Apocalypse Escape: Day One of Survival

Song Kexin found the voice somewhat familiar and turned around in surprise.

Song Shijun and Xie Ning turned to look along with her. A tall, thin woman was squeezing her way out from the mouth of an alley leading to the small goods market where daily necessities were sold.

She was carrying several beautifully wrapped bags and had short hair, with a few streaks of white at her temples.

Her face was haggard.

The dress she wore was washed-out and had almost completely faded, but she still tried to maintain a sliver of her pre-apocalyptic dignity.

Both Xie Ning and Song Shijun found the woman completely unfamiliar, unable to recall who she might be.

Song Kexin’s expression changed drastically, however. She subconsciously clenched her fists and squeezed closer to Xie Ning.

”Song Kexin, is that really you?” A young girl emerged from behind the short-haired woman, her gaze flickering as she sized up Song Kexin, Xie Ning, and Song Shijun.

”I almost didn’t recognize you.” The young girl was dressed in a pure white, sleeveless, hip-hugging dress with a beautiful black ribbon adorning her chest.

The black satin ribbon accentuated the slender length of her neck.

The girl smiled at the three cousins with grace and composure. Her makeup was as exquisite as if it were still before the apocalypse.

Song Kexin remained silent, her eyes fixed warily on them.

Xie Ning could feel her cousin’s hand gripping her arm, tightening slightly.

She quickly squeezed her hand back, lending her a bit of strength.

Song Shijun frowned, taking half a step forward to stand in front of his two older cousins. ”Who are you?”

”Song Shijun?” the short-haired woman called out his name uncertainly, then broke into a wide grin. ”You’re the son of the Youyi family, Song Shijun, right?”

Xie Ning stared at the short-haired woman, a dreadful thought suddenly surfacing in her mind.

’Could this person be... Uncle’s long-divorced ex-wife, Meng Lanfang?’

’She doesn’t seem to match the image of that vain, materialistic woman from my memories at all.’

Then again, when Meng Lanfang had resolutely dragged her suitcase away, the crybaby Song Kexin was only about five years old.

Xie Ning had been a little over six, having just finished her first-grade exams at the experimental primary school and been accepted into a higher grade ahead of schedule.

That was why she remembered the matter of Meng Lanfang’s divorce from her uncle with particular clarity.

The woman in her memory had been dazzlingly glamorous.

She had sported a perm of soft, voluminous waves, her neck and wrists laden with gold necklaces and bracelets, looking every bit like she had married into wealth.

She was truly like a different person from this sallow, skinny, white-haired old woman before them.

After the three cousins grew up, they had seen Meng Lanfang in a family portrait.

But that photo had been quickly put away by Old Mrs. Song, and they had never seen it again since.

The Meng Lanfang standing before them now looked too different from the one in that photograph.

It was only by seeing Song Kexin’s unusual reaction that Xie Ning had managed to guess her identity.

”Song Kexin, it really is you.” Meng Lanfang smiled and walked forward, putting on the air of a familiar elder toward the three cousins. ”Yaoyao told me it was you, and I almost didn’t believe it.”

”Come, let Mommy have a look. Aiyo, have you been well since the apocalypse? You must have suffered a lot, sticking by that useless father of yours, haven’t you?”

”Aunt Meng, we shouldn’t just stand here talking at the entrance to the alley. Why don’t we invite Song Kexin and the others to our place to catch up?”

”Good idea, good idea.” Meng Lanfang’s eyes were full of smiles. She took a few steps forward and, with an air of over-familiarity, reached for Song Kexin’s hand.

Song Kexin was completely stiff, not daring to move an inch.

Xie Ning pursed her lips and pulled her foolish sister back a step.

Song Shijun shifted another half-step in front of them, blocking the overly eager Meng Lanfang. ”Who are you people?” he said coolly. ”Showing up and claiming to be relatives. I don’t think we know you.”

A flash of anger crossed Meng Lanfang’s eyes, but she suppressed it and said with a strained smile, ”Shijun, I’m your former aunt.”

”Aiya, you child. I’m your cousin Song Kexin’s mommy, her biological mommy.”

Hearing the word ”Mommy,” Song Kexin’s face instantly turned pale, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Seeing her foolish sister’s state, Xie Ning felt a surge of anger for no reason.

”Stand up straight!” She slapped her on the lower back. ”What are you shaking for? She’s not an acquaintance. Why bother with her?”

Song Kexin barely managed to suppress her emotions. ”Sis, sis, let’s go back.”

”Mm,” Xie Ning nodded, pulling her cousin to turn and leave.

Seeing this, Meng Lanfang grew frantic and chased after them, shouting angrily, ”You’re the eldest sister’s daughter, right? What was your name again? Hey, where are you taking my daughter? We haven’t finished talking yet!”

The woman hurried a few more steps and reached out to grab Song Kexin’s arm.

”Get away from me! Don’t touch me!” A clear look of disgust flashed across Song Kexin’s face. Enraged, she swatted away the woman’s claws, and a wave of superpower pressure erupted from her body.

A wall of fire over a meter high shot up, blocking Meng Lanfang’s path.

Slightly singed by the hot flames, Meng Lanfang cried out in alarm and stumbled back several steps.

”A Fire Ability User!” Cries of shock rose one after another from the marketplace crowd.

”You!” Meng Lanfang stared in astonishment, her expression seamlessly transitioning to one of extreme, pleasant surprise. ”Ke-Kexin, you... you’re a Superpower User? You’re a Fire Ability User?”

The woman covered her mouth, her eyes shining with an intensely joyful light. ”Kexin, you... what’s wrong? It’s Mommy! Don’t you recognize Mommy anymore?”

”Tch,” Xie Ning scoffed. ”Shijun.”

Song Shijun cracked his neck and strode forward, his face cold. ”Ma’am, I already told you not to go around falsely claiming relations. Can’t you understand plain language?”

”If you can’t understand, I’ll make you understand!” Song Shijun raised his hand with a cold expression and waved.

An extremely powerful Wind Vortex shot through the wall of fire and WHOOSHED toward the short-haired woman.

In less than a second, it sent the woman, still wearing a look of delight, flying and tossed her into a corner of the East and West Alley like a piece of trash.

”Wind System! A Wind Ability User!”

The crowd of onlookers on both sides erupted into shouts.

Huang Shi Yao’s pupils contracted. She shot a surprised glance at Song Shijun and Song Kexin.

’Fire and Wind... two Attack Ability Users?’

Finally, Huang Shi Yao’s gaze landed on Xie Ning, filled with a probing curiosity.

[CAUTION, CAUTION! A system has been detected in the subject’s vicinity. 00009425 is conducting a comprehensive combat power scan and analysis of the subject. Does the subject wish to block?]

Xie Ning lifted her gaze, her eyes, like bolts of cold lightning, instantly locking onto Huang Shi Yao across from them.

”Block it immediately. Don’t give me a countdown,” Xie Ning ordered with her spiritual power.

[Block complete. Does the subject wish to counterattack?]

Xie Ning blinked. ’I didn’t expect Little Spider could counterattack another AI?’

’Then I have to counterattack, right?’

’Who told them they could be so arrogant as to scan me whenever they please?’

”Counterattack immediately!”

Less than a minute later, Huang Shi Yao’s face suddenly paled. Her body swayed, and she staggered several steps backward.

”Miss.” Two bodyguards rushed forward, supporting her from both sides. ”What’s wrong?”

Huang Shi Yao only felt a sharp pain in her head, and a piercing electronic sound echoed from the depths of her mind.