...
I looked at the gleam in his eyes and couldn't help but speak in a sarcastic tone.
"What, did you find water in the desert or something?"
I said it with a grin—fully aware I was being a hypocrite.
After all, I probably had the exact same look earlier when I finally learned Chidori.
Recalling how electricity worked… imagining my arm as a conductor…
Still, I had to admit—
It was far harder than learning the Fireball Jutsu.
By a huge margin.
It had taken me hours.
"Tch… shut up and look at yourself before talking," Lin Xian clicked his tongue.
"Now go bother someone else. I want to test what changed."
Without giving me another glance, he turned his attention back to the remaining smaller freezers.
I, on the other hand, shifted my focus to my system.
Taking out one of the ready-made meals I had stored—a plate of pasta with chicken and meat sauce—I started eating.
After all that training…
I was starving.
By my second bite, I felt someone staring.
Looking up, I saw Lin Xian watching me, practically drooling.
I nodded.
He nodded back.
Understanding what he wanted, I took out a can of beans and tossed it to him before returning to my meal.
"You bastard! You tempt me with that plate and then give me beans? You—!"
He threw the can back at me.
I caught it easily.
Then, sighing, I took out another ready meal and handed it to him.
This time, he devoured it like a man who hadn't eaten in days.
Which… considering what we'd been eating lately, wasn't exactly surprising.
The moment he finished, he immediately went back to dismantling the smaller freezers.
---
After finishing my own meal, I decided to train my body.
I grabbed several steel bars and used them as improvised weights.
Lifting…
Running with added weight…
Squats…
Repetition after repetition.
+1 Strength…
…
+1 Speed…
…
After 1 hour and 32 minutes of intense training, I opened my system.
---
[Drakkon Uchiha]
[Uchiha Bloodline]: Lv.1 (349 / 500)
[Strength]: Lv.2 (15 / 500)
[Speed]: Lv.2 (220 / 600)
[Defense]: Lv.1 (30 / 50)
---
[Skills]
[Great Fireball Jutsu]: Lv.2 (398 / 500)
[Shadow Clone Jutsu]: Lv.1 (30 / 900)
---
[Passives]
[Chakra Control]: Lv.2 (379 / 700)
[Sharingan]: Lv.1 (10 / 300)
[Chidori]: Lv.1 (1 / 500)
---
"Hmm… there's definitely a difference between Strength and Speed at Level 2…"
I murmured to myself.
"I trained them almost the same way, but Speed increased much more…"
Maybe it was genetic.
After all, it was easier to become fast than strong.
Even in anime, there weren't many like Might Guy who relied purely on physical strength…
But there were plenty known for speed.
"So both level and genetics affect how hard it is to increase stats…"
I paused.
But I'd need more testing to confirm that.
Still…
A thought lingered in my mind.
If it's already like this now… how hard will it be at Level 3?
Or maybe…
I was just overthinking.
Maybe I just needed harsher training.
Shaking my head, I pushed the thought aside and focused on my Sharingan.
"If I want to improve it, I'll need to use it more… reaction time is never a bad thing to have."
I kept muttering—
Until Lin Xian suddenly interrupted me.
"Hello? Earth to moon guy. I repeat—Earth to moon guy."
I turned to him.
"What is it?"
Honestly, I had no idea what he wanted to show.
All I saw were scattered chunks of ice on the floor.
"So… you noticed, right?" he said with excitement.
"Pretty cool, huh? I just discovered our future infinite water source."
I stared at him.
Are you serious?
"Dude… first an infinite train that isn't actually infinite… now infinite water that isn't water yet."
I crossed my arms.
"You really like adding 'infinite' to things, huh?"
"Come on, don't give me that look!" he protested.
"Think about it—once this melts, we'll have unlimited clean water. Pure ice. No impurities. All made using my energy!"
He puffed his chest proudly, like he had just saved the world.
"Smart… but answer me this," I replied.
"You already spend energy driving, repairing, and modifying the train. Where are you getting extra energy from?"
His smile froze.
Then slowly collapsed.
Like a child who had candy taken away.
---
"Anyway… don't you want to deal with those scammers outside?"
I leaned against the wall.
