Apocalypse Star House Hoarding-Chapter 278

Amidst the chaotic noise, Yu Xi heard the soldiers shouting desperately, “Disperse! Get away immediately!”
But no one listened because they couldn’t even hear them properly. All they saw were armed soldiers charging toward them, weapons in hand. Thinking the authorities were about to use force, the protestors, emboldened by their numbers, pushed forward even more aggressively.
The scene became completely uncontrollable as the crowd shoved and jostled, excited by their ability to block the soldiers’ path. They pressed forward recklessly.
Suddenly, a few people at the edge of the protest cried out in alarm. But the surrounding noise was too overwhelming, and no one paid attention. The few who screamed looked as if they had seen a ghost and frantically squeezed into the crowd, desperate to get away from something.
From Yu Xi’s vantage point, she could only see the right side of the protest suddenly caving inward. The people in that section seemed to be retreating in unison, as if avoiding something.
The soldiers were clearly trying to advance in the same direction, but the mass of protestors in the middle blocked their way, slowing their response.
What exactly were they trying to avoid?
Yu Xi quickly scanned her surroundings, then moved swiftly to the wall of the balcony. Grabbing the edge, she pulled herself up and climbed onto the rooftop.
There were no particularly tall buildings in front of her, and from her elevated position, she had a clear view of what was happening ahead.
What she saw were several grotesquely deformed… people?
They appeared to have crawled out of a subway entrance by the roadside. Like the person she had seen at the gas station earlier, they were covered in blood and stumbling forward with unfocused eyes. But this time, something was different.
On their cheeks, necks, and exposed arms, dark red growths had sprouted.
The growths resembled massive fungi or mycelium. Some extended upward, forming dark red mushroom caps, while others drooped downward like tangled, fibrous threads—thick, vein-like strands intertwining densely.
These fungal masses were growing out of their flesh. The people themselves looked like grotesque, moving fungal hosts, their facial features distorted and horrific due to the misshapen growths.
And yet, they could still move.
Unlike before, they seemed to have a clear target. As soon as the protesting crowd spotted them and screamed, these creatures turned toward them, their sluggish movements quickening unnervingly.
The pushing and shoving within the crowd intensified as people turned to look, only to recoil in horror.
Some desperately tried to back away, trampling on others’ feet in their panic. Others cursed and shoved forward, using their protest signs to block the staggering figures, scolding them as if they were pranksters.
One protestor’s sign pressed directly against a fungal growth on a creature’s neck. The pressure ruptured the growth, spraying dark red pus from within—some of it splattering onto the sign, some of it landing directly on the protestor’s hands and face.
A sickeningly foul stench filled the air. The man, disgusted, swore and shoved the figure away forcefully.
“Don’t move! Stay back!”
A few soldiers at the front finally noticed the situation and shouted urgently. Some used their shields to push back protestors, while others resorted to striking them with the butts of their rifles. The people in the rear screamed in confusion, and soon, the entire protest fractured into chaos.
A soldier broke through the crowd, raising his gun and aiming it warily at the grotesque figures. Then, noticing the protestor who had been splattered with pus, he yelled, signaling for him to step away to the side of the road instead of retreating into the crowd.
But before the man could respond, he suddenly clutched his face and let out a blood-curdling scream.
“Ah—! It hurts! There are bugs! Bugs are crawling into my face! AHHH—!”
The areas where the pus had touched—his face and hands—began to blacken and rot at a terrifying speed. Small pits formed in his flesh, as if something were eating away at him from within.
Writhing in agony, he instinctively stumbled toward the crowd, seeking help.
“Stop! Don’t come any closer!”
The soldier immediately shifted his aim, clearly terrified of the man approaching.
As chaos engulfed the scene, the grotesque figures began convulsing violently. Thick, dark red pus oozed from their mouths and noses.
And then—
A loud
pop
rang out.
Like overripe watermelons bursting, or water balloons being punctured, their entire bodies—heads, arms, and legs—suddenly exploded from the inside.
Flesh, organs, and putrid pus sprayed in all directions. Everyone within range was covered in filth. Some were even hit by chunks of meat.
Horrified screams filled the air.
The first man who had been splattered with pus collapsed, writhing in agony. Before everyone’s eyes, fungal growths and mycelium sprouted rapidly from his rotting flesh. The pus was acting as a spreading agent, allowing the fungus to infest his body in mere moments.
