Apocalypse King: Recruiting S-Tier Beauties With My Ruler System
Chapter 185: After the Storm, Before the Dawn

Chapter 185: After the Storm, Before the Dawn

March 23rd, 10:21 PM

Gu Tianhao’s Compound, Main House

John Wang POV

——

I woke up on something softer than a stone floor. For a second, I thought maybe I was dead. But then the aches came back in slow, spreading, dull aches. My ribs pulsed. My knuckles stung. The familiar aftertaste of blood and victory clung to the inside of my mouth.

I cracked one eye open.

Someone had laid a thick blanket over me, patchy but clean. Lamplight glowed from a few battery lanterns set around the main room. The floor was still dirty, streaked with muddy footprints and scuffed from boots, but no gunshots, no shouting.

Tang Wei knelt by the far wall, helping a couple of older men out of broken cuffs. The room hummed with low voices, villagers, refugees, a handful of girls huddled by the hearth, all looking hollow-eyed but safe.

Mu Qinglan was sprawled beside me, head pillowed on my arm, breathing slowly. Blood streaked her hair, but it wasn’t hers. Jiang Roulan sat on my other side, back against the wall, knees pulled up, jaw set, and eyes focused on the flickering lantern.

My heart settled. I was alive. We all were.

I reached up, tracing the scar where Gu Tianhao’s bullet had passed through my chest. The wound itched, but already felt closed, skin rough and tight with new flesh.

[You’re too reckless, John!]

[Regeneration Complete. You are now at full health!]

I almost laughed.

Tang Wei noticed I was awake, then tossed a grim smile my way.

"Nice of you to join us, leader."

I sat up, blinking the exhaustion out of my eyes. "Did we lose anyone?"

She shook her head. "A few hurt. Most just shaken up. but the villagers... many died and most are still in shock. You took the worst of it. Except maybe for Gu Tianhao."

Mu Qinglan groaned, stretching her arms and shooting me a look that said, Don’t you dare act like a martyr!

I met her gaze and grinned.

Outside, the moon was rising over the ruined courtyard, shining silver on broken glass and bodies dragged out for burning.

We’d survived for now...

I just wanted to leave this place and return to the safety of our base...

Gu Tianhao died.

I didn’t ask how it happened.

Someone cut off his head when I was unconscious.

The heat from Mu Qinglan’s cheek pressed against my shoulder, her breath tickling my skin. I let her linger a moment longer, then eased her off, careful not to wake her. My body protested every movement—muscles tight, joints aching from yesterday’s fight. Still, I sat up, rubbing the bruise under my ribs.

"Where’s Roulan?" My voice was hoarse, quieter than I intended.

Tang Wei wiped her brow and nodded toward the kitchen. "She’s with Shen Yifei. Both are keeping the others from panicking. Some villagers are unstable, but we’ve stabilised the worst cases."

I nodded, a twinge of relief sneaking through my fatigue. "Thanks. You’ve saved my ass more times than I can count."

"Wei... you’re so good at this." My voice faltered, but I didn’t regret it.

She looked at me with wide eyes, and I could only shrug my shoulders and respond with a bitter smile, "I’ve got a lot to learn from you."

In the corner of my eyes, Qinglan scowled at the caramel-skinned beauty, but I didn’t care... the truth was she really helped me.

She gave me a mixed look, part amusement and something else.

"You’ll get used to it, don’t doubt yourself... we are here because you brought us this far."

"Haha, thanks Wei. I’ll go visit the others."

Qinglan gripped my clothes, but I gently pushed them off. "You should rest, Lan’er."

I pushed myself up, feet bare on the chilly floor. My System still hummed at the edge of my thoughts, the ache in my chest fading as the last healing process finished. Every step sent a new warning through my body, but I forced myself forward.

Past the main room, I found the kitchen crowded with survivors.

Zhou Xue was ladling thin soup into tin cups.

Liang Mei and Liang Qiu sorted through boxes of scavenged supplies. In the corner, Shen Yifei sat perched on a stool, hands folded, eyes focused on nothing.

It was apparent she was far too worried to eat right now.

Jiang Roulan stood behind her, one hand on Yifei’s shoulder. She appeared to be whispering something in Yifei’s ear.

