Chapter Fifty-Six: A Neighbor from Hell

“Um… Commander?” Watching people walk by on either side, Corona, timid by nature, finally mustered the courage to speak. Hearing her voice, Ferrin merely turned his head and glanced at the little one.

“What is it?”

“Excuse me… where is this place… and who are all these people?” After much hesitation, Corona finally asked. Though she was shy, this town was simply too strange—unlike any settlement she had ever seen—so despite her nerves, she forced herself to inquire. Normally, this would have been Ailuka’s responsibility, but Ailuka now seemed determined to stay attached to her Harmony forever, and Sister Chris disliked interacting with others. So, Corona had no choice but to speak up herself.

“This is Apricot Blossom Village.” But Ferrin wasn’t as unapproachable as Corona had imagined. On the contrary, he answered the two of them with a warm, cheerful smile.

“Though the name is rather plain… well, it doesn’t matter. If they like it, they can call it whatever they wish. As for these people… most of them, you could say, are my compatriots.”

“Compatriots?” Upon hearing the word, Corona tilted her head in confusion. It was unfamiliar to her, perhaps the first time she’d heard it.

“That’s right. You may have heard that the land we’re standing on used to belong to a great nation.”

At this, Chris and Corona both nodded. The Cataclysm hadn’t happened so long ago; knowledge like this was still common. Born in the wild, they had little concept of “nations”—it was something they’d only seen in old films or books. Ferrin simply smiled, then gestured at the people with yellow skin and black hair nearby.

“Neither I nor they are from this country; we come from another nation.”

“What?” Chris and Corona were both taken aback.

“Another nation?”

“Yes, far across the sea, a very distant place. When the ‘Cataclysm’ struck, there was no warning, so we couldn’t return home. We had to find a place to settle here. Most of us are from that other country, so we banded together… Of course, some were born here, but they’re still connected to us…”

Chris and Corona could only listen in bewilderment to Ferrin’s explanation. They didn’t understand what he meant—words like “compatriot” and “nation” were just as foreign to them. They couldn’t grasp why these people gathered together. Was it because they looked alike? But then, why didn’t others do the same?

Ferrin did not intend to explain further. In the post-apocalyptic world, many things had changed. The present was different from the past, and who could say if the future would resemble the present. Moreover…

“Some of them are still thinking about going back.”

“Going back?”

“Yes. In our country, there’s a saying: ‘Fallen leaves return to their roots.’ It’s a tradition. But… as things stand, it’s unlikely to happen.”

As he spoke, Ferrin shrugged. Honestly, it was indeed a daunting task. The Pacific Ocean separated the two sides. Before the catastrophe, returning home would have been easy—a matter of booking a flight. But now, it had become almost impossible. After the “Cataclysm,” aircraft could no longer fly above the clouds. The thick, oppressive clouds not only blocked sunlight but possessed some mysterious, overwhelming power that destroyed any aircraft attempting to penetrate them. So, even helicopters and planes only dared to skim below the clouds, which obviously made long-distance travel impossible.

Traveling by ship was just as perilous. The Cataclysm had altered countless land animals; who could guarantee the oceans were any different? Strange creatures might lurk there—perhaps some monstrous beings from the abyss.

Beyond that, water, supplies, and food were all major issues. Most critically, the ships themselves: the initial disasters were earthquakes and tsunamis, which destroyed nearly all ocean-going vessels. There was no hope of crossing the Pacific in a tiny steamboat. And with the black clouds severing communications, there was no way to contact satellites in orbit. Positioning and information had to rely on someone with “human radar” abilities like Corona, or on a powerful node like the “Emperor.” Otherwise, the days of living by satellite navigation were gone for good. In these conditions, ocean travel was out of the question—unless one intended to emulate Columbus and risk a lifetime gazing longingly across the sea at their homeland.

At this thought, a faint, enigmatic smile played at Ferrin’s lips. He reached up and pulled his hat brim lower, shading his eyes. At that moment, a man led them to their destination.

“Hello, Doctor Ferrin. I hadn’t expected you to arrive so quickly.”

“I must admit, I’m rather curious myself, Chief.”

Ferrin greeted the elderly man respectfully with a nod, then took a seat. Unlike the chaos in other settlements, Apricot Blossom Village had been well-organized from the start. In their homeland, clan politics and village governance had persisted for centuries. While fools elsewhere were still debating democracy versus dictatorship, Apricot Blossom Village had already drawn together, following ancient traditions to strengthen their community.

“I hear you’ve had some uninvited guests nearby?”

“That’s right, Doctor.” At these words, the old chief’s kindly smile faded into a troubled frown. This was why he’d asked Ferrin for help—around Apricot Blossom Village, a group of unwelcome guests had appeared. More importantly…

“They’re a pack of familiars.”

“Are you certain?”

Even though Ferrin had already heard the news, hearing the chief confirm it made him raise an eyebrow.

“Yes, in fact…”

As the old chief related the events, Ferrin quickly grasped the whole story.

It happened after the electromagnetic storm. Apricot Blossom Village had survived, but before they could celebrate their escape, the outer sentries discovered something strange near the southern mines. Each night, eerie, ghostly laughter echoed from the area, and sometimes blue flames flickered in the distance like will-o’-the-wisps. Such phenomena had never occurred before, causing widespread panic. To investigate, the chief sent a team to scout the mines. The outcome was wholly unexpected; they could never have imagined what they would find.

“A group of strange familiars has taken over the mines and driven our people away… We could accept that, but lately, these familiars have grown more brazen. Not only have they seized our territory, they’ve even burned our crops and vegetables…”

At this, the old man’s brow furrowed sharply, and he trembled with anger.

“They even killed one of our last few cows! We were saving those for the New Year feast. Now, to lose one for no reason—no one in the village will stand for it!”

Foolish familiars, you shall taste the wrath of the great Empire of Gourmets!

“So you’ve come to me?”

“Exactly.” Having vented his frustration, the old chief calmed down. He sighed, then looked at the black cat curled on Ferrin’s lap, watching him curiously.

“Doctor Ferrin, you know that familiars possess very peculiar powers. Honestly, if it were mutants, zombies, or even deathclaws, we wouldn’t be so concerned. But familiars are simply too strange. We can’t communicate with them, nor do we know what they want. However, familiars can communicate with each other. You’re the only person in the Eastern Wastes with a familiar as a companion. So, though we know it’s a great trouble to you, we have no choice but to ask for your help…”

So that’s how it is…

Hearing the chief’s words, Ferrin narrowed his eyes. Familiars rarely appeared among humans, let alone so close to their settlements. But what the familiars wanted was not something every human could discern. Some didn’t even understand human language or interact with people at all. The villagers of Apricot Blossom stood no chance—some familiars were immune to blades, bullets, water, and fire, entirely unlike any creature native to Earth. Only those with special abilities or other familiars could deal with them. This was the real reason the chief had sought Ferrin’s help.

Having sorted out the information in his mind, Ferrin soon gave his reply.

“I understand, Chief. I’ll go and see what’s happening there.”