Apocalypse King: Recruiting S-Tier Beauties With My Ruler System
Chapter 83: Those Who Move

Chapter 83: Those Who Move

John Wang’s POV

March 17th, 2025 — 9:25 PM

Longwan University — Linbei Campus, West Courtyard

—

Everyone was exhausted, except me and Mu Qinglan. I wanted to use the system to help Zhou Xue. Thankfully, she wasn’t infected, but many of her friends were not so lucky, and what made me quite satisfied was another S-Tier.

Tang Wei and Zhou Xue... I couldn’t let them slip through my fingertips!

I straightened slowly, flexing my fingers, feeling the dry blood cracking across my palms.

Around me, my team tightened up with no need for orders.

Mu Qinglan at my left shoulder, sharp and steady, bat slung low but ready.

Shen Yifei at my right, dragging her spear up to a tired guard stance, mouth tight.

Zhou Xue on her butt, blood smeared across her face, clutching her ribs but still watching the perimeter like she was ready to bite anyone who came too close.

Good.

Good instincts.

A group of university guards approached — five or six — hard faces, worn equipment. Their leader was a woman, maybe in her late twenties, a faded armband wrapped around her left biceps. She kept one hand near the hilt of a machete strapped to her belt.

Her eyes swept over us quick.

Focused mostly on the wounded survivors behind me — the pharmacy crew.

I saw the judgment flash across her face.

Troublemakers.Failures.

I didn’t blame her.

But that didn’t mean I’d take orders from her either.

"You brought back the strays," she said, voice rough from too many cigarettes and not enough sleep.

"You realise what you’ve done?"

I shrugged once. No apology. No explanation.

Her face twisted as she ground her teeth together.

"You," she pointed at Mu Qinglan. "You from this campus?"

"No," Qinglan said, cool and disinterested.

The woman spat to the side.

"Figures. Outsiders dragging more outsiders. That’s all we need."

I stepped forward once, just enough to make her refocus.

"They stay or not?" I asked flatly. No please. No negotiation.

She snorted.

"Leadership will decide. Until then, you and yours can wait outside Main Block Four. Don’t start shit."

Her eyes lingered on Zhou Xue.

"Especially you," she muttered.

I watched her walk away, muttering into a cracked radio.

The guards melted back toward the barricades, but their stares stayed heavy on us.

I exhaled slowly, not out of relief, just out of calculation.

We were inside the perimeter.

But we were still in enemy territory.

And if we wanted to live through the night...We were going to have to carve out a place here.

One way or another.

"Hey... can you tell me your name now?" I asked the girl while buying a simple healing ointment and a set of bandages from the system store.

Luckily, we brought backpacks with us—mine was empty, so I could pretend to pull the bandage and ointment naturally.

"Xue... Zhou Xue..."

Her voice was soft, like freshly fallen snow... but her eyes lacked trust and her fear of me was obvious... damn.

My vision flickered as I pulled up the system menu with a quick mental swipe.

[ZKP: 1945 Available]

I shifted straight to the [Emergency Medical Supplies] submenu. Basic stuff. No miracles.

A rough list scrolled into view:

[Basic Sterile Bandage Roll (x3)] — 10 ZKP

[Antiseptic Ointment (50ml)] — 15 ZKP

[Painkiller Tablets (Low-Grade, 10ct)] — 20 ZKP

[Medical Suture Kit (Basic)] — 50 ZKP

[Field Trauma Kit (Mid-Tier)] — 120 ZKP

We didn’t need the full trauma kit. Not yet.

I selected:

[Basic Sterile Bandage Roll (x3)] — 10 ZKP

[Antiseptic Ointment (50ml)] — 15 ZKP

[Total Cost: 25 ZKP]

Confirm.

The system flashed:

[Purchase Successful.]

-25 ZKP deducted.New Balance: [ZKP: 1920]

In the corner of my inventory space, two small, battered supply kits materialised — old-world style. Though the text said they were top of the range, it seemed different from what I imagined, no glowing magic bullshit.

Just rough cloth bandages and thick, chemical-smelling ointment stuffed into cracked plastic containers.

Exactly what we needed.

I closed the menu with a thought, pulled the supplies free, and crouched down next to Zhou Xue, who was still gripping her side, blood slipping through her fingers.

"Hold still," I said, already ripping open a bandage packet.

"Eh??" She flinched once, then went still, lips pressed tight.

Good girl.

No crying. No questions.

