this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!
Soon, a small base appeared before their eyes.
*
CONTENT WARNING
attempted sexual assault in this chapter.
if you’d like to skip the above section, please start reading from **end of content warning section** ◡̈
Hu Xue ran desperately through the snow. Despite tears streaking her face, she had no time to wipe them away, only occasionally sparing some time to glance back at the people following her.
Two tall and burly survivors behind her let out lewd laughs, their crude taunts pushing Hu Xue’s fear to its peak.
Her right leg had been wounded by a bullet, and now, dragging her injured leg, she couldn’t run too fast. The people behind her seemed to be toying with her, like a cat with a mouse.
The sounds of weapons and screams were everywhere. Hu Xue felt the cold wind whistling through the crude mask on her face, making it hard to breathe.
She swung the long knife in her hand with all her might, hoping to deter the men following her, but it was to no avail. Due to her injury and the pain, her strength was much weaker than before, and they easily dodged her attacks.
She was forced into a dead end and finally carried and thrown into a room.
The men chuckled as they approached her, trying to strip off the animal skins she wore. No matter how fiercely she struggled, they still pinned her limbs down firmly.
Hu Xue’s heart was filled with despair. Just then, the man on top of her, his pants already half off, suddenly stiffened and was kicked away.
Before Hu Xue could look up, she was wrapped in a warm cotton coat, with a gentle female voice following after it, “It’s okay, it’s okay, he didn’t touch you.”
Hu Xue’s tightly drawn psychological defenses shattered in an instant, and she broke down in tears under Jiang Ci’s comfort.
**end of content warning section**
Jiang Ci hadn’t expected to witness such a cruel scene upon arrival. The apocalypse had torn away the veil of humanity, revealing its most vile and filthy core.
“Song Jinchuan, leave none of them alive,” Jiang Ci’s voice was cold.
Song Jinchuan caught a glimpse of the situation inside the room with his peripheral vision and politely refrained from entering. Upon hearing Jiang Ci’s instructions, he turned and left without hesitation.
As his teammates would say, Song Jinchuan had now become a sharp sword in Jiang Ci’s hands, striking wherever she pointed.
Jiang Ci comforted Hu Xue, helped her into the bus, and gave her a cup of warm water before continuing to rescue others in different locations.
The scene here was gruesome. As Jiang Ci ran, she kicked something and looked down to see a human head. A thin layer of freshly fallen snow had now been sprayed with dark red bloodstains.
Jiang Ci closed her eyes for a moment, then continued forward.
pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:
Just then, a bullet whizzed past her, embedding itself in the snow ahead and emitting a wisp of white smoke.
If it weren’t for the protection of her system, that bullet would have struck her body directly.
Jiang Ci turned her head and saw several men standing not far behind her. When they caught sight of her face, their eyes lit up, and they began to approach her with lecherous grins, openly discussing the idea of capturing Jiang Ci for their amusement.
In their words, there was not an ounce of respect for women, treating them as mere playthings.
They didn’t even consider why their bullet had missed, simply chalking it up to a slip of the hand.
As the men approached, Jiang Ci didn’t flee like other survivors. Instead, she let out a cold laugh as black mist began to swirl at her fingertips.
“An ability user, huh? She’s all yours, Brother Dong,” one of them said, seemingly unfazed by the black mist in Jiang Ci’s hand. Instead, they pushed forward another man from their group.
This man, called Brother Dong by them, was bald. Despite the freezing weather, he was shirtless, his upper body covered in strange black tattoos.
His hawk-like eyes locked onto Jiang Ci as if she were now reduced to just his prey.
A flicker of excitement passed through Jiang Ci’s eyes. It had been a long time since she encountered an ability user she could freely devour. Her small black orb was still so tiny—she needed to collect more abilities.
The man opposite her casually flicked his wrist, and his arm began to liquefy, solidifying into a sharp, black sword.
His movements were casual, yet they radiated a lethal intent. Although Jiang Ci was some distance away, she could still faintly sense a hint of danger as well as the scorching heat.
“Just give up, little beauty. We’ll be gentle,” the survivors continued to laugh, seemingly convinced that as long as Brother Dong made his move, the person before them would inevitably fall into their hands.
Jiang Ci didn’t waste her words. Her hands moved swiftly, and soon, the black mist expanded into a large cloud.
It wasn’t until the man at the forefront was devoured that their laughter finally died. They struggled to escape, but Jiang Ci wouldn’t give them any chance to.
Even the seemingly formidable Brother Dong could only swing his sword futilely as half his body was consumed before he was completely devoured.
At this moment, the survivors watching from the bus window couldn’t help but gasp in awe. They hadn’t expected the person who had saved them to be so powerful.
Moreover, upon closer inspection, these men were the same ones who had robbed them of their food and weapons. They remembered how formidable the enemy’s weapons and ability users had been.
But in Jiang Ci’s hands, they were like dough, utterly powerless to resist.
The survivors’ eyes lit up with hope.
