Chapter 16: Entering the Apocalypse Part 1

After finishing the fried rice, Ma Zao rubbed her stomach again.

This time, it wasn’t hunger but a feeling of fullness. Yet, she still seemed somewhat reluctant to stop, her eyes lingering longingly over the empty plate, which had not a single grain of rice left.

At first, I thought she was just making a fuss like a primitive person, but seeing her cherish the meal I had prepared with such care made me feel unexpectedly honored. It was the first time in my life that someone had valued something I made by hand so highly.

But could it truly be called my own work? I had merely tossed some ready-made takeout dishes and rice into a pan to reheat and stir them together; my craftsmanship probably didn’t even account for one-tenth of it.

“I can only offer you this level of meal tonight,” I said, determined to do better next time. “Tomorrow, I’ll prepare something with more care. So there’s no need to feel reluctant—there will be tastier things next time.”

“Really?” she suddenly looked up, her eyes brightening, then realizing her excitement, she shyly coughed.

“Really,” I replied, revealing my true intention, “If you stay a few more days, you’ll get to try many different delicious things.”

Upon hearing this, her expression darkened.

“You’ve been very kind to me. Though I don’t know what you truly think of me, you have treated me well and cared about me. I must thank you for that,” she said slowly. “It’s precisely because of this that I must keep my distance. Otherwise, sooner or later, you would despise me, curse me, see me as an enemy, and regret ever associating with me.”

“I would never do that,” I promised earnestly.

“If you don’t do that, it means you would have died before you had the chance.”

It seemed she had erected a thick wall around herself, and my words could not reach her closed heart.

I cursed myself for not being a smooth-talking playboy skilled in coaxing others, unable to open her heart with words at such a critical moment. Despite my unwillingness, I had to give up persuading her for now.

Besides, I didn’t have much time. The sun had fully set, and darkness had taken over. From the start, I had only come home to report my schedule to Ma Zao and to ask about the jinx-like nature and the mode of her time travel. I had to finish investigating the cave in the fifteenth-floor room before morning.

Rising, I said, “I have to go out again. I might not be back tonight.”

“Where are you going?” she asked warily.

“To the bathhouse with a friend. Maybe we’ll have some late-night food there and stay overnight,” I lied. “If conditions allow, I would love to bring you along, but it’s probably inconvenient for you to go out now, right?”

“Yes, I’m currently wanted by official forces,” she nodded regretfully.

“So just rest safely at my place. Like I said before, you can use anything here—watch TV, use the computer, or browse through the novels I have.”

Walking over to the cabinet near the TV, I picked up a suspense novel and handed it to her, tentatively asking, “Have you read books like this before?”

She looked at the cover and skimmed through some pages, then shook her head. “No, but since you recommend it, I’ll give it a try.”

Rising from the dining table, she sat on the nearby sofa and began reading quietly.

So she was literate.

If the apocalypse really existed, I wondered what the literacy rate was back then. Could she understand the many modern concepts in a suspense novel? When she spoke to me, she showed no sign of confusion. Perhaps she had received a decent education during the apocalypse.

There probably wasn’t a concept of “calling the police” in that era, yet when we first met, she asked me not to call the police. That could be explained by her previous contact with law enforcement, but some things were harder to explain. Even in peaceful societies, people from different eras often have communication gaps, let alone someone from a civilized era and someone from a post-apocalyptic one. Yet, when I talked with her, I rarely sensed any such gap.

That said, she did naturally reveal traces of a survivor from the apocalypse in some subtle details...

I felt once again that I sincerely wanted to believe her. That was why I had unconsciously ignored many doubts before. Even now, I was actively seeking evidence that she was a time traveler from the apocalypse. Unknowingly, I was increasingly fascinated by her—the enigmatic girl.

I grabbed my backpack and left the house, closing the door behind me.

Through the narrowing crack in the door, I quietly watched her small figure bent over the book on the sofa until the gap closed completely.

