Chapter 3#

Blocking the Way#

Sure enough, before the laughter below had even faded, screams rang out.

Gu Cheng stood atop the high building, coldly watching the rows of people collapsing below.

The intense radiation was bringing about the first wave of deaths.

In truth, Gu Cheng himself felt somewhat uncomfortable. Their bodies were generated from game data, far stronger than ordinary people, so this discomfort was not severe. Gu Cheng was well aware that the three of them would also have their bodies transformed by the radiation, becoming the most advantageous New Humans in the apocalypse. Yet even so, surviving in this post-apocalyptic world was still far from easy.

Even though their bodies were beginning to evolve due to the radiation, they did not become immensely strong all at once. The vast majority of New Humans grew stronger gradually. On the other hand, the Devourers, having lost all consciousness and fearing nothing, were even more dangerous than New Humans.

“Let’s go,” Gu Cheng said. He leaped down from the building, landing in the dark alley behind it.

Zhao Yanzhi and Zhao Wanzhi said nothing, exchanging a glance before following him down.

Even knowing that their current bodies were generated from game data, overcoming such fear was not something an ordinary person could accomplish in an instant. To some extent, Zhao Yanzhi and Zhao Wanzhi were not merely bold—courage alone was insignificant; it was their unwavering mental fortitude that truly mattered.

The three landed safely. During the afternoon, Gu Cheng had carefully surveyed the city, but once chaos truly erupted, navigation became much more difficult—especially now that it was night.

At first, they could still hear the wailing sirens of ambulances and police cars. Later, the streets were filled only with the chaotic sounds of running footsteps, blaring car horns, and faint sobs and screams.

Gu Cheng took two steps, lowered his head, and noticed an inconspicuous black pebble beneath his foot.

This was one of the meteorites that had fallen from the sky. In truth, their density was not that high, and they would not cause major damage to modern society. Even if a few people were crushed to death, that was not a big deal. The problem lay in the fact that their radiation could penetrate anything; no substance could block or neutralize it.

“Is this it?” Zhao Yanzhi walked over to him, looking down at the small, nondescript black stone.

“Mm.” Gu Cheng looked up. “Soon, food will become scarce here. Let’s take advantage of the chaos to gather more.”

Ordinarily, after the majority of people die, food shortages do not become an issue immediately. However, the problem was that most of the gene-mutated individuals had become Devourers, capable of consuming anything. Devoid of all consciousness except for eating, they would gradually devour the entire city, including those who failed to escape.

Devourers rarely cannibalize each other unless forced. They have an instinct for determining what is easy or hard to eat. In their minds, their own kind fall under the “hard to eat” category, so as long as there are other easily obtained food sources, they will leave their own kind alone for the time being.

Thus, the vast majority of this city’s food would be consumed by Devourers.

As Gu Cheng was about to move forward, Zhao Yanzhi, who was beside him, suddenly reached out and placed a hand on his forehead.

Zhao Yanzhi’s hand was slightly cool. Gu Cheng’s eyelashes fluttered, but he did not avoid him.

This body had long grown accustomed to Zhao Yanzhi’s closeness.

The habit was ingrained in his bones. Even though this Zhao Yanzhi… was not nearly as intimate with him, Gu Cheng instinctively did not pull away.

“Is this process of genetic mutation accompanied by a fever?” Zhao Yanzhi slowly lowered his hand, a faint smile in his eyes.

Gu Cheng lowered his eyelids. “Mm, don’t worry, it’s just a low-grade fever.”

For the three of them, a low-grade fever would not significantly affect their movements. Ordinary people were different—at this moment, both the Devourers and the New Humans were beginning to suffer the agony of fevers.

For this round of low-grade fever, those who could not endure would die. Those who survived would mostly become Devourers, with only a small fraction, like themselves, gradually evolving and strengthening their genes. In truth, this radiation was an extremely devastating force against original human genes, capable of completely destroying the human genetic chain.

However, there were also about one in ten people who would not develop a fever—the radiation had almost no effect on them.

