Armed Train in the Apocalypse

She chuckled, ”It’s a pity we lost, otherwise we could’ve gotten double the rewards, now there’s only a single potion left.”

No one seemed to question it, as if the rule of the arena where losers had all rewards revoked was non-existent.

But when the basic power potion was handed to Bomb, the young man furrowed his brows and walked over to the man treating his wounds. Despite having defused most of the bomb’s attack, the explosion’s remnants had left him in a sorry state.

Feeling Bomb approaching, he raised his head warily, a fierce murderous intent pinning him down five meters away.

Bomb raised both his hands and then tossed over the basic power potion, ”This should be yours.”

The man hesitated when he took the potion, looking at the earnest face of the young man before him, a hint of friendliness shone in his eyes, ”Thank you.”

”I’m Bomb, a private of the Armed Train, what’s your name?”

The man hesitated a bit, feeling uncomfortable with Bomb’s enthusiasm, ”...Deng Ke, Scavenger.”

Bomb’s eyes widened, ”You’re so skilled, yet you have no faction?”

”Nope.”

The man pursed his dry lips, stuffed the potion into his chest, and took a sip from a small water pouch.

”Why don’t you join us?”

”Thanks, I’ll think about it...”

The man tactfully declined Bomb, with his Tier One ”Decomposer” status, he could’ve joined a faction long ago, even top groups like the Business Alliance or Changbai Pharmaceutical would not refuse.

But they wouldn’t want his gravely ill wife.

Having patched up his wounds, Deng Ke stepped out of the arena, only to hear a powerful sound of wings flapping, far more intense and imposing than usual.

Turning his head, he saw a black line flying from the horizon, the dim night sky was further enveloped in darkness, as if the arena was the only source of light.

Yet Bomb was still boldly standing in the center of the arena.

Deng Ke thought to warn him, then a sharp bang echoed, he assumed it was the swarm of swallows, but the next moment, a deep blue light spot bloomed in the air, like an ocean trench—deep and serene.

In a moment of distraction, this deep blue spread across the entire sky.

The wing flapping sound abruptly ceased.

The sky seemed to burst open, sea water pouring down a torrent of sharp-winged iron swallows, flooding into the arena, piling up at the edges like garbage, forming tall heaps instantly.

And he knew the source of that power was the figure sitting on the chair.

”Didn’t expect you’d actually survive out.”

The manager said sarcastically.

Deng Ke turned and smiled, then noticed a sumptuous banquet before him, so abundant he momentarily thought he was seeing things.

”This is...”

”It’s your reward.” The manager said, wiping his drool away, stomach gurgling, ”No idea what lucky streak you hit but someone up top noticed you and exclusively awarded you a banquet.”

Deng Ke incredulously picked up an egg tart, sniffed it, then cautiously took a bite—it was still warm.

The familiar taste filled his mouth instantly.

For the first time, he realized the egg tart was so fragrant and tender, clearly a thing he used to eat reluctantly.

She loved this the most.

Deng Ke packed the remaining egg tarts, then picked some other things his wife liked, and while busy, saw the manager drooling opposite him, quickly saying, ”Old brother, come eat together.”

”I better not, this is a reward from above, I don’t have such luck.”

”I can’t possibly finish this alone...”

After Deng Ke’s repeated persuasion, the manager also started eating and drinking freely.

Deng Ke himself just stuffed a few bites randomly, then said, ”Can I choose a recovery potion as my reward for three consecutive wins?”

The manager swallowed his food and patted his chest, promising to get him the best one possible.

After all, it’s within his jurisdiction, might as well do this goodwill.

Deng Ke finally took home his winnings and meat.

Knocking on the door rhythmically a few times, a boy’s raspy voice inside called out, ”Who is it?”

”It’s me, your dad!”

Having brought everything home safely, Deng Ke’s mood soared.

The boy inside was not angry, instead, he opened the door excitedly, and upon seeing Deng Ke, he dove straight into his arms.

”I brought roast duck, don’t crush it...”

The boy said, crying, ”Mom is really unwell, so uncomfortable you must see her...”

Deng Ke’s expression shifted instantly, quickly heading inside the room.

On a wooden bed laid several animal pelts, a pale-faced woman was sprawled beside the bed coughing, blood dripping onto the floor.

The man, usually calm and ruthless in the arena, suddenly panicked, his hands and feet turned cold.

Leaping to the woman’s side, he reached out but dared not lift that familiar body, listening to the heartrending coughs, he felt like he was falling apart.

Once the woman felt better, he swiftly fed her the recovery potion,

After taking the potion, her condition improved significantly, her face previously pale as paper now flushed with color.

The seven-year-old child stood beside the man, tears on his cheeks but pursed lips hid any sounds of sobbing.

”Dad, will mom get better?”

”She will!” The man couldn’t face his wife’s face, turned to his son, with an unprecedented seriousness, ”With the potion, everything will be fine, this is the best recovery potion, the best in the whole Dragon Gate, no matter how serious the injury, it’ll recover... no matter how serious, all will be well, will be well, yes, all will be fine...”

”By the way, you don’t know, today dad met a kind person, gave us lots of food, all things you and your mom love.”

The man belatedly pulled out the food from his chest, item by item, there’s roast duck, sausage, fresh salad, and egg tart.

The woman lay quietly in the man’s embrace, watching him pull out items one by one without speaking, just watching silently,

”It’s this egg tart you love the most, I always go buy it, saying it’s on the way, but it’s actually far, not on the way at all, I just want to please you, find an excuse to say a few words to you...”

The man pretended to be calm, offering the egg tart to the woman’s mouth, yet his hands shook uncontrollably despite being a Tier One Evolver.

The woman just smiled, looking at the egg tart before her, speaking weakly.

”Actually I don’t like it.”

Deng Ke was struck like lightning.

The woman held the egg tart, gesturing towards the child, but her hand had no strength, the egg tart fell to the ground, shattered, yet the warmth in her eyes was unmistakable.

The child picked up the egg tart, looking at the mother he hesitated, sensing reluctance fixed in her gaze.

”Mom...”

He didn’t know what farewell meant but sensed he might lose something forever.

This unknown fear was even more fierce than the apocalypse, more sudden.

The child panicked, looking to his father.

The latter just sat on the bed stiffly, saying nothing, his face lost its lively expression.

Even when a stranger stood silently in the room, no reaction whatsoever.

”Recovery Potions can’t cure cancer.”

Su Reya sighed softly.

...

”He doesn’t want to join any factions for now.” Su Reya humbly bent halfway, her alluring figure gleaming brightly.

Su Huan leaned on the sofa, exhaling gently, ”Then forget it.”

After killing the second batch of iron swallows, the arena was much quieter overhead, no new flocks appeared, Hua Junyan said the swallows were brewing, the next appearance will likely be that Tier Three iron swallow.

It’s too late today, planned to continue tomorrow.

Su Huan wasn’t concerned about the arena’s modest rewards but liked this way of screening talents more.

[Back then when great-grandmother was leaving, the family scrambled to prepare some dumplings, grandma was young only cared about eating dumplings, the grandmother didn’t have the strength and threw a broom at her, broke her nose, sixty or seventy years passed, her memory never faded, she remembers the uneaten dumplings and the broken nose, saddening was the poverty overshadowing farewell]