Chapter 18: Lv4 Thousand Slash Blade, Infinite Stacked Blade

Earlier, when the two groups faced off at the door, Liu Yueqi held disdain for Zhang Xuan's actions.

She couldn't understand why her aunt would marry such a man. Thankfully, they were only recently engaged and not yet married.

As the apocalypse unfolded, Zhang Xuan's true nature would inevitably surface, and she looked forward to exposing his facade.

Watching Zhang Xuan scramble to the rooftop without regard for her aunt, Liu Yueqi gripped her deformed long knife, wishing she could stab him.

On the rooftop, Zhang Xuan approached colleagues adjusting communication equipment, ignoring his fiancée Liu Ruojiu.

Helping her aunt onto the rooftop, Liu Yueqi couldn't resist a jab:

"Your wonderful husband is in a hurry to escape. He doesn't even see you as his fiancée. You didn't see his look when he introduced that Chen junior. He was practically drooling..."

Fair-skinned, beautiful, and timid, Liu Ruojiu trembled at her niece's words, quickly interrupting:

"Stop talking nonsense! Your uncle is devoted to me. He's finding the engineering professors to confirm when rescue will arrive..."

"Come up, let me help you."

Liu Yueqi rolled her eyes. A woman in love is truly hopeless.

Two more women arrived—the ones Lin Feng brought.

Seeing their equipment, with red-silver shields far superior to her red carapace, and Chen Yanyan's sharp long knife, Liu Yueqi's eyes sparkled.

These must have come from Lin Feng.

She had an idea, shooing away the men, and approached warmly:

"Ladies first, right? Chen junior?"

"Let me help you up!"

"It's okay, I'm strong!"

She flexed her arm, showing her biceps.

At lv4, with a constitution of 18, second only to Lin Feng, her arm strength surpassed the cowardly professors and students.

Chen Yanyan nodded, helping lift Zhang Yuruo.

Once the women were on the rooftop, Liu Yueqi admired her fingers, muttering:

"So bouncy, like a rubber ball."

Chen Yanyan cleared her throat, snapping Liu Yueqi back to the task, helping her up as well.

After lifting the women, Liu Yueqi dusted her hands, picked up her beloved but deformed long knife, and approached Lin Feng.

"Hey, you broke my knife. You owe me!"

She extended her hand:

"Compensate me!"

Lin Feng turned to the lively schoolgirl. Liu Yueqi, full of youthful energy, her large eyes brimming with vitality.

Unlike Yuruo and Chen Yanyan, who exuded maturity and experience, Liu Yueqi embodied genuine youth, vibrant and in full bloom at seventeen or eighteen.

Her youthful charm, even without makeup, surpassed that of older women.

Meeting her reminded Lin Feng of his school days and a crush on a classmate, busy with studies, now a distant memory.

His inner warmth subsided as he reached lv6:

"Lin Feng, lv6/9"

"Health: 35, Constitution: 30, Spirit: 31"

Not much change, but his constitution and spirit nearly doubled the lv4 girl's.

Seeing her help Yuruo climb the rooftop improved Lin Feng's impression, prompting a reminder:

"The swarm will reach the tenth floor in ten minutes."

"Aren't you leaving? Everyone else is gone."

"Your knife's bent, an industrial junk knife, a dime a dozen online..."

Liu Yueqi huffed, raising her deformed knife:

"It's my treasure, sharp and perfect for slashing bugs, one strike, one kill."

"Fix it, or give me a new one."

"I need it to keep slashing bugs, to grow stronger..."

Intrigued, Lin Feng motioned her over:

"Let me see."

Liu Yueqi approached, handing over the deformed knife.  

When he bent it earlier, Lin Feng hadn't examined it closely. Now, holding it, the appraisal data appeared:

"Standard Long Knife lv1/9, White Quality"

"Upgrade Points: 72/10, Damage: 5, Severely Damaged"

"Evaluation: A finely crafted decorative knife, honed into a melee weapon. Strike targets to earn upgrade points."

"Note: Upgrades automatically repair damage."

Surprised, Lin Feng saw this slightly curved knife had high base damage at lv1, higher than his own long knife at the same level.

No wonder Liu Yueqi could slay so many red armored beetles, averaging six or seven slashes each.

With superior material, Lin Feng upgraded it, having plenty of upgrade points.

Seeing her treasure restored in Lin Feng's hands, Liu Yueqi's eyes widened, astonished.

Not only restored, but the blade now shimmered with a sharp gleam.

Holding the upgraded knife, it upgraded faster than his handgun, due to its simple structure. At lv2, its damage reached 10 points, with 31 evolution points remaining for further upgrades.

Holding the knife, he admired it:

"Does this knife have a name?"

Liu Yueqi, sensing his admiration, cautiously nodded:

"It's called Thousand Slash, Thousand Slash Blade..."

Lin Feng stroked the quenched pattern on the blade. Now lv3, the Thousand Slash Blade had 15 damage, with 14 evolution points left.

He upgraded it again.

"A great name! Thousand Slash, to cut down a thousand bugs."

As he spoke, beetles crawled through the door gap. Lin Feng admired the blade, raising it to shoot, each shot a headshot.

The morning sun rose, shining through the corridor window, illuminating Lin Feng and the blade. The red-silver shield and blade gleamed, a harmonious sight.

Lv4 upgrade complete!

"Thousand Slash Blade lv4/9, White Quality"

"Upgrade Points: 4/10, Damage: 20, Good Condition"

"Extra Attribute: Thousand Slash Stack Blade, 0/100 (Each swing stores 1 damage)"

"Evaluation: A legendary blade, born of the user's diligence and courage. Brandish it! Strike the invincible. Strike targets to earn upgrade points."

While repelling beetles, Lin Feng marveled at the lv4 Thousand Slash Blade's extraordinary attributes.

Thousand Slash Stack Blade, accumulating damage, seemed overpowered, akin to cheating.

Though 100 damage wasn't much, equivalent to five shots from his handgun, at lv4, following the upgrade pattern, stacking thousands was entirely possible.

Then, one slash would rival a nuke!

But as a melee weapon, the user risks confronting far stronger foes, balancing risk and reward, making the ability logical.

"Uh...um..."

"Fixed, can I have it back?"

Liu Yueqi hid behind Lin Feng, wary of the beetles and aware of the transformed blade.

In Lin Feng's hands, it became a divine weapon, gleaming with frosty light.

Lin Feng's enthusiasm alarmed her; this was her cherished treasure for years.

If he kept it, she'd be heartbroken.

Fortunately, Lin Feng only wielded it to slay a stray beetle, splitting it in two.

Seeing the accumulated damage, Lin Feng smiled, glancing at the eager schoolgirl, then returned the Thousand Slash Blade:

"Be careful with it..."

"Knives are dangerous, don't point them at people."

Turning to the distant door, giant beetles shattered the hinges with their massive mandibles.

Boom!

With the door's collapse, the true threat of the insect swarm arrived.

Countless red armored beetles, layered and packed, rushed at the scent of food, charging madly at the humans!

And Lin Feng's legendary handgun, at this critical moment, completed its upgrade from lv6 to lv7!