I smeared the ointment quick — it stung like hell; I could see her jaw clench hard — then wrapped the gauze tight around the worst of the gashes.

Messy work.Fast work.Good enough to keep her standing.

We didn’t need to be perfect right now, but I needed her to live.

[First Aid Administered — Temporary Recovery Boost: +10% Movement / +10% Pain Resistance for 1 Hour.]

I stood and stretched my shoulders once, ignoring the pull in my arms.

Zhou Xue coughed into her sleeve but nodded at me once, silent thanks. She was pale, but the bandages would hold. The painkillers would keep her upright for now.

Didn’t matter if she could sprint or fight.

She could walk.

That was enough.

I scanned the courtyard again, slow and careful. Nothing fast. No sudden moves to give anyone watching a reason to put a bullet in us.

A half-dozen university guards leaned against the barricades, muttering into radios. They kept their guns low but ready. A few pointed toward us now and then, hands twitchy near their triggers. I could almost hear their thoughts.

Outsiders.

Burdens.

Threats.

What made me impressed was the lack of the typical woman loving villain, or scum who wanted to take Yifei and Qinglan but leave me here. It was quite amusing to think that those situations didn’t happen in a real apocalypse...

At least for now.

The pharmacy survivors huddled in clumps near the trucks, shaking, bleeding, still trying to look invisible.

Pathetic.

They were as good as dead weight unless someone hammered them back into shape.

And I wasn’t going to be the one wasting strength to do it.

"Wait..." I suddenly muttered.

"What’s wrong, John?" Qinglan responded, her hands wrapped around my arm.

"Ah? Sorry, I was just thinking out loud."

With a simple nod, I turned my focus back to the system... close to a level and with 20 slots free, could I take these students who seemed weak and useless and make them into scouts or guards... maybe some of them are talented elsewhere.

Unlike Zhou Xue, none of them surpassed the C-Tier.

I would probably have to save her friend, she mentioned someone’s name while half asleep...

I kept my arms loose at my sides, giving the guards no reason to start twitching harder on their triggers.

In the back of my mind, the system flickered — small passive readouts running along the edges of my vision.

[Survivor Scan: Low-Tier Detected. Average Rating: C-Class]

Nothing impressive.

Nothing threatening.

But maybe... useful.

Scouts. Runners. Guards, if I could hammer some backbone into them.

Maybe even bait if I needed a clean escape later.

I exhaled through my nose, slow and steady.

Control wasn’t about saving everybody.

It was about using what you had until you had more.

Simple.

Clean.

A small grunt pulled my attention down.

Zhou Xue.

Still propped against the truck, head drooping, mouth moving in broken whispers.

I crouched down beside her, angling my body to block the line of sight from the guards watching us.

Her lips moved again — a name slipping out half-slurred, raw with fear and exhaustion.

"Liang... Liang Mei... north... lab block..."

I didn’t say anything.

Didn’t pat her hand.Didn’t tell her it would be okay.

I just stood up, flexing my blood-cracked fingers, feeling the weight settle clean in my chest.

Target acquired.

Move forward.

Survive first.

Build second.

Save who mattered third.

Same old rules.

Different battlefield.

As I scanned the courtyard, a soft data line flickered across the bottom of my vision — nothing loud, nothing obvious.

[Survivor Scan: Active]

[Total Scanned: 26 Individuals]

Detected Tier Distribution:

S-Tier: 1 (Zhou Xue)

A-Tier: 0

B-Tier: 0

C-Tier: 11

D-Tier: 14

Not a surprise, most were weak. Broken and barely better than the walking dead, if I were being generous. Only one stood out — Zhou Xue — burning like a small, guttering star in a sea of ashes.

But... they could help, and I became sure of it.

I glanced toward her again, where she sat propped against the truck, blood drying along her jaw, hand clenching weakly over the bandages I’d wrapped.

Good instincts and a tough core. But I couldn’t buy Zhou Xue’s loyalty and affection with bandages alone.

The soft chime came half a breath later.

[System Task Generated.]

[Secure S-Tier Survivor: Zhou Xue.]

[Objective: Save A-Tier Survivor: Liang Mei from North Laboratory Block.]

[Reward: +2000 ZKP / +2000 EXP / 1 Random Gift (Survival Tier)]

I didn’t smile.

Didn’t react.

Just catalogued it mentally.

Target acquired.

Path opened.

Nothing worth doing was easy.

And no empire worth building was free.