I Woke Up 120 Years After The Apocalypse-Chapter 45: Coming back

Yashyn watched Akram’s blood spread across the ground, his body completely motionless. As he grabbed the gel, he knew instantly that he had no room for error: if he didn’t apply it properly, the Vulkan leader was beyond saving.

So, without hesitation, he pressed the tube directly against the bleeding wound. Not knowing what dosage was appropriate, he emptied it entirely.

Nothing happened right away. Yashyn staggered back a few steps, clutching his head, convinced that his student was dead for good.However, after several seconds of uncertainty, the blood finally stopped gushing, then stopped flowing altogether. The gel slowly transformed into a thick foam, covering the entirety of the wound. A sound similar to a muffled combustion echoed from within the foam itself. It hardened briefly, then began to crumble, little by little.

After a few minutes, it had completely melted away. The wound was not only closed, but partially healed, though its appearance was far from pleasant.

Akram suddenly woke up with a violent jolt, gasping for air, breathing in sharp, disordered gulps. Yashyn rushed to him immediately, holding him down and trying to calm him to prevent the wound from reopening.

"Oh there... Easy, easy, it’s fine!"

"Fuck... Holy shit! I thought I was completely done for, what the hell was that?!"

Yashyn patted the young man’s back, letting out a relieved chuckle as he helped him sit up.

"Well damn, lil’ bud’, your thing actually works!"

"Yeah... yeah, it’s effective."

Akram lowered his gaze toward the tube that had saved his life, only to realize it was completely empty.

"Tell me... you emptied the whole tube?"

Yashyn scratched the back of his head, hesitant, not entirely sure he wanted to own up to his decision, afraid he’d screwed up badly.

"Uh yeah... I did... I shouldn’t have? You gonna die again?"

Akram let out a weak laugh, holding his ribs.

"Hahaha... No, you did the right thing, that’s exactly what had to be done... Part of the gel sealed the wound, and the rest compensated for the blood I’d lost."

Akram scanned the area around them, his mind already searching for a way out. Yashyn, meanwhile, simply stretched his limbs, naturally leaving the task of navigation to the young leader.

"The staircase collapsed... I could’ve blown the rocks blocking the entrance before, but now it’s gonna be tricky."

"Oh yeah? So we’re gonna have to kill each other and eat the other one to get out ? Bet’ i’ll eat ya first."

"You’re going way too far... No. There were several exits in this complex, one of them pretty close, but I don’t know if they’re still accessible."

Akram gathered his scattered gear from the floor, then motioned for Yashyn to follow, taking the lead.

Despite the century that had passed, Akram still navigated the corridors with ease. He knew exactly where to turn, which paths led nowhere, and which ones were real shortcuts.

"You really know this place, lil’ bud’. To me, it’s a damn labyrinth."

"Yeah, but a lot of floors are missing... It was a building originally, only the lower levels are left."

"A building?"

"Uh... They were structures, towers really, back in my time... they went really high into the sky."

"Towers in the sky? Haha, nice try lil’ bud’, but stop taking me for an idiot."

Akram didn’t even bother arguing. He knew Yashyn well: once he made up his mind, he was far too stubborn to change it.

Time was running out to save Aphroa, even though neither of them knew what was unfolding back in Vulkania.

After an hour spent in the near-total darkness of the ruined complex, nostalgia hitting Akram full force with every familiar corridor and laboratory they passed, he finally found the second exit.

It too was blocked by a collapse, but a narrow gap let daylight seep through, proof that they weren’t far from the surface.

Yashyn crossed his arms and looked back at Akram.

"So now what, lil’ bud’? I know I’m strong, but I can’t cut through stone."

Akram carefully set his bag down, still weakened despite the treatment, and pulled out his pouch.

"You don’t need to do anything, don’t worry, I’ve got this, hehe."

He grabbed several chestnuts, bound them together with a length of rope, creating a compact chestnut bomb. He placed it at the center of the rubble, removing some of the blocking stones by hand, not without effort, then stepped back.

Yashyn shot him another mocking look.

"And now? How does it blow up?"

"Chestnuts explode when they take a strong enough impact, so you’ll have to sacrifice a finger, maybe a hand, to trigger it."

Yashyn’s smile vanished instantly, unlike Akram’s, who seemed to have stolen it.

"I’m kidding, man. No sacrifice needed."

Akram armed the crossbow integrated into his prosthetic and slid a single chestnut into it, extending his arm toward the target.

After a few seconds of silence and concentration, he fired, pulling the pin of his arm mechanism.

The shot hit perfectly. Yashyn and Akram instinctively covered themselves as fragments of stone were blasted in all directions.

When the dust finally settled, they cautiously looked over their arms. Daylight was finally within reach. Without wasting a second, they rushed toward the opening, slipping out of the complex where they’d been trapped until now.

Akram took a deep breath of fresh air, allowing himself a few seconds of relief after everything he’d endured. Yashyn, meanwhile, stretched his limbs once more, already preparing for the long run ahead. He turned toward Akram, a question hanging on his lips.

"You able to run, Akram? We’re picking up the pace."

"What? Faster than on the way there? Why?" 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Because if I’ve always made it out alive, it’s thanks to my instincts. And right now... something stink."

Akram didn’t argue further. Despite lingering doubts, he felt the same growing unease about Vulkania.

He stretched as well, ready for the run. His wound had recovered enough to let him move properly.

"No lunch breaks. We run, and we only stop to sleep."

"Yes, master!"

Akram pulled out his compass, carefully checked the route. Once confirmed, Yashyn didn’t warn him.

He took off immediately, sprinting at full speed. Akram followed close behind, ready to tear his muscles apart over days of nonstop running.