Winter on the wasteland was brutally cold. Even at dawn, when the darkness retreated, the sun remained shrouded by clouds—hanging pale and lifeless in the sky, leaving the land wrapped in chill desolation.
It felt as though the whole world was veiled in gauze, indistinct and blurred.
On the frozen tundra, far from Mining Town, an ugly, battered off-road vehicle roared across the ground with an uneven, unhealthy rumble.
Behind them, Mining Town had already shrunk to a tiny black speck. The explosion from earlier was no longer audible.
At the wheel, Lin Tuo felt the knife-like wind whip against his face. His taut nerves eased slightly, and he couldn't help but complain inwardly.
The car was similar to those on Earth, yet obviously "modified."
It was crude, unevenly assembled, and ugly. Worst of all, the front windshield was missing. At high speed, the icy gale froze his facial muscles stiff.
The engine sounded strange as well—loud and harsh, yet the speed was underwhelming.
But considering it was likely a relic from the Old Era, patched together from scavenged parts, he had little room to complain.
"Hey, where are you taking me?"
From the back seat, Huaxi's face was flushed red, snot running freely in the cold air. She finally broke her silence.
"No idea," Lin Tuo replied frankly. Then, before she could react, he added: "I don't know this area well. Why don't you suggest a place?"
He really hadn't thought that far ahead when fleeing. Fortunately, he had a local with him—no need to ask strangers for directions.
"You're kidding me…" Huaxi gaped, ready to protest—
But Lin Tuo suddenly interrupted: "Hm? Looks like we've stirred something up."
His brows furrowed as he glanced at the rearview mirror.
In the pale dawn light, tiny black dots appeared—rapidly growing, swarming toward the vehicle.
At first, they were indistinct.
Within a few breaths, their forms became clear.
A pack of massive, gray-furred wolves with bristling coats, muscular bodies, and feral eyes.
"Wasteland wolves!" Huaxi gasped. She forced herself upright, pushing open a hatch on the car's roof to peer out.
"They're mutant beasts warped by radiation. Dangerous?" Lin Tuo asked.
In this wasteland, true rulers were not humans, but the mutated predators roaming the wilds.
"Extremely dangerous! Their hides are tough—ordinary blades can't cut them. Their teeth can bite through steel. Worst of all, they hunt in packs and have terrifying stamina. They can pursue prey for hours. Even strong Wasteland Hunters usually avoid them… wait—what are you doing?"
Huaxi's voice grew tense.
She saw Lin Tuo open the weapons pack on the passenger seat while keeping one hand on the wheel.
"Practicing my shooting," Lin Tuo said simply.
He tied off the steering wheel with rope, wedged the accelerator in place—there was nothing but endless tundra ahead, no traffic rules to worry about.
Then, he began assembling a rifle from loose parts.
During his university days, his roommate had been a military enthusiast. Lin Tuo had learned a little by osmosis. Though he'd never handled wasteland firearms before, the fundamentals were the same.
After some fumbling, he finished assembling the rifle, loaded a magazine, and shoved the barrel through the roof hatch.
It was clearly designed for this very scenario—perfect for sticking a shooter out.
Sliding half his body out, rifle in hand, Lin Tuo felt a strange excitement.
He'd only ever fired guns in video games. Now, with a real wolf pack chasing him, his hands itched.
He awkwardly lined up the sights on one wolf.
By now, they were close enough that he could see their steaming breath, matted fur, and the foul drool hanging from their jaws.
Sensing his aim, the wolves shifted formation, trying to evade.
Bang!
The first shot whistled into the sky, missing completely.
"What the hell was that? You can't even aim?" Huaxi shouted from the back, sticking her head out of the hatch.
"Shut up," Lin Tuo muttered. First-timers missing was normal, wasn't it?
He adjusted his grip, fired again.
Bang! Snow exploded harmlessly.
Bang!Bang!Bang!
A whole magazine emptied—and not a single wolf downed.
He was a rookie, firing at moving targets, while himself in motion, against beasts agile enough to dodge. The difficulty was extreme.
"You don't even know how to shoot! Stop wasting bullets—they're money! Let me do it!" Huaxi cried, nearly in tears.
Bullets in the wasteland were rarer than food, the ultimate hard currency. Each one fired was gone forever.
Lin Tuo ignored her. "I said shut up. My kill-death ratio's high in games."
He swapped magazines, focus tightening.
