Transcending Worlds: I Have an Invincible Shelter

Tokyo, a city in ruins, with Lake Mizutama in the north.

The lake water was a silvery white, shimmering in the sunlight. Water Jade Lake doesn't produce jade; instead, it produces a grayish-white mineral, which can be considered a type of source crystal, but of extremely low quality.

The ten camps are situated around the lake, each occupying a section of the lakeshore. On the surface, they form an alliance and govern together, if it weren't for the strong presence of the outsider, Jintu.

In their struggle for control of Mizutama Lake, these survivor camps in the ruined city of Tokyo have probably been fighting tooth and nail for ages.

The core camp of the Ash Earth Camp is located in an abandoned office building, whose facade appears dilapidated and even on the verge of collapse.

However, the interior has been modified, with the bottom three layers reinforced with mutated animal bones, making it extremely sturdy.

At this moment, Jintu and several other camp leaders listened to their subordinates report on the output of the Water Jade Mine.

The person who gave the report was a thin, middle-aged man with a very sharp mind; otherwise, he wouldn't have been assigned to manage accounts by Jin Tu.

"...This month's output is 15% lower than last month's, mainly due to the serious damage caused by the mutated water beasts that attacked the No. 3 mine at the bottom of the lake..."

Jintu narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at a deputy commander in charge of the No. 3 mining area.

"Replenish the ranks."

"I've already bought twenty from the riverside market. But the price has gone up; it costs three pieces of jade ore for each strong male slave—"

"purchase"

The gaunt middle-aged man immediately shut up; once Lord Jintu had made his decision, no one in the camp dared to disobey.

The deputy camp commander, who had been glanced at, broke out in a cold sweat. He hadn't been there when the mutated water beast attacked Mine Area No. 3.

Despite his silence, Jin Tu knew he had to bleed a little, or the consequences would be dire.

Just as he was pondering what bargaining chips to use for compensation, the main entrance to the hall was suddenly pushed open.

The metal door slammed against the wall with a loud bang.

Murong Shan stumbled in, supporting a person who was practically hanging on his arm, with their legs dragging on the ground, covered in mud and blood.

Several camp leaders present turned their heads, some with puzzled expressions, others with displeasure, but Jin Tu suddenly opened his narrowed eyes.

Murong Shan's team was tasked with monitoring the Black Forest by him, and now that the two of them have returned in such a sorry state, something big must have happened.

"grown ups!"

Chao Tingxue slid off Murong Shan, her knees hitting the carpet.

She propped herself up on the ground and raised her head. "Glas Mingyuan is crippled."

The hall fell silent. Everyone knew who Glass Mingyuan was; he was a direct descendant of Glass City, and he even had a mecha attendant by his side.

"Everyone in the Tokyo mining area who followed Glass Mingyuan was..."

Chao Tingxue swallowed hard, her Adam's apple bobbing. "They were all crushed to death by an invisible force, turning into a pile of minced meat on the ground in the blink of an eye."

Standing in the center of the hall, the gaunt middle-aged man who had just been reporting to the camp leaders looked bewildered, looking down at Chao Tingxue kneeling beside him, wondering if he had misheard.

Not only the gaunt middle-aged man, but also the other camp leaders in the hall looked at Chao Tingxue with disbelief and suspicion.

Chao Tingxue's eyes were bloodshot, and her body trembled as she spoke.

It wasn't the cold, it was the lingering fear that seeped into my bones.

Her next words made everyone in the hall, including Jintu, completely unable to sit still.

"That man's ability can seal off the entire Black Forest. It seals it off completely, above and below ground. No one can escape."

"Then how did you escape?" A camp leader's face suddenly turned angry, suspecting that he was being played.

However, Chao Tingxue's expression changed drastically after he looked at Jintu, who was sitting in the main seat.

"He let me out."

When Chao Tingxue said this, her voice suddenly lowered.

"He deliberately let me out to deliver a message. He said that we would attack the Ash Earth camp in three days."

The hall was deathly silent for two seconds. Then it erupted in chaos.

"Attack us in three days? Ridiculous! Does that person even know how many gifted individuals are in our camp?"

