Rebirth In The Apocalypse As A Beastman

Chapter 18

 

After arranging the clothes, Liu Zhongyuan took advantage of the vegetation here to transform into a giant snake, measuring a whopping fifty meters in length. The scales on its back resembled those of a crocodile’s shell, with sharp spikes on the surface. The scales on its underside were layered and slightly gray, though not as terrifying as the ones on its back, they were still remarkably tough.

 

If Qin Jiulin were here to witness this giant snake, he would surely notice that even the snake head in Liu Zhongyuan’s beastly form was as big as a whole tiger, meaning it could easily bite and kill him in his transformed state. It was truly remarkable to think that he spared his life that night.

 

With golden-red vertical pupils, the snake closely observed its surroundings. Its tongue periodically extended, seemingly exploring the scents in the vicinity and searching for prey.

 

Liu Zhongyuan was different from Qin Jiulin. While Qin Jiulin prioritized filling his stomach and occasionally indulged in the flesh of fully regressed animals, Liu Zhongyuan only sought out semi-regressed animals if he couldn’t find any fully regressed ones.

 

He was quite particular about his appetite and was unwilling to settle for anything less. However, Liu Zhongyuan also knew that finding fully regressed animals was indeed challenging. Fortunately, this villa area was located in the outskirts, surrounded by vegetation, forests, and even a few mountains.

 

***

 

Qin Juzhen tightly covered his mouth, with Xia Liansheng by his side. The two of them were currently hiding in the basement of the villa along with their parents and grandparents.

 

They dared not make a sound, not even daring to breathe heavily because there were several peculiar-looking cats and dogs, along with a few semi-beastly individuals, fighting upstairs in their house.

 

In reality, the situation wasn’t initially so severe. It was just a few oddly shaped cats and dogs fighting each other on the empty road outside the courtyard wall. Normally, when they fought, they would eventually move away. Those who couldn’t win would flee while still resisting.

 

But the problem arose when some of those cats and dogs happened to cross over the courtyard wall and head towards their villa during their fight. Moreover, coinciding with the scuffle, a cat jumped up and shattered the French window of his Grandpa’s room. This allowed the strong smell of blood to waft in, prompting Grandpa to let out a howl and join the battle.

 

At that moment, Xia Liansheng sensed that something was wrong and immediately led everyone to hide in the basement. Shortly after closing the basement door, they heard more howls, presumably from Grandpa.

 

And now, outside, there was a group of cats and dogs numbering around ten, along with two semi-beastly individuals, engaged in a fierce battle.

 

The agonizing cries of the cats and dogs had been echoing for over two minutes, and they couldn’t understand why they didn’t move elsewhere.

 

Xia Liansheng’s face turned grim as he tightly held Qin Jiuzhen in his arms, gently patting his shoulder to silently comfort him and urge him not to be afraid or nervous.

 

Gradually, Qin Jiuzhen began to calm down, but he still clung tightly to Xia Liansheng. He was truly terrified. Although they hadn’t actually witnessed the scene, just by listening to the sounds, they could imagine the gruesome scene outside.

 

The commotion outside continued for over three hours before gradually quieting down. Qin Jiuzhen, along with Qin Shanzhou, the couple Yao Meimei, and the two elderly individuals, relaxed a little when they didn’t hear any sound for a while.

 

Qin Jiuzhen whispered, “Liansheng, is it safe outside?”

 

Xia Liansheng shook his head. “Let’s not move for now, and stay silent. I’ll go over to the entrance and listen. Maybe I can hear something.”

 

Qin Jiuzhen slowly released his grip. “Be careful, Liansheng.”

 

Xia Liansheng nodded. “I know.”

 

Yao Meimei interjected, “Liansheng, why don’t we wait a little longer before going out? It won’t make much of a difference at this point.”

 

Xia Liansheng reassured her, “Auntie, don’t worry. I have a plan in mind.”

 

As soon as Xia Liansheng finished speaking, he slowly got up and made his way toward the exit of the basement. They had securely closed it and even blocked every gap they could find.

 

Others might not be able to hear any sounds, but Xia Liansheng was different. As he approached the exit, he faintly heard some faint noises coming from above.

 

Though it was somewhat unclear, he brought his ear closer to the door. This time, he could clearly hear the intermittent sounds outside, sounding like the noises of something eating.

 

Just as he thought about it, Xia Liansheng heard the crisp sound of bones being crushed. It was a bit terrifying, and he couldn’t tell which side was winning. After all, the fighting had involved cats, dogs, and two semi-beastly individuals. In the end, only one side would emerge victorious, and only then would the outside become quiet again.

 

Just by listening to the sounds, it was impossible to determine what was still alive outside. Xia Liansheng dared not make any rash movements at the moment. After all, he was alone, accompanied by several ordinary people behind him.

