Apocalypse King: Recruiting S-Tier Beauties With My Ruler System
Chapter 112: Don’t Leave Me Again!

Chapter 112: Don’t Leave Me Again!

March 18th, 20xx — 2:31 PM

Zone 3A-Δ – Fifth Floor - Homebase

——

"JOHN!"

The voice hit me like a gunshot wrapped in silk.

I turned just in time to see her.

Jiang Roulan.

She tore around the corner like something had broken loose in her chest. Her boots hit the floor hard. Her black coat trailed behind her like smoke, hair half-loose, eyes locked on me like she didn’t see anyone else in the damn world.

No hesitation.

She slammed into me with a desperate leap.

Her arms wrapped around my neck, breath hitting my throat in gasps. I caught her waist out of reflex, trying to keep us steady, but she didn’t give me time to react.

Her mouth pressed against mine.

Soft... wet... and slimy.

No warning. No soft lean-in. Just heat and pressure and the faint taste of metal and adrenaline — and Jiang Roulan.

The kiss wasn’t slow. It wasn’t sweet.

It was need.

She held my neck, her warm tongue pushed through my teeth, the silky sensation of her softness curling around my mouth as she snorted and blew hot air down my face.

She held it like she meant to brand it into my lips.

Even as I kissed her back, I heard a soft gasp from behind me.

Liang Mei.

Her whole body stiffened beside me, one hand flying up to cover her mouth, her face flushing pink so fast it looked like it might melt.

But I couldn’t pull away.

Not yet.

Not until she did.

Roulan’s lips trembled when she finally let go, her breath shivering across my cheek.

"You said one night," she whispered, voice tight.

"And it was one night."

"Felt longer."

Her hands slid down from my shoulders to my chest, gripping me tighter than necessary. Her eyes scanned me once, slow, worried. Like she was checking for cracks she couldn’t see.

"I didn’t sleep," she said. "Every time the sonar pinged I thought—"

"I came back," I said. "You knew I would."

She looked away, just for a second.

"I believed you. Still..."

Her hands dropped, but I grabbed them... I knew that Jiang Roulan must have worried from the dark circles in her eyes.

And in that small movement, I felt it — how much she didn’t want to let go. Her fingers twisted around mine like they were resisting orders.

"I held the building," she said, trying to sound calm again. "No one died. Everyone followed the rules. I didn’t let anyone break protocol."

"I knew you’d hold it."

She gave a sharp breath. "It wasn’t for them."

That silence hung between us like a pulled thread before she leaned on my chest, the faint scent of her sweat flowing into my nose. "I did it for you..."

Then she turned, coat whipping behind her like a cape, her face bright red.

"Get them to the first floor. Let them unload. Let them rest."

I hesitated, watching her shoulders rise and fall.

"And then?"

Her voice was softer now. Not quite cracked. Just... lower.

"Then come back to me, on the fifth floor."

She started walking again, heading for the stairwell — but after three steps, she stopped. Didn’t turn around.

Her hand hovered at her side, fingers twitching like they were trying to call me back.

"I..." But she didn’t continue, only gazing back at me with her wet eyes. Although a little dramatic. I wondered how it must have felt being alone after spending the past few days together almost constantly...

And she vanished down the stairs, coat swaying behind her like a flag.

Liang Mei finally looked up at me, lips slightly parted, still red in the face.

"She really..."

"Yeah," I muttered.

"She really missed you."

I didn’t deny it.

Because I missed her too.

"Let’s go, everyone should be waiting, and you need medicine right?"

"Okay, can I stay like this?" she asked, still holding my hand.

Liang Mei was warm. Fragile. Her skin felt cold through the sleeve of her sweater, and her hand trembled faintly as she clung to me.

Sick.

But stubborn.

I didn’t pull away.

"Just until we reach the elevator," I muttered.

She smiled.

A small thing. Soft. Quiet. Like a blossom trying to survive under ash.

The corridor turned silent after that — just the sound of our steps over smooth flooring. Lights humming faintly above. The building’s pulse, steady and quiet, surrounded us in a way the outside world never could.

And then—

[Skill Acquired — Urban Predator Instinct (Lv1)]

Your senses adapt to the city’s corpse.

Gain enhanced awareness of line-of-sight dangers, ambush points, and patrol movement patterns in urban environments. Walls, windows, broken floors — you start to "feel" them the way a wolf smells blood.

• +15% movement stealth in collapsed buildings

• Enemies within 30 meters occasionally trigger a subtle mental ping when looking directly at you.

