The ruins were quiet—too quiet.
Lu Zhen followed Yue Fei through the rubble of collapsed buildings and overgrown streets. The city looked like it had been eaten alive by time and monsters alike.
His eyes scanned everything. Cars half-rusted, store signs hanging loose. Every corner could hide something useful—or something deadly.
His stomach rumbled again.
"I could eat anything right now," he muttered.
Yue Fei didn't answer. She pointed ahead. "There's an old police outpost nearby. Might be something left."
They moved quickly, ducking between wreckage and keeping low. Lu Zhen's pistol felt small in his hand—barely enough if things went bad. But it was all he had.
The outpost was smashed on one side. Inside, desks were overturned, and the faint smell of blood lingered.
Behind a cabinet, Lu Zhen spotted a torn satchel, buried under some debris. He yanked it free.
The pouch was partially open. Inside… small clumps of black powder.
He blinked. His HUD pulsed.
[Item Acquired: Low-Grade Gunpowder x2][Matching Blueprint Detected – 9mm Ammunition]Crafting EXP: [98/100]
His heart jumped.
"That's it," he whispered. "I just need one more craft."
He sat by the wall, opened his interface.Inventory displayed:
1x Spent Shell
1x Steel Fragment
1x Low-Grade Gunpowder
He combined them.
[Crafting Initiated – Simple 9mm Ammo (Tier 0)]Estimated Time: 45 SecondsWarning: Process Interrupts if Mental Focus is Lost
Lu Zhen closed his eyes and focused.
12%… 28%… 47%…
Suddenly—
A shriek cut through the ruins.
"Lu Zhen, MOVE!" Yue Fei's voice echoed from outside.
He opened his eyes. The HUD was still ticking.
73%… 88%…
He could hear something rushing closer—feet slamming against broken pavement.
95%… 97%…
Gunfire echoed. Yue Fei was fighting alone.
99%…
He glanced at the round he had just assembled—rough, mismatched, and certainly not standard.
"This isn't real crafting," he muttered. "Just patching broken things back together."
The system seemed to agree.
[Manual Assembly – Improvised Reload]Note: Material synthesis unavailable at current level. Crude efficiency expected.
He exhaled slowly. "So even crafting has training wheels... I'm not creating from nothing yet. Just... salvaging."
Still, the round gleamed with promise in his palm.Enough to fire. Enough to survive.
[Crafting Complete – 9mm Ammo x1 Created]Crafting EXP: [100/100][Crafting Level Up – Lv. 2 Achieved]New Blueprints Unlocked:– Rusted Frame Pistol– Simple Gunpowder Synth– Bullet Magazine v0.1Material Synthesis Unlocked: Tier 0–1 (Limited)
Lu Zhen jumped up, slammed the round into his pistol's chamber, and sprinted toward the noise.
Yue Fei was locked in a fight with something fast—an infected that ran on all fours, jaws wider than human, eyes glowing faint blue.
[TIER E – Runner Variant Detected]Speed: HighThreat Level: ElevatedDistance: 6 metersVault Capacity: 0.99m³ / 1.00m³
Lu Zhen didn't hesitate.
He aimed and fired.
The bullet hit its side. It stumbled, then roared. Yue Fei slashed with her knife, pushing it back.
He raised the pistol again.
Click.
Empty.
"Damn it."
He turned, spotted a bent riot barrier near the road.
He reached out.
[Decomposition Initiated – Riot Barrier]Material: Reinforced Polymer + SteelScan Time: 4 MinutesDecomposition Time: 3 MinutesCrafting Blueprint Potential: MediumDecomposition EXP: [43/100]
Too long.
Suddenly—
Gunshots rang from the rooftop.
The creature dropped, blood gushing from its skull.
Lu Zhen looked up. A man in a patched combat vest stood on the rooftop, lowering a heavy rifle with practiced calm.
He wore a half-mask, obscuring most of his face, but his stance was sharp—military, maybe ex-special forces.On his right shoulder, a faded emblem: a broken chain over a rising sun.
Before Lu Zhen could say anything, the man simply muttered, "Don't stay in the open," then turned and disappeared into the ruins like a shadow.
Whoever he was, he wasn't just a random survivor.
Again, no thanks. Just survival.
Later, they regrouped behind a collapsed wall.
Yue Fei handed him water. "You're lucky he showed up."
"I would've bought enough time."
"With one bullet?"
Lu Zhen chuckled dryly. "Point taken."
He checked his HUD.
[Vault: 0.99m³ / 1.00m³][Decomposition EXP: 43/100][Crafting EXP: 6/300]
"Almost full," he muttered.
He accessed Vault settings. Sorted through junk—rusted pipes, cracked bolts.
He discarded 0.12m³.
[Vault: 0.87m³ / 1.00m³][Decomposition EXP +3]
"I need to start building things. Otherwise, all this scrap's worthless."
He glanced at his pistol. Still fragile. Still unreliable.
But he could now craft more—even simple gunpowder if needed.
"Level 2 Crafting opens up ammo... maybe even basic tools," he muttered.
He saw Yue Fei watching him.
"You're not like other Evolvers," she said.
"I'm not one," he replied. "My strength comes from... building."
She stared at him. "That's rare. Most just want raw power."
"I want to survive."
She gave a slow nod. "You might."
They moved through more ruins, sticking close to shadow and silence. In a broken appliance shop, Lu Zhen spotted a half-destroyed drone casing.
He knelt, placed a hand on it.
[Scan Initiated – Military Recon Drone (Partial)]Estimated Time: 9 MinutesWarning: Material Tier Too HighCrafting Access: LockedBlueprint Access: Will be stored for future useScan in Progress: [0%]
"I'll come back when I'm stronger."
By sunset, they found shelter in a buried subway station.
Lu Zhen slumped down, exhausted.
The HUD blinked gently.
[Route Tracking: Base Tianlei – 141.8 km Remaining][Crafting Lv.2 | Decomposition Lv.1][Vault Space Stable][Blueprint Library: 5 Entries]Note: Certain advanced crafting requires stabilized forge module – locked
A faint signal wave blinked in the corner.
Still too far.Still alone.
But not completely.
"I'm going to build a real weapon next," he whispered.
Then he looked at Yue Fei."And after that... maybe a team."
She didn't respond.But this time, she didn't argue either.