Chapter 119 - 109: Counterattack, Tank Upgrade, and Materials
These steel cables could withstand a terrifying tensile force of tens, even hundreds of tons. They were the same kind used for the anchor chains of massive cargo ships or for cross-sea suspension bridges.
The elevator’s steel cables were only four centimeters thick—about two fingers’ width—but they would be more than enough to handle a Tiger Spine Zerg on the brink of death.
In the hands of Lin Feng, a Tier Two Awakener, the hundred-kilogram steel cable was as pliable as a hemp rope.
He easily used them to bind the Tiger Spine Zerg’s Giant Mandibles, even tying them into a dead knot.
The dozens of tons of power he could unleash was no joke. He could snap a four-centimeter steel rebar with his bare hands, so a flexible steel cable was child’s play.
However, the Tiger Spine Zerg, with only its torso and Giant Mandibles remaining, was anything but light. The ten-meter-long mandibles alone weighed over a ton, and when adding its head and body, the total weight exceeded three tons.
Even at full capacity, his Membrane Wings could only carry half a ton.
But when he saw the steel cables, a flash of inspiration struck him.
He found two more cables, tying one end to the Tiger Spine Zerg’s Giant Mandibles. After flying out of the thirty-meter-deep pit, he secured the other end firmly to the rear tow hook of the Lv19 Flying Wing Tank.
With everything prepared, Chen Yanyan slammed on the accelerator. Amid the roar of the engine, she worked with Lin Feng to drag the Tiger Spine Zerg out of the deep pit and onto the surface.
Then, following Lin Feng’s instructions, she turned the tank around and rammed the creature to death.
As he watched the three pairs of sharp horns on the tank’s front pierce the Tiger Spine Zerg’s head, yellow-green blood gushed out like a fountain...
An upgrade notification for the Tank flashed before Lin Feng’s eyes:
「Lv19 Flying Wing Tank, Tier Jumping Upgrade Conditions met: Upgrade Points 10/10, Tiger Spine Zerg killed 1/1」
「Initiate Upgrade?」
「Note: You may forfeit your personal synchronized upgrade to perform an equipment fusion upgrade.」
Now was not the time to upgrade. Lin Feng used his upgraded Level 9 Ordinary Long Saber to start cutting into the Tiger Spine Zerg’s Giant Mandibles.
But halfway through, the blade buckled and bent.
Lin Feng had no other choice but to move the entire Tiger Spine Zerg carcass into the rear storage space. Fortunately, its body was narrow enough to be squeezed inside.
After stuffing it in, the fifty cubic meters of space was stretched to the limit. Lin Feng immediately spent some reserve Upgrade Points to expand it to two hundred cubic meters.
During their escape earlier, the Heavy Machine Gun and Machine Cannon had harvested a large number of Black Spine Zergs. Plus, being close enough to the C4 explosion had allowed the tank to absorb a great deal of ambient energy.
The Tank now had over six hundred Upgrade Points in reserve.
A thought occurred to Lin Feng. ’I wonder if the upgrade cost for the Storage Space is still calculated based on the Black Spine Zerg standard?’
’In any case, the Tier Jumping Upgrade is about to happen, so there’s not much point in saving them,’ he thought. ’Might as well use all the remaining Upgrade Points on expanding the space.’
The rear storage was expanded to 500 cubic meters, and the living/combat area to 150 cubic meters. All told, the Tank’s bedroom and living room area would be about sixty square meters.
One bedroom, one living room, one bathroom—it was enough to get by.
After preparing the materials for the fusion upgrade, Lin Feng heard Chen Yanyan cry out:
"Lin Feng, there’s another one! The other one has already climbed out!"
It turned out that after Lin Feng had left the outpost’s central pit, the Red-Armored Beetles that had scattered into the crevices had reappeared on the other Tiger Spine Zerg’s command to dig it out.
And this Tiger Spine Zerg was a Level 24, Tier Two Middle Stage monster:
「Tiger Spine Zerg, Lv24/29, State: Heavily Injured」
「Life Value: 250, Physique: 350, Spirit: 36」
As it struggled to climb out of the outpost’s cavern and set foot on the surface, the entire structure finally gave way, collapsing completely into the Sky Pit.
It just narrowly missed crushing the heavily injured Tiger Spine Zerg to death in the rubble.
But a deafening explosion rang out at the same time as the ground shook...
Not far off, beside the Tank, Lin Feng slowly lowered the Level 20 Armor-Piercing Cannon in his hands. His face was devoid of expression as he walked toward the Lv24 Tiger Spine Zerg, whose body had been blown to smithereens.
The creature had just barely escaped death, only to be taken out by Lin Feng in a single shot before it could even react.
The Armor-Piercing Bullet had penetrated its Outer Armor and detonated inside its brain, blowing it to pieces. Not even a complete corpse remained.
He dragged the only intact parts—the pair of Giant Mandibles—back to the storage space. Lin Feng scanned his surroundings; the Black Spine Zerg Swarm was already starting to regroup...
Meanwhile, deep underground within the Sky Pit, the Red-Armored Beetles had already dug out and dragged away the first Tiger Spine Zerg’s corpse.
There was no reason to linger.
He turned, got back into the vehicle, and gave the order to head back.
Once they returned, he first needed to find a safe, secluded spot for a temporary camp to settle his soldiers...
...but he also needed to upgrade the Tank to Lv20 Orange Equipment!
Then, he would use his Replication Skill to give everyone a massive upgrade, equipping them with Lv19 Tanks. Even if they only retained their Basic Attributes, they would be comparable to military-grade armored vehicles!
After completing all of that, Lin Feng had one more extremely important matter to handle, one he had to face alone.
He had to return to the Thirteenth Division’s garrison...
...find Cheng Zhan, the Zerg Race mole, and repay him for the missile he’d so thoughtfully prepared.
It was only proper to return the favor.