Apocalypse: I Can Upgrade Everything

Chapter 124: They Eat People

The sentence was scrawled on the interior wall of the security booth, right next to the school’s main gate.

It was hidden in plain sight. You only needed to adjust your angle slightly to see it. It was glaring, desperate, and loud.

But the people around Chu Che saw nothing but peeling paint and concrete.

Chu Che lowered his head, forcing himself to stop scanning the area. His eyes flickered with suppressed panic.

If he could, he would turn around and leave immediately.

But Wu Jianshan wasn’t lying about one thing: the outside world was a slaughterhouse. In Chu Che’s sensory perception, Rong City was teeming with Anomalies. Apart from the Changwang District, the rest of the city was a dense nest of horrors.

And their arrival had stirred the nest.

Chu Che could sense them—hordes of Anomalies hovering at the edge of the Changwang District, restless and hungry. They wanted to rush in, to tear the convoy apart and feast on their flesh.

But they held back. They lingered at the boundary, pacing like wolves afraid of the fire, terrified to take a single step inside the school’s territory.

Some of the auras outside were strong enough to freeze a man’s blood, evoking a sense of total, hopeless submission. Others were so eldritch and mysterious that even Chu Che’s Pathfinder senses couldn’t fully grasp their form.

Yet, the most powerful aura of all was right here. Inside the school.

On the fifth floor. The classroom on the far left.

“Everyone,” Wu Jianshan’s voice boomed, interrupting Chu Che’s spiraling thoughts. “Without the Death God, we would not have this life.”

“It is because of the Death God’s protection that our Church has become a pure land in this hellish world.”

“If any of you wish to join us, I, Wu Jianshan, welcome you with open arms.”

The invitation hung in the cold air, tempting and sweet. The survivors exchanged glances. Many were already swayed.

Xue Nan, the boy, shrank back into the crowd, his eyes darting around warily.

He didn’t know why, but this place felt wrong. It felt sick.

He looked up at Chen Ye and immediately lowered his head.

On Chen Ye’s face, Xue Nan saw a familiar expression: ill intentions and naked greed.

It was the same look Chen Ye had worn when they first met in the camel caravan. That predatory hunger hadn’t changed; it had just been hiding.

Zhou Xiaoxiao also kept to the back of the group.

Having weathered so many storms, the once-proud girl had learned the value of invisibility. After her sister’s disappearance, she had been forced to grow up fast. Only now did she realize how much rain her sister had blocked for her.

Suddenly, Zhou Xiaoxiao froze. She spotted a familiar figure among the black-robed cultists.

Although the figure was concealed beneath heavy fabric, the graceful curve of her silhouette was unmistakable.

Zhou Xiaoxiao stared intently.

As if sensing the gaze, the hooded figure looked up.

Their eyes met. Both pairs of pupils dilated in shock.

As a former member of the entertainment industry, Zhou Xiaoxiao knew exactly who this was.

Before the apocalypse, this woman was known as the “National Songstress” of her country. She had exploded onto the scene, her debut album going platinum instantly. She had become a legend, a cultural icon.

Even in Daxia, she was famous. Thanks to social media, even those who didn’t listen to her music knew her name.

Choi Soo-eun.

She was here.

Last year, Zhou Xiaoxiao had attended her concert. Thanks to her sister’s connections, they had even taken a photo together backstage. The memory was vivid.

Choi Soo-eun clearly hadn’t expected to see a familiar face here. However, her surprise was fleeting. She quickly lowered her eyes, her lips moving in a silent, fervent chant.

Zhou Xiaoxiao took the hint. She turned her head, pretending she had seen nothing.

The welcome ceremony was brief.

Chen Ye, Chu Che, and the rest of the convoy were led into the school building.

There were many classrooms, and they had been converted into dormitories. Rows of simple beds lined the walls.

At the sight of real beds, some survivors broke down and wept.

It had been months of sleeping in cramped cars, on frozen ground, or sitting up in fear. The promise of a horizontal sleep was overwhelming. Some made up their minds right then and there: as long as the Church didn’t kick them out, they would die here before they left.

