Lin Feng quickly walked to the second-floor observation deck, the Level 14 Machine Cannon in his hand already itching for action!

[Machine Cannon Lv. 14/19, Red Quality]

[Upgrade Points: 9/6, Damage 100, Effective Range 4 km, Remaining Bullets 2000/2000]

[Extra Attributes: Bullet Recovery 1/s, Spatial Magazine (2000 rounds)]

[New Active Attribute: Eye of the Death God (Selected) (Charge for 1s to lock onto one target for a headshot) 0/10]

[Evaluation: This is a super-weapon that concentrates the power of a Machine Cannon. Its bullets, after being reinforced a second time, are comparable to 30mm cannon shells, creating a two-meter diameter destruction radius upon impact. Kill targets to acquire Upgrade Points.]

When he saw the upgrade results from the front passenger seat, Lin Feng was already trembling with excitement. This upgrade had not only increased the Damage by twenty but had also doubled both its range and ammo capacity.

A small pistol now possessed the power of a 30mm Machine Cannon. Most importantly, there were three new Active Attributes to choose from:

Eye of the Death God: Charged aiming. For every second of charging, you can lock onto one target for a headshot. Maximum of ten targets.

Bullet Time: At close range, increases aiming speed and physical reaction speed. Initial boost of 20%. Duration: 10 seconds. Cooling: ten minutes.

Firepower Coverage: Conduct an indiscriminate bombardment over a 100-square-meter area within the Effective Range. The longer the charge, the greater the power.

Lin Feng only needed a quick glance to understand that the three attributes represented three different paths. Eye of the Death God represented precision sniping, Bullet Time enhanced close-quarters combat ability, and the last, Firepower Coverage, was exactly what it sounded like.

In the five seconds he had to choose, Lin Feng assessed the current situation and decisively chose Eye of the Death God.

He knew he would be facing attacks from small groups of Black Spine Zergs, numbering no more than a hundred, and they would likely use scattered attack patterns like a Reconnaissance Squad.

Bullet Time was for life-or-death duels at close range, while Firepower Coverage was only suitable for a head-on battlefield and couldn’t kill the Black Spine Zergs outright—it would only severely injure them at best.

By choosing Eye of the Death God, combined with the Machine Cannon’s current 100 Basic Damage, he could lock onto their heads and take out any Tier One Zerg below Level 20 in a single shot!

’If I want to grind levels and get stronger quickly, Eye of the Death God is definitely the best choice for an Active Skill.’

Now, Lin Feng gripped the Level 14 Machine Cannon and walked to the Armored RV’s second-floor observation deck. While Chen Yanyan started the vehicle, he aimed at a Black Spine Zerg Swarm a kilometer away.

There weren’t many, just twenty-three in total. But without a hundred-man heavy-firepower unit, it would be difficult to deal with them safely, let alone for this poorly equipped group of civilian Awakeners. If they only had an ordinary Physical Enhancement Superpower, they stood no chance against even a small group of Black Spine Zergs.

Right now, that group was suffering heavy casualties. Their convoy of more than a dozen vehicles was down to just three, still desperately trying to flee.

The Black Spine Zerg Swarm was hot on their heels, refusing to let go. They split up, one group chasing the vehicles while the other accelerated to flank them from the side.

Without rifle fire to suppress them, the Black Spine Zergs at full throttle were significantly faster than the cars, as they didn’t need to change lanes or swerve around wrecked vehicles on the road.

Using the time these Awakeners had bought with their lives, Lin Feng activated the Active Attribute. Concentrating, he entered a state of pure focus, free of all distractions. His awareness of his immediate surroundings faded as he poured all his attention into aiming.

His pupils dilated, the black and yellow of his irises filling almost his entire eyes. Using the enhanced vision of an Awakener to pre-aim, he locked onto ten of the Black Spine Zergs within ten seconds.

Once all the targets were acquired, Lin Feng, still in the Eye of the Death God state, decisively pulled the trigger.

By now, the Black Spine Zerg Swarm, once a kilometer away, had closed the distance to five hundred meters. They were only a dozen or so seconds from the entrance to the toll booth.

A series of sharp cracks echoed out. The Level 14 Machine Cannon spat a stream of fire. An energy coating at the muzzle transformed the bullets into immensely powerful shells that flew at nearly a kilometer per second, locking directly onto the Zerg brains located behind their Giant Mandibles.

The power of the 30mm shells pierced straight through the Black Spine Zergs’ tough Armor, and the resulting molten metal jets melted and destroyed their brains.

As the sound of the explosions faded, ten Black Spine Zergs fell dead on the highway.

This scene not only stunned the people in the fleeing vehicles, but it also brought the Black Spine Zergs’ attack to a momentary halt.

But after only a moment’s hesitation, confirming there was no large human force present, they resumed the chase.

Lin Feng looked at the remaining thirteen Black Spine Zergs. They were all Low-Tier Zergs below Level 14, incapable of damaging the Armored RV’s Armor. ’They’re perfect for capturing alive.’

So, he stopped using Eye of the Death God and switched back to the Machine Cannon’s normal mode. The shells’ 100 Basic Damage was more than enough to handle a dozen or so Black Spine Zergs.

