Apocalypse Chapter 76: Gathering

Chapter 76: Gathering

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

They hadn’t even reached home when Jiang Rong spotted Junjun surrounded and attacked by a swarm of sparrows. Staring at the dark, churning mass of birds, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “There’s so many of them!”

But after a moment’s thought, it made perfect sense. The mutated sparrows still needed food. In this bitter cold, where else could they find anything to eat? The other bases were all fortified steel fortresses. Spark Base was the only place within a hundred-mile radius where sparrows could scavenge food. That’s why they had swarmed in from every direction.

No one knew when they had infiltrated Spark Base, or how many there actually were. No wonder Zheng Zhanqing’s Overlord had said it heard loud, chaotic noises but couldn’t identify them.

Now Jiang Rong finally understood—those noises had come from the mutated birds. Humans couldn’t hear the flutter of their wings, but mutated dogs could detect them.

As a mutated tiger, Junjun’s strength was undeniable. He could face down even a mutant anaconda without flinching. But now, surrounded by hundreds of mutated sparrows, he was clearly struggling.

Each sparrow was the size of a hen, with talons sharp as knives. If a normal person were to be clawed by one, they’d be left with deep, bloody gouges. Their beaks had grown proportionally larger too—black, pointed, and capable of yanking out tufts of Junjun’s fur with every twist.

Who knew what Junjun had done to provoke them? A whole flock was now scratching and pecking at him from all sides. Though he swatted down dozens with powerful slaps and agile dodges, more just kept coming, relentless and crazed.

Tufts of black-and-yellow fur scattered across the snow. Blood marked Junjun’s hide, bright red against the white. The sight was alarming. His fur was tough enough to deflect bullets, yet it couldn’t hold back these birds’ claws. That alone said everything about how dangerous this mutated flock was.

Jiang Xiaoheng opened his mouth to cry out, but Jiang Rong quickly hushed him. “Xiaoheng, don’t make a sound.”

Mutated sparrows were extremely alert. If startled, they could take flight in seconds. Jiang Rong didn’t necessarily want to wipe them out—but there were just too many of them, and they were too aggressive. If they were allowed to keep growing unchecked, the crops at the Spark Base wouldn’t be enough to feed them, let alone the humans. These birds had to go.

He exchanged a glance with Guan Shao. Guan Shao carefully lowered Jiang Hao to the ground and stepped forward. Jiang Rong gestured to Jiang Hao, and the boy quickly rushed to his side, clutching Jiang Rong’s hand tightly.

A faint crackle filled the air—an electrical hum dancing in the snowflakes around Guan Shao. In a blink, an invisible field of energy shimmered to life around him, separating snow from skin. Then came a flash of blinding light. Guan Shao launched his attack.

The air popped and snapped with dense, sizzling bursts. The sparrows surrounding Junjun twitched and fell, feathers singed and curling with smoke. Most of them lay still after a brief shudder. A few lucky survivors didn’t dare look back. They screeched in panic, wings flapping wildly as they fled toward the sky. Sliding his gloves back on, Guan Shao muttered, “They were pretty vicious.”

You really couldn’t underestimate any kind of mutated life form. These sparrows were a prime example—if left unchecked, they could become a plague in no time. Jiang Rong chuckled. “Honestly, I think you’re way more vicious than the sparrows.”

With just a flick of his hand, he’d taken out a whole swarm. Lightning-type espers were truly something else. If the two of them ever fought, Jiang Rong doubted he’d stand a chance. Guan Shao gave a faintly innocent look. “I’m vicious?”

He hadn’t even shown his most ruthless side yet, but Jiang Rong had already seen right through him. As they spoke, the group walked over to where the sparrows had fallen. The ground was black with their bodies—over a hundred, maybe more. Some were still twitching faintly, not quite dead.

Junjun lay miserably on the ground, licking at a wound on his neck. With every lick, more black-and-yellow fur clung to his tongue. His muzzle was stained with blood, and the sight made both children’s hearts ache. Jiang Xiaoheng and Jiang Hao reached out small hands, gently combing the tiger’s ruffled fur.

