Apocalypse: Transmigrated with an Overlord System
Chapter 241: Far Away from the World, You and Me (2)

Chapter 241: Chapter 241: Far Away from the World, You and Me (2)

The next morning, Liora woke with a strange lightness in her chest—no dizziness, no aches clinging to her bones like yesterday. The lingering poison that had haunted her veins seemed finally gone, leaving her body light and refreshed. She stretched beneath the blanket, blinking slowly as golden sunlight spilled through the cracks in the wooden roof.

For the first time in days, she felt... like herself.

With a deep breath, she pushed off the covers and stood on her own feet. No wavering. No pain.

She stepped out of the hut barefoot, expecting nothing—but what greeted her stole the breath right from her lungs.

The world outside was...so beautiful.

The little forest hut stood on a gentle hill, nestled in a meadow surrounded by golden fields of wildgrass and tall stalks of grain. Clusters of herbs bloomed nearby, their leaves dancing in the breeze. In the distance, a clear river shimmered under the morning sun, its waters flowing slow and steady like a lullaby to the land.

Liora stared, stunned. She had lived through ruins, camps, Zombies, and blood—but this... this place felt untouched. Sacred. Hidden from the world.

She stepped forward slowly, her eyes wide with wonder, taking in every tree, every wildflower, every bee lazily hovering above blossoms. She twirled once—just once—because it felt right. Because the world was so beautiful today.

Xu Kai was nowhere to be seen, and that gave her the freedom to explore. She padded around the edge of the field, touching soft petals, breathing in the scent of pine and sun-warmed earth. Her system was still offline—completely silent—but she no longer felt the dull ache of its absence. She had time now.

The poison was gone.

She was healing.

Just as she crouched near a patch of honey-colored mushrooms, the sound of footsteps reached her ears. Heavy and confident ones.

Turning, she spotted Xu Kai emerging from the forest, his sleeves rolled up, and two enormous mutated chickens slung over his shoulders—each nearly the size of a wild dog. He looked as casual as if he’d simply gone to fetch water, though the creatures looked freshly caught.

He paused when he saw her up and walking around, his brows lifting slightly in surprise. She could see the flicker of concern in his eyes—but she only grinned, stretching her arms above her head like a lazy cat in morning sun.

"You’re up," he finally said, setting down the chickens on a flat stone near the hut.

Liora couldn’t help the way her stomach grumbled the moment she saw the fresh meat. Something inside her stirred. A memory.

She stared at the chickens. Then at Xu Kai. "Wait..." Her eyes lit up. "You’re going to cook?"

He gave a small nod, then crouched beside the stone and began prepping the chickens with quiet efficiency.

A wave of excitement hit her. "You’re a really good cook!" she blurted out, laughing at herself. "I remember... I’ve had your food before. Gods, I’m already hungry."

Her stomach growled in agreement.

Xu Kai glanced sideways at her, the corners of his lips twitching ever so slightly. "I’ll grill the chicken," he said, "and make a few more things."

With a flick of his hand, he pulled several cooking tools and a small bundle of ingredients from seemingly nowhere. Her eyes widened.

"You... you have space ability too?" she asked, blinking rapidly.

Xu Kai hummed, noncommittal, but didn’t explain. He turned his attention back to slicing herbs and lighting a small fire.

In truth, it wasn’t a space ability—not the rare kind that awakened only in a handful of evolved humans. His was a custom-built spatial ring, forged and calibrated by his own hand. A secret tool few could afford, let alone design. Unlike the small-capacity relics found across Spire—which could barely hold a sack of rice or a tent—his space was the size of a small room. Just enough to carry essentials, weapons, and survival items.

But he said nothing. Let her wonder.

Liora, however, didn’t push. She was too mesmerized by the aroma of sizzling meat, the crackle of the fire, and the comforting way his hands moved with calm precision. He didn’t speak much, but when he did, his words always landed like stones in still water—soft, but solid.

She devoured the food when it was ready. Grilled chicken, seasoned rice, a warm broth made from wild roots and herbs—each bite felt like a hug to her soul. She moaned softly, without shame, as she licked the juice off her fingers.

"Delicious," she said, cheeks flushed with joy. "You’re not human. You’re dangerous."

Xu Kai said nothing, but the smallest smile ghosted across his lips.

After eating her fill, Liora leaned back against the grass, eyes closed in bliss. But a moment later, the feel of sticky sweat clinging to her back reminded her of reality.

She needed a bath.

The river wasn’t far.

With a stretch and a yawn, she stood, brushing crumbs from her clothes. "I’m heading to the river," she said casually. "I need a good soak."

But her space was still dead—her storage function useless without the system online. Which meant... she had no spare clothes.

She turned to Xu Kai reluctantly. "Can I... borrow a fresh set?"

He gave a short nod and handed her a folded set of clothes—loose pants and a clean shirt, likely from his stash. She thanked him, walked to the edge of the riverbank with the bundle pressed to her chest, and set it carefully on a dry stone.

The river glistened in the sun, its surface crystal-clear. Unlike the tainted waters that flowed through broken cities, this stream was untouched—fresh, without any toxins.

She quickly checked for any sign of danger and, finding none, began to strip down. Shirt first. Then the pants. And just as she was about to step into the water, a sudden realization hit her like a rock.

She wasn’t wearing any undergarments.

Her entire face flamed red as she froze in place, blinking rapidly.

She had been walking, hopping, stretching, even twirling around Xu Kai all morning like that?

Gods. she felt like digging a hole to bury herself.

But the embarrassment passed just as quickly as it came. She sighed, smiling softly to herself.

He was a gentleman. He hadn’t stared at her and never made her uncomfortable that she does not even realized.

That was just how Xu Kai was.

With that comforting thought, Liora took a running step and jumped into the river with a loud splash, laughter bubbling from her lips as water closed around her.

She swam out a little, then floated on her back beneath the morning sky.