34: Chapter 34 Loot: Miniature Nuclear Fusion Battery

[Ding! Congratulations, host, for successfully eliminating the Level 3 mutant creature 'Tyrant T01 (Prototype)'!]

[Reward Obtained: +3000 Points!]

[Special Material Obtained: Tyrant's Mutated Bone Arm (Extreme Hardness, can be used to forge weapons) ×1!]

[Core Drop Obtained: Level 3 Mutant Crystal Core (Top Grade) ×1!]

Lin Xiao skillfully used his dagger to pry open the back of the Tyrant's skull, extracting a crystal core the size of a fist, blood-red all over, with what seemed like flowing magma inside.

Feeling the surging energy fluctuations within, Lin Xiao whistled in satisfaction.

"Good stuff. If Xiao Tang uses this, she could probably go lift a train car."

Tossing the crystal core into his storage space, Lin Xiao turned to look at the women behind him.

"Everyone okay?"

Despite just having gone through a life-or-death struggle, Lin Xiao's tone was still as casual as if he were asking what was for dinner.

"I'm fine, just a bit weak in the legs..." Liu Ruyan leaned against the wall, gasping for air, her eyes filled with worshipful sparkles as she looked at Lin Xiao.

Shen Man was tending to Su Qingqian. Seeing Lin Xiao's gaze, she quickly reported, "Qing Qian's bleeding has stopped, but her broken ribs need rest. She can't do any strenuous activity."

"Good."

Lin Xiao nodded and walked over to the secret chamber door that the Tyrant had smashed open.

This monster had been guarding this place, which meant the most valuable thing in this base was definitely hidden inside.

"Luo Yao, follow me. Let's go open the treasure chest."

...

Stepping over the Tyrant's corpse, everyone entered the top-secret laboratory located in the deepest part of B2 level.

The environment here was completely different from the filth and chaos outside.

It was a small space of only about fifty square meters. The walls were made of silver-white special alloy, spotlessly clean.

In the center of the room stood a solitary display platform.

On the platform rested a briefcase with an extremely sci-fi design and a black chip embedded in a base.

Luo Yao was the first to rush forward. Her large eyes widened into perfect circles the moment she saw the symbol on the briefcase, and she even forgot to breathe.

"This... this is..."

Her small hand trembled as she reached out, stroking the nuclear warning symbol on the briefcase, so excited she was at a loss for words.

"Squad Leader! Look at this serial number! 'Helios-Alpha'! Helios! This is a product from the pre-war legendary 'Sun God Project'!"

"Speak plainly." Although Lin Xiao didn't fully understand, he cared more about practicality.

"This is a **[Micro Cold Fusion Reactor (Prototype)]**!!!"

Luo Yao's voice cracked with a shriek, so excited she nearly jumped on the spot.

"Do you know what this means? It means unlimited energy!!"

"This little case has an output power equivalent to a medium-sized thermal power plant! And it's stable, clean, with no radiation whatsoever!"

"If we install this on our Black Iron, we can say goodbye to burning coal and diesel forever! All the electrical equipment can run at full power! Those electromagnetic railguns, high-energy laser towers, the entire vehicle's energy shields... we can use them all!"

Hearing this, Lin Xiao's breathing also became heavier.

Energy was the biggest bottleneck in the post-apocalyptic world.

Although the Black Iron was powerful, it had always been limited by fuel issues, not daring to activate many high-power devices casually.

With this thing, the Black Iron would no longer be just a train, but a perpetually moving mobile fortress!

This was a true divine artifact!

"Pack it up! Pack it up immediately!"

Lin Xiao ordered decisively. With something this good, he was afraid it might fly away if he looked at it for too long.

He personally stored the heavy briefcase in his storage space. Only there did he feel at ease.

"And this!"

Luo Yao pointed at the black chip beside it.

"This is the pre-war highest-level **[Military-Grade AI Core]**! Although it hasn't been activated, I detect its logic circuits are perfect. If we connect it to the train's central control system, it can help us automatically manage all the train's subsystems, even assist in combat calculations!"

"Fantastic."

Lin Xiao picked up the chip, his eyes gleaming with ambition.

Unlimited energy + powerful artificial intelligence.

This was like giving the Black Iron a heart and a brain!

Even without that gene serum, just these two items alone made this expedition a huge win!

"By the way, where's the gene serum?"

Lin Xiao looked around but didn't see any trace of the serum.

