Apocalypse Chapter 84: Three Good Things

Chapter 84: Three Good Things

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

The flames stained the sky dark red, thick black clouds piling overhead. Lightning flickered within the clouds, and heavy thunder rumbled, spreading out in waves. On the rooftop closest to the clouds, two men fought fiercely, neither gaining the upper hand.

Without their esper powers, Guan Shao’s martial arts skills outmatched Gu Zefeng’s. But Gu Zefeng was a level-three esper, while Guan Shao was only level two, making the fight difficult for him. When they parted again, Guan Shao was bleeding.

He raised his hand to wipe the blood from his cheek, the gleaming dagger reflecting his cold, handsome face. Gu Zefeng stood casually with his hands in his pockets. “So, Master Guan, have you thought it over? If you join the Sovereign, we’ll still be brothers.”

Guan Shao sneered coldly, “Do you even believe what you’re saying?”

Gu Zefeng chuckled lightly. “I do. Why wouldn’t I? There are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests. I was foolish before, but now I understand. The stronger you are, the more friends you have. And vice versa. If we join forces, the Sovereign will become the strongest base. No one will ever oppress us again, making us fight to the death. No more watching brothers die helplessly.”

Unfortunately, he had learned this too late. If only he had realized it years earlier, learned how to manage things better, maybe Xiao Que wouldn’t have died, and he wouldn’t have fallen out with Guan Shao and the others. Gu Zefeng’s tone grew serious. “Master Guan, haven’t you had enough of selling yourself to others? The base you’re with now has no future. You should bring everyone to the Sovereign sooner rather than later.”

Guan Shao glared coldly at Gu Zefeng. “The Spark Base is fine.” Compared to bases where you had to scheme to rise, the Spark Base was full of camaraderie. Everything it had now was the product of everyone’s joint labor. Guan Shao would never allow anyone to insult Spark.

Gu Zefeng shrugged. “Fine, Spark’s great. But how long can a base with less than a hundred thousand people last? Don’t be stubborn. Come to the Sovereign now, and you’ll have a good position. If the Sovereign ever swallows Spark, I won’t be so kind.”

Guan Shao enunciated each word, “The Sovereign will never swallow Spark. If you want to fight, then fight. No more nonsense. Gu Zefeng, don’t make me lose respect for you.”

Gu Zefeng laughed twice, his eyes darkening. “Negotiations failed. Nothing I can do about that. Guan Shao, I gave you a chance. You didn’t cherish it.”

With those words, a blaze erupted behind Gu Zefeng. A fierce gust of flame surged toward Guan Shao, shooting up more than ten meters. The ferocious fire instantly engulfed Guan Shao, turning the rooftop where he stood into a burning inferno. The flames shot straight upward, a column of light piercing over twenty meters, the intense heat discoloring the clouds above.

Though spectacular, the attack consumed a tremendous amount of esper energy. It was Gu Zefeng’s strongest technique at the moment; the flames were hot enough to melt steel. For Guan Shao’s flesh and blood body to survive such heat was nearly impossible.

The fire blazed brighter and brighter, and the steel and concrete of the rooftop began cracking loudly from the heat. Guan Shao’s silhouette disappeared amid the flames. Gu Zefeng’s face burned painfully under the heat as he sighed regretfully, “One less…”

Another comrade lost from the Cang Lang Special Forces, and one less nature-type esper. Gu Zefeng had always wanted lightning-type powers, but Guan Shao refused to cooperate. Those who couldn’t be used by him were of no consequence if they died. Once their base grew stronger, they’d never lack teammates.

Gu Zefeng pulled a cigarette from his trench coat and lit it with a snap of his fingers. He inhaled deeply and exhaled a thick, murky smoke ring. The flames crackled for over ten minutes before the fire around Guan Shao turned platinum white. By then, Gu Zefeng had finished his cigarette and flicked the butt away. “Boring.”

Just as Gu Zefeng turned, a heavy rumble of thunder rolled through the clouds overhead. He looked up, noticing the sky had thickened into a leaden blanket of clouds, many times wider and denser than during his fight with Guan Shao. His pupils contracted, brow furrowing. “What is—”

Lightning flashed within the clouds, and the next moment a purple bolt struck straight down. Gu Zefeng reacted swiftly, narrowly avoiding the strike. The lightning crashed where he had just stood, leaving a deep crater. Guan Shao’s voice came from behind. “It’s not over. Where do you think you’re going?”

Gu Zefeng spun around in shock, seeing a ball of fire rising slowly behind him. The flames weakened as it rose, revealing Guan Shao’s outline more clearly. Drenched in blue lightning, Guan Shao stood among the electric flashes. A terrifying esper aura radiated from him, the ghostly blue light illuminating his face like a deity’s.

