Boar hide was tough, but not impenetrable.
This mutant beast, capable of head-on collisions with the reinforced van, should have been impervious to blades, to bullets. He'd figured he'd need a power saw from the repair shop next door.
But the dagger, though it took effort, was cutting through the hide.
Maybe death changed the flesh, made it less resilient.
Etherscope had said the meat was edible. Who could chew rubber?
Cutting through the hide was a blessing. He worked his way to the chest cavity, located the heart, and cut it open.
He was covered in blood. He expected a coppery, metallic stench, but the boar's blood was…almost fragrant. Definitely not normal.
Thinking quickly, he grabbed some plastic buckets from a nearby restaurant, filling them with the blood.
Finally, he dug out a quail-egg-sized bead from the heart. Translucent, like glass, smooth and slightly warm to the touch.
The mutant crystal core.
He hurried back to the van, carefully placing it in the open slot on the dashboard.
It clicked into place, the slot retracting.
Mutant crystal core accepted. Initiating base vehicle evolution sequence. Please select evolution pathway.
A holographic display appeared, listing options and descriptions.
Option 1: Activate Level 1 Space Fuel Tank. Capacity: 10 cubic meters. Explosion-proof and bulletproof. Upgradeable.
Option 2: Activate Level 1 Space Storage. Capacity: 10 cubic meters. Internal environment: Low temperature, low oxygen. Preserves food for 1+ year, mutant beast biomass for 3+ years (mutant beast biomass has extended shelf life, viable for 30 days in humid 30°C environment).
Option 3: Activate Evolution Auto-Absorption. Enables automatic material acquisition via particle beam. Eliminates manual transport.
Option 4: Deploy Mechanical Arm. Lifting capacity: 20 tons.
Option 5: Add Weapon System: Fuel-Based Flamethrower. Requires significant gasoline consumption. Produces 2000°C flame via pure oxygen combustion.
Option 6: Upgrade Air Cannon.
Option 7: Upgrade Vehicle Armor and Bulletproof Glass.
…
More options followed, but grayed out, unselectable. He saw "Biological Laboratory" among them.
Option 10: Activate Biological Laboratory. Enables development of Gene Evolution Fluid using acquired materials. Gene Evolution Fluid enhances host's genetic structure, significantly increasing physical capabilities. Requires: Level 1 Mutant Crystal Cores x2.
His eyes widened. Gene Evolution Fluid? Enhance his own physique?
Incredible. Humans mutated too. He had the van, but his own body was a liability.
He was afraid to leave the van's protection.
But if he could enhance his own abilities…
That would change everything.
The biological lab was a must-have.
But…two crystal cores. He barely survived getting one.
He needed to get stronger. Evolve the van first, then himself.
So much to do.
He'd worry about the lab later. Focus on the immediate upgrades.
The fuel tank was critical. Ten cubic meters. Eight or nine tons of gasoline. Enough to fuel the engine, the weapons systems. He couldn't risk running dry mid-fight.
The extra storage was tempting. He needed the space. The boar meat alone…and a mobile, climate-controlled food supply…
The armor upgrades, the auto-absorption, the weapons…all tempting.
Even the mechanical arm. How was he supposed to move ten tons of boar?
But only one choice.
He wrestled with the decision. Finally, logic won. Fuel tank. Survival first.
The other upgrades were for convenience, for combat power. The fuel tank was life.
He needed to repair the van. 1200 liters of gas. More than his current capacity. Everything depended on fuel.
He selected the first option.
Upgrading fuel tank. Requires 100 kilograms of steel. Estimated upgrade time: 2 hours.
Damn it!
He practically kicked the console. Still needed materials. The crystal core wasn't a magic bullet.
Of course, you couldn't build a fuel tank out of thin air.
But where to find steel?
There were trucks and vans nearby. Plenty of steel. But how to get it to the van?
If he'd chosen the auto-absorption…
But that was a luxury.
He needed that steel.
But the boar meat…