Chapter 10: The Evolver

This statement was not only directed at Wan Xing but also addressed to everyone in the carriage.

Qi Xiaoba, sitting nearby, showed no change in expression.

Although he sensed that Su Huan was not as simple as he appeared, one must learn to be grateful and repay kindness.

Wan Xing paused briefly, then pursed her lips and said, "Alright."

Only then did Su Huan smile with satisfaction.

He liked those who were obedient.

At present, the team-building progress had far exceeded his expectations.

An inadvertent flicker of wings had changed many things.

...

The iron dragon let out a faint groan along the tracks; the last trace of twilight was crushed beneath the wheels.

The armored train quietly departed Wen’an City, heading towards a steel mill thirty kilometers away.

The light wrapped in iron sheets resembled a melting sugar cube, spreading a warm yellow halo over the rust-streaked windows.

Su Huan’s pen danced swiftly across his notebook, ticking off the lines marked “Rail Repair” and “Material Collection.”

These were key conditions for the armored train he had previously listed.

Closing the notebook, he looked out at the thickening darkness and swiftly drew the curtain.

In the night, any light shining forth was either prey or bait.

Yu Yue was turning luncheon meat in a frying pan with a steel fork; the sizzling oil crackled.

Qi Xiaoba quietly asked, “Sister Xing, is your hand better now?”

Wan Xing, seeing the concern in Xiaoba’s eyes, was reminded that her arm had been bitten by a zombie earlier.

Rolling up her sleeve, she revealed a slender scar winding across her fair forearm; faint teeth marks were nearly concealed beneath the scab.

“It healed so quickly—seems evolution accelerates cell growth,” Yu Jing remarked in surprise.

“Evolution enhances an evolver's physical qualities overall, but physical strengthening is the defender’s domain; the gatherer’s traits lie elsewhere,” Su Huan explained as he unabashedly picked up a sizzling piece of luncheon meat.

Savoring the rich aroma mingled with just the right amount of salt, Su Huan felt his energy recovery quicken by a fraction.

“Gatherer… You also mentioned visual analysis just now?” Yu Jing pondered.

“More precisely, level one visual analysis. Wan Xing, tell me how it feels.”

The gleam in Wan Xing’s eyes faded again, replaced by a stark black-and-white, lifeless quality, giving her a dazed appearance. After a moment’s thought, she spoke.

“When energy floods my eyes, the world turns a dark gray, and some light spots appear. But for now, I can’t reach most of these light spots.”

“That’s because you haven’t learned ‘Advanced Decomposition’ yet. Once you do, you’ll be able to dismantle most common objects.”

“A skill, you say?”

“You can think of it that way. Evolvers develop special skills through unique methods, and through different skill combinations, they form professions.”

Suddenly reminded of something, Su Huan tapped his temple with two fingers.

“Yu Jing, have Liang Kuan find a place to stop the train for the night, and bring that blood dog’s corpse over.”

“Got it.”

Ten minutes later, the train slipped into an unnamed small tunnel.

With a slight tremor, it came to a halt.

Liang Kuan emerged from the front of the train.

“Just bring it to car number two.”

Liang Kuan nodded and soon returned, carrying the bloodied corpse of the blood dog.

Su Huan had already instructed several people to lay a plastic sheet over the carpet in the sightseeing car.

“Bang!”

Liang Kuan dropped the blood dog down, causing the carriage to shudder lightly.

Yu Jing estimated quietly, amazed—the blood dog looked small, but its weight matched that of a skinny pig.

Wan Xing, looking at the corpse, suddenly murmured, “I think I can touch these light spots.”

“Then give it a try.”

Su Huan considered silently.

With a decomposer in the team, their evolution speed would definitely increase significantly.

Some corresponding plans could also be accelerated or carried out simultaneously.

Twenty minutes later.

Everyone curiously looked at the transparent crystal the size of a fingernail in Wan Xing’s hand.

“This is a pan-energy crystal. Training with it is faster and safer than contact with zombies. Those zombies outside, which have not evolved and are basically corpse embryos, can yield about half this size,” Su Huan explained.

“So that’s what a gatherer is—someone who collects pan-energy from other creatures,” Yu Jing suddenly understood.

Su Huan stretched lazily. “There are five major types of evolvers, and now we have three here.”

Seeing everyone look at him, Qi Xiaoba bluntly said, “I can manipulate metal, but I don’t know what type that is.”

“‘Manipulator,’” Su Huan answered calmly.

“The five categories are energizers, manipulators, gatherers, makers, and defenders.”

Su Huan ignored the complex looks from the others and continued.

“Energizers produce energy and convert it to power machines and electronics.”

“Gatherers collect pan-energy from zombies, plants, or mutant beasts, forming crystals that are easy to carry and absorb. They can also gather some unique materials from the apocalypse.”

“Manipulators control specific elements, such as metal manipulators who can control metal.”

“Makers use their bodily pan-energy to erode substances, altering their physical properties and making fine adjustments.”

“Defenders’ ‘combat factors’ allow rapid ability advancement through fighting.”

“Each evolver type has unique traits, even after multiple upgrades.”

Fearing they might not understand, Su Huan only briefly outlined the evolver categories.

In truth, there was far more information about evolvers—various factions had developed professional serums, training methods, and complex evolution paths.

Su Huan alone knew dozens of these paths by name.

Any one piece of information could create a top-tier powerhouse, but that was Su Huan’s precious knowledge and not to be shared casually.

‘I should find time to calculate and see if I can seize two opportunities,’ he thought, eyes gleaming with contemplation.

“What shall we do next?” Qi Xiaoba suddenly asked.

“Do you mean long-term or immediate goals?”

“Both.”

“The long-term goal is to arm this mobile fortress well and survive. You saw during the day—those beasts aren’t something we can defeat barehanded. Even evolvers need time to develop… As for short-term goals: eat, sleep. What about you?”

The boy’s calm face finally showed a trace of the confusion befitting his age.

“The director is gone, the orphanage is gone. I don’t know.”

“Do you trust me?”

Su Huan’s smile faded as he asked earnestly.

Qi Xiaoba looked into Su Huan’s cold eyes. His instincts told him this was not a good man.

But the director had taught him.

One must be grateful and, more importantly, keep one’s word.

“I trust you.”