[Foreword]
This is an apocalypse story about being reborn to pamper one’s wife, with a bit of revenge thrown in on the side.
The top is an overpowered boss who is reborn, while the bottom is delicate. Neither of them are overly saintly, nor do they kill the innocent randomly, and they do not possess a saintly mindset. The top has absolutely no feelings for anyone except the bottom. To him, everyone else in the world is no different from a zombie. Whether they are a good person or a bad person, if they provoke him, there is only one word: death!
The top is quite unhinged and has psychological issues, and the bottom is his medicine. He is paranoid, vicious, and possesses an extreme sense of possessiveness. If he cannot see the bottom even for a moment, he panics. Important reminder: he genuinely lacks conventional morals. The top is exceptionally, extraordinarily ruthless because his past life warped his psychology. If not for the bottom, he would be the type to destroy the entire world.
Even though the world has ended in apocalypse, humans still survive and try their best to live. However, the top is in a state where, without the bottom, he would destroy everything. Therefore, if you mind this, please do not read it. I have given you a warning, so do not complain later that you could not accept it!
Main Text:
In the dim basement, the shadowy figures of rats crept past from time to time, leaving long trails on the dark, damp ground. A thin, frail figure was quietly hidden in the dark, holding his breath and not daring to move even slightly, lurking in the shadows and waiting for an opportunity.
Deep inside the basement, inside a cramped iron cage, Xiao Yan was trapped with his limbs bound, clinging to his last breath.
The clothes on his body were long since tattered beyond recognition. The exposed skin was covered in streaks of bloody lashes, and some wounds were so deep his bones showed. One could tell from the blood-stained leather whip hanging on the wall that such beatings were an everyday occurrence.
Leather shoes stepped onto the floor, making a tapping sound. A masked man stood outside the cage, admiring the disheveled and wretched state of the trapped beast inside.
Xiao Yan lowered his eyes, his messy, long hair veiling his face. If not for his weak breathing, he would not have looked any different from a corpse.
The iron cage was unlocked. The man took the short whip off the wall, and the sound of it striking flesh rang out. As an ability holder, the man’s strength was naturally not to be underestimated. Every single whip strike tore open flesh and skin, and blood dripped down the whip onto the dirty floor.
Yet no matter how the man tortured him, Xiao Yan did not make a single sound. He could not remember how long it had been. Perhaps two years, or maybe three, such beatings had become routine. His formidable regenerative ability allowed him to slowly recover no matter how severe his injuries were, which only meant he had to endure the torture day after day.
Perhaps finding it boring, the man tossed the whip aside and directly raised his hand. A pale purple light source flew out from the top of Xiao Yan’s head and landed in the man’s palm.
Xiao Yan could not help letting out a painful, muffled groan. By the time the man stopped, Xiao Yan’s head was already drooping. If not for the chains binding him, his entire body probably would have collapsed onto the ground.
Having absorbed the energy, the man left. He had long since lost interest in torturing Xiao Yan. At first, apart from draining energy, he used to think of all sorts of ways to torture Xiao Yan every day.
This kind of game had lasted for two years, and he was long sick of it. Thinking of the youth in his memories, the man’s gaze darkened further. He would make Xiao Yan live like this, wishing for death, for all eternity.
A long while later, Xiao Yan let out a hoarse cough from his throat. He was not as calm as he looked on the outside; the seeds of hatred in his heart were raging relentlessly every single second.
He endured all the torture and humiliation just to stay alive so that one day he could escape and make those who betrayed him wish they were dead.
Six years ago, celestial anomalies descended, causing 20 percent of the Earth’s population to mutate into zombies that only devoured flesh and blood. The apocalypse arrived, but at the same time, 10 percent of people mutated into ability holders, while the remaining 70 percent stayed ordinary humans.
However, ordinary humans who were scratched or bitten by zombies would turn into zombies, making them uncontrollable. The number of zombies grew exponentially, while ability holders became the rulers of the world.
