Volume 1, Chapter 28: If We Cannot Kill Them, We Shall Find Others Who Can

"Zhang Wei, I was wrong, and my sister was wrong too. Please, don't attack us." Han Xu ran out, his steps unsteady, his voice trembling with blatant desperation.

Watching the frantic Han Xu, Zhang Wei sneered inwardly. Truly, the bond between siblings was deep indeed.

"Forget it. Let’s just let you keep living. Shall we go?" Zhang Wei looked toward Lin Qianying.

Lin Qianying gave a slight nod to Zhang Wei and once again merged with her mech. As the three mechs departed together, Han Xu was left with a complex mix of emotions.

Han Xiao lay on the ground, burying her face in her arms, unsure whether she was too afraid to look up or simply unwilling. Once the three mechs had vanished, Han Xu’s accusatory voice reached her ears: "It’s all your fault. If you had just firmly said you liked Zhang Wei, would any of this have happened?"

Han Xiao shot her head up in disbelief. "My fault? You’re blaming me? If you weren't so incompetent, would I be in this position? Who do you think I did this for?"

"I..." Han Xu was left speechless.

"Alright, we can't stay here; it's too dangerous, and we can't go back home. Let's find a place to treat the wounds on your face first." Han Xu stepped forward, offering soft comfort as he pulled Han Xiao to her feet.

Did Han Xu really have such a good temper? Of course not. He hadn't rushed out because he was truly willing to risk his life to protect Han Xiao; he had other motives. After all, Han Xiao’s face and figure were above average, and in this apocalypse, that held great utility.

...

"Boss, where are we heading today?" Leaving the residential complex, Zhang Tao’s slightly excited voice reached Zhang Wei’s ears.

Zhang Wei ignored him, looking down at his own arm instead. Sensing the movement, Lin Qianying realized something was amiss; she immediately let go of his arm and stepped a few paces away. "I was just worried they might still be watching from behind, so..."

"Find a place with plenty of monsters. Mech evolution requires a lot of source crystals." Zhang Wei didn't respond to her comment, successfully changing the subject.

"Mech evolution?" Zhang Tao and Lin Qianying looked at Zhang Wei with confusion. The information provided by the "Mechanical Descent" to humanity was limited, and much of it had to be discovered by humans themselves. Mech evolution was one such secret; only those who raised their mech to level ten would ever know about it.

"Once a mech hits level ten, it can undergo its first evolution. After evolving, the mech gains increased combat power, among other benefits," Zhang Wei explained to the two.

"It can do that? Boss, let’s head back quickly. I need to make some arrangements." Zhang Tao seemed rather anxious. If he had known this sooner, he would have deployed his men yesterday. But knowing now wasn't too late; it was only a day lost.

"Zhang Wei, what level is your mech?" Lin Qianying asked, voicing the doubt in her mind.

"Level 19." Zhang Wei hadn't yet had time to absorb the source crystals he’d gathered last night. Even if he had, it wouldn't have been enough to reach level 30 for the second evolution, so he wasn't in a rush.

"Level 19? That high? Is there a second evolution? Do you just need one more level?" Lin Qianying stared at him like a curious child.

Zhang Wei shook his head slowly. "Of course there is a second evolution, but it's not at level 20. You need to reach level 30 for the second evolution."

"How do you know so much?" This was the real goal of Lin Qianying's questioning. From the moment she met Zhang Wei, she felt he possessed knowledge others didn't, and he always seemed so composed in the face of danger. It made her incredibly curious. More importantly, the information locked in his mind was vital to the military.

"That's a secret. You can tell the military what I've said, though," Zhang Wei said, catching onto her subtle intentions.

"Is there anything else you can share?" Lin Qianying was already prepared to take notes.

Zhang Wei pondered for a moment before speaking. "Land-based mechanical monsters, and even the flying ones, aren't that terrifying. It won't take long to clear out safe zones. What you really need to watch out for are the mechanical monsters in the ocean. Especially the things that used to live in the deep sea."

Even Zhang Wei felt a lingering fear when speaking of them. In his past life, under the military's cleanup efforts, it really hadn't taken long to establish one safe zone after another. That was the only reason he, without a mech, had managed to survive for two years. But when the mechanical monsters from the ocean surged out, everything changed. The steel walls of the human safe zones simply couldn't hold them back.

As for the things even more powerful than the ocean monsters, Zhang Wei kept silent. Saying it now would only destroy morale without providing any benefit.

"What else?" Lin Qianying's tone grew heavy. Having fought the mechanical monsters, she agreed they weren't that difficult to deal with on land. As long as one's combat power was sufficient and their mind was calm, one could handle typical mechanical creatures without much effort. Zhang Wei's assessment about clearing safe zones was correct. But as he spoke of the ocean, she imagined the scene of those monsters pouring out from the sea. It was horrifying. What would it be like to have swarms of mechanical shrimp and crabs attacking a safe zone? If mountain-covering swarms of mechanical rats were enough to terrify people, how would they handle lobsters a thousand times more numerous? What would happen once large marine creatures were mechanized?

"What else? Is there anything else?"

"Not for now. And don't be so curious. It's dangerous." Zhang Wei gave her a warning—not just about her current curiosity regarding this information, but about her future curiosity toward the mechanical monsters. Being too curious would truly get you killed.

"Oh... I understand." Perhaps because she was merged with her mech, her response carried a surprisingly girlish tone.

...

"Hiss!"

"I want revenge! I must have revenge! I won't let them off easily!" Inside a residential house, Han Xiao screamed.

Han Xu, who was tending to the wounds on her face, frowned in silence. Han Xiao’s face had made intimate contact with the ground, leaving her disfigured. The large abrasion on her right cheek wouldn't heal anytime soon, and even if it did, it would likely leave a hideous scar. For a woman, how could this be anything but a catastrophe?

But was revenge just something to be shouted about? Han Xu knew clearly that forget revenge—survival itself was a problem.

"Han Xu, are you going to help me or not?" After screaming for a while without getting a response, Han Xiao glared at him, waiting for an answer.

"I'll help. You're my sister, aren't you? But we need to think carefully about how to do it."

"How? We can't kill them, so we'll find someone else to do it for us."

"Find someone else? Who?" Han Xu looked at her, confused.

Han Xiao suddenly picked up her phone and started tapping away; the network was still active. "Him." She held the screen up for Han Xu to see.

Han Xu’s pupils widened as he saw the image on the screen. "Is this... a snake?"

Han Xiao nodded. "Yes. This is a message from a pet shop owner. This mechanical snake is his pet. As long as we go and join him, he can help me get my revenge."

Han Xiao spoke viciously, her face full of spite. She had spent the whole night scouring her phone for this high-quality lead. If she could have latched onto a young, high-status man like Zhang Wei, she certainly wouldn't have chosen to serve an old man. But now, Han Xiao knew she had no other choice.