The new level measurement system with the continuity from Activity radiation as a standard could judge the strength of Activity clearly, but that was still just a standard of reference.
For example, the unspayed poodle and tumor pig had a difference in level, but based on the results of their fight, the tumor pig was simply unable to do anything to the agile unspayed poodle. Levels were limited by the restraints of the plants, animals, and human bodies. Clearly, the larger the animal was, the greater their combat strength was.
Perhaps one day, as all evolved beings improved further, their levels would increase even more. By then, this measurement system could turn into the real standard to test the weak and the strong.
As of current, it could only serve as a reference.
After Shen Cong completed the leveling system to measure strength, he felt as if he had solved a problem and felt relaxed. He held the two huge horns from the demonic bull king and thought about how he should use them.
The two horns were both at Level 0.215, and they could be very helpful. They had a curve that was about fifteen degrees, and there was a cavity in the middle. The entire horn was even sturdier than alloyed steel.
But if they were used only as decorations, it would be too much of a waste, and if they were used as weapons, they would be too big.
Shen Cong thought about it for a while, but he could not figure out how to use them. If he cut them up to create weapons, it would be too wasteful.
‘I’ll think about it later.’
He put down the horns and replenished the Activity of the two ant eggs. He was beginning to feel closer to the ant eggs again, so he believed that Activity had an even more mysterious logical connection than neurons. After the ant eggs’ Activity radiation became in sync with Shen Cong’s, this logical connection was built.
This was as if one of Shen Cong’s nerves was connected to someone else. Still, it was very difficult for him to say that this allowed him to command other people. After all, others had their own brains, but when it came to nerve impulses, Shen Cong could receive the responses from other people’s limbs, which meant that he could indirectly affect other people’s actions.
The connection between him and the ant eggs was similar to the logic he just stated.
He could not say whether this was good or bad. He decided to just hatch the ant eggs and carefully investigate the connection.
When he put down the ant eggs, Shen Cong could clearly sense the Activity from the eggs sending two emotions—reluctance and filial affection.
This caused Shen Cong’s hair to rise. He could not help but remember saving the ant eggs. At that time, he had one wild thought that popped up in his head. ‘Are they treating me as their queen ant?’
That would be a huge mess!
Shen Cong did not have the disgusting thought of being the mother for insects.
*****
While the sun was still up, Shen Cong put on the Drastically Modified Battle Armor and went out.
He wandered around Yinpingzhen with the intention to check whether Wang Gen, Dragon Slayers, and the Secret Organization had already received his “card” and what sort of reaction they would give him.
But instead of them, he rediscovered the scavengers. They were still the original seven-man group and were scavenging in the ruins.
They did not seem to be acting any differently.
‘Did Zhang Youhai and the rest not reveal my information?’ Shen Cong felt puzzled.
He also saw Zhang Youhai occasionally leave the team to go on a walk while looking around. It seemed like he was looking forward to something. When Shen Cong saw this, his mind raced, and he immediately guessed the general gist of his actions.
Zhang Youhai seemed to want to be captured by Shen Cong again. He could obtain precious resources each time he was captured, which was a really good trade for him.
“Idiot,” Shen Cong cursed him, finding himself rather speechless by his actions. “I’ve already obtained the information I want. Why would I capture you again to give you resources?”
He felt a little gloomy that Zhang Youhai did not act according to his plan, but he did not intend to capture Zhang Youhai again and tell him to inform the evolved humans about his existence as quickly as possible. It would be good if the evolved humans did not know about him too.
This gave Shen Cong more time to get stronger in the wilderness. Previously, he had been in a hurry to contact the evolved humans in order to get fuel and other resources.
However, the demonic bull king’s appearance and the evolved fish he easily captured gave him the patience to bide his time.
He would first observe the situation from the dark and equip himself down to his teeth. At that time, even if he were to offer a trade directly or snatch resources from the factions of power, he could do it with ease. No matter how cunning, wicked, or scheming they were, as long as he had Titan as his fortress and had the Drastically Modified Battle Armor on him, he would be invincible.
There was no preparatory work that could guarantee 100% safety, and in the post-apocalyptic world, Shen Cong had to be wary to guess other people’s intentions while thinking about them in the worst sense.
