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24th of December.
Time passed by quickly and Christmas Eve had arrived. The streets and malls were covered in glittering lights. A huge Christmas tree could be found at the center of the capital. Anonymous news about the incoming Apocalypse had been spreading on the internet for half a month lately but none of the people believed it.
It's like when someone said that the world would end in 2012 but still nothing happened with that same kind of rumor. The crowd never believes things until proofs are provided. Evening had arrived. Numerous couples and families were out there spending Christmas Eve but the most expensive subdivisions were as quiet as it is. Plainly these people are those rich families who had connected to the upper barracks of the government and military therefore they knew about the incoming disaster.
In the subdivision where General Cao Junye and his unit resides, few orders were already implemented. Before 12 midnight everyone is commanded to stay alone in their own room to wait for Christmas Eve to pass. Except for a few couples who were determined to stay together until the end, most of the soldiers followed the General's orders.
General Cao himself stayed alone in his office. With a glass of wine in his hands he sat on a chair he placed to face the large window in his own office. When the clock strikes finally hits 12 of the midnight, accompanying the sounds of the bell in the city is a huge black out.
This black out is caused by the sudden disappearance where the source of energy comes from. The lights flickered for a bit as the generators finally started kicking but no one outside their house had time to worry about the dimmed lights on the streets. They were all looking at the evening sky and the sudden appearance of the huge scarlet moon.
"Is that the moon?"
"Why the hell is it red!?"
"It's a Blood Moon!!!"
"This is my first time seeing this. Take a photo."
"Share it to everyone."
"Wait! What are those lights!?"
"A meteor shower? Amazing~ so beautiful~"
Everyone who is still awake at this moment watches the beautiful scenery above their heads. Just the big red moon is astounding enough, the crisscrossing meteor shower caught every amazed themselves. It is because of this breathtaking scenery that they didn't notice the smog converging from the sky falling on them. This smog is like a fog but unlike an ordinary fog, it moves on its own as if it was alive.
It entered the human body without them noticing. Once the human body is invaded successfully, the infected individuals fall on the ground one by one as if they've inhaled something that made them fall asleep. Even the people who were hiding in the houses were not spared by this smog.
---
At the General's Mansion.
Office.
Cao Junye watched as that smog entered through the gaps of his window crawling slowly towards him. He didn't react as if seeing unimaginative things as this event was already explained by Shi Moye. This is the fog that brings the virus. They were told that if they wanted to secure their survival they just have to avoid this smog but the downside is that they would never receive the opportunity to become an ability user.
High risk. High return.
Only those who awakened their abilities after the trial would be considered a real ability user than those who gain their ability through absorbing elemental stones during the second phase of the apocalypse.
---
There are two ways to become an ability user.
First is to gamble with your life and let the smog from the meteorite enter your body and force you to awaken. Results of this is either you become a zombie or become an awakened one.
Second is to survive a whole month after the apocalypse begins. Within the month the zombies of undead would start to evolve. After their evolution, there would be elemental stone emerging from their heads. Once an ordinary person eats this stone, there is a higher possibility of awakening but there is still 3% of being a zombie. If you are unlucky enough then you would become an undead after consuming the stone.
These elemental stones were also useful to upgrade an ability user's level. One could distinguish the difference of elements through the color of the elemental stones.
Red - Fire
Blue - Water
Green - Wind
Orange - Earth
Gold - light
Grey - Metal
Black - Darkness
Purple - Thunder
Light Blue - Ice
Neon - Plant
Dark Violet - Space
White - Attribute type (Strength, Agility and etc.)
---
Cao Junye felt his body boiling as soon as his body got infected by the Z-virus. Despite his inside burning his sweat was cold. Junye hovers in the midst of his consciousness and unconsciousness. In his last moments before he fell into a coma, he was sure that someone who looked like Xueya had appeared out of nowhere before him.
"Baby...?" He calls and tries to reach out only to finally fall into a blackout and suffer a high fever.
Before he falls on the ground Xueya caught him in his arms. There was no emotion on his face as he hugged the unconscious man in his embrace. It seems that Cao Junye isn't seeing things during his delirium. Ximen Xueya indeed teleported back to the General's mansion to check on him after putting his son asleep inside their seaside villa. System Yue was left to look after the child in his human form. Of course, he didn't left the villa unprotected. Ximen Xueya placed a thick barrier of Ice around the side villa before leaving his son to his uncle.
Back to the mansion, Ximen Xueya caught Cao Junye before he completely fell on the ground. Carrying him on his shoulders, he was thinking of laying him down on the bed in the master's bedroom.
Xueya calls, "Uncle Wu."
Once he called upon this name the man waiting outside entered the room. He respectfully lowered his head in front of Ximen Xueya.
"Xueya-gongzi, your orders." said the Old Butler.
It seems that Ximen Xueya first met the old man when he was in danger when the virus had taken over his body. His antibodies aren't enough for him and almost become a zombie right away. It was at that moment that Xueya had helped him overcome his trials. With someone like Xueya assisting him, his trials had passed without problems. This old butler became the first one to become an awakened ability user. His ability is Strengthening.
