the chilly tone of earlier interactions. This subtle shift had begun after the last world concluded. Despite being minor, it made Xing Min’s presence feel more tangible to Yu Xi.
Xing Min was clearly a sentient, thinking entity—not just a system running on preprogrammed logic.
Even though she couldn’t see Xing Min, hearing its voice brought her a strange sense of comfort.
【This is an advanced-level world, but much information is incomplete. Be cautious.】
Xing Min hadn’t initially planned to connect Yu Xi to an advanced-level world. The leap from mid-to-advanced difficulty was far greater than it sounded. It had aimed for fragmented or mid-to-low difficulty worlds but had been repeatedly drawn into this advanced-level world, as if it actively sought connection.
Due to certain initial settings, the monthly tasks couldn’t be paused. Thus, Star Min had no choice but to proceed.
【If the opportunity arises, I’ll enter the mission world to assist you.】
“That will deplete your energy,” Yu Xi responded.
【It’s a minor issue. Your safety is more important.】
Yu Xi smiled and lightly touched the simulated apartment wall. “Thank you.”
【…】
【The Star House is just a medium—our means of communication. It’s not my true form.】
Yu Xi: …?
【If you truly want to thank me, wait until I enter the mission world. You can thank me in person.】
Yu Xi: …
It seemed Xing Min was still as skilled as ever at wordplay.
Got it. She’d bring some extra fruits and vegetables into the mission world as thanks.
Yu Xi then opened the system shop and hesitated over the Strength Pill.
Each person could take a maximum of five, and she had already consumed four, giving her a physique five to six times stronger than an average human. She planned to save the final pill until her ice control and plant affinity abilities reached a higher level.
By then, taking the pill would enhance her physical strength by another 50%, granting her a physique eight to nine times stronger than normal. It might also improve her stamina when using abilities.
She vividly recalled the weakness that followed overusing her abilities in the previous world. If the pill could boost her ability endurance, it was worth holding off.
With her decision made, she checked the shop again and noticed a new item.
Sunscreen Spray
【Sunscreen Spray: 8 uses, 2 hours of effectiveness per use. Forms an oxygen-isolated membrane over the body, protecting against extreme temperatures, pressure, radiation, and vacuum. Price: 25 Star Coins.】
This was the most expensive cosmetic—no,
star gear
—she’d ever seen.
But the features justified the price.
It was essentially a spacesuit in spray form! Though the two-hour duration per use wasn’t long, eight uses meant 16 hours of protection. While it couldn’t sustain her in extreme environments indefinitely, it was life-saving in emergencies.
For example, during the vacuum state inside the alien spaceship in the Acid Rain world, having this star gear could have prevented her near-death experience.
“Did this gear get custom-designed just for my past disasters?” Yu Xi joked as she purchased a bottle of
Sunscreen Spray
and replenished her stock of
Healing Foundation
, leaving her with 425 Star Coins.
The sunscreen spray resembled standard commercial sprays, with a metallic pink-white bottle that felt hefty in her hand. Removing the cap revealed a nozzle with a counter displaying the number 8.
She guessed the spray was premeasured—each use consuming one-eighth of the contents to form the oxygen-isolated membrane.
After closing the shop, Yu Xi turned her attention to her Star House warehouse.
The warehouse now measured 888 cubic meters.
Despite her recent trading activity, her resources had not only remained abundant but increased—especially seafood. She had stockpiled enough to feed her family for the next ten years.
In addition to the mutated tropical fruits, some of which were simply larger but tasted the same as before, many were new varieties. They were vibrant, crystalline, and strikingly beautiful when grouped together in boxes. These were identified as safe to eat through her plant affinity ability.
The supplies she stockpiled from the “Blood Ghoul” world—packaged food, takeout, daily necessities, medical supplies, and survival gear—had only been partially traded. Combined with her earlier reserves, her warehouse, now 888 cubic meters, had approximately 650 cubic meters in use.
She planned to take enough food, water, and necessities for one year, focusing on ready-to-eat meals and pre-cooked foods. Meat, eggs, seafood, and condiments would be packed into one comprehensive box. Weapons, medical supplies, and protective equipment were selected in appropriate quantities. Precious metals and gems, which occupied minimal space, would remain in the simulated apartment.
