Volume One, Chapter 8: Call Zhang Wei Immediately

Zhang Wei could not help but exclaim. The red glow indicated that this source crystal was a high-level one. Ordinary source crystals were white, intermediate ones were yellow, high-level ones were red, epic ones were purple, and legendary ones were seven-colored. Zhang Wei had anticipated that this source crystal might contain something good, but he had not expected it to be this good. Mechanical rats were among the lowest-tier mechanical creatures; even if they produced high-level source crystals, the chance of obtaining something of high quality was extremely low.

"Does it have to do with pioneering? Whatever."

Zhang Wei impatiently picked up the war scythe.

Fine-grade Electric War Scythe (Two-handed)
Combat Power +50
Attacks carry electrical damage

"Good stuff."

Zhang Wei instantly discarded the custom-made combat knife and shield he had been using; compared to the war scythe, those were nothing but pure junk. The electric war scythe was ten meters long, matching Zhang Wei’s own height. Holding it, he felt like a god of war wielding a weapon of boundless power, exuding an imposing aura. Across the scythe, electric currents danced like silver snakes, emitting a heart-stopping charge. Zhang Wei was very satisfied with this weapon and even felt a hint of gratitude toward the strange mechanical rat. After all, for such a small creature to drop such a large piece of equipment was truly asking a lot of it.

Although the war scythe was only of "fine" grade—which seemed a bit regrettable compared to the higher levels of excellent, epic, and legendary—Zhang Wei was a man who found contentment in what he had. He understood that in the early stages of the apocalypse, possessing a piece of fine-grade equipment was already an extremely fortunate event. Equipment quality ranged from ordinary to fine, then to excellent, epic, and legendary, with each level representing a different magnitude of power. While the scythe in Zhang Wei’s hands was only fine-grade, it had already significantly boosted his combat prowess.

"I didn't use a war scythe in my past life, so I need to get used to it."

Zhang Wei stood on the mountaintop, gripping the scythe and swinging it, the wind howling with every stroke. Memories of using various melee weapons in his previous life flooded his mind. He knew the common principles of melee combat, and the familiar sensation gradually awakened with each swing. As time passed, Zhang Wei’s control over the war scythe became increasingly fluid. What was once an unfamiliar weapon became nimble and powerful in his hands. Every stroke sliced through the air, leaving behind sharp, luminous trails.

Once his proficiency reached a certain level, Zhang Wei turned his gaze to the source crystals scattered on the ground. In this wave, he had obtained over eight hundred crystals. It was easy to imagine that the number of mechanical rats that had besieged him earlier must have exceeded a thousand, as five or six hundred had already fled.

"Absorb source crystals."

"Ding. Body level increased to 9. Combat power +2."

"Ding. Body level increased to 10. Combat power +2. Body ready for evolution."

Consuming 750 ordinary source crystals, Zhang Wei’s body level reached ten.

Zhang Wei did not choose to evolve immediately. He ran to the top of the mountain to check the situation around Xinfeng Mountain. Finding no immediate danger, he decided to proceed with the evolution. Evolving the body took time, during which the unit could not move, making it vulnerable to attacks if dangerous creatures were nearby. Fortunately, Xinfeng Mountain had no wild animals, only the rats, and since he had driven them away, there was no danger.

"Evolve body."

As Zhang Wei initiated the evolution, a mysterious energy seemed to emerge from the void, descending quietly like ancient magic. Zhang Wei’s towering ten-meter mecha slowly lifted off the ground, suspended in mid-air by this energy. As the mecha rotated gracefully, its form began to transform piece by piece. Every inch of steel seemed to be re-sculpted by this mysterious energy, and every joint felt as if it had been imbued with a new life. About ten minutes later, as the last traces of energy dissipated, the modification was complete.

Zhang Wei’s mecha was now brand new. The most striking change was its increased stature. The original ten-meter frame had grown to twelve meters, making it look even more robust and formidable. Its limbs had become thicker and more powerful, as if containing infinite strength.

