Chapter 17: The First Encounter with the Zombie

Roger did not argue with Lin Xinghai; instead, he took down the handgun, ejected the magazine, and removed the bullets inside.

Only then did Lin Xinghai notice that the bullets were larger than a thumb, and there were only three in the entire magazine.

"These bullets are actually miniature bombs with considerable power. To avoid injuring yourself, try not to shoot at targets nearby when using them."

As Roger spoke, he rotated the bullet head three times in a rhythmic motion. The bullet immediately began to emit a beeping sound that grew increasingly rapid, and the tip of the bullet began to glow with a red light.

"Besides being used as ammunition, they can also serve as hand grenades when necessary, just as I demonstrated," Roger said unhurriedly. Only when the beeping sound merged into a continuous tone did he toss the bullet out through the observation window.

Boom!

A deafening roar erupted, causing the 50-ton armored vehicle to shudder violently. Through the window, Lin Xinghai saw a crater 10 meters wide and 3 meters deep appear 100 meters away.

"Gulp."

He couldn't help but swallow hard, silently reminding himself that this was 200 years in the future. Nothing should be measured by the standards of the past; it was no surprise that a hand-cannon had evolved into a handgun.

"What about a speed-type genetic optimizer? What kind of weapon configuration is more suitable?" Lin Xinghai asked humbly after regaining his composure.

"You're a speed-type?" Now it was Roger's turn to be stunned.

He had been watching when Fang Tianhe tested Lin Xinghai, and he was well aware that the power Lin Xinghai displayed then was likely around 20 points. Such a result was already shocking enough; if Lin Xinghai were power-type, it would mean his genetic optimization level was 20%, which was barely understandable. But if he were speed-type, what level had his genetic optimization reached?

"Yes, I am speed-type," Lin Xinghai admitted with a nod.

Roger took a deep breath, suppressing his astonishment. Since Lin Xinghai had already joined the Heaven-Splitting Mercenary Group, there was no need to grill him further.

After a moment of thought, he said, "For speed-type genetic optimizers, to fully leverage the advantage of speed, it is more suitable to use lightweight weapons such as daggers, short spears, or rapiers."

"In this case, you could choose this 'G-3 Ripper Rifle' to compensate for any lack of raw attack power."

"If you were constitution-type, since they excel in defense and have high survivability, weapons can be chosen more freely."

"Of course, what I've mentioned are just conventional choices. You can try out different things before making a final decision," Roger added.

Lin Xinghai thought for a moment and ultimately decided to follow the professional's advice, picking up the automatic rifle—or rather, the "G-3 Ripper Rifle."

"How powerful is this Ripper Rifle?" Lin Xinghai asked.

"Standard bullets can penetrate a 10-centimeter steel plate. As for special ammunition, it's hard to evaluate because they are categorized by grade," Roger replied.

Hearing this, Lin Xinghai stroked the Ripper Rifle in his hands, finding it even more irresistible.

Seeing Lin Xinghai's reaction, Roger smiled and continued, "Here is the instruction manual. You can take a look at it first. As long as you don't disengage the safety, you can tinker with it however you like. Once we reach Tianshan City, I will guide you personally. Now, go ahead and pick a cold weapon for self-defense."

Looking at the small selection of weapons, Lin Xinghai eventually picked up a dagger. "How about this one?"

"That is a vibration dagger. It should have the highest lethality among these short-handled weapons." As he spoke, Roger took the dagger from Lin Xinghai and pressed a protruding piece of metal on the hilt.

Immediately, the entire blade emitted a low hum—the sound produced by high-frequency vibration.

"This is the vibration mode. Once activated, cutting through rock with this dagger is no different than cutting through tofu. However, the energy consumption is quite terrifying; once fully charged, it can only last for up to three minutes, so it's best to use it only in critical moments," Roger explained.

Lin Xinghai's eyes grew brighter as he listened. He felt very fortunate to have joined a mercenary group. Otherwise, working alone would not only be dangerous, but he also wouldn't know when he might manage to get his hands on such suitable equipment.

Returning to his seat, Lin Xinghai flipped through the manual for the Ripper Rifle. He skipped the sections on disassembly and assembly, going straight to the application techniques and tips for firearm usage.

...

The convoy moved rapidly. As the distance increased, the roads became increasingly dilapidated. Even with the armored vehicle's superior off-road performance, the ride was exceptionally bumpy, making it difficult for Lin Xinghai to concentrate on the manual.

Suddenly, an alarm sounded inside the vehicle. Lin Xinghai and the others looked in unison at the screen inside. The screen was large and divided into multiple sections, each corresponding to a different type of detector.

At that moment, the section for the "Zombie Detector" was flashing red. Red dots appeared at the edge of the screen, stopping only when their number reached 13.

Just then, Fang Tianhe's voice came through the communication equipment, "We've encountered a small zombie horde ahead, 13 in total, including two intermediate zombies. First Squad, move out to handle them."

"Copy!" Roger responded immediately.

Without waiting for further orders, the First Squad acted swiftly. Their armored vehicle accelerated, breaking away from the main convoy and heading straight for the horde. Others opened the firing ports inside the vehicle or climbed to the top through the sunroof to take their positions.

Thirty seconds later, the vehicle met the horde.

Rat-tat-tat!

A series of gunshots rang out. Lin Xinghai noticed that to conserve ammunition, these mercenaries were using burst mode, and the rate of fire was not particularly high.

After the first volley, five of the thirteen zombies 100 meters away were hit, but not a single one died. Their hits were not in the head, and the most terrifying thing about zombies was their vitality; as long as they weren't hit in the head, they could continue to attack ferociously even with missing limbs.

Moreover, Lin Xinghai discovered that these zombies were quite fast, with an average running speed of 15 points. What did this speed imply? It was equivalent to 1.5 times that of the top sprinters from before his transmigration.

Hitting such fast-moving objects was no easy feat. As the zombies closed in frantically, they exerted an intangible pressure; Lin Xinghai felt his palms beginning to sweat.