"The zombies attracted earlier should've scattered by now. Whatever we're going to do, now's the best time."
"Hmm… you're right."
He nodded.
"Let's deal with those bastards."
He popped a small chunk of ice into his mouth and walked toward the door.
Click—
The lock opened.
But the door only moved slightly.
The chain outside stopped it from opening fully.
I moved to the observation window while Lin Xian scanned with a flashlight.
"Found it."
A grin spread across his face.
"Time for payback."
He raised his hand—
And launched a wind cannon.
---
BOOM!
---
Inside the other freezer, the family jolted awake in panic.
"What was that?! Is someone outside?" one brother shouted.
"I don't see anything…" the other whispered, peering through the observation window.
"Stay quiet. No lights. Let's observe first."
They all agreed.
The old woman turned off the light.
Darkness swallowed them.
And unease grew in silence.
---
"Tch… they like locking people up like chickens in a coop…"
Lin Xian smirked darkly.
"Let's see how they feel being the chickens."
"Are you a spirit of vengeance or something?" I muttered.
"You're acting exactly like one."
"Has anyone told you your mouth spews more nonsense than a corrupt politician?"
His face darkened.
I immediately realized—
I might've just put myself at the top of his hit list.
---
"See? I told you it was nothing," the older brother said inside the freezer.
"Go back to sleep. We'll continue shifts."
---
BOOM!
---
"Ahh! Dad! Mom! The monsters—they found us!"
The chubby boy started crying in panic.
"Shut up!" Huang Jie snapped, gripping his rifle so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"You'll attract them!"
But it was already too late.
The moans outside were growing louder.
Heavier.
Closer.
Then—
A new sound.
Something massive dragging across metal.
A chill ran down everyone's spine.
---
"Like that white creature that chased us…" Lin Xian whispered.
"Yeah… but bigger," I replied.
"And it sounds like it has many legs."
---
BOOM!
---
The third impact made the freezer tremble.
Inside—
Panic exploded.
"Mom! I'm scared!"
The boy sobbed uncontrollably.
The old woman covered his mouth and shoved him toward his mother.
"No one screams! You'll only make it worse!"
"What the hell is that?! We can't just sit here—"
He didn't need to finish.
Everyone understood.
"I told you… we should've tried harder to break into that train…" Huang Jie muttered, trembling.
"It's fine," the older brother said, forcing calm.
"They can't get in. As long as we stay quiet, we'll be safe."
At first…
It seemed true.
The zombies slammed against the freezer uselessly.
But then—
A new sound emerged.
Metal…
Being chewed.
Torn apart.
Like flesh.
The reinforced door began to bend.
The seal broke.
The noise of the undead flooded inside.
"M-Mom…"
The boy wet himself in terror.
The others weren't any better.
Guns trembling.
Aiming at the door.
Then—
They fired.
---
Bang! Bang! Bang!
---
In the brief flashes of gunfire—
They saw it.
A massive red creature.
Like a giant centipede.
Ten meters long.
Countless legs moving in horrifying rhythm.
Huge mandibles like steel blades.
Its body covered in a black-and-red exoskeleton.
---
Gunfire.
Screams.
Moans.
Then—
Silence.
Only chewing sounds remained.
---
We watched from afar, trying to process what we had just seen.
Slowly…
We closed our door.
Locked it.
And sat on opposite sides—
Far enough not to be seen.
"What the hell was that…?" Lin Xian whispered.
"That's way worse than the white giant we saw before."
"Yeah… if we had run into that instead… we'd be dead."
I exhaled slowly.
"I thought we were unlucky back then… but now? That was luck."
"What kind of nightmare planet is this…?"
He muttered.
"A parade of monsters…"
"Hey, that line was supposed to be mine," I whispered back.
But then—
We heard it again.
Dragging.
The centipede was still moving.
We froze.
Holding our breath.
Not daring to move.
Compared to that thing…
Zombies were like babies compared to adults.
Pathetic.
Almost pitiful.
After all—
They used to be human.
I glanced at Lin Xian.
He had that same look again.
The one that said—
He was already thinking about upgrading the train even more.
As if it wasn't already overloaded.
---