"Evolution complete. Combat power +30. Internal space increased. Internal and external equipment slots activated. Obtained ordinary external defensive armor and ordinary external thrusters."

As the evolution finished, the mecha landed slowly.

"Open panel."

Mecha Form: First Evolution
Mecha Level: 10
Weight: 31 tons
Combat Power: 320
Type: Medium Melee
Standard Power Configuration: Dual-Cycle Nuclear Engine
Equipment: Fine-grade Electric War Scythe, Ordinary External Defensive Armor, Ordinary External Thrusters
Skill: Super Combat Enhancement (Legendary)

After reviewing the mecha’s attributes, Zhang Wei closed the panel with satisfaction.

"Heading down."

Zhang Wei activated the thrusters he had just acquired. With thrusters, using jet propulsion would save more power, providing more options if he encountered another siege. For now, he simply wanted to get a feel for using them. Although he was well-versed in using thrusters in his past life, there were differences between light and medium mecha that he had to adapt to. After a short period of adjustment, he found the familiar rhythm. Standing on the mountaintop, he took a step, and the mecha launched like an arrow released from a bow. The mecha’s feet hovered inches above the ground, and whenever the thrust waned, the engines flared with bursts of fire to replenish power. In just a few minutes, Zhang Wei reached the foot of the mountain.

He did not shut off the thrusters upon landing, using them to assist his movement as he headed straight for Chuan City. A vast amount of resources awaited him there.

Along the way, Zhang Wei encountered no resistance from mechanical creatures. Soon, he entered the city smoothly. However, the situation inside was far worse than outside. Explosions, the sound of clashing metal, and screams filled the air—a true scene of apocalypse. Standing in the chaotic city, Zhang Wei paused briefly.

"The place with the highest quality of mechanical creatures should be the zoo. I’ll go check that out."

The higher the quality of the mechanical creature, the higher the grade of the source crystals it dropped, and the better the rewards. Having tasted the benefits of good equipment, Zhang Wei no longer cared for ordinary source crystals. He still lacked much gear, and the only way to obtain it was to hunt down powerful mechanical creatures.

"In my past life, the mechanical creatures in the zoo caused a huge crisis for Chuan City. Killing them will surely yield many good things; I suppose you could say I’m doing a good deed."

With that thought, Zhang Wei headed straight for the zoo.

In Chuan City at this moment, the culprits behind the chaos were not the rats or other animals hiding in the shadows. Instead, it was people's former pets that caused the most harm, as mechanized pets possessed greater lethality than mechanical rats. However, there were some positive signs. Not all pets lost their sanity after mechanization. In the city, some pet dogs retained their intelligence after being mechanized, continuing to protect their owners. People often say that dogs are humanity's best friends, and that saying held some truth.

Just as Zhang Wei was rushing to the zoo, in a corner of a chaotic residential complex in Chuan City, a mechanical dog was locked in a standoff with a light mecha.

"I told you not to keep this stupid dog, but you wouldn't listen! Tell me, what do we do now!" Han Xu’s roaring voice came from inside the light mecha.

The person he was yelling at was Han Xiao.

"When is this happening? Just kill it!" Han Xiao was crying, her makeup smeared by tears like a ghostly mask. But at this moment, she couldn't care less about Han Xu’s shouting. She only hoped that Han Xu would hurry up and kill the mechanical dog, whose eyes glowed with a red light. The dog had lost its mind, and its primary target was her.

Han Xu was miserable. If he could kill it, would they be in a standoff? Would he be yelling at her? The reason for the standoff was simply that he couldn't beat the dog. Look at how many holes this damn dog had bitten into his brand-new mecha. It wasn't her out there risking her life, was it?

"If I could kill it, I would have already! Call Zhang Wei and tell him to come save me! He bought a heavy truck before; his mecha must be very powerful."

"Right, right! I'm calling him now!"

Prompted by Han Xu, Han Xiao remembered Zhang Wei. Like a drowning person clutching at a straw, she scrambled to pull out her phone.

But would Zhang Wei come to save them?