Drive the Tiger to Devour the Wolf

Current Mechanical Heart Level LV.1 285/500

Tip: Upgrading Mechanical Heart grants Special Skill rewards. Reaching LV3, LV6, and LV9 triggers mysterious awakenings.

Basic Attributes

Strength: LV1 33/50

Speed: LV1 9/50

Defense: LV0 20/30

Current Basic Skills

Mechanical Devour LV.2 2/500

Mechanical Manufacturing LV.1 112/300

Mechanical Scan (Passive)

Mechanical Repair (Passive)

Mechanical Operation (Passive)

Special Skills

Wind Cannon LV.1 12/100

Staring at the light screen before him, Lin Xian felt the Mechanical Heart inside him roar wildly for an instant. He couldn't help shivering all over. Excited, he immediately set his sights on the last freezer.

Devour progress 2%

The progress bar on the light screen visibly accelerated.

"Just as I thought!!!"

Higher efficiency was a huge boon for him—it could save enough time at critical moments and greatly reduce the risk during devouring.

Drip~

Lin Xian started timing with his watch, then focused entirely on devouring.

Devour progress 10%

Devour progress 20%

Devour progress 50%

Devour progress 80%

Devour progress 99%

"So fast!" Lin Xian glanced at the time on his watch. The previous three freezers had taken him an average of about 1 hour 40 minutes each, but now, in less than an hour—just 55 minutes—he was nearly done.

Efficiency had nearly doubled!!!

Just as Lin Xian hadn't yet suppressed the thrill in his heart, a golden flash suddenly appeared before his eyes!

Devour successful! Mechanical Origin Points +25, Mechanical Devour skill proficiency +6. Bonus reward: You have obtained the Ice Shield skill!

"Freezer... Ice Shield??"

Lin Xian was stunned. Sure enough, the skill he obtained was somehow linked to the machinery or appliance he'd devoured.

Looking at the light screen showing Ice Shield LV1 0/100

Lin Xian hesitated for a moment, then tried focusing his mind and raised his hand with a wave!

Crack, crack, crack!

In an instant, a small, arc-shaped, azure Ice Shield rose from the ground, shielding him, its height just covering Lin Xian's shoulders.

"Holy shit!"

Lin Xian shone his flashlight on the Ice Shield he'd conjured out of thin air, dumbfounded.

The shield before him wasn't thick—only about the width of a palm.

Clang!

He tried hacking at it with his short blade, producing a dull, ice-chipping sound.

It was like old ice frozen for years in a fridge—harder than he'd expected.

At the same time, Lin Xian felt a large chunk of his energy drained away, making him think it wasn't worth it.

"This skill's consumption is pretty heavy, and its defense probably can't stop bullets. Only good for emergencies. Cost-performance is kinda..."

"Hey, wait."

Lin Xian stared at the Ice Shield, his brows slowly knitting together.

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly stepped forward, stuck out his tongue, and licked the ice.

Colorless, tasteless, cold and cool...

His pupils contracted sharply, an unparalleled shock spreading across his face.

"Damn, freezing solid out of thin air!!"

"With this trick... I won't ever run out of water, will I???"

Lin Xian suddenly felt his mind open up a lot...

Clean water—what a precious resource in the apocalypse. He could conjure a huge chunk out of nowhere. Sure, it took some effort, but if you looked at it that way, it was a total steal!!

Excitement gleamed in Lin Xian's eyes. He chiseled a piece off the Ice Shield with his knife and popped it into his mouth. A wave of coolness spread through his mouth.

Though the weather outside was getting cold, the freezer was so stuffy it made his head spin. That mouthful of ice cleared his mind a bit.

He checked the time, then turned and walked to the freezer door.

The Mechanical Heart pulsed, and he unlocked the latch and hinges again. But when he pulled the door open just a crack, it was held fast by chains on the outside.

"Old bastard!"

Lin Xian cursed under his breath. He knew those people had rigged the door to keep him from escaping.

But he wasn't opening it to run.

Tap~

He flicked the flashlight back on, peered through the gap to pinpoint the other freezer's direction, then clicked it off. Slowly, he reached a finger through the crack, relying on his sharp night vision, and gathered his strength.

Pfft!

A Wind Gun shot out.

The near-silent blast slammed into the stainless steel door of the opposite freezer, ringing out like a thunderclap!

Boom!

The deafening noise instantly filled the warehouse, rippling through the darkness.

Inside that freezer, the whole family jumped at the sound.

"Who's there!!!"

Caught off guard, the two brothers scrambled for their pistols. But outside the door, it was pitch black—they couldn't see a thing.

"Is it a monster?!" The chubby kid hid behind Gong Li, his face pale with fear.

"Don't be scared, don't be scared..."

"Shh! Quiet!" The old woman's face was frantic. "Zhaojian, A Jie, don't shoot, whatever you do. If you attract something, we're in trouble."

