True Diamond Pickaxe

Three days passed peacefully. Then, a crisp sound echoed from the system:

[Ding~ 'Successfully built your own territory' mission complete. Reward: 10 World Coins, 5 Diamonds]

[Received: World Coins * 10]

[Received: Diamonds * 5]

"5 diamonds! That's enough for me to make something good."

If it were just 5 diamonds, Shen Jin would definitely have made himself a diamond helmet. That way, he wouldn't be vulnerable to headshots when emerging from underground.

But!

"I need to get a diamond pickaxe first, to retrieve the potions from Future Human Pharmaceuticals."

The previous substandard diamond pickaxe lacked sufficient hardness. Shen Jin decided to use 3 diamonds to craft a True Diamond Pickaxe.

[Ding~ New Mission]

[Mission: Further Understanding of Zombies]

[Requirements: Personally kill 5 any evolved zombies and extract their energy crystal cores using your own abilities]

[Mission Reward: 10 World Coins, Obsidian * 5]

[Current Progress: 0/5]

[Mission Description: Zombies have begun to adapt to this world and have started terrifying mutations. Go understand the source of their mutated energy]

"The system's missions are quite logical. It wants me to fight evolved zombies and get loot. So, how is this energy crystal core, also known as a blood crystal, used?"

Shen Jin tried it, but even his iron sword couldn't break the crystal.

"Do I really have to eat it for it to work? But... won't it get stuck in my throat if it's this hard?"

"Right!"

Shen Jin, holding the soybean-sized crystal core, went to the Synthesis Table.

He placed a brand new iron sword with full durability on it, then placed the blood crystal on top.

A new iron sword appeared on the right.

"As expected! It can be synthesized!"

[Iron Sword (Enhanced Energy)]

[Durability: 1500/1500]

[Energy: 500/500]

[Trait: Attaching the zombie energy crystal core to the surface of the iron sword increases its energy attribute, greatly enhancing its lethality. It will revert to a normal iron sword once the energy is depleted]

[Enchantment: None]

He held up the brand new iron sword. A bloody aura coiled around its surface, giving it a hazy, energetic field.

It was like an ordinary object had transformed into a magical artifact!

"Wow, the aura has improved by more than just a little."

Shen Jin flicked a stone on the ground and swung the sword down.

Blood threads flashed on the iron sword, cutting a large notch into the stone.

"Heh! It didn't penetrate? But with this level of sharpness, if I had a bit more strength, it could cleave through!"

The weapon was sharp enough, but Shen Jin lacked the strength.

He saw that the weapon's durability and energy had both decreased by 1 point.

"After 500 swings, it will revert to a normal iron sword."

Shen Jin used another blood crystal to synthesize another enhanced iron sword, saving it for Yang Ao for crucial moments.

He took out three large chunks of diamond from his inventory and placed them on the synthesis table. Combined with two iron rods, he crafted the complete Diamond Pickaxe.

[Diamond Pickaxe]

[Durability: 5000/5000]

[Trait: A pickaxe made from the hardest natural material - diamond. There are few things in this world it cannot break]

[Enchantment: None]

The durability had significantly increased, which also relieved Shen Jin. If the diamond pickaxe broke after only 1500 swings, it would be too extravagant.

"This mission rewarded me with obsidian, so I can make an enchanting table and give the diamond pickaxe Durability III. That should double its durability!"

Shen Jin then placed the blood crystal and the diamond pickaxe on the synthesis table.

There was no reaction.

He tried the iron shovel and iron axe, but it was the same. The blood crystal simply couldn't be synthesized with them.

"It seems this blood crystal can only enhance weapons... Is the system hinting that I need to hunt more zombies?"

"Heh heh... I'm not falling for that! I'll just hide and let others do the killing~"

As for the remaining two diamonds, Shen Jin kept them to use for an enchanting table.

Shen Jin made a new room for Yang Ao next door.

Opening the door, he found Yang Ao exercising on a treadmill.

Shameful.

This was exercise equipment Shen Jin had bought for himself, but he'd been so exhausted from digging and collecting supplies every day that it had just been collecting dust in his bedroom.

However, every night, no matter how tired he was, Shen Jin would make time to train his Qilin Arm.

This was to make his throws, bounces, tosses, and grips faster and more accurate.

So he could survive better!

After arming themselves, the two headed to Future Human Pharmaceuticals' secret laboratory again.

This time, Yang Ao had learned his lesson. He'd gotten an electric scooter from a farmer in Crazy Dave's Backyard. It wasn't foldable and was a bit beat-up, but it could be ridden after charging, which was definitely faster than running.

The two rode for an hour and arrived outside the alloy turtle shell laboratory.

"Alert!"

Shen Jin took out his True Diamond Pickaxe and struck it hard!

"Clang, clang, clang!"

The familiar cracks finally appeared.

Excellent!

Shen Jin's lips curled upwards.

Looking at the iron handle and the transparent, blue-tinged pickaxe head in Shen Jin's hand, Yang Ao couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

"The catalyst for his abilities has been upgraded again. It seems Shen Jin's Earth-based Ability has made another breakthrough!

In just four days, his ability can now shake the mysterious alloy that he couldn't do anything about last time!"

Soon, the two dug a hole at the bottom of the laboratory.

Shen Jin immediately sealed it with transparent glass. The two peered inside through the one-square-meter opening.

It was pitch black!

It seemed the power had gone out here after the apocalypse. And as a secret laboratory, it was naturally buried completely underground, with no natural light penetrating.

"Was your dad's laboratory still operational before the apocalypse?"

"I'm not sure. I had just returned from out of town a few days before the outbreak."

"Hmm, the laboratory is so well-sealed. Is there a chance it could have survived the virus outbreak? Besides, your family is in pharmaceuticals, you should have your own sterilization measures, right?"

Shen Jin had never seen a real-life pharmaceutical company, but he had seen plenty in movies.

Like Resident Evil, The Walking Dead, and The Avengers.

Their security and sterilization equipment were incredibly advanced!

"Cough... It's my first time here today too."

(lll￢ω￢)

Shen Jin shone his flashlight around a few times.

Scattered lab tables, overturned reagent bottles, large instruments, and...

dried blood all over the floor!

"The people in here are probably..."

"Crack!"

The glass Shen Jin had used to seal the hole suddenly shattered!

Meanwhile, in the central area of Q City's Harbor District, a fiery figure stood amidst a pile of severed limbs and mangled bodies, a golden light flashing all over him, emitting a dazzling radiance like the sun.

"Hahaha! The derivative skill of Earth Enchantment finally has a name! And this is for me!"

The bones within the surrounding burning zombies writhed and, under Sun Can's command, automatically detached from their decaying flesh and emerged.

"The Heavenly Dao is king, I am supreme! I'll kill all zombies and humans under the heavens!"

As Sun Can cackled, a voice call came through his ear.

"Beep, beep, beep~"

"Oh? Void, yes, I'm level 5 now. I can take on mutated zombies one-on-one, hahahaha!"

In Sun Can's blind spot, a zombie with an unusually large head was stealthily crawling eastward.

A horde of regular zombies and mutated zombies emerged from roadsides, residential areas, and companies, sweeping it away from Sun Can.