The Reborn Otaku's Code of Practice for the Apocalypse

Luo Xun’s face reddened, he only had a little skill with poor results. He could only use the sewing machine at home. He did not know how to pattern so when he reluctantly made clothes they were always a little off and uncomfortable.

"I’ll design and cut." The usually silent Yan Fei interjected, the group looked at him with a mixture of admiring and frightened eyes.

What was with that look? Did they doubt his technique? Yan Fei felt the veins on his forehead pop out.

"Ah, how did you learn that?" Han Li’s voice trembled.

Although Yan Fei was wearing a white face mask his face with narrowed eyes still expressed coldness.

"I majored in costume design abroad." He glanced at Luo Xun and remembered seeing a sewing machine at their place that the other could use.

"Just design, not sewing." Someone else always made his designs.

Luo Xun felt he was scrutinized, he could only cough and nod. "I can use the sewing machine but the finished product...*cough cough* is barely wearable."

Actually, one could wear it but if there was an alternative, someone who could design and cut well, he would have no objections.

The group of five collectively breathed a sigh of relief then looked brightly with affection at the two. "Brother Luo, Brother Yan, us little ones will be depending on you for clothes..."

Five grown men acting like spoiled brats...Luo Xun had no words to say. The door to the front of the mall was currently closed. It seemed today was lucky, they loaded for hours but no other zombies rushed over. This time their expedition had a successful end!

The group excitedly filed into the cars, ready to go to the back door of the supermarket like they did for the warehouse. Luckily the road behind the supermarket was clear to go, there were not many zombies but a lot of parked cars.

Luo Xun paused then hurriedly gestured for the two to come over.

"What?"

"A lot of people must have also entered the supermarket back door. We need to park in an inconspicuous place, cover up the car and lock the doors before going in."

Luo Xun judged the situation and guessed since people went in they might catch sight of the spoils in their vehicles.

Li Tie and company quickly understood his meaning and hurriedly nodded.

Wang Duo asked confused. "But if we go in empty handed, won’t we grab less things?"

"After the disaster, supermarkets are obviously everyone’s first choice and edibles are perishables. Most of the edible food had likely gone bad. If we go in to find no food, beans and so on its better to return empty handed then be marked as a target."

Luo Xun quickly explained and locked his car – thanks to the privacy film, no one could see in from the outside. Now that it was ’tied’ to the truck, less than half a window was visible.

However the truck Li Tie picked up had problems, but using some ash coloured waterproof cloth from the fabric store, there was nothing to see.

Seven individuals held weapons, Yan Fei carried a crossbow with some iron blocks in his backpack. Even though he carried the heaviest, his actions were also the most relaxed. Luo Xun could not help but grind his teeth – his own physical strength was poor...really envious and hateful.

Luo Xun did not beg for some overpowered ability – just an increase in strength would be enough, but reality was cruel, he had not been given the slightest change.

Close to the supermarket door, zombies rose and turned towards the smell of human flesh. Finding a group of delicious food, they rushed forward with broken bodies. Luo Xun shot his crossbow twice and turned to find a recently turned corpse jump in as if it had sprinted!

Quickly held the crossbow, his offhand grabbed a modified wolf teeth club from his waist. Luo Xun first struck at the zombie’s legs, when one leg broke, he pivoted then swung the spiked club at the head of the falling zombie.

*Squish* Dark green liquid with a foul odour spurted out. The group jerked back to attention and looked at Luo Xun in panic. After the head was smashed, Luo Xun stopped to pick up the dropped crystal nucleus.

"Oh...." He Qiankun said faintly before he turned to a corner and threw up.

Luo Xun looked at him in surprise. "How has he still not adapted after killing zombies for half a day?"

He Qiankun waved his hand since he could not speak at the moment.

Wang Duo tiptoed over and shivered, exclaiming "It’s not we haven’t adapted, you are too brutally violent!"

They had used iron rods to hit the zombie heads but only until they were unable to move. Luo Xun used a wolf teeth club to crush the heads!

The club had big spiky nails! After killing the zombie there would be remains on the nails...Looking at the confused Luo Xun, the group of five had no energy left to retort.

Yan Fei went to his side, seemingly unaware of anything wrong with the club. He walked towards the back door and called over his shoulder. "Let’s go, don’t know how long we’ll be delayed inside."

Luo Xun somewhat stiffly nodded then followed along towards the back door. The door was not closed but the zombies were trapped inside since it opened from the outside and zombies could not pull.

One person gently opened the door, there were a lot of wandering zombies inside the nearly empty warehouse. Some felt some people came and sloshed towards the door. There were not that many zombies in the warehouse. A few people with quick feet could circle around the devastation for a peek.

"Is...is there anything useful?" Wu Xin kicked a half full plum box.

There were still things left, but most were a mixture of seasonings and gadgets. Then there were bottles with unknown liquids inside. They dared not eat these things even if they brought them back.

