RIACMET chapter 20

 

August 30.

The authorities finally announced to the public that the death rate for those infected by the unknown virus after being exposed to the rain was 100%. They urged everyone to stay home as much as possible and, if they had to go out, to wear full protective gear.

As soon as the announcement was made, the entire country fell into chaos, and people rushed to buy all kinds of supplies. Due to the chaos, local officials began stepping in to maintain order. By the afternoon, the local government had issued regulations requiring everyone to stay home.

Cheng Jing and the others received a new notice from headquarters: cooperate with Qingyun City officials to maintain order if necessary.

On the morning of the 31st, Jiang Nian finally woke up from a three-day coma caused by a high fever. Just as in his previous life, he awakened his purification ability.

Purification belongs to the auxiliary healing system but is not as powerful as healing abilities. It seemed useless and usually didn’t attract much attention.

However, Jiang Nian knew that, of all the superpowers, only purification was effective against the zombie virus and was sensitive to energy fluctuations.

Moreover, in his previous life, he suffered a severe drug shock when his supernatural core was about to be taken. The intense pressure caused his superpower to mutate and gain new attributes.

At that time, however, he wanted to die and didn’t want to save Chen Yue, so he didn’t mention it. He just didn’t know if Chen Yue, who inherited his supernatural core, had discovered that attribute.

“Purification is good. At least in the apocalypse, we’ll be safer when eating compared to others. Didn’t you say that some people would awaken psychic abilities? I’m not afraid of you,”

Cheng Jing said this while holding him in his arms. His ability was strong and attack-oriented, so he was always on the front lines. Therefore, he wasn’t surprised by anything. To him, purification, which seemed useless, was the most unexpected.

Jiang Nian smiled and nodded.

“Thank you, Brother Jing~.”

See, Brother Jing really knew how to comfort people. It made him feel great.

In his previous life, he only had one chance to use his superpower: to treat Chen Yue and remove the zombie toxin. He didn’t have the opportunity to do anything else, but in this life, he definitely could.

Cheng Jing’s expression turned serious.

“I’m serious. Leave the outside matters to me. You just need to support me from behind.”

“Okay.”

Jiang Nian nodded seriously and said,

“Brother Jing, I don’t want to reveal my special ability unless I absolutely have to. Otherwise, I want to use it secretly to avoid unnecessary trouble.”

Cheng Jing respected his decision.

“All right, then. Let’s keep this secret and only reveal it when it’s truly necessary.”

“Yes.”

“…”

After taking care of Jiang Nian’s meal, Cheng Jing held an online meeting with Huang Qian and the others. He instructed them to be ready for chaos at any time and to take care of themselves first and then others. He told them to do what they could, even if they were not officially assigned.

After the authorities issued the stay-at-home order, everything became quiet, except for the hospitals.

Toward evening, Cheng Jing received an official call requesting that he and his team report to the designated location in case of an emergency.

He put on his protective suit, asked Jiang Nian for the ring, and headed out.

“Tomorrow, on the 1st, the rain will stop, and the dead will rise soon. I’ll activate the ring tonight when I go out to report in. I might not be back until early morning. You don’t have to wait for me. Eat and sleep on time to regain your strength.”

“All right, I understand. Be careful.”

Jiang Nian was worried, but he didn’t say much. Cheng Jing had a special profession, and he certainly couldn’t refuse an official call.

After they went downstairs, Cheng Jing and Huang Qian left together to report. To prevent any special circumstances, they drove separately.

Meanwhile, Jiang Nian practiced and adapted to his special ability at home.

Despite having been in a coma for three days due to a high fever, he woke up without any complaints, just feeling a bit hungry and sleepy. His overall physical condition improved significantly due to the purification ability, and some sub-health symptoms even disappeared.

Improving physical fitness surely enhances superpower development.

After all, the strength of a superpower is directly proportional to one’s physical fitness and mental strength. The stronger one’s fitness and mental strength are, the faster one’s superpower will develop.

Jiang Nian tried testing the maximum range of his current ability.

His ability spread out in a circle with a diameter of about three meters, and the usable distance in one direction was also about three meters.

In his previous life, he didn’t have many opportunities to exercise. Under the influence of drugs, he could reach a limit of 500 meters. That’s when he discovered his superpower had mutated.

Although Jiang Nian knew he wasn’t as strong as Cheng Jing and was determined to cling to Cheng Jing’s thigh, he told himself that he was still a man: 183 cm tall with a tall body, long legs, and a youthful spirit. It was inappropriate for Cheng Jing to protect him unilaterally.

In my previous life, I was tied up in a basement like a dog and died with regret. In this life, I must stand tall.

…

Cheng Jing returned when it was almost dawn. The rain had stopped. Jiang Nian, who had slept restlessly all night, only fell into a deep sleep after Cheng Jing came back.

Cheng Jing put their phones on silent. When they woke up from their deep sleep, the outside world had changed.

No one had contacted them except for Huang Qian and a few others. Even headquarters and official contact groups had no information. The apocalypse had arrived, and everyone was busy taking care of themselves.

Their phones were full of news reports about the dead rising and turning into zombies that attacked humans. Those attacked quickly became infected and turned into zombies themselves.

Screams and frightened voices could be heard from downstairs. Cheng Jing opened the window and looked out. He saw an old man who had used a cane turn into a zombie and chase and bite his caregiver. There were several others fighting nearby.

Breakfast was simple: toast, a boiled egg, and milk. After eating, Jiang Nian leaned on the sofa, scrolled through his phone, and muttered to himself,

“It’s only the first day. The peak period won’t come until the end of the month. But the water and electricity will be cut off in a month. The military and officials will prioritize rescuing people from schools and those with special identities or professions, as well as their families. Then, they will begin organizing the construction of doomsday rescue bases…”

“There will be hail in mid-October. Then, the temperature will drop, and snow will bring extreme cold. Many people will die. When the extreme cold ends in mid-March, military rescue teams will depart from various bases to search for survivors. In other words, from now until April, ordinary people without connections must rely on themselves and the limited help from local governments.”

Cheng Jing glanced at him sideways and asked casually,

“Are we going to build a rescue base or shelter here?”

“There isn’t one in Qingyun City, but there is one on the outskirts of a neighboring city…”

Jiang Nian answered without hesitation. After speaking, he unconsciously looked up and met Cheng Jing’s deep gaze. Realizing he had let something slip, he smiled awkwardly.

“Uh… Brother Jing…”

Cheng Jing came over, sat next to Jiang Nian, hugged him, gently stroked the ring on his left ring finger, sighed softly, and asked,

“Jiang Nian, can you tell me the truth? How do you know all this? I’d rather believe you can predict the future than think you’re dreaming.”

It was as if they were following a script.

“…”

Jiang Nian lowered his head and said nothing. Recently, he had let his guard down, intentionally or unintentionally, and said things carelessly. He had intended to find an opportunity to tell Cheng Jing the truth, but now that the other person had actually asked, he was really scared.