Unlike the original infected, his newly grown fungi were smaller and darker in color, a near-black shade of crimson. The stench of decay intensified.
Several more soldiers pushed past the protestors and reached the scene, only to freeze in shock at the sight of blood-soaked flesh, severed limbs, and pools of dark red fluid covering the ground.
Even the first soldier who had made it through the crowd wasn’t spared. His uniform and face shield were coated with pus. Though the protective layer had prevented direct skin contact, he still stood frozen, rattled beyond belief.
This was the first time he had ever witnessed such a severe infection case firsthand.
These soldiers were just low-ranking personnel carrying out orders. They had no real understanding of what was happening. Up until now, the “infected” they had encountered merely wandered aimlessly or coughed up dark red blood.
But this time, the infected had horrifying fungal growths. And worse—they had exploded.
The soldier gripped his rifle tightly, his hands trembling as he watched more protestors scream in pain, collapsing as fungal growths erupted from their flesh.
His gaze darted to his own arm, where pus had splattered onto his sleeve.
Would he… would he end up like them too?
The commanding officer’s voice rang out just in time.
“Joan! Call for reinforcements immediately— the situation in full! Joseph! Get the disinfectant—give Kayo a full-body cleanse, now! Louis, you and the others, lock this area down! No one gets in or out until they’ve been decontaminated! If anyone refuses orders, detain them immediately!”
As he spoke, the commander raised his rifle toward the sky and fired several warning shots.
The gunshots immediately halted the movements of the protestors who had been trying to push forward. In the sudden panic, clear instructions were finally issued, and the personnel swiftly sprang into action.
**
From the rooftop at the other end of the street, Yu Xi let out a quiet sigh of relief. The military personnel here seemed competent, with a decent emergency response capability.
However, this also indicated that similar incidents had been occurring in this zone for some time, and the authorities had been somewhat prepared.
But their preparations weren’t enough. Or rather, the amount of useful information they had gathered during the incubation period was insufficient.
Judging by the reactions of the armed forces, this was likely their first time encountering human bodies that could self-detonate.
Yu Xi had actually seen something similar before, in the world of the Seven Layers of Hell. Under high temperatures, infected individuals would vomit blood mixed with fragmented tissue at healthy people. Those who came into contact with the fluid would suffer rapid skin necrosis, followed by the growth of abnormal red tissue—similar to a grotesque version of red lotus mutations.
However, in the Seven Layers of Hell, the infected still retained a degree of intelligence and would selectively choose their transmission targets. They could vomit multiple times, meaning they were merely hosts carrying the parasite while remaining alive.
But in this world, the infected bodies sprouted fungal-like growths, actively approached human targets, and then self-detonated to spread the infection in a suicidal manner.
Based on what she had observed so far, the transmission method was clearly through exposure to the dark red pus. However, there was still no confirmation on whether the infection could spread through other means, such as airborne transmission.
From a certain perspective, this fungal infection was even more terrifying than a zombie virus—because just a small splash of pus was enough to cause an infection, without the need for direct blood contact.
What remained unclear was whether protective suits could prevent contamination.
At least the military forces were doing their job. In the short time she had been observing, they had already managed to contain the chaos to some extent. Judging by the way things were developing, reinforcements would likely arrive soon, at which point they would detain all the protestors in the vicinity and seal off this district.
Yu Xi planned to find a way to bypass this area. She was about to climb down from the rooftop when another wave of panicked screams erupted from the far end of the protestor crowd.
More fungus-infested corpses had crawled out from a nearby subway entrance. They staggered forward, bodies grotesquely disfigured with dark red fungal growths. Their vacant, lifeless eyes fixated on the crowd ahead, and as they advanced, their movements became noticeably faster.
Yu Xi’s expression darkened.
This was bad.
The incubation period was over—now came the full-scale outbreak.
**
The transition from a minor outbreak within the protest crowd to a full-blown district-wide catastrophe took no more than a few minutes.
Just moments earlier, people inside their vehicles—frustrated by being stuck in traffic—had been cursing at the gridlock. Then, in the next instant, they watched in horror as panicked pedestrians stampeded through the streets, screaming at the top of their lungs.
