Sword and Shield

Su Huan slipped the Pan-Energy Crystal straight into his pocket.

At a time like this, concentrating resources on one person was more effective than spreading them around.

"More zombies will need you to extract energy from them later, but first, let's get the river crab out. Maybe we can have a crab feast tonight." Su Huan sniffed the air, catching the river crab's distinctive fishy scent.

Wan Xing picked the intact, tender meat from the crab's claws and set it on the counter nearby. She nodded. "That should be about it. We've been working on this crab for a while."

When he turned around, Liang Kuan had already put on a work jacket and tactical boots. He took a riot shield down from the wall.

Su Huan rubbed his chin. "I suggest you find the weapon that feels most comfortable. It could affect your future skills and profession."

Unlike other Evolutionists, Defenders had a large proportion of weapon-specialization skills.

If someone with the "Firepower Specialist" talent became a Defender, but you made him use melee weapons every day, it'd be a miracle if he evolved at all.

In his previous life, Liang Kuan had made a name for himself with a short baton, fighting with fierce, unyielding brutality.

Liang Kuan hefted the riot shield but didn't put it down. Then he picked a handy telescopic baton from the wall.

He swung it through the air twice, and it let out an astonishing whistle.

"I'll go with this." Liang Kuan sounded a little regretful.

"You want a firearm?"

"No. I don't know how to use one."

"If there's a melee weapon you want, you can talk to Yu Jing later and have her design it. Then Xiao Ba can mold it for you." Su Huan pulled on a cooling silk jacket.

Liang Kuan ran his hands along the edges of the riot shield. "I just think this thing feels right in my hands, but I wish the edges were a little sharper."

Su Huan raised an eyebrow. "A sword and shield?"

An hour later.

More than a dozen zombies pounded on the iron door of Carriage No. 2, making it boom. But aside from leaving a few bloody handprints, they accomplished nothing.

Suddenly, the black iron door swung inward.

The scattered zombies perked up at once and crowded forward, trying to climb onto the train.

Thud!

A massive tactical boot shot out.

The head of the lead zombie snapped back as it was kicked away.

A one-meter-long metal shield crashed down with a terrifying whoosh. With a crisp sound like a watermelon splitting open, the three nearest zombies collapsed beneath the train.

A hulking figure squeezed out of the carriage. Even through his jacket, the man's slab-like muscles and formidable presence were unmistakable.

His short hair stood like steel bristles, and his full beard clung to his cheeks like armor.

He cracked his neck, gripped the shield—which looked like a giant axe—and charged down.

Thud, thud, thud—

A rapid series of blows rang out, mixed with the zombies' whimpering growls.

A handsome young man with red lips and white teeth stepped outside. He narrowed his eyes at the sky and sighed. "The weather's really nice today. Perfect for getting to work."

A bone-chilling cold radiated from him. The thirty-degree heat couldn't come within an inch of his body.

Keeping himself cool wasted a lot of energy, but temperatures above thirty degrees would seriously affect his reactions and body. Saving that little bit of energy now wasn't worth it.

Su Huan jumped down from the train. Behind him, Xiao Ba's wheelchair floated into the air and slowly descended.

Looking toward Liang Kuan, who was surrounded by an ever-growing horde of zombies in the distance, Xiao Ba's eyes filled with concern. "Are you sure we don't need to help?"

Su Huan glanced at him. "Of course we—can't. If Old Liang gets taken out, who's going to drive?"

While the two of them spoke, Liang Kuan had already charged a long way ahead, facing dozens of ordinary zombies alone.

His fighting style was savage and fierce, but zombies didn't feel pain.

As long as a blow didn't cripple them outright, they would keep getting back up.

Each zombie weighed at least a hundred and thirty or forty pounds. Even with Liang Kuan's natural strength, after killing more than a dozen, he was beginning to run out of steam.

Pfft!

A spike suddenly extended from the metal shield, helping Liang Kuan stab a zombie that had tried to sneak up on him.

Movement sounded behind them. Many zombies that had fallen behind caught up, while beneath the train, numerous mangled creatures were still struggling to crawl out.

Su Huan snapped his fingers, drawing Xiao Ba's attention.

"I'll take care of the zombies around Liang Kuan. Clear out the ones behind us, then set up a temporary defense. We're getting off here today."

"Got it!" Xiao Ba nodded firmly. His eyes took on a deep metallic sheen. In the next instant, the triangular metal strips along the side of the Armed Train seemed to erupt into motion, extending into a metal blade more than three meters long.

Like a massive cleaver, it minced more than a dozen zombies.

Su Huan shook his head and muttered, "That's one fierce kid..."

Xiao Ba's combat strength was already close to the first level. Inside the train, with nothing more than his level-one "Metal Control," he could easily take down any first-level zombie.

Su Huan walked forward, using high-temperature shots to finish off the zombies at his feet, the ones unable to get up because of broken bones.

Ahead, bones snapped, tendons tore, and blood splattered.

All he smelled was a faint scent of burning.

When he reached Liang Kuan, he stopped pretending. Without even raising his hands, he fired high-temperature shots in every direction from his exposed skin.

He easily reaped swathes of ordinary zombies.

His Pan-Energy conversion efficiency was now 20%. That meant he could save half the energy on the same high-temperature shots.

On top of that, he had been absorbing Pan-Energy Crystals lately, greatly increasing the energy inside him.

Killing all these zombies would be a piece of cake.

Liang Kuan stood holding his shield. As he watched the zombies fall around him like wheat, a flicker of awe crossed his eyes.

"Did the fight just now give you any ideas?" Su Huan asked casually.

Liang Kuan hesitated for a moment. "It felt great, but not great enough."

Su Huan raised an eyebrow. "Then let's find you some more satisfying opponents. Come on."

Liang Kuan hurried after him.

The two of them walked along the tracks.

Yu Jing had estimated earlier that there was a train about five hundred meters ahead.

They had used up at least three hundred meters accelerating and braking, so the train shouldn't be far away.

They had to switch its tracks in advance. If it blocked the way, the Armed Train wouldn't be able to pass.

They rounded a wide bend, and sure enough, the train came into view ahead.

All kinds of debris and corpses were scattered around it. Many had been gnawed beyond recognition, leaving them no chance to turn into zombies.

A few scattered zombies came shuffling toward them.

Su Huan patted Liang Kuan's blood-smeared shoulder. It made a wet, squelching sound. With a mischievous grin that carried a double meaning, he said, "Go have some fun."

Liang Kuan's face twitched. He hefted his massive shield and charged forward.

Su Huan followed behind him, leisurely observing the details around them.

Every so often, he fired a high-temperature shot to bail Liang Kuan out of trouble.

As a result, Liang Kuan fought more and more smoothly. He eventually abandoned the shield's defensive use and wielded it like a giant axe, while Su Huan devoted part of his attention to covering Liang Kuan's blind spots.

The two of them fought their way straight to the side of the train.

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