Chapter 29: The Savior's Double in the Apocalypse 6

Although they were camping out in the open at night, with Mu Yin’s abilities boosting their defenses, it was hardly any worse than a secure house. Nonetheless, everyone remained vigilant; after all, while they could avoid animals and zombies, plants were another matter entirely.

When setting up camp, they meticulously cleared away all nearby vegetation and even the roots beneath the ground. Dinner consisted of instant noodles, but everyone took great care to minimize any scent that might escape.

In truth, Mu Yin’s powers had been honed through extensive training in this world. While her previous world had also faced an apocalypse, the dangers here were on another level entirely. In her last world, the main crisis was the shrinking environment, but humans were not the primary food source for mutant plants, animals, or people. Apart from the gifted, these beings preferred to prey upon each other for greater energy gain.

This world was different. For reasons unknown, zombies and mutated flora and fauna seemed obsessed with humans. So, beyond the food shortages caused by environmental collapse, the threat from these mutants was even greater.

Mu Yin had therefore developed a variety of character scripts. In the past, she’d used her scripts mainly for augmentation, but here, she’d managed to create functional talismans. For example, this time she used a Barrier Talisman: by placing the inscribed character for “barrier” on the ground, she could generate a sealed space that blocked both sound and scent, its size determined by her will, effectively containing any aroma from their meals.

Many of these abilities were developed thanks to suggestions from those seeking Mu Yin’s assistance. She was grateful for this; despite her youthful appearance and broad horizons, her past life’s experiences had, in some ways, limited her imagination.

She’d read a few novels, but after their golden age, fiction had become formulaic and uninspired, lacking the wild creativity of a century before. In this world, though, society was at a stage reminiscent of the peak of Blue Star’s civilization, and people’s ideas were similarly abundant, which benefited Mu Yin greatly.

Before resting, Mu Yin would read novels on her phone—a gift from a fellow enthusiast whose mother she had saved. The young woman had been a devoted reader before the apocalypse, purchasing legitimate copies and collecting pirated novels on her phone and computer.

After disaster struck, these stories became her lifeline. But when her mother fell ill, medicine was even scarcer than food, and a minor illness had dragged on into something life-threatening. It was then that Mu Yin arrived at the base.

Hearing of Mu Yin’s abilities, the young woman sought her out. Mu Yin was at first reluctant, not being a healer, but the girl, versed in countless stories, insisted Mu Yin’s powers were nearly omnipotent—only limited by their use. She promised that if Mu Yin agreed to help, she would teach her how to channel her abilities, and in exchange, she would save her mother.

Mu Yin agreed. Under the girl’s guidance, she wrote a few scripts—“rapid recovery,” “restore health,” “physical well-being”—and the woman recovered quickly. Fortunately, the cure remained a secret, and the girl kept her promise, revealing her method: she handed her phone to Mu Yin.

She told Mu Yin to read as many novels as possible, to explore their myriad ideas so her powers would not be constrained and could become a true universal cheat.

At first, Mu Yin was skeptical, but after a few books, she was struck by the authors’ wild creativity. She’d never realized just how rich human imagination could be—even before the apocalypse, people had dreamed up all sorts of end-of-the-world scenarios, many remarkably plausible.

Indeed, having survived two apocalypses herself, Mu Yin gravitated toward post-apocalyptic fiction, marveling at the authors’ inventiveness and studying their various golden fingers. She hadn’t encountered powers quite like her own yet, but she’d only read a handful so far—there would surely be more among the tens of thousands of books on the girl’s phone.

“Reading your novels again? How did you get so hooked?” Zhang Lin, who shared a tent with Mu Yin, entered to see her glued to her phone.

“I need to expand my mind. That’s the only way my powers can keep developing,” Mu Yin replied.

“True, your ability could be really powerful if your imagination is broad enough,” Zhang Lin nodded thoughtfully.

“Exactly! Those authors are amazing, coming up with all sorts of wild ideas. I could never do that, so I have to read more to widen my horizons,” Mu Yin said with genuine admiration.

“Well, study hard and get some sleep. We have another long day tomorrow,” Zhang Lin encouraged her, then lay down to sleep. She’d trained herself to fall asleep instantly and wake at the slightest disturbance—a skill honed by the apocalypse.

“Mm,” Mu Yin nodded and lay down, continuing to read her novel.

Her reading speed was impressive—hundreds of thousands of words a day—but time was always short. If only she could bring this phone back with her, she thought wistfully.

At midnight, when it was time for the watch to change, Mu Yin reapplied the barrier talisman and added an alert one, then went to sleep. By six, everyone was up, packing and preparing breakfast. After washing up and eating, they packed away the tents and set off.

The next few days passed with little trouble, save for the atrocious road conditions that hampered their pace. But soon enough, their luck ran out.

Earlier, the roads had at least been partially cleared by those scavenging from the city. But once they hit the highway, they found it virtually untouched since the early days: overgrown with vines and roots, the plants aggressively blocked their path at every turn.

“Fortunately, these plants aren’t too aggressive,” said Chen Huihui, hacking at a writhing vine with her blade.

“They’re troublesome enough as it is. If they were any stronger, humanity wouldn’t stand a chance,” replied Bai Wan, another female member, who was also wielding a large knife with practiced skill, refined by martial arts.

“Let’s take a break,” Yuan Heng called, glancing at the sky.

“Okay,” everyone responded, slowly retreating from the thick of the fight.

Though the vines attacked, they lacked the ability to stretch or contract, and the path behind them had already been cleared. As long as they withdrew, they could enjoy a brief respite.