No one knew exactly how it happened as everyone's attention was completely fixed on the mysterious actions of Bai Zemin and the disappearance and appearance of Shangguan Bing Xue. However, at this moment, the little giant Liang Peng was lying on the ground, sitting on his butt while looking at the giant beetle in surprise.
"What happened?" Shangguan Bing Xue broke the awkward silence and asked with a small frown.
Liang Peng didn't answer her and instead jumped off the ground as he shouted loudly, "Damn it! This beetle's shell is so hard that even with my strength and hammer I can't break it!"
Those survivors who were enduring the urge to laugh when they saw Liang Peng on the ground turned pale when they heard this.
Liang Peng had been unconsciously considered as the person with the most physical strength in the whole group because of his huge hammer and the ease with which he wielded it. However, as one of the strongest in the group, even he could not break through this beetle's defenses.
What did it mean not to be able to break through the enemy's defenses? It meant that in the event of a battle, it was only a matter of time before he would have to retreat in defeat or be killed.
Then, if a creature on the level of this giant beetle appeared, Liang Peng might have a chance to flee. However, they were all weak people with average stats; if they were left to their fate it would only be a matter of time before they died miserably.
Many young female students could not help but burst into tears again, realizing how dangerous the world was now and how little life was worth.
"That big man looks like he graduated from a fool's college." Lilith couldn't help but giggle softly as she played with her hair.
Bai Zemin frowned slightly at the growing fear of the survivors. At this rate, all his plans would fly out the window before they were even put into action.
After hesitating for a moment, Bai Zemin slowly walked towards Liang Peng and stretched out his right hand as he calmly said, "Can you lend me your hammer for a moment?"
"What do you want it for?" Liang Peng looked at him suspiciously. His impression of Bai Zemin was not very good at this point after what happened earlier in the gymnasium.
"Just to see if I can break through the beetle's defenses. Don't worry, I'll get it back to you right away." Bai Zemin looked at him seriously and assured him.
Liang Peng looked at him as if he was an idiot and was about to say something when suddenly an idea flashed in his mind. With a strange smile, he raised his hammer and handed it to Bai Zemin, "Here."
"Thank you." Bai Zemin nodded and stretched his hand forward.
When Bai Zemin's hand came into contact with the hammer's handle, Liang Peng scoffed and released his grip. However, the scene of Bai Zemin being sent to the ground by the weight of the hammer did not happen, unlike what Liang Peng was imagining in his mind.
"Uh?"
"Look! Bai Zemin can also hold Liang Peng's big hammer!"
"Not only that, he's doing it with one hand!"
Some people began to whisper softly amidst the sound of sobbing.
Chen He also blinked in surprise at Bai Zemin's physical strength. On the other hand, Shangguan Bing Xue's blue eyes flashed as if she had finally confirmed her earlier theory.
[Skull Breaking Hammer (Normal Treasure): A hammer over 2 meters long created with a metal called Atium. It weighs 300 kilograms and is capable of crushing a medium sized vehicle with ease if its wielder has enough power to wield it. When equipped, +20 Strength.]
The hammer was bright blue in color and while it brought the same amount of Strength as Bai Zemin's Xuanyuan Sword, it was obvious from reading the description and seeing the difficulties of lifting the hammer that his sword was superior in every aspect.
Bai Zemin took a big step forward as he lifted the hammer with his single healthy hand and, after raising his right arm above his head with the hammer pointing towards the sky, his 85 Strength points fully burst out as he smashed with all his power downwards.
The weight of the hammer together with Bai Zemin's total Strength being equivalent to almost nine normal people before the evolution caused a loud bang as a result of the sudden movement.
Boom!
After a loud boom and a small shockwave, several students could not help but fall to the ground as they lost their balance when the ground beneath their feet shook from the great weight of the weapon and the force with which it was used.
Everyone could not help but suck in a breath of cold air at the thought of what would happen if that strike landed on them. Wouldn't they be crushed into meat paste? Forget about them, even a normal house would collapse!
Bai Zemin looked at the cracks in the giant elephant beetle's shell and nodded seemingly satisfied. He turned to look at Liang Peng, who was stunned looking at the cracked shell and said casually, "It really is tough. It looks like I can't break it. Here, thanks for your hammer."
After picking up the hammer, Liang Peng couldn't help but reach over and touch the place where Bai Zemin had just banged.
Crack... Crack... Bang!
As if that was all that was necessary, when Liang Peng's hand came in contact with the shell, over fifty centimeters of the shell dropped to the ground, revealing the flesh and bloody cracks inside.
"This... Wasn't Bai Zemin supposed to be an evolved Agility type? Besides, his Strength is even superior to Liang Peng's?" Chen He was dumbfounded as he looked at the ground split by the weight of the beetle, the weight of the hammer, and the heavy blow Bai Zemin had just made.
"Who knows. Even I haven't shown everything yet. Come, an idea occurred to me," Shangguan Bing Xue shook her head slightly before walking towards Bai Zemin and Liang Peng,
"I guess everyone hides their own secrets." Chen He nodded. He followed Shangguan Bing Xue and as he looked at her back he couldn't help but think under his breath, "Although I wish you trusted me enough to not have secrets..."
...
"Then..." Bai Zemin looked at Shangguan Bing Xue and said with a somewhat surprised tone, "You want us to use the beetle meat as food?"
Shangguan Bing Xue nodded indifferently and continued, "The energy called Mana empowers the living beings in the world. Then, it is likely that the giant beetle's meat also contains some remaining Mana. I assume that the probabilities that it is beneficial to the human body are high and it is also a good source of food."
Apart from the four main leaders, Cai Jinyi was also present as she had demonstrated good ideas during the early days of the evolutionary apocalypse. Meanwhile, the other survivors were inside the pharmacy looking for and storing as much medicine and medical utilities simple to move; in this world where unwanted surprises awaited in every corner, it was unlikely that social order would be established soon and the laboratories in charge of producing medicine would not be in operation either. Therefore, it was best to get as much as possible now that they had the opportunity to do so.
"I think it's a good idea." Chen He agreed without hesitation.
Bai Zemin secretly sneered. As Shangguan Bing Xue's suitor, it was natural for Chen He to agree with whatever she said.
Liang Peng and Cai Jingyi also agreed with her suggestion. Not only could they obtain a source of food, but they could also fortify the body by consuming the monster's meat. After all, the reason for the apocalypse was not a virus; the reason why everything changed was caused by the Mana!
After some discussion, the five people finally came to the conclusion that they should first secure the surroundings and get some tools to take care of the elephant beetle's flesh: in the meantime, the monster's body could only stay here. No one was worried about the meat suddenly going bad because as an energy booster, the Mana was doing a good job.
Thirty minutes later, the group left the practically collapsed area and continued advancing in a northwesterly direction. Although there was still medicine left in the pharmacy, there were 2 survivors carrying 2 big backpacks each and some plastic bags full of all kinds of medicines.
The next point the group was aiming for was a nearby restaurant in search of food, being this place not only the closest but also the one that was relatively less ringed by buildings in comparison, facilitating the vision of the surroundings, mobility, and preventing them from being trapped in case a large group of zombies appeared without warning.
* * *
Inside a three-story building that used to hold classes in the past, two people were hiding next to the window looking out at the restaurant fifty meters distant.
This building that had previously been used to hold classes had now become a hellhole. Blood stains were everywhere, tables and chairs turned carelessly over, doors broken... The whole place was as if a hurricane had swept through it during the night and the only two people alive were these two hidden people.
Three days had passed since the last time they had eaten something and finally, hunger was beginning to overcome their sense of fear.