Apocalypse Survival: Starting with a Shelter

The three people in the shelter had all fallen victim to the unknown organism's predatory methods, picked off one by one without causing any significant commotion.

"This creature evolves way too quickly."

While the organism's hunting methods were chilling, what worried Su Wu more was its rapid growth rate. In just a few hours, it had grown from the size of a basketball to over two meters in diameter—a truly terrifying feat.

Its egg-like structure reminded Su Wu of a developing embryo. He even suspected the possibility that the organism was still in an embryonic state and hadn't fully hatched at the time of its death.

Unfortunately, these questions would remain unanswered now that the creature was destroyed.

Concerned about potential hidden risks, Su Wu refrained from touching anything in the shelter. Even the laboratory equipment he had brought over was left behind. As for the engineering robots, he subjected them to multiple rounds of decontamination and resolved to avoid direct contact with them for the foreseeable future. He also decided to intensify their monitoring to prevent any unforeseen problems.

Once everything was settled, Su Wu hesitated but ultimately decided against destroying the shelter. Instead, he transmitted the information he had gathered through the reconnaissance drone to the nearest official shelter.

This world's technology was already advanced, and the remains of the unknown organism could potentially yield valuable insights in the hands of experts. Although Su Wu knew he wouldn't be privy to their findings, that didn't matter. As long as some humans gained awareness and understanding of such creatures, his efforts wouldn't be in vain.

Setting the base vehicle to autopilot, Su Wu retreated to the bedroom. After staying awake all night, he was exhausted and eager for rest.

As the vehicle drove steadily onward, Su Wu switched off the lights in the bedroom and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

When he woke again, it was nearing dusk.

By then, the base vehicle was still moving smoothly under the control of the onboard AI, maintaining a speed of 30 to 50 kilometers per hour.

After a quick wash, Su Wu headed to the cockpit, where he was greeted by a breathtaking sight—a colossal canyon dominating nearly half the horizon.

"The Mylac Grand Canyon."

Su Wu immediately recognized the largest canyon in East Continent. He was also surprised by the vehicle's progress.

"Did we cover five or six hundred kilometers in a single day? I can't believe we've already reached this area."

This was the first time Su Wu had managed such uninterrupted travel over such a long distance. Previously, he had always been waylaid by unexpected events, slowing his pace considerably.

The smooth journey put Su Wu in a good mood. Checking the map on the main control screen, he saw that they were still 30 to 40 kilometers away from the canyon's heart. Deciding to let the AI continue driving, he used the time to organize the data he had collected the previous night.

The unknown organism he encountered yesterday was temporarily named Purple Crystalite.

In terms of combat power, the Purple Crystalite was relatively weak—less threatening than a hunter armed with a shotgun. Its only attack method involved projecting a network of red threads, which had a range of just five meters.

The threads lacked significant physical penetration; even thin metal sheets, like soda cans or tin cans, could block them with ease.

What made the creature truly dangerous was the potent anesthetic it secreted, capable of rendering prey unconscious instantly. The subsequent digestion and consumption process was slow, meaning a conscious victim could likely escape its grasp with minimal effort.

However, the Purple Crystalite's weak combat abilities didn't negate the broader threat posed by its species.

Its astonishing growth rate alone was cause for alarm. With sufficient nutrients, it could evolve into a massive entity within a single day.

Judging by its first evolution when it grew to the size of a basketball, it was likely capable of subsequent evolutions as it increased in size. If those evolutions granted it mobility, it could become a nightmare for human shelters.

"Let's hope I'm just overthinking things."

As night fell again, the base vehicle entered the Mylac Grand Canyon.

Although called a canyon, the sheer height of the surrounding mountains made it resemble a vast valley plain. However, once inside, the terrain revealed itself to be rugged and treacherous, riddled with rocky spires and deep gullies.

If not for a pre-apocalypse road running through the canyon, Su Wu doubted his massive base vehicle could traverse the area in less than half a month.

Even with the road, years of neglect and the ravages of earthquakes and storms had left it in poor condition.

Barely a kilometer into the canyon, Su Wu encountered his first major obstacle: a collapsed bridge blocking the way.

"Looks like I've got some work ahead."

Deploying the reconnaissance drone, Su Wu scouted the path ahead. With a sigh, he noted not only the broken bridge but also several other heavily damaged sections of the road further along.

By his estimate, crossing the 40-kilometer stretch of the canyon would take at least three days of continuous effort. Progressing ten kilometers a day would be an achievement.

The only silver lining was that he had brought enough materials and helpers in the base vehicle to tackle the damaged road.

For the AI, day and night were indistinguishable. Upon receiving the task to repair the bridge, the small excavators and transport vehicles in the second compartment of the base vehicle were deployed.

At the same time, two drones from the third compartment flew to the other side of the bridge, carrying steel cables to set up suspension lines that would connect the broken sections of the bridge.

These steel cables would serve as the primary support for the b

roken section, allowing the base vehicle to safely cross.

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