“Junjun, does it hurt?”

The big cat wagged its tail weakly, then rubbed its massive head against their chests. If Jiang Rong and the others had come back even a little later, Junjun would’ve been plucked bald. Who would’ve guessed that eating just one sparrow would bring on such vengeance? These mutated sparrows were too much—dragging their whole clan along for revenge.

Jiang Rong reached out and patted Junjun’s head. “What did you do to provoke them? Sparrows hold grudges. Next time you see them, steer clear, alright?”

Junjun wagged his tail again. Lesson learned.

Jiang Rong glanced toward the house, puzzled. Junjun had taken such a beating—so where were Little Guaiguai and Little Fairy? Why hadn’t they shown up? Could it be the cold? Were they frozen stiff?

Fortunately, Junjun’s injuries were only superficial. After licking his wounds a few more times, the limping tiger slowly began walking home alongside the two kids. Jiang Rong picked up one of the mutated sparrows and gave it a shake. It weighed four or five pounds. Once the head and tail were removed, it was basically a ball of meat. It was hard to imagine how something this round could fly so fast and so far.

Guan Shao suggested, “Let’s message Qiangzi and the others. Even a mosquito has meat on it. If we split it up, everyone can eat for a few days.”

“Good idea!” Jiang Rong agreed. “Why don’t we just invite everyone over for a meal? I’ve never had a sparrow before.”

In his past life, he’d heard that mutated sparrows, once plucked and gutted, were basically pure meat—grilled to a golden crisp, dripping with oil, fragrant and delicious. But back then, he was just a regular guy. Mutated sparrow meat? Way out of reach. Now, he finally had the chance to taste it.

Of course, the feast wasn’t just about the food. There was another reason. They wouldn’t be able to celebrate the Spring Festival this year. In their hometown, New Year’s was the most important holiday—a time for reunion and rest.

But the base had just been established. There was still so much to do. After this snow disaster, people would be too busy to even sleep, let alone celebrate. The holiday would be forgotten in the chaos. So Jiang Rong wanted to gather everyone while the snow still fell, give them one brief moment to breathe and relax. Even just for tonight, they could say goodbye to the old and welcome in the new.

***

The espers who lived farther away hadn’t even made it home yet when they received a message from Jiang Rong. Upon hearing that he was inviting everyone over for a meal, no one let the snowy weather stop them. After quickly tidying up their homes, they braved the falling snow and made their way toward Jiang Rong’s courtyard.

By the time Pan Pan—who lived the farthest—arrived with his mother, he found Jiang Rong’s courtyard split in two. One half had been transformed into a fairytale world sculpted from ice and snow, while the other half buzzed with the heat and energy of an outdoor cookout.

Ruan Hanyu had used her abilities to build a snowy little house in the yard. In front of it, she crafted an elephant-shaped slide for the children to play on, with lifelike small animals carved from snow and ice nearby.

Jiang Xiaoheng and the others were having the time of their lives. As Pan Pan stepped inside, he saw the two children laughing as they slid down the elephant slide. The ice shimmered like crystal, and their young faces were flushed bright red from the cold.

Seeing the children so happy, the elder of the Chu family couldn’t bear to interrupt and could only gently remind them, “Be careful, alright~”

On the other side of the fairytale scene stood a much larger gingerbread house. Chu Qiang and the others were busy cleaning sparrows. With many hands working together, they had already prepped dozens of birds. The first batch had been chopped into small pieces and placed into clay pots to simmer. A delicious aroma, rich like chicken soup, wafted through the rising white steam.

Seeing everyone busy, Pan Pan’s mother quickly offered to help. “Old Li, is there anything I can do to help?”

Uncle Li and Aunt Li chuckled warmly. “No need to help with anything—come warm up by the fire! It’s freezing today.”

“That’s right,” someone chimed in. “Heard it’s ten below zero!”

Pan Pan rolled up his sleeves and walked over to Chu Qiang. “Brother Qiang, let me help!”

