Apocalypse Star House Hoarding-Chapter 47

About ten minutes later, in the second-floor warehouse, a boy with glasses tentatively asked, “Is everything out?”
“Yeah, quite a lot…”
“Just take a quick look and then close your eyes.”
“Shh, keep your hands open a bit so the bugs can crawl out.”
“I’m scared… my legs feel weak again…”
“Don’t worry, mom is here…”
A girl with a ponytail glanced at the short-haired girl leaning on the middle-aged woman beside her, looking serious, “Zhou Yun, can you stand up straight? Otherwise, the bugs won’t crawl out properly!”
“But I’m scared…”
“You’ve had enough time to adjust; it’s been days, still scared?”
The short-haired girl named Zhou Yun remained motionless, eyes closed, leaning on her mother. She was terrified of bugs from a young age, and it was a physiological reaction she couldn’t control. She knew she’d been a burden, but being constantly singled out by Chen Jia’s cold remarks made her feel worse. “Chen Jia, I’m your cousin. Where’s your manners?”
Chen Jia frowned, about to retort when a girl with a bun hairstyle next to her tugged her arm. “Jia Jia, stop talking. Be careful not to let the bugs crawl into your mouth.”
With that, everyone fell silent, standing there waiting for the bugs to be attracted to the heavy aluminum bowls filled with blood, finally letting out a breath of relief as they sat down to rest.
Some ran to the corners to check the bowls, pleased to see the black bugs swirling in the blood. They commented on how the large bowls kept the bugs contained, planning to burn them all the next morning.
Most of the girls chose not to look, joking that it was almost mealtime and they didn’t want to lose their appetite.
Humans are always clever. They discovered that the bugs’ blood attraction has a certain range, which varies depending on the amount of blood. They found the right quantity of blood to attract all bugs from their temporary space and themselves, but not from the floors below, creating a simple insect-repellent zone.
The boy who figured out this method and sneaked into a hospital to retrieve blood bags was the tall, slender, and handsome young man. He wasn’t their classmate, seldom spoke, and was very brave with great skills. He often took the lead in subduing the infected.
Because of his cold demeanor, the group didn’t talk to him much but relied on him greatly, hoping he would always stay with them.
By dusk, although there was still electricity in the city, they usually didn’t turn on the lights at night. The infected were easily angered, losing their minds and attacking everything, but retained human characteristics like being attracted to light and sound in the dark. They made sure to divide food and water, eat, and solve their physiological needs before nightfall, then rest quietly.
This was not only to avoid the infected but also to steer clear of other humans and the hard-to-detect black bugs in the dark. To quickly spot any bugs on them, they wore white clothes, which, although prone to dirt, made spotting bugs easier.
Everyone sat down to eat, ignoring the formalities, mostly sitting on the ground. Some, like Zhou Yun and her mother, spread a thin camping mat from their backpack to sit on.
Zhou Yun’s mother looked at Chen Jia, waving her over. “Jia Jia, come sit with auntie.”
“No need, auntie. I’ll sit with my classmate.” Chen Jia’s tone softened slightly towards her aunt. She was not that particular and sat on the ground with the girl with the bun hairstyle, Xu Jiajia. They used alcohol spray to disinfect their hands before putting the five packs of biscuits, two sausages, a bag of chips, and a bottle of cola into their backpacks.
Then, Chen Jia took out a small bread, boxed milk, and a vacuum-packed marinated duck wing from home, preparing it as tonight’s dinner—the last proper food she had from home.
The instant noodles were long gone. No one dared to eat the other foods without intact packaging, leaving only candies and chocolates, which were hardly filling. For the past few days, she had deliberately rationed her food, storing the rations she received for the future.
The boys, however, were different. They ate most of their rations as soon as they got them, leaving only biscuits for the next day’s breakfast. By the window frame facing the street, the delicate and aloof boy leaned against the wall, eating a bagged sandwich and drinking a can of cola. The sandwich was filled with vegetables and meat, looking delicious, but the others could only watch.
He was eating his own food. Whenever they divided the food, there were always differences in quantity and variety, and due to his significant contributions, they always let him choose first. Yet, he always chose the smallest and simplest portion.
This choice initially made them uneasy, fearing he distanced himself because he didn’t want to team up with them and considered them a burden. Later, they realized he had his own food supply and was leaving more for them. Chen Jia knew that, whoever he was, he was a good person.
In peaceful times, such a good-looking, tall, and reliable boy would probably have many girls pursuing him. But now, the girls in their group mostly just glanced at him. With survival on their minds, any attraction was likely due to his strength and leadership.
