Chapter 259

Chapter 259

"Timeline: The Polar Night Period"

The polar night had lasted for over ten days, and the chaos brought by darkness continued. In contrast, the South City Base remained relatively calm.

With strict military-style management, anyone—whether a superhuman or an ordinary person—who ignored the base's rules and acted arrogantly would either be beaten and sent to manual labor or, in severe cases, executed on the spot.

Especially after the emergence of artificially enhanced superhumans, though their strength was slightly inferior to those who awakened naturally, most were official personnel, which significantly boosted the overall deterrence.

This forced many self-proclaimed "apocalyptic wannabe warlords," who had suddenly gained extraordinary power and sought to challenge the authorities during the chaos, to behave themselves.

The South City Base valued every survivor, but those who refused to cooperate were simply permanently removed.

Moreover, with Gao Xuyang around, no zombies wandered near the base, sparing it from their disturbances. Occasionally, distant howls—unidentifiable as animal or zombie—could be heard.

Even so, the base authorities remained vigilant, concealing Gao Xuyang's identity while ensuring the survivors felt secure.

"There's nothing unusual nearby. The mental signals I project are effective against my kind and even naturally sensitive animals," Gao Xuyang said after half an hour of concentration, his voice laced with fatigue as he opened his eyes on the patrol vehicle.

"You’ve done enough."

While Gao Xuyang took out an energy crystal to eat, Yang Kai retrieved a transparent blood bag from his backpack and handed it to him.

"Drink this. The energy drawn using a catalyst was specially converted and infused into the blood. The professors said it’ll speed up your recovery twice as fast."

"Also, as your body heals, you’ll need fresh blood—like a transfusion. Just drink it directly, like the crystal cores."

"..."

Gao Xuyang didn’t take it immediately. He swallowed hard, his brows furrowing.

"Whose blood is this?"

"Mine."

Yang Kai didn’t hide the truth, pressing, smiling.

"Drink it."

"Yang Kai, I won’t—"

Before Gao Xuyang could finish, Yang Kai cut him off.

"Xuyang, this is an approved treatment. You won’t need it often—just now and then. Only my blood, no one else’s. I’ve saved up enough since I brought you back. You’re my partner, and I just want you to recover faster. That’s all."

He had been storing blood periodically for emergencies—if his partner ever lost control and needed blood, his would be used.

If not, it could still be donated. Either way, it was beneficial.

"..."

Gao Xuyang said nothing more. He unscrewed the blood bag and drank it in one go.

His hunger wasn’t as overwhelming now, and the stimulation of fresh blood wasn’t as unbearable as before. Yet, drinking blood infused with crystal core energy brought a rush of relief like never before, making him want to let out a triumphant shout.

Once he finished, Yang Kai crushed the empty blood bag into a tiny plastic blob with his powers and flicked it into the waste before turning back with a smile.

"How do you feel?"

"I feel good."

Gao Xuyang licked his lips and answered truthfully.

"Glad to hear it."

Yang Kai smiled happily, then added upon seeing his solemn expression:

"Don't be angry. I'm careful about what I do—I won't overexert or harm myself, nor will I hurt others. You're my responsibility, and this is between us. Let's work together to help you recover sooner."

"..."

Gao Xuyang hated being speechless. His heart ached as he suppressed a sigh, then nodded:

"Okay, you're right."

"It's about time. Let's head back."

Yang Kai was thrilled. Truthfully, he had been afraid that Gao Xuyang would refuse the blood and get angry.

The professors in the lab had said that using the blood of other animals would work too, though the effect wouldn't be as good, and suggested he consider it. But he refused.

The thought of his lover suffering from constant hunger made him wish he could cut off his own flesh to feed him.

In fact, he had even approached a professor with healing powers, asking if he could store his own flesh as backup for Gao Xuyang, then use his healing superpower to regenerate. He was rejected.

His uncle even gave him a long-overdue beating and a stern warning:

*"Next time you get a brainless idea like that, I'll strip you of your superpower and send you to repair the defensive walls."*

That snapped him out of it.

Still, his impulsive behavior showed just how dangerous this special superpower could be if exploited by those with ill intentions.

"..."

Back at the base, Yang Kai threw himself into new work assignments, handling patrols and inspections around the central research institute that day.

Gao Xuyang quietly followed by his side, listening to him talk about the base, getting him drinks, and letting him lean on him when he was tired.

During their private moments, Yang Kai liked to dream about a normal life—the kind of life they had both longed for since before the apocalypse.

Very few knew about Gao Xuyang's "Special Drink." Yang Kai hadn't told his teammates, worried they might offer their own blood in support.

As long as things remained within his control, there was no need to drag others into this.

And so, with the help of those around him and various forms of support, Gao Xuyang's endurance of the Purify Process grew longer, and his recovery progressed much better than expected.

Every day brought visible improvement—his full recovery was within reach.