Cough, cough! Waldo coughed twice, choked by the thick smoke. Alanna and Helen chuckled and patted his back gently. After a while, the dense smoke finally dispersed. The three of them could finally get a glimpse of the true appearance of the combat robot. A robot standing two meters tall, entirely in shades of blue, and with a unique style appeared before them.

Just then, the robot’s eyes suddenly lit up, emitting a soft blue glow. Afterward, it knelt on one knee before Waldo.

Its movements were agile and smooth, more akin to a living being than a robot. "My master, I am your combat robot, ready to follow your commands! Please give me a name!"

Waldo thought for a moment, glanced in the direction they came from, and said, "We came from the west, so let’s call you West."

The combat robot’s eyes blinked with a blue light and it responded, "Understood, my master. I, West, have now remembered my name."

Next, to test West’s combat abilities, after the acid rain had stopped, Waldo equipped West with two critical-hit warrior knives and an assault rifle. Though he wasn’t sure of West’s combat style, having weapons was a necessity for battle.

Waldo and West walked through the moist forest after rain. The zombies couldn’t detect their presence, which would be lucky in normal circumstances. However, Waldo needed to test West’s combat abilities, so he had to attract the attention of the zombies. This had a downside – it attracted a large horde of them.

Many zombies quickly ran towards the noise. Even in the outskirts of City 25, the zombie horde far exceeded the scale of Old City 22’s downtown area. No wonder the survivors from City 25 looked down on the survivors from the Old City 22 – they had reasons to do so.

"West, show me what you’ve got," Waldo said as he put on his combat gear and patted West’s shoulder.

West replied respectfully, "Yes, my master."

Then West’s eyes shifted from blue to red. "Engage combat mode!"

West’s rear thrusters activated, propelling him towards the zombies. With just a punch, he shattered a zombie’s skull. "Damn!" Waldo exclaimed in both astonishment and delight. West’s punch had given him a firsthand experience of the combat robot’s immense strength, something even he might not be capable of.

Then West drew two critical-hit warrior knives and his thrusters pushed him into the horde of zombies. "Manpower exhausts, but combat robots don’t," Waldo thought. Robots would strictly follow the master’s commands until they were destroyed.

Using his dual knives, West expertly moved through the horde as if it were a breeze. Waldo marveled at West’s skill and dexterity. The robot’s proficiency with the knives was like an art form, and zombies fell to the ground in rapid succession.

Soon, a horde of zombies lay defeated at West’s feet. He then activated his thrusters again, unleashing a blinding white light and a laser cannon from his back. The laser obliterated the zombies, leaving behind a trail of destruction in the terrain.

As West landed back on the ground, bathed in sunlight, he exuded an aura of mystery and power with his jet-black body. Waldo had a strange feeling – he had seen this before.

West’s thrusters recharged, releasing a burst of blinding white light. Then, a deafening blast as a laser shot out from the thruster’s tip, incinerating zombies in its path. West transformed from a warrior to a majestic, avian-like form, soaring through the air, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.

As West descended, Waldo’s peculiar feeling intensified. This scene seemed familiar.

West’s thrusters were indeed versatile. They served as both propulsion and a deadly laser cannon, providing devastating firepower. Waldo exclaimed, "This isn’t just thrusters; this is like wing deployment!"

West’s red glow faded, shifting back to the calming blue light as he exited combat mode. Walking over to Waldo’s side, West respectfully said, "Master, the zombies have been cleared. Please inspect."

Waldo marveled at West’s efficiency, even though the initial commotion had attracted a crowd of zombies. He decided it was time to return. There was no point in staying longer – zombies were everywhere, and it was time to move on.

Alanna and Helen were chatting when Waldo returned. Alanna excitedly asked, "Waldo, how did the test go? Is West’s combat strength good?"

Helen leaned in closer to Alanna, giving Waldo space to sit. "Sit down and tell us."

Taking a seat between the two women, Waldo explained, "West’s combat capabilities far exceeded our expectations. When we first created the combat robot, we envisioned it to be useful mainly for close-quarters security tasks. We never imagined it would possess such destructive power."

Alanna asked curiously, "How did it exceed your expectations? Is it really strong? Stronger than our guns and grenades?"

Helen blinked, looking at West’s unscathed black armor, lost in thought.

Shaking his head, Waldo said seriously, "Its close combat abilities are indeed remarkable. But, you won’t believe what I discovered – the thruster device on its back is actually a laser cannon!"

