From Apocalypse To Entertainment Circle (BL) Chapter 167: After Thirty Days

The crackling voice of the emergency broadcast echoed through the quiet interior of the moving vehicle, accompanied by bursts of static that made the announcement sound even more ominous.

"Emergency announcement."

"Three major cities have officially fallen and have been completely evacuated. The government confirms that overwhelming tides of zombies and highly dangerous mutated creatures have overrun these areas."

The mechanical female voice paused for only a heartbeat before continuing.

"All surviving citizens have been relocated to the Safe Bases constructed by the government. To anyone still trapped outside, head to the nearest Safe Base immediately and seek shelter."

Outside the window, the scenery rushed by.

Empty highways.

Burned vehicles.

Collapsed buildings.

Dark stains of dried blood stretched across the asphalt like ugly scars.

Nature itself had begun reclaiming civilization. Thick vines climbed abandoned apartment blocks, while twisted trees pierced through broken concrete as though the earth had decided humanity’s era had come to an end.

The announcement continued.

"Avoid being bitten or scratched by infected creatures at all costs. Infection will result in mutation into a monster identical to them. We repeat—exercise extreme caution."

"The Safe Bases provide food, shelter, employment opportunities, and humanity’s greatest chance of survival during these chaotic times."

For several seconds, only static filled the radio.

Then the announcer’s voice softened, sounding almost human.

"May God protect every one of you. Together, we can overcome this catastrophe."

Another pause.

This time, the silence felt heavier.

"To everyone hearing this message... survive."

"Live."

"Keep moving forward."

"Humanity still has hope."

The words lingered inside the vehicle.

Even Kira, who had already memorized every sentence, unconsciously lowered her eyes.

The broadcast wasn’t finished.

"The government will never abandon its citizens. Military rescue teams have continued daily patrols for over half a month, searching every street and every ruined building for survivors."

"If you encounter military personnel, trust them. They are there to bring you home."

The final sentence came quietly.

"May fortune be on your side."

Click.

Kira reached forward and switched off the radio with an irritated flick of her finger.

"Oh, for heaven’s sake..." she groaned, leaning back in her seat. "We’ve been listening to this exact announcement for weeks. I swear I’ve memorized every single word. Stop turning it on."

The driver remained silent.

He Jinyun simply kept his eyes on the road.

His hands rested firmly on the steering wheel, his expression as calm and unreadable as ever.

Knowing he wouldn’t argue, Kira sighed before speaking again.

"Today’s training went really well."

A smile slowly appeared on her face.

"The recruits have improved a lot. They’re finally getting proper control over their abilities."

"They killed dozens of zombies today."

"They’re not shaking anymore."

"They’re not terrified like they were before."

A hint of pride colored her voice.

Every day had become almost identical.

Train the awakened survivors.

Teach them how to control their supernatural abilities.

Clear the monster-infested areas surrounding the Safe Base.

Rescue as many trapped civilians as possible.

Kill every zombie they encounter.

Even after an entire month, countless survivors were still being discovered beneath collapsed buildings, inside sealed basements, or hiding silently in abandoned homes, too terrified to step outside.

Some had gone weeks without sunlight.

Some had nearly starved to death.

Others had survived only because luck had refused to abandon them.

Life had become a daily struggle.

Yet He Jinyun still said nothing.

The silence inside the car grew heavier.

Kira glanced sideways.

He looked exactly as he always did.

Cold.

Composed.

Emotionless.

But she knew him well enough to recognize that his silence hid thoughts he never shared.

Her cheerful smile slowly faded.

Her voice became noticeably quieter.

"...He Jinyun."

"When do you think Boss will wake up?"

The question hung in the air.

For the first time since they had left the training grounds, He Jinyun’s fingers tightened around the steering wheel.

His knuckles turned white.

His gaze never left the ruined road ahead, but a flash of pain crossed his usually indifferent eyes.

One month.

Sian had been unconscious for an entire month.

After the helicopter brought him back from the battlefield, every doctor had assumed he was merely exhausted.

His excessive use of his powers had pushed his body beyond its limits.

The immense energy consumption had left him unconscious.

At least...

That was what everyone believed.

The Lan family immediately arranged the finest treatment available.

Inside the Central Safe Base governed by Elder Lan, an entire luxury villa had been reserved exclusively for Sian and his team.

It wasn’t simply a place to recover.

It had become the most heavily protected residence within the entire base.

Elite doctors from across the country were gathered there.

Advanced medical equipment had been transported from military research facilities.

The nation’s best specialists examined him day after day.

Blood tests.

Brain scans.

