Apocalypse: I Raised the Ultimate Antagonist from Scratch

The Control Room of the Research Center was exceptionally still during the late morning shift.

Guo Jiong walked down the primary access corridor with his daughter, Xiao Mei, walking at his side. The young girl was dressed in a clean, thermal tunic, her small hands clasped loosely in front of her. Every few steps, her eyes darted toward the heavy doors lining the sector.

She paused, tugging gently on her father’s sleeve.

"Daddy," Xiao Mei asked softly, her small voice carrying a gentle, hesitant tone. "Can I go see Gu An today? I remembered her from last time... and I really want to play with her."

Guo Jiong stopped in his tracks, looking down at his daughter. His face softened slightly, his protective instincts giving way to a calm, paternal patience. He looked down the long hallway toward where Lin Qing was currently seated, reviewing the morning perimeter logs.

"Come on," Guo Jiong said gently, guiding her by the shoulder. "Let’s check with the Vice Commander first."

They stepped into the station. The hum of server racks and satellite communication relays filled the background. Lin Qing didn’t look up immediately; her eyes remained fixed on the tablet in her hand.

"Vice Commander Lin," Guo Jiong spoke up, keeping his tone respectful and direct. "Xiao Mei was asking if she could visit Gu An this morning. She remembered her from their previous meeting and wanted to hang out."

Lin Qing set the tablet down on the desk, her eyes shifting calmly onto the young girl.

"That’s fine," Lin Qing replied as she stood up from her chair. "I’m heading to the residential suite anyway. I’ll take her over."

Guo Jiong gave a firm, single nod, resting a large hand on Xiao Mei’s head. "Be good, Xiao Mei. Don’t make trouble for Auntie Lin."

"I won’t, Daddy," Xiao Mei murmured obediently.

Lin Qing walked down the wide, metallic corridor at a steady, measured pace, with Xiao Mei keeping step beside her. The doors to the primary residential suite chimed softly before sliding open into the wall, revealing a spacious, sunlit common area.

Inside, Gu An and Su Xiao were sitting near the center of a large, dark-grey rug. They had gathered a small collection of smooth wooden blocks and metal scrap pieces, meticulously arranging them into small, organized structures.

Gu An looked up at the sound of the opening door. Her dark eyes brightened instantly as she recognized the girl entering the room. "Xiao Mei!"

Xiao Mei’s small face lit up with a small smile as she looked over at Lin Qing for silent permission. Lin Qing gave a brief, subtle nod before stepping back to lean casually against the sturdy frame of the outer doorway, crossing her arms over her chest to quietly observe.

Xiao Mei quickly walked over and sat cross-legged on the rug alongside Gu An and Su Xiao.

Because all three girls possessed awakened abilities, their interest naturally drifted away from simple wooden blocks within minutes.

The atmosphere among them was calm and focused. As they sat in a neat circle, they began discussing how their respective powers worked, quickly coming to a mutual agreement: they wanted to practice together.

Xiao Mei was the first to demonstrate her progress. She extended her small palms outward, hovering them just an inch above the cold floor. The ambient air surrounding her hands dropped drastically in temperature within seconds. Faint, shimmering white frost began to coalesce across her skin, crystallizing into an intricate, delicate cluster of ice.

Back at the depot staging ground, Song Yan had taken the time to guide her on thermal regulation, teaching her how to channel her sub-zero energy outward without freezing her own capillaries or damaging her skin.

Gu An watched the display with an approving gaze. "That’s really clear ice," she noted softly.

Wanting to contribute, Gu An raised her right hand. With a subtle flick of her wrist, a translucent energy barrier materialized out of thin air. The barrier wrapped seamlessly around Xiao Mei’s frost cluster, forming a solid, glass-like protective dome over the icy formation.

Over the past weeks of quiet training, Gu An’s barrier density had become remarkably solid, showing no signs of flickering or instability under normal conditions.

Not to be outdone, little Su Xiao leaned forward, her expression turning dead serious. The youngest of the group took a deep, focused breath, her small brow furrowing tightly as her dark eyes locked onto a heavy two-seater lounge chair resting near the concrete wall.

A faint, distorted tremor rippled through the air around the furniture. With a quiet thud, the heavy chair lifted off the floor, smoothly levitating three inches in the air.

Despite being the youngest, Su Xiao’s telekinetic growth had progressed at a startlingly rapid rate. She kept her gaze locked on the hovering chair, maintaining absolute balance and stability for two full minutes without letting it wobble, before gently lowering it back down onto the floor tiles without making a sound.

From her spot by the doorway, Lin Qing watched the entire sequence in silence.

Because of her lost memories, this was technically the very first time she was witnessing the full extent of the children’s awakened abilities up close. Her sharp, dark eyes evaluated every movement—the precise thermal regulation of Xiao Mei’s frost, the structural integrity of Gu An’s barrier, and the sheer raw output of Su Xiao’s telekinesis.