A bald, burly man standing on the left was the first to speak, his voice booming and deafening, "Who does he think he is? God? God is long dead!"

"I'm afraid he's lost his mind."

A cacophony of voices rippled through the hall.

Jintu didn't say a word.

He sat there upright, his eyelids half-closed, looking at Chao Tingxue kneeling at his feet, his face gloomy, weighing in his mind how much of Chao Tingxue's words were true and how much were false.

Instantly kill the mutants. Seal off the entire Black Forest.

Even if Glass Mingyuan is a complete waste, he still has attendant mechs, which are the most advanced technology developed by Glass City.

At this moment, Jintu wondered if this was a scam, and that Chao Tingxue was the bait.

A self-inflicted injury ruse? I don't want to.

Meanwhile, in the hall, the camp leaders were still struggling, watching the people below still arguing.

Jintu suddenly pulled his right hand back, "Whoosh~ Whoosh~".

A streak of crimson light appeared out of thin air in the hall, and the hall fell silent.

Jintu stood up, his 1.9-meter-tall frame casting a long shadow in front of the chair.

He coldly retorted, "Arrogant!"

His voice wasn't loud, but everyone present heard it.

"Some guy who appeared out of nowhere dares to boast that he wants to swallow up my camp."

Jintu glanced around the entire area, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

At the same time, a wisp of crimson flame swept over the heads of the camp leaders and deputy camp leaders, carrying a terrifying aura of destruction.

"Since he wants to come, I'll wait for him here. All you camp commanders, please go down and prepare for battle!"

"Yes, sir!" The camp leaders and deputy camp leaders bowed and left the hall.

As everyone left the hall, Jintu's smile vanished.

He's not an idiot.

Fear is contagious.

Chao Tingxue is a fourth-tier talent user and has been with the Jintu camp for three years. She's seen it all. Jintu doesn't need to confront an opponent who can scare her like this.

More importantly, there's the detail about "letting her out to deliver a message."

It was intentional; it didn't run away, it was released.

This means that the other side is not afraid of the Ash Earth Camp knowing the news in advance or making preparations in advance.

He's either a madman, or he has something in his hands that can crush all preparations.

Jintu tilted his head and gritted his teeth. "Murong Shan."

"Yes," Murong Shan bowed.

"Pass on my order," Jin Tu said in a low voice, "Send messengers to the other nine camps at Water Jade Lake immediately."

Murong Shan was taken aback.

Jintu didn't give him time to be stunned.

"Tell them that the Black Forest has a new master, and this new master has a huge appetite. He doesn't just want to devour the Ash Earth Camp. He wants the entire ruined city of Tokyo. The mining areas, slaves, and territories of the ten major camps—he'll swallow them all whole."

"My lord," Murong Shan was taken aback, instantly understanding what was happening before him, but a hint of hesitation still flashed across his face.

"You spread whatever I say."

Jin Tu turned his head, his gaze falling on Murong Shan's face. His tone was light and casual, but the hairs on the back of Murong Shan's neck stood on end.

"Shuiyu Lake was acquired jointly by ten companies. The mineral vein is jointly owned by all ten. Now someone wants to overturn the table. What do you think the other nine companies will think?"

Murong Shan finally realized what was happening.

"Even if they don't get along with me, Jintu, we can't let outsiders take the mine. They understand the principle of 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold' better than anyone else." Jintu's gaze passed over Murong Mountain and landed on the gray horizon outside the window.

"I don't need their genuine help, I just need them to send people."

"Go and do it."

Murong Shan did not hesitate any longer and turned to leave.

Several trusted men gathered downstairs, some riding mutated cheetahs, and immediately headed to the nine camps surrounding Water Jade Lake.

Jintu casually glanced at the crimson flames swirling in the hall, then with a thought, he retracted the flames into his body.

"Three days."

Jintu murmured to himself, without saying a word to anyone.

……

Black Forest Camp.

Lin Xuanzhi woke up inside the only tent.

There was no sound to wake her, and no pain; it was as if she were slowly rising from the bottom of deep water, her consciousness gradually returning.

