The Walk-in Closet Safehouse CH12
Chapter 12: The Mutation Begins
By now, only one seat remained empty across the two rubber boats. The four people who had joined the squad lived in Building 6, Building 9, and Building 11 respectively. Cui Ye’s place was the final stop, and her location happened to be right near the residential complex’s east gate. The group looked somewhat disheveled, their bodies soaked with quite a bit of water; their coordination was clumsy at best, but fortunately, no one was injured, and they had already managed to collect five gold coins.
Because Cui Ye was wearing a voluminous poncho, the others didn't notice anything unusual at first. It wasn't until she sat on the kayak and spoke that they realized she was a girl.
The burly man sitting next to her looked down at the girl—who was several sizes smaller than him—and said hesitantly, "Meizi, you’re sure you want to go to the commercial street with us to scavenge? Those water monsters swim incredibly fast. If you blink, they'll tear a chunk of meat right off you..."
SPLASH—!
"Watch out!"
"Get down!"
A water monster suddenly lunged from the depths, aiming straight for the newly seated Cui Ye. He Fangzhou and Wang Wei, on the same boat, reacted the fastest—but before they could even move, the crisis was over.
A crisp crack of bone echoed. The monster beside Cui Ye had its head lolling limply to the side, the entire creature was suspended in mid-air by a hemp rope, no longer moving.
While the water was still rippling, a gold coin was credited to her account. The "Linen Necklace" was even more effective than she’d imagined. Consequently, Cui Ye decided she would no longer call it the "Hangman’s Noose." She officially renamed it the Linen Necklace. The original name was too long and inconvenient—and definitely not because saying it out loud was embarrassing.
The area fell silent for a heartbeat. Suddenly, the men felt that the item was far more terrifying than the hideous water monsters. Four of the men instinctively clutched their own necks, making sure they were still intact, and swallowed hard. The skepticism and dissatisfaction they felt upon discovering she was a girl transformed into an entirely different emotion.
The burly man who had just been lecturing her immediately broke into a grin, praising her loudly, "Meizi, you’re amazing! What’s this item called? I’ll buy one myself once I save enough gold!"
Cui Ye rinsed the hemp rope in the water and wound it around her wrist. Forgive her, but she truly couldn't bring herself to wear this thing around her neck. "It’s called the Linen Necklace. I just got lucky and stumbled upon a [Random Shop] in the subway. I was able to get it because there was a first-time purchase discount for newbies."
The expressions on their faces were priceless when they heard the name "Linen Necklace", but while they mocked the name, no one questioned its authenticity. Over the past few days, they had developed a certain resistance to the game’s endless stream of bizarre products.
However, they were more interested in the [Random Shop] than the item's name. Cui Ye successfully diverted their attention and began sharing intel about the shop. Although people had mentioned it online, no one had described it in such detail—especially the eerie penalty mechanism.
On the seemingly calm water, the group listened to Cui Ye’s story of the train incident while keeping a vigilant eye on the surface. The rubber boats paddled slowly toward the east gate of the complex, heading for the commercial street.
Back in the residential buildings, countless eyes watched the two orange rubber boats slowly depart, their hearts filled with mixed emotions.
Liu Yue, who had just "borrowed" a pack of instant noodles from her roommate Wang Zhiqiu, stood by the window gnawing on the dry, hard block of noodles. She didn't dare use the seasoning packet because it would make her thirstier, and she was low on water. Her infection level had reached 21.
The red spots on her face had begun to inflame. Last night, she had accidentally scratched one open in her sleep, and her entire face had swollen up. Her left eye was swollen into a mere slit. Her once-delicate face now looked hideous—so much so that Wang Zhiqiu, who hadn't intended to give her more food, felt a pang of pity and handed over the noodles.
Liu Yue offered no words of thanks. Instead, she was resentful that Wang Zhiqiu only gave her this much. Did they think she didn't know? Every night, her two roommates would secretly open their door and hand a large bag of items to the family in 1601. Since they had so much food, why couldn't they share more with her?
Seeing that the red spots on her face were the worst among the three of them, she felt a burning sense of injustice. They had developed spots at the same time, yet she was the only one disfigured. She was convinced they were hiding a secret from her!
