Screech—!

That teeth-grating sound echoed once more, like someone scraping a rusty iron spoon across a person's molars.

Lin Hui, who was savoring a piece of succulent lamb, froze instantly.

He put down his chopsticks, the contentment in his eyes vanishing in a heartbeat.

The warm air continued to blow inside the car, but it felt as if the atmosphere had solidified.

"On the left side, near the car door."

Holding his breath, Lin Hui silently moved to the driver's seat.

Through the side window, he saw a face.

Or rather, what used to be a face.

It was a humanoid creature, clinging desperately to the outside of the driver's door.

Its skin was a lifeless, ashen white, resembling pork that had been soaked in water for too long. Its eye sockets were devoid of pupils, only a murky white remained, and its mouth was split open to the ears, revealing a set of jagged, black mucus-covered fangs.

It seemed to sense the heat source and the presence of a living person inside the car, pressing its horrifying face against the glass, its nostrils flaring as it greedily sniffed.

[Ding! Monster detected.]

[Analyzing target data...]

A red data box popped up in Lin Hui's mind.

[Target: Strength-Type Zombie (Level 1)]

[Strength: 30] (Note: A healthy adult male is 5, a professional boxer is 10-25.)

Find the original at "pawread.com".

[Agility: 5] (Note: A healthy adult male is 5.)

[Constitution: 30] (Note: A healthy adult male is 5.)

[Evaluation: This is a hungry Level 1 zombie. Its claws can easily tear through your flesh.]

"Strength 30?"

Lin Hui's eyelid twitched violently.

Its speed was on par with an adult male, not the slow-moving type of zombie.

Comparable to a top-tier professional boxer?

Lin Hui glanced at his own physique and couldn't help but take a sharp breath.

This meant that if encountered outside the car, he wouldn't even have a chance to resist.

And this was just a Level 1 zombie.

It seemed the monsters in this world were incredibly strong!

Before Lin Hui could recover from his shock, the zombie outside the window seemed to lose patience.

"Roar—!!"

It let out a guttural roar, raising its claw, as hard as a dead tree branch, and slammed it down on the car door!

Bang!

The 3-ton RV shook violently from the impact!

Lin Hui quickly steadied the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the car door.

The once sturdy metal door now had a fist-sized dent!

Three deep claw marks were clearly visible, the edges of the twisted metal revealing the metallic sheen beneath.

[Warning! Vehicle under attack!]

[Assessment: Barely defended. Although not penetrated, the vehicle's structure is being compromised!]

Lin Hui took a deep breath to calm himself.

"This Level 1 civilian RV is just a 'tin can.' If this creature keeps dismantling it, the door won't last a minute before being torn apart!"

"Once the door is breached, in that cramped cabin, facing this strength 20 monster, I'm dead for sure."

"Counterattack? Or escape?"

At that moment, Lin Hui suddenly recalled the fourth point of the survival guide.

[In this world, even ordinary monsters are hard to defeat, but each one you take down drops abundant resources.]

With that thought, Lin Hui gritted his teeth and quickly reached for his waist.

There hung an Axe Gun.

This was a weapon he had just traded for using Universal Fuel.

[Name: Axe Gun]

[Type: Weapon]

[Quality: Common]

[Ammunition: 3/9]

[Description: Can slash in melee, shoot at range, but has significant recoil!]

Lin Hui gripped the handle of the Axe Gun, the cold metal touch calming him slightly.

But he didn't fire, nor did he open the window.

He hesitated.

"Can I kill it with one shot?"

"Most importantly, to shoot, I have to lower the window."

"In the second I lower the window, will my bullet be faster, or its claw?"

Lin Hui glanced at the monster's gleaming claws, then at his own not-so-strong arm.

Forget it.

A real man never fights monsters in close combat.

Especially when he has a 'cheat.'

"Why should I use my weakness against its strength?"

Lin Hui murmured, reholstering the Axe Gun and gripping the steering wheel with both hands.

"Right! I can ram it with the RV!"

Snap!

Lin Hui released the handbrake and swiftly shifted into drive.

Underfoot, the gas pedal, modified by the [Infinity Trait], was slammed to the floor!

"Get out of my way!!"

Roar—!!!

The engine, with double the power boost, roared like thunder!

The entire RV charged forward like an enraged rhino, its four wheels skidding on the frozen ground, kicking up ice shards and dirt.

The zombie clinging to the door didn't expect the metal beast to suddenly lurch forward.

