14 – Only Despair Amidst Hope Is The Most Beautiful

Within an ordinary civilian’s room.

A figure was shaking.

“Let me think, let me think …”

Lu Qiu sat on a sofa, pondering about a matter as he looked at the ceiling.

The entire Wen Han City was connected by several large highways to the outside, yet now it was already completely sealed off by the military.

Lu Qiu extended his hands, they were tainted with blood, human blood that is.

Being active for such a long time, of course he was hungry, he had luckily discovered a pair of siblings …

What happened after that you ask?

“Uh … uh …” A merely 10 year old little boy sat in a corner, his hands tightly tied by a rope, his mouth was also tied with a cloth, his eyes were filled with tears as he fearfully watched Lu Qiu sitting on the sofa.

What made him fearful wasn’t Lu Qiu … but rather the weakly breathing woman that fell on the ground.

Her neck had a ghastly b.l.o.o.d.y hole.

Who told them to go outside and look for food just when Lu Qiu was returning?

Monsters weren’t scary.

Scary were those monsters that possessed human emotions and an intellect superior to that of humans.

“Eh …” While sitting on the sofa, the map of Wen Han City was placed on a small coffee table in front of Lu Qiu, next to the map was a type 54 pistol.1

Lu Qiu ignored the struggling small child that just fell.

“Currently, his strongest offensive method would be to rely on a level-3 mutant enhanced by the Blacklight Virus.”

Lu Qiu used the still not yet dried up blood that covered his hands to paint on the map.

“Each enhancement required the expenditure of 10,000 Despair Points, although it definitely has the ability to break through the fence, however …”

Lu Qiu drew a big red cross on the edge of the map.

“The Major is there, merely relying on a level-3 mutant isn’t realistic.”

Humans were very powerful creatures. They knew fear. It was because of fear that they became stronger and desired to keep on living through said fear.

The Major was one of the outstanding humans.

“Therefore, rejected.” Lu Qiu used blood to mark all of the exits with big red crosses.

Major, you are really powerful … Lu Qiu leaned against the sofa, raised his head and continued to watch the ceiling.

It had already been several hours since the level-3 crow mutant had attacked the fence.

Lu Qiu still hadn’t received the notification of the level-5 infected.

This means that the Major was suppressing the virus!

He didn’t eliminate it, Lu Qiu didn’t believe that there would be someone capable of living after being infected by the Blacklight Virus.

He was merely suppressing the Blacklight Virus, perhaps the antibodies of level-A Power Users wee very formidable.

However, the virus would evolve and devour … after several hours. When Lu Qiu was walking out on the streets, he continuously spotted zombies emitting hot air from their bodies.

The Level-A Fire Manipulation Genes begun to take effect among the zombie mob.

Before long, there would be several evolved mutants capable of manipulating fire.

Currently, Lu Qiu seemed to be before a crossroads.

That was, to wait for the Major, the one known as hero … after he was unable to withstand the virus’ corrosion anymore, then once again attempt to break through the defensive perimeter.

Lu Qiu sat upright on the sofa, continuously watching the map painted with blood.

After contemplating for a moment …

An extraordinary electromagnetic wave, the system had sent a notification, after reading it …

“This … really is amazing, Major.”

His scarlet pupils blossomed with a touch of a gloomy radiance.

“Even so, I’m quite looking forward to the moment when you, Major, evolve into a new life form.” A notification was reflected in Lu Qiu’s pupils, is was a notification from the system.

Was this because of him being a Power User?

Lu Qiu went next to the window and looked at those zombies walking unsteadily on the streets.

Ordinary humans, as long as they get infected by the Blacklight Virus, merely after several dozens of seconds and as long as their brain was still intact, then the Blacklight Virus would be able to completely devour the human’s cells and their soul …

But … Lu Qiu felt the Power Users to be fascinating.

