136: Deep-sea tarantulas have emerged! Nanoscale cloaking coating! Now, we are ghosts!

The engines of the black iron were running at full power.

Massive propellers pushed this steel behemoth like a sharp blade slicing through the deep-sea undercurrents, racing toward the northwest.

Inside the Command cabin, Jiang Ran stood on the elevated captain's platform, his gaze sweeping over the crew members busy at work below.

"Old Chen, have the port side pressure valve data been calibrated yet?

Hurry it up!"

"Damage control team, go check the oxygen circulation system in the bottom hold; an alarm just went off over there!"

Old Chen was leading several core crew members, rushing between various posts while drenched in sweat.

Although this ship was highly automated,

at full speed, there was still a massive amount of trivial physical maintenance work that required human labor.

Looking at Old Chen's back, which was already soaked with sweat,

and the young crew members nearby who were panting heavily and had to lean against the wall to take a few breaths of portable oxygen,

Jiang Ran's brow furrowed slightly.

"This is the 'Cannikin Law.'"

Su Qingyu had walked up beside him at some point, holding a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

Her eyes also fell upon the exhausted crew members.

"The current black iron is a Level 5 deep-sea overlord, its armor is indestructible, and its firepower is enough to destroy a nation."

"You, as you are now, are a 'demigod' who has completed genetic ascension, capable of withstanding torpedoes with your bare body."

"But..."

She took a gentle sip of her coffee. "Your crew members are still mortals of the old era."

Jiang Ran nodded; this was exactly what he was worried about.

Their upcoming destination, the Tokyo Ruins, was known as the 'Far East Dead Zone.'

It was not only home to mutated creatures but also filled with lethal high-energy radiation residue and unstable, powerful electromagnetic fields.

Once they entered that area, ordinary protective suits could easily be damaged during combat.

When that happened, this group of brothers who followed him through life and death might not even last ten minutes before collapsing from radiation sickness.

"I can't expect them to maintain combat effectiveness in that environment. In fact... I might even have to get distracted protecting them."

Jiang Ran turned to look at Su Qingyu. "Is the stock of protective suits sufficient? Or is there a more advanced individual life-support system?"

"Physical protection always has its limits, and it's bulky."

Su Qingyu set down her coffee cup and pulled a metal box from the pocket of her white lab coat, gently opening it in front of Jiang Ran.

In that box lined with black velvet, six injectors emitting a faint fluorescent green glow were neatly arranged.

"What is this?"

Jiang Ran raised an eyebrow. "Another one of those serums that turns people into monsters?"

"Don't worry, this is the 'budget version.'"

A faint smile played at the corners of Su Qingyu's mouth.

"I used the leftovers from when I made your serum, stripping away the overly aggressive segments that cause genetic mutations.

I only kept the most basic Cell-Strengthening Factors and Anti-Radiation Enzymes."

She picked up one of the vials and gave it a gentle shake.

"This won't let them tear submarines apart like you do, nor will it make them grow scales or develop X-ray vision."

"Its only purpose is to greatly increase the human body's tolerance."

"To use an analogy, if you are currently a Tyrannosaurus Rex,

then this serum can turn them from fragile 'humans' into resilient 'cockroaches.'"

"Cockroaches?" Jiang Ran didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Don't look down on cockroaches.

Radiation resistant, drought resistant, germ resistant, and with infinite stamina."

Su Qingyu's eyes were serious. "In a hellhole like Tokyo, the chance of surviving as a cockroach is much higher than surviving as a special forces soldier."

Jiang Ran looked at the green vials, pondered for a moment, and then nodded decisively.

"Fine."

"Call Old Chen and the others over."

"Since we're heading into the gates of hell, we need to arm everyone to the teeth—even down to their cells."

...Ten minutes later, in the Medical bay.

Old Chen looked at the injector in Su Qingyu's hand, which was as thick as a pinky finger.

Specifically, looking at the eerie green liquid rippling inside, his Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty.

"Uh... Sister Su, is this the 'Power Pill' you were talking about?"