They had left home, but most had never left Hai Ru city before and had no idea where to go. The future looked bleak, which was terrifying. A bold and smart leader was a beacon of hope. However, he seemed too cold, intimidating even the boys from approaching him.
They were all locals, born and raised in Hai Ru city, with their families and friends here. Some were lucky, with unharmed parents, while others had parents injured and isolated in hospitals. The unluckiest saw their loved ones turn into crazed beings, having to tie them up themselves—like Chen Jia.
Chen Jia looked at her hands, remembering her father who had died early, leaving her and her mother to depend on each other. Her mother got injured during the hailstorm, just a small scrape on her palm. Initially, she felt relieved, thinking her mother was safe compared to Zhou Yun’s father, who was severely injured and isolated in the hospital.
After the water and food shortages, she feared nothing. She had grown up, spent two years in the taekwondo club, and wasn’t a helpless girl. She believed she could protect her mother. But she soon realized that from the moment her mother was injured, it was too late. Her mother was parasitized. The once gentle woman, who tucked her in every night and called her “baby,” suddenly attacked her violently over a fallen book.
Her mother’s eyes turned blood-red, filled with an intense hatred. No matter how much she cried and called for her, her mother didn’t stop, eventually pinning her against the wall, choking her. It was a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from.
If Xu Jiajia hadn’t come by and called out to her, she might have been killed by her mother. In the end, she had to restrain her mother, tying her to the bed. Her mother cursed and threatened to kill her while she packed her things, crying. At that moment, she considered dying—how easy it would be to close her eyes and end it all, avoiding this hell and the pain in her heart.
But Xu Jiajia hugged her, crying, saying her parents were in the hospital, isolated, and she wanted to find them, even if there was only a glimmer of hope. She pleaded for her help. So, she lived on, not knowing how long she could survive or if she would become a monster. She decided to try until she couldn’t anymore.
As night fell, the surroundings darkened. Tonight, two boys were on watch—one by the window, keeping an eye outside, and the other in the center of the room, listening for any movement.
On the other side of the street, the sound of footsteps and fighting suddenly echoed.
Someone! Before the boy on watch by the window could say anything, the delicate-looking boy resting against the low wall below the window leaped up to observe through the glass.
Indeed, there was a fight—six or seven parasitized individuals were attacking one person. The person wore protective gear and goggles, making it hard to discern their gender. Their movements were swift and skilled, wielding a baton in one hand and a stun baton in the other.
With one powerful swing, the person knocked several parasitized individuals aside. The parasitized individuals, tangled together, began to attack each other, while the person electrocuted another who lunged at them.
Then, systematically, the person continued to knock down and stun the parasitized individuals, leaving all six or seven on the ground. This combination of a baton and a stun baton made the delicate boy instinctively think of someone.
“Wow…” The other two boys on watch were both amazed and impressed, wanting to applaud. However, the commotion quickly attracted more parasitized individuals. From various directions, the sound of hurried footsteps grew louder.
The person seemed unwilling to continue the endless battle, scanning the area and spotting a small newsstand nearby. They put their weapons into a backpack, ran a few steps to the newsstand, and pulled themselves up, crouching down to hide.
The parasitized individuals’ footsteps drew closer. At that moment, the boy with glasses, who had just woken up, stumbled sleepily to the window to look outside.
Still groggy, he saw the person in full protective gear and well-trained movements. Unable to contain his excitement, he shouted, “Hey! Are you here to rescue us? We’re over here!”
Afraid the person wouldn’t see him, he took out a flashlight and shone it toward the person on top of the newsstand. “Here! We’re here!”
In the quiet night, the light and sound were like a beacon. Instantly, not only did the five or six parasitized individuals nearby start to converge, but others lurking in the dark corners of buildings, initially resting, were also drawn to the noise, running towards the sound.
Some parasitized individuals collided and began fighting among themselves. Others, seeing the person on the newsstand, started climbing and shouting, “Get down! Get down! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!”
In no time, one parasitized individual nearly reached the person’s foot on the newsstand. Additionally, from different directions, around twelve or thirteen parasitized individuals approached, noticing both the person on the newsstand and the chaos below.
It was as if a bloodthirsty feast had begun, their violent tendencies ignited. Some threw bricks from the street at the newsstand, others used sticks to attack each other. As long as something stood before them, they attacked relentlessly until it was destroyed.
The delicate boy, with a cold expression, grabbed the flashlight from the glasses boy and stuffed a packet of biscuits into his mouth, then coldly told the other two boys on watch, “Cover his mouth. If he makes another sound, we all die. Everyone else, stay quiet.”
