The Reborn Otaku’s Code of Practice for the Apocalypse – CH118

Chapter 118 — Autumn Harvest

Yan Fei’s expression turned serious. Luo Xun had mentioned mutated animals before—and warned that even their own pets might change.

Most mutated animals would become highly aggressive toward humans. But if they had been raised well and had strong bonds with their owners, there was a chance they would retain some intelligence and stay loyal.

That was why Luo Xun had raised their dog—to prepare for that possibility. But if it ever lost control, it could become a serious threat.

And if that happened… Luo Xun likely wouldn’t have the heart to act. Then only Yan Fei could.

Unfortunately, no one knew exactly how mutation occurred. Was it like when humans suddenly turned into zombies or gained abilities—overnight? If they knew, they could prepare.

While thinking about all this, the vehicle arrived at the wall. The ten-meter-deep foundation was nearly complete. Yan Fei and the others were now working on spike-like structures for defense, preventing enemies from being thrown onto the wall like before.

They climbed up and looked down. Some vehicles were parked by the moat, busy with something.

“What are they doing?”

“Fishing?”

“At a time like this, are there even fish left?”

People joked while working, occasionally glancing down.

After the previous battle, the base had reinforced defenses further. Even farmland areas had been converted into traps and fortifications.

Yan Fei’s team had recently been tasked with making ground spikes and steel needles for these defenses.

As they resumed work, the crane nearby kept supplying metal. Once the spikes were done, they would return to building the metal skybridge across the base.

Luo Xun stood nearby holding a transparent riot shield. Though mostly unnecessary now, they kept the precaution after past dangers.

Glancing down, Luo Xun suddenly noticed something. “Wait… did they drain the moat?”

“Looks like it!”

“Why? Didn’t they just refill it?”

As they watched, someone suddenly pointed. “Something’s moving at the bottom!”

“Moving?”

“In the moat?”

“It’s fish! I told you we saw fish the other day!”

There were indeed fish—but not normal ones. These were zombie fish.

Below, ability users began dealing with them. Ice-type users froze the water, fire-type users burned it. Some zombie fish even shot water arrows—far more powerful than those of human water-type users.

Two people were hit. One had his shoulder pierced clean through.

Everyone watching gasped. These fish could attack from a distance—and with terrifying force.

“Can water-type abilities really be this strong?” a soldier asked nervously.

Luo Xun thought for a moment. “It’s probably because they live in water.”

“In water?”

“In water, there’s resistance. If their attacks weren’t strong enough, they wouldn’t hit anything. So they’ve adapted over time.”

Human ability users operated in air and focused more on utility than attack. Naturally, they couldn’t match this.

Before long, the zombie fish were eliminated. Earth-type users followed, rebuilding the riverbed and clearing contaminated sediment. Then water-type users refilled it.

It was wasteful—but safer than risking another infestation.

With so many people in the base, someone might try to use the water. Encountering zombie fish would be disastrous.

After work, Luo Xun and Yan Fei drove home.

The base had largely taken shape. The tallest structure was the military fortress. Surrounding walls were massive and imposing.

To the west and southwest lay farmland, enclosed by three-meter walls topped with barbed wire. Even so, theft was increasing.

To the northwest were agricultural buildings—some pre-apocalypse, some newly built. People worked there growing food.

There were also factories—producing paper, clothing, shoes. But the paper quality was poor, made from plant fibers—rough and brittle. Some joked it was practically a weapon.

The rest of the base was mostly residential. Every available space had been filled with housing. Streets were crowded with makeshift shelters and vehicles turned into homes.

Driving through the increasingly congested streets, they slowed down. A group ahead was carrying boards and furniture—likely building yet another shelter.

Traffic crawled forward. The destination was close, yet they couldn’t speed up. Getting out to walk wasn’t an option either.

They could only inch forward, little by little.

“Knock knock”—someone suddenly tapped on Yan Fei’s car window, startling the two who were already feeling impatient. They turned to look—it was one of the young men from the same residential complex, one of those they had rescued back then. Well, not the one Luo Xun had nearly become close friends with in his previous life, but the other guy who had lived together with him.

Yan Fei rolled down the window, a little surprised. “You just got back from outside the base?” The young man had a backpack on, looking like he had just returned.

The man smiled awkwardly. “No, I didn’t go out. I found a job in the base recently and don’t plan to leave anymore. You guys just got back?”

