Apocalypse: Transmigrated with an Overlord System
Chapter 99: The Cost of Survival

Chapter 99: Chapter 99: The Cost of Survival

On the other side, Liang Zihan and Zhou Yinuo approached the corpse of the mutated black widow spider with some fear and hesitation, because they had to make sure it had really died or not...

Soon, Mei joined them too.

Though her breathing was uneven and her face pale, she was still in better shape than Chen Wei and Yan Lin. Both of them had protected her fiercely during the fight, shielding her from direct blows since her powers weren’t made for offense.

Mei’s abilities leaned more toward healing and support... valuable, yes, but not built for frontline combat.

The three of them slowly approached the body of the black widow spider, their weapons raised just in case. They watched it closely, waiting for any twitch, any movement... anything that would tell them this was just a trap. That the creature was waiting for one final ambush.

The closer they got, the stronger the stench of blood and death became.

Black fluid was still leaking from the spider’s wounds, thick and reeking. Its legs were twisted at unnatural angles. Parts of its hard shell were cracked open, revealing dark, pulsing flesh that no longer moved.

"It’s not breathing," Zhou Yinuo whispered.

Liang Zihan didn’t respond. He took one final step forward, raising his weapon high—and struck one of the spider’s limbs.

Nothing happened. No reaction at all.

"It’s really dead," Mei said softly, her voice carrying disbelief more than relief.

The three of them stared at it for a long moment. No one knew what had killed it, not exactly. It had happened so suddenly. A final screech and then... silence. Liora had fought it until the end, but even that didn’t explain the sudden collapse.

They couldn’t understand it. But they were grateful.

Because if that thing hadn’t died—none of them would have made it out alive.

"I thought we were all going to die," Liang Zihan muttered, finally letting out a shaky breath.

Zhou Yinuo nodded slowly, lowering her weapon as she glanced around. "We should check the others, they are all heavily injured."

Only after confirming the spider was dead did the true chaos hit them.

Everyone had been thrown in different directions during the battle. Their formation had been broken, and with the storm of dust, blood, and destruction, they hadn’t been able to keep track of anyone.

Now that the fear had lifted slightly, the full weight of their losses came crashing down.

"Chen Wei!" Mei shouted, her eyes scanning the ground frantically. She rushed back to where she had last seen him, stumbling over broken stone and fallen debris.

Chen Wei lay slumped against a shattered tree trunk, his breathing ragged and blood covering half his face. His arm hung at a strange angle, and gashes ran down his side.

Yan Lin was a few feet away, struggling to sit up, holding her shoulder with a pained grimace.

"Hang on!" Mei cried out as she knelt beside them, already channeling her healing ability.

A faint light glowed from her hands as she placed them over Chen Wei’s chest, focusing everything she had on sealing the worst of his injuries.

It wasn’t enough to fully heal him—but the bleeding slowed. His chest rose more evenly, and the sharp pain in his ribs dulled.

"I’ll be fine..." Chen Wei muttered weakly, managing a small smile. "Go help the others."

"I will," Mei whispered back. "But not until I make sure you’re still breathing properly."

She moved to Yan Lin next, pouring her energy into healing the deep wounds on her arm and side. Her ability was strong, but she had to conserve her strength. There were still more wounded.

After stabilizing the two of them, they stood up, swaying slightly from exhaustion but determined to help.

"We have to find the others," Liang Zihan said urgently.

"Zhao Ren, Ji Ming, Shan Haoran, Yun Shou, and..." Zhou Yinuo hesitated, her voice softening, "Liora."

The name fell heavy as they had seen just how intense the last fight was... only Liora was still climbing on the top of the mutated spider to kill it, but she was also the one who was badly injured and was flung far away when the spider shrieked in horror and pain.

They all moved quickly now to find all of their friends, pushing through debris, calling out names.

A faint groan came from beneath a pile of rocks. Liang Zihan rushed toward it, his hands already tearing at the rubble. Zhou Yinuo joined him silently, both working fast until they uncovered Zhao Ren—bloodied, bruised, but alive.

"Z-Zihan..." he rasped.

"Don’t talk," he said with a strained voice. "You’re going to be fine."

They pulled him free, his leg twisted and bleeding. Mei hurried over, kneeling beside him. Her hands lit with soft energy as she placed them on his chest.

"Hold him steady," she whispered. "He’s bleeding inside."

Chen Wei steadied her as she channeled her healing.

Nearby, Yan Lin and Liang Zihan found Ji Ming behind a crumbled wall. He was barely conscious, his side torn open.

"Stay with me," Yan Lin urged, pressing her hands over the wound.

Mei crawled over and began healing again, the light from her hands flickering with strain. She was pushing herself too hard, but she didn’t stop.

Then came Shan Haoran. He lay motionless near the edge of a shattered platform, his shoulder horribly burned. Mei placed both hands over his chest and forced her energy through him. The burns dulled, his breathing eased. They wrapped him in cloth as gently as they could.

Last was Yun Shou, coughing blood with a dislocated shoulder. "I’m fine," he tried to say, but his voice cracked. Chen Wei reset the shoulder in one clean motion, and Yun Shou cried out. Mei leaned in again, her light barely flickering now, but still she healed.

Zhou Yinuo and Liang Zihan were frantically trying to find Liora in every direction, their faces becoming pale at the no sight of Liora.

Then finally, when they walked further from the site, they found her in a corner.

She was leaning on the wall, cradling something small in her arms—no, someone. A child.

Now others joined in too, to find her. They slowed as they approached. Liora had blood dried on her skin, her clothes in tatters, but her body had stopped bleeding. Her strength was still weak, her face pale, but she was awake, sitting with the child curled in her lap, holding him gently.

The child was crying quietly, hugging her neck tightly, unwilling to let go.

The sight silenced everyone.