Genetic analysis.

Energy readings.

Every possible examination was performed.

Yet every report concluded the same thing.

His body was perfectly healthy.

His organs functioned normally.

His heartbeat was stable.

There wasn’t a single sign of injury.

And still...

Sian refused to wake up.

One day became three.

Three became seven.

Seven became thirty.

A full month had passed while he remained trapped in an inexplicable coma.

Meanwhile...

The outside world had transformed beyond recognition.

While Sian remained asleep, the world outside continued to change at a terrifying pace.

It was as though time itself had accelerated.

Every sunrise brought disaster.

Every sunset marked the loss of another city.

Within only a month, humanity’s civilization had been completely reshaped.

The government abandoned countless regions that could no longer be defended and concentrated every remaining resource on constructing enormous Safe Bases across the country.

Towering steel walls rose from the earth.

Heavy artillery lined the battlements.

Military convoys traveled day and night, escorting survivors from ruined cities to the nearest secure settlements.

Yet even with such desperate efforts, millions had already died.

Entire families had vanished overnight.

Some were devoured.

Some became infected.

Others simply disappeared into the endless wilderness, never to be seen again.

Outside the walls...

There was no longer any law.

No civilization.

Only monsters.

Although thousands of survivors were rescued every single day, countless more continued to perish.

The military exterminated millions of zombies and mutated beasts.

Even so...

Their numbers never seemed to decrease.

If anything, they multiplied faster.

And worse still—

They evolved.

Every passing day, stronger creatures appeared.

The zombies no longer moved like mindless corpses.

Some had begun hunting in coordinated groups.

Some possessed terrifying speed.

Others developed armor-like skin that ordinary bullets could barely penetrate.

Mutated beasts emerged from forests, rivers, and mountains.

Animals that had once feared humans had become ruthless apex predators.

Even ordinary plants were no longer harmless.

Carnivorous vines swallowed unsuspecting prey whole.

Flowers released poisonous spores capable of killing within minutes.

Trees developed roots that dragged victims beneath the soil.

The apocalypse had entered a new phase.

The researchers called it...

The Middle Stage of the Apocalypse.

Death had become so common that people no longer cried every time someone failed to return from a mission.

Instead...

They simply lowered their heads in silence and continued living.

Because survival left little room for grief.

Schools no longer teach mathematics.

History had become meaningless.

Literature was considered a luxury.

Factories had ceased production months ago.

Banks had collapsed along with the old economy.

The only lessons worth teaching now were painfully simple.

How to survive.

How to kill.

How not to die.

Children barely old enough to hold knives practiced striking wooden dummies.

Teenagers learned how to identify infected blood.

Every citizen capable of fighting received combat training.

No one questioned it anymore.

This was simply the reality of the new world.

Fortunately...

Humanity had not remained completely powerless.

Thanks to Sian...

Thanks to Kira...

And thanks to He Jinyun...and the other superpowers.

The governments of this world had long accepted the existence of superhumans.

People with extraordinary abilities had secretly protected humanity from dangers hidden in the shadows.

Although their existence had once been classified, there was no longer any reason to hide the truth.

Now, they represented humanity’s greatest hope.

At the same time, research institutes achieved another groundbreaking discovery.

Inside every zombie and mutated creature existed a crystalline core.

An Energy Crystal.

At first, no one understood its purpose.

Many believed it was simply another mutated organ.

But after countless experiments, researchers uncovered its incredible properties.

A single crystal could power an entire military facility.

Larger crystals generated enough electricity to sustain a medium-sized Safe Base for nearly two months.

Fuel shortages that once threatened humanity’s extinction suddenly became manageable.

The crystals rapidly replaced conventional energy sources.

Within weeks, they became more valuable than gold.

Soon...

They also replaced money itself.

Food.

Weapons.

Medicine.

Housing.

Everything was purchased with Energy Crystals.

People no longer ask how much something costs.

Instead, they asked...

"How many crystals?"

But electricity wasn’t the crystals’ greatest gift.

Their true value lay elsewhere.

In awakening humanity itself.

Researchers made another astonishing discovery after studying infected survivors.

Not everyone bitten by a zombie is transformed.

A tiny number survived the infection.

Even more unbelievable...

Some awakened supernatural abilities instead.

Control over fire.

Lightning.

Wind.

Gravity.

Water.

Enhanced physical strength.

Mental abilities.

Powers that had once belonged only in myths.

The researchers believed the virus and the Energy Crystals shared an unknown connection.

After months of dangerous experimentation, they finally developed a method of refining the crystals into a form the human body could absorb.

The results were astonishing.