3: Flood looters

"Huff... huff..."

Heavy panting mixed with the torrential rain; every breath sounded like a tattered bellows being pulled.

Jiang Ran mechanically swung the black iron oar in his hands.

With every stroke, he had to overcome the nearly one-ton weight of the hull.

The water's resistance traveled through the blade into his arms, a burning ache spreading through his muscle fibers.

This all-metal "black iron".

Although its defense was staggering, without power, it was nothing but a steel black hole that devoured physical strength.

He didn't know how long he had been rowing.

The building behind him had completely vanished into the vast curtain of rain, and the screams and cries for help were entirely drowned out by the wind.

After confirming there were no other survivors around for the time being, Jiang Ran finally stopped and leaned against the cold inner wall of the cabin, exhausted.

The side effects of the receding adrenaline surged up immediately.

Cold.

Bone-chillingly cold.

Though it was summer, three consecutive months of torrential rain had long since stripped away all the residual heat from the air.

The temperature was only a few degrees now.

Combined with being soaked to the bone, Jiang Ran felt as if he were streaking through a freezer.

Even worse was the sensation beneath him.

This boat was reconstructed from scrap desks and computer cases; the thermal conductivity of metal was extremely high.

Sitting on it, his body heat felt like it was being frantically siphoned away by the hull, as if he were sitting on a giant block of dry ice.

"This boat... it's really hard, but it's also really cold."

Shivering, Jiang Ran picked up an empty plastic bottle he hadn't thrown away and began scooping the accumulated water out of the boat, bit by bit.

Although he was in a wretched state and freezing.

But when his fingers brushed against the cold, hard gunwale, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, revealing a long-absent smile of reassurance.

Because the ground beneath his feet was solid.

In this ocean that had swallowed the whole world, he possessed a steel territory entirely his own that would not sink.

This sense of security was more important than anything else.

He tilted his head back, opened his parched lips, and caught a few mouthfuls of cold rain to swallow.

The clear rain flowed down his throat and into his stomach, slightly alleviating his burning thirst, but it could not fill the emptiness in his gut.

Hunger was like an invisible giant hand, ruthlessly twisting his stomach and intestines.

"I need to find food, and I need to find a way to dry my clothes."

Jiang Ran wiped the water from his face and summoned the system panel.

[Current Vehicle: black iron (Level 0)]

[Integrity: 100%]

[Upgrade Requirements: Metal 100kg / Power core x1]

Looking at the "Power core" requirement, Jiang Ran sighed.

Rowing by hand was simply too slow.

At this rate, if he wanted to row to the suburban industrial park to scavenge for supplies, it would take at least two days and nights.

By then, he would likely die of exhaustion before even reaching the place.

"I wonder if there are any other 'Evolvers' in this world..."

Jiang Ran stared deeply at the pitch-black surface of the water.

Just as he was about to close his eyes to rest and gather a bit of strength before continuing his journey—

"Tut-tut-tut-tut—"

A low, rhythmic mechanical roar drifted faintly through the wind and rain into his ears.

Jiang Ran snapped his eyes open, his body tensing instantly, and his previously dull gaze became sharp in a flash.

That was the roar of a motor.

On the silent surface of the rainy night, the sound was extremely jarring, yet also extremely pleasant.

It was the heartbeat of industrial civilization.

The roar grew louder, like an annoying giant fly buzzing in his ear.

A piercing glare suddenly cut through the darkness, hitting Jiang Ran directly in the face and making him instinctively squint his eyes.

"Yo, look what we've found?"

Accompanied by a shout in a playful tone.

A modified kayak cut through the waves, arrogantly circling Jiang Ran's black iron boat.

The kicked-up spray even splashed onto Jiang Ran's face.

Then, it pulled up right in front of the black iron, blocking the way.

By the light of the modified searchlight on the other boat's bow, Jiang Ran saw the newcomers clearly.

It was an orange civilian rubber kayak.

To increase buoyancy, several blue chemical plastic drums were tied to its sides with ropes, making it look somewhat bloated and ridiculous.

But at the stern... hung a black Yamaha outboard motor, chugging and emitting blue smoke.

That was the capital this ramshackle boat used to run rampant in these waters.

Two men were sitting on the boat.

The one steering had a buzz cut, his eyes were sinister, and his hand was constantly pressed against his waist.

Standing at the bow with a flashlight was a tall, thin man wearing a leather jacket.

He held a bloody fire axe in his hand and was scanning Jiang Ran up and down with the look of someone sizing up prey.

"Just one person?"

Leather Jacket Man swept the flashlight beam around Jiang Ran's empty cabin and spat in disappointment:

"Bad luck, there are no supplies on the boat at all.

Hey, kid, did you escape when that building sank just now?"

Jiang Ran sat in the boat, his hands still gripping the two heavy black iron oars, looking at them expressionlessly.

He didn't speak.

His gaze bypassed Leather Jacket Man with the axe and locked onto the vibrating outboard motor at the stern.

The model matched, and the power was suitable.

That was... his power.

"A mute?"

Leather Jacket Man became annoyed when he saw Jiang Ran wasn't speaking.

He lightly tapped the gunwale of Jiang Ran's boat with the back of the fire axe.

"Clang! Clang!"

A crisp, heavy metallic echo rippled across the water.

"But this boat... is quite interesting."

Buzz Cut Man, who hadn't spoken, suddenly interjected.

He stared at the pitch-black, matte boat beneath Jiang Ran, its material indistinguishable, a hint of greed flashing in his eyes:

"That sound isn't right... it's not wood, and it's not fiberglass."

He reached out and touched the bow; it was bone-chillingly cold to the touch.

"All iron? Cast in one piece?"

Buzz Cut Man's eyes lit up instantly: "This craftsmanship... this thing won't break from collisions in the water!"

"Metal?"

Leather Jacket Man was also taken aback, then let out a greedy, sinister laugh:

"That's perfect then; our crappy kayak is going to get shredded sooner or later.

Switching to an iron turtle wouldn't be bad at all."

The eyes of the two men changed instantly.

From the initial "disdain for the lack of loot," it turned into naked "murder for the boat."

In the apocalypse, a sturdy boat was a second life.

"Kid, this boat is nice. It's ours now."

Leather Jacket Man grinned savagely and raised the fire axe in his hand, waving it at Jiang Ran: "Will you jump in yourself, or should I help you?"

Buzz Cut Man cooperatively twisted the throttle handle; the kayak let out a "vroom" roar, its bow lifting slightly.

Like a beast about to pounce, it was less than two meters away from Jiang Ran's black iron.

This was an extremely oppressive distance.

If they wanted, the kayak could crash into him in the next second, or Leather Jacket Man's axe could come swinging down.

However, facing this deathly threat, Jiang Ran's face showed no fear; instead, a strange expression appeared.

It was a coldness that had seen through a certain essence.

"A rubber boat with plastic fuel drums hanging off it..."

Jiang Ran's voice was hoarse and low.

It was the first thing he said to these two dead men tonight, and the last.

"Do you really think... this thing can win a collision against a solid block of iron?"

"Huh?"

Leather Jacket Man froze for a moment, not yet realizing what Jiang Ran was saying.

In the next second, Jiang Ran moved.

He didn't try to jump into the water to escape, nor did he use the oar to block the axe.

The muscles in his arms suddenly bulged as he used all his strength.

He treated the solid black iron oar in his hands, which weighed a good twenty or thirty pounds, like a battering ram.

Not a throw.

But gripping it with both hands and using the strength of his core, he thrust it violently toward the most vulnerable side airbag of that kayak!

"Start leaking for me!"