Steel Cage

Dawn split the night like a sharp sword, laying bare the devastation of the apocalypse.

Sunlight struggled through, coating the ruined city in a false gold, as if mocking the world clinging desperately to life.

Lu Chen stood atop the ruins, letting the cool sunlight fall on his face as he felt the coexisting harshness and hope unique to the apocalypse.

He turned and beckoned to Tie Dun and Xiaoyu, who stood like two statues, his voice carrying an unquestionable command. "Let's go. Next, it's time to find some real 'geniuses.'"

Tie Dun hesitated, then asked instinctively, "Where to?"

Lu Chen didn't answer. He merely smiled mysteriously and pointed to a distant entrance overgrown with weeds. It had once led to an abandoned underground shooting range.

"Somewhere people can quickly grow stronger."

With that, he headed for the entrance first, his figure disappearing into the darkness.

Tie Dun and Xiaoyu exchanged a glance, both with a hint of confusion and unease in their eyes.

But in the end, they chose to trust Lu Chen and followed close behind, plunging headlong into the unknown abyss.

Because they knew that to survive in this apocalypse, they had to seize every opportunity, even if it meant dancing with the devil.

In the darkness, only Lu Chen's suggestive whisper remained, chilling them like the flick of a viper's tongue.

"The show is about to begin..."

The underground shooting range was dark and damp, the air thick with the pungent smell of gunpowder and a faint trace of blood.

The rusty iron door creaked, as if telling of the place's former glory and present decay.

Lu Chen stood in the middle of the range and looked around, a satisfied smile on his face.

This would be his first testing ground for building the Godslaying Legion.

"Tie Dun, come here," Lu Chen said to Tie Dun, who stood nearby, his voice carrying an unquestionable command.

Tie Dun immediately walked over and straightened his back like a tall pine.

Though his military uniform was worn, he had cleaned it meticulously, leaving it spotless.

"Put this on," Lu Chen said, pointing to a heavy bulletproof vest lying nearby.

It was a piece of equipment brought back from the military base, weighing dozens of kilograms. Wearing it was like carrying a small mountain on one's back.

Without the slightest hesitation, Tie Dun picked up the vest and began putting it on.

He moved deftly and soon had the full set of equipment on.

Next, Lu Chen handed him a syringe filled with a pale blue liquid.

"What's this?" Tie Dun asked, frowning.

"An enhancer," Lu Chen said calmly. "It can temporarily increase your strength and defense, but the side effects are also pronounced. It will cause you tremendous pain."

"What do I need to do?" Tie Dun asked. He was already prepared to endure the pain.

"Simple. I'm going to test your limits." A cruel smile curled Lu Chen's lips. "I'll see just how much pain you can withstand and how much strength you can exert."

Tie Dun said nothing. He silently took the syringe and drove it into his arm without hesitation.

"Hiss..."

As the enhancer entered his body, Tie Dun sucked in a sharp breath. An unbearable pain swept through him in an instant.

His muscles began to tremble uncontrollably, his blood vessels writhing beneath his skin like earthworms. Beads of sweat the size of beans instantly covered his forehead.

"Ah..." Tie Dun let out a low growl, clenching his teeth with all his might as he tried to suppress the pain.

Lu Chen watched coldly, without a trace of pity in his eyes.

This was exactly the effect he wanted. Only under extreme pressure could the human body's true potential be unleashed.

Soon, Tie Dun's body underwent an obvious change.

His muscles swelled visibly, stretching his once well-fitting uniform taut, as if it might burst at any moment.

His skin also began to take on a metallic sheen, as if it had been cast from steel.

"How does it feel?" Lu Chen asked, a teasing note in his voice.

Tie Dun didn't answer. He simply clenched his fist.

A powerful sensation of strength surged through him, making him feel as if he could do anything.

"Good. Now, use all your strength to attack that wall," Lu Chen said, pointing to a concrete wall at the far end of the range.

Tie Dun took a deep breath and concentrated all his strength in his right arm.

He charged at the wall, swung the giant hammer in his hands, and smashed it down.

"Boom!"

A tremendous crash rang out, and the entire range seemed to shake.

Under Tie Dun's giant hammer, the solid concrete wall shattered like tofu. Broken stones flew in all directions, raising a cloud of dust.

"Not bad. Your strength has increased quite a bit." Lu Chen nodded, fairly satisfied with Tie Dun's performance.

He quietly activated [Infinite Replication], copying the reaction mechanism produced in Tie Dun's body by the enhancer injection and instantly elevating it to the SSS-rank [Steel Gene].

