Worlds’ Apocalypse Online

This was a heavily destroyed building.

The Space Science Research Center.

In truth, most employees of this place had been appropriately evacuated before the monsters completely ransacked the city.

Only the large-scale equipment was left behind due to how heavy and difficult they were to transport.

Everyone was already used to it.

Apocalyptic monsters were only interested in living people while completely ignoring artificial structures.

Because of this, after the employees inside had been evacuated, this facility only suffered a bit of external damage, once the monsters realized that there was no one inside, they immediately moved to find the next target.

In the underground basement of the research center.

Gu Qing Shan was controlling a few primitive mechanical arms to create advanced mechanical products.

Ye Ru Xi silently watched, then asked: "Has he always been such a workaholic?"

It had already been 10 hours.

Ever since entering this place, Gu Qing Shan had gotten busy with his work without caring about anything else.

Zhang Ying Hao explained: "Because of how primitive your technology currently is, he still has a lot of work to do. I think it wouldn't be until all the foundational technology had been finished that he would have a bit more time to rest"

Ye Fei Li rubbed his stomach and said: "I'm hungry"

Zhang Ying Hao replied: "Don't you have instant noodles?"

Ye Fei Li said: "It's not a good idea to eat nothing but that------ let's go bring back some ingredients, what do you say?"

"Hm… sure" Zhang Ying Hao agreed.

The two of them turned to Ye Ru Xi.

"I'll wait here. By the way, I don't know how to cook" Ye Ru Xi.

""Don't worry, we weren't counting on it"" the two of them answered in unison.

"That's good to hear" Ye Ru Xi sighed in relief.

Zhang Ying Hao and Ye Fei Li left.

Half an hour later.

The two of them brought a large amount of cooking ingredients back from outside.

They then placed it all on the large meeting table.

"I'm hungry" Zhang Ying Hao said.

"Me too, but you can't count on a Man Killer Fiend to learn how to cook" Ye Fei Li replied.

"Nor can you count on a hitman" Zhang Ying Hao added.

After stating that, the two of them snuck a glance at Gu Qing Shan.

-------quite obviously, this was purposely said for him to hear.

Gu Qing Shan didn't turn around and just said something to the air.

From the void of space behind him, an autumn-clear blue steel sword manifested, hovered in front of the meeting table, and transformed into a cold beauty dressed in palace maid clothing.

Looking at her, Ye Ru Xi muttered: "How beautiful…"

The maid tied her hair up, then rolled up her sleeves and told the three: "Gongzi is currently at a pivotal stage of production, so he can't divide his attention. I'll be responsible for this meal"

"What exactly is he doing?"

"He's creating a mechanical arm"

"Using mechanical arms to create another mechanical arm?"

"To be exact, he's using obsolete mechanical arms to create an advanced mechanical arm"

"Then… do you know how to cook?" Ye Fei Li couldn't help but ask.

Shannu casually answered: "I know how to make everything that gongzi knows, our skills are also of the same caliber. Whatever you want to eat, just tell me"

…

20 minutes later.

After Shannu finished cooking, she turned back into a sword and faded back into the void behind Gu Qing Shan's back.

Gu Qing Shan was finally done.

"That was tough"

He sighed and walked up to the meeting table.

Zhang Ying Hao popped open a bottle of strong liquor, then a bottle of champagne.

He poured the strong liquor for Gu Qing Shan and himself, while the champagne was for Ye Fei Li and Ye Ru Xi.

Ye Ru Xi only took a sip before saying: "Give me the same thing you're drinking"

Zhang Ying Hao shrugged and poured her a shot of strong liquor.

Zhang Ying Hao, Gu Qing Shan, and Ye Ru Xi downed a shot together.

Ye Fei Li looked down at his glass of champagne, muttering: "I feel like I've just been excluded from some sort of circle"

Gu Qing Shan looked at the food on the table.

Shannu had prepared for them a fruit salad, some meat soup, bread, beef fat gravy fruit, a whole roasted pig, braised rabbit, smoked sausage, fried quail, and beef curry.

"Ah… so she's been interested in another culinary culture lately, let me prepare everyone one more dish"

Saying so, Gu Qing Shan searched the pile of ingredients for carrots, onions, shallots, cooking wine, coriander, unroasted pepper… etc.

With his level of skill and spirit energy as his support, he finished cooking a steaming hotpot in a few dozen breaths' worth of time.

The hotpot was placed at the middle of the table on a burner, wafting its fragrance in every direction.

Surrounding it were all sorts of other dishes.

