Li Ruobing lightly tapped her finger on the tablet screen.
[Sent successfully.]
The freshly made GIF, carrying an intensely bloody visual impact, instantly pinned itself to the most prominent position on the World Channel.
The title was just one line:
[Want to die? Queue up and get a number.]
No extra words.
In the GIF.
The one known as "Tie Xi," who claimed to possess an A-grade Steel Body and wielded an S-Class shield, was roaring with his mouth wide open like a clown.
The next second.
A black Metal Storm descended from the sky.
The shield shattered.
His body exploded.
Like a balloon filled with ketchup being stomped on hard.
The entire process took less than two seconds.
Loop playback.
...
The messages that had been frantically scrolling on the World Channel suddenly hitched for a moment.
As if someone had grabbed it by the throat.
A full five seconds passed.
Before it exploded again.
But this time, it wasn't with boasts or curses.
It was fear.
Fear that chilled to the bone.
"Holy shit... what was that?"
"A Gatling gun? That's the kind of effect a Gatling can produce?"
"Are you blind, guy above! That's an autocannon! A large-caliber autocannon! That's the stuff used to take out tanks!"
"Tie Xi... is gone?"
"I recognize that shield! That's the S-Class 'Holy Light Barrier'! It's said to withstand torpedo blasts! And it just... shattered?"
"This is slaughter... this isn't a fight at all..."
"Qin Yu... just what kind of monster is he?"
Those ships that had been heading toward these coordinates, upon seeing this GIF, reacted as if they'd seen a ghost.
Emergency brakes.
Turning around.
Some even collided with each other from turning too sharply, but no one cursed now—they just scrambled up and kept running.
No one wanted to be the star of the next GIF.
...
On the top deck of the "President."
Qin Yu jumped down from the helicopter.
He paid no mind to the wailing and howling on the World Channel.
That was the lament of the weak.
What concerned him now was his own pockets.
"System."
"Open the panel."
Qin Yu casually tossed his tactical gloves to Yao Qian, who was waiting nearby, and plopped down onto the leather sofa.
A pale blue Light Barrier popped up before his eyes.
[Host: Qin Yu]
[Current Status: Adrenaline subsiding]
[Today's Plunder Value Statistics:]
[Eliminated "Tie Xi" (A-grade): Gained 5,000 Plunder Value!]
[Eliminated "Fire Mage" (B-grade): Gained 3,000 Plunder Value!]
[Shattered S-Class Item "Holy Light Barrier": Gained 8,000 Plunder Value!]
[Annihilated "Solomon's Temple" vanguard unit: Gained 20,000 Plunder Value!]
[Sunk 158 miscellaneous ships: Gained 35,000 Plunder Value!]
...
[Total New Plunder Value: 128,000 points!]
Qin Yu looked at the number and raised an eyebrow.
"One hundred twenty-eight thousand?"
"Seems these guys, though weak, were quite well-stocked."
"At least all those bullets weren't wasted."
In this new version, Plunder Value was the hard currency.
As long as you had enough Plunder Value, you could buy anything you wanted from the newly opened "Plunder Mall" in the system.
It was even rumored that even those never-before-seen "God-tier" items might appear.
"Let's see what this money can buy."
Qin Yu opened the [Plunder Mall].
A dazzling array of product listings instantly spread out before him.
However.
The further Qin Yu scrolled down, the tighter his frown became.
His initially expectant gaze gradually turned into disdain.
Finally.
It became outright contempt.
[Item: Flame Warblade (S-grade)]
[Price: 50,000 Plunder Value]
[Description: Inflicts high-temperature burning effects, blade is extremely hard, cuts through iron like mud...]
Qin Yu curled his lip.
"Fifty thousand?"
"For this piece of junk?"
"I wouldn't even use it to cut watermelon—it'd be too hot to handle."
He swiped past it casually.
In the past, an S-grade weapon might have caught his eye for a moment.
But now?
He was holding the rule-defying "Kiss of Death."
Close-combat melee weapons like this were no different from fire pokers in his eyes.
He continued scrolling down.
[Item: Advanced Gene Enhancement Serum (A-grade)]
[Price: 30,000 Plunder Value]
[Description: After consumption, greatly enhances physical strength, with a certain probability of awakening a strength-based Talent...]
"Trash."
Qin Yu couldn't even be bothered to look.
His current physical attributes were the result of countless system enhancements and consuming so many sea beast essences.
This kind of mass-produced item with only a "certain probability" of awakening was more suitable for Qi Chun's underlings.
Further down.
[Blueprint: Heavy Cruiser (S-grade)]
[Price: 100,000 Plunder Value]
[Description: A steel behemoth with one hundred cannons, the Sea Overlord...]