Old Chen shrunk his neck, looking miserable. "Why does the color look like coolant leaking out of a reactor?

Are you sure I won't mutate after the shot?

My family is still counting on me to carry on the bloodline. If I grow a third hand, my wife will definitely slaughter me."

The young crew members around him also looked at each other. Though they didn't dare speak, their eyes clearly screamed 'I want to run.'

"Rest assured, I've mostly eliminated the side effects."

Su Qingyu expressionlessly flicked the syringe, squeezing out a drop of the green medicinal fluid.

"At most, you'll have a fever, shed a layer of skin, and for the next week, you'll be so hungry you'll want to gnaw on the table.

As for growing a third hand... with your genetic potential, I'm afraid you're not even qualified for that."

"That's a package reserved for monsters like the Boss."

Standing at the doorway with his arms crossed, Jiang Ran's mouth twitched at those words, but he didn't refute them.

"Alright, stop stalling."

Jiang Ran stepped forward and patted Old Chen's shoulder, his tone becoming a bit more serious.

"The road ahead won't be easy.

Where we're going, the air is filled with radioactive dust.

I don't want to have to struggle to pull you back from radiation sickness when the time comes."

Hearing this, Old Chen's playful expression vanished.

He knew Jiang Ran was telling the truth.

In previous battles, they had watched the Boss engage in hand-to-hand combat with submarines in the deep sea by himself.

While they could only hide in the cabin and cheer, this sense of powerlessness had actually been weighing on the hearts of these veteran crew members.

"Understood!"

Old Chen took a deep breath, rolled up his sleeve to reveal a hairy arm, and closed his eyes with an air of tragic heroism.

"Bring it on! As long as I don't turn into a zombie, I'll accept being a cockroach!

To avoid being a burden to the Boss, let's do this!"

*Sss—*

The pneumatic injector made a soft sound, and the green medicinal fluid was instantly injected into his vein.

Then the second person, the third... The horrifying scenes of blood cocoons and skeletal restructuring that Jiang Ran experienced during his evolution did not occur.

But a few minutes after the fluid entered their bodies, Old Chen and the others' skin began to turn red rapidly, like boiled shrimp.

Plumes of white steam rose from their heads, and sweat mixed with black grease expelled from their bodies, instantly soaking their patient gowns.

"So hot... it feels like I've swallowed a glowing piece of coal..."

Old Chen gritted his teeth, curling up on the hospital bed, his muscles spasming and twitching involuntarily.

This was the cells undergoing extremely intense metabolism and repair under the catalysis of the high-energy nutrient solution.

Years of accumulated hidden injuries, damaged alveoli, and aging joint cartilage were being forcibly torn apart and reconstructed by a newfound power... Four hours later.

When Old Chen appeared on the deck again, he looked as if he had aged backward by ten years.

Although his physique hadn't become exaggerated,

his originally somewhat hunched back was straight, his cloudy eyes had become clear and sharp, and even his loose fat had tightened considerably.

"Heh!"

He walked to a corner where ammunition was stacked, bent down, and gripped a metal supply crate filled with live rounds with both hands.

This kind of crate had a full load weight of nearly a hundred kilograms; normally, it required two strong men to carry it or a hydraulic cart.

But at this moment, Old Chen just gave a low shout, and the muscles in his arms bulged slightly.

"Up!"

That heavy crate was actually lifted steadily by him alone; he could even weigh it in his hands a couple of times.

"Holy crap..."

Old Chen looked at his hands, his face full of disbelief. "So light?

I feel like I could kill a bull with one punch right now!"

"Killing a bull won't work, but killing three of your former selves is no problem."

Su Qingyu walked over holding a data tablet, recording as she spoke. "Your muscle density has increased by 40%, and your cardiopulmonary function has increased by 150%."

"Most importantly, your cells' tolerance to ionizing radiation has reached five times that of an ordinary person."

"Congratulations, Old Chen."

Jiang Ran looked at this group of refreshed subordinates and nodded with satisfaction.

"Now, you are finally qualified to step into that graveyard with me."

...Personnel enhancement complete. The next issue was—vision.

