Apocalypse Chapter 67: Awakening

Chapter 67: Awakening

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Jiang Xiaoheng’s arm was wrapped in bandages, his right arm fixed across his chest, the sling hung around his neck. This made everything inconvenient, but Xiaoheng wasn’t worried. He had Daddy and his big brother—he wasn’t alone.

For example, right now, Jiang Hao was picking the best-looking golden fried bee pupae from a big bowl and bringing one to Xiaoheng’s mouth. “Eat, eat~”

Jiang Xiaoheng opened his mouth and took a bite. The bee pupae were crispy on the outside and tender inside; even with just a sprinkle of fine salt, they tasted delicious. After eating only two, Xiaoheng was full. “Big brother, I’m full. Don’t feed me anymore. You should try some.”

Only then did Jiang Hao sit down and start eating the bee pupae himself, all the while keeping a careful eye on Xiaoheng, afraid he might bump or hurt himself again. Jiang Rong watched the scene quietly and whispered to Guan Shao, “Look at these two brothers. Their bond is really strong.”

Guan Shao smiled. “Yeah, it is.”

The espers couldn’t stop praising the bee pupae. After a few bites, Chiang Jinhu suggested, “This stuff is really good. Next time we’re on a mission, let’s keep an eye out. If we find any wasp nests, we should take them all.”

It was a good idea. Too many wasps could be a real threat to nearby people and animals. Still, Jiang Rong reminded everyone, “Next time we raid a wasp nest, remember only to take half. Don’t wipe them all out.”

Wasps didn’t just sting—they also ate insects. The vegetables at Spark Base were about to be harvested in bulk, and only mutated natural enemies like the wasps could deal with the mutated insects threatening them.

While everyone was feasting, Chu Qiang crouched by the door, fiddling with something. Weng Chenggang called out, “Qiangzi, what are you doing? Come eat the bee pupae!”

Chu Qiang’s shout was loudest, but when the bee pupae were ready, he was busy with something else. That was a bit hard to explain.

He scratched his head suspiciously. “Damn, the door lock’s broken. It was fine just a moment ago.”

Jiang Rong said calmly, “We’ll find a new lock and put it on later. Come eat, the bee pupae are cooling down.”

Guan Shao glanced quickly at Jiang Hao, who was holding a bee pupa in his hand. Jiang Hao looked up with a puzzled expression, “Huh?”

Guan Shao nodded slightly. “Go ahead, it’s fine.”

***

Time flew by quickly, and before they knew it, early November arrived. After more than a month of growth, vegetables at the Spark Base were being harvested in large quantities. The crops flourished, lush and vibrant as far as the eye could see.

On people’s tables, shades of green dominated. Although some complained that the meals were too plain, compared to starving, having flavorful vegetables was a blessing. Hearing the complaints, Jiang Rong couldn’t help but recall his past life at the Peace Base.

To protect ordinary people from the dangers of mutated plants and animals, the Peace Base had built sturdy concrete walls to shield humanity. The idea wasn’t wrong, but while the walls protected everyone, they also limited productivity and creativity. Without access to the land they depended on, people could only forage outside.

Building underground bunkers took time, and with most energy focused on construction, few people planted crops. Seeds that missed their prime planting season gradually died, leaving fewer and fewer edible plants. Surviving flora and fauna grew more vicious, and food sources became scarce. It was a vicious cycle.

In the end, ordinary people in the base survived only on dry grain cakes found by espers. To make sure everyone got enough salt, the cakes tasted a little salty and made swallowing harsh.

That was the food Jiang Rong hated most. Yet, in his previous life, if he didn’t eat those cakes, he would have starved. Without healthy food or clean water, never seeing blue skies or white clouds, people’s expressions grew numb, and they became nothing more than walking corpses.

Because of these painful lessons, the Spark Base had taken a completely different path since its founding. They didn’t reject mutated plants and animals but instead embraced, cultivated, and utilized them.

The fact that the people at the Spark Base could now enjoy a variety of vegetables proved Jiang Rong’s approach was right. People there no longer turned pale at the mention of mutated creatures. When discovering new mutated species, everyone got excited. They studied whether these species could be eaten, used medicinally, or exploited. If a creature had even a little value, the base would preserve and try to cultivate it.

Now, walking anywhere in the base, mutated plants and animals were everywhere. Everyone had grown used to their presence. Life was still tough, but soon, livestock and poultry would grow up, and people would finally have meat to eat.