"Go in and have a look?" Li Tie walked to the supermarket door, turned around and looked at those behind. "There’s another floor upstairs, want to go up and see?"

"Let’s go in and see what’s inside then."

Luo Xun glanced at the nearby fallen box with rotten fruit and vegetables inside. The purpose of the trip to the supermarket was to find cultivable beans but it seemed most of the produce was contaminated, perhaps there was some in storage?

Finally managed to come outside, no one wanted to return empty handed. The people looked around and gently opened a gap in the door. There were quite a few zombies wandering the first floor, the air had an unknown explainable smell, they could not find the right adjective to describe it.

Shuddering, the group looked at Yan Fei – the only one wearing a mask, what foresight! They wanted a mask as well!

Gingerly sneaking while pinching their noses, the zombies may rely on their nose to find prey but if they did not make any noise...no one far*cough* passed gas...

It was winter, everyone’s body odour was not strong. Low level zombies would be slow to find them. With light footsteps, Luo Xun pointed in the direction he remembered grain and oils were located.

He estimated that the vast majority of people also prioritized that direction. They should still go and see if there was anything to pick up. All seven went together towards the grain and oil aisle and easily cleaned up any zombies that appeared.

There was nothing on the shelves that originally held bags of rice and noodles. Even the counters with bulk grains were mostly empty. The five university students had angry, twisted expressions looking at the empty containers on the side – nothing, did they come here for nothing?

There was more stuff out of stock, the snack area was empty except for accidentally broken snack packages – inedible food, this was really...

"Ah! There are some!" Li Tie took two steps forwards, excitedly pointing at the gap between containers of some kinds of beans with a wide smile.

Small mosquitoes were still meat! Besides these things could sprout and be cultivated! They were not living in a safe zone, so long as they had a way to earn points, there was a way to fill up their bellies each day.

The seeds collected and saved would then become more and more! Seeing the five people trip themselves over finding some ’seeds’ Luo Xun quirked a smile and looked at Yan Fei beside him. "Working together?"

Although there was no shortage at home, he did not know if something would turn out to be a secret gold egg in the future.

Yan Fei looked at Luo Xun, who had joined the team in trying to find seeds on the ground. He could not help but shake his head to look in the other direction – there was not only a group of people but also a lot of zombies and...

"Shelled peanuts! These are raw, can we plant these?!" He Qiankun asked as he raised a handful of peanuts.

Li Tie beside Luo Xun answered distractedly. "Can grow, sprouting buds mean can grow." Li Tie hurriedly made an agreeable expression. "Right, good keep it."

Other side Wu Xin was lying prone on the ground, arms outstretched to a pudgy thing in the shelves. After some effort to get it he squinted at the familiar item in his hands.

"Lemon?"

At the moment Luo Xun got up and placed some peanuts and uncrushed beans into small plastic bags. "Wait until we go home to see if there are any plantable seeds inside."

Lemon is a good thing, can be stored a long time without spoiling, rich with a lot of vitamins, he had forgotten to buy those seeds.

Several people swept around and swung around when they heard two *poof* sounds. They hurriedly seized their weapons in surprise. Yan Fei leisurely placed his hands in his pockets, behind him lay two killed zombies.

"Yan..." He Qiankun had not finished when they heard hurried footsteps from outside along with someone profusely swearing.

"Which bastards parked the cars? They’re blocking the door!"

The other group walked over close enough that both groups were startled. Slightly distracted, the newcomers had various bags, obviously gathered more than Luo Xun and company who had just arrived. Although their numbers were higher, if a confrontation started, the ensuing fight would undoubtedly attract zombies.

Silently thinking, the person in front put a hand on the back of his head and gestured to the people behind. They turned away from Luo Xun’s group and hurried to the back door warehouse. Although it was unknown if the other party had been afraid of their own group but them leaving made Luo Xun and company breathe a sigh of relief.

"Should we look at the fresh produce section? What kind of fruit should we look for?" Wang Duo waited until the strangers had left before asking for suggestions.

Even picking up broken, rotten fruit was okay! As long as the seed was still there, mayne they could grow it!

"Go!" A few others had the same idea so no objections.

The group ran to the produce section, once they smelled the heavy rotten stench, their faces once again distorted into aggravated expressions. There was no need to look at the meat, the pungent stench would have smothered flies.

Vegetable area could also be ignored, even if there was some left, they could not be planted. Fruits on the other hand...Looking at the empty fruit section in dumbfounded silence, trying to keep an open mind.

People knew that fruit seeds could be planted, there were some rotten vegetables left but here had almost nothing.

Two steps ahead, Luo Xun saw some pieces of rotten watermelon on the ground. He hurriedly called the others over to inspect. They threw away the white not fully grown seeds and picked up seven intact watermelon seeds.

Luo Xun split them into two plastic bags – why did he ignore these fruit seeds before? It was obvious his past apocalyptic life had been too cruel, most of the world had forgotten fruit. There was nothing at home, not even common orange seedlings, just a few strawberry seedlings gifted when bought chicken and duck!