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Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Chapter 20. Part 1
Lu Yuan switched on the emergency flashlight he’d brought from the car and swept its beam across the surroundings.
This floor was entirely dedicated to restaurants. One could only imagine how bustling it must have been before Apocalypse; now, it was utterly deserted.
The mall’s main doors were indeed locked from the inside. If there were no zombies, there should at least be people—not this eerie emptiness where not even a ghost’s shadow could be seen.
Could the survivors have heard us and gone into hiding?
The two exchanged a glance and moved forward stealthily, beginning their search of the building.
The restaurant storerooms surely held plenty of food, but that wasn’t their priority. First, they had to clear the area of any potential threats.
Yet, after nearly an hour of searching—even combing through the underground garage—they found no one, not even bodies.
Standing beside the first-floor fountain, Zhou An’an was utterly baffled.
“It’s impossible for this place to be empty, right? The doors were locked from the inside. Where did the person who locked them go?”
Lu Yuan studied the fountain pool behind her. With the power and water cut off since the apocalypse, the fountain had long ceased to function. Only an angel-shaped statue remained, standing silently in the center.
The pool was filled to the brim with water that looked pitch-black in the night, its surface completely still.
Indoor fountain pools like this shouldn’t be very deep. Why is the water here so black?
He raised the flashlight, intending to take a closer look, when a sudden clang echoed from nearby. He immediately sprinted toward the sound.
Zhou An’an started to follow, but after just a few steps, she felt a chilling breeze at her back.
She whirled around to see a massive dark shadow looming over her. It enveloped her completely, swallowing her and her cry for help before silently sinking into the water.
Lu Yuan reached the source of the sound—a snack shop.
The shelves were lined with all sorts of candies, their colors and shapes looking incredibly tempting.
A tin of candy lay on the floor, that must have been what made the noise when it fell.
Lu Yuan picked it up and examined it closely. There were no marks on it.
Suddenly, a small dark shape darted from under the shelves on his left.
Lu Yuan hurled the candy tin with force, hitting the target dead-on. The shadow squeaked and collapsed.
He picked it up. It was a fat rat.
The rat was large but showed no signs of mutation. It must have knocked the candy over while foraging.
Disappointed, Lu Yuan tossed the rat aside and casually picked up a bag of gummy bears. “What flavor do you like…”
He trailed off and whipped around. Zhou An’an, who had been right behind him, was gone.
“Damn it!”
His face paled. He dropped the candy and bolted out of the shop.
Lu Yuan sprinted back to the fountain. The area was empty.
“Zhou An’an! Zhou An’an!” he shouted urgently, but there was no reply.
Though they often bickered, she would never pull a prank like this. She must be in danger.
Lu Yuan stared at the vast, dark mall, which now seemed like a monstrous beast with its jaws wide open, waiting to devour the living.
Where is she?
He hadn’t felt a shred of anxiety while searching the mall earlier, but now, with Zhou An’an missing, a powerful unease gripped him, threatening to burst his heart.
Lu Yuan took several deep breaths, pressing the back of his hand to his forehead to force himself to calm down.
After a few seconds, he began to meticulously examine his surroundings.
Droplets of water were scattered on the ground—water that hadn’t been there before Zhou An’an disappeared. A grim certainty settled in his gut.
Lu Yuan walked to the edge of the fountain pool. The water remained as black as ink, obscuring whatever lay beneath.
Blub— A small bubble drifted to the surface and popped.
He raised his gun, ready to shoot and force the creature out, but then remembered that Zhou An’an’s fate was unknown. Fearing he might accidentally hit her, he changed his mind.
He holstered his gun, drew his familiar short knife, and plunged into the water.
The pool was far deeper than he had imagined, its bottom seemingly hollowed out by something.
A dark shadow glided past him, and Lu Yuan immediately gave chase.
Moments later, the still water erupted into a violent churn, like a cauldron of boiling oil.
The statue was sent flying as an immense lotus flower rose from the water. Each petal was the size of an adult’s body, and its stem was as thick as a tree trunk.
The petals were tightly closed, oozing a transparent, viscous slime from the seams.
Lu Yuan clung desperately to the edge of one petal with his left hand, his body dangling in the air. He gripped his short knife tightly in his right, trying to slash the petal open.
The lotus thrashed wildly, but it couldn’t shake him off.
Two more astonishingly large lotus leaves emerged from the pool, slamming toward him like a pair of closing walls.
