HAGLTP Chapter 7

Three days later, in the afternoon.

Xiao Lu looked at the chips on the table with some worry. Huang Sansheng’s mutation process was much slower than he had anticipated, and it still hadn’t finished.

The food supplies at home were running low; they couldn’t possibly survive on chips alone for the next few days, could they?

With no other choice, Xiao Lu used the last bit of flour to make a pancake for Huang Sansheng. After confirming that he had eaten it and feeling a bit more energized, he changed into a hoodie, pulled the hood over his face, and headed outside.

Through the experiments he had conducted over the past few days, he discovered that his abilities were stronger during the day and weakened at night.

He needed to find supplies before dark.

The slum had changed drastically in just three days.

The delicate balance of power that had previously existed was shattered. Bullet holes and bloodstains were everywhere on the walls; some doors were tightly shut, while others stood wide open, leaving one to wonder where the inhabitants had gone and whether they were alive or dead.

Xiao Lu kept his head down, deciding not to get involved in other people’s business, and headed straight out.

This time, he took a more discreet route to avoid being spotted by the security bureau, assuming they still had the energy to keep an eye on him.

The streets were desolate, marked by signs of vandalism and arson, with hardly any pedestrians in sight—only shadowy figures that seemed more monster than human lurking in the dark.

Those were the “wandering corpses,” humanoid monsters formed from the mutual destruction of the Starshine and their hosts, driven solely by a desire to attack.

As for the mutants who had completely devoured their hosts’ consciousness, they would initially choose to leave human settlements and only attack humans once they had gained enough power.

So, in the current city, the sources of danger were the wandering corpses and the various ability users with their own agendas.

Most areas had lost power, and the once-vibrant billboards had dimmed significantly.

Some 3D projections on the street were still stubbornly running. The once-famous musicians in the projections passionately performed for the empty streets, their stirring music contrasting sharply with the surrounding desolation.

Xiao Lu quickly walked past the luxury stores with their doors wide open, feeling no nostalgia for them. These once high-end brands were impractical and hard to maintain; a set of outdoor gear was far more useful.

Everyone thought the same way, which was why the outdoor supply stores had already been looted multiple times. There was nothing left—not even a pair of swim trunks.

Xiao Lu looked at the remaining fluorescent pink bikini on a mannequin: “…”

People still needed some standards.

So he turned back to the luxury store, begrudgingly found the largest bag, and casually slung it over his shoulder.

“Small and hard.” He still found it quite unsatisfactory.

Poor designer, who had chosen high-quality leather and had it handcrafted by skilled artisans, creating a limited edition bag worth six figures, probably never expected to receive such a humiliating review in its lifetime.

Xiao Lu’s next target was the supermarket.

Near the slum was the largest discount supermarket in Yaocheng. It hardly sold fresh food, and the quality of goods was mediocre, but it had plenty of instant food and various staples to fill the stomach.

Upon entering the supermarket, he was greeted by rows of empty shelves, along with heaps of garbage and packaging scattered across the floor.

This scene was within Xiao Lu’s expectations. He had learned from the local native, Huang Sansheng, about the location of the supermarket’s warehouse and planned to check it out.

The warehouse door was slightly ajar, and it was quiet inside.

Xiao Lu stepped lightly and carefully pushed the door open.

Inside the warehouse, there were indeed still quite a few items left. Although it had been ransacked, the goods piled on the shelves were still very tempting.

He noticed bloodstains on the floor, not just in one place, and there were many strange indentations on the ground that looked unusually smooth, as if they hadn’t been caused by a collision.

This indicated that the warehouse was not as safe as it appeared.

Xiao Lu searched for high-calorie portable food, stuffing his bag while keeping an eye on his surroundings.

The entire place was eerily quiet, with no ambushes, which made him even more vigilant.

As he passed several rows of shelves, suddenly, a massive black cube appeared in the corner.

It was something taller than a person, with edges as sharp as a knife, its shape extremely regular, and it was impossible to tell what material it was made of, standing there without reflecting any light.

There were no seams either.