They led ordinary humans to quickly establish bases to fight against the zombies. Xiao Yan had been lucky enough to mutate into an ability holder, and a rare dual-ability holder at that. Destined to become a king of his territory, he led his family and friends all the way to the largest base, quickly securing a firm footing with his strength and providing his family and friends with a life as carefree and well-fed as the pre-apocalypse days.
Never had he expected that in the end, he would be deceived by his family, betrayed by his friends, imprisoned by others, and reduced to a vessel for someone else to drain his abilities. How could Xiao Yan not hate them? It was this bone-deep hatred that supported him in surviving until today.
Suddenly, a faint sound echoed. That thin, frail shadow approached the iron cage, unlocked it with a key held in his palm, rushed over to Xiao Yan to support him, and spoke in a hoarse voice laced with obvious heartache: “Xiao Yan.”
Xiao Yan originally thought it was that man returning, but to his surprise, it was an unfamiliar voice. He raised his head.
The person immediately reached out to brush away the hair in front of Xiao Yan’s forehead, revealing a face that could no longer be recognized, followed by an even more distressed voice: “Xiao Yan, they are too much! How could they treat you like this?”
“Who are you?” Having not spoken for too long, his voice sounded like a cracked bronze gong. Xiao Yan did not remember knowing this person.
Since matters had already reached this point, Mu Li had nothing left to hide. He pulled down the face-covering cloth and spoke: “I am Mu Li.”
Shock flashed clearly in Xiao Yan’s pupils. The youth standing before him had a face beyond recognition, completely covered in burn scars.
Yet, Xiao Yan could not mistake those familiar eyes; they were identical to the young master in his memories. What shocked and puzzled him was how that once spoiled and willful young master had ended up in such a state now.
Sensing Xiao Yan’s shock, Mu Li did not have time to explain further. He used the stolen key to unlock the chains binding Xiao Yan. His skinny body tried to lift Xiao Yan up, but he seemed unable to muster much strength.
No matter how fallen Xiao Yan was now, he was still an ability holder after all, and his tall frame had some weight to it. Meanwhile, Mu Li was severely malnourished, sallow, and weak, lacking any real strength. In the end, he could only look awkwardly at Xiao Yan: “Can you walk by yourself?”
Recovering from his shock, Xiao Yan propped himself up: “I can.”
He never expected to see Mu Li again, let alone that Mu Li would have turned into this state. Shouldn’t that spoiled young master have been well-protected by his family right when the apocalypse began?
There were too many questions in his heart, but he also knew this was not the time to talk. Just looking at Mu Li’s condition told him he had been living a miserable life, and being able to come and rescue him must have cost him a tremendous amount of effort.
With Mu Li’s support, Xiao Yan finally walked out of the iron cage that had imprisoned him for two years. Guided by Mu Li, he squeezed into the basement’s drainage sewer.
The black sewage emitted a sickening stench, and the sudden noises startled rats into scampering everywhere. The two of them waded through the murky water, walking for who knows how long before they finally saw a glimmer of light.
Mu Li climbed out of the illuminated hole first, and then pulled Xiao Yan up. Once they returned to his living space, Mu Li finally relaxed, lying on the ground to rest for a moment before immediately scrambling up to cover the hole.
Xiao Yan also sat down on the ground. They were inside a dilapidated tent. The tunnel connecting the drainage sewer to this place was clearly dug out by hand, and without needing to think, he knew Mu Li had done it.
A tunnel this deep surely could not be completed in a month or two; it must have taken a very long time. The thought of Mu Li going to such great lengths to save him made Xiao Yan’s heart ache with warmth and sorrow.
This shabby tent was not very large. A tiny straw mat, a tattered quilt beyond recognition, and a small cabinet with missing arms and legs made up all the belongings inside.
Even during the earliest days of wandering in the apocalypse, Xiao Yan had never seen such harsh conditions. He could not imagine this being a place where a person lived, but reality was indeed the case.
