After Turning Into a Girl, I Kept My Girlfriend in the Apocalypse - Chapter 14

“So, I want to go out and scout the situation. Do you have any reliable plans?”

 

We recommend using a drone for initial exploration. There’s a dedicated hangar for drones on the shelter’s perimeter.

 

Oh? How thoughtful!

 

They even added this design to prevent door ambushes. Truly a System Safehouse.

 

Sure enough, she found a hidden compartment in the living room wall, large enough to house a full-sized drone. The launch platform extended seamlessly from the wall, leaving no visible seams.

 

The drone began its reconnaissance.

 

This floor had ten units. Apart from her own 1003, the couple in 1006, and the tightly sealed door of 1009, all the other units had been breached.

 

Only 1002 had two zombies wandering inside. In the remaining units, even the residents were gone.

 

The other floors were much the same, with only two or three surviving units scattered among several zombies, forming isolated islands of despair.

 

By the fourth floor, the fireproof door was locked, preventing the drone from descending further. The exploration had to end there.

 

Strangely, despite the drone’s considerable noise, it didn’t attract the zombies’ attention.

 

Could it be that they hunt by scent?

 

It had only been two days since the End Times began. Outside lay mountains of corpses, yet inside the building, there wasn’t even a single dead zombie.

 

It seemed no one was waking up to grind combat power.

 

The drone returned to its hangar. He Ning didn’t retrieve it; after flying outside for so long, who knew if it carried the virus? She’d just buy a new one when needed.

 

“System, I am immune, right?”

 

All survivors are immune. However, whether you are immune to direct infection remains uncertain.

 

Additionally, Bai Lu is not immune and is highly vulnerable. The airborne virus will remain at unsafe levels for another 20 days. Please take precautions.

 

Ah, this…

 

I really did save Xiao Lu’s life! I’m such a good person!

 

“So, going outside now could bring the virus back and harm Xiao Lu?”

 

Yes.

 

He Ning broke into a cold sweat, remembering her reckless drone flight yesterday. Luckily, nothing went wrong.

 

“What would happen if she died?”

 

You would die too. I would disappear. Everyone would die! Hahaha—

 

That Haki Tong, even he’s afraid of death!

 

Still, despite teasing Bai Lu a little these past few days, there’s no doubt I’ve poured my heart into caring for her.

 

If she died, I’d lose my purpose and my reason for existing.

 

Host, you haven’t checked today’s Mall refresh yet. There might be something you urgently need!

 

That’s true. I’m still in the newbie protection period. What if I rolled a Terminator?

 

Opening the Mall, the golden item bar at the top refreshed with some truly useful items:

 

P5 Disinfection Pod: 10,000 Gold Coins Three-Day Vegetable Pack: 20 Gold Coins * Defensive Drone: 2,000 Gold Coins

 

The Disinfection Pod was expensive, but its value was clear. It was one level higher than the P4 models in the real world, perfectly suited for the current situation.

 

It could be placed in the Entrance Hall, automatically deploying to disinfect upon arrival. Most importantly, it would protect Bai Lu. Ten thousand Gold Coins was a worthwhile investment.

 

In the End Times, fresh vegetables were an absolute luxury, capable of fetching a high price.

 

As for the drone, equipped with two automatic pistols and a Taser, it could be controlled via mental commands. It would be perfect for delivering meals later.

 

After deploying the Disinfection Pod, He Ning grabbed a pistol and left the Safehouse.

 

Hiss—

 

The pressure release from the main door echoed through the quiet building, startling her.

 

The Safehouse seemed to have expanded on its own, now featuring double-layered exterior doors and half-meter-thick walls, yet the interior space remained unchanged.

 

Damn, this technology is insane.

 

Tap-tap—

 

The sound of high heels echoed from the hallway.

 

Is she crazy? Is she trying to attract monsters?

 

Even as He Ning wondered, two Zombies from the neighboring apartment had already emerged, drawn by the scent.

 

One was a raggedly dressed female white-collar worker, a resident of apartment 1002.

 

Her body showed mild decomposition, but there were no bite marks. Her left ankle was dislocated, while her right foot still wore a high-heeled shoe. The sound had come from her.

 

The other was a stout man with a fatal bite mark on his neck. His left arm had been gnawed off, and a pipe wrench hung from his waist.

 

It seemed he had stayed overnight next door on the rainy day.

 

Hiss, a white-collar worker and a pipefitter—that’s a formidable combination.

 

“Gods, grant me the wisdom to know all! Let all spaces connect! Arcane Leap!”

 

Target: the adjacent bedroom!

 

Whoosh!

 

He Ning transformed into a beam of light and instantly appeared in the bedroom.

 

Woohoo! It’s actually magic!

 

The moderate expenditure of mental power left her feeling exhilarated.