Having organized her supplies multiple times before, Yu Xi quickly separated the warehouse items. On the left, a small pile of essentials to take into the mission world; on the right, a large pile of items to remove from the warehouse before entering the mission.
She decided to leave the silver RV in the simulated apartment, as the off-road RV was sufficient and avoided redundancy.
After finishing, Yu Xi stood by the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room, watching the tides of the sea outside. Silently, she said her goodbyes before heading to her room to rest.
The Star House reset was scheduled for 6:00 AM. When she woke up again, her family would already be in a new place.
She turned off the lights and silently bid farewell.
—Goodbye, Nanhai Island.
—Goodbye, little cousin.
Yu Xi awoke to the sound of her alarm.
Given her experience, she had drawn the curtains before sleeping, knowing the windows might serve their original purpose after the simulated apartment reset.
The first thing she noticed upon waking was a faint rustling sound from outside the glass. It wasn’t loud—something an average person’s hearing might completely overlook.
Yu Xi pulled back the thin blanket and, barefoot, walked to the east-facing floor-to-ceiling window. Pale white light seeped through the curtain gap—not the warm glow of sunlight.
Overcast skies?
She reached out and drew the curtain aside, only to be greeted by a breathtakingly white world.
A pure white snow-covered city stretched before her. The simulated apartment was perched on the top floor of what appeared to be the tallest building in the area, offering a panoramic view of everything below.
Large, fluffy snowflakes fell densely from the gray sky above, blanketing the broken buildings and mutated plants in thick layers of snow.
It was April. Snow at this time of year could only mean she was in the northern regions.
Had the Star House moved from the southernmost part of the country to the northernmost in one jump?
The city was eerily quiet. The heavy snow covered the ruined buildings and sprawling mutant vegetation, making it impossible to tell if there were any human survivors in this place.
Yu Xi glanced back at her room. The constant-temperature Star House maintained a comfortable 25–26°C, insulating her from the outside world.
When she was on Nanhai Island, stepping back into the Star House always felt like a refreshing escape from the heat. Now, the room retained the warmth of Nanhai’s sun, while outside had become a frozen wasteland.
Yu Feng and Fan Qi were still asleep. Yu Xi decided to step outside and test the external conditions, planning to try out the
Sunscreen Spray
.
After a quick wash, she left a note for Yu Feng and Fan Qi, donned a light athletic tracksuit, slung a backpack over her shoulders, and put on her sneakers. Standing at the entryway, she used the
Sunscreen Spray
.
The spray smelled faintly pleasant. She applied it evenly from head to toe until the nozzle’s counter changed from 8 to 7, indicating it had dispensed the precise amount needed to form the oxygen-isolated membrane.
Surrounded by an invisible protective layer, Yu Xi opened the Star House door and stepped outside.
A strong, cold wind filled with snowflakes hit her, but she felt neither the chill nor the gusts.
The
Sunscreen Spray’s
performance exceeded her expectations. If she’d had this star gear in the Acid Rain world, the mission’s difficulty would have been significantly reduced.
Shielded from the storm outside, the Star House door closed silently behind her as she began surveying her surroundings.
The reset location was indeed inside a building—a commercial tower’s top floor. Much of the floor consisted of glass walls and ceilings, heavily damaged and exposing most of the space to the elements.
The area appeared to have once been a semi-open restaurant, judging by the scattered tables, chairs, and a half-destroyed bar counter.
The Star House had reset inside the kitchen, which was located in the central part of the building with sturdy walls and doors, remaining relatively intact. Once reset, the Star House would remain unaffected by subsequent damage to its location.
Yu Xi walked around the floor. Apart from broken walls, ceilings, and snow-filled spaces, it was clear there were no survivors here.
She discovered a collapsed doorway leading to a staircase. Testing the stairs, she found them damaged but passable.
The stairwell displayed floor numbers, revealing she was on the 25th floor. Descending one level, she found the conditions slightly better—more enclosed spaces and intact walls. Though the floor-to-ceiling windows were broken, several areas were protected from snow and wind.
Despite the messy and dusty interiors, it seemed unlikely anyone was living here.
