Chapter 25: Since You Refuse to Act, I Will Take Matters Into My Own Hands

Lin Mu paid no heed to the chicken simmering on the stove. He started the vehicle and drove forward at a measured pace. Although his car had been fortified several times and was now exceedingly sturdy, being rammed would still be unpleasant.

The vehicle behind him drew closer and closer. But in the darkness, all he could discern was that it was a car—nothing more. After five minutes had passed, he muttered, “Why don’t you go ahead? Why are you tailing me? Brother, I’m just driving a garbage truck. Do you really need to be afraid of me?”

Lin Mu was genuinely puzzled. Judging from the height of the other car’s headlights, it was clearly taller than his own, which meant it must be bigger—at the very least, an off-road vehicle. Yet, the other car refused to pass him and take the lead. He even slowed down to forty kilometers per hour, but still the car behind wouldn’t overtake him.

He glanced at the simmering chicken on the stove, noting that the countdown showed ten minutes remaining. “If you’re not coming forward, you’ll have to wait for my chicken to finish cooking. Then you’ll see how I deal with you.”

Opening the workbench, Lin Mu crafted a spearhead. Then he activated his modification skill. He placed the spearhead in one slot, an iron ingot in another.

[Option 1]: Install a fixed two-meter-long spear at the rear of the vehicle.
[Option 2]: Install an extendable, controllable spear at the rear.
[Option 3]: Add a row of weapons at the rear, increasing the quantity by one.

“Option three,” he said.

The car shuddered slightly, and the modification was complete. “I’ll make sure you enjoy yourself in a moment,” Lin Mu muttered.

He continued to use the modification skill, upgrading each spear a second time.

[Ding! After repeated use of the infinite modification skill, the skill has been upgraded!]

What?

Lin Mu stared at the sudden notification, baffled. Could this skill really be upgraded? The interface looked unchanged, just as it had before. But when he opened the modification skill again, he froze. Previously, there had been two slots; now, there were three. Moreover, an extra line had appeared—one that elevated the skill to a new level.

Players may specify a modification direction!

That’s right, he could now choose the direction. This was far more flexible than relying on the system’s intelligence. Whenever he tried to strengthen something, he was presented with random modification options, which was frustrating. Even when he replaced the materials, the options hardly changed, and he wasted plenty of resources before achieving the desired effect.

But still... why could this skill be upgraded? He glanced at the rearview mirror; the other vehicle was now right behind him. Since it refused to go ahead, he took the opportunity to study the skill further.

“Hey, system, can this skill be upgraded?”

[All skills can be upgraded.]

“But there’s nothing here indicating it can be upgraded, nor any visible conditions.”

[...]

[Skill upgrade display is expected to be unlocked in the third week. Please be patient.]

“What? You update every so often?”

[Please remain calm, player. We did not anticipate anyone obtaining the skill so early. Nor did we expect someone to use it this frequently. Please be patient; it will unlock in due course.]

Lin Mu pursed his lips. So it was his fault, then? He couldn’t really blame the survival game designers. Their calculations had assumed features would unlock over time. No one expected a player to acquire the skill right at the start, and even those who did wouldn’t use it so recklessly, given how precious materials were.

Yet they had encountered Lin Mu, an anomaly among anomalies.

Lin Mu didn’t concern himself with the game developers’ ideas; all he cared about was that the chicken was ready. He stowed pot and chicken together in his storage space.

“If you won’t take the lead, I’ll make my move,” he declared.

He slammed the brakes, and a row of one-meter-long spears extended from the rear taillights. The car behind quickly braked as well, but without protective chains and with little distance between them, the two vehicles collided directly.

Lin Mu felt only a slight jolt; the car behind seemed similarly unaffected. The driver behind was perplexed—why had a collision produced so little impact?

A smile played on Lin Mu’s lips as each spear extended its barbed hooks, latching onto the internal components of the other car’s front end.

He shifted to drive and pressed the accelerator, dragging the rear vehicle along. The connection between the front of the trailing car and Lin Mu’s own produced a series of creaks.

Bang!

A heap of parts clattered to the ground.

The driver behind was alarmed. “What the hell is this?”

Now he was scared; he wished he had just overtaken Lin Mu earlier. He’d been scheming to maximize his gains, but before he could act, Lin Mu struck first.

Lin Mu, however, gave him no chance to escape. As soon as the trailing vehicle tried to turn and flee, Lin Mu reversed.

Bang!

The spear pierced the vehicle, its barbs rising.

The driver watched as a barbed spear extended from the passenger seat, swallowing hard.

“What is this thing?”

Knock, knock, knock—

The driver stiffly turned his head to see Lin Mu grinning menacingly at him.

Ah!!

A scream tore from the man’s throat.

Lin Mu scratched his head. “What’s with the yelling? You act as if you’ve seen a ghost.”

He raised his right hand and smashed the window with an axe. Then he drew his pistol and fired a shot into the man’s forehead.

Opening the car door, he tossed the corpse outside. He jumped into the vehicle and immediately seized the vehicle core.

[Vehicle Core Lv2]

Lin Mu raised his eyebrows. A second-level core—so this road must have merged from several routes. Apparently, the dead weren’t merely frozen.

He stored the core in his backpack and checked the vehicle for anything special, finding nothing. He climbed out and stored the car in his backpack.

“I’ll ask that guy later whether others have tried storing vehicles in their backpacks. I need to know if everyone can do it, or if it’s just me.”

Before leaving, he looked down at the body, pondering for a moment.

Lin Mu stripped the man’s coat and pants, leaving him in long underwear and a shirt—just enough for dignity.

He returned to his own car, tossing the clothing into the recycling space.

...

Half an hour later.

Lin Mu wiped the grease from his mouth.

“I must admit, this survival game is quite considerate. With these tools, even those who can’t cook can enjoy delicious meals.”

His culinary skills were mediocre; what he made was edible, but hardly tasty. Here, though, all he had to do was throw ingredients in the pot, add water, and wait. When time was up, a delicious meal awaited.

“Now it’s time for an upgrade.”