Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies

Chapter 547: Extra—Yuan Kongye

June 2046.

The early summer heat in Tianhai City was suffocating.

The monsoon winds from the East Coast failed to drive away the subtropical humidity, leaving behind nothing but stifling moisture in the air.

Summer always arrived earlier in the south than in the north.

Even the cicadas in the banyan trees were more diligent than their northern counterparts, climbing up the branches early to produce their maddening cries—"Zhi—Zhi—Zhi—"

The shrill buzzing echoed outside the courtyard of the Shenli Church, restless and impatient, as if a crowd of people were arguing fiercely.

Under the eaves of a Japanese-style courtyard, a young girl dressed in a shrine maiden’s outfit sat quietly, her hands resting at her sides, curiously watching a single green cicada perched on the treetop.

As the Saintess of the Tianhai Branch of Shenli Church, Yuan Kongye had been raised since childhood as the future successor of the church.

Because of this, every new member who joined the church had to undergo her baptism and receive her blessings.

When she was young, she thought these rituals were fascinating.

She didn’t understand why the believers looked at her with such reverence, but she didn’t dislike the feeling of being admired and respected.

However, as she grew older, she began to realize—she had no special powers at all.

The so-called blessing rituals were nothing more than a placebo, a means to comfort the believers—or rather, a tool for her parents to amass wealth.

Gradually, Yuan Kongye started to hate it.

She could no longer stand the desperate, hopeful gazes directed at her—eyes like drowning souls clutching at a straw, expecting salvation.

With age came rebellion.

Yet, she could not defy her parents.

Perhaps deep down, she still enjoyed being worshipped—enjoyed the privilege that came with being a saintess.

Because the moment people discovered she was just a normal girl, not some divine messenger, she would lose everything.

Her status, her comfortable life—gone.

And so, throughout her adolescence, Yuan Kongye lived in a constant struggle between guilt and indulgence.

She tapped her wooden clogs against the ground, her feet tightly wrapped in pristine white socks.

Shenli Church originated from Neon (Japan), so she was always dressed in traditional shrine maiden attire.

The red and white robes stood out—an odd, almost unnatural sight in Tianhai City.

She rarely wore them outside.

Behind her, the church was buzzing with noise.

She had no idea what they were arguing about—the people in the church always seemed to be up to something strange.

Seeking fresh air, she had stepped outside.

Yet, when she lifted her head, the layers of white clouds drifting in the sky seemed to resemble mountain peaks, slowly shifting and pressing down upon her.

The air felt heavy.

A suffocating pressure settled in her chest.

It was as if—something terrible was about to happen.

She placed her right hand over her heart, feeling its rhythm quicken.

"Is… something bad going to happen?" she murmured to herself.

At that moment—

"Clatter!"

The wooden door behind her was forcefully pushed open.

Yuan Kongye turned abruptly, seeing the Great Elder of Shenli Church standing there, his face stern and solemn.

This was Elder Qin, the man who had always been kind to her since childhood.

But today, his expression was different.

"Saintess, I must inform you of something. Two hours ago, the plane carrying the Chief Priest and the High Priestess crashed over the East Sea."

Boom!

It felt like an explosion went off in Yuan Kongye’s mind.

Her brain went blank.

She couldn’t hear anything else the Elder said.

She only saw his face—colder and more severe than ever before.

Even his bald head, which she had once found amusing, now seemed like an icy, lifeless stone.

The summer of 2046.

Yuan Kongye’s life took a drastic turn.

From paradise—into hell.

A month later, the funeral for Yuan Suiyun and Watari Kameko was held.

Their bodies were never recovered.

But with their deaths, Shenli Church collapsed into crisis.

For years, the Chief Priest and the High Priestess had told their followers that faith in the Shenli Church would bring happiness and protection from calamity.

Countless believers had devoted themselves to this fantasy.

Among them were the desperate and destitute, the terminally ill, the parents who sought miraculous cures for their children…

For a dream, they donated everything they had to Shenli Church.

Some even scammed their own families and friends just to offer more.

But the moment Yuan Suiyun and Watari Kameko died—that dream shattered.

