Apocalypse: I Can Upgrade Everything

Chapter 129: Old Wu, You Need to Show Some Sincerity

“What is that?”

The pink-haired girl pointed to a dark corner near the school gate.

As a Sword Immortal Sequence Beyonder, her senses weren’t as finely tuned to the supernatural as a Pathfinder’s, but she still felt a prickle of wrongness in the air.

The group followed her finger.

There, hovering just above the snow, was a single eyeball.

It was spinning wildly, its pupil darting back and forth in panic. Fresh blood dripped from the severed optic nerve that trailed behind it like a gruesome tail. It was clearly fresh.

“Is that…”

The eyeball, realizing it had been spotted, swiveled around and tried to zip away.

Chen Ye’s eyes went cold. He exhaled sharply, and a stream of gray smoke shot out, wrapping around the eye and pinning it in mid-air.

“Wait!”

Chu Che stepped forward, producing a small white cloth pouch from his jacket. He carefully scooped the struggling eye into the bag and pulled the drawstring tight.

Faint runes shimmered on the fabric, pulsating with a soft light.

“We’ll ask Captain Wu about this when he’s done,” Chu Che said, tucking the pouch away.

Chen Ye eyed the bag with interest. “Nice toy.”

“It shields Anomaly auras. Low-level Artifact. Not as mysterious as you think,” Chu Che explained, his tone dry. “And don’t get any ideas.”

Chen Ye rubbed his nose innocently. “Captain Chu, am I that kind of person? Do I look like someone who covets his neighbor’s goods?”

“You should ask yourself that,” Chu Che retorted. He genuinely worried Chen Ye might try to rob him right there.

Fourth Grade, Class Three

The group returned to the classroom, the mood heavy and suffocating.

They had just found a warm place to sleep. A sanctuary. And now, less than twenty-four hours later, the illusion of safety was crumbling.

Even Chen Ye didn’t want to leave. The cold outside was a relentless killer.

“Anomalies are unpredictable,” Chu Che began, his voice strained. “We assumed they couldn’t manifest during the day. We were wrong.”

“First the Human-Faced Scorpion. Then the Headless Sand Snake. Now this.”

“You must have realized it by now,” Chu Che looked at them, his face grim. “The Anomalies are evolving. And they are getting stronger faster than we are.”

Chen Ye didn’t look surprised. Neither did Ding Dong, Iron Lion, or the pink-haired girl. They had all felt the shifting tide.

“In the future, survival will only get harder,” Chu Che continued. “The Sequence is our only hope. We need more Beyonders. Only numbers can hold back the dark.”

He looked at his hands. “You say I’m indecisive. That I’m a bleeding heart who tries to save everyone. But… we were ordinary people once, too.”

“The refugee we abandon today might Awaken tomorrow. Every survivor is a potential soldier. We can’t afford to lose any more people.”

Chen Ye remained silent. He had his own thoughts on the matter—pragmatism versus idealism—but he kept them to himself.

“Captain Chu,” Ding Dong spoke up, her voice trembling slightly. “Why are they attacking now? Is there really no hope?”

She didn’t want to leave. Last night, she had secured permission from Wu Jianshan to turn an empty classroom into a greenhouse. She still had some potatoes from Longevity Village. She wanted to plant them. She wanted to build something.

Chu Che organized his thoughts. “Listen carefully.”

“First: The Anomalies are evolving.”

“Second: Since we entered this blizzard, have any of you seen the sun?”

They shook their heads. The sky had been a perpetual, churning gray.

“Third: The Anomalies used to be nocturnal, likely due to the Blood Moon. But just because we can’t see the Blood Moon during the day doesn’t mean it’s gone.”

“Its energy is permeating the atmosphere, bleeding into the daylight. The environment is changing to suit them.”

“If they could have walked in the sun from day one… humanity would be extinct already. That brief window of safety was the only mercy we got.”

“Fourth: The theory of Planar Fusion.”

“Our world is merging with theirs. The fusion is deepening. The Anomalies aren’t just invading; they are adapting. This is their world now, too.”

Chu Che’s analysis was terrifyingly logical. As a Pathfinder, he felt the pulse of the world more acutely than anyone.

The silence in the room was heavy enough to crush bone.

“Alright, enough,” Chen Ye cut in, lighting a cigarette. The flame illuminated his dark eyes. “It’s the apocalypse. Stop looking like you’re at a funeral. We’re alive today. That’s enough.”

“As for tomorrow? We’ll deal with it tomorrow.”

He looked at Chu Che. “But you’re right about one thing. Wu Jianshan said this place was safe. Now people are dying. Should we leave?”

Chu Che didn’t answer immediately. His eyes flicked to the blackboard behind Chen Ye.

To the invisible, glowing warning written in neon red:

[THEY EAT PEOPLE!!!]

The three exclamation marks seemed to scream at him.

“Wu Jianshan wasn’t lying,” Chu Che said slowly. “Before we came, this place was safe.”

“We broke the balance.”

“With us, there are nearly 150 people here. That much life force is a beacon.”

“Before, the Death God could shield a few dozen cultists. But 150 people? The attraction is fatal. It’s enough to make the Anomalies overcome their fear of the Death God.”

“The attack this morning proves it. They are testing the perimeter. They are hungry.”

“If there is 50% profit, capital becomes bold,” Chu Che quoted, his voice dark. “If there is 300% profit, capital will trample everything. The Anomalies are the same. We are the profit.”

Chen Ye frowned. His newfound strength felt insignificant against this logic.

I need more power. I need those Blood Tears.

He stood up. “I’m going to find Wu Jianshan.”

“Chu Che is right.”

A smooth, gentle voice drifted from the doorway.

The elusive Bishop, Wu Jianshan, stood there with a warm, benevolent smile.

“So,” Wu Jianshan said, spreading his hands. “Are you willing to join the Death God Church?”

Chen Ye’s eyes lit up. He didn’t see a friend; he saw a fat sheep waiting to be sheared.

“Old Wu!” Chen Ye grinned, stepping forward. “Something this big happens on your turf, and you only show up now?”

“I was just about to go looking for you.”

“By the way, Chu Che caught a loose eyeball outside. Want to see?”

Chen Ye’s mind raced.

If Wu Jianshan formally invited them now, Iron Lion, Sun Qianqian, and Ding Dong would likely agree instantly out of fear.

If they joined, Chen Ye lost his leverage.

Joining isn’t off the table, Chen Ye thought. But you have to pay for it.

I need to see some sincerity.

Brotherhood? Bullshit. Survival is the only truth.