C2 Tanks

Chapter Two: The Chariot

After lunch, Ye Xiaomei tucked her daughter into bed for a nap. Gu Ming made his way to the driver's seat and settled in.

"Zeus, open the interface," he commanded.

"Received, sir," came the prompt reply.

Data streamed across the screen before Gu Ming, presenting a wealth of information:

Host: Gu Ming

Level: First Rank

Physical Quality: 100 (average human: 10)

Chariot Level: First Rank

Chariot Weaponry: One main cannon (equipped with four shells), six machine guns (stocked with 200,000 bullets).

Armor Strength: Nuclear bomb-grade

Energy Source: Controlled miniature nuclear fusion (unlimited)

Energy Points: 100 (earned by killing zombies or mutated creatures)

Chariot System Store: Weapons, Food

Chariot Storage Space: 1,000 cubic meters

Gu Ming surveyed the chariot system data with a sense of contentment. This fortress was more than a machine; it was a safeguard for his wife and daughter's well-being.

The chariot's storage was filled with various items Gu Ming had gathered. On his left wrist was a tattoo, the emblem of the system. This bracelet was his link to Zeus, the system's sentient AI. With a simple touch, he could stow items directly into the chariot's space. The chariot's store offered an array of goods, exchangeable not only for energy points but also for materials like steel, gold, and cement.

A gene drug, for instance, could be acquired for just 1,000 energy points, whereas ammunition and weaponry required additional resources such as steel, timber, and gunpowder for exchange. Gu Ming surmised that the system didn't conjure items from thin air; it needed raw materials to fabricate them. The system served as a tool, and to the survivors of this apocalypse, it was the ultimate hack—a dream come true. If other factions discovered it, Gu Ming's days of peace would be numbered. Only his wife, Ye Xiaomei, had some inkling of the system, yet her understanding was superficial. Gu Ming had kept it vague, simply attributing his abilities to a superpower awakened in the apocalypse.

Gu Ming realized it was time to accelerate his zombie hunting. In the past week, he had dispatched a mere hundred, each yielding a single energy point. As long as the zombies fell within a certain proximity and not too much time had passed, his bracelet could harvest the energy points. He speculated that the zombies' bodies contained a substance the system could convert into energy points. But, of course, that remained a theory.

Gu Ming had considered using the war chariot's weapons to hunt zombies, but there were risks involved, especially with his wife and daughter aboard. The chariot's defenses were strong, but an overwhelming number of zombies could potentially immobilize it, leaving them trapped and at risk of starvation if supplies ran out. Additionally, using the main cannon to bomb city buildings posed a moral dilemma. While zombies were likely inside, there could also be survivors. Gu Ming had killed his fair share of villains since the apocalypse began, but he always tried to help those with good intentions, maintaining his moral compass and refusing to become a heartless monster.

To effectively target the zombies, Gu Ming knew he'd have to draw them out, but controlling their numbers was a challenge. There was no telling how many would emerge—dozens, hundreds, or even thousands. And with a relentless horde, there'd be no time to gather energy points, rendering the effort futile.

Over the past week, Gu Ming had focused on hunting lone zombies. Despite having taken a gene drug, he wondered if the effects differed between humans and animals. Lucky, his pet, had reached peak physical condition in just two days, while Gu Ming's strength had only increased fivefold, a far cry from the tenfold potential of the drug. The progress was slow, and he was uncertain when he'd reach the drug's full potential.

After shutting off the monitor, Gu Ming rose and entered the central bedroom, a modest ten-square-meter space. Inside, his wife, Ye Xiaomei, lay sleeping in the bed, with their daughter, Nannan, slumbering peacefully in her crib. A wardrobe and dressing table completed the room, which, despite being inside a war chariot, resembled a typical residential bedroom. The chariot housed two additional, smaller bedrooms on the first floor and three more on the second, capable of accommodating twenty people in total. However, Gu Ming was selective about who he let in. With his wife having no living relatives or close friends from the orphanage, it was just their small family. Now, Gu Ming was making his way to his hometown in Deepmoor. Post-apocalypse, he had managed to contact his parents, who thankfully hadn't turned into zombies. He had instructed them to stay put and not open the door for anyone, promising to return. At the current pace, it would be another week before he could reunite with them.

Gu Ming chose not to wake his wife, allowing her to rest peacefully.

He made his way to the rear of the war chariot, where a workshop was set up. This space was where the items purchased from the war chariot shop materialized. Among the equipment was an electric motorcycle he had picked up from a shop along his travels. Given that his explorations sometimes took him to distant places, the motorcycle offered a swift and convenient mode of transportation, its quiet hum a stark contrast to the roar of other vehicles that could spell doom in a city teeming with danger.

The chariot's tracks, forged from a special metal, glided almost silently over the pavement, a feature that emboldened Gu Ming to navigate the urban landscape. Still, he exercised caution, never pushing the speed, and preferring daylight passages. The vastness of a city could compel him to bypass it entirely, as the risk of an overnight stay was too great. Nighttime belonged to the zombies, and few dared to venture into the cities after dark. If avoidance was impossible, he braced himself for the perilous journey.

Settling onto a stool at the back of the workshop, Gu Ming faced a rectangular workbench with a monitor. He instructed Zeus to power it up, revealing the war chariot shop's catalog of food and weaponry.

Rather than manually browsing, Gu Ming had Zeus use energy points and materials to procure a bottle of milk for his daughter, Nannan. A week had passed, rendering the supermarket's fresh milk unusable, though milk powder was still plentiful – he opted not to purchase it. Instead, he invested ten energy points and additional materials to acquire 200 rounds of ammunition, a handgun, dozens of arrows, and a Tang sword. This was his second time restocking on weapons, and with nothing else pressing to buy, he was mindful of conserving energy points. The gene drug was costly, demanding 1,000 points per dose, and with both his wife and daughter needing treatment, he faced the daunting task of accumulating 2,000 points. That meant eliminating 2,000 zombies, a feat that would take two months at a rate of 30 per day, even with Lucky's assistance. The suburbs also harbored mutated creatures, which he had encountered several times over the week. The war chariot's vantage point revealed the formidable challenge they posed, deterring him from engagement. His priority was the safety of his family, and some risks were simply not worth taking.