’As long as I don’t aim for the head, one shot will be enough to severely injure them.’

In the final dozen seconds, another one of the fleeing cars was unfortunately destroyed. Lin Feng didn’t fire to save them. ’They brought this on themselves; they should be the ones to bear the consequences.’

’Besides, I need them to keep drawing the Black Spine Zergs’ aggro. If I kill too many and they actually run away, what then?’

And so, when the Black Spine Zergs chasing the vehicles reached the entrance of the highway toll station, Lin Feng saw the distance was right. He signaled for Chen Yanyan to drive forward while he aimed his weapon at the Zergs’ lower bodies.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Each shell blew the legs clean off the sides of their abdomens, leaving the Black Spine Zergs severely wounded and collapsed on the ground.

After he had wounded the sixth one, the seven remaining Black Spine Zergs finally sensed something was wrong. They leaped down onto the slope below the highway and dove directly into a Wormhole in the green belt.

Even with his quick eyes and hands, Lin Feng only managed to wound one more.

Six Black Spine Zergs still managed to escape.

’It seems the underground structure of the Wormholes is what’s truly important to the Zerg Race. It allows them to deploy forces silently and provides an escape route at any time.’

’Crucially, it also lets them evade human Cannon bombardments.’

’Fortunately, digging a Wormhole also takes time, which gives humans a chance to prepare countermeasures.’

Seeing that all the Black Spine Zergs had been dealt with, Chen Yanyan drove over to the wounded ones. She followed Lin Feng out of the RV to tie them up and clean up.

"You kill one. It’s the perfect opportunity to trigger your Superpower Awakening and become an Awakener."

Lin Feng took the woven rope, shot off the chelicerae next to a Giant Mandible, and tied up the dying Black Spine Zerg. He then pointed to the others and spoke.

Chen Yanyan picked up the Divine-level Pistol, hesitating slightly.

"Now? But I still have to drive later."

Lin Feng shook his head.

"It’s fine. The Superpower Awakening won’t trigger until you’re in a relaxed state. It’ll probably happen after we get back to the service area and you get some sleep."

Chen Yanyan nodded. After breaking its mandibles, she picked up Lin Feng’s upgraded Level 6 Long Saber and brought it down twice with a CLANG, CLANG on the remaining Black Spine Zerg.

Not all items gained Extra Attributes after an Upgrade. A normal Long Saber was still just a Long Saber after being upgraded; only its Attack Power increased.

Under sixty points of Damage, the Black Spine Zerg died instantly.

A warm current flowed into her body, pooling in her chest and abdomen. As expected, the Superpower Awakening didn’t trigger immediately.

After killing that one, the two of them sped up, moving the other six living Black Spine Zergs into the Armored RV’s expanded trunk.

The fifteen Red-Armored Beetles from before were still inside.

They also had to take the pair of useful Giant Mandibles from the Black Spine Zerg that Chen Yanyan had killed.

Lin Feng had originally planned to drive farther ahead to collect the Giant Mandible Material from the ten Zergs he had killed earlier with Eye of the Death God.

He could use them to Upgrade the RV or the Red Armor Shield.

Just then, one of the two modified cars that had escaped earlier, after getting onto the highway, noticed that Lin Feng’s side had dealt with the Black Spine Zerg attack without breaking a sweat.

And had even captured several alive.

The resentful Awakener turned his car around and drove back.

The car stopped a few dozen meters in front of Lin Feng and Chen Yanyan. The person who stepped out was none other than Zhao Lu from before.

He was Level 11, one level higher than before they set out, which meant he had killed at least one Black Spine Zerg.

Chen Yanyan raised her gun in warning, but Lin Feng wore a smile.

"What’s this, Brother Zhao? Still planning on Hunting Zergs? Be my guest."

Looking at the pair and their bountiful harvest, Zhao Lu suddenly realized that his group had just been a stepping stone for Lin Feng.

’We took all the damage and didn’t get a single cent of the benefits.’

Wealth tempts the heart. Zhao Lu took a deep breath, his voice filled with suppressed resentment.

"If we hadn’t risked our lives to lure the Black Spine Zergs here, Mr. Lin wouldn’t have had such a fruitful harvest. With so many Zergs, you should at least share some, right?"

"We don’t want the live ones, just give us a few pairs of Giant Mandibles..."

He eyed the front of the Armored RV, thinking he could modify a vehicle of his own. Even if he just sold them, a pair of Black Spine Zerg Giant Mandibles was worth as much as a live Red-Armored Beetle.

Looking at Zhao Lu not far away, the smile on Lin Feng’s face gradually faded. He was just about to make a move and refuse...

Just then, a sharp screech came from the sky!

In the next instant, a flash of bright greenish-blue light streaked past.

Blood sprayed. The head of the Awakener before him was severed from his neck and went flying, rolling right to Lin Feng’s feet.

The expression on Zhao Lu’s face was numb and dazed. His mouth was still open as if to continue speaking, completely unaware that his head was no longer attached to his body.

"Run!"

With no time to identify the enemy, his sense of crisis screaming, Lin Feng grabbed the woman beside him and dove into the RV’s driver’s cabin.

"Dammit! The enemy is in the air!"