Apocalypse Star House Hoarding

Chapter 304

Ling Feng could feel the scrutiny in the other person’s gaze. He was of mixed descent, and ever since childhood, his face had been quite popular with girls. Even after joining the military, he had no shortage of female comrades pursuing him.

However, being popular with women was completely different from the current situation. He didn’t believe that just from this brief encounter, the other person would take a liking to him simply because of his looks. The reason was simple— the young man by her side was far superior to him in both appearance and presence.

She already had a man far more outstanding by her side, so why would she be interested in him after just one glance?

To Ling Feng, her attention toward him at this moment felt more like an observation, as if she was trying to confirm something.

Confirm what?

Yu Xi had already noticed his emotions. As the shuttle was about to arrive at Center 350 station, she asked, “Do you remember me?”

Ling Feng raised an eyebrow slightly, then shook his head. “Sorry, I don’t think we’ve met.”

Yu Xi had expected this answer. “What’s your name?”

“Ling Feng.” After saying his name, he thought she would introduce herself as well, but instead, her expression became serious, and she asked about rebooting the mechanical units.

Upon hearing this, Ling Feng glanced at the massive, immobilized metal figure beside her and quickly understood why they wanted to restart the robots. His expression grew more focused as he briefly explained the action plan.

Since this was a key political stronghold, the entire Center 350 area was secured with over three thousand armed mechanical units and a small number of military personnel. These forces were spread across various locations—some stationed at the shuttle stations, others guarding important figures’ residences.

The military personnel had devices that could reboot the mechanical units, but the effective range of these devices was only ten meters in diameter. Given the vast expanse of Center 350 and the fact that the machines were currently deactivated, it was impossible to gather them all in one place for centralized activation using the limited manpower available.

However, the rioters were capable of affecting a wide area by using transmitters to emit electromagnetic pulses, rendering the mechanical units inactive. This meant they could also modify the transmitters to expand the reboot devices’ range by integrating them with a launch platform.

Yet, large-scale launch platforms were scarce. One was located at Center 300, but the rioters had seized control of it first, using it to send out an electromagnetic pulse that paralyzed all mechanical units. According to reports from the remaining military personnel in the area, once the rioters had successfully disabled the machines, they immediately destroyed the launch platform.

Another large launch platform was in Center 350. However, simply transporting the reboot device there wasn’t enough—it would take time to modify it.

Clearly, the rioters had been preparing for this operation for a long time, finding skilled experts in mechanical and electromagnetic pulse technology to plan ahead, ensuring their success in one strike.

“The military at Center 350 is currently escorting the reboot device to the launch platform. Now, all our squad needs to do is get there in time!” The driver of the shuttle spoke with a hint of pride. “I bet those rioters never expected that we wouldn’t even need to search for an expert. Our captain has the skills himself—once he reaches the platform, he can restore all the mechanical units!”

“Xiao Lu!” Ling Feng’s tone carried a hint of reprimand as he shot Xiao Lu a glance. It was unclear whether he was displeased by the boasting in his words or simply because he hadn’t planned to reveal this information to outsiders.

Yu Xi suspected it was the latter. After all, for this mission, Ling Feng was now the only indispensable person. This was the most critical part, and it should have been kept confidential.

Realizing his slip of the tongue, Xiao Lu intended to remain silent from then on. However, as the shuttle arrived at the station near Center 350’s launch platform, he couldn’t help but glance at Ling Feng again, his voice trembling slightly this time.

“Captain, it’s been over ten minutes. Why hasn’t the light curtain disappeared yet?”

**

The original inhabitants of this station naturally knew nothing about the regional alliance upgrade game. To them, this was simply a sudden catastrophe. Every time such a disaster struck, it lasted exactly ten minutes—if they could endure that long, they would survive.

This time was no different. They believed that as long as they made it onto the shuttle and arrived at Center 350, the light curtain would have vanished, and the Devourers (devouring creatures) would be gone. All they would need to do then was handle the rioters coming from other shuttle stations, secure the launch platform, and reboot the mechanical units—successfully completing their mission.

But now, above Center 350, the Devourers were still rampaging. And since the stationed military personnel here were few, the creatures ran rampant without restraint, many of them already having grown significantly larger.

The only fortunate thing was that their squad’s primary objective was to restart the mechanical units, meaning their shuttle had brought them directly to the station near the launch platform, saving them a considerable amount of ground travel.

However, this “nearby” distance was only relative. There was still some ground to cover between their station and the launch platform. At full sprint, it would take about five to seven minutes to reach their destination.

