WMSR – QT Chapter 114

 

WMSR – QT Chapter 114

By

siofra

Chapter 114: The Senior of the Apocalypse

Had they not been living in a broken social order, the sheer magnitude of adoration Bai Yichen would command stepping outside with his current appearance defies imagination.

In stark contrast, the passage of five years left virtually zero imprint upon Lin Jiawen. Thanks to his water-system ability, his aging process had essentially halted, leaving him looking barely thirty. Yet the aquatic affinity had permanently transformed his complexion into an immaculate, porcelain white—possessing a translucent smoothness that surpassed any ordinary woman.

Whenever Bai Yichen accidentally brushed against Lin Jiawen's hands, the cool, silky glide invariably triggered a fleeting optical illusion; only by looking up to meet Lin Jiawen's gaze could he reassure himself that he hadn't suddenly grabbed the hand of a strange woman.

Beyond his skin, the most radical evolution manifested in Lin Jiawen's eyes. Whether driven by expanding life experience or the deep cultivation of his supernatural powers, his once meek, harmless gaze had grown profoundly abyss-like and unfathomable.

It was a depth that caused unfamiliar observers to shiver involuntarily upon a passing glance.

In short, while Lin Jiawen's structural facial features remained largely unchanged, any former colleague standing before him today would fail to recognize him. The underlying catalyst was simple: his aura had fundamentally transformed.

Bai Yichen found nothing peculiar about Lin Jiawen's transformation, recognizing it as a hallmark of elemental cultivation. Once supernatural beings awakened their traits, the power continuously reshaped their physical vessels. Years into the apocalypse, seasoned power-wielders became instantly distinguishable from ordinary civilians purely by their unique, intimidating presence.

Given the staggering magnitude of Lin Jiawen's inherent power, his subtle shifts were remarkably restrained.

Author's Note:When updating the previous chapter, I saw comments from readers saying they'd check back in three days, a week, or a month. I felt internally defiant, thinking, "Hmph, I'll update tomorrow and make you all regret it." Yet reality proved that the ones promising to return in three days are absolute die-hard loves o(╥﹏╥)o

Chapter 57: The Senior of the Apocalypse (14)

Five years of shared existence was more than enough time for Bai Yichen to elevate Lin Jiawen into a position of absolute family-level intimacy.

Naturally, his deepest gratitude stemmed from the fact that across such an extended span, Lin Jiawen never once viewed him as a burden, nor did he alter his underlying warmth and devotion—which explained why the years slipped by with such unnoticeable velocity.

Throughout the half-decade, Bai Yichen had occasionally prodded Lin Jiawen regarding conditions beyond their borders, learning that structured survivor safe zones had successfully been established across the mainland. Beyond those sparse inquiries, Bai Yichen pressed no further, and Lin Jiawen volunteered no extra details.

To Bai Yichen's relief, Lin Jiawen never once signaled an intent to relocate toward a survivor base. Since Lin Jiawen harbored zero inclination to move, Bai Yichen was even less likely to raise the topic.

Privately, he understood a stark reality: if Lin Jiawen elected to settle inside an official safe zone, his luxurious comfort would instantly evaporate. Within those heavily regulated bastions, lacking a superpower immediately defined your entire social strata.

An ordinary civilian protected by an elite wielder could theoretically bypass manual labor, yet every daily interaction required hyper-vigilance. Should he inadvertently offend another volatile power-wielding aristocrat while Lin Jiawen was momentarily absent, his odds of survival would plummet to zero. Within the safe zones, ordinary human lives held the absolute lowest currency.

Influenced by these pragmatic realities, Bai Yichen spent the past five years remaining strictly sequestered within their dual apartments, manifesting zero external curiosity. Recently, however, Bai Yichen recognized an undeniable truth: the continuation of this tranquil pastoral sanctuary was reaching its inevitable expiration date.

The catalyst stemmed from an observation he had tracked for months: the massive stockpile of rations stored inside the storage room was vanishing at an accelerating rate. Though Lin Jiawen maintained complete silence on the matter, Bai Yichen had long since deduced the underlying cause—five years was simply too protracted a duration. No matter how meticulously preserved, canned goods, dried grains, and packaged rations infused with chemical preservatives inevitably hit their threshold of decay. Even the hardiest canned provisions, upon being cracked open recently, frequently released an unpleasant, rancid odor.

Concurrently, Lin Jiawen's scavenging expeditions were returning progressively later, yielding drastically smaller hauls.

For a premier power-wielding wielder like Lin Jiawen, locating provisions remained feasible; yet five years deep into the apocalypse, unspotted, un-rotted, edible rations had become a catastrophic rarity. The necessary hunting radius had expanded exponentially, dragging out his return intervals.

Bai Yichen observed Lin Jiawen's quiet toil with a heavy heart. He recognized that in the advanced stages of the apocalyptic timeline, scouring desolate urban ruins for edible calories would eventually become an impossible pursuit. The primary lifeline of humanity's late-stage survivors relied entirely on the agricultural labor and mass production sustained by ordinary citizens sequestered within the heavily guarded survivor safe zones. Their current downward spiral in food security was irreversible. Ultimately, migration toward a safe zone represented an unavoidable destiny—and that fateful destination was rapidly approaching.

Within the desolate, skeletal ruins of Z City, a lone silhouette darted through the fractured architecture like a gale-force wind. Every time he crossed an intersection, packs of snarling zombies broke cover to pounce, yet the terrifying creatures—which normally struck visceral terror into the hearts of ordinary humans—failed entirely to match the wielder's blistering velocity. Finally, the figure executed a high-speed transit across nearly half of Z City, halting directly before a fortified stronghold.

The base comprised a cluster of interconnected high-rise buildings enclosed by a perimeter barricade constructed from wrecked automobiles and welded steel girders. Armed sentries maintained a constant watch over the compound; the instant they spotted a sprinting figure closing in at high speed, defensive activity rippled through the garrison.

Instead of sounding aggressive war cries or leveling weapons, the guards registered visible waves of relief upon identifying the visitor. Following a brief flurry of internal movement, a narrow gap was unlatched within the steel barricade, and several individuals sprinted out into the open—their agile, accelerated movements signaling that they, too, were supernatural ability wielders.

The welcoming party halted at a controlled distance before the tall, lean, obsidian-clad figure, exchanging a brief verbal exchange. Moments later, the dark-clad figure tossed a heavy canvas parcel through the air toward them.

The scouts caught the bundle with visible excitement, immediately tearing open the fabric to inspect the contents. Once the inventory was verified, the leader gestured toward the compound interior. The steel barrier parted slightly further, and a reciprocal parcel was ejected outward from within the safety of the compound.

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