Watching Mu Li skillfully slide open the hidden door of the cabinet, pull out a small piece of bread, and hand it to him, Xiao Yan heard Mu Li say, “Eat something to recover your strength. Don’t worry, this is at the outermost edge of the base; they will not discover us so quickly. Once you feel better, we will escape.”
Clutching the bread in his hand, Xiao Yan stared at Mu Li’s face. He had too many questions, but did not know where to start. Noticing his gaze, Mu Li pulled the cloth mask back over his face and lowered his head: “I know I am ugly. I will just cover it up.”
“Not ugly… How did you end up like this?” Xiao Yan asked with difficulty.
The Mu Li in his memories should have been bright and dazzling, such a pretty, distinctive child who would casually toss suitors’ gifts onto the ground and trample them, proudly rejecting them with a phrase of disbelief regarding their worth. Even in the apocalypse, with the Mu Li family’s capabilities, they would not have let their young master become like this.
Mu Li was already used to it. His tone lacked any fluctuation, as if he were talking about someone else’s affair: “I scalded myself with an iron plate.”
Just that simple sentence sent ripples across Xiao Yan’s heart, his chest aching faintly. He wanted to say more when Mu Li suddenly wore a panicked expression and lifted the covered earth hole: “Quickly hide down there, someone is coming!”
Hearing the noises too, Xiao Yan did not care about anything else and immediately concealed himself in the hole. Mu Li hurriedly covered the hole with the mat, and just as he turned around, the tent flap was lifted by a woman wearing a red dress: “You ugly freak, do you want to die?!”
Hiding below, Xiao Yan’s pupils shrank upon hearing that voice. It was a voice he would never forget in this lifetime.
It was the younger sister he had protected all the way, the sister who had betrayed him, deceived him, and personally fed him poison, a woman pure on the outside and venomous as a snake on the inside.
“I am sorry, Miss, I will go right now.” Xiao Yan heard Mu Li’s subservient voice, followed by the woman’s sharp scolding:
“You ugly freak, do you still think you’re the high-and-mighty young master of the Mu family? Look at what you look like now, ugly and disgusting! It is only out of the goodness of my heart that I gave you a job to fill your stomach, and yet you dare to slack off? You are simply asking for death!”
Next came the sound of flesh being kicked. Xiao Yan heard Mu Li’s muffled groan, followed once again by a submissive voice stating, “I am sorry, I will go right now.”
“Forget it, you are fired. Bitch, even looking like this, you still want to seduce Brother Wen? In the past, you used that face to try and seduce my good-for-nothing brother; now, looking ugly and stinking, you still want to seduce my Brother Wen? What do you say if I slice you into thin pieces and throw you out to bait zombies?” The woman’s voice dripped with malice.
Mu Li could only lower his head even further. He was long past being the high-spirited, universally adored young master of the Mu family he once was. Now, he had become mud trampled in the dirt; all his dignity and pride were entirely gone. Right now, he only wanted Xiao Yan to survive.
Thinking of Xiao Yan hidden in the shadows, Mu Li knelt on the ground and once again begged this vicious woman for mercy. His posture made the woman extremely smug, and she laughed even more wildly. What could bring more joy than making the person she hated most become her slave?
Therefore, when she first saw him, the woman had not killed Mu Li directly; instead, she turned him into her slave to slowly humiliate and torture him. But now, Mu Li’s existence made her sense a crisis. She could not tolerate a lowly slave disrupting or even ruining her current life, so she could no longer keep this hazard around: “A bitch like you is best suited to feed the zombies!”
Xiao Yan, hiding in the dark, could no longer hold back. He rushed out, blocked in front of Mu Li, and stared at the woman with fierce, venomous eyes.
Even though Xiao Yan was reduced to this state, the woman recognized him instantly. She recoiled in terror and then shrieked, prompting her subordinates waiting outside to rush in. Screaming, the woman ordered them to deal with Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan hadn’t recovered at all, so how could he possibly be a match for these people? He was quickly subdued. Only then did the woman step forward smugly, kicking Mu Li in the stomach: “Bitch, you actually brought him out!”