Qin Yu couldn't help but laugh out loud at the "Sea Overlord" description.
"One hundred cannons?"
"That's just for making noise."
"This old relic couldn't even scratch my protective shield."
Qin Yu scrolled through over a dozen pages in one go.
The more he looked, the more disappointed he became.
He used to think the mall was a treasure trove.
Now it seemed.
It was all a damn junk recycling station.
In this apocalyptic world, most people were still fighting desperately for an A-grade weapon or killing each other over a single elixir.
But him?
He was already standing at the summit.
Looking down at the little convenience store at the foot of the mountain, his face full of disdain.
"Isn't there anything good?"
Qin Yu tapped the table impatiently.
It wasn't until he reached the last page.
A gray icon caught his attention.
[Special Item: Mystery Blind Box (Restricted)]
[Price: 100,000 Plunder Value/each]
[Description: ???]
[Note: This might contain a pile of scrap metal, or it could be the key to a new world. Gamblers, enter at your own risk.]
Qin Yu's finger stopped.
Interesting.
In the past, he would never have touched such probability-based items.
But now, with the Daily Lottery System backing him up.
Luck?
That was the last thing he lacked.
However...
Qin Yu glanced at the 120,000 windfall he had just obtained.
Just enough to buy one.
If he ended up opening nothing but disappointment, this entire morning would have been wasted.
"Forget it."
Qin Yu closed the mall interface.
"I'll save up first."
"When I've gathered a million."
"I'll clear out this entire Blind Box Machine myself."
"Now whoever wants these scraps can have them."
If his dismissive attitude were known to those on the World Channel, they'd probably be so furious they'd vomit blood on the spot.
They'd risk life and limb to scrape together a few hundred points of Plunder Value, meticulously budgeting for bread and bullets.
But this guy?
Holding over a hundred thousand in his hands.
Complaining that the goods are too poor to spend it on.
Is this even human behavior?
...
Just as Qin Yu was being his Versailles self.
A clamor of motor sounds rose from below the deck.
Immediately after.
Qi Chun's trademark booming voice rang out.
"Gently! Be gentle, damn it!"
"Don't drag that metal plate! It's alloy! Don't scratch it!"
"Oh my god! That's an engine core! Don't drop it! That's money!"
Qin Yu walked to the railing and looked down.
On the sea.
A dozen small boats were towing supplies piled like small mountains, heading this way.
All salvaged from the battlefield.
Though the ships had been wrecked.
Those S-Class and A-grade materials weren't so easily destroyed.
Fatty Qi Chun stood amid a heap of scrap metal, grinning so widely his eyes disappeared.
His greasy face glistened in the sunlight.
"Brother Yu!"
Qi Chun looked up, saw Qin Yu, and immediately waved excitedly.
"We've struck it rich!"
"Really struck it rich!"
"These bastards may be lousy fighters, but their gear is top-notch!"
"Just the S-Class alloy plates—I salvaged over thirty!"
"And that Tie Xi's body... ahem, fragments, I fished those up too."
"The system says it's high-energy biological flesh, worth a lot of Plunder Value!"
Qin Yu looked at the boatloads of spoils, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
Though he disdained the items in the shop.
These tangible materials.
Were truly good stuff.
His "President," or rather this Liquid Metal Warship, was most in need of such high-strength metallic nutrients.
Earlier, to activate the Shipborne Form of "Netherworld: Death's Kiss."
The ship's Energy Core had actually been operating beyond capacity.
Plus, maintaining stealth and shape-shifting with liquid metal consumed enormous energy.
Now was the perfect time to replenish.
"Fatty."
Qin Yu called out.
"Keep your share."
"The rest."
"Tow it all over here."
Hearing this, the fat on Qi Chun's face twitched.
His heart ached with pain.
But he didn't dare utter a single word of refusal.
This was the territory Qin Yu had conquered; being allowed a sip of the soup was already a tremendous favor.
"Got it, Brother Yu!"
"Bringing it right over!"
Qi Chun directed his underlings to attach the small boats laden with supplies one by one to the side of the "President."
...
"Ruo Bing."
Qin Yu returned to the control console.
"Activate 'Devour Mode.'"
Li Ruobing nodded, her slender fingers flying across the keyboard.
"Command confirmed."
"Liquid Metal Activation... initiating."
The next moment.
A scene that made one's scalp tingle appeared.
The originally smooth, dark blue surface of the "President's" hull suddenly began to ripple like water.
Countless silver tentacles extended from both sides of the ship.
Like living blood vessels.
"Slurp—"
The tentacles plunged directly into the piles of supplies on the nearby small boats.