Xueya spoke, "Carry him to his room."
"Yes, Xueya-gongzi." said Uncle Wu as he took over the job of carrying Cao Junye.
Once Junye was placed on the bed, he stood at the sides waiting for more orders.
"Prepare juice and some towels for me. I will look after him and you can continue your duties. Thought ability users were considered awakened humans they would still become zombies when bitten. As long as you weren't bitten, getting scratch is not a problem. You should be prepared. After all not everyone could become an awakened ability user. I've just specially saved you because... you are the person who is the most loyal to Cao Junye and my child likes you." said Xueya.
Hearing this the old butler couldn't help but smile, this is the happiness of getting repaid for your loyalty all this time. It is because he is loyal to his Master, he treated those people his master like the same way. It is because Master Ximen likes his master that he was saved during his most peril times.
Uncle Wu said, "It was my honor, Master Xueya. Please excuse me to complete your orders for a moment."
The old butler took his leave to complete his orders and give his masters some privacy.
Once the old butler had prepared what he wanted and once again left the room, Xueya started wiping Cao Junye's burning body up with the towels he asked the old butler to bring to him. He also used his own ability to control ice to keep the temperature in the room cold and help Cao Junye pass his trial much easier than the rest.
Ximen Xueya's face remained emotionless when he did everything in that moment.
At the same time Ximen Xueya didn't forget to cover the whole subdivision with a barrier made of ice. This is to prevent stray meteorites from hitting that land. Direct contact with those impure things would instantly cause mutation on the human body. In short, in a few seconds they would turn to undead upon contact. This is the reason Xueya put up a barrier around this place and his territory.
Deciding to stay for a bit while, Xueya only sat beside the bed and stared at the feverish man sleeping suffering from a burning temperature. When he held Cao Junye just now, Xueya smelled the scent of alcohol. He clearly warned them to drink things that would strengthen their antibodies and not weaken them.
"I clearly told them to eat fruits and vegetables. This death seeking bastard, did he want to die!?" scolded Cao Junye openly as the latter could not really hear him.
Because of this Xueya had the old butler get some juice. But the old butler seems to have mistaken that the juice is for Xueya as he served strawberry juice which Xueya and his son like to drink when they still stay in the mansion. Placing the pitcher of juice on the side table, he held a glass of it in his hands. He inclined Cao Junye's body supporting him from the back, intending to force him to drink the juice. But clearly it is impossible to make a person in a coma drink or eat no matter what.
Ximen Xueya could only drink the juice himself, pry Cao Junye's lips open and feed it from mouth to mouth then press the other person's tongue to force the juice into the other person's mouth. This can also make the sleeping general drink a mouthful or two. Xueya didn't care how many times their tongues clashed. The latter is totally dead to the world and had no idea of what Xueya had done to him.
After successfully making the general drink a few glasses of strawberry juice, Xueya noticed his complexion turning a bit better than before. He waited for a few hours watching the man survive his trial when he thought that the man was about to wake up. Ximen Xueya didn't hesitate to stand up preparing to leave.
His face remains devoid of emotions even when looking at the general. He might still like the man but that doesn't mean he forgives him with the words he had said to him before. This is the reason why Xueya still decided to leave before the man woke up. Once he left the room, he saw that the old butler named Wu had been waiting for him to come out.
Xueya spoke, "He should be fine now. But since his trial is too long, it would take him a while before he wakes up. This is better. The longer he sleeps means the stronger he would be when he woke up. The barrier I put around this place would only disappear when Junye wakes up and... don't tell him I came."
Just when Xueya is about to take his leave the old butler could help but tried to stop him for a moment.
"Master Xueya please wait."
As he wanted, Ximen Xueya stopped and waited for him to speak.
"Are you... Are you not going to return? We are planning to go to Z District. The government had created a base there. After checking on the State Head and the Minister, we are planning to head to Z District."
"Hm~ so it was you guys who made that small town your base." whispered Xueya.
The Old butler spoke, "Pardon, sir?"
"We are fine for now. My son and I don't really need any protection. I can keep my son safe on my own." replied Xueya.
This answer from Ximen Xueya had rendered the old butler silent. After all, what the former had said is right. He could definitely protect their own just by seeing the capabilities he had seen Xueya had done. Teleportation, just with this skill, it is enough for the father and son to roam the world unhindered. Moreover he had seen the huge barrier that covered the subdivision. It seems to be made of Ice, which means Master Xueya has two types of abilities.
Xueya continues to speak, "As for the State Head and the Minister don't waste your time. I've checked just now. They... are gone."
"What?!"
"If you are still planning to save the rest of their people then... They are currently hiding in the basement of the State Palace."
"Master Xueya, would we still be able to meet again?" asked the Old Butler who misses the young master's presence badly ever since they've left.
"If fate allows then... we should be able to meet again. Look after him for me."
Only when the old butler saw that Ximen Xueya had once again disappeared in front of him that he could only lower his head as in farewell.
"I will look after the Master for you." uttered the old butler in the empty hallway.