"Here!"

Luo Yao pointed at the server terminal screen nearby.

"The finished serum seems to have been taken during the evacuation... but! There's a complete **[Perfect-Grade Gene Enhancement Serum Formula]** and full experimental data here!"

"As long as we have the corresponding equipment and materials, plus Sister Shen Man's medical ability assistance, we can manufacture it ourselves on the train!"

"A formula?"

Lin Xiao was slightly disappointed, but then he reconsidered. Teaching someone to fish is better than giving them a fish. With the formula, they could mass-produce in the future, building an entire army of "superwomen." That was a more long-term benefit!

"Download! Download everything!"

"Yes! Copying data... Progress 30%..."

Luo Yao's fingers flew across the keyboard as the progress bar on the screen jumped rapidly.

However, just as the progress bar reached 99%.

A sudden change occurred!

*Beep—!!!*

The lights in the entire laboratory suddenly turned into a blinding red!

A piercing alarm instantly blared!

[Warning! Detection of core energy source removal! Detection of top-secret data being illegally copied!]

[Base Security Protocol Final Clause Triggered!]

[Self-Destruct Sequence Initiated! Countdown: 5 minutes!]

[All lockdown doors will close shortly! Evacuate immediately!]

"Holy shit!"

Lin Xiao couldn't help but curse.

Did all pre-war scientists have this nasty habit? Take something and the place self-destructs?

"Data copy complete!"

Luo Yao yanked out the storage drive, her little face pale with fright.

"Squad Leader! Run! This self-destruct isn't explosives; it's the geothermal energy source at the base's foundation overloading! Once it erupts, the entire mountain will collapse!"

"Retreat! Everyone, retreat!"

Lin Xiao roared, grabbing a nearby supply backpack and throwing it to Liu Ruyan.

"Liu Ruyan! You take Luo Yao and Shen Man and run first! Don't look back! You must get out before the doors seal!"

"Yes!"

Liu Ruyan also knew the situation was critical; this was no time for sentimentality. She displayed astonishing physical prowess, pulling Luo Yao with one hand and pushing Shen Man with the other, sprinting desperately toward the exit.

Lin Xiao didn't leave first.

He turned and strode over to Su Qingqian, who was leaning against the wall.

"I can walk myself..."

Su Qingqian's face was pale. She tried to force herself to stand, but the moment she moved, excruciating pain from her ribs made cold sweat pour down her face. Her body went weak, nearly causing her to fall.

"Walk my ass!"

Lin Xiao cursed domineeringly, not letting her argue.

He directly turned his back to her, half-squatted, and reached back with both hands, firmly supporting her pert, rounded buttocks.

"Get on!"

Su Qingqian felt her body become light as she was already lying on Lin Xiao's broad back.

That kind of intimate contact she had never experienced before made her body instantly stiffen.

Her chest pressed tightly against Lin Xiao's back; she could even feel his powerful heartbeat and the rhythm of his muscles.

As the aloof campus belle, she had never had such intimate physical contact with a boy in her life. Shame, a sense of security, and a trace of inexplicable, strange emotion surged in her heart all at once.

"Hold on tight! If you fall, I'm not responsible!"

Feeling the softness and stiffness on his back, the corner of Lin Xiao's mouth curled into a mischievous smile.

His large hand unceremoniously gave a firm squeeze on that elastic position to secure her.

"You..."

Su Qingqian let out a soft whimper, her face instantly flushing as red as if it would drip blood, her originally cool demeanor completely gone.

This jerk! He still finds time to take advantage even in a situation like this!

But she also knew this was a life-or-death moment. She could only bite her lip, obediently extend her arms, tightly wrap them around Lin Xiao's neck, and bury her face in the crook of his neck.

Her nose was filled with the unique hormonal scent of this man—a mix of sweat, gunpowder smoke, and blood—yet it made her feel incredibly at ease.

"Hold on tight! The old driver is taking off!"

Lin Xiao let out a low roar. The muscles in his legs exploded with power as he shot forward like a cannonball!

...

This was absolutely a race against death.

*Rumble—*

The entire base began to tremble violently. Rubble and dust constantly fell from above.

Red alarm lights flashed frantically, illuminating the passageways like hell.

"Warning! B1 Level Isolation Door closing in 30 seconds!"

The electronic synthesized voice echoed in their ears like a death knell.

Lin Xiao, carrying Su Qingqian on his back, sprinted through the passageways filled with obstacles.

