My Romance Game Updated – Chapter 11

by Little Panda

White-eyed wolf¹

“Can you let me kill him?”

The yellow dot girl had barely finished speaking when the Shamate² jerked his head up, glaring viciously at her.

“Bitch! You dare kill Laozi³? Ha! Come on! Let’s see if you kill Laozi first, or if Laozi strangles you to death first!!!”

The yellow dot girl wasn’t an esper.⁴ These dregs of humanity only dared to be so arrogant when facing ordinary people, or those who couldn’t fight back.

The yellow dot girl didn’t respond to the Shamate’s provocation. She just stared intently at Ren Chenxi, as if waiting for a nod of approval. But Ren Chenxi knew she was waiting for more than just a nod.

“Go ahead. Is twenty seconds enough?”

As she spoke, Ren Chenxi pulled another Flash Card⁵ from her backpack⁶ and waved it tentatively in front of the yellow dot girl. However, the girl didn’t seem to see the card between Ren Chenxi’s fingers at all, assuming Ren Chenxi was just making a hand gesture for twenty seconds.

“Letting this beast⁷ die in just twenty seconds is letting him off too easy!” The yellow dot girl’s face was full of unwillingness.

“Hey, twenty seconds doesn’t mean you have to kill him right away. As long as you chop off his limbs, you can do whatever you want to him after that, right?” A green dot girl had come down from the bus at some point, holding another big cleaver that had probably been left on the bus by the “Corpse-Collecting Girl.”⁸

These girls looked completely natural as they discussed how to chop someone up and torture them. Well, this is the apocalypse, after all, Ren Chenxi thought. Any Holy Mothers or Holy Fathers⁹ who were too kind and unwilling to kill were probably murdered by villains long ago.

Ren Chenxi noticed that this green dot girl didn’t seem to see the Flash Card either. She just looked at Ren Chenxi with a worshipful expression and said, “Sis, I didn’t see you use any weapons like a flashbang just now. There was a flash of light, and those guys couldn’t see anymore. And when I was in the house, that light flashed and blinded me too. So, Sis, are you a Light-System Esper?¹⁰“

Ren Chenxi studied the green dot girl, confirming she hadn’t seen the card either. Only then did she give a vague reply. “Not really. I can’t use this flash all the time.” Once the Flash Cards are gone, I can’t use it anymore.

“Then Sis, you have another esper ability, Headshot,¹¹ right?! I saw it too! That guy named Long had a head as hard as a rock, and you just blew it to pieces!” Feeling that the danger had passed, another green dot girl got off the bus to join the excitement.

“And when you threw rocks at Baldy, every single one was a perfect hit!” The two green dot girls grew more and more excited as they spoke.

Ren Chenxi thought, Compared to the yellow dot girl, these two green dot girls seem a bit dumb.¹² They can’t possibly be part of the same group, right?

Ren Chenxi’s guess was correct. Compared to the two green dot girls, the yellow dot girl had zero interest in what her esper ability was. Her goal had always been revenge on that Shamate. She impatiently cut off the two green dot girls’ endless chattering and stared fixedly at Ren Chenxi, saying stubbornly, “Then I’ll have to trouble you. Help me blind that beast for twenty seconds! I’ll handle the rest myself!”

Ren Chenxi didn’t know why this yellow dot girl was so insistent on dealing with the Shamate herself, but… the reasons were probably one of a few things, right? Either her friends had suffered at the Shamate’s vicious hands¹³ and she wanted to avenge them, or the Shamate had done something to her personally, and she wanted to get her own revenge.

The yellow dot girl wanted revenge, but the Shamate had no intention of sitting there and letting it happen. He had been sitting obediently on the ground, wary of Ren Chenxi’s power, but now that he saw Ren Chenxi supporting the girl’s revenge and even offering to help, he panicked. So, before Ren Chenxi could throw the Flash Card at him, the Shamate shot to his feet, brandishing a cleaver he’d somehow gotten his hands on, and lunged viciously at the yellow dot girl.

Meanwhile, the red dot at the bus door—the one Ren Chenxi had been watching on her mini-map¹⁴—also rushed toward her.

“Bitch! You die first!”

“Don’t kill Huang-ge!!!”

