Jiang Yun’er clutched her heaving, voluptuous chest. After gulping down a mouthful of spring water, she hurried to the bathroom sink, rinsed her mouth vigorously, and spat it out.

She repeated this several times until she was breathing heavily.

She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, her hand trembling as she raised it to cover her mouth. The tiny splits at the corners of her lips still throbbed with a dull pain.

To her disappointment, that strange taste still seemed to emanate faintly from the back of her throat.

Jiang Yun’er’s brow furrowed. She stuck her longest finger deep down her throat and leaned over the toilet, trying to vomit the filth from her stomach.

Unfortunately, to maintain her figure, Jiang Yun’er had always been on a strict diet. She had only eaten two apples for dinner and her stomach was now completely empty.

She dry-heaved for a long time, only managing to spit up some thick saliva.

Seeing that nothing was working, she finally curled up in a corner, hugging her knees as tears streamed down her face, her heart filled with endless regret.

Because of her willfulness, she had lost too many firsts tonight, and she had been forced to grow up.

A long time later, as the regret faded along with her tears, Jiang Yun’er wiped her tear-streaked cheeks and slowly stood up. Standing before the sink, she stared at her own disheveled, soulless reflection in the mirror. Her gaze, once lost, gradually hardened with resolve.

She wasn’t some foolish woman who would fall apart and want to die after a single setback.

In all her years, the darkness she had witnessed and experienced was no less than this.

And if you walk by the riverside long enough, your shoes are bound to get wet.

It was just that this first time slipping and falling into the water had left the ever-cautious Jiang Yun’er feeling deeply unsettled and regretful.

But this painful lesson, and the steep price she paid, would be enough to make her remember that man for the rest of her life.

Looking at her reflection, Jiang Yun’er felt the sore, numb pain in her tonsils and gritted her teeth.

"Just you wait. After I complete this mission and fully awaken, I’ll pay you back for all of this, and more..."

* * *

Outside the quiet auto shop, the Armored RV, hidden under a tarp, was bathed in a faint red glow.

Lin Feng stood in the RV’s bedroom, his eyes fixed on the glossy black pistol in his hand. Its mass far exceeded that of a normal firearm; even with his Level 16 Physique of 119, Lin Feng could feel a palpable weight.

With a Physique twelve times that of a normal person, Lin Feng could effortlessly lift barbell plates weighing over a ton.

Yet the gun in his palm contained a density of Energy that was several times more concentrated. Lin Feng suspected its incredible weight included the Four Thousand shells in the Spatial Magazine.

If that was the case, it made sense.

The moment the Level 16 Machine Cannon finished its Upgrade, Lin Feng quickly scanned the new stats of the Level 17 Grenade Cannon. His gaze then locked onto the conspicuous question that appeared at the end.

He had only five seconds to choose, or the system would randomly select one for him.

Bullet Time and Firepower Coverage.

These were the two options that remained after he had previously chosen Eye of the Death God.

This time, after having thoroughly relaxed, Lin Feng calmly assessed the current situation and decisively chose the latter.

After he confirmed the new Extra Attributes, the data floating over the pistol’s surface loaded the details:

「Firepower Coverage: Within the Effective Range, conduct an indiscriminate bombardment over a 100-square-meter area. The longer the charge time, the greater the unit power. Basic Damage of 20 per square meter, with each second of charging adding 10 Damage, up to a maximum of 150.」

Lin Feng’s eyes lit up as he read the description.

The average Black Spine Zergs were two and a half meters wide and over three meters long. Those at Level 13 or higher were over three meters wide and five meters long.

As for the Tier One Late Stage Black Spine Zergs at Level 16 or above, they were extremely rare. Lin Feng had encountered one that was a full four meters wide and six meters long.

It was comparable to a small truck.

However, the volume of the Black Spine Zergs was deceptive. Their size was mostly due to their two pairs of sharp, slender limbs and the pair of Giant Mandibles in the front, making them resemble long-legged spiders. Their torsos weren’t actually that large.

