142: Sacrifice the scrap metal, and everyone returns to the team!

"Captain! Are you insane?"

Xia Lai covered her nose, the smell of blood making her gag on the spot. "That's just a pile of rotten meat paste, why go over there?"

"Yeah, Captain..."

An Nuonuo shrank back, her hands clutching the hem of her clothes. "It's too terrifying over there... What if the giant thinks it didn't stomp hard enough and comes back for another step?"

...However.

Chen Du did not pay any attention to the reactions of the women behind him.

He walked straight over to that large, red-and-black mixture.

This was the final resting place of that Bearded Man and his convoy.

Become an ugly scar on the earth.

"Ugh..."

Xiao Ai just took one look, then covered her mouth and ran over to the base of a tree.

Chen Du's expression remained impassive.

He extended his right hand, palm facing down, hovering over the mess.

"Sacrifice!"

An eerie red glow, visible only to him, quickly enveloped the wreckage.

Sizzle——

The scrap metal, minced flesh, and bone fragments embedded in the soil rapidly decomposed.

In just three seconds.

A row of blood-red characters scrolled across the blank page of the [sacrifice notebook].

[Sacrifice Successful!]

[Obtained: life essence x45]

Before Chen Du could even complain about how paltry these scumbags were...

The next line of red text made his heart skip a beat!

[Critical Drop! Rare Item — Vehicle Core!]

A dark blue cubic crystal materialized in his palm.

Inside, it seemed as if a miniature galaxy was sealed, with intricate gears meshing silently within the blue light.

"Holy shit..."

Xia Lai's mechanical arm automatically lifted, trembling with professional instinct.

She pressed her whole face almost against the crystal, drool practically dripping: "This structure... this energy density... Captain! This thing could evolve our ship into a Transformer!"

"Wipe your drool."

Chen Du couldn't suppress the upward curve of his mouth, turning his hand over to stuff the core into his pocket.

"This is capital for dominating the seas in the future."

"Let's go, home."

Those two simple words made all the taut nerves relax.

At that moment.

That Steam Titan had already taken strides and walked several kilometers away to the pier area.

The ground tremors weakened.

An Nuonuo once again expanded her air barrier.

The shadow at Chen Du's feet also spread out, perfectly concealing everyone's aura and form.

The group moved like a pack of ghosts, swiftly traversing the dense forest.

Along the way, they encountered several stampedes of beasts.

Those frenzied mutated wild boars and deformed cattle and sheep practically brushed past the edges of their clothes as they ran.

Yet they looked right through these living people.

Half an hour later, a hint of white gradually appeared in the sky.

They finally arrived at the leeward cliff base.

Not far away on the sea, the pitch-black, menacing ferry no. 0819 lay quietly anchored in the shadows.

Many of the girls felt their noses sting, almost crying.

"Big Brother... dear ladies."

The Crab Claw Man, who had been tagging along for the ride, stopped.

Behind him were the OL woman and a few other survivors.

Their boat was hidden in the rocky area on the other side.

At that moment, Crab Claw Man knelt on the rock with a thud, kowtowing heavily towards Chen Du.

"You gave us our lives today."

"If we ever meet again in the future, this life is yours to take anytime!"

He was a smart man.

He knew that a team of Chen Du's caliber was not something rookies like them could aspire to join.

Rather than clinging shamelessly and being driven away, it was better to leave a good impression.

Chen Du gave a slight nod.

"Stay alive."

Without another wasted word.

He turned and led the women towards the shore.

Whoosh——

A red flare rose from the shadows at the base of the cliff.

"They're back!"

Xia Mo's tense shoulders slumped as she let out a long, heavy breath.

Tang Ran even slapped the railing excitedly.

"I knew it! They're tough as nails, no way they'd bite it!"

ferry no. 0819 immediately started up.

As the chain winches turned, the ship slowly drew closer to the shore.

Chen Du stood on the reef.

Looking at the several-meter-high gunwale.

The shadow beneath his feet surged!

Instantly transforming into dozens of black tentacles, gently wrapping around each girl's waist.

Then, like an elevator, it lifted them steadily onto the deck.

"Woo-hoo! This young lady flies herself!"

Lin Keke refused the shadow's help.

She activated her ability again, fluttering and leaping onto the deck.

Xia Xin, with a few leaps, nimbly ascended using the anchor chains as footholds.

The moment she landed.

"Big Sis! Second Sis!"