“15 days.” Lu Qiu was looking outside the window: “In 15 days, the New China Federation can do a lot, for example, on the premise of disregarding civilian casualties, it could dispatch their troops and wipe out the city!”

Civilians … with regards to the New China Federation’s government, were just disposables. After all, what New China Federation didn’t lack was humans …

Every regime, before occupying the leading position, first needed to become a butcher. It’s quite unfortunate that, if Lu Qiu remembers it correctly, the current New China Federation’s president was a butcher through and through.

Using an entire city worth of human lives in exchange for the tranquility of the whole New China Federation, that was a very cost-effective bargain …

“But Major, you’re not going to be like that.” Lu Qiu’s hand stopped drawing on the map, his figure gradually vanis.h.i.+ng in the darkness: “The military’s duty is to protect the public, is not it?”2

Lu Qiu turned around and went beside the child in the corner with its hands and feet tied and faced it …

There basically wasn’t any need to use forceful means to break through, as long as Lu Qiu disguised himself as a civilian, that would be enough …

As long as one didn’t carry the virus, then one could leave the city.

Lu Qiu’s current goal was to simply leave the city, there was no need to directly engage with New China Federation’s strongest military might.

Thus Lu Qiu intended to use the Disguise Gla.s.ses, so that his outward appearance became that of a human.

After all, no matter who, as long as they faced Lu Qiu’s scarlet pupils, they would definitely find it abnormal.

But it seemed like he had just remembered something.

“Sorry little di-di, I’ve almost forgotten about you.” Lu Qiu’s hand paused in the air while holding the gla.s.ses, the little boy in the corner looked up, their gazes crossing.3

“Um! Um!”

He begun to struggle even fiercer.

“Hey, don’t get too excited, I still want to thank you for providing me with a shelter, and a sumptuous dinner …”

Lu Qiu picked up the type 54 pistol placed on the table, which belonged to the siblings, as well as the reason why they could survive in this current capital of Doomsday.

The New China Federation didn’t impose gun ban on civilians, some firearms with a killing ability comparable to that of small guns could still be bought in gun stores.

Although its might was limited …

It was more than enough to shoot a small child in the head.

The gun in Lu Qiu’s hand pointed at the little boy tied up in the corner!

His finger on the trigger.

“Um! Um!”

He was already aware of his incoming death, he was going to be killed by this man, just like his jie-jie! It was often at such times that the human potential erupted …

His body had previously heavily crashed against the ground. His eyes were wide opened, his pupils incessantly shuddering. The door was wide open, even though his hands and feet were tied up, yet his body was still struggling and moving towards the door …

The ground was flooded by his jie-jie‘s blood … the feeling of his body being covered in blood left his mind on the brink of collapse.

I don’t want to die! This thought flooded his mind, even though his chin had been wounded because of the friction, but … he still didn’t give up.

“I’m going to shoot.”

“Um!”

Hearing the fiend’s voice, the boy finally closed his eyes in fear!

A bullet was fired along with the sound of a gunshot …

The boy thought that he would die, yet he didn’t felt any pain in his body.

Did the fiend missed me? The boy somewhat fearfully opened his eyes.

He didn’t miss … the shot was exceptionally accurate!

The boy suddenly found out that the rope tying his hands was actually shot through!

Bang! A gunshot sounded once again, this time shooting through the rope tying the child’s feet.

He stood up, looked with incredulity in the direction of the sofa, into the eyes that didn’t contain the fiend’s scarlet pupils! It wasn’t the fiend …

But a person wearing black-rimmed gla.s.ses, appearing a very reliable ge-ge …

A gentle and soft smile was revealed on that ge-ge‘s face, he wasn’t that fiend who’s smile could cause one heart palpitations!

“Hurry, run.” Lu Qiu was still smiling wile watching the stunned small boy: “You’ll be able to go outside after following that path.”

I will … survive?! He couldn’t believe it! But the door was open and both of his feet worked properly!