But now, the entire path ahead was filled with terrifying Devourers. These creatures had bizarre properties—they couldn’t be detected by any reconnaissance system, making them invisible to sensors. Using drones wasn’t an option either, as they lacked the agility and reaction speed needed to handle the situation.

This made safely traversing the area an incredibly difficult task.

Xiao Lu instinctively turned back to look at the person who had saved them earlier, then shifted his gaze toward his captain.

Ling Feng silently adjusted his weapons and gear, preparing to lead his squad through the danger ahead. The other party had already saved them once, but ultimately, this was their squad’s mission. He couldn’t expect ordinary civilians to keep protecting them.

Xiao Lu couldn’t hold back. “Captain, they have weapons that can deal with the Black Hole—” But before he could finish, Ling Feng’s sharp gaze made him fall silent once more.

At this moment, however, Yu Xi was more concerned about another issue. “Is the launch platform still secure?” The Devourers here were much larger than those in Center 300, and she feared that after all their efforts to get there, they would arrive only to find everything lost.

Ling Feng looked at her and said, “The launch platform is a single-structure building—tall and massive. Until the Devourers grow to their maximum size, they won’t be able to consume it. Besides, several other squads have already reached the area and formed a defensive perimeter. As long as it’s not a Black Hole, any other Devourer that gets too close will be eliminated.”

“What if a Black Hole gets near?”

Ling Feng paused for a moment before answering, “The military will have someone lure it away.” His voice was cold, carrying a deep sorrow but also unwavering resolve.

This was something every soldier understood the moment they joined the force. When disaster struck a city-state, personal life and interests became insignificant.

Fighting and protecting—that was their only fate.

“We’ll go with you,” Yu Xi stated. “But we can’t attack right now—don’t ask why. The point is, at this moment, we’re unable to fight against any Devourers. However, if I go with you, I can act as your eyes and ears, detecting Devourers far faster than you can!

“You can use my warnings to seize the advantage in battle. But if we encounter a Black Hole, we’ll have no choice but to run. I promise that before it gets too close, I can ensure your safety and help you escape. However, if that happens, I can only take you—only you.

“It’s not because you’re the captain, but because you are the one who must reboot the mechanical units.

“If you understand, let’s move out!”

Back on the shuttle, Xing Min had already redeemed several rewards. He had obtained tickets, heavy weapons, a temporary speed boost skill, and several time extensions that prolonged the duration of the gamified state.

Altogether, he could now maintain his gamified state for a total of 2 minutes and 20 seconds. But compared to the time they still needed, it was barely a drop in the ocean.

As for Yu Xi, she had already used up her gamified state for this light curtain event. Even if she redeemed more rewards that provided extra time, she wouldn’t be able to activate it again in this instance.

That meant she couldn’t make any guarantees to the others. However, if it was just about escorting one person safely to the launch platform, she believed she could still accomplish that much.

There was no time for Ling Feng to hesitate. He immediately nodded at Yu Xi, thanked her again, and handed her a military communicator, signaling that they could stay in contact at all times.

“My name is Yu Xi.” She reached out, took the communicator, and put it on. “Alright, gather your team now. We need to form a formation… Everyone, remember your position and number. Stay in formation. I will only call out numbers and attack directions. We’ll have a window of just two to three seconds… Do not hesitate—attack immediately!”

The squad consisted of ten people. Including Yu Xi and Xing Min, there were twelve in total. They quickly formed their battle formation, memorized their numbers, and readied their weapons.

Yu Xi deployed two drones, controlling them simultaneously with both hands, opening multiple screens on the 3D display.

She stood in the center of the formation, with Xing Min and Xi Yuan on either side of her. Xing Min firmly gripped her arm, allowing her to focus entirely on monitoring the sky and distant threats while he handled nearby vigilance.

Yu Xi closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and cleared her mind of distractions, heightening her senses and reaction speed to their peak.

She opened her eyes. “Move out! After leaving the station, run in the two o’clock direction. Units 1, 3, and 5, attack right!”

**

The next five minutes were more perilous than any mission Ling Feng had ever undertaken.

Devourers roamed everywhere, chasing after the screaming masses and devouring anything in their path. The wealthy, who had no understanding of survival, had neither weapons nor even suitable shoes for running away.

Dressed in extravagant clothing, these elites had been enjoying lavish dinners before the massive light curtain descended. Some had even reserved prime viewing spots—couples and families alike—using telescopes to observe the phenomenon from a safe distance.