Of course, he was a person suffering from a persecution complex. Even if the apocalypse had not arrived, he would still do that. When he walked on the street, he was always worried that someone would appear and stab him.
Shen Cong watched Zhang Youhai and his group through the binoculars. After they swept through an area of the ruins, they left Yinpingzhen.
Then, Shen Cong searched through two small areas of the ruins before he returned to Titan.
He continued repairing the display system and the camera at the head of the truck in passing. The camera was connected to the display screen, and it showed what was in front of the truck. Shen Cong continued working and repaired the other cameras as well. In the past, the images from them were all gathered on six different screens.
Shen Cong switched an interface, and the images were gathered together.
He had sixteen cameras, and they could show all the corners around the truck. No details could escape from his sight, and they were all revealed on the display screens.
When night fell, Shen Cong repaired a second display screen, and he could now move eight of the images to the display screen. Because of it, each of the images from the camera became clearer.
The inner parts of the cameras were all waterproof. As long as he switched the capacitor outside, which had been submerged in water, they started working.
The display screen and vehicle-mounted systems were the hardest to repair, especially the display screens. After Shen Cong repaired two of them, he ran out of electrical components that he could use to switch out the spoiled ones. He could not repair the third display screen.
Until he found more resources to repair the display screens, he could only use the two display monitors to deal with the situation.
Then, Shen Cong started repairing the other electrical systems.
He strove to repair most of Titan within a short amount of time.
*****
That night, the six second generation mutated larvae Shen Cong reared started weaving their cocoons. Shen Cong gathered the six cocoons together and cleared up the cubicle at the truck rear by using water to clean it thoroughly. He might not be a germaphobe, but he still held great aversion to the scent of rotting flesh filling the cubicle.
Titan was like an extension of his limbs. He had to make sure that it retained basic cleanliness.
After Shen Cong finished cleaning the cubicle at the truck rear, he turned on his laptop. He made cross references to the electrical components he had to repair and searched for relevant information so that he could learn them properly.
After he was tired of studying, he brought out his phone and started playing a mobile game. It was a mini game of fighting against zombies during the apocalypse, and it was called Plants VS Zombies 6.
[A huge wave of zombies is approaching!
[A huge wave of zombies is approaching!
[The zombies ate your brains!]
Shen Cong calmly turned off his phone.
It was late, so he ate a few Activity-laced nectarines and slept. Since three nectarines were unable to make him fall asleep instantly, this time, he chose to eat four nectarines in a go.
The familiar impact rushed at him again, and he fell unconscious.
When he opened his eyes, it was the 4th of August.
Titan’s level went from Level 0.387 to Level 0.437. Shen Cong’s level also went from Level 0.747 to Level 0.749. Both of them improved, but he could tell that the improvement brought by the Activity-laced nectarines was not as obvious as before. He ate four of them, but they still did not manage to increase Titan’s level by 0.05.
Now, he only had thirteen nectarines left.
On the 5th of August, he ate four nectarines, and Titan’s level increased to Level 0.479, while Shen Cong’s own increased to Level 0.750. The degree of improvement became even smaller than before.
On the 6th of August, he ate another four nectarines. Titan’s level increased to Level 0.514, while Shen Cong’s increased to Level 0.751. The degree of improvement was still falling.
On the 7th of August, he ate the last five nectarines. Titan’s level increased to Level 0.555, while Shen Cong’s own increased to Level 0.752. He finished using up all his chances for improving quickly.
The level of Activity wandering in the air was slowly dropping, so it was very difficult to level up by relying on absorbing it.
‘Looks like it won’t be easy to push Titan to Level 1. I will either have to find evolved trees that produce fruits like the Activity-laced nectarine and eat them, or devour evolved beasts who are similar to the ironfolk. Or else, I won’t be able to absorb any Activity that is around Level 0.445 for a month or two.
‘If Titan doesn’t reach Level 1, I should also have a problem reaching Level 1 by just eating meat. Evolution… seems to have just become very difficult.’
Shen Cong put down the ant eggs he insisted on injecting with Activity every day in favor of thinking about his development in the future.