Yan Fei nodded slightly. Even though they lived in the same complex, they rarely ran into each other. Aside from one encounter at the entrance before, this was only their second time meeting.

Luo Xun glanced outside and noticed another unfamiliar young man standing beside him, looking curiously into the car. He asked, “What about the person you used to be with?”

The man looked a bit uncomfortable, then gave a self-mocking smile. “You know the base developed that device to detect abilities? He turned out to have one, so he joined an ability-user team and moved away. We haven’t been in touch since…” Then he quickly introduced the person beside him. “Now we live together. We’re both ordinary people—no one looks down on the other. Just working in the base and getting by together.”

The two exchanged a glance and smiled at each other, their expressions carrying a hint of intimacy beyond ordinary friendship.

Luo Xun’s smile stiffened slightly. Yan Fei casually asked, “Where are you working now?”

“At the planting base. An old acquaintance introduced me—surname Chen, you might remember.”

The two waved goodbye at Building Three and walked back to their place.

Only then did Luo Xun chuckle softly. “So that’s what ‘living together’ means.” Just living together—once something changed, like one of them discovering an ability, they would leave without hesitation for a better future.

Thinking about it now, what had his regret in his previous life even been? Even if that person had made it to the southwest base with him, once he discovered his own abilities, wouldn’t he have left just the same?

Yan Fei wrapped an arm around Luo Xun’s shoulders, squeezing gently, leaning close to his ear. “They’re just getting by together. We’re living properly—together for a lifetime.”

Luo Xun shot him a glance, but still leaned in and pecked his lips, pulling out the car key. “We’re home.” Other people’s happiness had nothing to do with him. He had been reborn—now all that mattered was living well.

He looked up toward the metal framework on the fifteenth and sixteenth floors—that was their home, their base. Something they would never give up.

—

During spring planting, everyone had already been busy—but autumn harvest was at least twice as exhausting. That was the unanimous feeling of the entire “otaku squad.”

To ensure they could leave the base at the end of the month without worries, they had been rushing every day after work to process all kinds of crops.

All the jars Luo Xun had prepared before the apocalypse—along with the glass jars, ceramic vats, and wooden barrels they had collected afterward—were now in full use.

Everything was sterilized, cleaned thoroughly, vegetables sorted, washed, and salted to draw out moisture.

At the same time, they were also preparing to make soybean paste from their newly harvested soybeans. It was tricky—easy to spoil if mishandled—but worth trying for better food variety in the future.

They had even cleared out a separate kitchen for this work. On one side, soybeans were steaming; on the other, vegetables were draining.

They packed yardlong beans, radish strips, cucumber strips, chili peppers, and cabbage into jars. Then poured in a cooled spice solution made from ginger, salt, chili, Sichuan pepper, sugar, and liquor. Seal it up, and after some time, it would be ready to eat.

These pickles could be eaten directly or cooked into dishes. Looking at the jars, Luo Xun felt a bit regretful—if only they had meat to cook with them.

They also made spicy dried radish strips. After slicing and sun-drying them, they salted and packed them tightly, repeating the process over several days. Before eating, chili powder could be added—crunchy and perfect with rice or buns.

Meanwhile, they had also dried large amounts of vegetables. Smelling the aroma, Li Tie and the others huddled in a corner, whispering:

“Should we stop eating at the cafeteria? Our pickles smell so good…”

“But… we don’t have meat at home. At least the cafeteria still has a bit,” He Qiankun hesitated, glancing at the jars.

“That’s expired meat! Does it taste better than our food?”

He Qiankun’s face twisted. It was truly a dilemma.

Luo Xun ignored them. Cooking at home sounded easy, but it required skill—and preparation. Without reheating options at work, meals had to be carefully planned.

In the end, they decided to continue eating with the team. Even if the food was bad, it was simpler—and made home-cooked meals taste even better by comparison.

Li Tie and the others barely knew how to cook. Xu Mei and Song Lingling could manage, but asking them to cook for everyone while handling farming would be too much.

The next day, Luo Xun and Yan Fei returned home early. They needed to process more crops and planned to teach others how to make spiral-cut cucumbers.

They climbed upstairs quickly. As soon as they opened the door, Song Lingling excitedly waved at them from Room 1502.

“Come quick! Look!”

“What is it?” Luo Xun asked, following her inside.

“Look at this!”

She pointed to a plastic crate. Inside was something eye-catching—

“Mushrooms?! Normal mushrooms?!”

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