Apocalypse Escape: Day One of Survival

"You don’t need to worry about how we’ll fight our way out," Xie Ning said calmly. "You only need to know one thing: I can guarantee everyone’s safety, as long as you follow me and stay within a thirty-meter radius."

"I’ll ask you all one question right now: do you dare to fight your way out with me?"

"I just need the Wood Element Superpower Users to help restrain the mutated plant. The Fire Ability Users will be responsible for eliminating the surrounding zombie horde. As for everything else, leave it all to me."

"Okay!" The reckless Song Kexin, blindly trusting her "big sister," was the first to raise her hand and agree.

The others followed hesitantly. "Captain Xie, can you really guarantee all of our safety?"

"Of course." Xie Ning’s reply was unhesitating. "As long as you’re obedient and don’t run off randomly. I guarantee that however many of us go out, the same number will return safely. It’s that simple."

Lu Wei took a step forward. "Ningning, how are we going to fight our way out now?"

"It’s coming!" a Wood Element Superpower User shouted, pointing nervously below the watchtower.

Everyone turned to look and couldn’t help but gasp.

"Look, look, look! See? It’s two stories high and as long as a truck, right? A monster, it’s just a freakish hodgepodge of a monster!" Li Xiang, squeezed to the edge of the crowd, couldn’t help but cry out in a high-pitched voice.

Xie Ning lifted her gaze and looked into the distance.

The mutated plant was rapidly writhing its way toward the east gate.

The creature’s entire body was covered in vines so green they were almost black. It was squarish, truly resembling a moving truck.

Xie Ning leaped onto the watchtower and beckoned. "Follow me."

The ever-obedient Song Kexin was the most decisive, scrambling right up after her.

With a wave of her hand, Xie Ning unleashed a swath of nearly invisible Space Blades.

Only a few Space Ability Users sensed something and looked up, but they only saw empty air.

Xie Ning leaped onto the transparent Space Blade platform and ran forward.

Song Kexin was the fastest to follow, stepping onto the platform, thin as a cicada’s wing, without the slightest hesitation.

The others, however, were stunned for three to five seconds before they reacted, jumping on one by one, panicked, breathless, and steeling themselves for the worst.

Several Power-type Superpower Users standing at the edge of the city wall stared with wide, curious eyes.

From their angle, they could only see a group of Fire and Wood Element Superpower Users following that Captain Xie, suspended in mid-air as if there were something solid beneath their feet.

One of them, unable to contain his curiosity, reached out and touched the edge.

He felt his hand stop as if blocked by something.

"It’s like an invisible barrier!"

Lu Wei paused and lightly stomped on the Space Blade beneath his feet, a flash of astonishment in his eyes.

The young woman was even more powerful than they had imagined.

’What is this thing she created with a wave of her hand that lets people walk in the air?’

Song Kexin followed her "sister," running forward with a THUMP THUMP THUMP. Because she was running so fast, the sound was strangely loud.

This left the group of Fire and Wood Element Superpower Users feeling terrified.

"Hey, hey, little lady! Young lady of the Song Family! Run a bit slower, and be a little quieter!"

"Oh my god, why are we able to run in the air? What on earth is Captain Xie’s ability? Is she just... holding us up?"

’Holding us up, my ass!’

Several Fire Ability Users from the military’s Superpower Team shot a wooden-faced glance at the middle-aged woman who had spoken. "Ma’am, please run a little faster."

’The gap between us and Captain Xie is getting wider. This feels kind of dangerous.’

"Right, right, right! Captain Xie just told us not to get too far from her, we have to stay within thirty meters! Go, go, go, faster!"

The group sped up and quickly caught up with Xie Ning and Song Kexin.

The two of them were already standing still up ahead.

The others caught up, crowding and jostling together in a tight group.

The middle-aged Fire Ability User glanced down, then immediately clutched her chest and shrieked, "Oh my god!"

"Oh my god, don’t look down, oh my god..."

Everyone’s expression was tense.

Someone still couldn’t resist glancing down at the battlefield below and was instantly terrified by the dark, overwhelming sea of zombies, their heart pounding erratically.

"Holy shit, are we standing in the middle of the zombie horde right now?" a young man with green highlights in his bangs exclaimed, swallowing hard. "Damn... I... I’ve never done anything this crazy in my life."

"Ningning, what now?" Lu Wei took a deep breath, turning his head just in time to see a figure running rapidly toward them.

"He’s here."

Xie Ning nodded.

"All of you, gather and stand here. Fire Element! Stand to the sides," Xie Ning roared.

The Fire Ability Users quickly formed two rows, and each one tentatively took half a step forward.

Song Kexin took too large a step and was about to fall forward, but a quick-witted Wood Element Superpower User behind her wrapped a wood vine around her and yanked her back.

"Xinxin, why did you take such a huge step? It’s empty up there!" Ji Taixian broke out in a cold sweat from the scare. He stayed close to her, gripping her arm tightly.

Song Kexin was also sweating from the fright. "My sister’s such a troll. She didn’t make a Space Blade platform up front."

Xie Ning turned to face the crowd. "You will all stand right here. Remember, do not move more than thirty meters in any direction. I’m going down to deal with that big mutated plant. During the fight, the Space Blades might shrink, so you’ll need to move inward."

"Ningning, I’m going down with you." Gu Chen ran up to her, drenched in sweat, and grabbed her arm.

Seeing her gaze shift to him, he quickly added, "I’m fully healed. I’m fine!"

Xie Ning nodded. "Alright, then I’ll take you down with me. Everyone, listen up! Once we’re down, the Wood Element Superpower Users will use their vines to control the giant monster below. The rest of the Fire Ability Users, burn away the surrounding zombies as much as you can to buy us time."

"Okay!" everyone responded in unison.

Xie Ning grabbed Gu Chen’s hand, threw herself into his arms, wrapped her arms around his waist, and instantly leaped downward.

At the same time, a pair of Metal Wings spread out abruptly, carrying the two of them on the wind toward the truck-sized mutated plant below.

The two rows of Fire Ability Users immediately closed ranks, forming a protective circle around the Wood Element Superpower Users.

The Wood Element Superpower Users each displayed their unique skills, commanding vine after vine to rapidly entangle the mutated plant.

For a moment, an uproar erupted both on and off the battlefield.

Many people crowded at the edge of the city wall, so engrossed in the sight that they forgot to shoot at the zombie horde below.

It took a few loud roars from the various squad leaders to snap the dumbfounded crowd back to their senses.

"Stop watching the show! It’s not time for that yet! Where are the Power-type Superpower Users? Have you brought the earth and stones over? Keep repairing the city wall, don’t just stand there gawking!"

Xie Ning, holding Gu Chen, landed on the truck-sized mutated plant.

The near-black vines swept toward them, only to be met by several balls of lightning that zapped them with a SIZZLE and a CRACKLE.

Xie Ning slipped out of Gu Chen’s embrace. A row of golden thorns swiftly appeared beneath her feet, mixed with streaks of lightning that hissed and crackled.

Soon, the rows of black vines on the surface were all electrified until they withered.