Apocalypse Star House Hoarding-Chapter 80

This was a moth commonly seen in the city at night—if you ignored its size. Mottled gray wings, a stubby abdomen, and long antennae.
At such close range, with her night vision ability, she could see every detail on its wings, every hair on its body, and its black eyes.
A coarse layer of powder had already fallen on the glass from the moth’s wings.
Yu Xi couldn’t move for a moment, feeling a slight relief that she had reinforced the glass before. Remembering the three layers of tempered glass between her and the moth, she felt somewhat reassured.
She checked the window latch again to ensure it was closed and locked. Then, she gently pulled down a layer of the sheer curtain and half-closed the blackout layer, making the moth outside the glass less visible without hindering her ability to monitor the situation outside.
It was around 2 a.m., a time that should have been silent, but the city was clearly not peaceful tonight. She could hear noises from far away: people screaming, crying out in pain, and the sounds of people hitting and smashing things.
Feeling uneasy, she took out a clean pair of soft-soled shoes from the Star House warehouse, grabbed a flashlight, and began thoroughly checking the house.
She started with her parents’ room, moving quickly and silently. Everything inside was normal. Her parents seemed to be affected by the earlier incident with the migratory birds and had closed the windows tightly. She checked the windows outside.
Good, no moths on these windows.
It seemed the giant moths were not appearing in swarms. Otherwise, dealing with them would be extremely unpleasant.
Before leaving her parents’ room, she gently pulled all the curtains, ensuring that even if they woke up, they wouldn’t see any moths right outside the windows, which could spike their blood pressure.
The living room’s south-facing wall was all glass, with the curtains half-drawn. She spotted a fuzzy leg sticking out even before getting close. Fortunately, all the operable windows were closed and locked tightly. The giant moth outside posed no threat.
And she remembered moths are herbivores…
Next, she focused on the kitchen and bathroom areas. Given their high floor, the building’s good maintenance, and their diligent cleaning, she found no other giant insects.
After completing her inspection, she sealed all the drain pipes with tape.
Yu Xi concluded that the absence of insects was not just due to the high floor but also because the drain openings were too small compared to the moths’ size. If cockroaches had grown larger, they couldn’t crawl up through such small drains.
Mosquitoes, however, were a concern. If they had grown larger, not only could they fly, but they also weren’t herbivores. Being bitten by one would feel like being stabbed.
But besides moths, would other insects grow larger too?
What connection was there between these giant moths and the mass fainting incidents that occurred around dusk?
Dense vegetation areas…
Humans fainting or even going into shock…
Larger insects…
She felt she was close to figuring out some connections but hadn’t yet grasped the key point.
That night, many people didn’t sleep well. The giant moths were not the only ones, and the enlarged insects were not limited to moths.
Not everyone lived in high-rise apartments with good surroundings. In this weather, turning on the air conditioning was a bit much, so ordinary residential buildings without ventilation equipment often had their windows slightly open at night for airflow.
Due to the earlier incident with the migratory birds, people didn’t open their windows much, and there were still screens. However, for slender insects, those gaps were enough to squeeze through, and flimsy screens could only hold them off temporarily.
When the sound of bugs pressing against the screen woke people up, and they saw what was happening, the sudden bright lights and their terrified screams were the main reasons the bugs went crazy, trying to force their way inside. The louder the people screamed and the more they tried to beat the bugs away with tools through the screen, the more aggressive the frightened bugs became.
Moreover, residents in lower homes, like bungalows or on the second or third floor, found even scarier creatures besides moths and mosquitoes—cockroaches.
Screams and commotion echoed throughout the city from dawn until morning. The internet exploded with photos and videos, with all top ten trending topics related to bugs.
The most common sightings were of moths, appearing on glass windows or balconies, captured from various angles. Some videos had the videographer whispering expletives in shock. Some people were stung in fights with mosquitoes and had to go to the hospital overnight.
