True [Diamond Pickaxe]

Three peaceful days later, the system let out a crisp chime:

Ding~ Task "Preliminarily Build Your Own Territory" completed. Reward: 10 World Coins, 5 diamonds

Obtained: World Coins ×10

Obtained: Diamonds ×5

"Five diamonds! That's enough to make something good."

If he only had five diamonds, Shen Jin would definitely have made himself a diamond helmet, so he would not have to worry about getting his head grabbed when he drilled up from underground.

But!

"I need to make a Diamond Pickaxe first and retrieve the medicine from Future Human Pharmaceuticals."

The defective Diamond Pickaxe from last time was not hard enough, so Shen Jin decided to use three diamonds to make a True Diamond Pickaxe.

Ding~ New task

Task: Further Understanding of Zombies

Requirement: Rely on your own abilities to personally kill five Evolved Zombies of any kind and retrieve their energy crystal cores

Task reward: 10 World Coins, Obsidian ×5

Current progress: 0/5

Task description: Zombies have begun adapting to this world and undergoing terrifying mutations. Go uncover the source of their mutated energy.

"The system's tasks are pretty logical. It wants me to fight Evolved Zombies and obtain loot. So how do I use this energy crystal core—this blood crystal?"

Shen Jin tested it and found that even an Iron Sword could not break the crystal.

"Do I really have to swallow it for it to work? But... it's so hard. Wouldn't it get stuck in my throat?"

"Right!"

Holding the soybean-sized crystal core in his hand, Shen Jin walked over to the Synthesis Table.

He placed a brand-new Iron Sword at full durability on it, then put the blood crystal on top.

A new Iron Sword appeared on the right.

"Sure enough! It can be synthesized!"

Iron Sword (Enhanced Energy)

Durability: 1500/1500

Energy: 500/500

Trait: Zombie energy crystal cores have been attached to the Iron Sword's surface, granting it energy attributes and greatly increasing its lethality. Once its energy is exhausted, it will revert to an ordinary Iron Sword.

Enchantment: None

Shen Jin raised the brand-new Iron Sword. Blood-colored energy coiled around its surface, carrying the hazy feeling of an energy field.

It was as though an ordinary object had suddenly become a magical artifact!

"Damn, this thing's presence has gone up by more than a little."

Shen Jin popped a stone block onto the ground and brought the sword down on it.

Blood-red threads flashed across the Iron Sword as it carved a huge gash into the stone block.

"Heh! It didn't cut all the way through? Still, it's sharp enough that if I put more strength into it, I could cleave straight through!"

The weapon was sharp enough; Shen Jin simply was not strong enough.

He checked again and saw that both the weapon's durability and energy had dropped by one point.

"After five hundred swings, it'll turn back into an ordinary Iron Sword."

Shen Jin used another blood crystal to synthesize another enhanced Iron Sword, saving it for Yang Ao to use at a critical moment.

Taking out three large diamonds from his inventory, Shen Jin placed them on the Synthesis Table along with two iron rods and synthesized a complete Diamond Pickaxe.

Diamond Pickaxe

Durability: 5000/5000

Trait: A pickaxe made from diamond, the hardest natural material. There are few things in this world that it cannot destroy.

Enchantment: None

The massive increase in durability made Shen Jin breathe a sigh of relief. If it broke after only fifteen hundred digs, this Diamond Pickaxe would be far too extravagant.

"This task rewards Obsidian. I can make an Enchanting Table and add Unbreaking III to the Diamond Pickaxe. Its durability should probably double!"

Shen Jin placed the blood crystal and Diamond Pickaxe on the Synthesis Table again.

There was no reaction.

He tried the Iron Shovel and Iron Axe as well, but neither could be synthesized.

"Looks like blood crystals can only enhance weapons. Is the system hinting that I should hunt more Zombies?"

"Hehe... I'm not falling for that! I'll just hide and let other people kill them~"

As for the remaining two diamonds, Shen Jin could save them for making an Enchanting Table.

Shen Jin set up a new room for Yang Ao next door.

When he opened the door, he found Yang Ao exercising on the treadmill.

How embarrassing.

Shen Jin had made that exercise equipment for himself, but after digging and gathering supplies all day until he was exhausted like a dog, he had left it in his bedroom to collect dust.

But whenever night fell,

no matter how tired Shen Jin was,

he would still make time to train his Qilin Arm.

So that he could throw, flick, launch, and pull things out faster and more accurately.

And thus survive better!

After gearing up, the two headed once more for Future Human Pharmaceuticals' secret laboratory.

This time, Yang Ao had learned his lesson. He got an electric bike from a farmer's home in Crazy Dave's Backyard. Though it was not foldable and was a little beat-up,

it could be ridden after charging, and it was still faster than running on foot.

The two rode all the way there and arrived outside the alloy turtle-shell laboratory in only an hour.

"Stay alert!"

Shen Jin took out the True Diamond Pickaxe and struck with all his strength!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The familiar cracks finally appeared.

Good!

Shen Jin's lips curled upward.

Yang Ao looked at the iron handle and translucent, blue-tinted pickaxe head in Shen Jin's hand and could not help sighing inwardly:

"His spellcasting medium has been upgraded again. Looks like Shen Jin's Earth-based Ability has improved too!

"In just four days, his ability can actually shake that mysterious alloy that we could do nothing about last time!"

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

Shen Jin immediately sealed it with transparent glass. Through the one-square-meter opening, the two looked inside.

Pitch-black!

It seemed that the power here had gone out after the apocalypse as well. Since it was a secret laboratory, it was naturally buried completely underground, with no natural light able to enter.

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

"I don't know. I had just returned from out of town a few days before the apocalypse broke out."

"Hmm. This laboratory is sealed so tightly—could it have avoided the viral outbreak? Besides, your family works in pharmaceuticals. You should have had your own disinfection measures, right?"

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

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

Their security and sterilization equipment were ridiculously advanced!

"Ahem... today is also my first time coming here."

(￢ω￢)

Shen Jin swept his flashlight around inside a few times.

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

Dry blood covering the floor!

"The people in here must have..."

Smack!

The glass Shen Jin had used to block the opening suddenly shattered!

Meanwhile, in the center of Harbor District in Q City, a figure wreathed in flames stood amid severed limbs and mangled corpses. Golden light flashed across his body as he emitted a blinding radiance like the sun.

"Haha! I finally have a derivative skill from Earth Enchantment! And this—rise for me!"

The bones inside the burning Zombie corpses around him wriggled. At Sun Can's summons, they actually broke free from the rotten flesh around them and crawled out.

"Heaven is king, and I am supreme! I'll slaughter Zombies across the world!"

As Sun Can laughed wildly, a voice call sounded by his ear.

"Beep beep beep~"

"Huh? Void? Yeah, I'm level five now. Not a single Mutated Zombie can put up a fight, hahahaha!"

In Sun Can's blind spot, a Zombie with an enormous head was quietly crawling eastward.

A mass of ordinary Zombies and Mutated Zombies emerged from the roadside, residential compounds, and companies, sweeping it away from Sun Can.