Waldo continued, "So, we need to create as many combat robots as possible. However, the production of A alloy is not high yet. It will take some time before we can continue manufacturing."

Alanna and Helen nodded in agreement. "No one would ever complain about having too many of these combat robots," Alanna added.

As the conversation shifted towards resources, Helen suddenly remembered something. "Did you know that the vegetation in the ruins of City 22 has been growing wildly? In just a few days, it has turned into massive vines and towering trees!"

Waldo and Alanna were taken aback. They recalled the small green sprouts that had just emerged from the ruins of City 22 a few days ago. They had never thought those could mutate into such plants.

However, upon reflection, it made sense. With the giant meteor’s impact, everything had withered except for these peculiar sprouts. The situation was clear.

Seeing Waldo and Alanna’s confusion, Helen continued, "These rapidly growing organisms have spread to the entire East District. Even City 25 now has many of these mutant plants."

Waldo rubbed his chin and furrowed his brows. "Can’t we just burn them?"

Helen shook her head. "Burning them would only damage their bodies, not their roots. However, for now, using Molotov cocktails is the best way to deal with these mutants. It can at least temporarily halt their invasion."

Waldo’s eyes lit up with excitement. "This is a business opportunity!"

With endless gasoline and cotton, he could easily make Molotov cocktails. This was a great chance to make a profit.

Helen agreed, "Indeed, it’s an opportunity! If you have a sufficient supply of Molotov cocktails, you could sell them during this time when demand is high. The average prices on the trading platform have already doubled."

Alanna chimed in, "I have some Molotov cocktails too. Should I list them on the trading platform as well?"

Waldo stopped Alanna. "No need. I have plenty on hand. You don’t need to sell them. I’ll take care of it."

Then, Waldo ordered thousands of glass bottles through the trading channel to create Molotov cocktails. He had more than enough to meet the demand.

Simultaneously, he opened the chat channel to observe the survivors’ reactions.

Welch: These mutant plants are terrifying. Their destructive power is astonishing. Neither knives nor guns can harm them. Their outer layer is as hard as a wall. One of my temporary teammates was impaled by a mutant plant’s trunk right in front of me.

Chap: Exactly. Even Molotov cocktails are just a temporary solution. They can’t kill these mutants. With their growth speed, the branches and vines you burn off will likely grow back by the next morning.

Ain: It’s so difficult. I find myself in this apocalyptic world for no reason, dealing with both zombies and now mutant plants falling from the sky.

Grego: Ha, isn’t it because you guys are weak? Survivors from City 25 like us would take care of these mutants in no time. If the city center didn’t have mutants yet, I’d show you how capable we are!

A survivor from City 25 didn’t mince words and criticized the refugees, feeling they were weak.

However, survivors from City 22 soon turned the tables.

Godf: Get lost! It’s not like I haven’t met so-called local survivors like you. You all boasted about your gear, but you ended up getting killed by mutants. Stop showing off here!

Sarra: Damn it, are you trying to steal my business?

Russe: It’s not just you who has experience points. I’m low on supplies right now. It’s reasonable to use experience points for exchange, right?

Titter: If that’s the case, count me in. I have a lot of experience points I can exchange for Molotov cocktails.

Reading these messages in the chat channel, Waldo gained a better understanding of the spread of the mutant plants. It seemed that the outskirts of City 25 were already affected. This happened within a short period. The entire city would likely be engulfed in mutants soon.

Seeing survivors proposing to use experience points as an exchange for goods, Waldo became intrigued. Molotov cocktails wouldn’t fetch much in terms of goods. At most, they’d get some food and water—items he wasn’t lacking.

However, experience points were limitless during the current time frame. While Waldo could level up quickly through zombie kills, Alanna and Helen couldn’t keep up. He needed to plan ahead and accumulate a substantial amount of experience points for them.

Waldo initiated private chats with survivors who were interested in exchanging experience points for goods.

"Hello, I’m Waldo. Are you interested in selling experience points?"

"Hey, I noticed you were discussing exchanging experience points for Molotov cocktails in the chat channel. I have plenty of Molotov cocktails. How about we make a big deal out of this?"

"I have supplies, and you have experience points. Are you up for a trade?"

Waldo quickly messaged several survivors and, after receiving positive responses, created a group for them.

Russe: Huh? What’s this group for?

Sarra: Weren’t we just talking about trading goods? Why are you adding me to this group? Direct trading should work, right? No need to create a group.

Waldo: Welcome to my Experience Points Exchange for Goods Auction Group! Welcome all potential sellers!

Everyone: ???

What’s with this strange setup?