Those who were brushed by moth wings found the powder left on their skin felt like a burn, causing pain, itching, and swelling, prompting another trip to the hospital. Some noted that normally the powder on moth wings—scales—was non-toxic and at worst caused dermatitis, but the toxicity seemed to have increased with the moths’ size. They urged everyone to be careful, reminding that moths are attracted to light, so if you don’t want to confront them, turn off the lights and tightly close the windows immediately upon seeing one.
A brave person used a kitchen knife to kill a cockroach and took a video comparing its size to a face basin, which was so disgusting that it was taken down after causing widespread discomfort.
A few unfortunate people, due to less sanitary living conditions, encountered giant millipedes, known locally as “cigarette bugs.” The combination of their terrifying appearance and the massively amplified stench was enough to drive people away. The person who posted the video of the millipede said they grabbed their child and ran out of the house, calling the fire department from their car. This man admitted that he was trembling and nearly wet himself while making the call for help.
In summary, most people freaked out at the mere sight of giant insects, with these abnormal-sized moths and cockroaches being more frightening than lions and tigers.
This phenomenon wasn’t limited to S City; it occurred in nearby cities that had also experienced mass fainting incidents.
By morning, the military had been deployed, carrying various insecticides and wearing protective suits and gas masks. They went door-to-door exterminating bugs or scaled residential building walls with climbing ropes to do so.
Fortunately, although the internet was flooded with trending bug-related posts and videos, the actual occurrence of giant insects was not widespread. Most of these occurrences were in areas where residents had previously fainted.
As a result, various speculation threads exploded online.
By around 8 a.m., many people had gone to hospitals because of the bugs, while most others took the day off, staying home, scared to go out. With plenty of time and anxiety, people constantly checked the news, refreshed trending topics, watched videos, read posts, and repeatedly asked for information and expert analysis.
After getting up, Fan Qi and Yu Feng were so focused on this matter that they didn’t even have breakfast. They sat on the sofa, each holding a phone or tablet, scrolling through updates, with the TV on to catch the latest news.
However, after a long time, they couldn’t make sense of it, as online discussions were already chaotic. The variety of photos and videos, however, gave them a lot to see.
To stop the public from further speculating, several official accounts issued statements around noon. They assured the residents of cities affected by the giant insects not to worry, as this situation would not last long.
Additionally, the authorities released the findings from the investigation into the previous day’s mass fainting incidents. They noted that the areas with giant insects were all near the fainting sites.
The investigation revealed that the oxygen concentration in these areas was excessively high, exceeding 40%—the normal range being 19-24%, with some spots surpassing 60%. Experts hypothesize that the mass fainting likely resulted from the sudden spike in oxygen levels.
During the moments of fainting, the oxygen concentration might have surged to nearly 90%. When the oxygen level exceeds 90%, humans can die within minutes. Fortunately, the oxygen levels in these areas are decreasing and should normalize soon.
The appearance of giant insects might be linked to the oxygen concentration changes, as these levels had been elevated for some time without noticeable human discomfort. Other parts of the city have oxygen levels around 30%, which, though higher than normal, are beneficial and akin to being in a forest oxygen bar.
However, this oxygen concentration is insufficient to sustain the giant insects’ oxygen needs, as insects lack lungs. Experts predict that these giant insects will die within a few days due to insufficient oxygen.
Experts also advised residents to avoid the high-oxygen areas until the levels return to normal. Firefighters will set up barricades and signs to mark these zones, as the areas might attract the giant insects seeking higher oxygen concentrations.
Fan Qi felt a wave of relief after reading this. “It’s good to know they will die off on their own. Otherwise, it would have been really tough to handle,” she said, glancing toward the living room’s floor-to-ceiling windows.
The sheer curtain was drawn, and the blackout curtain was half-open. From her angle, she could see a giant moth hovering outside the glass. Thankfully, the sheer curtain obscured the details, revealing only the vague outline of its large wings, which occasionally fluttered.
