In the pitch-black surroundings, every step on the ground produced a faint “patter” sound. Dim white light flickered around the area, illuminating a desolate and silent scene. As Wei Xuan walked through, he couldn’t help but feel like he had stepped into a horror movie set. This place could be used for filming without any need for additional decorations, just pick up the camera and start shooting.
Actually, not just this place, all the streets after the apocalypse could easily serve as a horror movie backdrop, especially with the real zombies as extras. Unfortunately, even if such a movie was made now, it’s unlikely anyone would have the mood or desire to watch it.
While contemplating this, Wei Xuan proceeded down the slope. Passing by the small booth responsible for checking entry and exit, he noticed a pool of long-dried blood, rendering its original appearance unrecognizable. There were no signs of zombies inside the booth, they must have wandered somewhere else even in the early stages of the apocalypse.
The underground parking garage still had a few scattered vehicles parked in their respective spots. Wei Xuan inspected the area with his flashlight, ensuring there were no traces of zombies even among the vehicles. With Du Hang by his side, he proceeded toward the entrance leading to the second underground level.
Indeed, this building had more than just one underground level. According to the sign at the stairwell, there were three underground parking levels in total.
This residential area was near the older parts of the city, which typically lacked parking spaces. So, during the construction of this building, they likely intended to profit from creating more parking spaces, leading to the multiple underground levels. Fortunately, they didn’t go overboard and only built three levels.
Wei Xuan continued down the passageway to the second underground level. There were even fewer vehicles here, and the amount of debris and rubble on the ground was scarce compared to the first level. However, when he reached the third underground level, he noticed that he couldn’t proceed any further.
It wasn’t due to any debris blocking the entrance but because the entire third level was almost submerged in water.
He shone his flashlight on the water’s surface and the surrounding walls, confirming that there were no special circumstances or any zombies or human corpses in the water. Only then did he return to the second level with Du Hang.
The accumulated water on the third level might be a result of the heavy rains from the recent days, or it could have seeped in from ruptured water pipes during the earthquake.
Regardless of the cause, that level was unusable. Wei Xuan didn’t dare to use it without knowing the source of the water or the possibility of any viruses or bacteria after a year of the apocalypse.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
However, the half-submerged third level made the entire underground parking garage exceptionally cool.
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Comparatively, it was more secure to build the icehouse on the first level.
Thus, he and Du Hang climbed back to the first level, carefully inspecting the area. Afterward, they returned to the surface and spent quite some time wandering around the ruins of the building. Finally, they returned home.
Currently, it seemed more prudent to build the icehouse on the first underground level, but Wei Xuan was concerned about the water issue. Initially, he had thought of simply digging a pit or utilizing the basement for the icehouse. However, as he prepared to implement the plan, he realized that there were many complications whether the icehouse was above or below ground. No matter how thorough his considerations had been during the planning stage, unexpected situations could still arise and lead to more serious problems.
“Ah… all I wanted was to make an icehouse, why does it have to be so troublesome?” Wei Xuan sighed and rubbed his temples after returning to the room. Du Hang obediently sat by his side and, sensing his frustration, sent him a comforting affectionate signal. Without opening his eyes, Wei Xuan reached out to touch him, and a furry head approached to give him a kiss.
Deciding to build the icehouse on the first level for now, Wei Xuan thought that he could start by constructing the framework, and then fill it and complete it when the weather turned cooler and it started to snow. After going through this entire summer and autumn, he should have a good idea of how much water could accumulate there. If it didn’t work out, they could consider other options later.
With this decision in mind, Wei Xuan planned to study the pile of books he brought back. He wasn’t in a hurry since there was still plenty of water stored at home, and with the recent rainy season, this year’s water supply should be fine. After all, the most challenging time for water scarcity in T City was during spring and early summer, which had already passed.
While contemplating, Wei Xuan unexpectedly found a thermometer while rummaging through his backpack. These thermometers could be placed in several rooms that needed monitoring, like his own room or the icehouse once it was constructed. The remaining ones could be carried around to monitor other locations as needed. However, when he saw the thermometer, he thought of something else, the body thermometer.
He had intended to bring back a few body thermometers this time, but on the way back, he got busy, and later, the matter with the antlers took precedence, so he temporarily put it aside. But now, the thought of it gnawed at him like an itch in his heart. Thus, after pacing around the room for two rounds, he pulled Du Hang and went downstairs, leaving their home community.
There were several pharmacies and clinics near the community, and any one of them would have thermometers for sale. Wei Xuan randomly entered one and found what he was looking for, mercury thermometers. Due to lack of use for an extended period, he didn’t know if it was the high external temperature or some other reason, but the current reading was relatively high. After shaking it for a while and wiping it clean, he placed it under his armpit. Anxiously sitting in a chair at the clinic, Du Hang obediently leaned against him.
