Apocalypse: I Can Upgrade Everything

Chapter 134: The Pragmatic Application of Supernatural Power

News of the convoy’s scavenging mission spread quickly.

By the next morning, however, only five volunteers had stepped forward to join the run.

Zhou Xiaoxiao, Xue Nan, Boss Gao, and two other survivors.

Zhou Xiaoxiao and Xue Nan were regulars. Zhou Xiaoxiao had proven her grit on multiple runs since joining the convoy, evolving from a sheltered idol into a hardened survivor. Xue Nan, after his self-disfigurement, had found a new kind of ruthless courage. He was making a name for himself, standing out from the huddled masses.

But Boss Gao was a surprise.

Of the four brothers who had escaped Lucheng—before Chen Ye crippled two of them—Boss Gao and He Laosi had been the quietest. He Laosi had carved out a niche as the camp’s premier thief and mechanic, winning favor with his useful skills. Boss Gao, on the other hand, had kept his head down, fading into the background.

Now, the former tyrant was stepping back into the fray.

The remaining two volunteers were brothers whose names Chen Ye didn’t know, though their faces were familiar. When Chen Ye glanced their way, they immediately flashed ingratiating, nervous smiles. Boss Gao, catching Chen Ye’s eye, looked away uncomfortably, a flicker of fear crossing his face.

“Comfort breeds complacency,” Uncle A Bao sighed, looking at the small turnout. “Some people forget the danger outside once their bellies are full.”

“It’s fine,” Chu Che said, unbothered. “Everyone has their own path. Besides, with food and shelter here, who would willingly go out courting death?”

As the Captain, Chu Che was pragmatic. Fewer people meant fewer liabilities. The horrors outside were common knowledge now. The Death God Church’s food might be expired garbage, but it kept you alive. Why risk being eaten by an Anomaly for a tank of gas?

The convoy’s rule remained: You keep what you kill. Or in this case, what you scavenge. Even the Sequence Beyonders didn’t tax the ordinary survivors. This policy was the bedrock of Chu Che’s leadership, ensuring loyalty and basic fairness.

Of course, ordinary humans could only carry so much. The heavy lifting—and the heavy profits—belonged to the Beyonders.

Today’s primary objective was fuel. Everything else was secondary.

For Chen Ye, fuel was life. If it came down to it, he had contingency plans, but a full tank was the best insurance policy.

Nana yawned loudly as she arrived, flanked by Ding Dong and little Yu.

And Iron Lion.

This time, the big man wasn’t in the school bus. He was riding shotgun in Ding Dong’s box truck, his massive frame cramping the cab.

Zhou Xiaoxiao drove her luxury sedan, now battered and stripped of its former glory, its tires wrapped in metal anti-skid chains.

Boss Gao had borrowed He Laosi’s bus. It, too, had chains but no snow tires. He Laosi and Boss Gao had struck a deal: a 50/50 split of the loot. He Laosi was getting greedy, staying warm while others took the risk.

The two nameless brothers squeezed into Boss Gao’s bus, agreeing to pay a portion of their haul as “fare.”

Xue Nan didn’t even consider asking for a ride in Chen Ye’s pickup. He knew better. He piled into the bus with Boss Gao, agreeing to a symbolic fee. Everyone knew Xue Nan was Chen Ye’s associate; Boss Gao wasn’t stupid enough to exploit him too heavily.

Uncle A Bao stood at the gate, clutching a megaphone.

“Everyone, listen up. The situation outside is critical. Although it is day, do not let your guard down!”

“According to our friends in the Church, the immediate area has been picked clean. We are going deep today.”

“Primary target: Fuel. Secondary target: Supplies.”

“And remember the Iron Rule: Do not fall behind!”

“Move out. Good luck.”

Uncle A Bao stepped aside. He was too old for this cold; his role was logistics, not front-line scavenging.

The rotation for the lead vehicle was set.

Chen Ye took point. His Doomsday Pickup, draped in spare tires like a post-apocalyptic pack mule, rumbled forward. The System’s modifications held firm; the extra weight didn’t warp the bed.

Only the air conditioning was a failure. The scavenged unit sat dead in the dashboard, mocking him. He’d have to wait for more Slaughter Points to integrate it properly.

Behind him came Chu Che, then Nana’s automated vehicle, Ding Dong’s truck, and finally the civilian cars.

The snow inside the school grounds was cleared. Outside, it was a different world.