The two shouts rang out at once. Ren Chenxi, already prepared, grabbed the yellow dot girl and pulled her back several steps. At the same time, she threw a fist-sized rock that accurately struck the Shamate’s ankle. The Shamate was too close; using a Flash Card would blind her as well. And for a mere 2nd-Order Strength-Type Esper,¹⁵ using an Explosion Card¹⁶ was too much of a waste. A single rock was enough to make him fall flat on his face like a dog eating shit.¹⁷

As for the red dot girl behind her…

When the second green dot girl had gotten off the bus, Ren Chenxi had subtly signaled to the “Corpse-Collecting Girl” behind her, hinting for her to watch the red dot girl on the bus. The “Corpse-Collecting Girl” had gotten her hint. Now, the red dot girl’s sneak attack failed, and she was stopped cold by the “Corpse-Collecting Girl’s” cleaver pressed against her neck.

“Cai Huiyan,¹⁸ you’re seriously sick!” the “Corpse-Collecting Girl” cursed at the red dot girl.

The other two green dot girls moved quickly to snatch the utility hammer from Cai Huiyan’s hand. The hammer, which they must have found on the bus, was small and practically useless against several espers.

That’s right. Aside from the yellow dot girl and the red dot Cai Huiyan, the three green dot girls were all espers. But Ren Chenxi had never seen them use their abilities. Especially the “Corpse-Collecting Girl”—she had rushed into the supermarket to save people with just a big cleaver. Could it be… they don’t know they’re espers?

But Ren Chenxi didn’t get a chance to ask the three girls. The Shamate, who had fallen to the ground, tried to get up again, still clutching his cleaver. Ren Chenxi, who had been watching him the whole time, immediately rewarded him with a brick, which accurately smashed into the wrist holding the cleaver. The Shamate let out a miserable scream, and the cleaver fell from his grasp.

“No! Don’t hit Huang-ge…” Hearing the Shamate’s scream, Cai Huiyan didn’t dare move with the cleaver at her neck. She could only beg the “Corpse-Collecting Girl.” “Jian Dan,¹⁹ let me go, I…” After a pause, Cai Huiyan seemed to realize that begging the “Corpse-Collecting Girl” was useless. She turned her pleading, tear-streaked face to Ren Chenxi. “Sis, I’m begging you, please let Huang-ge go! He… he’s not actually a bad person, he’s been very good to me…”

“Tsk! Just because he’s good to you, he’s not a bad person? What about the girls he sadistically murdered?”²⁰ The “Corpse-Collecting Girl”—no, Jian Dan—sneered in disgust, ruthlessly exposing Cai Huiyan’s lies. “Cai Huiyan, you used your looks to hook up with this human scum. So I guess it doesn’t matter that our sisters died horribly at his hands, is that it?”

“N-no, that’s not it, I… They were just my classmates. I-I wasn’t close with them…”

“Bullshit! How dare you say you weren’t close!” Cai Huiyan’s words seemed to strike a nerve with the yellow dot girl. She rushed at Cai Huiyan in a rage and slapped her hard across the face. “What about Taotao? She was so good to you! When you were sick with a fever, she risked her life to find medicine for you everywhere… Do you know how she got that medicine she brought back for you in the end? She was humiliated by a group of human scum just to get that fever medicine!!!”

Life wasn’t easy for anyone in the apocalypse, but it was much, much harder for women, especially ordinary women. Ren Chenxi looked away, not wanting to see the twisted pain on the yellow dot girl’s face, or the indifference in Cai Huiyan’s eyes. She could only glare at the still-struggling Shamate and throw two more rocks at him, breaking his other leg to relieve the pressure in her chest.

Even though it was a game, Ren Chenxi often found herself unconsciously empathizing with the NPCs in it.

Beside her, the yellow dot girl’s tearful voice continued.

“Cai Huiyan, do you have a conscience?! Taotao did so much for you, but what did you do? The first time this group of scum decided to break their vegetarian fast²¹ with us, you pushed Taotao, who was right beside you, out in front!!!”

“I… I never asked her to do those things for me…” Cai Huiyan said, her guilt showing as she avoided the yellow dot girl’s piercing gaze.