People woke up.

They realized they had been deceived.

At the funeral, Yuan Kongye knelt before their memorial, dressed in mourning black.

Not a single person came to pay respects.

Instead—an angry mob of former believers arrived, screaming curses at her family.

The faces that had once smiled with devotion now twisted into something grotesque.

Only one person stood by her—Zheng Yixian, her childhood friend.

Dressed in a black suit, he positioned himself firmly in front of her.

But Zheng Yixian alone was too weak.

Hundreds of furious ex-believers began as an angry mob—but soon turned violent.

They raided the Yuan household, smashing and looting everything they could find.

Some, with nowhere else to vent their rage, stormed up and kicked over the ancestral memorial tablets.

Yuan Kongye watched in horror.

Tears streamed down her face as she pleaded, "Please! Take whatever you want—but leave my parents’ photographs alone! I beg you!"

Seeing her desperate expression, the mob felt a twisted sense of satisfaction.

A hand slapped her across the face.

"You damn liar! Your whole family deserves to die! Even a hundred deaths wouldn't atone for your sins!"

Half of Yuan Kongye’s face swelled instantly.

Yet, she clung tightly to her parents’ photographs, clutching them to her chest.

Zheng Yixian shielded her, speaking in a humble tone, "A’Ye is innocent. If you must take your anger out on someone, take it out on me instead. Please, let her go—she's just a child."

The mob did not refuse.

After all, their rage was already burning uncontrollably—they needed an outlet.

And so—

Zheng Yixian was beaten to the ground.

Kicks and punches rained down on him like a storm.

Yuan Kongye clutched the photographs, her entire body trembling as she watched in horror.

Somewhere within the mob—

A hand suddenly reached out toward her.

"The sins of the father must be repaid by the child!"

"Since you’re still alive, you must atone for your parents' crimes!"

Her mind went blank.

Her body—suddenly went cold.

"Rip—Rip—"

She was shoved hard against the floor.

Countless hands reached for her.

She had never felt anything like this before—the overwhelming violation left her numb.

Her body—no longer felt like hers.

Even when she tried to scream for help—she couldn’t.

She was just a lifeless doll, being toyed with by too many hands to count.

And that bald head—the one she once liked to pat so much—was right there, crawling on top of her.

For a long time, Yuan Kongye thought she had died that day.

But in the end—she lived.

But so what if she survived?

She had lost everything.

For the two years she spent recovering in a sanatorium, she had countless thoughts of ending her own life.

It was Zheng Yixian who stayed by her side, always telling her that none of it was her fault—telling her that she was the kindest, most wonderful girl in the world.

But to Yuan Kongye, that warmth was far from enough to fill the massive void in her heart.

"Hey, Zheng Yixian... don’t you think this world is far too filthy?"

Sitting in her wheelchair, she gazed at the snowy landscape outside the window and spoke calmly.

"If gods truly existed, why wouldn’t they cleanse this world?"

Zheng Yixian knelt before her, his eyes filled with sympathy and sincerity—

But he had no answer.

Yuan Kongye smiled weakly.

"That’s right. There are no gods in this world."

"Everything is nothing more than the foolishness of mortals."

"My parents were deceitful frauds. The followers of Shenli Church were greedy, ignorant fools. And even I… I was just a weak, powerless puppet, allowing myself to be controlled."

Suddenly, her expression hardened.

"Humans should not have existed in this world to begin with."

Zheng Yixian held her cold hands, silently trying to comfort her.

But outside—the snowstorm only grew heavier, never ceasing.

Then, without warning—the Great Snowstorm descended.

Blizzards raged endlessly, plunging the world into chaos.

Desperate wails filled every corner of society as everything crumbled.

But Yuan Kongye did not feel fear.

She felt joy.

Because the gods had finally heard her voice.

They had come to purify this wretched world.

During the apocalypse, the darkest sides of human nature were laid bare.

She saw it with her own eyes—children abandoning their parents for food, husbands and wives sleeping under the same roof with knives hidden under their pillows.

Yuan Kongye laughed.

At first, she thought she would die in this cleansed world.