After five minutes passed, Wei Xuan quickly checked the thermometer. The number on it left him momentarily stunned, and it took him a while to utter a sound, “No change?”
The mercury remained at the bottom, not moving at all. Wei Xuan shook it vigorously, then placed it back under his armpit, but after waiting for another ten minutes, he took it out again, only to find the mercury still firmly resting in its original position.
Wei Xuan’s heart pounded rapidly. For a while, he couldn’t come back to his senses. After some time passed, he suddenly jumped up and rushed back to where he found the thermometer, quickly taking out several more and shaking them to ensure they had no readings. He put them one by one under his armpit but still, “No change.”
It wasn’t that these thermometers were all broken, it was that… his body temperature was lower than what they could measure.
“35 degrees… go to that clinic!” The mercury thermometers could only measure down to 35 degrees, and in this particular pharmacy, he might be able to find an electronic thermometer to test again.
Of course, Wei Xuan planned to take these mercury thermometers back home and use warm water to test them, to determine whether the issue was with the thermometers or with himself.
Shortly after, the two of them headed to a nearby small clinic. After searching through various thermometers, be it electronic or fancy-looking infrared thermometers, none of them could accurately measure Wei Xuan’s peculiar body temperature. All these medical thermometers had their limitations, with minimum measurement thresholds set at 32 degrees or above.
“… I feel like I’ve seen this thing somewhere before,” Wei Xuan didn’t get discouraged by the lack of success. Until now, no instrument had accurately indicated his actual body temperature, so he continued to assume that all these devices were faulty. But looking at the appearance of the infrared thermometer, he suddenly remembered having seen something similar in a hardware store or something similar.
As a result, he once again dragged Du Hang to a larger hardware store nearby, where he had been multiple times before. Sure enough, he found an infrared thermometer.
In fact, this kind of temperature-measuring device worked on the same principle as the infrared thermometer used in the medical field. The difference was that the medical device had set upper and lower limits for displaying readings, while the one found in hardware stores could measure a wide range, from -50 degrees to 800 degrees. The one Wei Xuan found could measure anywhere within that range.
With a “beep,” the device pointed directly at his forehead, and Wei Xuan saw the result displayed in Arabic numerals. He swallowed with difficulty as he read, “28… degrees.”
Was this temperature for his body, not the indoor temperature??
Wei Xuan took a deep breath, changed positions, and measured again — “27.6…”
Suddenly, he stood up, holding the gun-shaped device, and the “beep, beep, beep” sound echoed as he pointed it at the table, the chair, the walls, and everything around him. Finally, he turned his head to look at Du Hang, who was curiously following him, and pointed the thing at his forehead — “12 degrees…”
Should he be relieved that his temperature was slightly higher than Du Hang’s?
28 degrees, a temperature even lower than the indoor temperature. No wonder he felt comfortably cool when holding him last year, and a bit cold during winter. But now… what was the reason for his body temperature to drop so low?
He twitched the corners of his mouth with a bitter smile, wrapped his arm around Du Hang’s shoulder and neck, burying his face against his neck. “Maybe it’s because of my ability… abilities can also change the physique.”
He had known this for a long time. If it weren’t for this reason at the beginning of the apocalypse, how did his wound heal?
“… I seem to have forgotten something. After humans turn into zombies, the virus changes their physique… They also have accelerated healing after being injured…”
Abilities, zombies, the zombie virus, changes in the physique, a decrease in body temperature… was he a special case or an anomaly? Or were all ability users like this?
At this moment, Wei Xuan suddenly wanted to go to the base or find other ability users there, or even directly find those two lunatics, and test their body temperatures. However, he didn’t dare. He couldn’t face an unexpected yet inevitable result.
“… Let’s wait a while longer. If it continues to drop, I might as well get infected directly,” Wei Xuan murmured with a bitter smile.
The reason why he had never actively infected himself with the zombie virus was merely because he was worried that if he did, he might forget Du Hang and leave him behind. But if something strange happened and he couldn’t determine what the outcome would be, whether it would lead to a situation similar to Du Hang’s, or simply death, he would rather get infected with the zombie virus willingly and turn into a zombie.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh 👀
So scary !
It’s still scary when your body acts unexpectedly.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING AWESOME!!
Highly suspect his temperature dropped because someone secretly kisses him with his tongue when he’s sleeping.
It is possible might also be the steady snowflake diet. It is like WX started partially zombie and DH is patially human. The snow seems to be bringing them closer to middle ground.
nah, the reason is definitely because hus zombie bf kissed him with tongue when he’s asleep. remember when du hang kissed him with tongue the first time, wei xuan unexpectedly slept for one whole day kinda similar to what happened to people when the apocalypse started. he is slowly turning into zombie and that’s why he’s retaining his consciousness because the process is different
Aww, he doesn’t yet know that all humans are already infected! I think he mutated like those plants after eating those crystals.
Oh, we are a little bit closer to truth
Thank you for your translation 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