The base had just hatched its first batch of poultry, and early that morning Jiang Hao and Jiang Xiaoheng had walked dozens of laps inside the activity center. They kept glancing up at the second-floor meeting room, hoping Daddy would finish the meeting soon and take them to see the ducklings.

By the time Jiang Rong came out of the meeting room, it was already nine in the morning. As soon as he stepped outside, the two boys rushed to him, each grabbing one of his legs.

“Daddy, look at the chicks!” “Daddy, look at the ducklings!”

To avoid scaring the baby chicks and ducklings, the brothers had left them safely at home. Everything was ready—they just needed Daddy to lead the way!

Jiang Hao was speaking more fluently now and could express himself fully. Jiang Rong smiled and ruffled their heads. “Okay, I’ll take you to see the chicks and ducklings, but first, remember to behave at the farm, okay?”

The rugged off-road vehicle rolled slowly along the mountain road, its rear windows down. The kids leaned against the window edges, curious as they took in every scene of the base.

Not long after leaving the activity center, Jiang Xiaoheng pointed excitedly at the roadside. “Daddy, look! The workers are building a house!”

Seeing the boys’ enthusiasm, Jiang Rong explained, “They’re building a sunroom here. When it’s finished, Daddy will bring you to see it.”

Xiaoheng blinked his big dark eyes and asked softly, “Is the house for raising chicks and ducklings?”

Just thinking about having an entire sunroom for the baby birds made Xiaoheng so happy he felt like he could fly. Jiang Rong laughed and shook his head. “Good idea. We’ll talk about it later.”

The base was preparing to build several sunrooms to test whether they could withstand the cold snaps. If this batch of sunrooms survived the harsh winter, the base planned to construct more in phases next year. That way, when extreme weather struck, the residents could still enjoy fresh vegetables and fruits. As for Jiang Xiaoheng’s suggestion to raise livestock and poultry in the sunrooms—that was something worth considering.

The off-road vehicle drove northwest along Lingshan Reservoir. Soon, the group spotted flocks of geese and ducks swimming on the shimmering water. The two kids were thrilled, pointing excitedly at the water. “Daddy, Daddy, look! Ducklings!”

Jiang Rong acknowledged with a nod, “I see them. Sit tight, and don’t stick your hands or body out the window.”

Before long, Jiang Rong spotted the farm under construction. He opened the car door and said calmly, “We’re here.”

The two little ones hopped out one after another. When they saw the farm’s large gate, their mouths dropped open in surprise. “Wow, it’s so big!”

The new farm was modeled after the one by Yunshan Lake, with half of the breeding greenhouses built on shore and the other half supported over the water. Each greenhouse was surrounded by nets enclosing a water area, giving every bird plenty of space to move.

Once inside the base gate, the only sounds were the chirps and calls of poultry; there was no foul smell of manure.

This was thanks not only to the diligent caretakers but also to countless scarab beetle larvae living beneath the farm’s floors. When the birds relieved themselves in the water, the larvae helped fertilize the ecosystem by promoting fish, shrimp, and aquatic plant growth, providing extra food for the poultry. When waste was on land, the larvae quickly decomposed it, and once mature, the larvae themselves became food for the birds. However, this system was still experimental, and its success was uncertain. As Jiang Rong entered, the farm manager hurried over. “Captain Jiang, Captain Guan, please come inside!”

Jiang Rong smiled and gestured toward the two boys. “I brought the kids to see the goslings and ducklings.”

Hearing that, the manager eagerly led the way. “They’re all in the incubation room. The goslings and ducklings are growing well.”

After walking a few hundred meters along the breeding greenhouses, the group arrived at an experimental building. Before they even got close, a familiar voice called from the rooftop.

“Master Jiang~”

They looked up to see Little Guaiguai’s vines hanging down from the building. The red vines formed the shape of a heart, faintly translucent. This bloodthirsty vine had been planted when the farm began construction and had since spread to cover half the experimental building.

Jiang Rong waved at the vine. “Keep soaking up the sun.”

Little Guaiguai responded with a sound and retracted its tendrils. Jiang Xiaoheng beamed. “Daddy, I think there are lots of Little Guaiguais around the base!”

