"The wolf pack is coming, keep cutting!"
Lin Feng put away his revolver and spoke calmly.
Chen Shanshan sighed softly.
Looking at the fallen former teammate on the ground, he had joined them before Qi Mountain, struggling for over a year in the wasteland, only to eventually die here.
She wanted to say something, but swallowed it back.
On the other hand, Ding Yi was somewhat surprised, looking at Lin Feng with eyes full of joy and approval.
She had long been displeased with Qi Mountain and his subordinates' despicable and insidious nature.
These people were the parasites of the team.
They never considered the team, selfishly trying to encroach on others' benefits, forming cliques, and excluding other teammates.
If not for Chen Shanshan's always soft heart, unable to be ruthless, they would not have fallen into the current situation.
Now that Lin Feng had stepped forward decisively, Ding Yi felt relieved and thought his decisiveness made him more suitable to be the team's leader.
The Liu Family Siblings, who were only in a cooperative relationship on the side, were left a bit unclear but felt an awesome sense.
Chen Shanshan was clearly the team leader and the strongest.
Yet in this three-person team, it seemed Lin Feng, the newcomer with a mixed reputation, was the one in charge.
What really caught Liu Mingfei's attention was that this man, with only mid-stage enhanced strength, seemed not to lack pistol bullets.
On their way here, he heard six gunshots, and now another sharp shot.
No deserter team in the wasteland would be so lavish, wasting precious bullets on matters easily resolved with a knife.
Even a single pistol bullet was worth more than a liter of water.
The background of the man before him was extraordinary.
Chen Shanshan looked at the dead body for a few seconds, then returned to normal under Lin Feng's reminder and the wolf howls, continuing to wield the small knife in her hand to cut open the Rock Armor on their prey's body.
The Rock Armor of the Rock-Horned Horse was very thick, with the thickest part reaching ten centimeters deep, requiring over five hundred kilograms of force, combined with sharp cutting angles, to pry it off smoothly.
The Level 2 quality dagger in Chen Shanshan's hand quickly became dull and lost its sharpness.
Lin Feng took the small knife she handed over and initiated the upgrade:
"Fine Dagger Level 3, White Quality"
"Basic Attributes: Damage 10, Durability 10/10, can expend 1 point of Life Value to upgrade"
"Extra Attributes: Bleeding (inflicts an additional 2 points of Life Value drop damage per hit)"
The upgrade process for small items was swift, also related to Lin Feng's state and strength level.
As multiple heavy Rock Armors weighing tens of kilograms peeled off from the Rock-Horned Horse, the group made a new discovery.
On the back of the Rock-Horned Horse, the inner side of five outer armors appeared different from other armors with black modules.
The modules bore intricate patterns resembling circuit boards, appearing like a honeycomb, exceptionally precise.
Chen Shanshan's face showed surprise, but it quickly transformed into ecstatic joy.
She immediately interrupted others from further exploration, appearing unusually excited:
"Don't touch, this thing is extremely delicate!"
Lin Feng squinted his eyes slightly, based on vague memory fragments, roughly guessing what this might be:
"Hmm... Photovoltaic Panel?!"
Chen Shanshan looked at Lin Feng with some surprise and nodded without much concern, continuing excitedly:
"These few pieces are quite high in quality. Five photovoltaic panels can be worth a quarter of a car, more valuable than this Rock-Horned Horse carcass."
As she spoke, Chen Shanshan looked at the puzzled faces of the group, explaining the peculiar sight before them:
"After evolving into a Tier One Rock-Horned Horse, the barren wasteland can no longer support their growth and energy consumption, thus they evolve the ability to directly absorb sunlight!"
"This is a high conversion rate natural photovoltaic panel to meet their daily energy consumption."
"This way, the roots and branches they chew along the way can be entirely used for growing flesh and blood."
Having introduced the Rock-Horned Horse, Chen Shanshan shifted her focus:
"Nongzhuang Village should be mastering the breeding and reproduction of Rock-Horned Horses, while Dawn Village handles the research and assembly of solar panels..."
"But artificially bred Rock-Horned Horses have photovoltaic panels with less conversion efficiency and lifespan compared to those naturally evolving under the harsh conditions of the wasteland."
"When I used to accompany my master to the Hunting Wilderness Guild, I often saw bounty missions for Rock-Horned Horses, with very high rewards."
"Especially for the leader male members of the Rock-Horned Horse Herds, usually with Tier One strength, capturing one alive could even grant you the qualification to become an Oasis Upper Class!"
"The Level 9 Female Rock-Horned Horse we killed should soon complete Tier One Evolution, and due to the burden of pregnancy being too great, it prematurely grew embedded photovoltaic panels."
"Genuinely lucky to the core."
With that said, the approaching wolf howls drew closer.
Over a dozen Desert Wolf Packs were sniffing for the scent of blood, searching for them.
Moreover, according to the wolf pack's territory, the Desert Wolf Pack trailing from Oasis Town should be the subordinate tribe of those Lin Feng and others killed the last time.
Suppressing her joy, Chen Shanshan quickly loaded the five half-square-meter black Rock Armors onto the tricycle, covered them with burlap, and carefully stored them.
Afterwards, she led the others, stripping off the remaining Rock Armors, then opened the belly, removing the three intestines used for chewing filled with plant root fragments and discarding them all.
Having done all this, the nearly one-ton Rock-Horned Horse now had less than six hundred kilograms of bone and flesh left.