Gu Qing Shan cut up a few fruits before arranging the table.

Using goose liver, he smoked it with a relatively primitive method, then plated on the table:

"This is my personal preference, if General Ye doesn't find it palatable, you don't need to force yourself" Gu Qing Shan said.

He then made a vinegar boiled fish and put it in front of Ye Fei Li

"Thanks, this is exactly my taste"

An alluring full course of food was laid out to fill the entire table.

Ye Ru Xi simply watched as Gu Qing Shan cooked, then carefully scooped up a piece of pork from the hotpot and ate.

It was delicious.

This wasn't the taste of the Apocalypse.

Ye Ru Xi was stunned for a long while before muttering to herself: "Now I'm fully convinced; you guys are definitely not people of this world"

The four of them dig in.

After the meal, they also went through a few bottles of alcohol.

"General Ye, you can certainly hold your liquor" Zhang Ying Hao praised.

"Indeed, I'm quite impressed" Gu Qing Shan also praised her.

"This era is too torturous, so how could one not drink?" Ye Ru Xi asked in return.

Everyone went silent.

Gu Qing Shan raised his glass and offered it to her: "That statement deserves a shot"

"Give"

Ye Ru Xi drank it all, then pushed the glass back to Gu Qing Shan, gesturing him to pour some more.

"That should be enough for today" Gu Qing Shan said.

"No, pour me some more, I want to borrow this shot to tell you something clearly" Ye Ru Xi replied.

Seeing her say that, Gu Qing Shan poured her one full shot and handed it to her.

Ye Ru Xi received the shot glass from him, then stated: "I… have carefully considered, and I won't be able to leave with you just yet"

"Why not?" Gu Qing Shan calmly asked.

"Because there are still a lot of people in this world that I simply can't give up. I actually have a lot of friends, and if I leave, those girls would be stuck in a world like this. I can't give up on them, and I can't bear to watch as they face the Apocalypse, I can't simply ignore them" Ye Ru Xi replied.

"If not for this, you'd actually be willing to follow us, to see worlds that are greater, to experience more colorful people and things, right?" Gu Qing Shan asked.

Ye Ru Xi slowly nodded, her gaze filled with yearning.

Gu Qing Shan silently smiled.

He was quite pleased.

"What do you think?" he asked.

Zhang Ying Hao replied: "Decent"

Ye Fei Li also agreed: "Hm, quite decent"

Gu Qing Shan turned to the confused Ye Ru Xi and cleared his throat: "Hear me out. If you were able to easily discard everything and come with us, then I will have considered this to be a job finished just like any other"

"But when I first met you, you were in the middle of evacuating the civilians, you then became furious with me due to the crater I made. Even when you were betrayed by those people, you just silently left. Even as you were bombarded with nuclear bombs, I could only recognize sorrow from you, not the will to seek revenge"

Gu Qing Shan tilted his body forward slightly and whispered: "General Ye, within this Apocalypse, those who turn into devils are nothing but uncommon, but very few can still remain human while being plunged in darkness. And personally, you are one of them"

"Because of this, I now officially invite you to be our collaborator"

"Collaborator?" Ye Ru Xi repeated.

"Indeed, collaborator. We provide a lot of benefits, knowledge, and even privileges. I can guarantee that you would not regret joining us" Gu Qing Shan replied.

"But like I just said, I want to protect this world-------" Ye Ru Xi insisted.

Gu Qing Shan cut her off: "I'll save this world for you, when everything is over, are you willing to join and come with us?"

Ye Ru Xi looked at him hesitantly: "But the Apocalypse has been here for many years, even now we…"

"It's nothing but a low-class Apocalypse" Gu Qing Shan calmly replied.

Ye Ru Xi stayed silent for a bit, then nodded.

Gu Qing Shan raised his glass.

Ye Ru Xi brought her glass closer.

They knocked against one another.

The two of them finished it in one gulp.

"Have you decided?" Gu Qing Shan asked.

"I have" Ye Ru Xi replied.

Gu Qing Shan tilted his head and looked towards the void of space.

"[Chaos], have you been watching? It wasn't that I want to save this world, but because your Deity insisted that I have to do so, otherwise she wouldn't leave" he said in his mind.

From the void, a line of grey text reluctantly appeared:

[Special request: Challenger of Apotheotic Combat, Gu Qing Shan, please save this world, and return with Ye Ru Xi]

Reading this message, Gu Qing Shan slowly smiled.

"I recall… there was a notification earlier reminding me not to save this world------- who was that from?" he mocked.

The grey text disappeared from the void of space.

No response.