Her face remained composed, but a subtle, distinct sense of quiet satisfaction settled deep within her. Their discipline and control were remarkably sharp for their age.

Off to the side, sitting on a low wooden bench near the window sill, Han Ye sat completely still.

He held a small wooden puzzle in his hands, his posture straight, quiet, and distant. As usual, he maintained his typical aloof demeanor, ignoring the chatter of the girls and keeping to himself.

However, as Han Ye glanced up and noticed Lin Qing standing at the doorway—watching the three girls with such steady, focused approval—his small hands paused on the wooden puzzle.

A subtle, competitive spark flared up in his small chest. He didn’t like being overlooked, nor did he enjoy sitting passively while others displayed their capabilities right in front of her.

Han Ye set his puzzle down on the bench with a deliberate, quiet click.

He stood up, taking two slow, calculated steps toward the open space in the middle of the room. His small face was set in a serious, unreadable mask.

The three girls stopped their conversation, turning their heads to look at him in surprise. Han Ye rarely used his abilities around others, almost always preferring to remain a silent observer in the background.

Han Ye didn’t offer an explanation. He simply lowered his right hand toward the floor, spreading his fingers slightly.

Instantly, the shadow cast by his small body under the bright window light began to warp. The dark silhouette on the floor rippled like liquid ink before extending outward. Three distinct, fluid tendrils of pure shadow detached from the floor, rising smoothly into the air. They darted effortlessly through the room, weaving around Gu An’s pale-blue barrier before solidifying into the sharp, elegant shapes of miniature shadow-panthers. The dark figures bounded silently across the lounge rug in a fluid loop before dissolving back into his shadow.

Gu An’s mouth opened slightly in genuine surprise. Xiao Mei gasped softly, her eyes wide, while little Su Xiao clapped her hands together in quiet delight.

Lin Qing’s eyes shifted onto Han Ye.

To her, he was simply an unusually precocious, solemn five-year-old boy who possessed a rare and potent shadow-type ability. Seeing him step forward so abruptly to showcase his power—clearly driven by a desire to match the praise the girls were receiving—struck her as unexpectedly human and competitive for such a quiet child.

A subtle, amused gleam entered Lin Qing’s dark eyes. She didn’t praise him loudly, but she tilted her head slightly, giving him a knowing, teasing look that silently acknowledged his obvious attempt to show off.

Han Ye caught her gaze.

The moment he saw her slightly raised eyebrow and the faint trace of amusement in her eyes, the five-year-old’s stoic defense crumbled. A bright, burning red flush rapidly spread from his cheeks down to the tips of his ears. Realizing that his sudden desire for validation had been instantly read by her, he pulled his small hands into his coat pockets, quickly turning his face toward the window with a tiny, flustered huff to hide his red face.

Before the quiet atmosphere in the room could shift, the door at the entrance slid open again with a quiet mechanical hiss.

Ah Hua stepped into the residential suite carrying a heavy wooden crate filled with freshly washed linen towels and thermal blankets for the sector supply closet. He paused near the door, setting the heavy crate down on a side table as his eyes took in the scene of the children sitting together.

"Vice Commander Lin," Ah Hua spoke up respectfully, walking over with a polite bow. "It’s really good to see the kids spending time together like this."

"They’re practicing their power control," Lin Qing replied smoothly, her voice calm and even.

Ah Hua hesitated for a brief moment, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked toward the Vice Commander with a hopeful, earnest expression.

"Um... Vice Commander?" Ah Hua asked carefully. "My younger brother, Ah Ming... he’s mostly recovered now. Zhou Ming cleared him this morning, but he’s been stuck inside our quarter room for days and he’s getting extremely restless. Would it be alright if he comes down to hang out with the group here as well?"

Lin Qing looked at Ah Hua’s sincere face, her expression remaining steady. She gave a clear, decisive nod. She had heard about Ah Ming and his situation through Han Zheng already.

"That’s fine, Ah Hua," Lin Qing answered without hesitation. "Bring him over whenever he’s ready. The space is large enough.

Ah Hua’s face brightened with clear gratitude. "Thank you, Vice Commander! I’ll go let him know right away!"

He turned and quickly headed back out into the corridor to retrieve his brother.

Lin Qing turned her gaze back toward the lounge rug. Xiao Mei, Gu An, and Su Xiao were already chatting again, comparing the energy consumption of their abilities, while Han Ye remained by the window sill, still stubbornly maintaining his quiet posture despite his red ears.

Lin Qing leaned back against the doorframe, her posture relaxed yet vigilant. Looking at the discipline, steady growth, and formidable abilities displayed by the young group, her mind remained clear. Outside the mountain walls, the harsh wasteland was filled with thawed hordes, treacherous terrain, and lingering threats—but inside these walls, these capable young ability-holders formed the true, unyielding foundation of the base’s future.

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