Apocalypse Escape: Day One of Survival

”Daughter, just how many Spaces do you have?” Song You’ai was still in a daze. After racking her brain for a while, this was the only question she could manage.

”You told me before that you had a small Space. Is this villa it?”

Xie Ning blinked and shook her head. ”No, that was a different one.”

Now it was Song You’ai’s turn to leap three feet off the sofa!

”What?!”

”Mom, Mom, don’t get so excited. Sit down, let’s talk.”

Song You’ai looked utterly astonished. ”How could I not be excited? This Space of yours is insane! When you took us to that farmstead Space before, we all thought that was your biggest trump card!”

But no!

Her daughter had another trick up her sleeve!

Xie Ning’s eyes curved into a smile as she looked at her mother. ”Mom, aren’t you surprised?”

”Surprised is an understatement. I’m shocked,” Song You’ai said, exhaling and patting her chest. ”How did our family’s villa become your Space?”

Xie Ning thought for a moment, then said with a straight face, ”I guess the heavens must be looking out for me?”

Song You’ai: ...

”You’re never serious.” Her mother couldn’t contain her joy, giving her daughter’s arm a little push. ”This villa of ours... can we go everywhere? Upstairs and down?”

”Of course. We can go anywhere. Mom, want to go check out your room?”

The words had barely left her lips when her mother shot up like a child and bounded up the stairs. ”Oh my god! Daughter, you’re just incredible!”

Xie Ning rubbed her nose. With a sweep of her spiritual power, she teleported to her mother’s room.

Song You’ai opened the door to her room, only to see her daughter waving at her. ”Mom.”

Song You’ai nearly jumped out of her skin, then laughed in exasperation. ”Trying to scare your old mom? Everyone knows you Space Ability Users can roam freely within your own Space using spiritual power.”

”Still, daughter, this is just too incredible.” Song You’ai rushed into the room, touching the cabinet, then the bed.

She flung open the closet doors. Staring at her clothes, all hung up so neatly, she sighed in amazement, ”Ah! This is the life!”

Xie Ning quietly closed the door, leaving her ecstatic mother to celebrate on her own.

She teleported to the terrace and tilted her head, gazing at the giant, rotating Energy Ball hanging in the sky.

Floating beside it were seven or eight round metal boxes, engraved with symbols for the Water Element, Fire Element, Earth Element, and so on.

Inside, Energy Balls of various elements were sorted and stored. The one for the Special System was the smallest, while the Healing System’s was just a few threads of light wound together—not really a ball at all.

Xie Ning picked up the metal box containing the Water Energy Ball and walked slowly toward the living room.

Song You’ai remained excited in her room for a full hour before finally emerging. She ran all the way back to the living room, her face flushed red, with two words written all over it: pure joy.

”Daughter.”

”Mom, take this and absorb it. I can tell you’re about to advance your Rank. Absorb as much as you can, and try to level up within the next two days.”

Song You’ai took the metal box. ”Daughter, what about our...”

She opened the metal box and glanced inside. The sphere, brimming with endless Water Element energy, left her utterly speechless.

”Daughter, this is...”

”It’s fine. You take it and absorb it first. Once we’ve collected the others, we can distribute them to everyone else,” Xie Ning said, closing the lid. ”In any case, the old rule applies: once you have enough energy, don’t get greedy. You don’t want to take in more than you can handle.”

Song You’ai nodded gravely. ”I know.”

”Sweetheart, this little villa of ours... it won’t disappear, will it?” she asked cautiously.

Xie Ning laughed, amused by her mother’s cautiousness. ”Of course not. It’s a part of my Space.”

”That’s good, that’s good.” Song You’ai sighed in relief. ”I went upstairs to check, and we can get to the third floor, too. The chives, scallions, and garlic I planted on my terrace are growing like crazy.”

”Yep. Everything’s accessible, and the water and electricity work. You can take a shower, you can cook. Once you’re done advancing your Rank, you can go make something to eat in the kitchen. All your miscellaneous pots, pans, and small appliances are all there. I’ve already harvested the chives and scallions for you several times. Did you see them in the box I left on the side?”

Song You’ai gasped. ”What? The water and electricity work, too?”

”Mhm.” Xie Ning pointed to the glowing chandelier above their heads. ”You didn’t notice?”

Song You’ai slapped her thigh. ”I’m going to go try the showerhead! Oh my god, my daughter is a miracle worker.”

Xie Ning nearly burst out laughing. She watched her mother’s energetic figure dash away and just shook her head.

...

BANG.

The door to the small conference room was suddenly thrown open. A sweaty young man rushed in and rattled off, ”Captain, this is bad! That punk Yang Yiling took a squad from Group B to Zone A-1 to crack down on people. It’s turned into a huge conflict with the civilians, and we haven’t even had time to tally the casualties.”

Gu Chen shot to his feet, pushing his chair back. Lu Wei and the others jumped up one after another.

”What’s the situation?”

”Explain on the way. Weren’t we supposed to be sending someone to Zone A-1 to negotiate? Didn’t we have people assigned to host them? How did it suddenly escalate to a violent crackdown?”

”I don’t know. The Secretary-General sent someone to summon you. He said the situation is getting out of control.”

”Damn it! Why is that bastard Yang Yiling showing his face now and acting like a complete moron?” Zhai Ruobai’s face was livid. ”I knew that son of a bitch would be nothing but trouble. Why couldn’t he just stay in the training camp? Who the hell let him out?”

”The zombie tide outside is about to recede. He must’ve come out now to swoop in and steal the credit, right?”

Gu Chen frowned. ”The person in charge of Zone A-1, and the general head of Zone A? Get them over here for questioning.”

”Captain, the Secretary-General sent Assistant Hu.”

A middle-aged man clutching a briefcase hurried over. Upon seeing Gu Chen, he couldn’t help but wipe away a cold sweat. ”Captain Gu, I’ve finally found you. You know what the higher-ups want... Please, whatever you do, don’t let this situation spiral out of control.”

”What’s that supposed to mean? Was it Captain Gu who started this?” Zhai Ruobai rounded on Assistant Hu. ”When has there ever been a mess that he didn’t have to clean up?”

”What? You think you can just dump this on Captain Gu because he’s an easy target? We need to find out who let that bastard Yang Yiling out and hold them accountable!”

”Yes, yes, of course,” Assistant Hu said, wiping his sweat. ”But now isn’t the time to be assigning blame. We have to handle the situation first, wouldn’t you agree, Captain Gu?”

”Xiao Yang did just get back from abroad, after all. He’s not seasoned enough, he lacks experience, he...”

”Bullshit!”

Everyone: ...

”How many times has Yang Yiling caused a disaster just to chase glory? And every single time, Captain Gu has to be the one to clean up his mess!”

”Xiao Bai.” Gu Chen’s expression was grim and his face was like ice. ”Don’t speak like that. It’s disrespectful. Be careful or you’ll give people a reason to brand you.”

”No, no, no, it’s fine!” Assistant Hu was sweating buckets—no, he was sweating from every pore, practically ready to kneel before Gu Chen and his team.

”Captain, let’s go to Zone A-1 and resolve this first. How about it? Afterward, I promise I will report this matter truthfully.”