Meanwhile, on the kayak, Cui Ye was unaware that Liu Yue’s infection level had surpassed 20. At least last night, when Liu Yue took the crackers from her, she seemed fine. Cui Ye planned that if this supply run was successful enough, she would trade more food with Grandma Zhao for a few more pills to give to Liu Yue.
She had seen patients on the brink of mutation at the hospital—strapped to stretchers with blood-soaked bandages, heads thrashing so violently it took four people to hold them down. Since they lived under the same roof, she didn't want to watch her roommate die in agony, nor did she want a ticking time bomb living so close to her. Liu Yue’s condition had to be kept in check.
However, Cui Ye had overlooked one thing: Liu Yue had caught a cold the night the temperature dropped. Although Liu Yue had realized it the next morning and doubled her cold medicine, it was too late. When physical fitness drops, the infection level accelerates.
The official announcements had warned about this. It was why many people preferred to hunker down with meager supplies rather than face the water monsters. In a humid environment, the risk of inflammation from a wound was extremely high. No one dared to take the risk. Many families had even locked away sharp objects to prevent accidental scratches.
But even without injuries, many people were falling ill due to the damp environment and poor physical health. Just as the rubber boats left the complex, a mutation occurred in a cold, damp partition room nearby. The other roommates remained blissfully unaware.
The eight-member squad on the rubber boats was equally oblivious. To join this team, one needed courage, physical strength, and a weapon. Cui Ye scanned the group and realized with a pang that her physical stats were the lowest among the eight. However, what she lacked in base stats, she made up for in gear.
Excluding the Linen Necklace, she was already wearing the [Christmas Socks] and [Leopard-Print Thermal Leggings]. Today, she had obtained a new attribute item: [Prison Uniform].
It was a literal prison uniform—a black-and-white striped top with a custom ID number.
[Prison Uniform: Increases escape speed when worn. Probability of successful jailbreak is doubled!]
She put it on expressionlessly. Aside from the ID number, the material was actually quite comfortable. With these three items, Cui Ye felt she could challenge a sprinting champion. But why did all the clothes with attributes she got focused on speed? It felt like her closet was trying to tell her something.
"If you can't win, run"? Well... that makes sense.
They were still two-thirds of the way from the nearest commercial street, having traveled for two hours with frequent stops. It was now nearly noon.
During this time, water monsters constantly tried to ambush them and drag people into the water. When one or two appeared, they could handle it calmly, but when several monsters cornered them, it inevitably became a bit frantic. Fortunately, with He Fangzhou's leadership, no one had been injured yet, and the rubber boats remained unscathed.
Several times, Wang Lei’s hoe and Zhao Shengjun’s nail gun almost hit the kayak. Cui Ye watched with a racing heart, wanting to speak up, but He Fangzhou was always one step ahead. He kept a layer of ice around the boats to prevent them from being punctured—a scenario that would have left them all as "fish food".
Observing him, Cui Ye found He Fangzhou to be an impeccable leader. He remained calm under pressure, and his coordination with the other three was seamless. If it weren't for the need to better control the rubber boats by splitting them into two groups, Cui Ye believed that relying on He Fangzhou’s talent and the chemistry between the four of them, things might have been easier than they were now.
After joining the group, Cui Ye knew he had a Talent but she hadn't known his specific ability until she saw the frozen water and the ice layer attached to the kayak's surface. Only then did she realize his Talent was [Cryokinesis].
It was a powerful talent for both offense and defense. Although the frozen ice didn't look very thick—only enough to block a single attack before shattering—Cui Ye believed his talent would grow stronger.
Similarly, Cui Ye scanned the water. Several red dots appeared beneath the surface—three monsters waiting to ambush. Her [Friendly Tip] had evolved from simple text labels to symbols capable of marking multiple targets simultaneously, and the duration had extended. She had discovered this during her "fishing" trip the night before.
While Safe Houses could be upgraded with gold, Talents only improved through use. This was part of why she joined the squad. Of course, the Daily Quests were also vital. On the sixth day of the apocalypse, the quest had changed.
[Daily Quest: Kill Level 1 Water Monster x1 (Completed)]
[Reward: 2 Gold Coins]
[Unlocked Mid-tier Daily Quest: Kill Level 1 Water Monster x3 (In Progress)]
Chapter Notes:
By now, only one seat remained empty across the two rubber boats. The four people who had joined the squad lived in Building 6, Building 9, and Building 11 respectively. Cui Ye’s place was the final stop, and her location happened to be right near the residential complex’s east gate. The group looked somewhat disheveled, their bodies soaked with quite a bit of water; their coordination was clumsy at best, but fortunately, no one was injured, and they had already managed to collect five gold coins.