 

The Zombies, their attention drawn, shuffled back into the room.

 

“Roar! Instead of turning and fleeing, you’re approaching Shining Ningning?”

 

Shining what? Host, please remain calm!

 

“Shut up!”

 

“Hah… hah…”

 

The zombie could only rasp hoarsely.

 

“Think you can defeat me? Tsk tsk, how naive!”

 

He Ning crossed her arms and struck a scissor-hand pose, inwardly regretting not wearing her sailor uniform and long boots.

 

“For love and peace! The adorable and enchanting magical girl, Shining Ningning, has arrived!”

 

She’d been itching to try this classic entrance for ages.

 

“Vanish! You evil fiend who preys on living beings! Arcane Orb!”

 

A small golden magic circle materialized in He Ning’s outstretched hand, her mental power transforming into a spindle-shaped energy construct.

 

Whoosh!

 

Moving faster than light, the orb instantly struck the female zombie’s head.

 

Instead of the expected flames and explosion, the rotting head simply vanished as if cleanly sliced off.

 

Terrifying.

 

The pipe-wielding zombie beside her watched with rapt attention, frozen in place.

 

He Ning fired another Arcane Orb, neatly piercing its chest.

 

But…

 

“As expected, the body isn’t a weak point. Only a headshot works.”

 

With a casual finishing blow, He Ning secured her first victory.

 

Congratulations, Host! You have slain two ordinary Zombies. Your maximum mental power has increased by 2.

 

Your outstanding performance has been recorded and will be treasured by the System!

 

“What the hell, Haki Tong! What are you doing?!”

 

She had only been indulging in a bit of secret chuunibyou roleplay, and now she’d been caught red-handed.

 

The two-point increase wasn’t significant, but she did feel slightly stronger.

 

Powerful Mages often possessed vast reserves of magical energy. Continuously killing Zombies to enhance her mental power couldn’t be a bad strategy.

 

“Heh heh…”

 

The roars outside grew louder, indicating they’d likely been discovered.

 

She couldn’t reveal more of her abilities yet. She needed to find an opportunity to deal with them on another floor.

 

Taking advantage of the Zombies’ distance, He Ning left apartment 1002 and returned to her own home.

 

Just in time—the door locked automatically, causing the Zombies to lose their target and resume their aimless wandering.

 

The disinfection chamber activated, emitting an invisible light and a faint floral scent alongside the sterilizing steam.

 

“System, are you sure everything’s okay?”

 

Confirmed.

 

Really? If something happens to Bai Lu, you’ll take responsibility?

 

Truly. We’ll die together.

 

“Alright, fine. But if I happen to die, can you bind to Bai Lu instead?”

 

Once the System is bound, it cannot change hosts. Please strive to stay alive.

 

“Hmm, whatever.”

 

It was already past 3 AM. Time to eat. Using mental power had made me ravenously hungry.

 

I devoured a bento box and headed to the Second Bedroom for my favorite feeding game.

 

“Waaah… Ningning, please spare me… I… I can’t take it anymore… It hurts so much… Ah, I’m turning into something strange…”

 

Wow, the movies weren’t lying after all. Bai Lu’s performance was even more impressive in person.

 

“No can do. How can you become a capable adult without enduring the pain of transformation? It’s all part of the plan, you know.”

 

I slowly approached barefoot, noticing damp patches on the floor. Could it really be humid in autumn?

 

“Though I am truly sorry about this.”

 

Hearing my apology, a dreamy, crimson smile bloomed on Bai Lu’s face.

 

“I forgot to give you your mouthguard during your epileptic fit. If you get hurt, it’ll break my heart.”

 

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy? I’ve been thinking about you constantly.”

 

“N-no… it’s not that, Ningning. I… Master, Xiao Lu is your favorite pet. Please spare her!”

 

“Hah—”

 

He Ning turned away, exhaling heavily.

 

She couldn’t suppress the grin tugging at her lips.

 

Hearing such a desperate, submissive declaration was truly exhilarating.

 

Is this the power of Lord Rotor?

 

Praise the machines!

 

“Ahem, how could I ever torment Xiao Lu? It’s all for your own good. How about this…”

 

He Ning set the lunchbox down at her feet and patted her flushed cheeks.

 

“Just say, ‘Xiao Lu is Master’s pet,’ until I’m satisfied.”

 

“Mmm, you won’t agree to my request…”

 

“Of course I will! I’m genuinely delighted right now. Besides, you’re already exhausted. I care about you so much. I just want to hear you express your affection. It won’t take long.”

 

Is my only hope now the kindness of this madwoman?

 

Bai Lu’s eyes lost focus, staring blankly at the ceiling before finally relenting:

 

“Xiao Lu is Master’s pet…”