But this was not necessarily a good thing either. Both Devourers and New Humans would become far more powerful than ordinary people. To survive in this apocalypse, even if they lived through this initial wave, they would face far worse situations ahead.

Zhao Wanzhi, observing the closeness between Zhao Yanzhi and Gu Cheng, slightly raised an eyebrow and touched his own forehead. “I do have a bit of a fever. By the way, Gu Cheng, can our current bodies get sick?”

This was also a major problem in the apocalypse. Food could still be found, but without a peaceful environment, obtaining medicine would be much more difficult.

“Basically no, but some exceptional cases cannot be ruled out.” Even though they were originally data, their physical qualities were far superior to ordinary people. Still, no matter what, they now had flesh-and-blood bodies.

“There’s a pharmacy across the street.” Zhao Yanzhi looked over. “I suggest we don’t look for food first; let’s scavenge some medicine.”

“Mm.”

In fact, the probability of New Humans falling ill was reduced. Although they were not completely immune, as time passed, New Humans would grow stronger and stronger. Before Gu Cheng’s rebirth, New Humans had already become… no longer entirely human. Unlike the ability users in apocalyptic novels, this genetic evolution meant that New Humans still looked human on the outside, but on the inside, they had become something Gu Cheng couldn’t even describe.

Still, in the coming years, medicine would indeed become increasingly scarce. So Gu Cheng did not refute Zhao Yanzhi’s suggestion.

The three moved like specters in the night, weaving through the chaotic city.

The first wave of those eliminated had already died swiftly. Within less than three hours after the beautiful meteor shower had ended, one-fifth of the city’s population had already perished, and the number was still rising. This situation was too horrifying—even with emergency plans in place, no one knew how to respond.

The mayor, the party secretary, and the vast majority of leaders had all collapsed. The only member of the party committee who had not developed a fever was a deputy director who usually had little involvement in affairs. Now, he was forced to shoulder the responsibility.

“What does the higher-ups say?” Despite now holding power he normally lacked, this deputy director was drenched in anxiety, sweat dripping down in large beads.

The secretary standing before him trembled and spoke despairingly, “It’s not just here—it’s nationwide…”

The deputy director stumbled back a step and collapsed into the sofa.

He had little capability himself, and now he was panicked, not knowing what to do.

The hospitals were overflowing. Everywhere there were people; every second, countless people died. At first, statistics could still be compiled, but later, even the numbers became impossible to tally. No one knew how many would die by the end of this night.

This inexplicable death spared no one, rich or poor—it was all a matter of luck. No matter how favored by heaven you were, if you were not chosen, you could only die helplessly.

“Get me in touch with the military,” the deputy director finally lifted his head and made a decision.

None of this concerned Gu Cheng. By the time dawn was breaking, the three had already gathered a considerable amount of medicine. At least in the short term, they would not lack food, water, or medicine. They could even trade the surplus medicine with others.

In truth, aside from Gu Cheng, Zhao Yanzhi and Zhao Wanzhi still had little sense of reality regarding the current situation.

It was only at daybreak, when they saw the desolate streets exuding an air of death, that they felt the chill gradually seep into their bodies.

The funeral home at one corner of the city was piled high with corpses. Thick smoke filled the area with an indescribable stench.

The military had acted relatively swiftly. The top priority now was to dispose of the bodies quickly. Although it was only April, the weather was already warming up. With so many dead, there would be trouble.

After this catastrophe, too few people remained capable of action. Most had either already died or were suffering from fevers. The only ones who could move were the one in ten who were unaffected.

For now, they thought of themselves as survivors. But soon, they would realize that fate had played a cruel joke on them.

The old humans—one-tenth of the population, a base number far exceeding that of New Humans—would have to either escape from the Devourers or seek the shelter of New Humans, slowly consuming their lives in this apocalypse, struggling to survive. In the early stages of the apocalypse, they could still live. But as time went on, the Devourers would grow too strong, and the New Humans would also become too powerful. Even if they held the most advanced weapons, they would be powerless. It was at that moment that they would despairingly realize they were simply the obsolete.

