The moment the headlights flickered on.

A faint commotion stirred from within the darkness.

Shadowy figures surged forward in a swarm.

The convoy's existence was like a exquisite delicacy, rich and tempting.

And those anomalies were like demons who hadn't feasted in centuries, clawing their way out of hell.

One after another.

They came toward the convoy, some fast, some slow.

But in the end, they were all blocked outside the light's reach.

Chen Ye nervously scanned his surroundings.

He found that the situation was much better than he had imagined.

The number of shadows was controlled at around a dozen or so, with no large-scale gathering forming.

Still, being watched by those figures lurking in the darkness...

That feeling was far from pleasant.

As the truck rolled forward slowly, Chen Ye could clearly see a grotesquely small face standing beside one of the grave mounds.

A tiny body paired with an oversized head, an absurd mismatch.

The smile on that face sent a strong wave of discomfort through him.

Without the convoy's lights, that anomaly would have already charged at them.

There were several other shadows that evoked a similarly intense sense of unease.

They stood just beyond the reach of the light, staring at the living with expressions either sinister or bizarre.

It felt like...

Like a pack of hungry dogs waiting for their meal.

The moment the lights went out.

They would rush forward without hesitation.

The survivors, pinned under those gazes, felt the color drain from their faces, their bodies trembling slightly.

"Crackle..."

"Everyone, don't turn off your headlights unless I give the order!"

Captain Chu's weary voice came through the radio.

Chen Ye glanced at the battery indicator on the dashboard.

At this rate of consumption, the other vehicles' power would soon be depleted.

"Squad Leader Chu, the vehicles are draining power fast!"

Dantai Bie's chatterbox voice crackled over the radio.

This guy had voiced the same thought Chen Ye had.

No doubt others were thinking it too.

Probably, aside from Chu Che and Sun Xixi's specially modified vehicles.

The rest would struggle to maintain this level of power consumption for long.

Chen Ye's Monster Pickup Truck was in slightly better shape.

At least the solar charging panel on the roof was still operating at about thirty percent efficiency.

Power was being consumed, but it was also being charged.

Chen Ye looked through the protective netting on the window at the terrified crowd gathered outside.

This was a situation the convoy had never encountered in all its migrations so far.

Due to the rough terrain, the vehicle was now shaking violently.

Each vehicle rocked like a small wooden boat sailing through the Sea of Chaotic Graves.

Those grave mounds were like tiny waves.

Lifting the trucks up, then slamming them back down hard.

People inside the vehicles clutched desperately at anything they could hold.

Chu Che gazed tiredly out the window.

This was a situation even he had never faced.

The safety of over a hundred people in the convoy rested entirely on one person's shoulders.

That pressure had etched a deep frown line shaped like the character "three" between Chu Che, Squad Leader Chu's, brows.

Even using his Sequence 4 ability had taken a heavy toll on him.

But he had no time to rest now.

The convoy was still in danger.

"Ahem... Yezi, you... you usually have the most ideas. What do you think?"

Asking Chen Ye for advice was a last resort.

Chen Ye might be quick-witted and full of tricks, but that guy was a poisonous strategist.

His methods were normally hard for anyone to accept.

Chu Che had already said those words, which meant he truly had no other options.

Chen Ye heard Chu Che's question, raised an eyebrow, and was just about to open his mouth.

The radio crackled again with Chu Che's voice: "Ahem... Yezi, if you don't have a good idea, then forget it!"

The subtext was: If your idea isn't something a normal person could come up with, then never mind.

Chen Ye's eyebrows shot up, and he felt a bit annoyed.

This bastard Chu Che, does he think so little of me?

The Pink-haired Girl and Iron Lion were also listening closely.

They were nervous too.

This Sea of Chaotic Graves was just too bizarre.

If they couldn't get out of here quickly, no one knew what would happen.

"Ahem... Squad Leader Chu, given the current situation, my suggestion is to abandon some of the vehicles."

"Concentrate all the remaining supplies on the ones we keep!"

"Earlier, we had over a hundred and thirty people; now there should be fewer!"

"There's no need for so many vehicles!"

In fact, Chen Ye's plan was quite moderate, nothing unacceptable.

But it was very well-suited to the current circumstances.

What Chen Ye really wanted to say was to use some survivors as "tails," leading the rest away from here quickly.

If this had been before the apocalypse, Chu Che back then, even if he wouldn't openly admit to such a method, would at least keep his mouth shut and say nothing.

Back then, Squad Leader Chu believed there were still many humans.

Maybe soon, humanity could return to the cities...

But now...

Squad Leader Chu had taken the burden of humanity's survival on his own shoulders; he would never do such a thing.

Chen Ye continued: "We have Gong Yong. I believe if you give him time, he can definitely, in the shortest possible time, use whatever materials he has on hand to quickly build a vehicle capable of carrying the survivors out of here."

"I trust that a Sequence 4 Mechanic can do it! Right, Gong Yong!"

Chu Che had said that Sequence 4 was very different from Sequence 3.

So the Mechanic's Sequence 4 should be even more powerful!

As for how powerful?

Chen Ye glanced out the window.

In just this short time, Gong Yong had already fixed Bus Number Seven to a decent degree.

At that speed...

If this were before the apocalypse, repairing a bus with such severe damage to that level would be unthinkable without at least a week or two.

It would even require the cooperation of many people and many machines.

But now, just Gong Yong alone could achieve this!!!

That was the incredible part of the Mechanic Sequence.

It was truly an enviable ability.

The last sentence was directed at Gong Yong.

Chen Ye didn't believe Gong Yong couldn't hear him.

This was a Mechanic; for others, a radio might be something hard to come by.

But for a Mechanic, it was basically something they could whip up on the spot.

"I... I... I can do it!!!"

Gong Yong's somewhat nervous voice immediately followed Chen Ye's words over the radio.

That pressure had etched a deep "river" character into Chu Che, Squad Leader Chu's, brow.

Chu Che thought for a moment, then grabbed the radio and asked.

"Squad Leader Chu, I... I'm now a Mechanic Sequence 4, sequence name: Mechanical Miracle."

"Mechanical Miracle is my ability name!"

"Give me time, and I can modify the other vehicles in a short amount of time..."

When it came to mechanical matters, Gong Yong didn't stutter at all.

According to his plan, he intended to merge at least two buses into one.

This way, the survivors could be concentrated in a single vehicle.

At the same time, the resources from several vehicles could be pooled into that one.

The vehicle created this way would combine the resources of multiple trucks, greatly enhancing its performance.

He would also make specialized modifications tailored to the terrain of the Sea of Chaotic Graves.

He could guarantee that the modified vehicle could move through the Sea of Chaotic Graves at a speed of at least fifty kilometers per hour.

Fifty kilometers!!

Given the terrain of the Sea of Chaotic Graves, the convoy's current speed was nowhere near fifty.

Not even twenty kilometers, no, not even ten kilometers per hour.

Moreover, concentrating the survivors in one vehicle.

Then turning on the headlights.

While reducing the area of illumination, it would also serve to ward off the anomalies.

At the same time, pooling the resources of two vehicles to power one would greatly extend the duration of the lights.

Chu Che hesitated for a few seconds, then his voice came through the radio again.

"How long do you need?"

"Forty-eight hours, Squad Leader Chu. No, forty hours is enough."

"Forty hours! I guarantee I'll get the job done!"