SGT CH192

Apocalypse Inner Voice Extra

◎[Even if it is forced, I must keep him by my side.]◎

The apocalypse, a shopping mall.

Mu Si was cornered by zombies.

Tormented by his stomach ailment, darkness swam across his vision in waves, until his strength drained completely and he collapsed to the floor.

Zombies sprinted forward, lunging straight at him.

[Stop!]

Just when he thought he was about to perish right here, a voice suddenly echoed inside his mind.

At the exact same moment, the zombies leaping toward him halted abruptly a single meter away, as if struck by a sudden pause button.

What was going on?

Dazed, Mu Si lifted his head.

The zombies were far too close, their putrid stench wafting into his nose unavoidably, making his already churning stomach feel even worse, pressing a hand to his chest as he dry-heaved.

[Back away.]

[Leave this shopping mall.]

That voice sounded once more.

The three rigid zombies backed away in unison, gradually vanishing from his field of view.

This display looked just like… a psychic ability?!

Mu Si looked up in astonishment.

Only to see X, who was supposed to have died within the zombie horde long ago, standing in the distance, gazing at him with cold, crimson eyes, devoid of any warmth.

“X…”

Mu Si forced his body to stand upright.

Yet this body had already reached its limit. The moment he stood up, darkness engulfed his vision, and his body pitched forward out of control.

[Careful!]

Before losing consciousness entirely, he tumbled into an ice-cold embrace.

·

[So light.]

[Lost so much weight.]

[It’s only been two days, how did he make himself look like this?]

[The flesh that was so hard to build up is gone again…]

Intermittent voices drifted through his mind.

Mu Si’s consciousness rose and sank within the dark, wanting to grasp onto something, yet catching only a handful of chill.

[So well-behaved.]

[His sleeping appearance is still more…]

Mu Si’s consciousness cleared up gradually, striving to open heavy eyelids.

[Oh no! He’s waking up, put him on the bed… no, too late.]

Feeling his body lowered onto the cold floor, the thing he had been clutching in his hand slipped away as well.

Stimulated by the cold, Mu Si snapped his eyes open.

Yet all he saw was pitch-black.

The surroundings were completely devoid of light. He opened his eyes as wide as possible, yet still could not capture a single ray of illumination.

He could see nothing at all.

Yet he knew X was nearby.

Relying on his hands, Mu Si fumbled across the floor.

His hand brushed against an object with a coarse fabric surface; it was a sofa.

Following his intuition, Mu Si traced upward along the sofa.

He touched… straight, long legs wrapped in crisp trousers.

The touch was somewhat cool.

[Si Si…]

Mu Si climbed further upward.

Belt, waist, chest…

Mu Si’s hand paused.

No rise and fall, no heartbeat.

Mu Si’s breath hitched faintly.

[Frightened him…]

[What should I do…]

Mu Si continued upward.

Fingertips glided past collarbone, Adam’s apple, chin, finally resting upon slightly chilled lips.

Mu Si practically draped his entire self over the cold body resting on the sofa.

At such close proximity, only his own warm breathing existed within the entire space.

X had truly become a zombie.

Mu Si’s eyes stung with sourness, a tear rolling down.

[Si Si!]

The body below, which seemed already dead, stirred all of a sudden, leaning closer to him slightly, only to pause right when truly about to make contact.

In the dark, Mu Si cupped X’s face close at hand and kissed him.

Like a sacrifice.

Or like seeking death.

He cared about nothing anymore.

He only wanted to die together with X.

Let X infect him.

Let X devour him.

Whatever happened was fine.

[Si Si?!]

[Are, are you crazy?]

[Do you know what you are doing? I…]

[Entered, must use abilities to isolate, water series, space series, and… mgh, Si Si.]

[Wait, temperature, must raise the temperature.]

[Si Si, so sweet.]

“…”

This was somewhat different from what Mu Si had imagined.

He had offered himself proactively, wanting to be eaten by X.

Yet in the end, it turned into a lingering kiss.

