Chapter 2: The Strange World

""Okay, since you've figured it out, hurry up and help me get up, will you?""

Sang Chu didn't answer.

Suddenly, the hospital room door opened.

""You're awake?""

A man in a gray tracksuit walked in from outside. His features were sharp, his eyes deep-set—a classic bad-boy type.

The little rabbit immediately jumped onto Sang Chu's shoulder: [Wow, I didn't expect people in the Strange World to be this good-looking!]

Sang Chu ignored it. The bad-boy guy didn't seem to hear the rabbit's voice.

Sang Chu stared at him in a daze. The man sat down on a stool beside her and said,

""My name is Zuo Xuefeng. I'm the head of the ninth district in City A. I found you in the wild before, covered in injuries. I happened to be heading back to the city, so I brought you along. How are you feeling now?""

Sang Chu nodded slightly. The rabbit had said this was the Strange World, but she didn't really understand what was going on, so she didn't dare speak up.

Zuo Xuefeng frowned slightly. ""You... can't talk?""

He took out a bunch of metal fragments from his storage device. ""These were all taken from your body. I can't identify these materials. Do you know what they are?""

Sang Chu shook her head. The rabbit squatted on her shoulder and explained: [The Strange World is a world powered only by light. Everything here is made using light energy, so those fragments he took out are probably made from it. Some of them can be sold. If you want to sell them, just say so.]

Zuo Xuefeng saw that she wasn't saying anything and didn't push her. He just remembered what the doctor had said and continued,

""These materials are very special, but since they were taken from your body, we need your consent before doing anything with them. Dr. Li from the City A Research Institute would like to study them. Would that be okay?""

The little rabbit: [Say yes! You're really, really, really poor right now. You need money, or you'll be dead in a month! Wait, it's probably not even a month—you've already been in a coma for ten days!]

Ten days? So that means she had about twenty days left?

Maybe even less than twenty days?

Sang Chu nodded slightly at Zuo Xuefeng.

After all this, Zuo Xuefeng finally seemed to relax. ""Don't worry, Dr. Li will definitely give you a fair price. When I found you, you had nothing on you. This is a temporary light ring, processed by the administration. You can use it for now.""

He helped her put the light ring on her hand, then taught her how to use it.

""This is your temporary residence permit. If you're able to leave the hospital, I can take you to see your place, or you can find it yourself using the address. Your info is already loaded into the light ring. Once you find the place, just use the ring to unlock the door.

This is your entry-exit pass. Only with this can you enter and leave City A. This is your temporary account. Once I give Dr. Li your materials, the money will be transferred directly to your account. If you have any questions, just ask.

With the light ring, you can do everything—it's very convenient. Whatever you want to do, just give a command.""

Sang Chu nodded to show she understood.

Zuo Xuefeng didn't seem in a hurry to leave. He smiled and said,

""I've saved my contact info for you. If you need anything, just reach out. There's also someone named Hua Xi, the former head of the administration, who is always in City A. If I'm not around, you can find her. Now, should I take these materials to Dr. Li?""

Sang Chu nodded again, her slightly dazed look as she thanked him making Zuo Xuefeng chuckle. ""No need to be so polite. Get some rest.""

After watching him leave, Sang Chu finally relaxed a little.

But then, she suddenly realized something was wrong.

She hurriedly lifted her sleeve and saw red spots on her skin. She knew these spots well—they were a sign of infection from the mother insect!

She... was infected?

Of course. When those people bombed her, there was so much flesh and blood on the ground—some of it must have gotten into her wounds and infected her!

The little rabbit didn't know why Sang Chu was staring at her arm in a daze: [Hey, what's wrong with you?]

Sang Chu: ""Is there any way for me to not turn?""

The little rabbit looked at her, confused: ""You won't turn. This is just a sign that your ability is awakening. Otherwise, how could I have found you among all those people? Only you could afford my ticket—my tickets are super expensive!""

""By the way, my name is Tu You. You can call me Youyou.""

Sang Chu didn't really listen to anything Tu You said after that. All she could think about was awakening her ability!

If she didn't have an ability, she and Mu Xue wouldn't have survived in the apocalypse.

She knew Wufeng wouldn't let her go. As soon as she died, Mu Xue would be left alone. Luckily, he didn't know that Mu Xue had a close friend who liked her a lot and had been secretly helping her.

His ability, besides the earth element everyone knew about, also allowed him to hide people. Only he, Sang Chu, and Mu Xue knew about this.

So, when Mu Xue was exhausted from using her power and Wufeng gave Sang Chu permission to go out, she decided to go out in her place and try to save people along the way.

She wanted to live. She didn't want to die.

But she never expected that what should have been a certain death would actually lead her to such a bizarre world.

She had about twenty days. She had to find a way to go back before then.

""What should I do?""

""Well... this is the Strange World. Strange creatures are very valuable. You can go to the administration to register, then go out and catch some creatures. That'll help you awaken your ability, too.""

""Okay.""

She found the way to the administration on her light ring and headed over.

Along the way, she saw densely packed high-rise buildings and a clear, pale sky. For the first time, Sang Chu felt like she was truly in a different world.

In the apocalypse, the sky was always blood-red, the moon like a knife stabbing into everyone's heart.

There was no light for the plants—they'd long since withered away.

Animals were either dead or mutated.

Only a handful of people and a bunch of mindless monsters remained.

...

Administration Office

As soon as Sang Chu entered, a woman in a uniform spotted her. She had a neat, short haircut and delicate features.

She jogged over to Sang Chu, saying, ""You're here to register at the administration? Didn't Zuo Xuefeng tell you to rest?""

Her voice was gentle and kind, making Sang Chu feel a little more at ease.

People in this unfamiliar world all seemed so friendly.

Her hospital treatment was free, the light ring was free, and they even provided her with free accommodation.

No one had asked her for anything in return.

Even this woman she was meeting for the first time was showing her kindness.

Sang Chu's voice was a little hoarse as she said, ""I... I want to register.""

Hua Xi said, ""Oh, there's no rush. When Zuo Xuefeng brought you in, everyone was worried you wouldn't make it.

Luckily, the hospital just got a new, highly effective treatment, but you still had to stay in the ICU for five days. I put everything you needed in your room. Why don't you go back and rest first?"""