Apocalypse: Transmigrated with an Overlord System
Chapter 28: Instant noodles

Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Instant noodles

Liora snorted. "Then I’d have eaten my shoe or something. But clearly, I didn’t have to." She shook the apple core in front of them. "See? I even got myself a snack on the way back."

Liang Zihan groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "You’re unbelievable."

Liora grinned. "And yet, you love me."

Chen Wei looked at Liora, his deep gaze unwavering. He didn’t believe such obvious lies. Only simpletons like Zhou Yinuo and Liang Zihan would fall for such lame excuses.

Liora noticed his stare but only passed him a harmless smile—one of pure innocence, as if she couldn’t even harm a fly.

Chen Wei shook his head in amusement. Everyone had their own secrets, their own way of handling things. He wouldn’t expose her lies. In time, she would be comfortable enough to share the truth herself.

"You can’t be reckless like that. You still have us, so don’t make such drastic decisions on your own," Chen Wei reminded her. What if luck hadn’t been on her side? What if she had gotten herself into real trouble and hadn’t made it back alive? Being alone was dangerous.

In his mind, she was still a young girl. No matter how powerful she was, surviving alone was never a good situation. At least in a group, there was encouragement and a stronger will to live.

Chen Wei didn’t want anyone to suffer the same fate as him. He had survived the disaster alone, and only he knew how suffocating and despairing it had been.

Liora blinked, momentarily stunned by the serious tone in his voice. Then, her smirk softened into something gentler. "I won’t," she promised.

Zhou Yinuo finally let go of her, sniffling as she wiped her face. "Good. Because I won’t forgive you if you do."

Liora chuckled, ruffling Zhou Yinuo’s hair. "Alright, enough sulking. We have bigger things to worry about." She looked around. "Any zombies nearby? Any trouble while I was gone?"

Liang Zihan sighed, shaking his head. "Not yet. But we need to move soon. This place won’t stay safe forever."

Chen Wei nodded. "We should rest for a bit and then figure out our next move."

Liora clapped her hands. "Great! But first, food. I’m starving."

Liang Zihan scoffed. "Didn’t you just eat an apple?"

Liora grinned. "Yeah, but I almost died. That means I deserve a feast, don’t you think?"

The night stretched deep and endless, the distant groans of the undead barely audible over the whispering wind. The group had holed up on the second floor of a small supermarket, its windows boarded up with whatever debris they could find. They had eaten nothing but stale bread in the morning, and now, as midnight loomed, their stomachs twisted with hunger.

Except for Liora. She had smugly munched on two apples throughout the day, earning herself a few glares from the others. She didn’t mind. If they had wanted apples, they should have been faster.

Still, even she couldn’t deny the gnawing emptiness in her stomach as she watched Zhou Yinuo clutch her belly with a pitiful whimper. Liang Zihan slumped against the counter, his arms crossed as if sulking. Even Chen Wei, ever composed, looked a little pale under the dim flickering light.

"We need to eat," Liang Zihan finally muttered. "We can’t keep going like this."

"We have food," Zhou Yinuo reminded them, pointing toward their stash. "We got instant noodles from the supermarket warehouse."

Liora raised a brow. "Instant noodles?"

Chen Wei nodded. "It’s easy to make. Just pour hot water, and it’s ready."

Liora’s eyes widened. "That’s it? No need to cook it over a fire or add anything?"

Liang Zihan smirked. "You’ve never had cup noodles before?"

Liora crossed her arms. "Excuse me for not knowing about your ’modern conveniences.’" She was royalty in her past life—what need did she have for something so simple?

Zhou Yinuo giggled, but their momentary amusement faded when reality set in. The real problem wasn’t the noodles—it was boiling water.

They had no working stove, no electricity, and no gas.

The four of them exchanged glances. They needed fire.

"Primitive way, then?" Liang Zihan suggested, his voice dry.

"Seems like it," Chen Wei sighed.

They searched through their supplies. Luckily, the supermarket had left them with a few precious resources: a lighter and a small canister of gasoline. It wasn’t much, but it saved them from rubbing sticks together like cavemen.

"Alright," Chen Wei said, grabbing a rusted pan from the store’s backroom. "We just need some firewood."

The group scavenged on the floor, moving carefully through the wreckage and scattered debris. The entire area was littered with broken wood, shattered furniture, and pieces of collapsed walls. Liora found some dry planks from what looked like an old fruit stand and kicked at them until they splintered into manageable pieces.

Liang Zihan found a few broken crates, while Zhou Yinuo gathered some paper scraps for kindling. They worked in silence, ears trained for any sounds of movement in the distance. The last thing they needed was to attract a horde while trying to make dinner.

Back at their resting place, they stacked the wood in a metal basin and poured a small amount of gasoline. Chen Wei flicked the lighter, and with a soft whoosh, flames curled upward, their golden glow casting dancing shadows on the walls. The warmth spread, chasing away the night’s biting chill.

Liora sat cross-legged near the fire, watching as Chen Wei carefully placed the pan over the flames and poured in water from their bottled supply. The bubbling sound that followed felt almost unreal.

"You’d think we were making a feast," Liora muttered.

"In times like these, even instant noodles are a feast," Liang Zihan countered.

The water boiled, and they carefully poured it into the waiting cups of dry noodles. Steam rose in fragrant wisps, and the scent of seasoning filled the small space. Liora stared as the noodles softened, absorbing the water. It was such a simple thing, yet her mouth watered at the sight.

While waiting, they prepared some side dishes—canned vegetables, a few preserved meats, and some crackers they had found in the supermarket warehouse. It wasn’t gourmet, but after an exhausting day of running, fighting, and surviving, it felt like luxury.

When the noodles were ready, Zhou Yinuo was the first to take a bite. A small, almost tearful sigh left her lips. "It’s so good."

Liang Zihan slurped his noodles, closing his eyes as if savoring a five-star meal. "Unbelievable. Something this simple can taste so divine."

Liora took her first bite, her eyes widening slightly at the rich, salty flavor. It wasn’t the finest delicacy she’d ever had, but after everything they had been through, it might as well have been.

For the first time in what felt like forever, the tension in their bodies eased. They ate in silence, the only sound the occasional slurp of noodles and quiet sighs of satisfaction. The fire crackled softly, keeping the darkness at bay.

Chen Wei glanced at the others, watching as they lost themselves in the small comfort of a warm meal. His grip on his chopsticks tightened. This—this moment of peace—was something they had to fight to keep.