A half-ton S-Class alloy plate.
Was ensnared by the tentacles.
In just a few seconds.
That incredibly hard alloy plate was like ice meeting magma.
It began to melt.
Deform.
Finally turning into a stream of silver liquid that flowed along the tentacles and was absorbed into the President's body.
"Crunch, crunch."
It was a metallic grinding sound similar to chewing.
So grating it made one's teeth ache.
"This is... a Liquid Metal Warship?"
Qi Chun, who was watching from the side, stared with eyes nearly popping out of his head.
Although he knew Qin Yu's ship was amazing.
Seeing this ship "eat" metal like noodles with his own eyes.
This visual impact.
Was simply too great.
"Is this damn thing alive?"
Qi Chun muttered to himself.
"This ship... wouldn't eat me too if it got hungry someday, would it?"
Qin Yu ignored Fatty's wild thoughts.
He stared at the data on the screen.
[Currently devouring S-Class titanium alloy... Hull hardness increased by 0.1%]
[Currently devouring A-grade power core... Energy reserves restored by 3%]
[Currently devouring rare metals... Self-Repair Function operating]
As ship after ship of materials were devoured.
The originally somewhat dim, deep blue glow of the President began to grow increasingly profound.
The minor wear and tear from previous battles.
Were healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The ship's hull seemed to have grown slightly larger.
That sense of oppression.
Grew stronger.
Yao Xue walked over holding a freshly brewed cup of coffee.
She wore a white lab coat over a black, form-fitting pencil skirt, her long legs sheathed in Black Silk Stockings appearing straight and slender.
Even on this battlefield filled with the smells of oil and blood.
She still maintained that unique intellect and elegance.
"Among those devoured metals, there are some special Memory Metals."
"Have the system replan the living quarters later."
"Expand our master bedroom."
"By another half."
Yao Xue's face flushed red.
She certainly knew what Qin Yu wanted to do.
This man.
His mind was either on killing or this sort of thing.
"Isn't the current bed... enough for you to mess around on?"
Yao Xue said softly, her tone carrying a hint of reproach, but not refusal.
"Not enough."
Qin Yu looked out the window.
The last ship of materials had been completely devoured by the President.
The originally mountainous pile of spoils.
Now didn't even leave a speck behind.
The entire ship looked brand new.
Like a fierce beast that had just finished feeding, contentedly licking its claws.
"In the future."
"There will be more and more people on this sea."
"Our home."
"Of course, the bigger the better."
Qin Yu released Yao Xue and walked to the control console.
Looking at the now empty expanse of sea on the Radar.
Those red dots had all fled without a trace.
Even those major forces that had been observing from afar had quietly withdrawn their reconnaissance ships.
"Scared off."
Qin Yu sneered.
"However."
"Since they came."
"They think they can leave without leaving some 'toll money'?"
"Nothing comes that cheap."
He turned to look at Li Ruobing.
"Ruo Bing."
"Spend all the remaining Plunder Value."
"All of it."
Li Ruobing was taken aback.
"All of it? Buy what? Didn't you just say it was all trash?"
"Even trash has its uses."
Qin Yu pointed at the cheapest Item in the shop.
[Item: Full-Band Broadcast Speaker (Single-use)]
[Price: 1000 Plunder Value]
[Description: Allows your voice to forcibly play in the ears of all players for ten seconds. Cannot be blocked.]
"Buy me a hundred of these."
Li Ruobing's hand trembled.
"A hundred?!"
"What are you planning? Holding a concert?"
A devilish smile curled at the corner of Qin Yu's lips.
"No."
"I'm going to sing a farewell song for those 'friends' who haven't run far enough yet."
"And by the way."
"Tell that Odin still up north."
"To wash his neck clean."
"And have his divine blood, along with his Hall of Heroes."
"All ready for me."
...
Three minutes later.
In the sky above this dead-silent sea.
A piercing burst of static suddenly crackled.
Then.
Qin Yu's lazy, yet bone-chillingly cold voice.
Exploded in the ears of every survivor across the world.
Whether you were hiding in a ship's cabin or diving deep into the ocean.
Whether you were thousands of miles away or right next door.
There was no escape.
"Testing, testing."
"Mic check."
"This is Qin Yu."
"That last batch of 'deliveries' was quite satisfying."
"But."
"I feel it's not enough."
"I know you're all listening."
"Especially that big guy up north."
"I heard you're looking for me?"
"Don't rush."
"No need for you to search."
"I'm coming."
...
The Far North Ice Fields.
Odin violently crushed the wine glass in his hand.
For the first time, a trace of ferocity appeared on his arrogant face.