A driver, impatiently lowering his car window to see what was happening, suddenly found his windshield slammed by a grotesque figure covered in dark red fungal growths.
The creature’s entire body was soaked in blood, its facial features twisted beyond recognition. A massive, umbrella-like fungus sprouted from its gaping mouth. It stared vacantly into the car, its clouded eyes locking onto the terrified driver inside.
Then, it convulsed violently—before spewing a jet of dark red pus directly onto the windshield.
The driver instinctively pushed open his door and stepped out, nervously glancing at the figure. “H-Hey… Are you okay? Do you need me to call an ambulance?”
His only response was the sickening
pop
of a human body bursting apart.
A spray of putrid pus and tissue fragments showered the man’s face and upper body, even getting into his eyes and mouth.
His panic erupted into horrified screams.
One by one, more infected figures emerged from the subway station, shambling into the densely packed streets. Then, in quick succession—
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Each one of them detonated, releasing waves of infectious pus into the crowd.
People covered in the substance screamed in agony as their skin immediately began to decay, sprouting fungal growths in mere seconds.
Some of the infected, overwhelmed by pain, collapsed to the ground and writhed helplessly. Others, still conscious, staggered into the fleeing crowd—spreading their infection further.
Witnesses soon discovered an even more terrifying fact:
The newly sprouted fungal growths on the infected were fragile. If they were squeezed, pressed, or ruptured, they would also release infectious pus—causing a chain reaction of contamination.
An infection that spread on contact, with an extremely short incubation period, in a heavily populated city…
The scene unfolding before them was nothing short of a nightmare.
**
On the second-floor balcony of a nearby café, oblivious onlookers still leaned over the railing, trying to see what was happening.
Meanwhile, Yu Xi retrieved a Sunscreen Spray from her inventory and quickly used it on herself.
She had two bottles of Sunscreen Spray, originally obtained at the White Bird Lake station. She had already used it four times during the avalanche event, leaving her with one and a half bottles—enough for twelve more uses.
Each application lasted for an hour.
She couldn’t afford to use it carelessly, especially given the way things were escalating. There would be even greater dangers ahead that would require its protection.
At this moment, she could also use a hazmat suit. However, she was still uncertain about the full extent of the fungus’s transmission methods and overall threat level. Using the Sunscreen Spray for now seemed like the safest choice.
Silently, she slipped away from the café rooftop, avoiding the chaos below. She made her way to the edge of the building before climbing down, ensuring that she wasn’t seen by the fleeing crowd.
She moved swiftly and efficiently, dodging panicked pedestrians as she made her way back to the street where her car was parked.
Unfortunately, the entire street was jammed with abandoned vehicles—there was no way she could drive out.
She unlocked the door, tossed the keys onto the dashboard, and walked away without hesitation.
Inside her inventory, she had a jeep as a backup vehicle. The car she had rented earlier was only meant to make navigation easier in this zone, but with the city now in chaos, it had lost its usefulness.
With so many witnesses around, it wasn’t the right time to retrieve a vehicle from her inventory—so she abandoned this one.
Pulling out her phone, she sent a quick message to the group chat:
Yu Xi: “Things just went south here. We’ve got full-blown fungal parasite outbreaks, widespread infections, and mass casualties. Do not make contact with the infected. The pathogen spreads through their pus. It corrodes skin on contact and rapidly grows new fungal structures inside the host. Avoid all contaminated areas at all costs.”
Other than Yu Xi, everyone else in the group had a shield. As long as they took proper precautions, they wouldn’t get infected, so she wasn’t too worried about them for now.
Xi Yuan: You don’t have a shield, you need to be extra careful. This is the outbreak’s early stage, the most chaotic time. If it gets too dangerous, find a tall building and hide there for now. If the hazmat suit doesn’t work, use the crystal bubble—it’s completely sealed.
Yu Xi: Don’t worry, I’ll adapt to the situation.
Ya Tong: Things aren’t chaotic where I am yet, but too many roads are blocked. I spent a long time trying to find an open route, and just now, a few military trucks arrived and completely sealed off all roads heading east.
Yu Xi: The outbreak just now happened roughly in the city center, which should be east of you. Try heading north instead, circle around the entire central district, and then go northeast to meet up with Zhenzhen.