Gu Zefeng’s heart pounded. “No good!” Guan Shao had broken through — under his own esper attack, he had successfully transformed from a level-two to a level-three esper. This was no place to linger. He had to run!

No longer concerned with appearances, Gu Zefeng sprinted, leaping off the rooftop. Several streaks of lightning chased his figure, striking downward toward the ground.

Yuanyuan traced delicate circles in the air with her tiny pinky finger. With every light tap of her finger, Jiang Rong’s expression grew more serious. He had originally planned to take Yuanyuan back to the base and find her a pair of attentive parents. But now, that idea no longer seemed feasible. Yuanyuan was an esper—an umbra-type esper.

Yuanyuan could control the bodies of animals. The thousands upon thousands of zombies in the industrial park might very well exist because of her. If other espers discovered her ability, she would either become a prize fought over by every base or be killed outright. Neither option was good for Yuanyuan. After a moment of thought, Jiang Rong squatted down and gently rubbed the child’s head. “Yuanyuan, from now on, don’t show your powers so freely in front of strangers, okay?”

Yuanyuan tilted her head and studied Jiang Rong’s face seriously before nodding softly. “Okay.”

The child’s promise might not be reliable, but for now, the priority was to watch over little Yuanyuan carefully—making sure no espers from other bases noticed her abnormality. Jiang Rong looked to Wang Chunlan and the others for help. “Chunlan, Hanyu, Leilei, Qiangzi and I need to check on Guan Shao’s situation. I’m entrusting Yuanyuan to you. Make sure she stays far away from other espers.”

Wang Chunlan and the others nodded solemnly. “Don’t worry, Captain Jiang. We understand.” Awakening umbra powers wasn’t Yuanyuan’s fault. That she had survived the Great Crisis was already a tremendous effort. They would never let her fall into the hands of ill-intentioned people. After settling Yuanyuan safely, Jiang Rong and Chu Qiang headed northwest. Before they reached the battlefield where Guan Shao and Gu Zefeng had fought, a thunderous crack split the air like an explosion.

Hearing the thunder, Chu Qiang slammed on the brakes. “Hey, Xiao Jiang, listen! It’s thunder! Master Guan is okay!”

Jiang Rong looked up to see a flash of electricity beneath the darkened sky. Amidst thousands of sparkling electric streaks floated a strong, muscular figure. Who else could it be but Guan Shao? Chu Qiang’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “Holy crap, Xiao Jiang! Look! Master Guan is flying!”

A smile tugged at Jiang Rong’s lips. “I see it.” He had once heard that level three and four espers could fly and teleport, but he’d never believed it until now. Seeing Guan Shao’s figure, he was convinced the rumors were true.

Guan Shao’s ability to fly proved he had become a level three esper. This news was good for both Jiang Rong and the Spark Base.

After hovering in the air for over ten minutes, Guan Shao slowly descended. Every cell, every muscle in his body pulsed with power. So this was the strength of a level three esper—he had never felt so light and free.

When Jiang Rong pushed open the door to the rooftop, he saw Guan Shao looking down at his own hands. Jiang Rong’s breath was heavy from running. “Guan Shao, are you okay?”

At the sound of the door opening, Guan Shao lifted his head and met Jiang Rong’s gaze. His pupils clearly reflected Jiang Rong’s face. During his fight with Gu Zefeng, Guan Shao had felt no fear. But the moment he saw Jiang Rong, a wave of relief and lingering terror welled inside him. When he was surrounded by roaring flames and howling winds, only he knew the pain he endured. He felt like a piece of meat on a grill—one misstep, and not even ashes would remain.

If he hadn’t survived, how desperate would Xiao Jiang be now? That thought overwhelmed Guan Shao. He could no longer hold back. Jiang Rong’s vision blurred for a moment. The next instant, Guan Shao pulled him into a tight embrace. His body burned hot, and he kissed the corners of Jiang Rong’s eyes and brows. He had almost lost the chance to see his partner again.

Living felt so good. To hold and kiss the one you loved felt even better. Just as they lost themselves in the embrace and kiss, the sound of a door closing came from the entrance. Both turned to see Chu Qiang, shrinking his neck sheepishly.

“It’s nothing, nothing. Just ignore me and keep going,” he said. Then Chu Qiang gave Guan Shao a thumbs-up. “Master Guan, you’re magnificent. Xiao Jiang is lucky.”

Jiang Rong’s face flushed red, suddenly unsure how to respond to the word “magnificent.”

