The earthen yellow glow on Quinn's body faded, sinking beneath her skin.
She opened her eyes slowly. Her face, previously pale from blood loss, now had a rock-like, resolute texture. She clenched her fist. Muscles rippled on her arm, and a layer of fine, granite-like keratin appeared on her skin.
"How does it feel?" I asked.
"Heavy... but powerful."
Quinn stood up, picking up her tactical dagger. She casually scraped it against a concrete block. SCREECH. The blade sparked, but only left a white mark on the back of her hand.
"[Stone Skin]." She looked at her hand, excitement in her eyes. "Black Shark ruled this area with this. I never thought I'd have it."
"Use it well." I nodded. "Now, you are my shield."
I turned to look at the ramp leading to the surface. The sky outside was completely dark, but for us, fresh from a massive victory, the night was no longer a source of fear, but cover.
"Let's go."
I stepped over Black Shark's corpse, eyes sharp. "Time to collect our spoils. The subway station should still have a bunch of headless flies waiting for us to clean up."
...
Two kilometers away. Subway Station Entrance.
This was once the heavily fortified HQ of the Black Shark Gang. Sandbag bunkers, barbed wire, even two wooden watchtowers.
But now, it was chaos.
Black Shark had taken all his elites, leaving only the old, weak, sick, and a few thugs to guard the house. The two bikers who fled back didn't bring news of victory, but the nightmare of "Total Annihilation."
"Run! That man is a demon! Even Boss Black Shark burned to death!" "What about the supplies? We haven't got our share!" "Forget supplies, save your life! Grab a gun and go!"
The camp was a mess. People looting the last food, trying to start the broken generator, beating women and children to vent anger.
VRROOOOM!!!
An engine roar forcibly interrupted the chaotic farce.
The iconic, steel beast—the Land Rover Defender—smashed through the gate's barbed wire. With unstoppable momentum, it charged into the center of the camp.
Door opened.
I jumped out with the Tang Dao. Shadow jumped out baring fangs.
Then, Quinn stepped out from the back seat. Covered in blood (Black Shark's blood), holding a dripping human head. Black Shark's head, eyes wide open in death.
"Anyone who doesn't want to die, KNEEL!"
Quinn threw the head on the ground hard. Roared.
Her voice carried the pressure of her newly awakened ability, hurting everyone's eardrums.
Seeing the familiar bald head rolling on the ground, the thugs who wanted to resist collapsed completely.
"Black... Black Shark is dead?!" "Captain Quinn... Quinn killed her way back!"
Clang!
Someone dropped a steel pipe. Then, like dominoes, everyone dropped their weapons, held their heads, and knelt on the ground, shivering.
This is the rule of the apocalypse.
Might makes right. When the old king falls and the new king descends, their only choice is submission.
"From now on," I scanned the crowd, voice calm but chilling. "This is a sub-base of Sector C Shelter. I am the Lord here."
I pointed at Quinn.
"She is the manager here. Her word is my word. Anyone who disobeys..."
Shadow cooperated, spitting a Wind Blade at a waste oil drum nearby.
Shunk!
The drum was sliced in half. Mirror-smooth cut.
"That is the consequence."
Dead silence. No one dared to breathe loud.
...
The next hour was the boring but pleasant "Receiving Phase."
Quinn knew this place too well. She filtered the remaining personnel with lightning speed: the die-hard loyalists with blood debts, the ones who bullied their peers, were dragged out and executed on the spot (thrown out to feed zombies). The enslaved survivors and technicians were kept and organized into a "Labor Squad."
I took Shadow straight to the depths of the station.
Black Shark's private warehouse. The core of the camp.
"System, scan environment."
[Potential Industrial Facility Structure Detected.][Found: Underground Maintenance Workshop (Abandoned)][Found: Large quantity of raw metal materials][Found: Basic machining tools (Lathes, Drill Presses)]
"Knew it."
I looked at the feedback, smiling.
Black Shark was brutal, but not stupid. He occupied the subway station not just because it was defensible, but because it had an industrial foundation. Train maintenance tools, ventilation systems, tons of steel.
Exactly what I needed.
My [Primary Production Workshop] could make simple traps, but mass-producing ammo and repairing precision guns required more space and equipment.
"System, access subway station energy grid."
"Mark this area as [Sub-Base], and initiate [Intermediate Production Workshop] upgrade protocol!"
[Command Confirmed.][Integrating resources...][Cost: 50 System Energy, 500kg Metal (Local Sourcing).][Upgrading...]
