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墨書 Inktalez
The cold wind blew, and disaster struck repeatedly. The frigid air from the Arctic had swirled for nearly five months, freezing vast fertile lands. The world seemed to have fallen into a frozen abyss, with houses weakened by the cold, and everything brought forth by human technology was obliterated by the chill.
In the end, only those who still clung to life remained.
One in ten—that was the state of humanity worldwide. Originally, there was still over a year until the mutation of the Zombies, and battles among them had already claimed many lives. Yet, billions were still alive.
However, compared to the vast and unchanging land, humanity was no longer the master, for there were billions of Zombies active on this planet.
Beasts had also grown stronger; marine life dominated the oceans, which were no longer hunting grounds for humans but rather death zones.
In Huaguo, south of the River, within a newly established Gathering Place that had been around for just a few months, smoke hung in the air. The atmosphere was thick with soot from burning coal. The heating pipes throughout the Gathering Place were extensive; although buried beneath the ground, some warm spots could still be seen emitting steam.
The temperature was nearly twenty degrees below zero, which was considered a sign of Spring Blossoms. Just days before, it had been even colder, and everyone wore layers upon layers of clothing, resembling polar bears.
Now they were truly prosperous. A single winter had brought them immense wealth; clothes and bedding wholesale from the Gathering Place fetched good prices in the Wilderness Gathering Place.
That place had become a trade center. Zombies hid in cities while Survivors expanded their range of activity. People from more distant Gathering Places discovered the Wilderness Gathering Place and successfully established commercial ties. Zheng Yifan only accepted Zombie Crystal s and Essence Fruits, regardless of how much profit they made. The greatest beneficiary was always Zheng Yifan.
On the last afternoon of March, Zheng Yifan donned his gear and wielded a Silver Spear in the Ecological Sphere of Hope Gathering Place, practicing his Shooting Skill without using any Vital Energy yet still demonstrating immense power. As his muscles trembled, he transferred strength to his hands and connected it to the spear, releasing all his might.
A sound pierced through the sound barrier as a visible shockwave surged from the tip of the spear.
"Whoosh!" He exhaled as he drew back an arrow; his powerful lung capacity steadied his breath.
"Clap! Clap!" Beside him, Wu Yingzhou and Li Ning applauded together.
"The chief's Shooting Skill seems to have improved significantly. He has already adapted the techniques of Half-Step Collapse Fist into his own Shooting Skill. If this were before the apocalypse, he would surely have created his own school," Wu Yingzhou marveled.
Implied in his words was that Zheng Yifan had been a master of Shooting Skills before the apocalypse; however, after it began, he was still far from enough. The changes brought by the apocalypse were immense, especially with Superpowered Individuals emerging—humans who gained extraordinary powers and enhanced brains.
Coordination had also seen a significant increase. It was thanks to his identity as a Fourth-Stage Esper that Zheng Yifan could practice his Shooting Skill so rapidly.
After taking a hot shower in the bathroom next to the Training Ground, Zheng Yifan reluctantly left the Ecological Sphere.
It truly felt like spring all year round there; its design was nothing short of ingenious. Zheng Yifan even felt an impulse to live there forever.
But soon that thought faded away because outside there were still over four hundred seventy thousand people who needed his protection.
Yes, after a winter of population influx, the total population of the Hope Gathering Place and the Wilderness Gathering Place has reached a staggering four hundred seventy thousand.
The Bloodbath Legion and the Flame Legion have successfully recruited two thousand members each.
Even Zheng Yifan's Psyker Guard Battalion has seen the emergence of Superpowered Individuals. Although most are First-Level Espers, the majority have been carefully selected by Zheng Yifan as outstanding individuals, with a high probability of possessing advanced Superpowers.
Among the largest groups are the Explorer Alliance and the Hope Chamber. The Explorer Alliance encompasses a significant portion of the population from both Gathering Places, boasting over two hundred thousand members. While the number of Superpowered Individuals is not vast, after a prolonged period of Essence being sold, several thousand Superpowered Individuals have emerged within their ranks. Naturally, those powerful Superpowered Individuals have joined the Two Major Legions.
Other Superpowered Individuals have mostly registered with the Hope Chamber to become reserve members of the legions, ready to be called upon to reinforce the Two Major Legions at any time.
They can also escort goods to trade with other Gathering Places.
The massive scale of Superpowered Individuals has significantly transformed the combat capabilities within the Gathering Places, establishing a combat model primarily centered around Superpowered Individuals.
