NOVEL NEXT CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 34: Tools of Survival
Day 13 of the Apocalypse Calendar, Friday –Chest Exercise Day
Wang Xiong and Zhang Chengcheng set off early for the Zhang family's former gathering place. Before leaving, Zhang Chengcheng cast a glance back at Lu Ming's house. On the second floor, a small hole gaped in the window, revealing a glint of Lu Ming's eye.
She offered a silent nod towards the makeshift observation hole. Moments later, the window swung open, revealing Lu Ming himself.
“Don’t forget!” he boomed, his voice laced with an emotion she couldn’t quite decipher.
Zhang Chengcheng found herself momentarily speechless. Wang Xiong, on the other hand, stood beside her, completely bewildered.
“What’s going on?” he inquired, confusion etched on his face.
Zhang Chengcheng offered him a cryptic smile. “It’s a man-woman thing,” she explained. “You wouldn’t get it.”
Wang Xiong stared at her, then muttered under his breath, “So I’m neither a man nor a woman now?” This entire situation left him utterly perplexed.
As they disappeared into the distance, Lu Ming turned his gaze downwards to the street below. Yang Guan, Qin Lie, and Wei Jiming, the remaining survivors, were diligently cleaning the street. Straining his ears, he detected no telltale moans of the undead. Satisfied, Lu Ming shut the window and proceeded to make breakfast.
He’d prepared steamed buns filled with canned meat, a surprisingly satisfying meal considering the circumstances. With gusto, he devoured fifteen fist-sized buns, leaving him pleasantly satiated. Breakfast complete, he ascended the stairs to spend a restful half-hour immersed in books and offline videos.
Refreshed, Lu Ming launched into his daily workout routine.
By eleven o’clock, his grueling exercise session concluded, leaving a trail of three mangled barbells in its wake. Lu Ming surveyed the wreckage with a shrug. “No big deal,” he muttered to himself. “Zhang Lixin is already making new ones for me.”
He then accessed his attribute panel to track his progress.
Name: Lu Ming
Age: 25 years old
Strength: 29.5 (30.4) ↑
Physique: 30 (30.9) ↑
Agility: 29.4 (30.3) ↑
[Skills]
- Fitness Lv4 (300/400)
Even amidst his exhaustion, witnessing the upward trend in his attributes filled him with a sense of accomplishment. After downing a protein shake, he once again positioned himself at the window, indulging in a spot of people-watching.
The three survivors were still diligently cleaning, and judging by the smiles gracing their faces, it seemed they too found purpose in their work. Just then, Zhang Lixin exited his house, catching Lu Ming’s eye.
Relief washed over Lu Ming as he spotted what Zhang Lixin was holding. “Zhang Lixin is very reliable,” he muttered to himself.
“I finished the weapons,” Zhang Lixin called up, his voice heavy with exhaustion. “Take a look and see how they feel.”
He’d spent the past day and night crafting these implements, and judging by his weary demeanor, the task hadn’t been easy.
As expected, Zhang Lixin had constructed a bow and a slingshot. “Toss them up,” Lu Ming instructed, opening the second-floor window.
Zhang Lixin swiftly complied, throwing the weapons up for Lu Ming to catch. Upon examination, they appeared rather crude, crafted from a cold, unfamiliar material. The distinctive shape left little room for guessing –bone.
“Zombie bones?” Lu Ming inquired.
“Yes,” Zhang Lixin confirmed. “From the hunter you killed. I cleaned them thoroughly, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
Lu Ming understood. Weapons were inherently tools of death, and utilizing bone for such purposes held a certain ancestral charm.
He scrutinized the bow. Fashioned from the hunter’s spine, it bore numerous cracks, hinting at its fragility. “Even with the damages from your attacks,” Zhang Lixin explained, “the hunter’s spine proved stronger and more resilient than any steel I could find.”
The bowstring, he further elaborated, was fashioned from the hunter’s tendons.
Lu Ming drew the bow, testing its tension. He exerted half his strength—the bow held firm. Increasing his force to 80%, however, proved too much for the weapon.
“Not bad,” he conceded. Although imperfect, for practicing his skills or dispatching zombies, it was certainly functional. After all, in this apocalyptic world, beggars couldn’t be choosers.
Seeing Lu Ming’s apparent satisfaction, Zhang Lixin visibly relaxed. His voice softened as he spoke. “Compared to the bow, the slingshot should be even sturdier.”
This weapon, also crafted from the hunter’s remains, employed less material, allowing for a more selective choice and a simpler construction process. Reassembling a functional longbow from the shattered hunter had been quite the feat, Zhang Lixin admitted to himself.
Lu Ming tested the slingshot as well, and just as Zhang Lixin assured him, it proved superior. Even when Lu Ming unleashed his full strength, the slingshot barely strained under the pressure. A genuine smile spread across his face.
“Thank you, Sir Soldier!” he exclaimed.
“Just call me Zhang Lixin,” came the reply.
Lu Ming’s good mood proved contagious, momentarily lifting Zhang Lixin’s spirits. He flashed a smile and a wave towards Lu Ming on the second floor. However, Lu Ming’s next words promptly erased the grin from Zhang Lixin’s face.
“By the way, Sir Lixin,” Lu Ming began, “about that barbell...”
Zhang Lixin’s smile vanished. Awkward silence descended.
“Brother Lu,” Zhang Lixin finally sighed.
“Don’t call me brother,” Lu Ming interjected. “Just call me Lu Ming. You’re older.”
“Alright, Brother Lu,” Zhang Lixin conceded. “To be honest, with our current resources, we can’t replicate the high-strength metal bars you need.”
While he could still scavenge for materials for the bow and slingshot, replicating a high-strength metal barbell was beyond his capabilities, even if it meant risking his life.
Lu Ming recognized the difficulty etched on Zhang Lixin’s face. However, the barbell was crucial for his fitness and attribute gains.
“Sir Lixin,” he pleaded with a troubled expression, “please help me find a solution. Fitness equipment is very important to me.”
Zhang Lixin raised a curious eyebrow. “More important than weapons?”
Lu Ming gave a firm nod. “More important than weapons!”
This revelation struck a discordant note. Weren’t awakened individuals supposed to enhance their strength through their awakened abilities? How many awakened would prioritize fitness equipment over weaponry?
While Zhang Lixin possessed a keen eye for anomalies, he chose not to dwell on it at this moment.
“Alright, then,” he sighed in resignation. “I’ll try to come up with something. But don’t get your hopes up too high.”
“Just do your best, Sir Lixin.” Lu Ming wasn’t one to make unreasonable demands.
Once Zhang Lixin departed, Lu Ming shut the window. He sat down, examining the bow and slingshot in his hands. He could tell Zhang Lixin had put real effort and skill into crafting them. The details were well-executed. However, the lack of proper tools and the hardness of the bone resulted in a somewhat rough overall appearance.
“Functionality is all that matters,” he muttered to himself.
He played with the slingshot, and his fondness for it grew. In its current form, it was the only long-range weapon that allowed him to unleash his full strength.
“Let’s give it a name,” he declared. “Hunter! Yes, Hunter sounds perfect.”
Lu Ming might have been a novice at naming things, but he found the name Hunter quite fitting—simple, practical, and radiating a potent aura of lethality. It not only reflected the slingshot’s material but also its intended purpose.
He glanced at the bow and arrows beside it. The difference in quality was undeniable.
Disappointed with the longbow crafted from the hunter’s spine, he wasn’t motivated to give it a name.
He switched to a new target and picked up the Training Bow and Arrows, ready to practice his archery and improve his proficiency.
End of Chapter 34