Chapter 23: The Slaughter of Nature

"The metal plates are running out," Yu Jing said suddenly.

Su Huan raised an eyebrow. This was indeed a problem. Although metal was ubiquitous in the city, it required Qi Xiaoba to melt it down again using his ability, which was far less efficient than using standard steel plates directly. At this slow rate of melting and modification, they might not even finish the first phase of their plan by the time they broke out of the high-temperature zone.

The question was where to find so many steel plates. Returning to the steel mill was out of the question; even if the Tier 1 zombies there had left, he would not double back.

Su Huan pondered for a moment and said, "Today, let's melt the idle train cars outside. Once we enter Mojian City, we'll look for steel mills or similar facilities."

"No problem," Qi Xiaoba replied.

"How many Pan-Energy Crystals were extracted today?" Su Huan asked.

Wan Xing put down her cup and pulled a crystal the size of a thumbnail from her pocket. Beyond its size, the edges of the crystal featured fine, intricate patterns—regular and graceful lines that carried a strange, vibrant vitality, as if the crystal might grow at any moment.

"The one from the Night Demon?"

"Yes. This Pan-Energy Crystal is very special. Extracting it was much more difficult than with a typical zombie, and it’s even harder to keep it fused together."

Su Huan took the crystal, a hint of joy appearing on his face. He explained, "This is a Tier 1 Pan-Energy Crystal. Its characteristic is this ring of special patterns. If left alone for about five days, it will shatter."

Wan Xing looked surprised. "I had that feeling too. Why is that?"

"You can think of it as Tier 1 Pan-Energy Crystals having a higher energy density. Without being solidified by a Gatherer, they are prone to shattering."

"Is 'Solidification' a skill?"

"After long-term extraction, you will likely develop this ability," Su Huan said. The Gatherer’s "Energy Solidification" and the Energy Supplier’s "Energy Compression" were similar in status; both were abilities that developed easily, so no company or faction bothered to produce corresponding serums for them.

However, "High-Energy Compression" was different. Despite the slight difference in name, the difficulty of acquiring it was worlds apart. An Evolver had to be exposed to high-pressure energy for a long time. Apart from those lunatics in the Church of the Machine, no one would willingly place themselves in such a high-risk environment. Yet, once this skill was discovered, it was quickly decoded by major factions, leading to the creation of corresponding genetic serums. Its cost was relatively low among high-tier skills, becoming an essential ability for Energy Suppliers.

"Besides that, I decomposed something else from the Night Demon's corpse," Wan Xing said, pulling out a small glass vial containing a thin layer of amber liquid covering the bottom.

The others’ gazes fell upon the glass vial, then shifted back to Su Huan, waiting for his explanation. Su Huan was slightly surprised; he hadn't expected Wan Xing to actually harvest such materials. Perhaps she could be trained as a "Decomposer."

He took the vial, shook it gently, and explained, "It’s a Tier 1 material, which can be used to synthesize genetic serums for Defenders."

Yu Jing stared at the serum as if mesmerized, amber light swirling in her eyes. Driven by an inexplicable impulse, she said, "Can you give this material to me?"

Su Huan looked at her with slight suspicion. "What do you want this for?"

"I want to study it." Yu Jing raised her chin slightly, her phoenix eyes filled with that familiar, fanatical look of inquiry.

"Before it’s balanced by a manufacturer, this substance is infectious—and it acts much faster than a zombie bite."

"I know what I’m doing!" Yu Jing’s tone was sharp and decisive. Auntie Yu’s heart skipped a beat, and she carefully observed Su Huan’s expression, only relaxing when she saw he wasn't angry.

"Fine, take it, but don't misuse it." Su Huan thought for a moment and decided not to stop her. After all, Yu Jing was a vital talent for the armored train, and some leeway was necessary.

Su Huan asked, "Is that all?"

"That’s all for now. I might not be able to extract the rest from the Night Demon’s corpse until tonight," Wan Xing said.

"You can extract from three ordinary zombies first, and then give those Pan-Energy Crystals directly to the three of them." Seeing the surprise on everyone’s faces, Su Huan said calmly, "We will face more crises ahead; we may not have this much leisure time later. Become Evolvers as quickly as possible. The train of the apocalypse waits for no one."

...

The entire side of the No. 2 sightseeing car suddenly split open, and two hydraulic rods dragged it slowly downward, exposing the interior. On the left was a forklift equipped with a boom, painted in red, and next to it sat a low-profile locomotive.

Liang Kuan, having just finished his meal, put on a pair of gloves and climbed into the forklift cab. Taking advantage of the remaining time before dark, he needed to operate the forklift to help the workers load the steel plates. Using the ramp formed between the side of the car and the ground, he drove out with ease.

The workers inside the car saw the forklift emerge and also stepped out to begin their work. Time flew by, and soon it was evening. The scattered passengers returned with their meager supplies, expecting trouble from Su Huan. To their surprise, Su Huan only collected half of the usual tribute before letting them board. It wasn't out of kindness; they were on the outskirts of the city, and supplies were already scarce. If he locked these passengers out, he wouldn't have enough people left to carry out his upcoming plans.

The passengers also brought back bad news: the water plant ahead had been occupied by a group calling themselves "Star Property Management."

Su Huan sat in his private compartment with his legs crossed, staring at the map on the wall in deep thought. The orange-red sunset reflecting off the glass slowly faded from his eyes, leaving only a cold, haunting glint.

In his previous life, he had never heard of this group. To be precise, he hadn't heard of any of the factions in the high-temperature zone. In his memory, there were only a few armed convoys that had slowly merged and formed during the escape. The rest remained here, becoming familiar corpses as the heat intensified.

Now, this group occupied the water plant. The plant contained a small integrated water purifier, which was the key to the armored train’s self-circulation and his primary goal for staying here. Although there were other water plants along their future path, this was the only one closest to the tracks. The others were at least ten kilometers away.

An integrated water purifier wasn't a small appliance one could just pick up and carry; it was modular industrial equipment. Even if he worked those passengers to death, no one could move it back. And he certainly couldn't abandon the train to run ten kilometers away to dismantle a purifier. This water plant was his only path. If he missed it, life after leaving the high-temperature zone would be unbearable.

Su Huan recalled the horrific scenes from his memories, a sense of restlessness and anxiety rising within him. Back when he first emerged from the high-temperature zone in his past life, everyone had been ecstatic at the sight of the light rain falling from the sky. Some had even stripped off their clothes, howling and sprinting through the rain, feeling the gifts of nature, the cool water, and the hope and freedom of surviving the ordeal.

But he hadn't realized then that it wasn't a gift from nature—it was nature’s… new round of slaughter.