Jiang Rong smiled. Spark Base owed much of its success to Little Guaiguai. Wherever the bloodthirsty vines thrived, ordinary mutated plants and animals dared not cause trouble. Without them, the base’s espers would be constantly fighting off mutated creatures, leaving no time for rest—and the civilians would have no safe environment.

Inside the experimental building, the first thing they saw was a transparent incubation room, filled with a dozen or so incubators. These machines had been sourced from hatcheries throughout D City. Each incubator could handle about twenty thousand chicken eggs simultaneously.

Because the mutated eggs were larger, the base’s specialists had modified the machines to fit around eight thousand mutated goose eggs. Of course, the base currently had far fewer eggs than that; only one incubator was in operation.

The incubator held hundreds of goose and duck eggs on two layers, warmed by soft lighting. The two children were entranced and couldn’t pull themselves away. The manager explained, “All these eggs should hatch by tonight.”

Many of the eggs had already cracked, and faint chirps came from inside. Some impatient goslings and ducklings had already broken free. Their feathers were still wet but would fluff up under the heat lamp. Jiang Hao held Jiang Xiaoheng’s hand with one and pointed at the closest gosling with the other. “Little brother, look at the gosling!”

Xiaoheng pressed his face to the incubator glass, eyes shining as he watched the goslings inside. One of the little birds trembled as it stood on the eggshell, looking back at the boys through the glass. 

Xiaoheng’s heart melted. “So cute~”

Jiang Hao stared at the gosling’s black, bead-like eyes. “Yeah!”

Seeing the boys’ reactions, Guan Shao’s lips twitched into a smile. He instinctively glanced at Jiang Rong, who had been just as captivated by the incubator a few days earlier. Jiang Rong was no stranger to gosling hatching now, but his attention was on a more pressing question. “Are any of the hatched goslings or ducklings mutated?”

Although many animals had mutated to survive the Great Crisis, most only grew larger and sturdier. The geese were different. These eggs came from parents capable of producing explosive down feathers—a rare mutation. If such goslings appeared, they had to be culled early and raised separately.

The manager admitted honestly, “Captain Jiang, the goslings are too small to tell. They all look the same just after hatching. When clustered together, it’s impossible to tell which have abilities and which don’t. It’s just too hard.”

Guan Shao suggested, “Could we have an esper identify them? Espers usually have innate reactions to mutated plants and animals. What normal people can’t see, espers should be able to.”

The manager looked troubled. “Captain Guan, the base’s espers are all busy. We don’t know who to ask for help.”

Jiang Rong and Guan Shao exchanged a glance, then said in unison, “But we have one right here. Come on, take us to see the hatchlings.”

Newly hatched goslings and ducklings had to stay in warmers for a while. As soon as they stepped inside, Jiang Rong felt the temperature spike. The air was thick with warm sawdust mixed with the distinct smell of young birds.

Jiang Rong tugged at his collar and looked at the warmers. He was surprised. “These goslings and ducklings hatched a few days ago? They’ve grown this big already?”

When they hatched, the goslings had been only slightly bigger than his fist. Just a few days later, these ones stretched nearly a foot tall. Their down feathers ranged from yellow to gray, some even mottled. They looked plump and adorable.

Satisfied with the answer, Jiang Rong smiled deeper. “They’re growing fast.”

Then he looked at Guan Shao with a teasing grin. “Captain Guan, it’s your turn.”

Jiang Rong suspected his own awakening of powers had gone wrong. He lacked the instinct espers naturally possessed. Guan Shao, however, was a true awakened one—he could spot an esper at a glance. When he discovered Hu Hechu’s powers, Hu Hechu hadn’t even realized it himself.

Guan Shao scanned the warmers and pointed out five goslings and three ducklings. “These little ones should have abilities.”

The manager quickly found a box and carefully placed the goslings and ducklings that Guan Shao had pointed out inside.

“Make sure to mark them,” Jiang Rong said calmly. “Try to raise them separately. If any new mutated goslings or ducklings hatch, contact us directly.”

Guan Shao gave a slight nod, and the manager thanked them earnestly. “Thank you, Captain Jiang. Thank you, Captain Guan!”

When they returned to the incubation room, the two little boys were still glued to the glass, staring at the hatchlings. Jiang Rong chuckled. “Xiao Hao, Xiaoheng, do you want to go see the chicks now?”

“Yes!” Jiang Xiaoheng replied, not even glancing away from the incubator.

Jiang Rong laughed, stepping forward and taking each of their hands. “Alright, let’s go see the chicks. You can come back to visit the goslings and ducklings next time, okay?”

