Chapter 45: Vehicles Exceed Current Level!

Returning to the vehicle, he opened the information panel.

[Vehicle: Garbage Disposal Truck]
[Quality: Grade D]
[Level: Lv5]
[Fuel Tank: 120L/400L]
[Fuel Consumption: 1L/5km]
[Speed: 130 km/h]
[Functions: Superior Cold Resistance, Advanced Heat Insulation, Advanced Defense Strength, Intermediate Offensive Capability]
[Vehicle Skill: SSS-Rank Vehicle Skill (Unique): Infinite Modification]
[Trait: [Waste Utilization]: By placing waste through the rear seat recycling slot into the waste processor behind, corresponding items can be decomposed, with a 50% increase in decomposition rate.]
[Upgrade Requirements: Iron Ingots X50, Silver Ingots X10, Copper Ingots X10, Glass X8, Rubber X4, Vehicle Core Lv4]

Wait!!

His vehicle could be upgraded?

Lin Mu finally realized he had already met the requirements for an upgrade.

"Damn! How many upgrades have I missed?"

He had more than enough materials; upgrading was just a matter of pressing a button.

[Ding! Vehicle upgraded to Lv6, vehicle space expanded by 100%]

Continue!

[Ding! Vehicle upgraded to Lv7, RV functions unlocked, functional zones unlocked, workbench crafting unlocked.]

Wow, so this was where it was hidden.

He'd wanted to remodel the second level before, but the modification skill had always told him it was impossible. Only the bed had allowed for comfortable modification. As for the restroom, he had only managed to set it up after acquiring a toilet.

He thought to himself, with the car's space having grown so much, surely he should be able to modify more.

[Vehicle: Garbage Disposal Truck]
[Quality: Grade C]
[Level: Lv7]
[Fuel Tank: 120L/700L]
[Fuel Consumption: 1L/10km]
[Speed: 160 km/h]
[Functions: Superior Cold Resistance, Superior Heat Insulation, Advanced Defense Strength, Intermediate Offensive Capability, Thermal Weapon Module (Sealed)]
[Vehicle Skill: SSS-Rank Vehicle Skill (Unique): Infinite Modification]
[Trait: [Waste Utilization]: By placing waste through the rear seat recycling slot into the waste processor behind, corresponding items can be decomposed, with a 50% increase in decomposition rate.]
[Upgrade Requirements: Iron Ingots X200, Silver Ingots X100, Copper Ingots X100, Glass X80, Rubber X12, Electronic Components X100, Vehicle Core Lv6]

He could understand everything—whether it was the levels or the improved fuel consumption, it all made sense.

But what did it mean that the "Thermal Weapon Module" was sealed?

"Panel, what does it mean that the thermal weapon module is sealed?"

[...Vehicle level has exceeded the current stage, module cannot be used.]

"Then you should compensate me."

[No compensation necessary. The thermal weapon module has not yet appeared in the treasure chests. If you find it unsightly, I can remove the word 'sealed' for you.]

"…"

Lin Mu stared speechlessly at the words above. This panel really was hard to fool.

"Then at least tell me when the thermal weapon module function will be unlocked."

[During the next disaster, it is expected that some vehicles will reach Lv7.]

Lin Mu nodded. So, in less than fourteen days, it should be available. That was acceptable.

…

"Jiang Ying, do you feel like the space here has gotten bigger?" Gu Wanqing looked around the back.

"It does seem bigger. The vehicle must have been upgraded. But why was there so much commotion with his upgrade?"

"I don't know. I remember when I upgraded… well, mine's only Lv2, hardly anything happened."

No comparison—none at all. His vehicle had surpassed the bounds of ordinary understanding. Were all the top players' vehicles this advanced?

Lin Mu closed the vehicle information panel and started the engine, heading to the next destination. With increased speed, he would reach the next town even faster.

He opened the regional channel.

[District 562] — Population: 110,111.

What a striking number.

"Has anyone ever driven off-road to explore the wilderness?"

"Huh? You can actually drive out there?"

"Ha, I guessed no one had tried. I found an abandoned factory in the wild, discovered a materials depot inside. That's what I call a real haul. Picture.JPG"

Lin Mu opened the photo and saw all sorts of basic materials piled together, and he even spotted two vehicle cores on the table!

Gasp! So there were places like this in the wild?

Lin Mu looked out at the wilderness. Aside from grasslands, there was nothing.

"You’ve got unbelievable luck. I’ve driven out there too, but found nothing."

"Don’t listen to him. I went out once and nearly died in the wild. Besides beasts, there are unknown dangers out there."

"…"

Lin Mu saw this and immediately abandoned the idea. He wasn’t afraid of beasts, but the unknown dangers concerned him. If he accidentally encountered one, it could be disastrous.

He now possessed a high-level vehicle and advanced vehicle cores—there was no need to take unnecessary risks. The only real temptation was the vehicle cores.

Lin Mu shook his head. Better to proceed step by step.

He glanced at the thermometer.

Outside: 25 degrees Celsius.
Inside: 26 degrees Celsius.

The outdoor temperature had risen.

It wasn’t obvious yet, but if the temperature continued to rise over the next two days, it would mean a period of intense heat was coming.

Meanwhile,

"Wanqing, I need to use the restroom again, what should I do?" Jiang Ying was on the verge of tears.

She'd even taken a universal medicine, but it hadn’t helped at all.

Gu Wanqing glanced at Lin Mu, who was driving. "Try to hold it in. Normally, the next stop is only 200 kilometers away—at the current speed, that’s just over an hour."

Over an hour!

Jiang Ying squirmed uncomfortably, finding it almost unbearable.

Along the way, she had wanted to ask for a bathroom break several times, but always managed to hold back.

Through the windshield, she saw buildings in the distance. Tears of relief welled up in her eyes.

"Finally, we're almost there."

Only she knew how long she’d been holding out.

She dared not move, afraid she wouldn’t be able to hold it any longer.

Lin Mu frowned at the distant buildings—seven stories tall. He didn’t care much about garbage now, as his inventory was nearly full. But he needed the chests.

If the chests were on the roofs, it would be troublesome.

"001, search for chests and watch out for vehicles."

"Understood, Master."

This time, instead of starting from the left, he drove to the far right and turned the vehicle around, sweeping the streets one by one.

"Luck’s on my side. Found a chest on the very first street."

In this small town, the distance between streets was usually just 100–200 meters; the buildings were densely packed. Over ten kilometers, there were about seventy streets. Even with 001’s one-kilometer detection range, Lin Mu still had to drive over to investigate.

At that moment, two convoys entered from other roads, one ahead and one behind.