Chu Qiang, plucking feathers from a sparrow, smiled. “I’ve got this covered. Go check inside.”

Pan Pan gave a quick nod and made his way toward the house. To be honest, he always felt a little anxious visiting Jiang Rong’s place. It was just too clean. Every time he saw the gleaming wooden floors, he felt inferior—Boss Jiang had two kids and still managed to keep the place spotless, while his own place looked like a dog’s den on a good day.

Sure enough, there were things to do inside. The moment he stepped in, Wang Chunlan and her daughter called out, “Xiao Pan, come help us clean the vegetables!”

Several large bags of produce sat in front of them—everything common in the base. Ruan Hanyu and Hu Hechu had already washed a couple types of vegetables. When Pan Pan came over, Ruan Hanyu stood up and offered her seat. “Sit here. I’m going to reinforce the kids’ playground.”

Pan Pan nodded and opened the bag beside him. After one glance, he froze. “Oyster mushrooms?! Sister Chunlan, where’d these come from?!”

Wang Chunlan laughed. “Didn’t we build a few greenhouses? Two of them are for growing fungi. Xiao Hu brought some over so everyone could try something fresh.”

Pan Pan gave Hu Hechu a thumbs-up. “You’re always so thoughtful.”

Hu Hechu smiled shyly. “As long as you like it. We grow oyster mushrooms at home—they can be harvested year-round if you manage the environment well.” To him, they were the easiest fungi to take care of. With the right temperature and humidity, they’d grow endlessly. Finding mushroom spores in the base had been a godsend—he was confident they’d achieve mushroom self-sufficiency by next year.

After chatting for a bit, Pan Pan looked around. “By the way, where are captain Guan and captain Jiang?”

Wang Chunlan pointed toward the kitchen. “They’re busy in there.”

Pan Pan stood up and leaned over for a look. Sure enough, Jiang Rong and Guan Shao were standing at the sink, backs turned to the rest. A large bowl of marinated beef sat beside them, and the two of them were chatting and laughing as they worked together to skewer the meat.

There was clearly space between them, yet Pan Pan felt like no one else could ever squeeze in. Watching them, he couldn’t help the envy that crept into his expression. “That’s really nice…”

When he first learned that captain Jiang and captain Guan were a couple, he’d been a little surprised. But the more he observed them, the more he realized how perfectly they fit. It would’ve been a shame if they hadn’t ended up together.

With everyone pitching in, it didn’t take long for the meal to come together. The feast was bountiful—there was hot pot, stir-fried dishes, and skewers. Not wanting Hanyu’s ice castle to go to waste, they decided to move the dining tables outdoors.

It was cold outside, but the snowy house was filled with warmth. Everyone gathered cheerfully around the steaming dishes, their voices rising with excitement.

“Woooow~”

The table was packed with meats, vegetables, soups—an entire spread of mouthwatering dishes prepared by the base’s best cooks. In the center of the round table sat a pot of burning charcoal, and above it, a half-filled basin of hot water infused with coconut milk and white wine.

It was a day of celebration, so everyone was free to drink a little. Jiang Rong poured himself a cup of white wine, raised it with both hands, and looked around with a beaming smile. “Hardship brought us together. It made us friends—family. On this day of reunion, let’s raise our glasses and celebrate that we found each other!”

“Cheers—!”

The clinking of glasses echoed through the icy house. After downing their drinks, everyone picked up their chopsticks with delight.

“Let’s eat! This crispy fish is my specialty!”

“Mmm! The sparrow soup is so flavorful~”

“Daddy, I want grilled beef skewers~”

Laughter and conversation drifted out from the snowy castle. Perched on the rooftop, Little Guaiguai wasn’t ready to be left out. It stretched out a vine, waving it through the air, but quickly froze. With the slightest movement, the crimson bloodthirsty vine snapped with a crack.

Little Guaiguai let out a regretful little “Oh no…” It was just too cold. Maybe it’d be better to wait until it warmed up a bit before trying again~

 

 

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