When the world fell into chaos, she and Zheng Yixian were separated.

She should have perished.

But just as she was about to freeze and starve to death—

A voice echoed inside her mind.

She awakened her superpower—"Death Return."

It was as natural as growing an extra limb—the moment she gained it, she understood its purpose.

For the first time, a glimmer of light returned to her hollow eyes.

"This... this is God’s guidance."

"This must be my mission as His apostle."

To bless the faithful.

To claim the power of the unworthy.

To become a god—

And pass judgment on the filth of this world.

She thought back to that day in the funeral hall.

If she had been strong enough, none of it would have happened.

If one seeks to change the world, they must possess the power to overturn everything.

And so—Yuan Kongye survived.

She no longer wandered in confusion.

If fulfilling God’s will required sacrifices, then so be it.

The first person she killed was a nun named Chen Rou.

In the frozen ruins of the world, Chen Rou had sheltered countless orphans and refugees inside St. John’s Cathedral.

She gave them food, medicine—hope.

To many, she was a beacon of light in the endless darkness.

Even Yuan Kongye had once survived under her care.

Because Chen Rou possessed a superpower—"Jehovah’s Gift."

With just a touch of her hands, she could heal all wounds and soothe all sorrow.

For the first time in years, Yuan Kongye had felt warmth in her presence.

Chen Rou was a true believer.

A woman of devotion, kindness, and compassion.

But Yuan Kongye needed her power.

In the apocalypse, there was no better ability to manipulate the weak.

And so—

She took advantage of Chen Rou’s trust, lured her into an ambush, and used Ice Soul to freeze her in place.

Then, with a kitchen knife, she ended her life.

"It was all for God's will. Sacrifices must be made."

She pressed her blood-stained hands to her cheeks, feeling hot, murky tears trickling through her fingers.

"Sister Chen Rou... you'll forgive me, won't you?"

Chen Rou’s death shattered many.

But Yuan Kongye took her place.

She revealed her newfound healing power, identical to Chen Rou’s—

And the desperate people quickly forgot.

They were too cold, too hungry—

To think about the past.

Soon, they knelt before Yuan Kongye in worship.

This moment—

Marked the birth of the "Followers of the Snow God."

At first, Yuan Kongye refused to accept male followers.

Because of that night, she despised all men from the depths of her soul.

To her, men were nothing but filthy, lust-driven pigs.

She didn’t want to touch them.

She didn’t even want to look at them.

Every glance from a man reminded her of that endless nightmare.

But—

When Zheng Yixian found her, everything changed.

The moment he saw her—

He was like a lost dog who had finally found its home.

His body was in tatters, but his eyes—

They shone like the brightest stars in the night.

"A’Ye! Thank God you’re safe!"

But Yuan Kongye met his joy with nothing but cold indifference.

"Leave."

Her icy voice crushed his hope in an instant.

Zheng Yixian’s face twisted in shock.

"Why?" he asked, his voice shaking.

"Did I do something wrong? Do you hate me now?"

"I know I messed up—I lost you when the snowstorm hit. That was my fault."

"But please—please forgive me. If I lose you, my life will have no meaning."

Yuan Kongye frowned.

She had to eliminate all distractions.

And Zheng Yixian—he was the greatest threat to her beliefs.

So she looked at him and spoke the words that would break him.

"I hate all men."

"So stay far away from me—the farther, the better."

Zheng Yixian’s world collapsed.

A bitter smile curled on his lips.

"Back then, when you were in Neon and I was in Tianhai... we were thousands of kilometers apart."

"Yet every day, when I sent you messages, it felt like you were right beside me."

"But now... even though you stand before me, you feel like you’re a thousand miles away."

"So tell me, A’Ye—how far is far enough?"

Once two hearts drift apart, even the closest distance is an eternal divide.

Yuan Kongye did not answer.

She simply turned and left him behind.

But the next day—

Zheng Yixian returned.

His body was covered in blood, barely clinging to life.

Yet he smiled.

"You hate men... but I’m not one anymore."

"So I will never hurt you."

"Now—can I stay by your side?"

Author's Note