With the protective membrane shielding her, Yu Xi couldn’t feel the temperature. She retrieved an environmental thermometer from her backpack, one of the items she’d bought in the Acid Rain world, known for its accuracy and speed.
When Yu Xi took out the thermometer, she noticed that the protective membrane also enveloped the device. She placed it in a corner, and moments after setting it down, the display began to change. The temperature dropped rapidly from the preset 20°C, finally stabilizing at -40°C.
It was that cold here?!
Could there still be survivors in such a damaged building under these conditions?
Yu Xi descended further down the stairs and stopped around the 18th floor. She heard faint voices from below. This section of the building, in the middle, was protected from the strongest winds and furthest from the mutated plants at ground level.
It seemed the city’s survivors, seeking shelter from the cold and snow, had settled in the central floors of this building. She could even smell the faint scent of burning wood and instant noodles.
As expected, no matter how harsh the environment, humans always found ways to survive.
Yu Xi decided not to disturb them and returned to the Star House.
Yu Feng and Fan Qi were already awake, standing by the living room’s floor-to-ceiling window, marveling at the snowy landscape. Both instinctively pulled their thin sleepwear tighter around themselves as they stared outside.
Hearing Yu Xi re-enter, they turned and called her over.
“Look at that!”
“What?” she replied, already aware of the snowy world outside.
“Xixi, your eyesight’s good. Look at that low, wide building diagonally across—about four stories tall. On the roof… is that an elephant?”
Yu Xi: …??
She quickly moved to the window and looked in the direction Fan Qi indicated. It appeared to be a former shopping center—short but sprawling, with a large rooftop area.
Snow covered the roof, but not the massive creatures standing there.
They were elephants, and not just one. Covered in thick fur, with long, curved tusks, they resembled a species that should have long been extinct.
Mammoths?
No, the head shapes were different, and they weren’t as large as mammoths.
It seemed these elephants had undergone specific environmental mutations.
Despite being dusted with snow, the animals showed no sign of discomfort. They moved leisurely, using their trunks to retrieve something from the building’s damaged interior.
Upon closer observation, it appeared to be mutated plant fruits growing inside the structure.
Before long, a green vine extended from within the building, thrashing wildly across the rooftop. The elephants, unfazed, stepped back and then lunged forward, stomping on the vine with their powerful legs.
The vine, caught underfoot, flailed weakly before the elephants collectively moved in, their trunks stripping it of branches and leaves. Within moments, the once-thrashing vine was reduced to a bare stalk, which quickly recoiled into the building.
Yu Xi: …
By noon, the family unanimously decided to have hot pot.
Though the apartment was comfortably warm, the snowy world outside the glass made a steaming meal feel necessary. After all, snowy days and hot pot were a perfect match.
Knowing Yu Xi would soon enter her mission world, Yu Feng and Fan Qi spent the entire day hovering around her, preparing food and drinks or suggesting card games to play as a family.
They avoided mentioning her upcoming mission until evening, when Yu Xi cleared the living room table to retrieve the small RV and other items she wasn’t bringing into the mission world. At that point, Yu Feng and Fan Qi came out of their rooms to remind her to be cautious.
At midnight, Yu Xi entered the apocalyptic world.
When Yu Xi woke, her head throbbed with dizziness and pain.
She was in a dimly lit room, large and extravagantly decorated—far beyond what would be considered reasonable for an ordinary home.
The bed beneath her was enormous, round, and soft. As she struggled to shake off her discomfort, she turned her head and realized she wasn’t alone.
A man lay at the edge of the bed, his long limbs and striking features apparent even in sleep.
He didn’t seem to be resting peacefully. Perhaps sensing her movement, he woke as soon as she sat up. Seeing her awake, he quickly climbed out of bed, knelt on one knee beside it, and spoke with extreme deference, not daring to look at her directly.
“President Yu, you’re finally awake.”
His tone and demeanor were humble, almost servile.
Yu Xi’s mind flashed with fragmented images: torn vehicles, mutilated bodies, blood splattered across the sky, and panicked crowds scattering in all directions.
These were scenes unmistakably from the apocalypse.
Her eyes widened in shock.
This time, her identity in the world wasn’t just an ordinary survivor.
She had been reborn!