The two boys grabbed the glasses boy, furious and wanting to strangle him, holding him down firmly.
Damn it, what a useless teammate!
Even if that person was here to rescue them, his shout could have killed them all instead of saving anyone!
The delicate boy grabbed an iron rod, opened the window, and jumped out to join the fight.
With the chaos outside, most of the people on the second floor woke up, cautiously approaching the windows to watch.
The parasitized individuals below, like terrorists, used anything they could grab as weapons, smashing, hacking, and throwing at the newsstand and the newly arrived boy.
They had seen the delicate boy fight parasitized individuals before, but never with such ferocity. Previously, he held back, but now he unleashed his full strength.
He showed no mercy, aiming for the heads of the parasitized individuals. Each strike caused head injuries, bringing them down.
He knew he had to finish quickly while ensuring he remained uninjured. Any wound in the dark night could lead to parasitization without notice.
These worms’ terror lay in making humans attack each other while avoiding injuries. It was a paradox, highlighting the apocalypse’s true horror.
The person on the newsstand, after stunning a few parasitized individuals, leaped down silently, joining the battle.
Not far away, a parasitized individual threw a bottle of alcohol into nearby burning debris, igniting a fierce blaze. They then hurled a burning stick towards the group.
“Watch out!” The boy quickened his steps, rushing to the girl’s side, lowering her shoulder and protecting her head as they dodged the burning wooden stick.
Yu Xi was startled, not just by the stick but also by the boy’s speed—it seemed beyond normal human capability.
But now wasn’t the time to talk. Although the parasitized individuals would attack each other, they were also targets. They needed to take down all the parasitized individuals to escape.
Working together, one stunned while the other struck the head, and finally, in five minutes, they had defeated all the parasitized individuals.
It seemed all the nearby parasitized individuals had been attracted to the commotion, so there were no more joining the fight afterward. But the boy knew it was no longer safe to stay there. He signaled everyone upstairs to pack their things and move quickly.
They burned the worms, retrieved the aluminum bowls, gathered their belongings, and swiftly headed downstairs, following the boy into the night.
Ten minutes later, a group passed by and found the parasitized individuals on the ground. Shocked, they immediately searched the area.
Such a powerful person needed to be recruited to strengthen their team; otherwise, if they became an enemy… it wouldn’t be good.
However, after searching everywhere, they found nothing. The leader narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.
Three blocks away, in a beauty salon’s second-floor hall, the group distributed another bag of blood into aluminum bowls, placing them at the staircase and in several northern directions of the hall.
In a small side room, Yu Xi was “cleaning” a spa bed, then stood on it to “shower.” Afterward, she cleaned the bed again and emerged, wearing a clean tracksuit, her face shiny with oil. She saw the dozen people lined up with their eyes closed and hands outstretched, as if performing some ritual.
Yu Xi: …??
Have they been driven crazy by the worms?
“They’re not crazy, just expelling the worms,” said the boy who had fought alongside her, standing at the end of the line near her. He smiled gently, “We meet again.”
Yu Xi recognized this face. On the subway during the sea tunnel incident, he had been watching her almost the entire time.
She had heard everything earlier, including the conversation in the second-floor warehouse of the supermarket. She had been wearing protective gear and had the [Restoration Foundation] on her, so she had been able to fight without worry. But he had no protective measures and still jumped down to join the battle, which moved her somewhat.
After all, this had nothing to do with him. Although it was his teammate who had caused the trouble, he wasn’t responsible.
Yu Xi didn’t want to owe anyone. Even if she could have escaped on her own, he had risked his life to help her.
“Thank you for earlier. I owe you one. If there’s anything you need help with, just let me know—if I can do it.”
He looked surprised at her serious promise, his expression holding a mix of other emotions.
Sensing the worms were gone, he stepped closer and asked, “You don’t remember me?”
Yu Xi, hearing this, knew he wasn’t referring to the subway incident. She squinted slightly, waiting for him to continue.
“Back then…” He lowered his voice, looking down at her. “When you wrote ‘see you again,’ did you never think we’d meet again?”
Yu Xi’s confusion turned to shock at his words. She stared at the young, clean, and delicate face before her. This face bore no resemblance to the previous one, yet she saw a familiar expression.
After a while, she furrowed her brow and spoke, “Lin Wu?”
“Yes, it’s me.” Hearing her call his name correctly, he smiled and extended his hand, “Long time no see, Yu Xi.”