“Xiao Li, it seems you still remember me.” Xiao Yan’s vicious gaze remained fixed on Xiao Li. Although Xiao Li was still somewhat afraid, looking at Xiao Yan, who lacked any ability to resist, she grew arrogant again.
“The two of you actually tangled together again? Haha, Xiao Yan, I suppose you haven’t been completely abandoned by everyone. Doesn’t this idiot still protect you? What a pity, he’s just a piece of trash without even an ability!”
Xiao Li laughed triumphantly. Both of them were in her hands now, so she could do whatever she pleased with them. Xiao Yan stared at her, his gaze burning with a hatred that felt capable of boring holes through her.
Xiao Yan knew he probably couldn’t escape today. His ability recovery required a long time because his ability core was entirely incomplete.
Back then, this woman had poisoned him into unconsciousness, and eventually, that man had dug out half of his ability core. Thus, only half of an ability core remained inside his body, and recovering that half took time. Every single time it recovered a bit, that man would drain it away.
Because the man couldn’t completely control his ability core, he could only use this method to extract energy from him in order to rule the entire base.
Knowing that if he were dragged back, he would be locked up in that pitch-dark place again, and they wouldn’t spare Mu Li either, Xiao Yan had already made up his mind.
Yet, before that, he needed to know the whole truth: “Tell me why Mu Li ended up like this, and I will give you the complete ability core.”
The man Xiao Yan referred to was the one who tortured him. However, Xiao Yan didn’t know who this person was; every time, the man wore a mask, his gaze filled with hatred whenever he looked at him.
Yet, Xiao Yan genuinely couldn’t remember when he had ever offended such a person. Xiao Yan also knew that the man didn’t kill him because his goal was his ability core, wrongly believing that Xiao Yan’s energy originated entirely from the core, completely unaware that Xiao Yan’s dual abilities were actually Devour and Regeneration.
Naturally, Xiao Li also knew that her Brother Wen desperately wanted to get Xiao Yan’s complete energy. If she could help with this task, Brother Wen would surely love her even more. Therefore, acting on her own foolish initiative and driven by deliberate smugness, she told Xiao Yan:
“Of course it was because of you! Remember the gift you asked me to deliver for you before the apocalypse? Actually, he never knew that you were the one who sent it. He had liked you long ago, but I lied to him, telling him it was a gift from someone else, and that someone happened to be the person Mu Li hated most! That’s why he smashed the gift to pieces. If he hadn’t done that, how could I have made you see it? How could I have made you hate him? Hehe, why should everyone dote on him? Why should both men and women chase after him? Do you know how much I hated him back in school? Just because his family had some stinking money, why did he get to trample on other people’s dignity at will, causing me to be mocked by others? Meanwhile, relying on his money and that face, he seduced others, seduced the person I liked, and even wanted to seduce my brother! How could I ever let a bitch like that go?”
Xiao Li’s tone was filled with jealousy and resentment, sounding exceptionally grating to Xiao Yan’s ears. So that was how it was. The truth turned out to be like this.
Xiao Li and Mu Li had been college classmates, which was why Xiao Yan, who often went to pick up his younger sister, naturally met Mu Li. Back then, Mu Li was dazzling, exquisite, and pretty like a little prince, always surrounded by many people. Xiao Yan, an ordinary office worker already stepping into society, couldn’t help falling for this younger brother six years his junior. His feelings were noticed by Xiao Li.
At the time, Xiao Li acted understanding and encouraging, even taking the initiative to help him deliver a gift to pursue Mu Li. So back then, he had hidden not far away, watching Mu Li crush the gift to pieces, push Xiao Li away fiercely, and clearly heard Mu Li say that he was not worthy. This unrequited crush thus ended before it even began. Later, Xiao Yan heard from Xiao Li that Mu Li was spoiled, willful, and routinely bullied classmates, and because he had money, he would never look down on ordinary people like them. Thus, Xiao Yan put those feelings aside.
Not long after, the apocalypse began. He always thought Mu Li would be taken away by the Mu family and at least live a better life than ordinary people, but he never expected things to turn out like this.
