117: Chapter 117 Division of Labor Breaks the Impasse, Pikachu Breaks Through

"Everyone, assemble!" Li Mubai's command landed just as the faint light of [Star Rail] lit up. A 3D battlefield map projected by the astrolabe instantly filled everyone's vision. "Zhao Hu, Chen Rui, clear the zombies. Lin Wan, provide buffs and purification support. Zhang Hao, find and repair a vehicle — we must break through before the collapse reaches us!"

Before his voice faded, a red light erupted around Zhao Hu's body as [Giant Strength Berserk] was instantly activated, his muscles bulging like iron blocks. [Roar] leaped onto his shoulder, the black patterns on its silver-gray fur glowing with electricity as it let out a deafening "Electronic Roar." Where the sound waves spread, the movements of the five approaching zombies from behind suddenly slowed, even the sound of bone friction at their joints lagging. "Good timing!" Zhao Hu clenched his fists and charged at the zombie horde, slamming a fist into the chest of the lead zombie. With a dull thud, the zombie's body was sent flying, crashing into a discarded car and turning into a pile of mush.

Meanwhile, Chen Rui entered a state of information-level invisibility. [Thousand Faces] instantly transformed into two silver short blades flickering with electric currents. He moved like a ghost behind the zombies, using discarded cars as cover to teleport repeatedly, his short blades precisely piercing the back of each zombie's head. "Leave the three on the left to me!" Just as he finished speaking, [Thousand Faces] transformed again into a silver reinforced armguard covering his right arm. Chen Rui threw a punch, the impact of the electricity shattering another zombie's skull. Dark brown foul blood splattered onto the armguard but was instantly burned and evaporated by the current.

"Physical Specialization Enhancement (one of the ways to use the life element developed by Lin Wan, which grants different specialized enhancements based on the recipient's physical specialization)!" Lin Wan raised her hand, and pale pink life buds swirled around her. [Qingyu] flapped its green-and-gold patterned wings, breathing out two soft halos that enveloped Zhao Hu and Chen Rui respectively. Zhao Hu's muscle lines became even more ferocious, his strength and defense boosted; Chen Rui's movements became swifter, his speed so fast he almost became an afterimage. "Mass Purification!" Next, Lin Wan controlled the three elements to alternately release the [Purification Halo] — the cool blue light of the Water Element first covered the field, washing away the viral blood splattered in the air; the green ripples of the wood element followed, strengthening everyone's immune Systems; finally, the pink light of the life element flowed, forming a thin protective film to firmly block any potential zombie virus intrusion. [Qingyu] continued to flap its wings on her shoulder, further enhancing the halo's coverage and duration.

Simultaneously, the detection range of Li Mubai's [Star Rail] continued to expand. Light spots on the astrolabe flickered, marking the condition of every discarded car: "Large Pickup truck 50 meters ahead, engine core stable, prioritize locking onto it!" He synchronized the battlefield data with Zhang Hao, "Two more zombies approaching from the rear, there's a gap on Zhao Hu's left, Chen Rui, watch the position!" The Order Energy of [Star Rail] fluctuated slightly, correcting the zombies' movement trajectories in real-time to provide precise guidance for the clearing operation.

Zhang Hao sprinted toward the Large Pickup. The light pattern on the forehead of [Silver Star] on his shoulder lit up, and the chaotic-colored pupils of the [All-Knowing Eye (Pseudo)] spun rapidly, retrieving stored vehicle repair data (Silver Star had been constantly gathering various types of information through the network during its rest periods): "Chassis is not deformed, engine wiring is short-circuited, left rear tire pressure is low — need to repair wiring and change the tire!" He tapped [Silver Star] with his fingertip, and a stream of information surged into the pickup's console. The originally dark dashboard lit up, displaying the specific fault locations. Zhang Hao bent down to open the pickup's trunk, took out the spare tire and repair tools, and followed Silver Star's guidance to quickly disassemble the engine hood, his movements precise and efficient without a single wasted step.

"Zombies breaking through from the rear!" Chen Rui's voice rang out. Two zombies had bypassed Zhao Hu's defense and were stumbling toward Zhang Hao, who was busy with repairs. Zhao Hu spun around, and [Roar] emitted another Electronic Roar. The zombies' movements faltered, and Zhao Hu took the opportunity to stride forward, tripping the two zombies with a sweep kick before stomping down hard, instantly crushing their skulls. Chen Rui teleported to Zhao Hu's side, [Thousand Faces] transforming into a silver serrated longsword that severed the arm of the last zombie trying to crawl up. "All zombies cleared!"

"Wiring repair complete!" Zhang Hao wiped the sweat from his forehead. The information stream from [Silver Star] stopped flickering, and a faint hum came from the engine bay. "Tire changed too, ready to start anytime!"

Lin Wan immediately withdrew the enhancement buffs and released another round of the triple-element [Purification Halo] to ensure no one was contaminated: "Purification complete, no risk of infection!" [Qingyu] breathed out a wisp of tri-colored light, gently brushing over the pickup's engine to further purify any zombie virus the vehicle might be carrying.

Li Mubai was the first to climb into the driver's seat, the route map from [Star Rail] projected onto the windshield: "Zhang Hao, monitor the data. Lin Wan, watch the collapse range behind us. Zhao Hu, Chen Rui, buckle up!" The key turned, the engine let out a steady Roar, and Zhao Hu stepped on the gas. The Large Pickup lunged forward, the friction of the tires grinding over gravel sounding sharp and piercing.

The dashboard needle climbed rapidly, instantly breaking 50km/h and stabilizing at 55km/h. Behind the vehicle, the edge of the collapse, which was originally 800 meters away, was gradually left behind. Although the heat waves from the magma could still be felt, the tremors of the road significantly weakened. Lin Wan looked back to see the gravel at the edge of the highway continuously falling into the magma, the dark red flames slowly shrinking in her vision: "We've escaped the collapse range, safe for now!"

Zhang Hao looked at the data analysis projected by [Silver Star]: "15km ahead, a building resembling a Supply Station has appeared on the left side of the road."

Li Mubai gripped the steering wheel, his gaze sharp as an eagle's: "We'll go to the Supply Station first to upgrade the pickup and refuel — this [Doomsday Highway] race has only just begun!"

The dilapidated Large Pickup sped along the infinitely uphill highway, the Roar of the engine breaking the dead silence of the apocalypse. The figures of the five people collaborating closely outlined a determined silhouette inside the cabin, while at the fork in the road ahead, new challenges were already quietly waiting.