“Heh… heheh… HAHAHAHA…” The yellow dot girl stared at Cai Huiyan, her expression twisting into madness. “Taotao did so much for you, and you say you never asked her to. But this human scum killed so many of us, and you’re desperately offering yourself up²² to him, and now you’re even begging for his life? Since that scum is so important to you, then you can just go die with him!!!”

The yellow dot girl’s final words finally provoked a strong reaction from Cai Huiyan. Ignoring the cleaver at her neck, she struggled, trying to back away and escape. “N-no! Huo Keyu,²³ you can’t do this… We’ve been through so much, we were supposed to live and die together…²⁴ Y-you can’t kill me…”

“Who wants to live and die together with a white-eyed wolf like you!!!” The yellow dot girl, Huo Keyu, her eyes red, lunged to grab the cleaver from Jian Dan’s hand. Jian Dan let her take it.

The other two green dot girls moved. One raised her cleaver to block any escape, while the other gave the fleeing Cai Huiyan a hard shove. Cai Huiyan stumbled forward, falling right onto the cleaver in Huo Keyu’s hands.

Shhhlick—

Stunned, Cai Huiyan stared at the bloody blade protruding from her stomach. She turned her head in disbelief to glare at Huo Keyu. But Huo Keyu’s only response was to ruthlessly pull the blade out. Walking over to the fallen Cai Huiyan, Huo Keyu grabbed a handful of her hair and began dragging her toward the supermarket.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you die together with that human scum inside!”

Ren Chenxi understood what Huo Keyu meant. She glanced at the Shamate and, just to be safe, threw a few more rocks at him until all four of his limbs were broken. Only then did she let Huo Keyu enter the supermarket. After letting out a long, turbid breath, Ren Chenxi turned and walked toward the bus.

Ignoring the shrill screams coming one after another from the supermarket behind her, Ren Chenxi began to carefully inspect the double-decker bus. The bus was huge, with sleeping berths²⁵ on the upper level, making it perfect for long-distance travel. She had also noticed earlier that the front of the bus had been modified. She didn’t know how these dregs of humanity had managed it, but they had bolted several thick steel plates to the front. The plates were covered in dark bloodstains and dried, shriveled lumps of flesh.

If they encountered a large number of zombies on the road, this bus could probably plow right through and clear a path.

And in fact, the steel plate on the front was indeed for ramming zombies. The black stains and dried flesh on it were from ramming zombies over a long period. This was all later confirmed by the two green dot girls who got on the bus with her.

The author has something to say:

I was so busy yesterday, I didn’t get home until after 8 PM, and the chapter in my draft box²⁶ was published automatically. I didn’t even have time to thank you little cuties,²⁷ so I’m making up for it here~

Also, some little cuties feel that cannibalism in the apocalypse is cruel. I can only say, you little cuties are still too naive. Even in a law-governed society,²⁸ man-eating demons²⁹ exist. So in an apocalypse where laws have been lost and order has collapsed, human nature will only become uglier…….