Thinking about the online video of someone who had suffered severe skin reactions from the moth’s wing powder, Fan Qi shuddered. In the kitchen, Yu Xi was helping Yu Feng prepare lunch while keeping an eye on Fan Qi’s expression. Sensing the right moment, Yu Xi called out, “Mom, come help with the plates. Dad’s mixed fried rice is almost ready.”
“Alright,” Fan Qi put down her tablet and looked at her husband and daughter behind the counter, feeling much more at ease.
“Mom, since we don’t have much to do at home, why not have Dad join us for physical training this afternoon?” Yu Xi suggested.
“Me?” Yu Feng asked, finishing the last stir of the fried rice and turning off the heat.
“Yes, you. You’ve been sitting in an office for years and lack exercise. Considering the current situation with bridges collapsing, earthquakes, and now giant insects, if you’re not fit, you won’t be able to run if there’s another emergency.”
Fan Qi, having read more posts and watched more videos online than Yu Feng, agreed wholeheartedly. “Xi Xi is right. You do need to exercise. I’ve been working out with our daughter for days now, and look at me, I can change the water jug without your help. With these giant insects appearing, who knows what will happen next? If you can’t protect yourself, how will you protect us? So, it’s settled. You’re on leave anyway, so every morning and afternoon, you’ll work out with us.”
With Fan Qi’s order, Yu Feng had no objections. Plus, with everything happening recently, he felt uneasy and thought it was better to stay active than idle.
After lunch, Yu Xi washed the dishes while Yu Feng and Fan Qi made some phone calls.
Yu Feng called Grandpa Yu, who was fine despite living on the ground floor with a yard in an old neighborhood. Since there were no mass fainting incidents nearby, no giant insects had appeared. Yu Feng also reminded Yu Hai to check on Yu Li and suggest she returns as soon as possible due to the unstable situation.
Fan Qi called her close friends to check on them, informing them of her plan to stay home and not meet up for a while. She lost her mother early and her father never remarried, so she had no siblings. After her father passed away over a decade ago, her only family was Yu Feng and Yu Xi. Fortunately, her husband was considerate and her daughter was sensible. As long as the three of them were together, she had nothing to fear.
In the afternoon, as the family prepared for their workout, a security guard knocked on their door. The guard was fully covered and came to check each floor, mainly to register any issues with insects, any injuries, or encounters with the bugs. The information would be used to send firefighters and bug-catching experts to assist those in need.
Yu Xi, being well-informed, spoke up, “We don’t have any insects inside. There were two moths outside the south-facing windows last night, and one is still there. But our windows are sealed tight, so we haven’t had any direct encounters.”
The guard noted everything down, had Yu Xi sign, and mentioned that insecticides could be picked up from the lobby if needed. The small garden in the neighborhood was now cordoned off, and residents were advised to avoid it.
After the guard left, Fan Qi pondered over the term “bug-catching expert” and asked, “Why not call them exterminators?”
“These giant insects are like biological mutations. For the public, it’s a scare and a disaster, but for the state, it represents uncontrollable changes. These insects will be taken back for study; live specimens are more valuable than dead ones,” Yu Feng explained.
Yu Xi shared the same thought. Given the recent events involving plant and animal changes, the state had to be taking action.
Over the next few days, the Yu family stayed home. The moth outside their window flew away before the experts arrived. According to news s, the areas with high oxygen levels returned to normal, and the threat of giant insects seemed to be fading.
The rain continued, intermittently drizzling. Yu Xi learned from online sources that abnormal phenomena were still occurring worldwide.
Spring and summer flowers were blooming in December in France.
Dolphins appeared in rivers in several cities in the country.
In the UK, giant river fish as long as adults were found in freshwater farms.
Frequent disappearances occurred in the suburbs of South Korea.
On December 18 and 20, major cities conducted two air raid drills.