Chapter 6: Acquiring the Survival Guide to the Apocalypse

The group chat chimed in again.

Durian Pastry Lover: Can someone take me in? I’ve run out of food at home. I’m very skinny, eat little, and I can do housework.

Durian Pastry Lover: Picture.jpg

In the picture, the woman’s eyes are red-rimmed, her face pale and clean, lips pressed tightly as she fights back tears.

She looks pitifully vulnerable.

Her shirt at the chest is torn, revealing a patch of snow-white skin.

Innocent Mother Cockroach: Food is scarce for everyone now. Who would be willing to take you in?

TD to Manual: Try the neighborhood across the street. That lunatic moved a frying pan—maybe there’s still some food left.

Virtue Like Water “patted” Durian Pastry Lover.

Tang Miao put her phone away. This neighborhood was about to fall too; the protected zone would soon become a hunting ground for zombies.

By the woman’s feet lay a large pair of garden shears.

The scissors seemed almost alive, slowly hovering in midair, aiming for the woman’s chest before piercing it with a soft “psst.”

Seeing the woman collapse, Tang Miao calmly withdrew her spiritual energy.

Zhang Xinrou, still intrigued, said, “Give me the phone. I want to see what happens next.”

She had lost her phone on the very first day the apocalypse struck; now that she saw a working one, the craving surged.

“No. The priority is to leave the safe zone. I’ll drive, and you keep an eye out for usable supplies.”

“Why leave? The safe zone is the safest place right now. Outside, we could be eaten by zombies any minute.”

Tang Miao said no more and started the truck.

Zaizai looked at Zhang Xinrou, pointing at the woman outside the glass: “Abba abba.”

Rotten meat.

Hearing Zaizai speak gave Zhang Xinrou goosebumps. After a long moment of thought, she realized something and pressed her lips together, beginning to cry.

She wiped her tears while staring at the roadside figure.

A few minutes later, the woman, once lying in a pool of blood, slowly rose again...

The truck had traveled some distance when Tang Miao couldn’t help but send a message in the group chat, warning that the woman was infected.

Since the apocalypse, this area had opened a survival hotline; survivors could call or text for help.

Following the hotline, Tang Miao reported the suspected infected individual’s location, hoping officials would come handle it.

Besides that woman, there might be other infected hiding, afraid to reveal themselves.

Her phone buzzed with more messages, but Tang Miao ignored them.

“Abba abba.” Mom, stop the car.

---

Tang Miao was puzzled but braked.

“Wait here in the car. I’ll get out and check.” She carried Zaizai down. “What’s wrong, Zaizai?”

Zhang Xinrou hesitated in the car but nervously followed Tang Miao, unwilling to be alone.

Zaizai waved at an appliance store. Tang Miao understood and carried Zaizai inside.

As soon as Zaizai touched the ground, she darted toward the store, climbing onto a table to stare at the goldfish in a tank.

Tang Miao’s gaze fell on an LCD television.

The TV was playing a university recruitment video.

Tang Miao watched, entranced. Forest Agricultural University.

There was earth, water, and mountains, a large sports field, expansive grounds.

Not only crops but also cows, sheep, pigs, and rabbits!

Wasn’t this the perfect site for a farm?

“Zaizai! You’re amazing!”

Tang Miao hugged Zaizai excitedly, leaning in to kiss her, then abruptly stopped just before contact and patted her head instead.

She cheerfully loaded the fish tank onto the truck, memorized the address from the video, and planned to use her spiritual power to locate the university via road signs.

Zhang Xinrou rolled her eyes. “Tang Miao, you can’t be serious about going to Forest Agricultural University. It’s not even in this district. Before we get there, the zombies will have us.”

“How far is it?”

Zhang Xinrou smirked. “Since you asked so earnestly, I’ll tell you—it’s nearly 30 kilometers from here.”

Tang Miao tore off a piece of corn sausage, savoring it. “Thirty kilometers is nothing. Let’s leave now.”

In space, starship jumps are measured in light-years.

Zhang Xinrou gave a long speech trying to persuade her, but Tang Miao remained unmoved, focused on driving.

“Turn left up ahead. I need to use the bathroom.”

Tang Miao braked. “The bushes by the roadside will do. Get out.”

Zhang Xinrou clung stubbornly. “No, I want to use a public restroom, or I’ll just go in the car.”

Tang Miao: ...

Helpless, Tang Miao drove to a public restroom. Zhang Xinrou fussed, demanding Tang Miao stay with her, afraid she’d be abandoned.

Tang Miao kept a stern face, leaving Zaizai in the car, standing guard by the restroom door, then squatted down.

[Auxiliary tools detected within five meters radius. Please search on your own.]

Tang Miao immediately began a thorough search around the public restroom.

Finally, she found a manual in a nearby flowerbed. The moment she picked it up—

---

[Auxiliary Tool 1 Acquired: Apocalypse Survival Guide, binding to host in progress. Estimated one minute remaining.]

One minute later, the binding succeeded, and the manual in her hands transformed into a glowing point before vanishing.

An immense map appeared in Tang Miao’s mind.

The overall map was gray, with building outlines highlighted, surrounded by many small green dots, interspersed with a single yellow dot.

Further out, dense clusters of red and green dots intermingled, indicating many humans still struggling to survive beyond the safe zone.

The sharp contrast between red and green formed a clear boundary line.

Tang Miao noticed a small red dot near her and looked back toward the truck—it was Zaizai.

She tried to locate Forest Agricultural University with her mind; a second later, the map automatically plotted a green route.

[Destination: Forest Agricultural University, 27.5 kilometers away, passing through multiple frequent zombie attack sites. Estimated arrival in one hour. Safety arrival coefficient: 1.]

But called a survival guide, it shouldn’t just be a map, right? As she pondered, new images appeared in her mind.

A mechanical voice sounded simultaneously.

[To assist the host’s survival and task completion, the following explains the world’s basic situation:]

[This planet is named “Earth,” part of the Solar System’s 27th civilization structure.]

[World Purification Phase One: Half a month ago, the first release of new human genes.]

[World Purification Phase Two: One month later, second release of new human genes, initial awakening of superpowers, onset of severe weather.]

[World Purification Phase Three: Two months later, third release of new human genes, mutations in flora and fauna, upgraded superpowers, establishment of extreme weather patterns.]

[Further new human gene release plans are under discussion...]

[Remaining three auxiliary tool clues: Golden Chamber of Treasures, Tempered Steel, Utopia. Wishing the host successful search.]

Besides the system’s broadcast, a line of small text at the screen’s bottom provided additional explanation.

As purification phases progressed, zombies evolved, developing crystal cores; mutated plants and animals grew beast cores.

Even the crops on one’s farm would evolve and upgrade, though specifics were not detailed.

Regarding abnormal spiritual wave fluctuations, the guide explained that Song Mingchen was a potential superpower awakener, which was why Tang Miao detected anomalies in him.

But what about her Zaizai? She could avoid detection by Tang Miao’s spiritual power altogether.

As Tang Miao brainstormed about the remaining three auxiliary tool clues, Zhang Xinrou’s scream interrupted her.

“Tang Miao, something’s wrong! Your kid is about to explode!”