The whiteout was relentless. The snow had piled higher since yesterday, a suffocating blanket over the city.

Crunch. Crunch.

Chen Ye felt the pickup shudder. The chassis scraped against the deep snow, creating a deafening friction noise. The bull bar acted like a plow, pushing a growing mound of white powder that threatened to bog him down.

If this continued, the engine would overheat or the truck would simply get stuck.

He could use the pickup’s [Ram] ability, but wasting a cooldown on snow was inefficient. Abilities were for emergencies.

The SUVs behind him had it easier, simply following in his compressed tire tracks.

“Chen Ye,” Chu Che’s voice crackled over the radio. “Status?”

“Not great,” Chen Ye replied, gripping the wheel. “But I have a solution.”

“Alright. You’re up for thirty minutes. Then Iron Lion and Ding Dong take over. Then Nana.”

“Copy that!” Nana’s cheerful voice chirped. “By the way, Captain, Chen Ye… you two have been acting weird lately.”

“Especially you, Chen Ye. I’m warning you—that’s my uncle. Don’t pull any of your shady tricks. I won’t forgive you if you hurt him.”

The memory of Chen Ye robbing the camel caravan was clearly still fresh in her mind.

“Hey, are you listening? I’m not joking!”

Chen Ye rolled his eyes. He grabbed the walkie-talkie.

“Come on, Sun Qianqian. Do I look like that kind of person?”

“He’s your uncle, but he’s also my brother. Do you really think I’m some backstabbing, two-faced villain? What do you take me for?”

“Besides, technically, that makes me your uncle too. Watch your tone with your elders!”

“Hmph. You better not be!” Nana scoffed and cut the connection.

Chen Ye chuckled and pulled a Huazi cigarette from his pocket. He lit it, took a deep drag, and exhaled.

[Smoke Mist]

The gray smoke drifted out the window and swirled to the front of the truck. Under his mental command, it hardened and shaped itself into a sharp, angled V-plow.

Perfect.

As the pickup accelerated, the smoke-plow sliced through the drifts, tossing the snow to either side with ease. The resistance vanished. The truck surged forward.

The convoy moved slowly through the frozen streets of Rong City.

Under the snow lay sheets of treacherous ice. Even with studded tires, it was a white-knuckle drive. What used to take a minute now took five.

Chu Che sat in the second car, his senses expanded to the limit.

Last night, the area around the school had been teeming with Anomalies. It was one of the densest concentrations he had ever felt.

Today, the city was quiet. Too quiet.

The only movement in the white landscape was their small line of vehicles. Humanity was gone, and the world didn’t care. The trees looked healthier; the air was crisper. The planet was healing from the virus of civilization.

They passed looted malls and empty gas stations. The Death God Church had been thorough. To find fuel, they had to go to the outskirts.

Thirty minutes passed.

Iron Lion’s turn.

Ding Dong’s box truck overtook Chen Ye and stopped at the front.

Iron Lion hopped out. Chen Ye watched, wondering if the big guy needed to take a leak.

Instead, Iron Lion raised his arms. Flesh and bone twisted, fusing into a grotesque cannon barrel. His chest puffed up like a pufferfish.

BOOM!

A transparent cannonball of compressed air blasted down the street.

It carved a massive trench through the snow, sending powder flying like a blizzard. The road was cleared instantly for a hundred meters.

Chen Ye stared.

That idiot…

If an Anomaly shows up, you’ll be on cooldown!

This was Iron Lion. Loyal, strong, and completely lacking in tactical foresight. If his teammates said “clear the road,” he cleared the road.

Chen Ye, in contrast, hadn’t worked a second past his thirty-minute shift.

Iron Lion proceeded to clear the road for both his and Ding Dong’s shifts, blasting away snow with glee.

When it was Nana’s turn, the style changed completely.

The pink-haired girl didn’t step out. Instead, a sleek longsword—Artifact No. 3000+—shot out of her window. It hovered in front of her car, glowing with a soft, crimson light.

Heat radiated from the blade.

As the car moved forward, the sword sliced through the air, melting the snow instantly into water and steam.

It wasn’t as violent as Iron Lion’s air cannon, but it was elegant and efficient.

Chen Ye watched with interest.

First time seeing that ability, he thought. The girl has been holding back.

This was the first time Chen Ye had seen this ability of the longsword.

It seemed this girl also had some trump cards up her sleeve.