Chu Che, Iron Lion, and Chen Ye were assigned to a classroom on the fourth floor.

Ding Dong and Nana were given a room nearby.

Chu Che stepped into the classroom assigned to the three men. The moment he crossed the threshold, his pupils contracted to pinpoints. Every muscle in his body snapped taut, ready for violence.

Then, just as quickly, he forced himself to relax.

“Chu Che… are you alright?”

Wu Jianshan’s voice drifted from behind them, smooth and sharp as a scalpel. His eyes scanned Chu Che, searching for cracks.

Chu Che’s facial muscles twitched into a pained smile as he turned around.

The tall, gaunt man stood silently in the hallway, swallowed by his black robes. The fabric was soft, draping over him in a way that accentuated the skeletal frame beneath.

If not for his face, one would assume a literal skeleton was hiding under that robe.

In that moment, Chu Che felt a chill: Wu Jianshan looks more like a Death God than the beautiful woman they talk about.

“It’s nothing,” Chu Che lied. “Just… haven’t seen a bed in a long time. Got a bit emotional.”

“Second Uncle, you… you’re really too good to me,” Iron Lion chimed in, his gratitude genuine. “I haven’t slept in a bed for half a year. Though, this one is a bit small for me.”

Wu Jianshan looked at the hulking mass of the Titan Sequence Beyonder and his mouth twitched. “It is a bit small. I’ll have them find a reinforced one for you.”

“Hey, brother!” Chen Ye threw his arm around Wu Jianshan’s neck again, pulling him close with a grin that was all teeth. “What’s the plan for tonight? I’m on your turf now. You’re not gonna leave us hanging without a celebration, are you?”

Wu Jianshan’s expression stiffened. He looked like he wanted to sever Chen Ye’s arm, but he restrained himself.

“What celebration? It’s the apocalypse,” Wu Jianshan grumbled, extricating himself. “There’s a ritual later. You’ll come with me.”

“Let the Death God memorize your aura. She will protect you from the Anomalies.”

Wu Jianshan straightened his robes, glaring at Chen Ye. “And Chen Ye, use your brain for once. When you see the Death God later, be respectful. If you offend Her, not even our brotherhood can save you.”

With that, Wu Jianshan turned to leave.

But after a few steps, he stopped. He didn’t turn around completely, just glanced back over his shoulder, his voice dropping to a grave, icy whisper.

“You can do whatever you want here. But do not go to the fifth floor. Remember this.”

He walked away, his black robes trailing like a shadow.

Chen Ye rubbed his chin, watching the retreating figure. His eyes held a trace of disappointment, but mostly… relief.

In Chen Ye’s cognitive perception, the man who just left was his dear old friend.

But now…

My good brother has changed, Chen Ye thought cynically. He’s not the guy I knew back in the day.

He’s a stranger. A stranger wearing my friend’s face.

They say people grow apart. Maybe his “brother” had just grown up.

The disappointment was there, sure. But the relief was stronger. It was the feeling of a shackle snapping.

If he’s a stranger… then I don’t owe him anything.

Chen Ye didn’t fully understand why he felt this detachment—his mind was still under the influence of the lie—but his pragmatic survival instinct was already overriding the emotional manipulation.

As for Chu Che, his gaze was dark and bottomless.

The Captain from my memories was kind, upright, and just, Chu Che thought mournfully. If not for him, I would have died on a mission years ago.

But that man is dead.

The thing walking around in his skin is a monster.

The three Markings he had seen burned in his mind, fueling his terror.

The first was at the gate: [RUN!!!]

The second was in the security booth: [DO NOT BELIEVE A SINGLE WORD HE SAYS!]

And now, the third.

It was right here, in this safe, warm classroom.

Written in massive, glowing letters across the blackboard behind the beds.

Invisible to everyone else. Only Chu Che could see the screaming neon warning that illuminated the room in a sickly light.

[THEY EAT PEOPLE!!!]