Because Cui Ye was wearing a voluminous poncho, the others didn't notice anything unusual at first. It wasn't until she sat on the kayak and spoke that they realized she was a girl.
The burly man sitting next to her looked down at the girl—who was several sizes smaller than him—and said hesitantly, "Meizi, you’re sure you want to go to the commercial street with us to scavenge? Those water monsters swim incredibly fast. If you blink, they'll tear a chunk of meat right off you..."
SPLASH—!
"Watch out!"
"Get down!"
A water monster suddenly lunged from the depths, aiming straight for the newly seated Cui Ye. He Fangzhou and Wang Wei, on the same boat, reacted the fastest—but before they could even move, the crisis was over.
A crisp crack of bone echoed. The monster beside Cui Ye had its head lolling limply to the side, the entire creature was suspended in mid-air by a hemp rope, no longer moving.
While the water was still rippling, a gold coin was credited to her account. The "Linen Necklace" was even more effective than she’d imagined. Consequently, Cui Ye decided she would no longer call it the "Hangman’s Noose." She officially renamed it the Linen Necklace. The original name was too long and inconvenient—and definitely not because saying it out loud was embarrassing.
The area fell silent for a heartbeat. Suddenly, the men felt that the item was far more terrifying than the hideous water monsters. Four of the men instinctively clutched their own necks, making sure they were still intact, and swallowed hard. The skepticism and dissatisfaction they felt upon discovering she was a girl transformed into an entirely different emotion.
The burly man who had just been lecturing her immediately broke into a grin, praising her loudly, "Meizi, you’re amazing! What’s this item called? I’ll buy one myself once I save enough gold!"
Cui Ye rinsed the hemp rope in the water and wound it around her wrist. Forgive her, but she truly couldn't bring herself to wear this thing around her neck. "It’s called the Linen Necklace. I just got lucky and stumbled upon a [Random Shop] in the subway. I was able to get it because there was a first-time purchase discount for newbies."
The expressions on their faces were priceless when they heard the name "Linen Necklace", but while they mocked the name, no one questioned its authenticity. Over the past few days, they had developed a certain resistance to the game’s endless stream of bizarre products.
However, they were more interested in the [Random Shop] than the item's name. Cui Ye successfully diverted their attention and began sharing intel about the shop. Although people had mentioned it online, no one had described it in such detail—especially the eerie penalty mechanism.
On the seemingly calm water, the group listened to Cui Ye’s story of the train incident while keeping a vigilant eye on the surface. The rubber boats paddled slowly toward the east gate of the complex, heading for the commercial street.
Back in the residential buildings, countless eyes watched the two orange rubber boats slowly depart, their hearts filled with mixed emotions.
Liu Yue, who had just "borrowed" a pack of instant noodles from her roommate Wang Zhiqiu, stood by the window gnawing on the dry, hard block of noodles. She didn't dare use the seasoning packet because it would make her thirstier, and she was low on water. Her infection level had reached 21.
The red spots on her face had begun to inflame. Last night, she had accidentally scratched one open in her sleep, and her entire face had swollen up. Her left eye was swollen into a mere slit. Her once-delicate face now looked hideous—so much so that Wang Zhiqiu, who hadn't intended to give her more food, felt a pang of pity and handed over the noodles.
Liu Yue offered no words of thanks. Instead, she was resentful that Wang Zhiqiu only gave her this much. Did they think she didn't know? Every night, her two roommates would secretly open their door and hand a large bag of items to the family in 1601. Since they had so much food, why couldn't they share more with her?
Seeing that the red spots on her face were the worst among the three of them, she felt a burning sense of injustice. They had developed spots at the same time, yet she was the only one disfigured. She was convinced they were hiding a secret from her!
Meanwhile, on the kayak, Cui Ye was unaware that Liu Yue’s infection level had surpassed 20. At least last night, when Liu Yue took the crackers from her, she seemed fine. Cui Ye planned that if this supply run was successful enough, she would trade more food with Grandma Zhao for a few more pills to give to Liu Yue.