Holding him close, the zombie X tangled lips and tongues with him.

Mu Si was merely an ordinary human; his breath-holding capacity naturally could not compete with a zombie that had no need to breathe.

Ultimately, he collapsed panting against X’s shoulder, trying hard to steady his breathing.

Meanwhile, X’s hand rested on his back, gently stroking down to smooth his breath.

Mu Si did not know why things had developed this way.

He had come into contact with X’s saliva.

His face felt slightly flushed right now, and his head spun with dizzy hypoxia.

Very much like the onset of infection.

Yet those words heard in his mind earlier left him rather uncertain.

Thinking back now, those voices had appeared very strangely.

He had originally thought X was using a psychic ability.

Yet the longer it went, the more off it seemed.

Those fragmented voices sounded far more like X’s inner thoughts.

Was the psychic ability itself playing tricks?

Transmitting X’s inner thoughts directly to him.

The psychic ability was the only autonomous ability Mu Si had ever encountered.

It had tempted him more than once, expressing disdain toward X, wanting to return to his side.

Mu Si was unsure whether other psychic ability users experienced such things.

In short, as an ability, it was far too intelligent.

[Si Si is ignoring me.]

[Did I not do well enough?]

[Cannot compare to a living person after all…]

Mu Si’s eyelids twitched.

What on earth was X thinking about?

He had caused him to fall into the zombie horde, caused him to turn into a zombie, yet in the end… he actually felt he hadn’t done well enough.

Could the zombie virus affect one’s brain?

…Of course the zombie virus affected the brain.

For someone like X, who could still maintain a certain degree of lucidity and consciousness after turning into a zombie, it was already exceedingly rare.

This might be related to the psychic crystal core inside X’s body.

Fortunately, he had given the crystal core to X back then.

Leaning against X’s chest, listening to the flat, motionless ribs, Mu Si could still sense the crystal core beneath radiating gentle, tranquil energy.

Mu Si quietly planted a kiss over X’s heart.

Startled, X sat bolt upright.

[Si Si? Why? Why suddenly…]

[Does he want to?]

[No no no, I am a zombie, what normal person would be willing to be close with a zombie?]

[Then, is he trying to please me?]

[Back at the base, because I couldn’t bring back the psychic crystal core, Si Si was always cold to me, remaining lukewarm even during the departure from the base.]

[Now that I have become a zombie, he is willing to be intimate with me instead.]

[Because having left the convoy and the base, he can only curry favor with me to gain protection.]

Mu Si: “…”

What kind of thoughts were running through X’s head?

In X’s eyes, was he actually that sort of person?

Mu Si felt both angry and wronged. Just as he was about to speak, X’s inner voice rang out once again.

[That’s wonderful!]

[Si Si still needs me.]

[He won’t leave me.]

Mu Si: “???”

[Let me continue keeping Si Si by my side using such a despicable method.]

Mu Si was dumbfounded.

“You…” Mu Si looked up in the dark, finding it both ridiculous and exasperating, choked into speechlessness by the sheer absurdity.

Lowering his head, X asked, “Hungry?”

He had tried his best to soften his tone, but having gone so long without speaking after turning into a zombie, his vocal cords seemed unfamiliar, producing a voice that sounded stiff and raspy.

Hearing his own voice, X closed his mouth, speaking no further.

“You can speak?” Mu Si asked in surprise.

X hadn’t uttered a single word from beginning to end; he could only hear his rich inner thoughts.

He had assumed that after turning into a zombie, X had lost the ability to speak just like the others.

Though thinking about it made sense. Those zombies simply suffered from diseased brains and couldn’t speak human language, rather than being incapable of making sound.

Since X possessed thoughts that, while absurd, were fairly clear, he could naturally speak.

“Mm,” X responded in a low murmur, saying no more.

Lifting Mu Si up, he placed him onto the bed, explaining in as brief a sentence as possible:

“You, rest. I go, cook.”

Did he develop a stutter?