Footnotes

Hanzi: 白眼狼 | Pinyin: bái yǎn láng | Context: This is a common Chinese idiom for an ungrateful person who repays kindness with malice or betrayal. The ‘white eyes’ refer to showing the whites of one’s eyes, a sign of disdain or contempt.
Hanzi: 杀马特 | Pinyin: shā mǎ tè | Context: A transliteration of the English word “smart.” It refers to a Chinese subculture from the 2000s known for its exaggerated, colorful hairstyles and fashion, similar to visual kei or scene aesthetics. It’s often used with a slightly derogatory or mocking tone.
Hanzi: 老子 | Pinyin: lǎo zi | Context: Literally: ‘old master’. An arrogant, aggressive way of saying “I” or “me,” often used by men to assert dominance or superiority. It implies “I, your father/master.”
Hanzi: 异能 | Pinyin: yì néng | Context: Literally: ‘different ability’. The term for superpowers or special abilities awakened by humans in this setting. A person with these powers is an 异能者 (yì néng zhě), an ‘esper’.
Hanzi: 闪光卡 | Pinyin: shǎn guāng kǎ | Context: An N-Rank card that causes the target to emit a blinding light, functioning like a flashbang.
Hanzi: 背包 | Pinyin: bèi bāo | Context: The player’s inventory system, a common feature in RPGs.
Hanzi: 畜牲 | Pinyin: chù sheng | Context: A severe insult used to describe someone as inhuman, cruel, or animalistic.
Hanzi: 收尸女 | Pinyin: shōu shī nǚ | Context: Ren Chenxi’s nickname for the girl who was methodically collecting zombie corpses for their crystal cores.
Hanzi: 圣母圣父 | Pinyin: shèng mǔ shèng fù | Context: A derogatory internet slang term for people who are naively altruistic and moralistic to a fault, often to the detriment of themselves or others. It’s similar to calling someone a “bleeding heart” or “SJW” in a dismissive way.
Hanzi: 光系异能者 | Pinyin: guāng xì yì néng zhě | Context: A person with light-based superpowers. ‘系’ (xì) means ‘system’ or ‘department,’ and is used to categorize elemental powers.
Hanzi: 爆头 | Pinyin: bào tóu | Context: A common gaming term for a headshot, especially one that results in a gory kill.
Hanzi: 二缺 | Pinyin: èr quē | Context: Literally: ‘two lacking’. Slang for someone who is simple-minded, goofy, or an airhead. It implies they are “lacking” in some mental faculties.
Hanzi: 毒手 | Pinyin: dú shǒu | Context: Literally: ‘poisonous hand’ or ‘vicious hand’. A metaphor for cruel, ruthless methods or a fatal blow.
Hanzi: 小地图 | Pinyin: xiǎo dì tú | Context: A common UI element in video games that displays the player’s immediate surroundings, allies, and enemies.
Hanzi: 2阶力量型异能者 | Pinyin: 2 jiē lì liàng xíng yì néng zhě | Context: An esper who has reached the second level (‘2nd-Order’) of power and whose abilities are based on physical strength (‘Strength-Type’).
Hanzi: 爆裂卡 | Pinyin: bào liè kǎ | Context: An R-Rank card that causes the part of the target it hits to explode.
Hanzi: 狗吃屎 | Pinyin: gǒu chī shǐ | Context: A vivid and vulgar slang term for falling flat on one’s face in a clumsy, sprawling manner.
Hanzi: 蔡慧燕 | Pinyin: Cài Huìyàn
Hanzi: 简丹 | Pinyin: Jiǎn Dān
Hanzi: 虐杀 | Pinyin: nüè shā | Context: Literally: ‘torture kill’. To kill someone in a cruel, sadistic way for pleasure.
Hanzi: 开荤 | Pinyin: kāi hūn | Context: Literally: ‘to open the meat’, meaning to eat meat after a period of vegetarianism. In this context, it is a brutal euphemism for rape or sexual assault, particularly the first time.
Hanzi: 倒贴 | Pinyin: dào tiē | Context: Literally: ‘to paste upside down’ or ‘to pay for someone else’. This slang term describes a situation, often with a woman, where she not only doesn’t receive anything from a partner but actively spends her own money or resources on them, reversing traditional roles. It implies a desperate, one-sided devotion.
Hanzi: 霍可瑜 | Pinyin: Huò Kěyú
Hanzi: 同生共死 | Pinyin: tóng shēng gòng sǐ | Context: A chengyu (four-character idiom) meaning to share life and death together. It’s an oath of absolute loyalty and shared destiny, often between sworn brothers, soldiers, or lovers.
Hanzi: 卧铺 | Pinyin: wò pù | Context: Bunk beds or sleeping compartments found on long-distance trains or buses.
Hanzi: 存稿箱 | Pinyin: cún gǎo xiāng | Context: Literally: ‘saved manuscript box’. This is a feature on Chinese webnovel platforms that allows authors to write chapters in advance and schedule them for automatic publication.
Hanzi: 小可爱们 | Pinyin: xiǎo kě ài men | Context: Literally: ‘little cuties’. An affectionate term used by authors, streamers, and celebrities to address their fans or audience.
Hanzi: 法治社会 | Pinyin: fǎ zhì shè huì | Context: A society where the rule of law is established and respected, as opposed to a lawless state like the apocalypse.
Hanzi: 食人魔 | Pinyin: shí rén mó | Context: Literally: ‘man-eating demon/monster’. The term for a cannibal, often with monstrous or demonic connotations.

Footnotes

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