Jiang Ran left the Medical bay and went straight to the Fully automated military factory on the lower level of the black iron.

This was one of the busiest areas on the entire ship.

Several high-precision nano 3D printers were operating silently, and the air was filled with a faint smell of ozone and metal powder.

"According to the sea charts, the terrain complexity of the Tokyo Ruins is a hundred times that of conventional sea areas."

Jiang Ran stood before the console, his fingers sliding rapidly across the holographic blueprint as he dragged a pre-designed schematic into the production queue.

"It's a steel canyon formed by collapsed skyscrapers everywhere, with high-voltage cables tangled like spider webs."

"The electromagnetic interference there is even more troublesome."

On the screen, red curves representing electromagnetic waves almost filled the entire chart.

"In there, radio communication is basically blind, and sonar echoes will be scattered into a mess by the buildings."

If we just dive into it with the black iron like this, it'll be no different from walking a tightrope blindfolded."

"So, we need some special 'eyes'."

As Jiang Ran pressed the 'Confirm Production' button, the nozzles on the production line began to move at high speed.

Silver-gray liquid nano-metal flowed out like mercury spilling on the ground, rapidly solidifying and taking shape under the guidance of a magnetic field.

A few minutes later.

The first batch of finished products was delivered to the conveyor belt by a Mechanical Arm.

They were a group of pitch-black mechanical arthropods, only the size of a washbasin.

They possessed six sharp and flexible mechanical legs with powerful magnetic suction devices at the tips, allowing them to walk on any metal surface as if it were flat ground.

On their backs, there were no conventional antennas; instead, there was an exquisite spool reel.

"Codename: [Deep Sea Wolf Spider]."

Jiang Ran picked up a mechanical spider that had just come off the line. It felt heavy in his hand, exuding a cold aura of slaughter.

"They don't use wireless signal transmission."

Jiang Ran pointed to the spool: "This contains five thousand meters of micro-optical fiber."

In that godforsaken place filled with electromagnetic storms, only this most primitive physical connection can guarantee absolute stability in video transmission."

"Click, click."

Jiang Ran casually tossed the wolf spider against the wall.

The mechanical spider activated instantly, its six legs gripping the smooth metal wall tightly.

Like a true predator, it crawled silently and rapidly, nimbly slipping into a gap in the ventilation duct.

At the same time, a crystal-clear first-person view immediately popped up on the tactical terminal on Jiang Ran's wrist.

Even the dust inside the ventilation duct was clearly visible.

"Produce one hundred units."

Jiang Ran watched the continuous silver tide pouring out of the production line, his gaze cold:

"Once we get there, scatter all of them."

"I want every corner and every crack of that dead city to be exposed under my surveillance."

"No matter how deep that No.03 Guardian is hiding, even if it's a mouse, I'm going to find it."

..."Final step: Painting."

Jiang Ran stood on the bridge, looking down through the massive bulletproof glass at the black iron undergoing final adjustments in the dock.

This giant steel ship that had fought alongside him all the way originally presented a rugged dark gray—

That was the original metallic luster of high-strength titanium alloy.

In the absolute darkness thousands of meters deep in the ocean, this color wasn't a problem because there was no light at all.

"But in the Tokyo Ruins, the situation is different."

Jiang Ran turned and said to Su Qingyu, who was operating the engineering panel:

"Although it's submerged, most of the area is on the shallow continental shelf, with depths of only two hundred to five hundred meters."

At this depth, sunlight can still faintly penetrate during the day.

Not to mention the bioluminescent organisms and abnormal electromagnetic light effects that might remain in those ruins."

"A several-hundred-meter-long gray ship in that environment is like an elephant streaking through the snow; it's too conspicuous."

"Understood."

Su Qingyu tapped her fingers, inputting a string of complex command codes: "Initiate 'Abyss' class Nano-Stealth Coating spray program."

"Vroom—"

Hundreds of nozzles on both sides of the dock opened simultaneously.

But what sprayed out wasn't ordinary paint.

It was an extremely viscous black mist that seemed capable of swallowing even light.