Not only Jiang Ci, but the flames from Song Jinchuan’s side also nearly dyed half the sky red. Hui Hui and her three cubs were especially thrilled, as it had been a long time since they last fought. Vines, black iron, and flames danced continuously in the air, leaving the opponents utterly defenseless.
With their combined strength, they quickly eradicated all the intruders who had invaded the base. Jiang Ci collected a total of eight beads, while some of the ability users were reduced to ashes by Song Jinchuan’s flames, which she found somewhat regrettable.
The rescued survivors boarded the vehicles, which were now packed to the brim, with people sitting both upstairs and downstairs.
Only when they found themselves in a warm and comfortable environment, holding cups of hot water, did the survivors finally feel as if they had come back to life.
Half of the base’s gates and buildings had been destroyed, making it impossible for them to move back in immediately.
After some deliberation by the former base leader and discussions among everyone, it was decided that they would return to Jiang Ci’s base with her.
“Boss Jiang, we’ll only be staying temporarily. Once the weather warms up, we’ll leave,” the base leader said earnestly.
Jiang Ci nodded, “That’s fine, as long as the crystal cores are provided, everything can be arranged.”
The survivors she had eliminated had carried their belongings with them, and Jiang Ci had confiscated quite a few crystal cores from those people. It seemed they had robbed many survivors. She also took all their supplies, animal hides, and weapons, planning to upgrade the weapons for the patrol team in the courtyard later.
This journey had been quite fruitful, and Jiang Ci felt that the saying “good deeds bring good rewards” still held some truth.
After this brief delay, the vehicles continued their journey. Since the back seats and even the floor were now filled with survivors, Jiang Ci took Hui Hui and her family to sit in the front passenger seat.
She took out the beads she had acquired that day and rubbed them in her hands, pondering how she should use these ability orbs in order to maximize their potential.
It wasn’t until the next morning that the vehicles finally arrived at Gourmet City. The survivors, still immersed in their dreams, were awakened by the sound of voices. When they opened their eyes, they were stunned by the people and buildings outside that they were rendered speechless for a while.
Despite it being the same apocalypse, how come this place seemed completely different from the outside world?
The survivors were captivated by the scenery outside the window, pressing their faces against the glass, completely dazzled by the sight.
The vehicles stopped at the entrance of Gourmet City, “We’re here, let’s get off.”
Jiang Ci yawned. She had wanted to take turns driving with Song Jinchuan during the night, but he refused, so she had to keep talking to him to prevent him from falling asleep while driving.
But now she still couldn’t sleep yet, as there were still so many people to settle.
Jiang Ci took the survivors who had suffered frostbite and those who were injured to the hospital. Lu Dongmei was surprised to see the large group behind her and quickly asked what had happened.
After Jiang Ci briefly explained, Lu Dongmei immediately notified the medical staff in the hospital to come and assist.
Before long, everyone had received medical treatment.
The remaining survivors, along with Jiang Ci, headed to the base. As they gazed at the beautiful and clean base, a thought soon emerged in their minds—perhaps they could stay here forever.
There wasn’t much snow accumulated inside the base, and without Jiang Ci having to give orders, the survivors had proactively taken it upon themselves to clear the snow, maintaining the base’s pristine condition. They had always cherished their living environment.
As they walked further in, the survivors realized that their earlier astonishment was nothing compared to what they saw now. The base had fully equipped facilities, including but not limited to supermarkets, vegetable and meat shops, making daily life incredibly convenient, almost as if they had returned to the pre-apocalyptic era.
While they were overjoyed, they also felt a sense of unease, fearing that living here might require a significant amount of crystal cores. When they passed by the supermarkets and agricultural shops, they noticed the price tags inside. However, the prices weren’t listed in the familiar crystal cores but in something called “points.” What were these points? The survivors were utterly confused in this moment.
Since they would be living here for several months, Jiang Ci took the time to explain the concept of points and crystal cores to them.
With this explanation, they quickly understood. Reflecting on the prices they had just seen, they realized they were indeed affordable; even considered to be quite cheap by post-apocalyptic standards. The crystal cores they had on them were more than enough to sustain them here for a while.
Jiang Ci then mentioned the rent, which was unbelievably low.
“If you’ve decided to stay, I’ll take you to get your ID cards. There aren’t many rules here, but causing trouble, fighting, or any kind of disturbance is strictly prohibited,” Jiang Ci’s tone turned serious. “If you break any of these rules, don’t blame me for kicking you out in this freezing weather.”
These survivors had witnessed Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan’s combat prowess firsthand. They had no doubt that if they caused trouble, Jiang Ci wouldn’t hesitate to show them no mercy.
“Boss Jiang, we…” A few of the survivors hesitated for a moment, exchanging glances with their friends before stepping forward to say, “Can we stay here permanently? Don’t worry, we’ll follow the rules and hand over the crystal cores as required.”
“Of course,” Jiang Ci didn’t refuse. Taking in one survivor was the same as taking in a hundred. After all, these weren’t just survivors, they were her potential labor force.
the translator has nothing to add ◡̈