A powerful sensation of strength surged through him. His body also began to change, his muscles growing firmer and his skin taking on a faint metallic sheen.

"This... how is this possible?"

Old Lei, the gunner watching from the side, stared at it all in astonishment. He could hardly believe his eyes.

Lu Chen had actually gained the same strength as Tie Dun, and he looked even stronger.

"You... you're fucking crazy..." Old Lei muttered.

But then he clenched his fist, a flame of defiance kindling in his eyes.

"But... I won't admit defeat!" he shouted.

"Oh? You want to try?" Lu Chen turned to look at Old Lei, an amused smile curling his lips.

"That's right!" Old Lei said without hesitation. "I want to take part in the test too!"

"All right, I agree." Lu Chen nodded. "But your test might be a little unusual."

With that, he pointed to a modified anti-materiel sniper rifle lying nearby and said to Old Lei, "Aim this gun at my chest and fire."

"What?!" Old Lei's eyes widened. He thought he had misheard.

"Y-you're not joking, are you?" he stammered.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Lu Chen asked, his voice cold and devoid of emotion.

A chill instantly shot from the soles of Old Lei's feet to the top of his head.

He knew Lu Chen wasn't joking. He was serious.

He hesitated, but in the end he gritted his teeth, picked up the anti-materiel sniper rifle, and aimed it at Lu Chen's chest.

"Remember, use all your strength. Don't hold back," Lu Chen said calmly, without a trace of fear on his face.

Old Lei took a deep breath, steadied the rifle, and pulled the trigger.

"Bang!"

A deafening gunshot rang out. The bullet shot forth like lightning and struck Lu Chen squarely in the chest.

"Clang!"

With the crisp sound of metal striking metal, the bullet actually bounced off and fell to the ground with a clear clink.

Lu Chen, meanwhile, stood there completely unharmed, a faint smile on his face.

"This... this..." Old Lei was utterly dumbfounded. He could hardly believe his eyes.

The anti-materiel sniper rifle in his hands could pierce any armor, yet it couldn't hurt Lu Chen in the slightest.

Xiaoyu watched it all nervously from the side, her clenched palms slick with sweat.

Only when she saw that Lu Chen was safe and sound did she let out a long sigh of relief.

She suddenly realized that Lu Chen wasn't tormenting them; he was looking for the most suitable combat templates.

He wanted to find people with special talents who could withstand extreme pain and train them into an unstoppable army.

"What... what kind of people are you looking for?" she couldn't help asking.

Lu Chen turned to look at Xiaoyu, an unfathomable light flickering in his eyes.

"People who can kill enemies, take hits, and grow stronger," he said calmly.

After speaking, Lu Chen paid the others no further attention and turned toward the depths of the shooting range.

He left them with a sentence that echoed through the empty range.

"It seems today's testing ends here. Next comes practical combat training..."

He stopped, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly in a meaningful smile.

"Let those monsters enjoy themselves..."

Night descended like a giant curtain, slowly shrouding the apocalypse's precarious dusk.

Inside the shooting range, Tie Dun roared as he swung fists reinforced by the [Steel Gene], every blow carrying the force to split mountains and shatter stone.

Old Lei refused to be outdone. Armed with the modified sniper rifle, he moved nimbly like a ghost outside Tie Dun's attack range, firing off a round of "love's magical spin" whenever he found an opening.

Lu Chen leaned casually against a rusty steel pillar, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

The air was thick with the mingled smells of sweat, gunsmoke, and blood, and the combination only excited him.

Zombie roars came from the distance now and then, as if cheering on this apocalyptic fighting match.

"You're only the first batch," Lu Chen suddenly said. His voice wasn't loud, but it reached both men's ears clearly. "I need a hundred thousand warriors like you."

Xiaoyu was recording data nearby. When she heard that, her hand shook, and she nearly dropped her tablet on the ground.

"A hundred thousand? Are you crazy?" Her eyes widened as she stared at Lu Chen in disbelief.

In this apocalypse overrun by zombies, surviving at all was hard enough, let alone finding a hundred thousand warriors.

It was sheer fantasy!

Lu Chen smiled faintly, his smile carrying a hint of mystery, a hint of madness, and something that brooked no argument.

"No, I just know that the real war has only just begun." He raised his head and looked toward the depths of the shooting range, where it was pitch-black, as if some unspeakable secret lay hidden there.

He turned and walked into the darkness, leaving them with a meaningful remark. "Keep training, and double the intensity. There's something more important to do tonight."

Lu Chen's figure gradually disappeared into the darkness, leaving only Xiaoyu and Tie Dun staring at each other.

An inexplicable unease welled up in them. What exactly was Lu Chen planning?