The massive inertia flung its body backward, but its sharp claws were deeply embedded in the door's metal, stubbornly hanging on!

Screech—!

The teeth-grating sound of metal tearing echoed.

"Still won't let go?"

Lin Hui stared coldly at the grotesque face snarling at him from the window.

"Then don't let go!"

A hundred meters ahead lay the highway guardrail of this abandoned road.

Though rusted and worn, it was solid steel!

Lin Hui had no intention of slowing down, instead pressing the gas pedal even further.

50 mph... 60 mph... 70 mph!

Just as the RV was about to collide with the guardrail, Lin Hui sharply turned the steering wheel to the right!

This was an extremely dangerous maneuver.

If it were an ordinary RV, it would have flipped by now.

But this vehicle, with its 3-ton weight and Lin Hui's near-mad decision-making, clung to the guardrail, carrying a destructive momentum as it scraped past!

And the zombie clinging to the left door was caught between the RV and the guardrail!

"Die!"

Boom!!!

A deafening thud.

The sound of bones shattering and flesh bursting.

Followed by a series of rapid scraping noises.

Screech—Zzzzz—!

The zombie's shrill scream was abruptly cut off by the overwhelming force.

Under the 3-ton RV's 100 km/h pressure, the so-called "strength 20," "constitution 20" was a joke.

At this moment, the ferocious zombie was like a tomato crushed by a hydraulic press.

A mass of black blood mixed with shredded flesh splattered across the left window.

Lin Hui could clearly feel a slight bump from the vehicle, the sensation of the wheels rolling over some "foreign object."

[Ding! Killed Level 1 Strength-Type Zombie!]

[Dropped Item 1: Vehicle Upgrade Blueprint (Lv.1→Lv.2) x1]

[Dropped Item 2: Universal Fuel x1]

[Dropped Item 3: A bottle of Sprite (500ml)]

Hearing the system prompt, Lin Hui was delighted.

The rewards were indeed plentiful!

Lin Hui didn't stop immediately, continuing to drive a bit further.

Finally, he stopped in a place that seemed relatively safe!

"Phew..."

Lin Hui wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and after confirming there were no other disturbances, he cautiously opened the car door.

His right hand held the Axe Gun, and his left hand held a flashlight obtained from a resource box.

The minus ten-degree wind howled in.

Lin Hui tightened his clothes and began inspecting the vehicle.

The outside of the door was a mess.

The once smooth metal door was now pitted and scarred, with a long dent scraped by the guardrail.

Black stains and indistinct rotten flesh marred the glass and metal, looking quite disgusting.

After a quick cleanup, Lin Hui got back into the car, returning to its warmth.

After calming down a bit, he took out the RV upgrade blueprint.

[Name: Vehicle Upgrade Blueprint (Lv.1 → Lv.2)]

[Requirements:]

[1. RV Lv.1 (Satisfied)]

[2. Steel x 50 units (Can be dismantled from abandoned vehicles)]

[3. Rubber x 10 units (Can be dismantled from tires, currently 7/10)] (7 units of tires already included in the blueprint)

[Upgrade Effect: Reinforced armor (defense increased to 40), expanded space.]

Defense 40... Lin Hui's eyes lit up.

The zombie with strength 20 had just torn the door apart, but with defense 40, such monsters would be like scratching an itch!

Moreover, once upgraded to Lv.2...

"The talent [Golden Trait Per Level] will trigger again."

Lin Hui clutched the blueprint, his eyes burning with anticipation.

The first trait [Infinity] had already given him the edge to not be caught by the Grey Mist in this apocalypse.

So, what would the second Golden Trait be?

Just then, a bold red message suddenly popped up in the [Regional Channel], interrupting Lin Hui's thoughts.

"Help!!! My car broke down!!"

"Buddies... I'm the model Li Shuang, please save me, I... I'm willing to do anything!"

"My coordinates are..."

...

The player's system panel updates player coordinates in real-time.

Lin Hui stared at the coordinates, realizing the location was not far from him, about three kilometers away.

But he had no intention of rescuing them.

In the apocalypse, being a saint only hastens your own death!

Looking at the desperate words in the channel, Lin Hui firmly shut the slightly deformed car door.

The recent encounter taught Lin Hui one thing.

"On this escape road, people are not as good as cars."

"As long as the RV is strong enough, I can survive."

Lin Hui solemnly placed the upgrade blueprint on the dashboard, shifted gears, and set off.

Time to find abandoned vehicles, collect steel, and scrap tires!