“The fever’s mostly gone down,” Zhao Wanzhi said, touching his forehead.

Gu Cheng nodded. “Let’s go get some gasoline from a gas station. Head this way.” He unfolded a map he had taken from a supermarket.

Zhao Yanzhi looked at him. “Where’s our destination?”

“The northwest.”

Crossing half the country, even in peacetime, would take two days by car.

They stayed in this city for a few more days, planning to stock up on more medicine and food. In the early days, these things could still be obtained. The further they went, the harder it would become.

The streets outside had quietened significantly. Regardless, with half the population gone and the current situation, bustle was impossible.

Zhao Yanzhi had found a car outside. Gu Cheng glanced at the sky and, with a flick of his finger, killed two rats that came lunging at him.

The radiation affected not only humans but also animals and plants. These rats were also Devourers. Perhaps the only thing better than the traditional zombie apocalypse in novels was that being injured by a Devourer did not turn you into one—since it was mutation caused by radiation, there was no such thing as a “zombie virus.”

The most common animals in the city were probably these rats. Gu Cheng suspected that the swift loss of power and water was due to the underground cables and water pipes having been destroyed by these mutated rats.

Whether it was psychological or not, Zhao Yanzhi felt that the wanderers on the streets had a green gleam in their eyes.

Devourers… would eat anything, including humans.

The entire city was cold and eerie. Screams and sobbing came from unknown places, filled with a sinister atmosphere.

Zhao Wanzhi was driving, while Gu Cheng and Zhao Yanzhi sat in the back. Both were long-range fighters, so they lowered the rear window, ready to clear any threats.

Even so, the road was extremely difficult. The streets were littered with randomly parked cars. In just over a week, a sense of decay had begun to spread. Some roads even had cracks—underground plants and animals were beginning to stir, restless.

That day, their car struggled forward for over an hour, but they hadn’t covered much distance. A few people stepped out from the roadside. From their uniforms and the guns they carried, it was clear they were military personnel.

The three exchanged glances and obediently stopped the car.

A soldier who seemed to be an officer approached, looking somewhat haggard. “You’re survivors too, right? Come with us.”

Gu Cheng narrowed his eyes. In his previous life, at this time, they hadn’t planned to leave the city yet. In fact, the unfolding events had caught the three of them off guard; they hadn’t fully processed what was happening. As a result, they hadn’t been intercepted by the military on the main road like this.

The three got out of the car. The small squad of soldiers paused, surprised that the three people emerging from the car all looked like celebrities from TV—they were almost glowing with handsomeness.

“Where to?”

“East side of the city. There’s a survivor base there,” the officer said bluntly.

Gu Cheng remained expressionless. Zhao Yanzhi leaned in close to his ear. “Go?” His warm breath brushed against Gu Cheng’s ear, intimate and somewhat suggestive.

With the three of them, even if the soldiers had guns, taking them down and leaving wasn’t difficult.

“Let’s go,” Gu Cheng said.

There was no rush anyway. As long as they could reach their destination within half a year, they had plenty of time.

But this time, no one would succeed in scheming against them again.

Gu Cheng lowered his eyelids, his face adorned with a gentle, water-like smile, but his eyes were sharp as knives.

“If we go, we might get to see some interesting things.”

His voice was naturally clear and affectionate, and now it carried a meaningful, teasing tone that was quite alluring.

Zhao Yanzhi couldn’t help but glance at him, his eyes darkening slightly.

When they were far apart, it was bearable—after all, separated by the internet, he could at least listen to his voice when he couldn’t help himself.

But with such daily close contact, it would take nothing short of a miracle to hold back.

Zhao Yanzhi smiled silently.

He wondered if the pre-rebirth Gu Cheng had ever known just how much he loved him.

Loved him so much that just hearing his voice was enough to send him into ecstasy.

Uncontrollable. Inescapable.