This was a special wave-absorbing material synthesized by the nano-factory after the black iron had consumed a large amount of rare minerals.

With the rapid work of the engineering robots, this layer of black mist quickly adhered to the ship's hull and solidified instantly.

A magical scene unfolded.

The originally angular hull, which glinted with a cold metallic light, actually began to 'disappear' after being covered with this layer of black paint.

This wasn't optical invisibility in the true sense, but rather an extreme 'blackness'.

This coating could absorb 99.9% of visible light and radar waves, leaving almost no reflection.

When the spraying work was complete, Old Chen stood on the dock's observation platform and couldn't help but rub his eyes, his face full of horror:

"Holy crap... what the hell."

"The ship is clearly right there, so why does it feel like... a chunk of space has been carved out?"

At this moment, the black iron was no longer just a warship.

It floated quietly in the water, like a massive, silent black hole.

Even if a powerful searchlight were shone directly at it, the beam would vanish instantly like a clay ox entering the sea.

No reflection could be seen; even the hull's silhouette and edges became blurred and indistinct.

One could only feel a massive 'void' there, exuding a heart-palpitating sense of pressure.

"This is the effect I wanted."

Jiang Ran looked with satisfaction at the ghost ship before him, which seemed to have merged with the night itself.

The old black iron was a rampaging heavy tank that relied on armor and cannons to overpower opponents.

But now, having donned this 'night suit', it had become a top-tier assassin lurking in the shadows.

"Even the best sonar operator, after staring at this void for too long, would doubt if they'd gone blind."

The corners of Jiang Ran's mouth curled slightly as he issued the final command:

"'Abyssal Walker' mode, switch complete."

"Now, we are the greatest ghosts in this sea."

..."All system self-checks complete."

"Power reactor output is stable, weapon systems are on standby, and the 'Deep Sea Wolf Spider' reconnaissance squadron is loaded."

Inside the Command cabin, the atmosphere that used to carry a hint of panic and noise had completely vanished.

The lights had been adjusted to a dark red combat-ready mode, perfectly echoing the pitch-black 'stealth' hull outside the windows.

Old Chen stood before the main helm, his hands firmly gripping the control sticks.

After being injected with the enhancement serum, he was now like a stabilizing pillar.

In those once-cloudy eyes, a sharp, beast-like light now flickered.

He was no longer the greasy middle-aged man who could only cry 'Boss, help!', but a true helmsman capable of commanding this deep-sea behemoth.

The other crew members were also at their posts, each of their faces written with a certain resolve.

They knew that what they were about to face was not ordinary wind and waves, but a legendary land of death.

But at this moment, looking at the figure standing at the highest point of the command platform—

Looking at this invincible warship armed to the teeth, fear was replaced by an unprecedented fighting spirit.

Jiang Ran's gaze calmly swept across the entire ship.

The current black iron no longer possessed even a shred of the destitute aura of a 'survivor's shelter'.

Ammunition full, crew enhanced, hull cloaked.

It had completely transformed into a war machine born for slaughter and conquest.

"Before, we were running for our lives, trying to survive." Jiang Ran's voice was low, broadcasting to every corner of the ship:

"When we encountered danger, our first reaction was to run. When we met a strong enemy, we thought about how to stay alive."

"But starting today, the rules have changed."

He suddenly raised his hand, pointing toward the dark and deep sea ahead:

"Now, we are the disaster in this sea."

"No matter what monsters are hiding there, no matter how strong that No.03 Guardian is."

"Since we are going, they have to make way."

"Set sail!"

With the command given, the black iron's massive hull shuddered slightly.

There was no earth-shaking roar—

With the addition of the 'Abyss' coating and the silent propulsion system, this several-thousand-ton steel beast was like a black venomous snake sliding into the water,

Merging silently into the shadows of the deep sea.

On the radar screen, the light representing the black iron completely disappeared.

And at the very edge of the scanning range—

The jagged outline of an underwater terrain, as ferocious as a monster's fangs, was slowly emerging.

That was the steel jungle sleeping beneath the seawater.

The Far East Dead Zone was now before their eyes.