—

Once again, I entered the residential complex where the fifteenth-floor room was located.

Controlling “Firefly,” I scouted the surroundings of the fifteenth-floor room in advance.

Although I had heard that this place would be sealed off again as a crime scene, it was obvious that was just an excuse to drive away ordinary citizens like me and Chang’an. There was no one actually guarding the site. To Luoshan, it seemed there were no clues warranting further investigation here, only negative remnants to be dealt with by morning.

I even used “Firefly” to scout the neighborhood, but saw no sign of anyone surveilling the area, especially no one resembling Luoshan. Were they hiding, or was no one there at all? If the latter, it was a bit careless. Even I realized that the fallen demon hunter might still be watching the fifteenth-floor room; a proper police force surely wouldn’t have missed that.

But Luoshan was not part of the police, and as the demon hunter woman admitted, Luoshan lacked investigative experience. Combat aside, her forensic skills were far inferior to those of professionals I had encountered while investigating superstitious cults outside the province.

What about Agent Kong, who claimed to be a police officer?

I tried to track the movements of Agent Kong and Chang’an.

Agent Kong called himself a “probe” to the demon hunter woman. From his words and their literal meaning, his role in the Luoshan supernatural organization was likely to investigate paranormal events and report them so the organization could dispatch demon hunters to handle the frontlines.

“Police” was probably just a cover identity—more accurately, a false identity. Information from “Firefly” showed he wasn’t performing any duties typical of a police officer.

—

In the morning, he seemed to be tracking Ma Zao under the guise of pursuing a serial killer. Now, he was wandering around the city, occasionally entering remote places to observe and jot down notes, possibly fulfilling his “probe” duties.

I couldn’t help but consider a possibility: could it be that those actively searching for Ma Zao’s whereabouts weren’t the public security bureau but the Luoshan organization?

For what reason? Had Ma Zao unknowingly exposed herself as a time traveler from the apocalypse, prompting Luoshan to seek out such travelers?

Putting this puzzlement aside, I turned my attention to Chang’an.

He was currently at the hospital visiting his mother with his sister. I won’t elaborate on the sister and mother for now, but I noticed several suspicious men near him. They weren’t tailing Chang’an directly but watching the area around him. Though their movements were covert, their lack of awareness of “Firefly” surveillance exposed minor flaws.

I suspected they were Luoshan operatives. However, I couldn’t locate the demon hunter woman. According to her phone conversation with Agent Kong, she should have arrived by now.

But on second thought, this made perfect sense. Agent Kong said she had repelled the fallen demon hunter directly. Perhaps the enemy had remembered her face, so she went undercover in hiding to avoid alerting them.

If the fallen demon hunter—the serial killer—was truly Ma Zao, then their precautions were wasted. She was currently not only unable to fight but even hindered in normal movements.

While observing and pondering, I arrived at the door of the fifteenth-floor room.

Since Chang’an already had protection, I would take charge of investigating the cave. Chang’an had encountered this strange phenomenon of unknown origin before. I didn’t know if this oddity would cling to the person involved like a curse from a ghost story, tormenting them mysteriously until dragging them into an abyss.

So, for my friend’s sake, I had to investigate thoroughly.

No, I must be honest with myself: I was driven by my own desire—I wanted to explore this myself.

I was a villain who prioritized my own desires above my friends.

I gripped the doorknob of the fifteenth-floor room. The door was locked, and I didn’t have the key. But I never worried about how to get inside. With my supernatural ability, the lock melted quickly. I pulled the door open and stepped inside as if it were my own home.

The lights inside were off, and it was night, so the room was pitch black. I gestured, and several “Fireflies” I had sent here earlier flew out from corners, emitting a bright orange-red glow like candlelight, illuminating the living room with a mysterious atmosphere.

I closed the door behind me and approached the black plush carpet, bending down to lift it.

The black ritual circle appeared before me as always.

The wooden cover, which had once disappeared, had reappeared on the floor.