WMSR – QT Chapter 106

 

WMSR – QT Chapter 106

By

siofra

Chapter 106: The Senior of the Apocalypse

When he stood before this doorway, the mindset holding him together was simple: he no longer feared death itself, so why should he fear being branded as thick-skinned? Furthermore, if sacrificing a bit of personal pride bought him even a single additional glimpse of the youth, he was more than willing to pay that price...

He had entertained countless scenarios regarding their reunion, yet the one outcome he never dared imagine was that he would actually be allowed back inside this sanctuary...

Author's Note:I noticed some confusion among readers regarding the gong and shou in this world—perhaps my previous author's notes failed to articulate it clearly. Let me re-clarify:The official protagonist gong of this world is Xiao Yi, and Lin Jiawen is the protagonist shou. Ling Mengchen served as Xiao Yi's unrequited white moonlight senior whom he secretly adored.In the original trajectory, Xiao Yi should have witnessed his white moonlight senior get bitten to death by zombies, plunging him into utter despair before beginning his escape through the wasteland, where he coincidentally rescued the protagonist shou Lin Jiawen, leading to their eventual romance. However, in this translated world line, Xiao Yi failed to locate his white moonlight senior after the apocalypse broke out, opted to rescue the white moonlight's "girlfriend" out of complicated motives, and consequently missed crossing paths with Lin Jiawen. Once they evacuated the city, Lin Jiawen was left behind. Then, due to certain narrative laws, the abandoned protagonist shou crossed paths with the current protagonist of our story, um...

Chapter 53: The Senior of the Apocalypse (12)

The following morning, Lin Jiawen awoke exceptionally early and promptly transferred the massive bag of provisions from his room out into the living room.

Bai Yichen similarly rose early. After all, within this electricity-free world, evening hours offered zero recreational entertainment; while candles existed, conservation was paramount. Stepping out of his bedroom, he spotted the prominent sack resting squarely in the center of the living room, prompting him to address the straight-backed, slender man sitting in formal composure: "What is the meaning of this?"

"*For—for you,*y" the man murmured, sparing Bai Yichen a quick glance before dropping his gaze back down to the floor in haste.

Truthfully, Bai Yichen had never intended to confiscate these food supplies. Observing the man's textbook office worker physique—a classic white-collar weakling—he knew precisely how much backbreaking toil and danger went into gathering such a stash. Yet witnessing the man's repeated, resolute gestures, Bai Yichen sensed his unyielding persistence. Ultimately, he plucked a modest handful of random items from the bag and offered a warm smile: "Room and board—this much is plenty."

That's nowhere near enough; it's far too little! Lin Jiawen longed to argue the point. However, encountering the dazzling, dizzying smile gracing the youth's handsome features, a sudden wave of heat rushed straight to his cheeks. He instinctively dropped his head, completely losing the courage to utter another syllable.

Interpreting the man's bowed head as silent acquiescence to his terms, Bai Yichen collected his selected items and ambled back into his private quarters.

Bai Yichen initially assumed that upon returning, the man would resume his former routine—remaining quietly tucked away in his room with minimal presence. To his genuine astonishment, the very next day, the man offered a polite greeting and headed straight out the door...

Goodness knew the level of shock Bai Yichen experienced in that instant. While he had graciously offered the man shelter, he lacked any authoritative right to restrict his personal freedom. Consequently, he could only nod in acknowledgment while nursing intense curiosity regarding what prompted the slender man to venture back out.

All mysteries unraveled that evening when the man staggered back looking thoroughly disheveled, clutching a few packets of instant noodles—he had gone out scavenging for food.

From that day forward, whenever weather conditions permitted, the slender man departed early every morning and returned only before nightfall. Occasionally, he dragged back minor food rations; other times, he returned completely battered and empty-handed. Yet regardless of whether he secured a harvest, a portion of provisions invariably appeared outside Bai Yichen's door, christened under the generous label of daily "rent."

Bai Yichen felt a mix of astonishment and helpless amusement at the man's stubborn consistency. Allowing the man back inside had initially stemmed from an impulse of charity; recognizing that while his hoarded provisions were substantial, they would eventually exhaust themselves within ten-odd days, he had planned to float the man's survival for a spell once his own supplies ran dry. Yet who could have predicted that this outwardly frail man possessed such an excessively high sense of personal accountability—not only heading out daily to hunt for rations, but actively attempting to support the household expenses as well.

Though the man's ideological awakening was commendable, Bai Yichen remained acutely aware that the guy struggled to even hoist a single water bucket. For someone of that physical caliber to frequent a world crawling with zombies in search of supplies was an unacceptably high-risk gamble.

Bai Yichen attempted to caution him, but the man merely lowered his head without verbal commitment—only to stubbornly march right back out the following morning.

Faced with such immovable stubbornness, Bai Yichen refrained from further nagging, yet from that day onward, he began quietly monitoring the trajectories the man took during his scavenging runs. Whenever Bai Yichen ventured out to sharpen his combat skills against zombies, he consciously orchestrated his routes to remain within proximity of the man's operating zones.

Following several weeks under this unstated surveillance arrangement, disaster inevitably struck. Bai Yichen struggled to articulate how terrifyingly perilous that afternoon had been; had he not crossed paths with the man at the exact critical window, the guy would have permanently converted into a new member of the undead horde, never to return.

The rescued man sat pale and trembling on the sofa, residual terror still causing his hands to shudder uncontrollably. Bai Yichen tossed a blanket over his shoulders, watching as the man wrapped himself tightly within the folds, and delivered an uncompromised directive: "Do not venture outside ever again."

This time, the man offered zero argument. After a prolonged silence, he gave a quiet, submissive nod.

Only individuals who had brushed shoulders with mortality grasped the true horror of death—especially because he understood precisely why he had nearly failed to return. He had foolishly assumed the zombies couldn't outrun him, only to discover they caught up instantly; he had trusted his makeshift club could deflect a strike, only to watch the creature bat his weapon aside. If early-stage zombies currently possessed such accelerated velocity and physical force, stepping out again equated to suicide.

Gradually subduing his lingering panic and tremors, Lin Jiawen raised his gaze toward the handsome youth seated nearby, unable to suppress a murmured observation: "I feel like those zombies are growing stronger."

Bai Yichen hadn't expected the man to possess such sharp observational acuity; he cast an appreciative glance of mild surprise before nodding in validation: "Indeed. Both their movement speed and physical strength have evolved significantly compared to earlier stages."

Aside from utilizing his outings for combat conditioning, Bai Yichen had closely tracked the mutation trends of the infected. Constant, daily exposure to the targets had masked the incremental shifts day-to-day, rendering slow changes imperceptible; however, measuring the current baseline against conditions from a month prior revealed an undeniable chasm of difference. As for the slender man—who, by Bai Yichen's estimation, exercised utmost caution and minimized direct clashes—noticing such a dramatic leap in difficulty indicated just how severe the escalation had become. Naturally, the primary catalyst likely stemmed from the man's inherently minimal baseline strength.

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