Reluctantly, Xiaoheng turned back to wave at the incubator. “I’ll come back soon! You all need to grow strong!”

Jiang Hao added with equal sincerity, “Eat well and grow up fast!”

Then Guan Shao spoke in a low, teasing tone. “Xiao Hao, you know the goslings and ducklings will be eaten when they grow up.”

The boys froze, their cheerful expressions vanishing. Those cute little birds… would be eaten?

Jiang Rong glared at Guan Shao and barked, “Are you a demon?!”

Because geese and ducks were waterfowl, the base had built the waterfowl farm by the reservoir. Chickens, however, loved scratching at the ground, so the chicken farm had been built in the mountains. After leaving the waterfowl farm and driving forward for another ten minutes, the vehicles entered the mountains.

The chicken farm sprawled across several nearby peaks, all designated as part of its range. As soon as they arrived, the group was greeted by the sight of countless glossy free-range chickens roaming about. Since being relocated to Spark Base, these chickens had practically claimed the mountains as their territory, wandering everywhere freely.

The moment Jiang Rong stepped out of the vehicle, a massive rooster nearly half his height flared its feathers and charged at the car. Guan Shao raised a finger and tapped it lightly in midair. A faint crackle of electricity sounded, and the rooster staggered, dazed, before wandering off.

At the waterfowl farm, the two boys had only seen baby goslings and ducklings, not the grown birds. Now, staring at the fierce rooster, they hesitated. Xiaoheng pursed his lips nervously and clung tightly to Jiang Rong’s hand.

“It’s alright,” Jiang Rong reassured him gently. “Don’t be scared.”

The chicken farm also had an experimental building, identical in layout to the one at the waterfowl farm. Soon, Xiaoheng and Hao were squealing with delight as they spotted the fluffy baby chicks. The chicks were even bigger than their fists, peeping noisily and begging for food.

Each boy grabbed a handful of feed and crouched down inside the warming room to feed them. The chicks’ tiny beaks pecked at their palms, tickling them and drawing bursts of giggles from both boys.

While Jiang Rong and Guan Shao watched them fondly, the chicken farm manager shuffled over, rubbing his hands nervously. “Captain Jiang, Captain Guan… there are a few issues I’d like to discuss with you.”

Jiang Rong nodded slightly and gestured toward the door. “Let’s step outside.”

*

The boys fed the chicks for a long time. They touched the soft down feathers, felt the chicks’ warmth and tiny heartbeats. When the small bag of feed was empty, Xiaoheng still didn’t want to leave.

Turning around, he blinked in surprise. “Huh? Big brother, Daddy’s gone!”

Jiang Hao pointed toward the door. “Daddy went outside.”

Holding the empty feed bag, Xiaoheng asked hopefully, “Should we go find Daddy? Maybe we can ask for more feed!”

Jiang Hao took the bag and held Xiaoheng’s hand. The two of them carefully stepped around the chicks and walked out of the warming room. Outside, they found Jiang Rong standing beneath the poultry shed, speaking with the manager.

The manager was voicing his concerns, and while the problems weren’t serious, they still needed addressing. “Don’t worry,” Jiang Rong assured him. “We’ll raise the perimeter walls so the chickens can’t fly out. As for the food shortage, we’ll work on it. For now, don’t panic.”

Hand in hand, Xiaoheng and Hao happily ran toward their father. But before they could reach him, a deep, heavy sound and a loud flapping of wings came from behind them. Turning around, they saw a massive, multicolored rooster charging straight at them. The rooster, nearly half a man’s height, leapt into the air, talons extended, aiming for Xiaoheng’s back. Xiaoheng froze in terror. He had never seen anything like it. He couldn’t even scream.

Just as the sharp talons were about to strike him, Jiang Hao stepped forward, shielding his brother. A dazzling golden light burst from his palm. The poultry shed trembled with a low hum, and the iron nails embedded in the beams rattled as though ready to tear free.

With a screech, the rooster dropped to the ground, writhing in pain. Bright red blood gushed from its neck, and a blood-stained nail clattered to the floor with a sharp clang.

Jiang Hao’s dark eyes had turned into brilliant gold. Protecting Xiaoheng, he took a few steps back and stood firm. In a small but unwavering voice, he said, “Don’t be afraid, little brother. I’ll protect you!”

 

 

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