The brothers nodded, swallowing nervously in the dark. To be safe, the old woman switched off the electronic lamp they used for eating and lighting. Now the whole freezer was plunged into absolute blackness.

Unease began to creep through their hearts.

On the other side, Lin Xian stood behind his door, a cold look on his face.

"You like trapping people in a jar, huh? Today, I'll teach you who's the jar and who's the bug."

Pfft!

Another silent Wind Gun blasted out, and the massive roar echoed again.

Boom!

This time, the Huang family jumped again. They couldn't stay put any longer.

"There's something out there, something out there!!!"

Huang Jie gripped his rifle, trembling with fear.

"Damn it, what the hell is it?"

With those two huge sounds, a chorus of zombie howls soon rose from outside Warehouse 14. They grew closer, starting as scattered cries and swelling into a horde's roar. On top of that, a stranger rustling sound, as if something was tearing through, scraped against the parked train cars, making the rails screech as it rushed nearer.

Hearing that, Lin Xian's first thought was the White Giant Monster. His heart leaped into his throat.

But he was already in too deep. Through the faint light, he saw dense black shadows pouring through the main gate into the warehouse. In an instant, a scalp-tingling cacophony of snarls and roars filled the entire space.

Pfft!

Lin Xian fired a third Wind Gun—the most lethal death warrant yet. He had to steer the horde's target completely away, or he'd be in trouble too.

The Huang family clearly heard the flood of zombies pouring in. All five of them huddled in the deepest corner of the freezer. Huang Zhaojian and Huang Jie stared wide-eyed into the darkness, guns trained ahead.

"Don't worry, don't worry. That door's solid—even a crowbar can't pry it open. Those monsters can't get in!"

Big Brother Huang Zhaojian swallowed hard as he tried to calm everyone.

Boom!

A third blast slammed into the door.

The sound hit like a thunderbolt. Trapped inside as if in an iron barrel, the family felt their souls nearly shaken loose.

"Waaaaah!!!"

The chubby kid couldn't hold back his terror and screamed, only for the old woman to clamp her hand over his mouth. "Don't scream!!!"

"What do we do!!"

"It's okay, they can't get in..."

"God damn it! Should've gotten on that train and run during the day!"

"What's the use of saying that now?"

Ugh, ugh!

Countless zombies, enraged by the sound, clawed and slammed against the door outside this family's home. The steel pipes and crowbars wedged behind it groaned under the strain.

Everyone was trembling in fear. But then, another, even more terrifying sound emerged.

It was something like a beast chewing—seemingly tearing into zombies, but also into the steel door itself.

Kra-kah~ Kra-kah~ Kra-kah~ Kra-kah~

The sound was heavy and forceful, carrying immense power. Even the steel let out crisp, shattering noises.

Finally, bang~ bang~

The door whimpered and groaned as it was pried open bit by bit.

Inside, the Huang family couldn't take it anymore. The women and children began to wail.

"Ah!! Mom!"

"We're done for, what do we do?!"

"Wah wah wah..."

At that moment, the snarling sounds drifted into the cold storage room, growing closer and closer!

Something had gotten in!

Huang Zhaojian and Huang Jie were already shaking like leaves, their faces deathly pale. They couldn't hold back any longer. Raising their guns toward the darkness ahead, they fired, making a last-ditch stand.

Rat-a-tat-tat!

The tongues of flame from pistols and semi-automatic rifles lit up the entire cold storage in an instant.

And in that flash, everyone saw it in terror: among the horde of ferocious, lunging zombies, there was a giant red bug. It opened its massive pincers and let out a piercing shriek. The Red Bug was enormous, looking like some kind of giant centipede—at least as thick as a full-grown adult, over ten meters long, its body covered in crimson scales, with hundreds of legs writhing densely. Just one glance, and the family felt a chill shoot from the soles of their feet to the tops of their heads.

"Ah!!"

A bloodcurdling scream echoed through Warehouse 14.

But within just a few breaths, the gunfire and screams came to an abrupt halt.

All that was left in the warehouse were the howls of zombies and the sound of some insect chewing.

On the other side, Lin Xian had quietly shut the door to his own cold storage. Through the viewing window, he had also seen that giant insect silhouette. He didn't dare breathe too loudly.

He had thought the White Giant Monster would show up, but something even more terrifying had appeared instead...

He couldn't help cursing inwardly.

"Damn it, is this the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons? How come every monster and demon under the sun is showing up on this planet..."

In comparison, Lin Xian suddenly felt the zombies looked almost kind, even a little pitiful.

After all, those zombies were just mutated dead humans.

Lin Xian's heart was pounding. His plan to use a tiger to drive out a wolf was truly a risky gamble. If he wasn't careful, even hiding in the Infinite might not save him from that giant bug.

"Damn it! Armor needs an upgrade! Weapons need an upgrade! Horsepower needs an upgrade!"

New book, please follow along!