Mu Si wondered.

Yet he did not say it aloud.

For X to maintain a degree of sanity and speech after turning into a zombie was already far from easy.

He could not add more psychological burden onto X.

Therefore, even when X left him on the bedding in the dark, he accepted it quietly.

Lying on the soft mattress, listening to X’s departing footsteps, Mu Si felt no fear.

Probably because X himself represented security; he would always trust X to protect him.

Or perhaps because of… those inner thoughts drifting unhindered into his mind, even across doors and walls.

[Si Si looks like he hasn’t eaten properly in a long time.]

[Need to make him easily digestible food, nourishing him slowly.]

[Pity those mutated plants aren’t here, need to find time to dig them up from the base.]

[My poor Si Si, needs to eat more mutated plant flowers and fruits to recover.]

[Aches my heart.]

Listening to the consecutive inner thoughts, Mu Si tucked half his face beneath the blanket, feeling a long-lost tranquility.

The panic stemming from losing his ability, being unable to stand beside X, and becoming a burden to X gradually dissolved beneath the blanket of inner thoughts.

Perhaps his unease had not merely arisen from losing his ability and losing his foundation to survive the apocalypse.

It had also stemmed from uncertainty regarding X’s love.

Now, however, he could hear X’s love for him with absolute clarity.

All fear and anxiety faded at this moment.

Mu Si’s eyes grew hot, carrying sorrow and regret, but far more of deep emotion and relief.

He had caused a terrible mistake.

Blinded by obsession, he had cost X his life, almost causing X to leave him forever.

Fortunately, X remained in this world in another form.

Fortunately, there was still a chance to make amends.

“Si Si, time to eat.”

Carrying porridge, X arrived beside the bed.

Mu Si sat up in the dark, waiting for X to turn on the light.

What met him instead was a spoon and porridge delivered straight to his lips.

Mu Si: “?”

[Is it a bit too hot?]

Seeing Mu Si motionless, X brought the spoonful of porridge to his own lips, originally wanting to blow on it. Remembering something, he pressed his lips together, using an ability to lower the temperature instead.

Once again offering the cooled porridge to Mu Si’s lips.

Silently swallowing the porridge at his mouth, Mu Si couldn’t help asking:

“Why not turn on the light?”

X paused, placed the bowl onto the bedside table, and stood up to turn on the light.

Amid subtle rustling, the light flared on.

The sudden brightness made Mu Si squeeze his eyes shut for a moment.

Opening them again, he saw X standing before him fully armed, wearing a hat, a mask, and gloves.

Fine, X was a zombie, so masks and gloves were understandable.

Why wear a hat indoors?

The brim was pulled down so low it completely blocked his eyes.

Mu Si deeply doubted whether he could even see the path ahead.

[Si Si is looking at me…]

[Covered thoroughly, right?]

[Shouldn’t be able to see the eyes.]

[Can’t frighten Si Si.]

Hearing X’s thoughts, Mu Si thought he was injured.

Subconsciously leaning forward, he lifted X’s hat.

Under the illumination of the light, X’s crimson eyes contracted abruptly.

[It’s over.]

Seizing the opening while Mu Si froze, X hurriedly snatched the hat back, stepped back several paces, pulled it onto his head, and pressed the brim forward, concealing the inhuman crimson eyes.

Watching X’s reaction, Mu Si recalled the handsome face beneath the hat he had just seen.

Not injured at all.

Why was X so tense?

Why did he think it would frighten him?

“X?” Mu Si called out softly.

[Here it comes.]

X’s body tensed as he awaited Mu Si’s verdict.

[Will he leave me?]

[Seeing with his own eyes that I have turned into an inhuman monster.]

[Without the concealment of darkness, without the ‘living person’ appearance simulated by abilities.]

[Can Si Si accept staying beside a zombie?]

[If Si Si wants to leave me, then…]

[I will never let him leave.]

[I don’t trust anyone else to take care of Si Si.]

[Even if it is forced, I must keep him by my side.]