Though his first attempts missed, his aim was steadily improving.
Shooting required steady hands and a calm heart.
Lin Tuo's body was stronger than any normal human—perfect balance, exceptional control. His mind was stable, his spirit unflinching. All he lacked was practice.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Gradually, the wolves began to feel real danger. The stray bullets became straighter, sharper, nearer.
Bang!
Finally, a shot struck home. The bullet punched straight through a wolf's eye.
Thud!
The beast collapsed instantly, lifeless.
"One," Lin Tuo murmured, counting aloud as he reloaded and fired again.
More wolves fell, blood staining the snow.
When the fifth one died, the pack's leader finally howled. The wolves turned, retreating into the hills.
"They gave up already?" Lin Tuo felt almost disappointed.
"They didn't give up… they sensed something worse," Huaxi said grimly.
Her face had gone pale.
Lin Tuo followed her gaze.
From the treeline to their right, a hulking shadow emerged.
A monstrous bear burst forth, its body the size of a bison. Its fur was pale, almost translucent under the sunlight. Its eyes glowed blood-red, its teeth jutted like iron spikes.
"A Wasteland Berserk Bear!" Huaxi cried out. "Unless you hit the vital points, rifle bullets won't even pierce its hide! Hurry—faster! We need to outrun it!"
Her heart sank.
This creature was rare—so rare that hunters sometimes spent years searching without success. Yet they had stumbled into one by accident.
Berserk Bears were nightmares. She'd heard the tales: one had once stormed a Burning Flame Company encampment in the night, massacred an entire squad, and devoured a company executive—an evolver—before strolling away unharmed.
If it caught them, they were dead.
"A Berserk Bear? Strong?" Lin Tuo asked calmly, firing a few rounds. As expected, the bullets bounced harmlessly. The bear only roared louder, enraged.
"Interesting." He wasn't afraid.
Stowing the rifle, he turned the wheel sharply, gunning the car toward a mountain pass.
The beast thundered after them, its speed shocking, the distance closing despite the vehicle's engine screaming.
Huaxi's panic grew. Lin Tuo's eyes flickered with hesitation—then he eased off the pedal, guiding the car into a mountain hollow.
The engine cut.
Huaxi's face went white. "Why stop? Did we run out of fuel?"
Lin Tuo only replied coldly: "Stay here. I'll deal with it."
???
Before she could protest, he stepped out, shrugging off his coat, revealing a lean, taut body beneath.
"You're insane! You can't fight that thing!" Huaxi screamed, leaning out of the hatch.
Lin Tuo ignored her.
His boots crunched across the frozen snow, the wind howling as white flurries danced around him.
He slowed his breathing.
Inside, his Ether stirred. His cells thrummed, every fiber of his body awakening.
His heartbeat quickened. Blood surged. His muscles and tendons began to tremble in rapid vibrations—the warm-up of the Transformation Fist.
This was a method passed down from generals of ancient wars—honed amidst armies, forged for killing.
It could be smooth and flowing like a spring breeze, or shatter stone and bone in an instant.
Lin Tuo had never faced an opponent worthy of his full strength.
Until now.
The Berserk Bear spotted him.
Blood-red eyes narrowed in confusion—then rage.
As one of the wasteland's apex predators, its strength was unrivaled. Intelligence, however, had long since been sacrificed to brutality.
"ROAR!"
Its deafening bellow shook the earth as it lunged, steel-hard claws slashing down to tear Lin Tuo apart.
"Dodge!!" Huaxi's cry was nearly lost to the wind.
In the blink of an eye, Lin Tuo's body blurred. He slipped between the claws, appearing behind the beast.
Bounding upward, he gripped its coarse fur with his left hand. His right hand rose, Ether gathering.
A spear of pale-blue light took form in his palm.
"Pierce!"
With a shout, he drove the Ether spear down.
Shkk!
It tore through hide, sank into flesh, and—under his full strength—burst straight through.
The spectral spear erupted from the bear's chest, punching through its heart.
"Explode."
Lin Tuo leapt back as the weapon detonated in a burst of blinding force.
BOOM!!
The bear's heart shattered. Its glowing eyes dimmed in disbelief as blood poured from its chest.
With a final crash, the beast toppled.
Silence returned.
Lin Tuo exhaled, looking up calmly.
On the car roof, Huaxi's expression was frozen in shock.
(End of Chapter)