This object looked too strange, not like a product of this era’s technology.

If it were alien technology, the Starshine parasites had always relied on their righteousness and the cosmic environment to confront challenges, without a tradition of developing technology.

Xiao Lu’s thoughts shifted, and he considered another possibility—abilities.

Whether one overcame the Starshine to become an ability user or was consumed by the Starshine to become a mutant, they would possess their own abilities, just like his Starshine.

There was another being in the warehouse capable of using abilities.

Should he escape while the other party was unaware, or should he test the waters?

After a moment of thought, Xiao Lu decisively chose the latter.

Abilities have a range limit for use; he had already seen the other party’s ability, and perhaps they had already set a trap waiting for him. On the other hand, the world had descended into chaos, and sooner or later, he would need to confront others.

It was better to face it than to run.

Keeping a distance, Xiao Lu conjured a small light ball in his hand and tentatively threw it at the black cube.

When the light ball made contact with the cube, it vanished instantly, like a stone dropped into water.

Another light ball appeared in Xiao Lu’s hand, this one larger than the last.

When this light ball touched the cube, ripples suddenly appeared on the cube’s dark surface, the black that had obscured his view rippling away, revealing the secret within—

There was a person bound inside!

The person had a pale face, tightly closed eyes, and was covered in bloodstains, their limbs hanging awkwardly, as if broken.

Sensing the light’s stimulation, he weakly lifted his eyelids, revealing a dull look in his eyes, as if he had been tortured for too long and had lost all emotion.

Even in such a state, the person’s appearance was striking. With a straight nose, deep-set features, and lips that had almost lost their color, yet stained with a more vivid red from blood, there was a fragile and delicate beauty about him.

Xiao Lu realized that this was actually a “familiar” face. Just last night, before the power went out, he had been watching this person’s show while munching on chips—

Ye Qi.

Ye Qi was actually in Yaocheng at this moment?

Xiao Lu suddenly recalled a segment of the original plot.

Months later, a hunter would appear in Yaocheng during the night, killing without reason; anyone who aroused his killing intent at night would face his relentless pursuit.

Because of this person’s existence, Yaocheng became a place that ordinary people avoided.

Witnesses reported that this person’s face was covered in layers of scars, his features twisted, and his tongue cut out, making him look terrifying.

Rumors said he had once been a well-known actor, but at the beginning of the mutation, he was imprisoned and tortured by a deranged fan with abilities. Ultimately, he awakened his powers and killed the pervert, but unfortunately, he was also completely destroyed in the process.

Some said he had gone mad, while others claimed he had become a mutant.

And his name, lost among many speculations, could no longer be verified.

Xiao Lu looked at the imprisoned Ye Qi. Perhaps the person in the rumors was him?

Since Ye Qi was here, then the one who had imprisoned him must be nearby!

Almost in sync with his thoughts, a sense of danger surged from above. Xiao Lu did not look up and quickly stepped aside.

The dark light ball grazed his shoulder and landed on the ground, silently consuming the surface and leaving a smooth indentation.

“You, you also came to take him from me?” A hoarse, neurotic voice came from above.

Xiao Lu looked up and found a man crouched on a nearby shelf, gloomy and emaciated, with greasy long hair, dark circles under his eyes, and stubble on his face. Greenish patterns appeared on his skin, indicating that he was using his abilities.

His eyes were fixed on Xiao Lu, as if he was ready to pounce and tear him apart at any moment.

Hmm, this mental state seemed very much in line with that of a crazy fan who would imprison their idol.

Xiao Lu decisively replied, “No, we’re not familiar.”

This was the truth; whether it was the original host or him, this was their first time meeting Ye Qi in person.

But the man suddenly pointed at him and shouted, “Liar!!! You are Xiao Lu! He starred in ‘Double Mirror,’ and the theme song was written by you for him!”

Xiao Lu didn’t expect to be recognized, and the man even knew the latest gossip.

He could only say, “…That was a commercial collaboration.”