Yu Zhenzhen: Don’t come to the northeast yet. I just secured a boat and returned to the hotel, but I found that the streets near the hotel have been cordoned off. There are a lot of military personnel, and many civilians are gathered watching. But no one knows what’s actually happening.
Lin Wu: Has anyone checked the news? They just issued an emergency evacuation notice, telling all citizens to stay indoors, stock up on food and water for at least a week to ten days, and immediately anyone showing symptoms of dizziness, unconsciousness, vomiting blood, or strange body growths.
By the time Lin Wu sent this message, Yu Xi had already left the outbreak zone and was standing in a quieter street, watching the news inside a shop.
The broadcast described the condition as an unknown acute infection, warning that it was far more dangerous than people realized and urging everyone to cooperate, especially by avoiding contact with infected individuals.
If avoiding contact wasn’t possible, fully sealed chemical protective suits could block infection, but they must be thoroughly disinfected afterward using a specific solution.
For safety reasons, the announcement also advised people to wear protective masks and avoid exposing their skin.
However, fully sealed chemical suits weren’t something an average household would have, and even if people wanted to buy them now, they’d be hard to find.
At the same time, Yu Xi picked up on another key piece of information from the news and immediately shared it in the group chat.
Yu Xi: The fungal parasites spread primarily through direct contact with their pus, but there’s also a chance they can spread through airborne transmission at close range.
After sending the message, she took advantage of the remaining protection from the sunscreen spray, turned left, and entered a nearby pharmacy and supermarket. She approached an employee and asked to purchase large quantities of disinfectants and sprayers.
The employee was watching the news while scrolling through their phone, where footage of panicked citizens and screaming crowds played. Even through the screen, the scene seemed to reek of blood.
Hearing Yu Xi’s request, the employee distractedly pointed toward a shelf. Yu Xi grabbed a bottle of each disinfectant, along with various sizes of sprayers—both handheld and backpack-style—before heading to the counter to ask if they had extra stock.
Upon learning they had more in storage, she immediately requested an entire box of each type of disinfectant and an additional box of N95 masks. Each box contained 30 packs, with 10 masks per pack, which should be sufficient.
The employee, flustered, quickly gathered the supplies under her urging. He loaded them onto a cart and wheeled them out from the storage room.
Yu Xi paid extra, buying the cart along with the items. Once she left the pharmacy, she turned into a secluded alley with no surveillance cameras and stored everything in her inventory.
Pulling out her phone again, she left a message in the group chat, advising them to stock up on disinfectants and masks if they could. Even though they had shields, their living spaces would still need to be disinfected frequently, making these supplies essential.
After sending the message, her newly purchased phone from this zone suddenly emitted a rhythmic alarm. She had set it to vibrate, so the fact that it was making noise meant it was a forced emergency alert.
The message was similar to the news , urging residents to stay indoors, stock up on food and water, and avoid unnecessary outings. It also announced that due to efforts to control the spread, Fran City had begun zoning lockdowns and implementing road restrictions.
The alert provided a link to a traffic app where citizens could check the latest restricted areas.
Yu Xi opened the app and saw that various street intersections had been marked in red, indicating restricted zones. Several buildings had also been marked as sealed-off areas.
Because the outbreak had happened so suddenly, the restriction data was still being updated in real-time. As she watched, more red zones popped up across the map.
Based on the current layout, the city had effectively been split into five sectors—north, south, east, west, and center—all isolated from each other.
Their original plan to regroup at Yu Zhenzhen’s location had been completely disrupted. Given the roadblocks, traveling directly through Fran City was now impossible.
Ya Tong and Lin Wu were discussing whether they should circle around the suburbs to reach Audo Town or take a longer detour toward Fran Lake, which was closer to Yu Zhenzhen.
After all, with the fungal parasite outbreak in full force, the situation in Audo Town was still unclear.
However, they didn’t have to worry about making that decision for long.
Aside from Xi Yuan, all four of them suddenly received a mission alert.
Yu Xi glanced down at her phone.
Mission Alert: The fungal outbreak has begun, and parasitic carriers are running rampant. Detected nearby (location confirmed) are two travelers from Hua Country (natives). Escort them safely to the nearest controlled checkpoint within three hours and ensure they are handed over to military personnel.
Completion Rewards Available.
Accept the rescue mission? (Yes/No)
Yu Xi: ……??