Outside the window, Li Shuang's screams had withered into a faint, gurgling whimper, barely audible over the wind.
Lin Hui sat in the driver's seat, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel. It wasn't fear—it was a state of absolute, icy focus. Adrenaline surged through his veins, sharpening his senses until every vibration of the engine and every whistle of the wind felt hyper-real.
"Five minutes. Max."
Lin Hui glanced in the rearview mirror at the blurred mass of crimson flesh and the Agility Zombie hunched over it, tearing and swallowing with frantic greed. That was a Tier 1 Agility Variant; its metabolic rate was insane, meaning it finished its meals fast.
Once it was done with the woman, it would likely double back to the helicopter wreckage.
His RV was currently at 5% durability. All four tires were shredded. If the vehicle couldn't move, he would be the next course on the zombie's menu.
"I have to finish the upgrade before it finishes her!"
After a harrowing five-kilometer crawl on shredded rubber, Lin Hui reached the crash site. He kicked the door open and leaped out. The freezing wind sliced at his face like a blade, but he didn't even flinch.
Before him lay the twisted skeleton of the military helicopter. The original crew had long since been dragged out and devoured. The massive rotors were snapped, and the fuselage was buckled—but in Lin Hui's eyes, this wasn't scrap metal.
It was top-tier steel. It was a lifeline.
"System, dismantle!" Lin Hui pressed his palm against the frigid hull.
[Scanning...]
[Owner deceased. Dismantling permitted.]
[Target: Military Helicopter]
[Warning: Target mass is significant. Estimated dismantling time: 3 minutes.]
"Three minutes?"
Lin Hui whipped his head around. The zombie hadn't appeared yet. "Faster! Come on, faster!"
He stared at the blue progress bar, his heart hammering against his ribs so hard it felt like it might snap a bone. In this moment, every second was stretched into an eternity.
Finally:
[Ding! Dismantling complete!]
[Resources Gained:]
Aviation Armor Steel x 60 units
Rubber x 2 units
Fire Control Chip x 1 (Rare!)
Precision Electronic Components x 20 sets
Success!
Beyond the steel and rubber, he'd snagged a rare chip and precision components. Without a second of hesitation, he stowed the loot, dumped the steel and rubber into the Lv.2 Upgrade Blueprint, and sprinted back into the RV.
Slumping into the driver's seat, he clutched the blueprint and whispered:
"Upgrade! Lv.2!"
[Vehicle Upgrade Blueprint detected (Lv.1 → Lv.2)]
[Materials Check:]
Steel: 50 units (Met!)
Rubber: 10 units (Met!)
[System Judgment: High-tier Aviation Steel detected. Material quality exceeds standards! Evolution path shifted!]
[Original Path: Reinforced Tin Can]
[Revised Path: Heavy Assault Juggernaut]
[Consuming Blueprint. Begin evolution?]
"Evolve!!"
BOOM—!!!
A blinding, dark-gold light erupted, swallowing the battered RV. This wasn't just a repair; it was a total molecular reconstruction.
Under Lin Hui's wide-eyed gaze, the specialized steel plates harvested from the helicopter seemed to come alive, liquefying and flowing over the fragile composite shell of the original vehicle.
Creeeeak—Snap—Clang!
Accompanied by the crisp sound of interlocking metal, the rounded, civilian silhouette of the C-class RV began to transform into something sharp and predatory. The thin sheet metal was torn away, replaced by two-centimeter-thick matte black armor plating.
From the front bumper, two massive alloy beams extended, converging into a vicious triangular ramming prow—the [Alloy Spiked Ram]—bristling with jagged barbs that shimmered with a cold, lethal light.
At the wheel hubs, razor-sharp rotary blades slid out—the [Hub Meat-Grinder Spikes]—designed to shred the legs of any creature foolish enough to get close.
Hummmm—!
The light faded. A black behemoth, radiating an aura of violent industrial beauty, crouched on the frozen wasteland. It was no longer a civilian vehicle on the verge of collapse. It was a mobile fortress.
[Congratulations! Evolution successful!]
[Vehicle: RV (Heavy Assault Variant)]
[Level: Lv.2]
[Physical Defense: 100] (Aviation Steel Bonus! 3x the standard Lv.2 defense!)
[Tonnage: 10 Tons]
[Space: 10 Cubic Meters]
[Durability: 100%] (Full Restoration)
[Fuel: ∞ (Infinite)]
[External Weaponry: None]
"Trait trigger! Drawing Lv.2 Golden Trait..."
Finally!
Lin Hui held his breath as a gold roulette wheel spun wildly across his vision. This was his greatest edge in the apocalypse: one God-tier trait per level.
The wheel slowed, then locked into place. A card radiating brilliant golden light floated in the void.
[Trait Name: Indestructible]
[Quality: Golden Legend]
[Type: Rule-Based]
[Attribute: Can be bestowed upon any non-living component. Its physical structure will be frozen in time, granting immunity to all forms of wear, aging, and physical destruction.]
"Indestructible..."
Lin Hui's mouth curled into a manic grin. If [Infinite Fuel] gave him endless power, then [Indestructible] gave him endless endurance. On a highway littered with debris, glass, and traps, what was the most vulnerable part of a car?
Not the body. The tires. Once the tires blew, you were a sitting duck, no matter how thick your armor was.
"Bestow target—All Tires!"
A beam of gold light shot into the four wide, all-terrain tires. The rubber surface shimmered with a strange, liquid luster, as if coated in an invisible, invincible film.
[Modification Complete!]
[Component Gained: Impervious Anti-Explosion Tires (Golden · Unique)]
[Feature 1: Absolute Physical Defense. Immune to spikes, bullets, and fire.]
[Feature 2: Constant Grip. Maintains 100% traction on any terrain (ice, mud, etc.).]
"ROAR—!!!"
A howl filled with raw violence and hunger shattered the moment of triumph. Lin Hui turned his head.
The Agility Zombie was back. Its maw was matted with fresh gore, its eyes locked onto Lin Hui through the windshield. It crouched low, a predator ready to spring.
"Full already?" Lin Hui asked, his voice dropping to a sub-zero chill. "Good. Because it's time for you to go."
ed into the matte black armor of the Lv.2 RV.
Sparks flew like fireworks. But when the claws slipped off the door, there was nothing but a faint, shallow white scratch on the black surface. Not even the paint had been chipped.
"So," Lin Hui whispered, "this is what 100 Defense looks like."