Lu Yuan had no choice but to let go and dodge, but the barbs on the leaf stems still scraped his cheek and arm, leaving several bloody scratches.
The moment he landed, he snatched up his gun and fired over ten rounds at the lotus leaves.
A beast-like wail echoed through the mall as the leaves snapped in half and crashed to the ground.
Lu Yuan dodged the falling leaves and continued shooting.
Finally, the lotus flower’s stem broke, and its massive head tumbled to the floor.
He lowered his gun, drew his short knife, and ran over. He sliced through the petals one by one until he finally pulled Zhou An’an out from the innermost layer, her body completely coated in slime.
The viscous fluid had even filled her nostrils, nearly suffocating her.
Lu Yuan hauled her up, patting and shaking her until most of the slime was cleared away.
Zhou An’an lay limply on the ground, realizing for the first time in her life how sweet the air truly was.
“Are you okay now?” Lu Yuan asked, sitting beside her.
She managed a weak “Mmm” and struggled to sit up. “Thank you.”
If Lu Yuan hadn’t been there, or if he had been just a few minutes slower, she would have been dead for sure.
“You’re injured?” she exclaimed, noticing the blood on him.
Lu Yuan casually wiped the blood from his face. “Just a scratch. It’s nothing serious.”
“That’s good…” Zhou An’an sighed in relief.
Lu Yuan warned her, “From now on, stick close to me whenever we’re out. If you see anything strange, don’t investigate on your own. Tell me first.”
She nodded firmly and got up to examine the mutated lotus.
“It’s terrifying… It got so huge. It was trying to eat me, wasn’t it?”
She didn’t need Lu Yuan to answer; she already knew. A large amount of slime oozed from the scattered petals, mixed with several undigested bones.
Probably from survivors who were hiding here, she thought.
Zhou An’an couldn’t bear to look any longer and turned to leave. The slime still coating the floor tiles made the smooth surface incredibly slippery.
Swoosh! She slipped and fell flat on her face. Lu Yuan reached out to help her up, but his gaze fell on her chest, and he immediately let go.
Zhou An’an quickly scrambled to her feet. Looking down, she saw that her clothes were soaked through, clinging tightly to her body. The outline and pattern of her underwear were clearly visible through her light-colored top.
Her cheeks flushed hot. Head bowed, she mumbled, “I… I’m going to change.”
In a mall this big, finding a suitable set of women’s clothes would be easy.
But Lu Yuan said, “Wait.”
Zhou An’an paused uncertainly. She watched as Lu Yuan emerged from a nearby store carrying a large water jug, still about two-thirds full. Gun at the ready, he went to clear the women’s restroom. Only after confirming it was safe did he turn to her and say, “Go wash it off first. This slime is probably similar to human stomach acid—it might be corrosive.”
The image of the bones flashed through Zhou An’an’s mind, and a wave of nausea washed over her. She hurried into the restroom.
Lu Yuan didn’t leave. He stood guard outside the door, leaning against the wall and letting out a long breath as he absently rubbed the cut on his face with his thumb.
The slime was incredibly difficult to wash off—slippery and sticky, like the mucus on an eel.
Zhou An’an scrubbed furiously until her skin was raw and red before finally stopping.
Oh no!
She had only brought the water in with her—no towel, no clean clothes. How was she supposed to go back out?
Zhou An’an glanced disdainfully at the filthy clothes on the floor. She would rather die than put them back on.
“Ahem…” Standing behind the door, she coughed twice and asked politely, “Lu Yuan, could you please help me find some clean clothes?”
A rustling sound came from outside. Lu Yuan pushed the door open a crack and handed in his own shirt.
Just as Zhou An’an was about to refuse, he said, “Wear this for now. Once you’re dressed, we’ll find clothes together. Don’t split up.”
The terrifying scene from moments ago flashed before her eyes, and a lingering fear gripped her. She quickly took the shirt and put it on.
Lu Yuan was tall, and his clothes were large on her. The shirt’s hem hung down to her knees, so she didn’t have to worry about being exposed.
Zhou An’an wrung out her hair a few more times before stepping out, her locks still dripping wet.
Lu Yuan deliberately averted his gaze, not looking at her as he led the way forward.
The first floor was filled with car showrooms and food stores, but no clothing shops. They headed up to the second floor.
As they passed the fountain, Zhou An’an tensed with caution. Fortunately, the Mutated Lotus was completely dead, and the mall seemed free of other anomalies.
She relaxed and walked into a clothing store, beginning to browse.
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