She had seen patients on the brink of mutation at the hospital—strapped to stretchers with blood-soaked bandages, heads thrashing so violently it took four people to hold them down. Since they lived under the same roof, she didn't want to watch her roommate die in agony, nor did she want a ticking time bomb living so close to her. Liu Yue’s condition had to be kept in check.
However, Cui Ye had overlooked one thing: Liu Yue had caught a cold the night the temperature dropped. Although Liu Yue had realized it the next morning and doubled her cold medicine, it was too late. When physical fitness drops, the infection level accelerates.
The official announcements had warned about this. It was why many people preferred to hunker down with meager supplies rather than face the water monsters. In a humid environment, the risk of inflammation from a wound was extremely high. No one dared to take the risk. Many families had even locked away sharp objects to prevent accidental scratches.
But even without injuries, many people were falling ill due to the damp environment and poor physical health. Just as the rubber boats left the complex, a mutation occurred in a cold, damp partition room nearby. The other roommates remained blissfully unaware.
The eight-member squad on the rubber boats was equally oblivious. To join this team, one needed courage, physical strength, and a weapon. Cui Ye scanned the group and realized with a pang that her physical stats were the lowest among the eight. However, what she lacked in base stats, she made up for in gear.
Excluding the Linen Necklace, she was already wearing the [Christmas Socks] and [Leopard-Print Thermal Leggings]. Today, she had obtained a new attribute item: [Prison Uniform].
It was a literal prison uniform—a black-and-white striped top with a custom ID number.
[Prison Uniform: Increases escape speed when worn. Probability of successful jailbreak is doubled!]
She put it on expressionlessly. Aside from the ID number, the material was actually quite comfortable. With these three items, Cui Ye felt she could challenge a sprinting champion. But why did all the clothes with attributes she got focused on speed? It felt like her closet was trying to tell her something.
"If you can't win, run"? Well... that makes sense.
They were still two-thirds of the way from the nearest commercial street, having traveled for two hours with frequent stops. It was now nearly noon.
During this time, water monsters constantly tried to ambush them and drag people into the water. When one or two appeared, they could handle it calmly, but when several monsters cornered them, it inevitably became a bit frantic. Fortunately, with He Fangzhou's leadership, no one had been injured yet, and the rubber boats remained unscathed.
Several times, Wang Lei’s hoe and Zhao Shengjun’s nail gun almost hit the kayak. Cui Ye watched with a racing heart, wanting to speak up, but He Fangzhou was always one step ahead. He kept a layer of ice around the boats to prevent them from being punctured—a scenario that would have left them all as "fish food".
Observing him, Cui Ye found He Fangzhou to be an impeccable leader. He remained calm under pressure, and his coordination with the other three was seamless. If it weren't for the need to better control the rubber boats by splitting them into two groups, Cui Ye believed that relying on He Fangzhou’s talent and the chemistry between the four of them, things might have been easier than they were now.
After joining the group, Cui Ye knew he had a Talent but she hadn't known his specific ability until she saw the frozen water and the ice layer attached to the kayak's surface. Only then did she realize his Talent was [Cryokinesis].
It was a powerful talent for both offense and defense. Although the frozen ice didn't look very thick—only enough to block a single attack before shattering—Cui Ye believed his talent would grow stronger.
Similarly, Cui Ye scanned the water. Several red dots appeared beneath the surface—three monsters waiting to ambush. Her [Friendly Tip] had evolved from simple text labels to symbols capable of marking multiple targets simultaneously, and the duration had extended. She had discovered this during her "fishing" trip the night before.
While Safe Houses could be upgraded with gold, Talents only improved through use. This was part of why she joined the squad. Of course, the Daily Quests were also vital. On the sixth day of the apocalypse, the quest had changed.
[Daily Quest: Kill Level 1 Water Monster x1 (Completed)]
[Reward: 2 Gold Coins]
[Unlocked Mid-tier Daily Quest: Kill Level 1 Water Monster x3 (In Progress)]
Chapter Notes:
- Meizi (妹子): Literally "younger sister." Used as a friendly, slightly protective way for men to address a younger woman in the group.
(Cubbie: I'm sorry for the delays. Poppi has been sick (?) since last week and there was some miscommunication about the update schedules of our projects but that's been resolved now. I'll be updating this series once a week. 2 Chapters every Fridays. Thanks for reading! See you next week!)
If you enjoyed our translations, feel free to check out our projects over here!
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