Calling on Lin Feng and Liu Mingfei, the three of them together moved the still warm, fresh body onto the flatbed attached to the back of the tricycle.
The empty flatbed barely accommodated the convulsively twitching horse carcass.
Chen Shanshan used hooks and ropes to secure it firmly, then climbed into the driver's seat of the tricycle, urging everyone to get on quickly and set off.
On the rear of the tricycle, the expressions of the four people varied.
Ding Yi looked at the black rock armor by her feet and the large horse carcass behind, still in shock from Chen Shanshan's recent explanation.
The Liu Family Siblings gazed at the discarded hundred-kilogram intestines and stomach of the Rock-Horned Horse, feeling somewhat reluctant to part with it.
Lin Feng leaned against the side panel, inserting the bullet heads Ding Yi had dug out, one by one, into the revolver drum magazine, forming new Wolf Fang Bullets.
He was gradually adapting to this absurd and eerie wasteland world.
Desert Wolves with steel teeth and iron claws, Rock-Horned Horses sprouting photovoltaic panels, perhaps in the future even more bizarre yet reasonable mutant creatures would appear.
In short, life finds a way.
Just like behind the group, a bit farther, appeared the silhouettes of the Desert Wolf Pack, starting to feast on the pungent guts on the ground, along with the headshot lackey.
Lin Feng slowly turned his head, raising the muzzle.
The Wolf Pack Leader, gnawing at human torso and abdomen, devouring the soft, rotten entrails, was a robust young gray-white lead wolf.
It devoured a kidney in one bite then lifted its head to watch the departing tricycle.
Vertical pupils, red eyes, fierce and malicious.
From its fixed gaze, Lin Feng seemed to see the shadow of that former old Desolate Wolf.
But the young lead wolf, larger and more robust, its strength far surpassed that of the old Desolate Wolf.
Showing no fear at being aimed and locked on by the muzzle.
After the tricycle drove further away, Lin Feng put away the revolver.
Rather than angering the opponent, he was unwilling to waste Wolf Fang Bullets without assurance of success.
At least fifteen Desert Wolves had emerged, not something the fatigued team could resist and overcome.
Angering them would instead bring about calamity.
At this moment, the other three on the vehicle gradually snapped back to reality.
Ding Yi, standing beside Lin Feng, adjusted her glasses with an insightful expression:
"So just now, you deliberately killed that guy? Sacrificed him to the Desert Wolf Pack so they won't chase us?"
Lin Feng's mouth twitched; the wolf howls came after his gunshot.
It was the gunshot that guided the wolves to target their prey.
But the Rock-Horned Horse's desperate run, shedding abundant blood along with cries of agony, attracting the wolf pack, was a matter of time.
Too lazy to explain, Lin Feng feigned profundity as he replied:
"Afraid a single corpse isn't enough for them to share."
Then he reached out to touch the five stacked black rock armors before him, and at a glance from the corner of his eye, the evaluation result soon appeared:
"Photovoltaic Rock Armor, Level 10, Red Quality"
"Utilizing the photovoltaic effect on the semiconductor interface to form a potential difference, generate electricity continuously converting light energy into electrical energy. Can decompose water elements together with carbon dioxide to synthesize mono- or polysaccharide starch, providing stable bioenergy, or directly through the circuit, continuously output direct current."
After reading the introduction of the photovoltaic rock armor, Lin Feng scratched his head in partial understanding.
Level 10, red quality, should be the next phase's treasure matching Tier One.
The Rock-Horned Horse estimated to use such a method, absorbing carbon dioxide and using the electricity not only to synthesize necessary nutrients for its survival but also to release excess oxygen.
As for another method of utilization, naturally combining with electric motors to continuously provide energy to mechanical bodies.
Such as various vehicles.
Thinking of this, Lin Feng couldn't help but feel expectant.
Someday, owning a car completely for himself, no longer needing to waste time and effort on traveling or pay for rentals.
Thus, hunting more Rock-Horned Horses appeared on Lin Feng's planning schedule.
The group hurried back along the way, during which the four in the cabin, after replenishing nutrition and resting, Liu Mingfei voluntarily got up to replace Chen Shanshan.
Soon after driving, the group encountered those sent by Qi Mountain to ambush, as previously mentioned by the lackey:
The other three lackeys, armed with knives, guns, and sticks.
Lin Feng didn't waste words, aiming his gun directly, ordering them to kneel.
Seeing the situation, the three were no fools, realizing their comrades tailing Chen Shanshan's group earlier had already perished under the dark barrel of this gun.
They quickly threw away their weapons, begged for mercy, and knelt in despair.
Lin Feng frowned slightly; the Desert Wolf Pack would soon pursue after devouring the corpses, they must return to Oasis Town quickly.
So there was no time to dawdle with the three before him:
"Where is Qi Mountain? And that woman? She's not in the slave market cages."
The three lackeys hesitated, only mentioning Oasis Town about to restart, and their rented lodgings in Fifth Village would also depart, Qi Mountain had to stay to secure seats.
"Bang!"
Lin Feng shot the talkative one dead.
Then he pointed the muzzle at the remaining two.
"Don't kill me, don't kill me..."
"Qi Mountain didn't come, really didn't come, Tian Wanrong didn't come, she went to the bathhouse instead."
"But I know something, something related to you, just promise not to kill me, and I'll tell you right away!"
One of them was so scared he wet his pants, acting on a clever impulse.
Lin Feng squinted, nodded:
"Quickly, tell me!"