Apocalypse: Transmigrated with an Overlord System
Chapter 69: Even Death Couldn’t Pry Him Away

Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Even Death Couldn’t Pry Him Away

The trio noticed that Liora hadn’t moved from her place for a long time. They had already finished laying the last body into the pit, placing them side by side with gentle care. It was a silent moment of respect. But when they turned around, they saw her still kneeling in the same spot, unmoving.

Zhou Yinuo frowned. "What’s wrong with her?"

Without wasting time, the three of them walked over. They stopped a few steps behind her, then they saw Liora’s condition and the scene, which froze them all.

A boy. There was a boy in her arms. "Where did he come from? He was not here when they first arrived."

They hadn’t seen him before. None of them had noticed that nestled, so tightly in the mother’s embrace was a small child. So tightly held, so well shielded, that even death couldn’t pry him away.

"He’s alive..." Chen Wei whispered, as if scared his voice might disturb the moment.

Even Zhou Yinuo’s eyes welled up. She turned her head slightly, trying to blink the tears away. "So small... he’s just a child," she murmured. "But he lost everything... in a single night."

Liang Zihan looked down, his throat tightening. He suddenly remembered the night he lost his own family—all the blood, the screams, and the desperation of being too late. They had all gone through it. Left behind. Alone in a collapsing world.

They had run with empty stomachs and dry throats. There was no time to grieve then. They could only stand up and continue walking. Because only one thing was left, and that was survival.

They were no different from this boy once.

Hopeless.

Helpless.

Just trying to make it to the next sunrise.

One year had passed since the apocalypse began, but nothing much had changed. Sure, a few bases had been built. A few rules were made. But the world outside was still the same—rotten, broken, full of death. A place where people feared the darkness more than anything else. Where every scream at night reminded them that someone else had died. Someone else had lost his family. And another one had turned into a zombie.

Every single day, more people vanished.

More fell to the zombies.

It was said that nearly ninety percent of the population had already turned. And out of the remaining ten, only a tiny portion were Awakeners—those gifted with powers by some strange twist of fate.

The rest? They were just prey.

If things kept going this way, no one doubted that soon, there would be nothing left of humanity. Just a planet filled with the dead.

How unfair this world had become, as if the heavens themselves had given up on people.

The boy stirred in Liora’s arms. His small face was no longer so pale after drinking the healing potion. His lips, which were once blue, were now a soft pink. His cheeks had regained a faint flush. The healing potion had worked quite well.

He blinked once at Liora, those wide blue eyes still filled with a dazed innocence. Then he slowly closed them, as if too tired to stay awake. His small body relaxed against her chest, and the soft sound of his breathing became steady and calm.

The tension in the air suddenly shifted. All four of them let out a deep breath. At least... he would live. That was something good to hear.

Liora stood up slowly, her arms still cradling the boy carefully. She didn’t say a word. She just walked to the Hummer, opened the back door, and gently placed him inside. She tucked him in with a soft blanket, making sure he was warm and protected.

She stared at him for a while.

He looked so peaceful now.

So safe.

Zhou Yinuo stepped beside her. "We should give him a name," she said quietly.

Liora blinked. "A name?"

Zhou nodded. "Until he wakes up and tells us... we should at least call him something."

Liang Zihan chuckled lightly, even though his voice was hoarse. "Let’s not give him a weird one."

Chen Wei smiled faintly. "Something simple."

Liora’s lips moved slowly. Her gaze never left the boy. "Eli," she whispered.

The others looked at her.

"Eli?" Zhou repeated.

"I don’t know why," Liora said softly. "It just... feels right."

They didn’t question her. In this world, there was no need for reasons. Only feelings.

They stood in silence for a moment longer. The air was heavy with the weight of unspoken grief.

Zhou Yinuo was the first to move. With a deep breath, she stepped forward and knelt beside the woman’s body. Her hands were gentle as she reached out and slowly unwrapped the woman’s stiff fingers. Even in death, the mother had held on tightly to her child, shielding him with the last warmth she had left.

Chen Wei and Liang Zihan came to help without a word. Their movements were careful. Together, they lifted the woman’s body—still curled protectively from where she had cradled her son—and carried her to the pit.

They placed her beside the others.

No one spoke. No one dared to disturb the quiet.

Liang Zihan knelt, brushing some hair from the woman’s face before gently laying a small cloth over her features. "Rest well," he whispered with a hoarse voice.

One by one, they returned to the edge of the pit. Liora remained standing a little apart, still watching the small figure in the Hummer, covered with the soft blanket. But her eyes flickered back to the grave.

They picked up their shovels again. The sound of earth hitting the wooden pit was soft at first, then steadier. Dirt began to cover the bodies, layer by layer. None of them spoke as they worked. The silence was their form of mourning.

When the pit was finally full, Zhou Yinuo gathered a few large stones from the side of the road. She knelt and began arranging them carefully over the fresh soil, making a simple mound. The others joined her, adding more stones. Not to mark names—they didn’t know any. But to show respect. To give the dead a grave worth remembering.

When the last stone was laid, they stood side by side before the mound.

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