Lin Feng estimated that when they were chasing in a pack, each one took up about 10 square meters. The current Firepower Coverage could only bombard an area of 100 square meters.

So, at most, it could hit ten of them.

The Damage per square meter was also a bit lacking. An instant blast dealt 20 Damage. Although the total Damage was as high as 2000, it would take at least 50 Damage per square meter to shatter the sturdy legs of a Black Spine Zerg.

Right now, he would need to charge for at least three seconds to heavily wound ten Black Spine Zergs and take them out of combat.

Compared to Eye of the Death God, which could lock onto one head per second, it seemed a bit lackluster. However, when facing a charging army of Black Spine Zergs, Firepower Coverage would be very effective. As long as he could predict the Swarm’s arrival point, he could unleash a wide-area bombardment in an instant, halting the Swarm’s advance.

It was like one shot being equivalent to an entire artillery battery!

Especially since the ability was brand new. With subsequent Upgrades, the area of effect and Basic Damage of Firepower Coverage should increase significantly.

When the battle for Wu City erupted, whether he was defending from within a bunker, actively engaging outside the city, or even trying to shake off the Zerg Race’s pursuit while fleeing...

Firepower Coverage was much more useful than Eye of the Death God.

That was why Lin Feng had decisively chosen Firepower Coverage within the five-second countdown. For the upcoming outpost base at the service area, what he needed was an increase in firepower. Bullet Time, which skewed toward enhancing close-quarters combat, would be less useful.

With the protection of the bunker and the RV, he wouldn’t need to face close-quarters combat for the time being.

As Lin Feng selected the new Extra Attributes, the Upgrade for the Level 17 Grenade Cannon was officially complete.

A new list of stats appeared:

「Grenade Cannon LV17/19, Red Quality」

「Upgrade Points 0/10, Damage 150, Effective Range 6 km, Remaining Bullets 4000/4000」

「Extra Attributes: Bullet Recovery 1/s, Spatial Magazine 4000 rounds, Eye of the Death God 0/50, Firepower Coverage Damage 20+10/s」

「Evaluation: This is a super firearm with the power of a 100mm caliber Grenade Cannon. Its projectiles have been repeatedly enhanced, causing a 5-meter diameter damage radius upon impact. Kill targets to acquire Upgrade Points.」

Lin Feng read through the stats carefully, taking a few deep breaths to calm his excitement.

He had been so focused on choosing the new Extra Attributes that he had overlooked the changes to the Basic Attributes of the Level 17 Grenade Cannon compared to the previous Level 16 Machine Cannon...

Now, after reading the system’s Evaluation and looking back at the stats, Lin Feng realized that the Basic Damage of the Level 17 Grenade Cannon had taken a quantum leap, increasing by 30 points!

It had reached a terrifying 150 Damage.

The range had also increased by 50%, and the ammo capacity was up by one thousand!

Even the number of targets for Eye of the Death God had jumped from 30 to 50.

No wonder the gun felt so heavy in his hand now. The increase in its Basic Attributes was just too massive!

With 150 Damage per shot and four thousand rounds, combined with the RV’s hit-and-run tactics, Lin Feng dared to take on a thousand Black Spine Zergs by himself!

He caressed the new gun fondly, unable to put it down, until Chen Yanyan, who had been waiting, impatiently sat up. She slowly wrapped her arms around him from behind, pressing herself against his back and reaching out to take hold of his gun.

Only then did Lin Feng reluctantly place the Level 17 Grenade Cannon on the nightstand before being pulled onto the bed by Chen Yanyan.

