[Appraisal Cost: 70 Slaughter Points]

The price tag caught Chen Ye off guard.

Over time, he had developed his own mental benchmark for the System’s appraisal fees. Anything costing less than a hundred Slaughter Points usually turned out to be a run-of-the-mill Artifact material. Even if crafted into a finished Artifact, it wouldn’t crack the top two thousand in the rankings.

But seventy points? That was substantial. It suggested quality.

Chen Ye didn’t hesitate. He clicked confirm.

The System responded instantly.

[Item Name: Bone of the Man-Eating Two-Headed Cow] [Type: Rare Artifact Material] [Origin: The skeletal remains of a mutant beast that required five Sequence Beyonders to take down. During the hunt, one Beyonder was decapitated by the creature.] [Comment: This bone contains a peculiar, dense energy. It is an excellent base material for crafting a Large-Scale Artifact. Highly collectible.]

Looking at the sheer scale of the ribcage and spine before him, Chen Ye could easily picture the monstrosity it had once belonged to.

If he used this frame to forge a weapon, it would be a siegebreaker. But Chen Ye had a different idea.

He turned his gaze to his Doomsday Pickup.

As long as he had the Slaughter Points, the System could modify the vehicle according to his will.

If he could turn the pickup truck itself into an Artifact…

His odds of survival in this wasteland would skyrocket.

“System,” Chen Ye mentally queried, “can this material be used to upgrade the Doomsday Pickup into an Artifact?”

The familiar loading circle spun in his vision.

A moment later, the options appeared.

[Integration Plan: Bone of the Man-Eating Two-Headed Cow]

[Option 1: Armor Reinforcement] Smelt the bone into the vehicle’s exterior plating. drastically increases body rigidity and impact resistance. Prevents deformation from collisions.

[Option 2: Chassis & Frame Fusion] Smelt the bone into the vehicle’s main frame, chassis, and suspension system. Significantly enhances off-road capability and structural integrity. Increases overall vehicle rigidity.

Chen Ye analyzed the choices. Option 1 was external armor. Option 2 was the skeleton of the car itself.

When he had first upgraded the Doomsday Pickup, he had installed a custom chassis and suspension. However, to save Slaughter Points at the time, he had chosen the “Basic” package—the cheapest materials the System offered.

It was System-quality, sure, but it was still entry-level. After surviving the recent sandstorm, the frame had warped slightly.

Driving through the desert was brutal on a vehicle. Lately, Chen Ye could feel the truck flexing like a mollusk over dunes, the frame emitting ominous creak-creak-groan noises.

If he hit a rock at high speed, the chassis might snap in half, potentially killing him.

If the sandstorm hadn’t happened, the basic frame would have lasted years on paved roads. But this was the apocalypse. There were no roads.

He needed a beast that could handle extreme terrain.

He had originally planned to fix the chassis after saving up more points, but this bone changed everything. If he fused this monster’s skeleton into his truck, the Doomsday Pickup wouldn’t just be a vehicle anymore.

It would be a rolling Artifact.

“Interesting item, isn’t it, Little Chen?”

An aged, rasping voice interrupted his calculations.

Chen Ye turned to find Mo Huairen standing beside him.

The old man sucked on his pipe, a grin plastered on his face that radiated malicious intent.

Chen Ye, with a cigarette dangling from his lips and his left eye clouded white, looked just as villainous. Lost in his scheming thoughts a moment ago, his expression had been dark and predatory.

The two of them standing together formed a picture of pure villainy.

The effect was immediate. Survivors within a thirty-foot radius scattered, terrified of getting caught in the crossfire of two monsters.

“Captain Mo,” Chen Ye said, quickly adjusting his face to a mask of amiability. “Good morning. You’re up early.”

Mo Huairen blinked, startled by the sudden shift. He had been bracing himself for a fight, half-expecting the kid to pull a knife. Seeing Chen Ye smile, the old man relaxed slightly.

“Aye,” Mo replied, blowing a ring of smoke. “Better to start early. The sooner we finish, the better. Save us all some… trouble.”

The words carried a double meaning. Finish the trade before anyone gets ideas about stabbing anyone else.

Chen Ye chuckled but didn’t take the bait.

“We paid a heavy price for this bone,” Mo said, tapping his pipe against his boot. “Our convoy used to have five Sequence Beyonders.”

“Then that beast caught up to us. We killed it, but it took one of our own with it. Bit his head clean off.”

“We lost a lot of good men that day.”

A shadow of genuine grief crossed the old man’s face.

Chen Ye remained silent. In the apocalypse, death was as common as sand. Comforting words were useless.

However, a question nagged at him.

“How did an Anomaly catch you?” Chen Ye asked. “With a Pathfinder leading the way, you should have been able to avoid it.”

Pathfinders—or Danger Sensors—were supposed to be the ultimate early warning system.

Mo Huairen glanced at him, seemingly reading his mind. “Pathfinders aren’t gods, kid. Most Anomalies we can avoid, yes. But there are always exceptions.”

“Like Little Chu, I’m only a Sequence 1 Danger Sensor. My range and sensitivity have limits.”

“And the Anomalies… their abilities are getting weirder. Some can mask their presence. Some you don’t see until they’re eating you.”

“Like that Two-Headed Cow.”

Mo shook his head, clearing the dark memories. “Anyway, young man, I’ve done enough sales talk. What are you offering for the bone?”

Chen Ye’s expression stiffened.

He did a quick mental inventory. His most valuable assets were the Doomsday Pickup and the Blood Resentment Machete. Neither was for sale.

He had some food, but barely enough for himself.

He technically owned a share of the Human-Faced Scorpion materials they had harvested earlier, but he couldn’t trade that without the consent of Chu Che, Iron Lion, and Sun Qianqian.

He was, effectively, broke.

“Ah,” Chen Ye laughed awkwardly. “I was just looking. Captain Mo, a treasure like this… I’m afraid I can’t afford it.”

Mo Huairen’s eyes narrowed slightly, realizing he’d wasted his breath.

“No matter,” the old man said, his tone cooling. “Feel free to look at the other trash.”

Pauper, Mo muttered internally as he walked away.

Chen Ye watched him go, then painfully tore his gaze away from the giant bone. It was agonizing. The upgrade was right there, but he lacked the capital.

He turned to the rest of the Camel Team’s goods.

He had to admit, these slavers were rich.

Compared to them, Chen Ye really was a pauper.

They had stacks of canned food. Cases of bottled mineral water—dozens of them. It confirmed what the radio had picked up last night: they had recently looted a major supply point.

Chen Ye stared at the water.

He didn’t realize it, but at that moment, his eyes were practically glowing green. The hunger in his gaze was naked and terrifying.

He looked less like a survivor and more like a starving bandit deciding who to eat first.

Across the clearing, the Fairness Team was waking up.

They began setting up their own stalls. Iron Lion hauled out the bulk of their trade goods, occupying a large chunk of the open space.