 

If they truly alarmed whatever was outside, they wouldn’t know what they would be facing. Especially if the survivors were the two semi-beastly individuals, should he kill them or not when confronting them?

 

Those were Qin Jiuzhen’s grandfather and great-grandfather, even though semi-beastly individuals were essentially dead. However, they were only “essentially” dead; they had lost their sanity but were still alive. And yet, they could never recover.

 

As far as he knew, semi-beastly individuals were the failed products of atavism. They would forever remain like this. Though it seemed unfair, considering that animals other than humans, even if they didn’t fully revert, could still maintain their consciousness.

 

But in this grand scheme of nature, who knew the reasons behind it? They had no choice but to passively accept it without any alternative.

 

After carefully listening to the movements outside, Xia Liansheng was able to roughly determine what was causing the footsteps. At that moment, he heard faint whining sounds.

 

This sound seemed like… a dog? Did the dogs survive in the end? However, that didn’t necessarily mean that all the others had died. Perhaps the cats couldn’t win and managed to escape. As for the two semi-beastly individuals…

 

Xia Liansheng knew that the semi-beastly individuals lacked rationality. Unless they died or failed to catch their prey, they wouldn’t give up. Now that the dog was still here, eating, it meant that the two semi-beastly individuals were most likely dead.

 

When he realized this, Xia Liansheng couldn’t help but feel relieved. After all, anyone would have trouble sleeping soundly with two semi-beastly individuals locked in their home.

 

Previously, he had endured because of the relationship between the two semi-beastly individuals and Qin Jiuzhen. But that didn’t mean he didn’t mind it.

 

Now, things were different. He didn’t need to take action; they had died on their own. He could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

 

After confirming the situation, Xia Liansheng slowly walked back to Qin Jiuzhen and the others. Speaking in a low voice, he said, “It seems there are dogs outside. Let’s not make any sudden moves for now. Let’s wait a few more hours. They won’t stay here forever.”

 

The surroundings were filled with signs of battle, and the scent of blood was everywhere. It would easily attract other animals and semi-beastly individuals. After these dogs finished eating, they would definitely leave.

 

That would be their opportunity to leave this place. Of course… this villa would no longer be inhabitable. They would have to find another safe place to stay.

 

Qin Jiuzhen asked, “Is it safe? Won’t they come in?”

Xia Liansheng gently stroked Qin Jiuzhen’s hair. “It’s okay. As long as we don’t make any noise and alert them, they will leave soon.”

 

Qin Jiuzhen looked at him with trusting eyes. “I know. Thank you, Liansheng ge. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have made it to the basement in time…”

 

Xia Liansheng replied, “Alright, let’s not talk now. I’ll go check again in another hour. If everything is fine, I’ll go outside and take a look.”

 

Qin Jiuzhen was worried. “Are you sure it’s safe?”

 

Xia Liansheng assured him, “I’m very capable. Don’t worry. When I go out, you all stay here and don’t move around. Understand?”

 

Qin Jiuzhen nodded. “Okay, I understand, Liansheng ge…”

 

After about an hour, Xia Liansheng deemed it to be safe enough. He stood up and went back to the entrance of the basement. Leaning against the wall, he listened for several minutes but heard no sound. He cautiously opened the door and quickly closed it behind him as he stepped out.

 

What met his eyes was a scene of devastation. Broken glass and pools of blood were everywhere, both on the floor and the walls. Almost every visible spot was stained with blood, and the air was filled with a strong scent of blood.

 

Apart from that, everything in the house had been overturned and damaged. It was a mess of broken and battered objects. Not to mention the scattered remains and bits of flesh and bones left behind.

 

Xia Liansheng had mentally prepared himself before coming out, but he still felt a nauseating urge to vomit. He suppressed the feeling and cautiously walked around, surveying the surroundings.

 

There didn’t seem to be any immediate danger in the vicinity. No animals or semi-beastly individuals were present, especially after finding some wrinkled fingers on the ground, confirming the deaths of Qin Jiuzhen’s grandfather and great-grandfather.

 

He looked at the darkening sky outside, squinting his eyes. He took off his clothes and neatly placed them in a clean spot. Then, in a part of the room where the light couldn’t reach, he silently placed his hands on the ground. With this action, his entire body sprouted black fur, and he transformed into a sleek black panther. A pair of light golden eyes stood out prominently in the darkness.

 

The black panther gracefully stepped out of the shadows. Bathed in the diminishing light, it could be seen that its limbs were about three meters off the ground when on all fours. If observed closely, it wasn’t entirely black but had beautiful cloud-like patterns on its body.

 

It walked to the edge of the windowsill and leaped softly, landing soundlessly on the ground. Its long, black tail swayed in an arc in the air, and finally, its figure disappeared into the surrounding shadows.