Among them, those using firearms represent the strongest combat force, with over six hundred Superpowered Individuals proficient in Firearms emerging to form the first Heat Weapon Battalion of the Hope Gathering Place. This battalion is solely responsible for defending Ruiguan and Jiang Grand Bridge, separate from the Two Major Legions. Each member possesses different levels of Firearm Proficiency and is meticulously categorized; there are sniper teams that enhance range and lethality, ordinary users of Firearms forming Thermal Power support teams, and those who specialize in enhancing bullet power with distinct roles within each group.
They can imbue bullets with various powers or cause them to explode.
One member has even reached Company Commander level and can create chain reactions with their firearm usage, amplifying the firepower across the entire frontline.
These individuals form the strongest defensive force within the Gathering Place. Walking along the newly paved streets, Zheng Yifan feels nothing but pride; reality has stabilized, and everything in his life is on a fast track. Three international Mercenary organizations have been completely acquired by Berry, allowing him to establish his own military force. It seems that everything he wishes to accomplish is falling into place effortlessly.
Of course, expenses have not been small; nearly one hundred billion dollars spent leaves Zheng Yifan feeling apprehensive. Fortunately, most of this money was earned through jewelry sales and profits from the Stock Market. The stocks purchased from God Index's newly public company have skyrocketed like never before, significantly boosting Zheng Yifan's assets. Time Magazine even wanted to invite him for an interview. Unfortunately, Zheng Yifan has no time for such things; all his efforts are devoted to building in the Apocalyptic World.
Underneath Zheng Yifan's feet lies a smooth highway radiating outwards from the Gathering Place. Dozens of factories are busily producing their products. Post-Apocalypse Firearms have gradually faded from Zheng Yifan's view; now all Firearms are manufactured by auxiliary Superpowered Individuals who can endow weapons with enhanced performance.
The newly manufactured Machine Guns no longer rely on gunpowder for propulsion; instead, they are powered by activated Second-Stage Soul Crystals, firing solid bullets infused with Vital Energy that travel faster and hit harder—far superior to ordinary Firearms for Superpowered Individuals.
The new Machine Guns resemble ancient Fire God Cannons but have increased bullet calibers to five millimeters and can reach ranges of nearly five thousand meters. They can fire over four thousand rounds per minute.
Utilizing Superpower Technology allows for six barrels to operate without excessive heat buildup. Each Machine Gun's operational duration is determined by its user's Superpower; currently, there are no standardized metrics for this.
These Machine Guns are distributed densely along Rui Guan City Wall at one per meter. The opposite side facing Jiang is even more fortified.
Two Machine Guns are positioned no more than two meters apart, completely locking down the defense line at Jiang Grand Bridge.
Both sides can maximize their chances of eliminating ordinary Zombies. As for Second-Level Zombies, they require an overwhelming amount of bullets to be defeated. When encountering Third-Stage Zombies, only powerful individuals from within the Gathering Place can effectively deal with them.
There is no doubt that the level of Zombies has reached a qualitative change; ordinary bullets pose no lethal threat to them. Only operators who have become Third-Stage Espers can kill them, and even then, only a select few Second-Stage Espers with exceptionally high lethality can take them down.
Of course, these are predictions made by the Fellows in the laboratory. The truth remains to be seen through practice.
It has been far too long since the war—an entire winter has passed, making it difficult for other Survivors to endure, with many perishing in the harsh cold.
However, for the Survivors of Hope Gathering Place and Wilderness Gathering Place, this winter has been the happiest. The explorers have united to sweep through village after village. They dare not touch the towns, where at least hundreds of thousands of Zombies lurk, including many advanced ones. There are not a few Third-Stage Zombies, and if luck runs out and they encounter a Fourth-Stage Zombie, they can only hope that the Zombie's head gets caught in a door and it doesn’t attack them.
The Solar Photovoltaic Power Station has been completely dismantled and stored in Zheng Yifan's Storage Space. The infrastructure for the Solar Photovoltaic Power Station Project in the real world is still incomplete and is expected to be finished by the end of May. This is thanks to the super speed of domestic engineering teams from Huaguo, who have been working almost around the clock—truly one of the strongest Construction Teams in the world. However, Zheng Yifan had secretly asked those workers about their overtime pay, which was not compensated according to what he had provided; a significant amount of overtime wages had been siphoned off.
Nevertheless, Zheng Yifan no longer cares; their future must be forged by themselves.
From the moment Zheng Yifan crossed into two worlds, everything changed. Even in the still comfortable real world, danger lurks beneath the surface.
Yet ordinary people continue to enjoy this rare moment of happiness while complaining about their lack of a better life. When disaster strikes, they will only be left to groan!
Gradually, a warm breeze swept in, seemingly stirring Zheng Yifan's heartstrings.
Spring has arrived! (To be continued)
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