“Thank … thank you!” He would rather believe in that gentle- and honest-looking ge-ge, than in that fiend. Never!

Never!

The boy ran towards the corridor, thinking that he could survive, with hope flooding his heart.

I can live!

He watched as the sun outside the window slowly rose from behind the horizon, he suddenly felt his life being full of colors …

Full of … hope!

“Hah …” But he didn’t notice what kind of smile had been all along adorning Lu Qiu’s face.

A bone-piercing sneer!

“Grrrrr!”

The boy with an expression br.i.m.m.i.n.g with hope froze in his tracks after hearing that horrifying roar!

A white a blood colored figure threw the boy to the ground …

Then …

Came the painful wails and shrieks of a human as well as the chilling sounds of biting bones and swallowing flesh.

“Help me …” He knew what was pressing him down, feeling his own flesh being peeled off bit by bit, making him truly despair! Rather than dying like this, he might as well be a shot by that guy! At least it would be less painful like this!

“Save me!”

In his eyes, the smile on Lu Qiu’s face was still gentle and soft, yet it was gradually fading away.

The monster behind him was dragging him towards the corridor …

Reaping him apart!

“A really troublesome brat.”

After Lu Qiu saw the figure disappear at the doorway, he then removed the pistol’s magazine and looked at the bullets inside.

Not too many nor too few, it just so happened that there was one.

“Had you not struggled, then I might have killed you directly, rather than let you be killed by them … that however was your choice.”

The so-called mercy, this notion … he won’t exhibit it, it was by his design that the humans would dye. Lu Qiu looked at the women on the floor, breathing weakly, the little boy’s jie-jie was still alive … he intended to escape alone while disregarding his jie-jie.

Thus with regards to humans, mercy, Lu Qiu had never any of it.

Didn’t the humans have a very good saying? If they don’t belong to my race, then kill them.

“It’s time to play a role-playing game.” Lu Qiu had observed the boy’s reaction towards himself, seeing fear turning into some hope and then fear again, the Disguise Gla.s.ses’ effect was exceptionally outstanding.

From Lu Qiu’s current outward appearance and his temperament, one would mistake him for a fragile and somewhat delicate human youth.

Like this, there shouldn’t be any problems at the checkpoint to go outside the city, the next course of action was to hurry towards the city’s edge.

Only …

“Grrrrrrrrrr!”

“It’s you? Long time no see little fellow.” Lu Qiu suddenly found a zombie appear at the doorway, it was the little girl in white that he had previously met …

However, after several hours of events, its white dress had been completely tainted by mottled blood, the hair had become a mess, the mouth on the little face was painted with blood, yet the combination of her outward appearance had a kind of horrific beauty to it.

But this time she wasn’t as friendly as before!

“Grrrrr!”

After seeing Lu Qiu, she rushed towards him, as if intending to eat him.

There was a gunshot.

Lu Qiu’s pair of hands were holding the gun, preserving the shooting posture, the delicate figure had fallen to the ground, blood flowing along her forehead …

“Sorry, ah, now that I’m exuding a human smell, I picked your interest, right? However, I’m not interested in you, little fellow!

Lu Qiu thought that everything was resolved, yet he discovered … that the little girl, who was just shot in the head, stood up.

Sharp claws were ejected from her small hands, he back was the same … without any semblance of a human’s appearance.

Level-2 infected?!

This is no longer a monster that a type 54 pistol could handle.

“You want to keep playing with me?” Lu Qiu looked as the level-2 infected rus.h.i.+ng at him: “Little fellow, I’ll keep you company anytime!”

1 – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_54_pistol

2 – there seems to be some kind of gap, as F. Akart was supposedly next to the window – not drawing on the map, I presume – and now he suddenly stops drawing on said map …. the fading away is also strange when in relation to the next paragraph, maybe it was from the perspective from outside the window…

3 – di-di, younger brother, not necessarily related by blood