After inputting the password and his handprint, Aron's happiness quickly shifted into confusion. With the AI guiding him, he began navigating through the car's features. At first, he was surprised it could run for a full month at maximum speed without stopping. But the more he explored, the stranger the functions became.
The entire body, which he had thought was solar-powered, was actually made of nanobots. They could absorb sunlight for charging and repair themselves as long as there was energy. The car could camouflage, cancel sound, move across snow, water, even lava. It was armed with weapons and lasers. There were countless features.
It was as if the car was designed with the apocalypse in mind. The thought unsettled him.
Five years ago, before he knew anything about trading and was still in Zone A, he remembered a news headline.
Several billionaires had started building underground bunkers, claiming they were preparing for the end of the world. The news had caused unrest and panic. But when nothing happened after a few months, people forgot.
Aron's heart began to race. What if the bigshots had already been preparing for the apocalypse?
He immediately dismissed the thought. Doesn't matter. Before true strength, all else was useless. Whether they knew before me or not, all I need is strength.
He got out of the car and loaded goods from the warehouse, focusing on clothes and water bottles. The four-seater was spacious, so he stacked everything in the back and added three empty cans.
There had been oil near the warehouse, but it was all burned to cinders. He hoped to collect more later. As for the other cars, they were useless, every tank empty.
After picking the necessities, Aron reluctantly drove out, heart bleeding for the goods he couldn't take.
While driving, his eyes fell on the display at the side of the touchscreen. Energy: 76%. Estimated: 23 days left. That was after he had already activated a few functions.
He turned on night vision. The world sharpened; every moving thing was highlighted. Then glass illusion, so no one outside could see in. Extra-silent mode, so quiet the car seemed not to exist.
Aron was shocked by the features. With the AI guiding him, he drove smoothly.
At the staff quarters, he packed the weapons and supplies arranged earlier. Then he remembered he hadn't checked the car engine. As a car lover, curiosity burned in him at what the engine a car of such calibar would look like.
He opened the hood, and froze.
There was nothing inside. The entire engine bay was empty.
Aron didn't even try to guess how it worked. Thinking about it would only make him feel dumb. As long as it ran, he was satisfied.
With the space free, he moved some goods from the back to the front, opening more room. Later, he would return to the warehouse for more water, biscuits, and food that didn't need cooking.
But first, he wanted to visit his octopus friend.
He parked the car in a safe spot activating the car camouflage feature which blew his mind again. It seamlessly blended with the surrounding. After marveling for a while, he walked to the riverbank. Drawing his knife, he cut his palm and dipped it into the water.
The river stirred. Moments later, the massive octopus surfaced. The moment it saw Aron, it recognized him.
"Srcreeee!"
It roared angrily, but still, no zombies dared approach.
The octopus swung a tentacle at him, its size making him look like an insect.
Aron didn't dodge. He grabbed it and easily pulled. With shocking force, he yanked the monster out of the water.
Boom!
Its massive frame smashed onto the land. Aron didn't let go. He swung it side to side, slamming it down again and again. The sight was almost comical, like an ant tossing Godzilla.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom…
Within minutes, the octopus was at death's door. Desperate, it cut off the two tentacles Aron held and retreated into the river.
"No, you don't."
Aron followed. The octopus was fast in water, but with its tentacles gone, Aron easily caught up.
The breathing talent he had received from Bob wasn't useless after all. After a struggle, he killed it. But before dying, it released a strange shockwave.
[Octopus Level 6 killed. 5500 exp gained.]
Aron frowned. He felt the wave, but it wasn't an ability, otherwise, he would have been notified.
He swam upward, uneasy. Just in case, he deactivated breathing and activated Danger Sense. A dreadful feeling instantly wrapped around him.
On instinct, he triggered the dome.
A crushing force struck from below, blasting him out of the river into the sky. The speed was so fast it felt like he was leaving Solara to pas. The dome only lasting a second and disappeared. His mana, had barely reached fifty, after his previous battle.
Aron hadn't expected to need it to kill the octopus, that was why he hadn't bothered to wait to replenish his mana before fighting the octopus. But he hadn't imagined something far stronger lived beneath. It had never appeared before, and Aron was certain it was the reason zombies avoided the river.
From below came a heart-tearing scream, like the monster was mourning.
Aron soared upward, his mind was eiraly calm, already calculating his next step.
After about fifteen seconds, he began to fall. From this height, he could see half of Zone C,ruins, destruction everywhere.
He spotted the monster below, holding the dead octopus in its tentacles. As he fell, the creature grew larger and larger in his sight.
Its eyes locked on him. The killing intent it released was overwhelming. Most men would have wet themselves. But Aron's gaze was calm.
Panicking wouldn't change anything. He knew he wasn't its match. With no energy left for the dome, he was falling straight back into the river.
The monster tracked his descent, adjusting again and again, unwilling to let the killer of its kin escape.
Aron's eyes didn't waver. Knife in hand, he turned his head downward, aiming straight at the beast. A cold smile touched his lips.
Four meters.
Three meters.
..
[Burst has been activated.]