January 20
Because Kyoko had spoken to her in Chinese, the girl was so emotional she was practically shaking.
She did not understand Japanese. Under normal circumstances she had relied on translation software, but in a foreign country with no language skills, no local knowledge, and all modern conveniences gone in the apocalypse, her survival had become painfully difficult.
And now, at long last, she had run into someone who understood her mother tongue.
So she shouted, "Don't shoot! I'm normal! I'm not infected!"
The bullet had punched into the snowbank in front of her, sending white powder spraying up around her. As an ordinary carbon-based lifeform, she naturally chose the wisest course of action and froze in place.
Nobody ate bullets on purpose. If she didn't stop now, was she supposed to wait around to get shot into mincemeat?
"You're from the Eastern Nation?"
Helmet back on, Kyoko kept her rifle trained on the survivor with pink hair and animal ears and shouted the question at her. On the jeep, Miranda and Brent also raised their guns and aimed at the target, while Huaxiu scanned the surroundings for any other hidden threats.
Noticing the red aiming dots resting on her body, Ye Ling did not dare move. She stood there stiffly in a surrender pose, and in her panic she could hardly get her words out straight.
"Yes, I'm from the Eastern Nation. My name is Ye Ling. I came to Japan as a tourist, and then all this happened… There was no way back…"
She had barely gotten that far before Kyoko cut her off. If she let her keep going, this would drag on forever. It was almost noon already, and they still had to reach Inawashiro by tonight.
"So why did you stop our vehicle? Do you need help, or is it something else? Get to the point. Don't tell me the whole story of your life. I'm in a hurry."
"Can you let me join you? I'm strong. I can use a greatsword, and I can also… I can also forge metal. I know metalworking."
Ye Ling was an enthusiast of armored full-contact combat. Her physical fitness and fighting skills were both quite solid. Against anything short of a swarm of infected, she could handle herself just fine.
Right before the apocalypse broke out, she had still been happily traveling. Once everything collapsed, she hid temporarily in the back workroom of a shop, where she found some equipment. That was how she survived the first outbreak.
But three or four days later, when she came down from the mountain, she discovered she was trapped there. Without a map, there was no way an ordinary person could navigate through snow-covered mountain terrain and get out. The only real resource point nearby was the service area by the tunnel, plus a few scattered houses, and even those had already been looted before she came down.
So she had survived until now by rationing carefully and hunting in the forest.
At this point, she truly had no other options. That was why she had risked stopping them.
"I see. Brent, Miranda, keep your guns on her. I'm going to search her."
Kyoko said that in Japanese, so Ye Ling could not understand a word of it.
All she saw was a fully armed person hop down from the vehicle roof and start walking toward her.
Kyoko checked her real-time map first and found no suspicious nearby targets. Only then, fully geared up, did she approach. When she got close enough, she realized just how tall this beast-eared girl really was—at least a head and a half taller than she was. Easily two meters tall. A giant.
"Hands on your head. Squat down. I ask, you answer. Tell the truth."
Rifle aimed squarely at her, Kyoko barked the order harshly. Ye Ling had no choice but to comply. She crouched obediently like a well-trained hunting dog, the pink fox ears atop her head twitching nervously with her mood.
Miranda and Brent moved in as well, tightening the encirclement with practiced precision.
Facing three guns at once put enormous pressure on Ye Ling.
Ladies, please, let's all stay calm. Guns really don't need to go off here.
"You're alone? Any companions?"
"No. I'm the only one left."
"And before that?"
"I was alone from the beginning."
"Why do you want to join us?"
"To survive."
A very straightforward answer.
To survive.
An expensive request, but a clear one.
"You said you know metalworking?" Kyoko asked, giving the young-looking craftswoman a skeptical look. "You can really forge metal?"
"Yes, I can—"
Ye Ling was interrupted again.
"You can or you can't. That's all I need to know. What's with the fox ears and tail?"
"It's… a long story…"
Because resources nearby were so scarce—just a few buildings, and others had already taken some of what was there—she had eventually been forced to eat wild game she hunted herself. The virus inside the meat had technically been inactivated by high heat during cooking, but traces still remained.
A few days ago, she had eaten wild fox.
That was when she changed.
Fortunately, the virus had not caused any harmful physical degeneration. Instead, it only altered her appearance.
Now she had fox ears and a fox tail.
That development had caused her no end of distress, but aside from that, nothing else about her seemed wrong.
While listening to her explanation, Kyoko quietly asked the system, Has there been a case like this before?
Those survivors who have developed partial immunity to airborne Sumero transmission possess a degree of resistance. They can consume infected organisms after proper high-temperature cooking. However, if the meat is not fully processed, trace viral remnants may trigger partial beneficial or neutral mutation. So yes, it is possible.
After hearing that, Kyoko was willing—barely—to believe her.
"Enough. Miranda, search her."
"Got it."
Miranda handed her firearm to Brent and stepped forward. Since they were outside, she did not do anything excessive like stripping her down. She simply performed a rough pat-down over the heavy winter layers and found nothing obviously dangerous.
Ye Ling only had a few bandages, a lighter, a utility knife, and little else. In the small pack she carried on her back, they found only a short-handled physics saint's sword, some tightly wrapped raw meat, and several fox pelts.
After looking through it all, Kyoko finally said to Ye Ling, "All right. Is there anything else you need to collect before you leave?"
"No, that's everything. I haven't managed to save up any real supplies."
Ye Ling shook her head quickly.
"Fine then. Let me introduce myself. I'm Takashiro Kyoko, Japanese. These two are Italians—Miranda and Brent. The two on the vehicle are Baiheyuan Huaxiu and Dorothy."
"Miss Takashiro, it's a pleasure to meet you. Please take care of me."
Ye Ling hurriedly reached out to shake Kyoko's hand. Kyoko pulled off one glove and returned it.
Meeting someone like this in the apocalypse…
Maybe she really was lucky after all.
"Come with us," Kyoko said. "It's freezing out here."
Still only half reassured, and with no better option available, Ye Ling could only follow the three of them—or rather, follow Kyoko, the one person here who could actually speak Chinese—toward the vehicles.
At least now, maybe, she could keep living a little longer.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 139)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter171)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter100)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter184)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 168
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 156
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 105
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 185
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 160
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 150
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 76
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 97
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 116
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 75
Uma Musume: I Want All 93
I Can Copy Unique Skills 79
Summoning an Evil God, but the 55
Supernatural Multiverse 75
My Harem Is Indescribable 68
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 70
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 66
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 69
Still playing traditional Honk 49
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 53
What Should I Do After Switchi 42
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 50
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 38
Transmigrated as Sukuna 35
Checking In in Demon Slayer 40
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 55
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