The moment I stepped into the doorway, Roulan’s gaze shifted to me, sharp and doubtful for a moment before it relaxed, widened, and I saw her shoulders drop. She didn’t speak, but her lips curled into a brilliant smile.

"John." Shen Yifei’s voice was soft, and the edge of anxiety lingered.

She hopped off the chair and darted through the room. Then leapt.

I spread my arms and caught her flying body, the softness and warmth of her body filling my senses as our lips pressed together. Her eyes filled with worry and delight as tears welled and dripped down her cheeks.

But the softness of her tongue inside my mouth was too addictive.

The wet sound of our kiss lingered as my hands sank into her buttocks, squeezing the cute blonde bombshell.

"Nnnph..."

The warmth of Yifei’s tongue wrapping around mine as her lips sucked on me feltterrificg, but the others were staring so I pulled away with a slow, wet pop.

Saliva dripped from our lips, forming a bridge as her eyes glistened with light.

With a sigh, she complained again. "...I really worried about you."

"Hey," I said, trying to smile. "I’m still here. Bit uglier, maybe, but still breathing."

She scoffed, lips twitching into something like a smile.

Roulan didn’t let go of her. "You shouldn’t be walking around yet."

"I can’t sit still. Not when there’s this much to do."

I took a moment to look around, taking in the battered faces, the tension and the chaos that still lingered in the survivors. Even with the camp secured, the air felt heavy. Like all it would take was one bad move to unravel everything we’d fought for.

I stepped forward and put a hand on Roulan’s arm. "How are you holding up?"

She didn’t answer right away. Her hand squeezed Yifei’s shoulder once, then she looked up at me. "We’re alive. That’s enough for now."

I nodded, throat tight.

Outside, the wind rattled the broken windows, carrying the sounds of survivors and distant, cautious hope.

We’d survived the night. But there was no time for rest.

Not yet.

The others were gathered around the battered dining table, soup bowls in hand.

Most villagers were in another room, thankfully, there was someone who could take control and act like a leader for them.

I don’t think they will ever forget this massacre and the horrors... we would leave most of the weapons for them to protect themselves, but we asked for two of the jeeps and half the gas to use them.

At the table, our group all looked at me happily.

I took a breath, steadying myself against the table’s edge. Tang Wei motioned for quiet, and soon everyone’s eyes were on me. For a second, I felt naked, exposed in a way that fighting never made me feel. I cleared my throat.

"We’re not staying here." My voice sounded stronger than I felt. "We can’t risk another Gu family raid. Or worse, someone trying to take revenge for what happened last night."

Zhou Xue set her bowl aside, looking up with tired, sharp eyes. "Where then?"

I glanced at Jiang Roulan. "West. Toward Roulan’s family’s land. She knows the area, and it’s defensible. If we can reach it, we’ll have a shot at building something safe. For all of us."

Liang Mei frowned. "How far is it?"

Roulan looked at me, shocked.

Her eyes and mouth opened wide as if she never expected me to say this... but I’d never forgotten the quest and thing she asked me over a week ago.

When she recovered, her answer came.

"Because of the change in the world, it probably won’t take a few hours like the past... but if we take it slow maybe it won’t take longer than a day or two?"

Mu Qinglan yawned, stretching as she leaned against my side. "And what if another gang or horde tries to stop us?"

"Then we deal with it." Tang Wei’s tone was iron, her words cutting through the doubt. "We have weapons now. Not to mention we understand the world better... and each other."

I looked around the room, trying to gauge their faces, some still hollowed by hunger and fear, others flickering with new resolve.

"We’ll leave at first light. Tonight, everyone gets rest, food, and a chance to breathe."

I ran fingers through my hair while glancing at Yifei, who remained quiet. I hoped she could recover, but because she revealed her feelings. I wouldn’t ignore her or the others anymore.

"If you need anything or want to take anything, ask for it now. Because we probably won’t be coming back."

Though I wanted to recruit more people, they were adamant about staying here, in this area, because they grew up here.

Roulan came to stand beside me, chin raised. "You heard him. Get what you need, then get some sleep. Tomorrow, we walk."

No one argued.

I felt her hand slip into mine, just for a moment, steady, warm, grounding me before she let go. Around us, the survivors began to move, and I knew we weren’t out of danger.

But... that’s just how the world works.

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