Armed Train in the Apocalypse-Chapter 265 - 200: Medium Rare (Part 2)

The sound of splashing water came from behind, and Su Huan sensed a restless energy fluctuation. He raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Have you advanced to Tier One 'Soldier'?"

Liang Kuan's chest vibrated as he replied dully, "No, a skill breakthrough. Unfortunately, I hit too hard and killed it."

With that, he tossed aside a miserable body.

The once agile "Fighting Master" was now even more so, with all limbs encased in exoskeleton broken, the chest appeared as if it had been trampled by an elephant, collapsed inward, bleeding from seven orifices, a truly wretched sight.

Su Huan furrowed his brows, "Don't waste it. Next time, dismantle the exoskeleton. Theirs is more advanced than ours, maybe Yu Jing can research something useful."

"Okay." Liang Kuan responded, hesitated for a moment and asked, "Why can't I advance to Tier One after using the genetic agent?"

Su Huan slightly shook his head, looking at the towering Wangjiang Peak before them, "Just need a major battle. Maybe next time, or the time after that, as long as you fight hard enough, it's just a matter of time."

In truth, Old Liang was already quite fast; after all, Tier One is a major threshold, countless people get stuck here.

It wasn't until a year after doomsday that wilderness prodigies began stepping into Tier One en masse.

Now, only two months in, Old Liang was already at the final step.

Su Huan contributed to this somewhat, but it also showed that Old Liang wasn't lacking in talent.

Compared to geniuses like him and Lin Jin, though, Old Liang seemed as slow as a crawling turtle.

The likes of He Jie and Qu Hang got a head start, but their actual evolutionary talent might not be stronger than Old Liang's.

In terms of evolutionary speed, Su Huan belonged to the first tier, absolute T0, because of several stacked buffs, no one could match him.

The second tier was Lin Xi and other Genetic Primordials, they consumed life energy, advancing quickly. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

These two tiers exceeded conventional speed at the cost of shorter lives.

The third tier was top talents like Lin Jin; Su Huan always felt Lin Jin might be some kind of perfect Genetic Primordial, finding a balance between advancement speed and life energy, otherwise no top talent could reach Tier Five in four years.

But this was just his wild guess; after all, he had only seen such a talent once in his previous life, never even encountered other Tier Five experts, too few samples, lacking basis.

The fourth tier should be ordinary talents like Xiaoba, balancing combat power and advancement speed, with Tier Five potential.

The fifth tier included individuals slightly stronger, like Liang Kuan, Yu Jing, Yu Yue, He Jie, Qu Hang, with potential for Tier Three professions.

The sixth tier encompassed many, like Lu Xiao, Jiang Rong, Lao San and his brothers, Mountain Goat, Huang Sea, even elite soldiers fell into this tier. Advancing a tier took effort and they might remain stuck at Tier One lifetime.

As for Professor Ma, Vice President Deng, Wan Xing, it's hard to determine, after all, he didn't know them in his past life.

In this life, Professor Ma and others focused more on research, making it harder to judge.

Yet, Wan Xing and Professor Ma impressed him somewhat in evolutionary abilities, it was truly hard to predict how far they could go along this path.

Just like Zhang Min, who he once thought was nowhere near path to survival, yet later became a Tier One "Manipulator."

Evolution, it's indeed diverse, each has their own path.

While the two were conversing, He Jie had already led in cleaning the battlefield.

Bringing over several captives to report, "Captured six, five from the Deep Blue Data Investigation Squad, excluding the one from Steel Council, the rest are Tier One."

Su Huan waved a hand, an energy barrier flipped a large curtain of rain between them aside.

Curiously, he asked, "Steel Council still exists?"

He Jie looked contemplatively, "Li Wangchuan is still alive, gathered some survivors, established a new base in the former location of New Town."

"Oh, that's good."

Su Huan replied calmly.

"Not going to deal with him?"

"It's all in the past, why maintain such hostility?"

To those who wronged him, the Conductor remembered grudgingly, but towards those he had wronged, he was always magnanimous.

