121: Chapter 121 Vehicle Upgrade, The Birth of the Dream Chaser

The photosensitive elements of the blue-eyed robot flickered with a faint light, guiding the hovering pickup truck slowly into the center of the glass building—a blue ring pattern five meters in diameter on the floor circulated a data stream of 0s and 1s. As the pickup entered the ring, a synthetic electronic voice rang out: "Please park the vehicle within the blue ring and step outside of it."

When everyone had retreated outside the ring, it instantly lit up with a soft blue light, causing the vehicle's body to hover at a height of one meter above the ground.

Everyone's eyes were locked onto the hovering pickup. Even the usually restless Zhao Hu subconsciously held his breath, fearing he might disturb this eerie technological phenomenon.

"Shall I proceed with the introduction of the [Supply Station of the God of Technology]?" The robot turned toward Li Mubai, its photosensitive elements blinking slightly.

"Yes." As soon as Li Mubai spoke, a flowing blue data light screen descended from the air.

[Supply Station of the God of Technology]

[Serial Number: AZ0136]

[Function: Consume dream coins to perform vehicle upgrades, supply replenishment, information inquiries, and other operations]

Five small light screens then floated in front of each person. Li Mubai and Zhang Hao immediately huddled together, their light screens overlapping and merging as their fingers swiped rapidly over the "Vehicle Upgrade" option.

"Defense must be strengthened. Before, it shook just from being hit by a zombie; it'll be very dangerous if we encounter mutants later." Li Mubai pointed at the "Defense: 0.5 (Worn Out)" value on the light screen, his tone serious.

Zhang Hao nodded and pulled up the power module data: "A speed of 55 km/h isn't enough. The endless uphill highway requires more power, and we have to consider fuel—since this is a world full of zombies, we can consider an Incinerator. An Incinerator can produce Corpse Oil, which perfectly solves the problem of insufficient gasoline and can also be used to make Molotov cocktails. Let's also pick a Flamethrower to clear out dense zombie crowds; for fuel, we'll use Corpse Oil as well."

"The size needs to be increased. The current truck bed is too cramped; we need the vehicle to store more supplies. We also need to install mechanical claws for grabbing zombies and as combat support." Li Mubai added. Their eyes met, and they instantly finalized the upgrade plan—balancing racing needs with the zombie threat while reducing fuel consumption through the Corpse Oil cycle. Every choice hit the precise balance between 'practicality' and 'cost-effectiveness'.

Once the other three had quickly finished browsing the light screens, Li Mubai looked up at the robot and said, "Confirm the consumption of dream coins for 'Vehicle Itemization'."

[Vehicle Itemization - Consumes 10 dream coins]

A translucent data light screen suddenly rose from the blue ring, completely enveloping the pickup. The next second, a pale blue vehicle panel appeared out of thin air, clearly exposing the pickup's shortcomings:

[Item Type] Vehicle

[Name] Unnamed (Worn Out Pickup)

[Attack] 0 (No weapons equipped)

[Defense] E (Worn Out)

[Speed] 55 km/h

[Power] Gasoline (Fuel)

[Consumables] Gasoline (Vehicle Power)

"Vehicle name: [dream chaser]. Confirm execution of upgrade plan: [Vehicle Repair], [Defense Fortification], [Power Enhancement], [Size Expansion], [Weaponry: Incinerator], [Weaponry: Mechanical Power Claws *2], [Weaponry: Flamethrower], [Additional Modification: Connect Incinerator Corpse Oil Output to Vehicle Fuel Tank, Internal Fuel Tank, and Flamethrower Fuel Tank]." Li Mubai rattled off the vehicle upgrade plan he had discussed with Zhang Hao in one breath.

[Vehicle Naming: dream chaser, Confirmed]

[Vehicle Repair - Consumes 10 dream coins, in progress]

Before the words had even faded, a ring of silver liquid seeped out from the light screen, wrapping around the [dream chaser] like a living creature. The originally rust-spotted body 'healed' rapidly within the liquid: the dented roof was popped back out, the shattered windows recongealed into transparent glass, and even the cracks on the tires were filled without a trace. Half a minute later, the silver liquid receded, leaving the [dream chaser] with a fine, dark gray metallic luster, looking as brand new as if it had just rolled off the assembly line.

"Wow! This liquid is like a magic trick!" Zhao Hu couldn't help but lean forward, but was blocked by the hovering vehicle body. He could only stand on his tiptoes and watch longingly, "If only I could touch it..."

[Vehicle Upgrade - Defense Fortification - Consumes 10 dream coins, in progress]

Next, a small silver mechanical arm descended from the ceiling, its nozzle spraying a pale blue mist. The moment the mist landed on the [dream chaser], it turned into a layer of transparent protective film. The body, tires, frame, and even internal parts all reflected a silver-bright luster under the film's coverage. The originally thin door edges also became thick and solid, as if they could withstand the impact of zombies.

