Chapter 6: Roaring Engines in the Wilderness, Leveling Up Twice in Five Minutes!

Zheng Mu didn't care about the opinions of others.

If it weren't for the fact that Optimus Prime, his ride, had such an astonishing presence that might draw unwanted attention from forces he couldn't handle, Zheng Mu would have just let Optimus Prime transform into battle mode and leave the city like that.

In that case, his name would probably have spread across Dragon Nation, or even the entire Blue Star, on that very day.

Optimus Prime's engine roared uninhibitedly in the wilderness, speeding along toward the depths of the wasteland without a care in the world.

At first, they passed by many teams battling creatures like "Mutant Rats" and "Venomous Pythons." But as they ventured further, fewer people could be seen.

"Optimus Prime, keep going. Head straight to our destination," Zheng Mu casually commanded while lounging in the driver's seat.

The next moment, a metallic synthesized voice responded through the vehicle's speakers, "Acknowledged!"

Zheng Mu spread out a map of the wilderness, which cost him 30,000 credits, and focused on the circled locations.

Before setting off, he had already planned the schedule for the upcoming period.

Optimus Prime had a decent battery life, and since his own life force was now bound to his mechanical creations, he would be virtually immortal as long as his machines remained intact.

For this journey, he had brought plenty of food and living supplies.

It wouldn't be a problem to spend two or three months in the wasteland, let alone one.

To level up as quickly as possible without exposing Optimus Prime prematurely, Zheng Mu had targeted monster gathering spots.

"Venomous Ruins," "Corpse Town," and "Night Beast Forest."

In these three locations, the highest-level monsters could exceed level 20. They were places other newly awakened professionals wouldn't dare to set foot.

For Zheng Mu, however, these were treasure troves for leveling up and growing stronger.

Suddenly, a piercing wail broke the silence, and Zheng Mu, who was about to doze off in the cockpit, snapped his eyes open.

He recognized the sound instantly.

"Venomous Cat Demon!"

Through the glass, Zheng Mu spotted a shadow tumbling several times on the ground after being hit and sent flying by the vehicle.

The shadow was about a meter long, resembling a large, foul-smelling cat with bristling fur. However, it had a distorted human face, making for a disgusting sight.

The creature's information appeared before Zheng Mu's eyes.

[Name: Venomous Cat Demon]

[Race: Spirit]

[Level: Lv8]

[HP: 122/450]

[MP: 300/300]

[Strength: 11]

[Agility: 15]

[Mental Power: 8]

[Constitution: 10]

[Skills: Bite Lv2, Venom Lv1, Intimidation Lv1]

Staring at the bizarrely twisted cat demon with its four legs broken from the collision with Optimus Prime, Zheng Mu's expression was odd.

What was going on? They hadn't even made a move, and this creature had run into them, only to end up in this pathetic state.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You need more than courage for a scam like this," Zheng Mu shook his head. Observing the surrounding ruins that resembled those in the books he'd read, he knew they had reached the Venomous Ruins.

He immediately put on a backpack, grabbed a shiny Lv1 training longsword, and opened the vehicle's door.

"Optimus Prime! Transform!"

The moment Zheng stepped out of the vehicle, he spotted several creeping figures in the fog. A sinister smile appeared on his face as he calmly gave the order. In the next instant, the enormous Optimus Prime truck behind him began to tremble.

With a cool, harmonious clashing of metal, an 8.5-meter-tall red and blue robot emerged in the midst of the ruins. Before the Venomous Cat Demons could even reach him, Optimus Prime had already lifted one massive foot.

"Boom!"

Even from a distance, Zheng could feel the ground tremble beneath his feet. Before he could react, a voice echoed in his mind.

[You have killed a Venomous Cat Demon (lv10) and gained 96 experience points]

Seeing the experience bar on his panel go from empty to almost full in an instant, Zheng couldn't help but feel thrilled. Before he had time to exclaim, Optimus Prime's heavy metal fist slammed down on a scampering Cat Demon, turning it into a pile of mush.

[You have killed a Fluorescent Cat Demon (lv9) and gained 77 experience points]

[You have leveled up! Current level: lv2]

A sudden warmth flowed through his body, and Zheng immediately sensed the changes within himself. Checking his personal panel, he saw all his attributes had increased by 2 points. Even his most prized calculation power had risen from its original 100-point maximum to 120 points.

"Hahaha! That's what I'm talking about, Optimus Prime! Wipe them all out!"

"Understood, Master!"

Optimus Prime's deep voice responded, and in the next moment, his massive body moved with the agility of a nimble monkey. Precise and ruthless, he either stomped or smashed the Cat Demons one after another.

[You have killed a Venomous Cat Demon (lv9) and gained 80 experience points]

[You have killed a Cat Demon (lv6) and gained 41 experience points]

[You have killed a Fluorescent Cat Demon (lv11) and gained 88 experience points]

[You have killed a Cat Demon (lv9) and gained 72 experience points]

[You have killed....]

[You have leveled up! Current level: lv3]

Looking at the chaotic battlefield around him, Zheng couldn't contain his excitement. How long had it been since he got out of the car? Five minutes? Yet, he had already gained two levels! To level up from lv3, he needed a whopping 400 experience points, but Zheng didn't feel the slightest bit worried.

Leveling up was now incredibly easy for him. The increased levels didn't grant him much combat power; what he needed were more mechanical creations!

(to be continued)