Xiao Li only paused for a moment before continuing, “Perhaps even the heavens couldn’t stand this bitch. The world ended, so what use is having money? He’s nothing more than waste. Look at his face, who knows which person offended him? I bet he doesn’t even know how many people have played with him. When I ran into him at the base, I recognized him instantly. He was crawling on the ground like a dog, protecting a piece of bread, wretched and disgusting. Haha, he deserved it! But since I’m a kind person, I still gave him a mouthful of food to eat, letting him be my slave with one piece of bread a day. How wonderful!”
Thinking of Mu Li’s utterly wretched state when she ran into him again, Xiao Li felt happy.
Although Mu Li’s face was ruined and he was skin and bones, she recognized him at a glance, given that this person was the one she hated and loathed most in her life.
Yet she hadn’t expected that even after turning out like this, this person still had the skill to seduce others. Thinking of how Brother Wen had previously asked her about Mu Li, Xiao Li felt even more resentment welling up inside. Therefore, taking advantage of Brother Wen being away, she harbored a hidden agenda and came to give Mu Li trouble, wanting to quietly finish him off once and for all.
Listening to the words tumbling from Xiao Li’s mouth and thinking of Mu Li’s ordeals over the years, Xiao Yan felt his heart ache so intensely he could barely breathe.
He regretted his retreat back then. He wasn’t stupid; if Mu Li could go to such lengths for him, what else could it be besides genuine feelings? As it turned out, someone else had loved him this deeply, yet he had remained completely oblivious.
He was simply the biggest fool in the entire world. Thinking of this, Xiao Yan couldn’t help laughing out loud. His frantic laughter caused Xiao Li to furrow her brows tightly; she couldn’t understand what on earth he was laughing at.
With a hard shove, Xiao Yan broke free from the people suppressing them and pulled Mu Li into his arms. However, given his currently wretched state, he obviously couldn’t stir up any trouble, so Xiao Li didn’t order her subordinates to move against them again, watching the two of them struggle in despair with a look of amused interest.
Xiao Yan looked down at Mu Li: “I’m sorry. Are you scared?”
Mu Li shook his head. At this moment, he understood the intent in Xiao Yan’s eyes. He said to Xiao Yan:
“I am very clean. No one has ever touched me. I protected myself, and I scalded my face myself, it’s very effective. Before the apocalypse started, I went looking for you. Dad sent a plane to pick me up, and I wanted to take you with me, but I couldn’t find you. I don’t regret staying behind. Xiao Yan, if there’s a lifetime after this, can you please like me earlier?”
“I’m sorry. Over all these years, I have never forgotten you. Whether it’s this lifetime or the next, I will always love you.”
No matter how much torture he had endured, Xiao Yan had never shed a single tear. But thinking of everything Mu Li had done for him, and looking at the scars on Mu Li’s face, at this moment, tears laden with regret fell like rain onto Mu Li’s face.
He held Mu Li tightly, as if trying to knead him into his own body. He knew what being captured meant, and having suffered through such torture and agony himself, how could he bear to let Mu Li experience it too? He had already brought too much pain to Mu Li. Since things were already this terrible, he would take him away and bring everything to an end. Xiao Yan heard Mu Li’s soft whisper: “Okay, Xiao Yan. Remember to love me earlier in the next life.”
An explosion sounded. Sensing something was wrong, the woman bolted outside. Xiao Yan detonated his own ability core, vanishing from the spot together with Mu Li. On the empty ground, only a woman’s agonizing shrieks remained as she covered her burned, bloody face and rolled on the ground in agony.
[OK, the past life ends here. There are no more abusive parts left. This woman is disfigured, her face ruined and crippled. Her lover will not like her anymore, and without Xiao Yan providing energy, that useless lover will not be able to run wild for long before being trampled down by others just the same. Therefore, these are doomed endings, so do not worry about the scum of the past life not getting punished! Rebirth follows next for sweet revenge and beating up the scum!]