Lin Wan looked at the reflective protective film and quietly breathed a sigh of relief. "Now we shouldn't have to worry about the body being damaged by zombies for a while. We can feel more at ease on the road later."

[Vehicle Upgrade - Power Enhancement - Consumes 10 dream coins, in progress]

The [dream chaser]'s hood flipped open automatically, and a bright silver new engine covered in blue energy patterns slowly descended, precisely fitting into the engine bay. The old engine was removed by the mechanical arm and instantly dissolved into a data stream. The moment the new engine started, it let out a low and steady roar, and the "Speed" value on the panel jumped and refreshed to "75 km/h".

Zhang Hao stared at the new engine, the light patterns of [Silver Star] flickering slightly: "The power boost is significant, enough to handle uphill roads. Combined with the Corpse Oil cycle, the fuel problem is solved too."

[Vehicle Upgrade - Size Expansion - Consumes 10 dream coins, in progress]

The most amazing scene appeared—the body of the [dream chaser] was like stretched modeling clay. Enveloped by the light screen, its length, width, and height expanded simultaneously, eventually doubling its original volume. The cockpit became spacious, with black leather seats replacing the old ones; the truck bed space was now large enough for five people to stand, leaving room for future supplies.

Chen Rui's eyes lit up, and he nodded. "With the increased size, there's more room for movement. Even with weapons installed and supplies stored, it shouldn't feel too crowded. The practicality is much higher."

[Weaponry: Incinerator - Consumes 20 dream coins]

[Weaponry: Mechanical Power Claws *2 - Consumes 40 dream coins]

[Weaponry: Flamethrower - Consumes 40 dream coins]

Three weapon components descended from the ceiling simultaneously: a half-person-tall silver-gray Incinerator landed steadily in the center of the truck bed, with an opening at the top for feeding materials and black pipes connected below, the side marked with pale blue "High Temperature Processing" characters; two two-meter-long Mechanical Power Claws were installed on either side of the vehicle, their metallic blades glinting coldly, three joints moving flexibly, with silver hydraulic devices at the base exuding a sense of power; a bright red Flamethrower was fixed to the front of the roof, its muzzle pointing forward, with fuel lines running along the roof to below the truck bed.

[Vehicle Modification - Requirements Confirmed, Consumes 15 dream coins, in progress]

Three silver pipes extended from the Incinerator's "Corpse Oil output," like flexible metal snakes, precisely drilling into the [dream chaser]'s main fuel tank, the Incinerator's own fuel tank, and the Flamethrower's fuel line. Pale blue energy ripples appeared at the connections before they merged perfectly with the vehicle body, without a single visible gap.

As the data light screen dissipated, the [dream chaser] hovered in the center of the blue ring, like a steel behemoth born in the apocalypse—the dark gray body was wrapped in a silver-bright protective film, the Mechanical Power Claws on both sides opened and closed slightly, the muzzle of the roof-mounted Flamethrower glowed with a faint red light, and the Incinerator in the center of the truck bed stood quietly, the three hidden pipes hinting at the mystery of the Corpse Oil cycle. The updated panel flickered beside the vehicle:

[Item Type] Vehicle

[Name] dream chaser

[Attack] 8 (Equipped with Incinerator, Mechanical Power Claws *2, Flamethrower)

[Defense] 5 (Reinforced Protective Film + Fortified Body)

[Speed] 75 km/h (New Engine + Power Optimization)

[Power] Gasoline/Corpse Oil (Dual Fuel Supply)

[Consumables] Gasoline/Corpse Oil (Incinerator can generate Corpse Oil for replenishment)

"This is way too cool!" Zhao Hu punched the air excitedly, his eyes glued to the Mechanical Power Claws. "Next time we run into zombies, we'll just crush them with the mechanical claws and toss them into the Incinerator to make fuel. It's perfect!"

Lin Wan looked at the brand-new [dream chaser], the Three-colored Flower Bud in her palm trembling slightly, her voice full of relief: "With a vehicle like this, we'll have much more confidence in dealing with zombies and traveling later."

Chen Rui focused on the Flamethrower on the roof and analyzed calmly: "The Flamethrower is efficient for clearing dense zombie crowds, and the mechanical claws can handle individual mutants. Both offense and defense are covered."

Zhang Hao and Li Mubai exchanged a look, both seeing satisfaction in the other's eyes—this negotiated upgrade not only compensated for all the old pickup's shortcomings but also made the [dream chaser] a highly competitive 'Sharp Weapon' in the apocalyptic race.

The blue-eyed robot spoke at the appropriate time: "Vehicle upgrade complete. Would you like to perform other operations?"

At this moment, Zhang Hao stepped forward.