As the System light flashed, the rusty, messy machines seemed to be reassembled and polished by invisible hands. Blue arcs jumped between equipment, connecting them into a complete production line.
Ten minutes later.
A brand new ammo production line, smelling of industrial oil, appeared before me.
[Intermediate Production Workshop (Arsenal Module)]
Function: Mass produce 9mm, 5.56mm, 7.62mm standard ammo; Repair/Modify light firearms; Manufacture compound bow arrows, riot shields.
Capacity: 500 rounds/day (Requires Copper, Lead, Gunpowder).
"Finally..."
I touched the cold metal table. A huge sense of security filled me.
In the apocalypse, food keeps you alive. But only guns and ammo let you live with dignity.
With this arsenal, I was no longer a lone survivor, but the embryo of an armed faction.
"Stop staring at the scrap metal."
Shadow urged from the side. He had zero interest in lathes. He was interested in the giant safe in the corner. "Good stuff inside. I smell it."
Black Shark's private safe. Hidden in a secret compartment in his bedroom (a modified luxury train car).
"This guy looted for so long, must have a stash."
I walked over. Didn't use a code (didn't know it anyway). Jammed the Tang Dao into the seam. Brute force breach.
Creak—
Door pried open.
No mountain of food. No crates of guns.
Only a few shelves.
Top shelf: Gold and Jewelry. Thick gold chains, diamond rings, luxury watches... tossed together carelessly. Blinding.
"More shiny trash." Shadow scoffed.
But I was happy. This meant more funds for my next Reality "shopping trip." Rough estimate, at least three or four million.
Second shelf: A few well-maintained guns. A police Type 92 pistol, a double-barrel shotgun, and... a standard issue Type 95 Assault Rifle! Not much ammo, but a real killing machine.
"Mine." I picked up the rifle, loving it.
Third shelf, the bottom one. Only a black document bag and a strange red key.
The key was large, dark red. Not metal, but looked like polished bone. The handle was carved into a hideous skull.
"What is this?"
I picked it up. Ice cold to the touch. Even made the lightning in my body jump slightly.
"Careful." Shadow suddenly alerted. He sniffed the key, hackles rising again. "It has... that smell."
"Which one?"
"The C-Rank Tyrant's smell. No, stronger. More ancient." Shadow's voice lowered. "This key has been in contact with a high-level Variant often, or... it was taken from a Variant's body."
I shivered. Opened the black bag.
Inside was a blueprint of the subway engineering tunnels.
But at the end of the line, where it should have dead-ended, someone drew a red dotted line extending deep underground. At the end of the dotted line, a red skull was marked, with scribbled words:
[Deep Maintenance Zone (Sector D) - RESTRICTED! DO NOT ENTER!][Source of Infection?]
"Deep Maintenance Zone..."
I looked at the map, then the bone key.
So Black Shark stayed here not just to rob survivors. He was guarding this entrance. But he didn't dare go in.
"Shadow, do you smell it?"
"Smelled it."
Shadow turned to the deep subway tunnel. Pitch black. Like a giant mouth leading to hell.
"Wind is blowing from there. Carrying a... very disgusting, sweet smell. Like rotting flowers, or..." He hesitated. "Like something hatching."
"Hatching?"
My back went cold.
Was the zombie crisis in this city not natural? Did it come from underground?
This key was the ticket to the truth (or hell).
"Looks like we have a terrifying neighbor living downstairs."
I stored the key and map in System Space.
Just fought a battle. Shelter needs integration. Quinn needs to adapt. We don't have the energy to explore a high-difficulty dungeon right now.
But instinct told me, sooner or later, we have to go down.
"Boss."
Quinn's voice came from outside the car.
"Cleanup complete. We found some imprisoned women in the warehouse, and..." She paused. "Some corpses eaten down to the bone."
Her voice suppressed rage.
"Take the living to Sector C. Give them food and water. The dead... burn them."
I walked out. Looked at this massive underground palace.
Dim lights. Foul air.
But on this ruin, a new order was being built.
"Quinn."
"Here."
"Starting tomorrow, fire up the production line. I want all combat personnel equipped with decent weapons in three days."
I pointed at the deep tunnel. "We aren't just holding this place. We are... expanding."
"Yes!"
Quinn gave a non-standard salute. Eyes shining.
I touched the gold in my pocket. Looked at Shadow.
"Let's go, Shadow. Leave this to her. We go back to Sector C."
"And..." I lowered my voice. "Once this is settled, we need a trip to Reality. This time, I'm buying some heavier toys."
To deal with that bottomless "Deep Maintenance Zone."