The Deep Blue Data's team leader cast a deep look at He Jie.

They had a file on He Jie in their internal data.

"Once strongly advised burning the logistic center, analysis suggests a volatile and extreme personality, showing signs of antisocial traits."

Meeting him today, surely his reputation wasn't unfounded.

The old establishment was tormented so tragically by them, yet still contemplating eradication.

This black bear, truly inhumane.

He Jie continued asking, "Then, our next move…"

Su Huan's gaze already settled on the team leader's face, calmly asked, "You've heard about the Crown Pear Tree on Wangjiang Peak, a mutated plant that can replenish life energy, haven't you?"

The team leader was momentarily stunned.

Life energy?

Crown Pear Tree?

"We... didn't know."

The team leader hesitated and replied truthfully.

Su Huan paused, considering the timing of their appearance; if captured by Black Kite then, they'd be unaware indeed.

"It's irrelevant." Su Huan had a pleasant smile, "But now you're aware, right?"

The team leader's heart rang alarm bells, shaking his head frantically, "Those concepts, I don't even know..."

Before he could finish, a hand landed on his shoulder to interrupt.

Su Huan's distinct fingers sparked with harmless electrical light, mildly asked, "Think again, will you?"

"Crown Pear Tree, a mutated plant, capable of replenishing life energy, possibly has some restorative properties."

"Good." Su Huan's eyes encouraged, "Utilize all your methods to find it for me."

The team leader replied bitterly.

Out of the wolf den, into the tiger's lair; he'd rather be in Black Kite's hands!

At least wouldn't have to work.

Su Huan coldly instructed, "He Jie, twenty minutes to prepare, then take them up the mountain, apply some pressure on those up there."

He Jie looked worried, he'd been searching this pear tree for days.

"What if they can't find it either?"

Su Huan eyes glinted coldly, lips curled, "Then they'll die together."

The team leader shivered.

Realizing he's truly doomed.

The company name won't save him now.

Only the Steel Council captive wasn't afraid, but looked at Su Huan with a probing gaze.

...

Twenty minutes later, the battlefield at the foot of the mountain was tidied, and Su Huan personally led teams up.

Besides the train crew, all Armed Corps members, including Xiaoba, ascended.

Among the ranks, six captives were dispersed, leading the way.

The heavy rain intensified, if not for mutated plants deep-rooted, there would've been landslides on the mountains.

Muddy streams flowed loudly downhill; if not having traversed before, the bluestone steps wouldn't be located.

The sides were adorned with mutated plants, persistently covering paths He Jie just cleared today.

Soldiers swung their sabers, quickly clearing vegetation, seeking anchors set on the mountain, tying ropes to aid soldier's ascent.

After all, most Armed Corps soldiers weren't highly evolved, unlike Haywood or Black Kite's group, the weakest reaching Tier One, depended on advanced gear, whether using ropes or not, they'd find a way up.

Armed Corps steadily advanced uphill.

Unconcerned about Black Kite's escape.

Wangjiang Peak was a fault-block mountain, a one-faced peak, ascended and descended by a single path, the other side was a cliff, perfect view of distant Mojiang Waterfall.

The cross-province Mojiang originated in Qingchuan Province.

Also origin of the Wangjiang Peak name.

A few days earlier, during less rain, helicopters would've been deployed.

Now amidst this storm, even Black Kite's men couldn't fly out.

A thousand meters vertical height, even Su Huan couldn't climb down, Black Kite's group were just Tier One Evolvers, not superhumans.

If Zhao Kuo was at Tier Two peak, it might be possible.

Even while half-beaten, he'd escape.

Undeniably, Tier Two's methods were truly versatile.

Focused climbing, Yu Yue suddenly turned back frowning, looking downhill.

Mouthing softly, "Su Huan… I think I heard a beast's roar."

(Recently been struggling, constantly blocked... Feel free to suggest ideas, brothers, currently the outline only covers the protagonist resolving life force issue, entering the Flood Zone)