They had never imagined that, so soon, they themselves would be enveloped by the light curtain, no longer bystanders but victims.

Blood and screams filled the streets, bodies stumbling and fleeing in all directions. No need for binoculars—turning their heads was enough to see the horror up close.

Some people, upon spotting the disciplined squad moving in formation, rushed toward them, pleading for protection. But the squad couldn’t afford to stop.

They all knew that if they didn’t reboot the mechanical units immediately, Center 350’s military forces alone would not be enough to stop the destruction.

They had to move fast—otherwise, even the mechanical units would be consumed.

But the panicked civilians couldn’t understand that. Even if they did, in the face of life and death, they instinctively saw themselves as more important than anyone else.

Someone lunged forward, grabbing one of the squad members. That soldier had been following Yu Xi’s attack commands but was thrown off balance, causing his weapon to misfire. The attack missed, and a Devourer orb landed precisely in the area, enveloping several people before rolling into their formation.

Two squad members were instantly trapped within the sphere. The formation was on the brink of collapse.

Ling Feng reacted swiftly, launching an immediate attack that shattered the Devourer orb. However, the two soldiers encased inside were destroyed along with it.

Fury and anguish surged through Ling Feng. Without hesitation, he turned his weapon on the person who had disrupted their formation and fired. Then, he ordered units 9 and 10 to fill the gaps and tighten the formation as they pressed forward again.

“All units—” Ling Feng’s voice came through the communicator, ice-cold. “Anyone who tries to disrupt our formation—shoot immediately. I will take full responsibility.”

“Understood!”

Fortunately, luck was finally on their side. The roaming Black Holes in the area were relatively distant, and Yu Xi’s constant surveillance allowed them to reroute before encountering any direct threats.

Seven minutes later, the squad reached the launch platform.

With the defensive perimeter around the platform assisting them, they successfully made it inside.

Five minutes after that, the electromagnetic pulse rebooted all mechanical units in Center 350 and Center 300. Many had been lost to the Devourers, but the remaining forces were still formidable.

Especially in Center 350, where the reactivated mechanical units gave the struggling military a much-needed breather.

As the Devourers continued their rampage in the final five minutes, the launch platform could no longer withstand the force of a massive Black Hole. The exterior walls crumbled, and the entire structure teetered on the brink of collapse.

Xing Min activated his gamified state, unleashing a devastating attack that shattered the Black Hole.

Xi Yuan, having reverted to normal, carried Yu Xi out of the crumbling platform. He became her legs, allowing her to focus entirely on scanning the sky and nearby threats.

During Xing Min’s 2 minutes and 20 seconds of active combat ability, Yu Xi lost three drones but managed to complete a full scan of the surrounding area. Their priority target was the Black Holes.

The other Devourers could now be fought by the revived mechanical units, significantly easing the pressure. But Black Holes—only travelers could effectively destroy them.

For some reason, the attacks from travelers seemed to operate on the same fundamental level as these creatures, bypassing their immunity and dealing real damage.

Xing Min systematically cleared out all nearby Black Holes, creating a safe zone for the final two minutes when they would no longer be able to fight back.

Finally, the grueling 30 minutes came to an end.

The moment the light curtain and Devourers vanished, the surviving onlookers took in the devastation surrounding them, sinking into despair and sorrow.

Yu Xi retrieved her vibrating phone. The notification on the screen surprised her.

Notification: The current station “Devourer’s Domain” has been downgraded from S-rank to A-rank.

Station downgrades had happened before. Ya Tong had once encountered such a situation in the Wasteland, where she had integrated with the native population, established rest stops and trade hubs, and significantly improved survival conditions for both travelers and residents alike.

However, this seemed to be the first time a station had been downgraded so quickly.

What caused the downgrade this time?

As she pondered, she noticed another change in the redemption menu.

Redemption Options:

Gold Reward (Available)Silver Reward (Available)Colorless Reward (Available)Hidden Reward (Available – Note: Redeeming a Hidden Reward will consume one of each other reward type and prevent further redemptions for three days.)Yu Xi didn’t hesitate—she immediately selected the Hidden Reward.

The Gold, Silver, and Colorless reward options all turned gray, becoming unavailable for selection.

A new message appeared on her screen.

Notification: You have redeemed the “Devourer’s Domain” Hidden Reward. Congratulations! You have obtained a “Golden Team Ticket”!

Yu Xi: …!!??