• Improves tracking and navigation in man-made ruins

"The city is no longer just ruins to you. It is your hunting ground."

—

I blinked once.

The hallway... shifted.

Not literally. But my awareness of it deepened in a way I couldn’t explain. Every exposed vent, every light fixture, every door left ajar — I could feel their angles. Their threats. The path of least noise. The best cover point is if something hostile breached the stairwell.

It didn’t flood me. It was layered for me.

Like my senses were getting stitched into the bones of the building itself.

Liang Mei tugged my sleeve. "John?"

"...I’m fine."

The skill wasn’t loud. It didn’t scream power. It whispered usefulness — the kind you only noticed when it saved your life. I could almost feel a distant awareness stretch across the walls, the floors, the air around corners.

Urban Predator Instinct.

I’d seen enough blood to earn it.

And now the city itself was something I could read.

I gave Liang Mei’s hand a gentle squeeze and kept walking.

If things kept going like this...

I’d stop surviving this world.

And start owning it.

——

This bonus skill for saving Liang Mei really helped me.

I couldn’t help but feel grateful for meeting her and saving Zhou Xue... I could feel the tapping on the floor, as if I were a spider.

The moment I closed my eyes, the world became beautiful... a mixture of black and light blue ripples floating through the air.

A door appeared when opened, and the outline of the world materialised in a neon blue ink. Liang Mei’s feet were lighter than mine, creating tiny splashes and vibrations compared to mine.

’It’s beautiful...’

"You’re not feeling well are you, Liang Mei?"

"Ugh... did you notice?" she said, voice quiet, head dipping.

Her body bounced in a flutter of blue light, the outline of her eyes vivid even after I opened my eyes again.

The light didn’t vanish instantly, but clung to her body, forming streaks of light that shimmered beautifully in a neon blue trail. Every movement or breath created the glistening light like a dancing fairy in slow motion.

Weak.

But Alive...

And worth protecting.

"Yeah," I said. "I noticed."

She looked at me with a nervous smile, her lips clearly trembling as she leaned against my arm while before I lowered my hips and lifted her off the floor.

"Kya..." Her head rested gently against my shoulder, her hair tickling the side of my neck.

"I’m glad "

My hand tightened slightly around her waist.

So was I.

——

Inside the elevator, the soft hiss of the blast doors closing echoed.

Liang Mei rested in my arms, her large eyes peeking up at me with a gentle smile.

Her breath was light — far too light.

Her heartbeat, what little I could feel through our touch, seemed... weak.

Like it was working too hard just to stay in rhythm.

The elevator began its ascent, smooth and silent. Neon-blue lighting traced lines along the wall panels, gently pulsing. Liang Mei’s reflection stared back at me from the polished surface — pale cheeks, tired eyes.

A system window blinked open in the corner of my vision.

I focused on it, just enough to trigger a mental query.

[Accessing Subsystem: Medical Knowledge Repository]

[Query: Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)]

A second window slid out, glowing gently.

[Dilated Cardiomyopathy (Stage II-III)]

A chronic condition that weakens the heart muscle, reducing its ability to pump blood efficiently.

Symptoms: fatigue, shortness of breath, arrhythmia, fainting.

Common mortality timeframe: 1–3 years without treatment.

Apocalyptic mortality timeframe: 1-3 months without treatment.

Increased stress and physical strain will accelerate degradation.

[Survivability in apocalyptic conditions: <12%]

Available Remedies:

— [Stabiliser Compound: A-12] (1,000 ZKP)

— [Healing Elixir: Type-III Vascular] (System-Crafted, Rank 6)

— [Genetic Rewrite Serum: Cardio Type-R] (50,000 ZKP)

’I take it the stabiliser will give her time... and the best option is the Genetic Rewrite Serum?’

[The Compound A-12 will increase and relieve symptoms for seven days. Usage Limit: 3]

[Genetic Rewrite Serum: Cardio Type-R - will completely rebuild and evolve a heart]

Type-III Vascular. I could make it — but not yet. I’d need Rank 6, and probably over 40,000 ZKP stockpiled to craft it at all. I was still climbing that mountain. I bought the Stabiliser first, and the cold, massive syringe appeared in my hand...

She didn’t know what I was seeing and just rested her head on my chest as the elevator climbed higher.

"...Mei."

"Hm?"

"Do you ever feel it?"

She blinked up at me. "The illness?"

"Yeah."

"All the time," she whispered. "But it’s been better since I came here."

"Because it’s safer?"

"No." She smiled weakly. "Because you’re here."

Her response caught me off guard.