His speed was extreme, each leap covering several meters.

Su Qingqian lay on his back, rising and falling with his movements, the friction between them intensifying.

She could feel Lin Xiao's scorching body temperature seeping through the thin clothing, making her entire body go weak.

At this moment when death could come at any time, this extreme ambiguity and stimulation actually gave her the absurd thought of wanting to keep running like this forever.

"There's falling debris ahead! Be careful!"

Su Qingqian, enduring the pain, reminded him by his ear.

A huge concrete slab fell from above, blocking the path.

"Hold on!"

Lin Xiao didn't slow down; instead, he accelerated into a sprint.

He pushed off the wall, leaping into the air, performing an incredible mid-air flip, narrowly avoiding the falling debris.

Upon landing, to cushion the impact, he had to perform a deep squat.

This violent jolt made their bodies press together even more tightly, leaving no gap.

"Mmm..."

Su Qingqian let out a suppressed groan, unsure if it was from the pain of her wound or something else.

"There! I see the door!"

Ahead, the massive alloy door was slowly closing!

The gap was less than a meter wide!

Liu Ruyan and the other two had already squeezed through and were shouting anxiously from outside.

"Squad Leader! Hurry! The door's closing!"

"Open... up!"

Looking at the nearly closed gap, a flash of madness appeared in Lin Xiao's eyes.

He took a deep breath, the adrenaline in his body surging to its peak.

Last ten meters!

Five meters!

Two meters!

Just as the door was about to shut completely.

Lin Xiao made a flying leap!

Carrying Su Qingqian, he slid through the final gap like a sliding tackle!

*Sizzle—*

Sparks flew as his clothes scraped against the ground.

The moment his heels just cleared the threshold.

*BOOM!*

A deafening roar came from behind.

The thick alloy door slammed shut completely, sealing the all-consuming explosion and flames tightly inside.

"Huff... huff..."

Lin Xiao lay sprawled on the ground littered with rubble, gasping for air in huge gulps.

Sweat streamed down his face; he felt like his lungs were about to burst.

And on top of him, Su Qingqian was equally disheveled.

Because of their previous position, she was now lying entirely on Lin Xiao's chest, her hair disheveled, her face flushed like peach blossoms, her eyes dazed.

Their eyes met.

So close they could feel each other's breath.

Su Qingqian's heart pounded like a drum. Looking down at this man, at those eyes filled with wildness and aggression, she suddenly felt her mouth go dry.

As if possessed, she didn't get up immediately. Instead, she reached out and gently wiped away a smear of blood from Lin Xiao's forehead.

"We survived."

Her voice was so gentle it didn't sound like her own.

Seeing her shy yet captivating appearance, Lin Xiao couldn't help but laugh.

He reached out and wrapped his arm around her slender waist again, even having the audacity to slide it up a bit.

"Yeah, we survived."

"So, what's the verdict, Campus Belle Su? Was my back comfortable? Want to get an annual pass?"

Only then did Su Qingqian realize how ambiguous their position was.

Liu Ruyan and the others were running over. If they were seen...

She hurriedly tried to struggle up but accidentally tugged her wound, sucking in a sharp breath of pain.

"Hiss..."

"Don't move."

Lin Xiao put away his playful grin and carefully helped her sit up.

"You're a key protected asset now. I can't afford to break you."

At that moment, Liu Ruyan, Luo Yao, and Shen Man also rushed over.

"Squad Leader! Qing Qian! Are you guys okay?!"

The girls' eyes were red. The moment the door closed, they had truly thought Lin Xiao wouldn't make it out.

"What's with the crying? Bad luck."

Lin Xiao stood up, patted the dust off his clothes, and regained his domineering demeanor.

He glanced back at the slightly trembling mountain, feeling the dull roars from deep underground, knowing that base was completely finished.

But the greatest treasure was already in his pocket.

"We shouldn't linger here."

Lin Xiao waved a hand and directly picked up Su Qingqian again—this time in a standard princess carry.

"Let's go! Home!"

"Extra rations tonight! Victory feast!"

Curled up in Lin Xiao's arms, Su Qingqian didn't struggle this time, nor was she shy.

She just quietly leaned against his chest, listening to that powerful heartbeat.

Looking at the desolate canyon around them, she felt incredibly at peace.

Perhaps this was the best destination one could have in the post-apocalyptic world.

...