*

Dawn broke, and golden sunlight quietly poured down. Guan Shao drove the car, taking Jiang Rong and the others toward the camp. “Gu Zefeng got away,” he said.

Gu Zefeng had run too fast; all that remained of him was one arm. For someone as vain as Gu Zefeng, losing an arm would be a heavy blow—enough to keep him quiet for a while. Jiang Rong replied calmly, “He’s still a level three esper with dual abilities. It’s not surprising he escaped. If he lays low for a while, fine. But if he shows up again, we’ll deal with him then.”

Guan Shao responded, “I gained some insights from this promotion. When we get back, let’s spar. Maybe we’ll all level up soon.”

Jiang Rong smiled and nodded. “Sounds good. By the way, Guan Shao, we encountered a umbra-type esper who controls animal corpses. I suspect she’s the reason the zombies exist in the industrial park.”

Guan Shao was surprised. “An umbra esper? Such a terrifying ability really exists?” After a moment’s thought, he said, “No wonder the zombies in the industrial park suddenly stopped. So there really is someone controlling the corpses. An esper that strong will surely be fought over by many bases. If possible, we should try hard to secure her.”

Jiang Rong smiled. “We’ve already secured her, but her situation is special. You’ll understand when you meet her.”

When Jiang Rong and the others arrived at the camp, espers from several other bases had already finished counting the survivors in the industrial park. There were over two thousand survivors. Most planned to go back with New Humans and the Sovereign base. Those two bases were large, so it made sense that people wanted to join stronger bases.

The Spark Base had only taken little Yuanyuan, and only Jiang Rong’s group knew that one Yuanyuan was worth an army.

Though the Spark Base didn’t get many people, they had priority in selecting equipment. Of all the factory equipment in the industrial park, the Spark Base could take twenty percent.

A small base like the Spark Base normally could only pick through what bigger bases left behind—let alone take so much equipment. But the Spark Base’s performance in the zombie sweep had been stunning.

Whether it was Little Guaiguai and Little Fairy saving everyone from disaster, or the espers uniting under Meng Yong, the Spark Base had left a deep impression on the other bases. Many there were only saved because of the Spark Base, so everyone was willing to let the Spark Base choose equipment first.

The espers moved quickly, and before long everyone had packed up and left the industrial park in an orderly fashion. An Ran gratefully squeezed Jiang Rong’s hand. “Captain Jiang, no need to thank us. If the Spark Base ever needs help, just ask.”

If it hadn’t been for Jiang Rong and his team, An Ran and her squad would have fed the zombies. After working together to wipe out the undead, she held a very good impression of the Spark Base. Jiang Rong didn’t miss an opportunity to build good relations with other bases. He replied politely, “Captain An, you’re too kind. Our base is by Lingshan Reservoir. You’re always welcome to come visit.”

As the main group left, Guan Shao pursed his lips and hesitated, “That esper you mentioned…” His gaze swept across the other espers multiple times, but he couldn’t find the legendary umbra esper.

Jiang Rong smiled, took Guan Shao’s hand, and led him to the backseat of Wang Chunlan’s car. “Come see.”

It was time for Guan Shao to meet the hidden secret weapon. When Guan Shao saw the little girl peacefully sleeping in a small dress, his eyes widened in surprise. “This…” He indeed sensed an unusual energy aura in her, immature but undoubtedly destined to become a great power in time.

Jiang Rong smiled and covered the child’s belly with a thin blanket. “Her name is Yuanyuan. She feels even smaller than Xiaoheng.”

Guan Shao pondered for a moment. “She is very small. We must protect her well.”

Jiang Rong nodded slightly. “I want to adopt her, but I need to discuss it with Xiaoheng and Xiao Hao when we get back. If they agree, we’ll raise her, okay?”

Guan Shao smiled and nodded. “Good.”

At that moment, Liu Heng and Zhou Xing from the Peace Base hurried over. “Captain Jiang, Captain Guan, are you ready?”

Zhou Xing looked anxious. “Sorry for rushing you, Captain Jiang. We just received a base transmission—President Meng isn’t doing well.”

Liu Heng apologized, “If you don’t mind, we want to depart first.”

Jiang Rong was surprised. Meng Liang was near death? He hurriedly said, “This can’t wait. You two go ahead. We’ll follow shortly.”

From his memories of a past life, Meng Liang had died before summer. This timing matched. If Meng Liang passed, it would be good for their base—at least Jiang Rong wouldn’t have to worry about Meng Liang controlling him anymore.

 

 

This Title is available for faster chapter releases through paid Patreon membership. Any proceeds go to keeping the website running. Check it out HERE.