Xia Mo dropped her knife and rushed over.

Xia Xin and Xia Lai also teared up, the three sisters embracing tightly.

Surviving a disaster.

This kind of regained kinship was more precious than anything in the apocalypse.

"Alright, save the sentiment for later."

Chen Du stepped over the railing and jumped onto the deck.

He swept his gaze over everyone.

Though covered in dust and grime, with torn clothes, at least there were no casualties.

"Xia Lai."

Chen Du lit a cigarette, leaning against the wheelhouse door.

"Bring it out, let everyone see."

"What we all risked our lives for on this trip."

Xia Lai nodded, extricating herself from her sisters' embrace.

She wiped her tears and grinned.

"Open your eyes wide!"

A snap of her fingers.

[dimensional toolbox] — Overstock Release!

Boom——!

This wasn't just unloading supplies; it was practically raining meat!

Half a frozen pig carcass slammed onto the steel deck with a dull thud.

Vacuum-sealed premium steaks piled up like bricks.

And those crates of luncheon meat, canned fruit... Cold air spilled out, dropping the deck temperature by several degrees.

"Gulp."

The women all swallowed in unison, their eyes turning green!

It wasn't greed; it was the primal craving for calories etched in their genes.

A full three and a half tons!

This wasn't just meat; it was a mountain of gold and silver in the apocalypse!

"Meat... it's all meat..."

Tang Ran, ignoring her painful ribs, crouched down and picked up a can of luncheon meat.

Hugging it tightly, she rubbed her face against it.

"Holy shit... can we eat meat every day from now on?"

"So much... I've never seen this much meat in my life..."

Some girls pinched themselves, wincing from the pain before daring to believe it was real.

In this apocalypse where even a sip of clean water could cost a life.

The impact of this pile of supplies was more staggering than several tons of gold.

What's a sense of security? This is a sense of security!

"Long live the Captain!!"

Someone shouted it first.

Immediately after.

The deck erupted in hysterical cheers.

Even the usually aloof Li Yaozhi unconsciously swallowed as she looked at that pile of steaks.

Following this man.

You really... could live well.

"Alright! Pack everything up, store it."

A faint smile played on Chen Du's lips.

He turned and walked towards the helm, pushing the throttle lever.

"Set sail!"

Vroom——!

ferry no. 0819's engine let out a low roar!

A black plume of smoke shot into the sky!

The ship cut through the waves, turning its bow towards the deep sea.

At the same time.

On the distant sea, Crab Claw Man's sailboat also hoisted its sails, fleeing in the opposite direction.

The commotion here caught the attention of the colossal being on the pier.

That Steam Titan slowly turned around.

Its sixty-meter-tall body blotted out the moonlight.

Seemingly displeased with this little insect daring to slip away right under its nose.

Its massive arm lifted!

Sweeping towards the sea surface!

Whoosh——!

A terrifying shockwave carrying a fishy wind nearly capsized the just-starting ferry no. 0819.

The ship rocked violently!

Several girls moving meat screamed and fell!

"Ah! Captain!"

An Nuonuo, her face pale with fright, grabbed onto Chen Du's leg.

Ye Qiu also instinctively tightened her grip on his arm.

That giant hand swept past less than fifty meters from the stern.

The waves it stirred crashed onto the deck, drenching the women to the bone.

But the ship was ultimately a step faster.

Riding that push, ferry no. 0819 charged into the misty zone of the deep sea.

Chen Du stood on the swaying stern.

Letting the huge waves crash against him, he didn't even blink.

His golden eyes pierced through the curtain of rain, fixed intently on that arrogant steam behemoth.

Then he raised his hand and slowly drew a slashing motion across his own neck.

"Wait until I get stronger, the next one to be sacrificed... will be you!"

Whether the Beastly Giant understood this universal gesture or not.

Roar——!!!

An earth-shattering roar exploded.

It angrily raised its right foot and stomped heavily into the sea.

Waves dozens of meters high surged.

But it did not give chase.

The sea remained a forbidden zone for this terrestrial overlord.

The Titan could only stand on the shore, the pores on its back furiously spewing white, high-temperature steam.

Soon.

Billowing white fog completely engulfed the ruins of the Meat Processing Plant, along with that despair-filled pier.

ferry no. 0819, carrying a full load of cheers and hope.

Disappeared into the vast, dark sea.

This battle was over.

But an even crazier voyage had only just begun.