Plunder

Xia Leng stared in astonishment at the "clothing" that had appeared on his body. Had these worm-like tentacles really woven an exact replica just because he had the thought?

Even the patches on the original animal hide were perfectly imitated!

Seeing this, he recalled how his body had been riddled with holes from the deformed scavengers gnawing on him, only to be repaired by these same writhing tentacles. Now, not even a scar remained; his skin was even smoother and more delicate than before!

Could this be the power of the [Blacklight Virus]?

Xia Leng did not know the detailed origins of the Blacklight Virus. Based on the fragmented memories that had just surfaced, this thing seemed to have existed in his brain for a very long time.

He touched the animal-hide garment on his body. The surface was smooth and soft, quite different from the texture of ordinary fur, yet it felt significantly more comfortable, as light as a second layer of skin clinging to his body.

If these tentacles could weave whatever clothing he desired based on his thoughts...

As Xia Leng tested the idea, the animal-hide garment underwent a bizarre transformation!

It melted back into thousands of threads and whiskers before weaving itself into a pure black hooded sweatshirt, just as he had imagined!

The black of this sweatshirt was purer than the night sky. If one were to pull the hood up and hide in the darkness, no one would be able to detect their presence—it was even more effective at concealment than the Ghost-Faced Spider!

At the same time, he noticed something unusual about his legs.

His muscles were tougher than ever, defined by streamlined contours that looked full of explosive power!

After absorbing the crystal obtained from the skull of the Agile Hunter, he had gained a corresponding enhancement to his leg strength...

Xia Leng had gained a rough understanding of the [Blacklight Virus]'s properties. Could it be that by devouring enemies, he could obtain their power?

Well... that's absurdly overpowered.

Furthermore, after being infected by this virus, Xia Leng felt a surge of hatred toward these Baptized Ones, a feeling that he wouldn't be satisfied until he had wiped them off the face of the Earth.

It was as if they were foreign invaders, and he was the true master of the planet.

Xia Leng didn't know why such an exaggerated thought had suddenly popped into his head. Wipe out all the Baptized Ones?

He'd probably be struck dead by a bolt of lightning from the sky before he even caught sight of the Controllers...

Deciding not to dwell on it, Xia Leng casually stepped over the headless corpse of the leader, his heart remaining completely unmoved.

Having survived the struggle for existence over these years, his psychological resilience had long since exceeded that of an ordinary person, so he quickly accepted the fact of his newfound abilities, though he had no intention of revealing them easily.

Because whenever a Baptized One with a new branch of abilities appeared in the world, they would soon vanish.

It was said they were snatched away by high-level mercenary companies and sent to laboratories to be sliced up for research...

He arrived at the only steel-plated room in the camp of tattered tents; it was clearly the leader's "luxury" residence.

Xia Leng walked inside. The room was fully furnished with a bed frame, table, and chairs—compared to the scavengers sleeping in the wilderness, it was like a five-star suite. As soon as he entered, he saw a social magazine on the table that was nearly worn to shreds.

He rolled up the magazine and stuffed it into the backpack he had picked up. Xia Leng wasn't interested in the content, but such magazines were valuable trade goods in the wasteland markets.

After all, in the harsh environment of the apocalypse, people's skin suffered under the ravages of abnormal weather, becoming as rough and dark as sandpaper; women were no exception.

Therefore, these pictures of delicate women from the old era had become objects of wild fantasy for men, and their price had naturally skyrocketed.

Afterward, Xia Leng rummaged through other parts of the room and found a dilapidated safe with a broken lock hidden under the bed.

He dragged it out and opened it to find a seemingly brand-new handgun inside! The model looked like a Glock police pistol.

Beyond that, the various parameters and performance specs of the firearm were instantly imprinted into his mind, as if they had been part of his memory all along!

Xia Leng took it out in astonishment and weighed it in his palm; it was coated in gun oil for maintenance.

A Glock 17 should weigh about 675 grams empty with a magazine, but this one felt like 750 grams, meaning there were likely five rounds of 9mm Luger inside.

Xia Leng removed the magazine and took a look; sure enough, five bullets, polished to a shine, were loaded inside!

He was instantly shocked by what he saw. He wasn't shocked by how the leader had obtained a precious handgun, but by how he had been able to calculate such precise data in such a short time!

It was as if the parameters of these firearms, like the [Blacklight Virus], had been forcibly implanted into his brain while he was still in the cradle...

Judging by the wear on the muzzle, this weapon was essentially a "peaceful gun" that had never been fired, yet it had been kept in such pristine condition by that guy.

Xia Leng tossed the handgun into his backpack. For a lone wolf like him, this weapon was a death sentence.

The deafening sound of a gunshot in the wasteland could attract every dangerous creature within several kilometers, tearing the wielder to shreds. Unless an entire army was armed with guns, the mutated monsters wouldn't be deterred.

Thus, for him, this gun was merely a valuable trade item; it wasn't as useful as the serrated dagger in the safe.

On the bottom shelf of the safe under the bed lay a military dagger with a metallic sheen. The blade was also coated in maintenance oil, kept like a treasure by the leader.

Xia Leng gripped the handle, feeling the weight was just right—very comfortable.

"Follow me. From now on, you'll be seeing blood."

The reclusive Xia Leng gave a bitter smile to the dagger before tucking it away.

Having scavenged everything of value in the "five-star suite," he left the larger items behind.

Carrying those things would not only waste his energy on the road but also make him a target for other marauders.

His backpack now held the handgun, the social magazine, metal bottle caps, and other portable trade goods—there was even a bottle of Grade 2 drinking water!

The Black Rain five years ago had contaminated all water sources. Not to mention whether that pitch-black water was drinkable, the moment you approached the water's edge, terrifying, giant mutated fish would leap out to swallow you whole...

The mutations had turned these fish into ferocious amphibious monsters.

Other water sources that were barely potable had naturally become the most contested territories for the major strongholds.

After packing up his loot, Xia Leng opened the door.

However, he was met with the sight of those ugly, foul-smelling, deformed scavengers, crowding the doorway completely...