* * *

The next morning, the first thing Lin Feng saw when he opened his eyes was the notification that the Armored RV’s integration, Upgrade, and modification were complete:

「Armored RV LV13/19, Red Quality」

「Upgrade Points 0/10, Damage 60, Defense Power 80, Average Speed 120 km/h, Range 500km」

「Extra Attributes: Biological Armor (Defense Power +40), Armor-Piercing Car Head (Damage +40)」

「New Extra Attributes: Unlimited Firepower (Ten replicas of the Divine-level Pistol converted into ten Heavy Machine Guns, average Damage 40), Self-Propelled Artillery (Three Level 14 Machine Cannons, Damage 100, total ammo 6000, Bullet Recovery 1/h)」

「Evaluation: After a deep integration and modification, this RV’s Defense Power and Damage far exceed that of a standard infantry fighting vehicle, though its engine performance is unchanged. Acquire Upgrade Points based on distance traveled or kills made on the battlefield.」

After this Upgrade, the RV’s Basic Attributes hadn’t increased by much. Only Damage had gone up by ten points; the other stats were unchanged.

Especially the speed and Range. He guessed that the excessive amount of mounted weaponry had caused the vehicle’s total weight to skyrocket, preventing its performance from improving after the Upgrade.

The ten Black Spine Zerg Giant Mandibles had added ten points to the Armor-Piercing Car Head’s Damage. Combined with the base Damage, it could now inflict one hundred points of ramming damage.

Lin Feng figured some of the resources must have been used to repair the damage from his previous point-grinding sessions; otherwise, the improvement wouldn’t have been so small.

Fortunately, the aspects he truly cared about had yielded the returns he had hoped for.

The two new Extra Attributes were incredible. The ten Heavy Machine Guns from Unlimited Firepower had perfectly inherited the stats of the Divine-level Pistol, arming the RV to the teeth. The supplemental damage from the Self-Propelled Artillery, meanwhile, greatly alleviated their lack of heavy firepower.

With a Damage output of one hundred, it could tear through an army of Black Spine Zergs and reap a crazy harvest!

Unfortunately, the ammunition was not abundant, so they would have to use it sparingly in combat. With the Heavy Machine Guns as the primary armament and the Machine Cannons as support, a true war machine of an RV was born.

After reviewing the changes to the stats, Lin Feng couldn’t wait. He threw on his pants and clothes and stepped out of the RV.

The biggest change to the vehicle, still under its tarp, was that several small Black Spine Zerg Giant Mandibles now adorned the armored chassis on the front, back, and sides...

And from within each pincer-like maw, a dark, two-finger-wide gun barrel emanated a dangerous aura!

’The modifications actually used the Black Spine Zerg’s Giant Mandible structure as protective armor for the machine gun ports. What a brilliant idea.’

Lin Feng walked a full circle around the RV. The placement of the ten Heavy Machine Guns was perfectly balanced.

There was one inside each of the three large Giant Mandibles on the front of the vehicle. On the roof, one was placed at each of the four corners, creating a 360-degree, no-blind-spot field of Firepower Coverage that could also be cross-fired for further increased Damage.

The final three were mounted in the rear, meant to hold off any enemies pursuing them from behind.

In addition to these ten Heavy Machine Guns, the high-damage 30mm Machine Cannons were set up on the observation deck.

Although the cannons were all pointing in the same direction, the entire observation deck was now mounted on a rotating base, allowing it to swivel rapidly in any direction to unleash a torrent of fire.

So the Machine Cannons just needed to adjust their firing elevation to work in tandem with the Heavy Machine Guns and handle anti-air duties.

Lin Feng was extremely satisfied with this modification and Upgrade. With a behemoth of such terrifying destructive power, he would finally have a sense of security when traveling along the edges of the Zerg Race’s territory.

Now, everything was ready. The only thing left was for Chen Yanyan to master the new Level 13 Armored RV!

Coordinating all thirteen of these guns and cannons during combat would be a huge challenge for her.

When Lin Feng returned to the RV’s bedroom, he saw the woman sleeping on the bed slowly beginning to wake.

With sleepy eyes, Chen Yanyan hugged Lin Feng’s thick waist, resting her chin on his abs as she murmured:

"Lin Feng, I have to tell you, I had the strangest, strangest dream..."