“I don’t believe it! He’s so charming; you must have fallen in love with him back then, but had to hide in the shadows because of Xiao Keyang! You must have been observing him secretly, otherwise, how could you come to save him so quickly!” The man said with conviction.

Xiao Lu: “…”

Brother, your analysis is so reasonable that he almost believes he has been secretly in love with Ye Qi for a long time.

The man’s figure suddenly faded, and after a few breaths, he appeared next to the imprisoned Ye Qi, a small knife appearing in his hand.

He leaned closer to Ye Qi: “Do you know? I, Liu Jiang, am the one who loves you the most in this world. Their love is all fake; you can’t trust them.”

Ye Qi hung his head in silence, his gaze lifeless.

Liu Jiang’s tone tightened: “Look at me, please look at me.”

Without any warning, the knife plunged violently into Ye Qi’s shoulder.

Due to the pain, Ye Qi’s brows furrowed slightly, but his gaze remained vacant, not shifting even a bit.

“Hehe… you love me…” Liu Jiang murmured, the knife stabbing into Ye Qi’s chest, instantly causing bright red liquid to gush out, staining his already tattered white shirt with a vivid crimson.

“See, you still feel pain for me.”

Ye Qi remained silent, as if this battered body no longer belonged to him.

What a hardcore method of inflicting physical heartache.

Xiao Lu watched Liu Jiang’s hand buried in Ye Qi’s chest, feeling that if he didn’t think of a way to divert the hatred, Liu Jiang might stab deeper and Ye Qi would die prematurely. Although he had no personal ties with Ye Qi, it wouldn’t be right to watch someone die in front of him.

Liu Jiang leaned close to Ye Qi’s shoulder: “You love me, so you’re willing to stay with me forever, right?”

Xiao Lu: “He’s just tied up and can’t run away.”

Xiao Lu exaggeratedly scanned Ye Qi’s limbs: “Wow, even his limbs are broken. How much did he want to run away?”

Liu Jiang: “…”

He still stubbornly insisted, “I love him the most; he loves me the most. We are the most perfect couple in the world!”

Xiao Lu sarcastically replied, “Are you GPS-less, so you don’t know your own position? If you acted with him, you wouldn’t even make it to the male 18 role, since the crew doesn’t accept lunatics, especially not one who doesn’t wash his hair.”

Liu Jiang’s eyes turned red with anger, his grip on the knife tightening as if he were squeezing Xiao Lu’s head.

But even so, he still refused to leave Ye Qi’s side.

He reached out and forcefully turned Ye Qi’s face toward himself: “Look at me, look at me!! Say you love me!!”

Seeing Ye Qi remain unmoved, Liu Jiang’s tone turned dangerous: “Why are you so cruel? Do you know how long a single glance from you can make me happy? Do you care about me? What’s the use of eyes that won’t look at me, a tongue that won’t say you love me, a face that won’t smile at me…?”

Xiao Lu: “…”

What’s wrong with this lunatic? Why is he cursing you while dragging that silent one into it?

Ye Qi, poor thing.

Xiao Lu helplessly said, “Handsome, a forcibly twisted melon isn’t sweet.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Jiang suddenly turned to him, his voice sharp: “Are you mocking me—”

Xiao Lu: ???

Although he had been mocking the other party earlier, that last sentence was indeed not a mockery.

Liu Jiang tugged at his own hair, his eyes filled with murderous intent: “You’re mocking my looks—”

“Ah————”

“I’m going to kill you!!!”

Xiao Lu: “…”

Calling you handsome was just a courtesy; why take it seriously?

If he had known that calling someone handsome would stabilize hatred, he would have shouted, “Liu Jiang is the universe’s number one super invincible handsome guy” long ago.

Communicating with a lunatic is really troublesome!

【Author’s Note】

Thanks to the little angels who voted for me with a tyrant ticket or watered the nutrient solution between 2021-11-20 19:31:40 and 2021-11-21 12:44:58~

Thanks to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Wang Ran Yesterday 30 bottles; Striving to be on the front line of CP 10 bottles; Taoist 2 bottles;

Thank you all for your support; I will continue to work hard!