The first sensation was heat; something was flowing in my blood vessels, scalding hot, and it would swell up every time it passed through a joint.

My limbs and bones were filled with this power, bulging and bulging, giving the illusion that it might overflow at any moment.

Her right wrist felt hot on the inside. She raised her hand and saw the black flame mark embedded in the skin's texture, its edges gleaming faintly, pulsating in sync with her pulse.

Tier 3 talent: [Poison Kill].

Lin Xuanzhi clenched her fist, feeling an unfamiliar sensation at her fingertips, and her entire perception of her surroundings changed.

The humidity, temperature, and even the smell of decaying vegetation seeping from the soil were all amplified several times over, rushing into the nasal cavity all at once.

She sat up on the comfortable, large sofa, which was soft and thick, and the cushions still had a faint fragrance.

The tent was empty; the head of the community was not there.

Lin Xuanzhi pressed her palm against the leather surface of the sofa, her fingertips tracing the delicate texture.

Without thinking too much, she got up and stood up. Her legs were still a little weak, but it was much better than when she was kneeling at the tent entrance last night.

After walking a few steps, the soreness and numbness in her knees gradually subsided. When she lifted the curtain and stepped outside, the light outside stung her.

There is no real sunlight in the wasteland world; the sky is always shrouded in a hazy gray smog. But after a whole night of darkness, even this pale light is enough to make one squint for a while.

The makeshift square not far away was already bustling with activity.

Jiang Xiaochen and Green Eyes acted swiftly, prying open more than a dozen long wooden crates, revealing neatly stacked munitions inside.

Rifles, submachine guns, sniper rifles, ammunition boxes, and two heavy machine guns mounted on tripods.

The metal surface gleamed with an industrial cold light, and the anti-rust oil on the gun barrel hadn't been wiped off yet.

"Line up! Get your gear!" Jiang Xiaochen's voice boomed as he stood atop the pile of wooden crates, hands on his hips.

Nobody moved; they just stood there dumbfounded.

Zhao Xinyan bent down and pulled an AK47 out of the box. Her fingers deftly pushed the magazine, pulled the bolt, turned the safety off and then back on. The whole process was smooth and efficient, and she finished in three seconds.

She turned around, aiming her gun at a section of charred wooden stake fifty meters away, her shoulders slightly hunched.

"Rat-a-tat-tat-tat—"

The wooden stake broke in half, with the upper half flying two meters away and crashing into the rubble, raising a cloud of dust.

The crowd collectively took a step back.

Zhao Xinyan held the gun upright to the side and clapped her hands.

"With this, not to mention mutated beasts, even ordinary first-tier talent users can give it a try."

Jiang Xiaochen took a few steps forward and kicked the miner closest to him in the buttocks.

"Listen up! This thing doesn't discriminate! You don't need talent, you don't need mutation, all you need is a movable index finger. Pull the trigger, and even a first-tier talent will be riddled with bullets if they're not careful."

He picked up a gun and shoved it into the miner's hand.

The miner caught it with both hands, the gun pressing down on his arms.

When he raised the gun, the muzzle pointed straight up, and the three people opposite him jumped back two steps in unison.

"Point the gun down! Press it down! Who do you think you're going to shoot?!" Jiang Xiaochen warned coldly, walking over and pulling the miner's arm down.

"Aim in that direction, yes, that crooked, black tree over there. Don't shake your hand—why are you shaking? Don't shake if you don't want to die!"

The blackwood near the camp was burned to the ground during Glass Mingyuan's rebellion.

The trees nearby, each the size of a baby's arm, were all carefully selected and transplanted from the depths of the Black Forest by mutants like Green Eyes, Tian Xiao, Fog Fungus, and Lou Tengjing.

The miner pulled the trigger, his fingers trembling. Nothing happened.

"The insurance isn't on." Jiang Xiaochen said expressionlessly as she pushed the safety lever open for him. "Try it again."

"Bang!"

A bullet flew out, but it's unclear where it hit. In any case, the black tree was completely unharmed.

But the miner's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed excitedly, "I fired! I fired a shot!"

Seeing his reaction, the people around him became bolder.

One by one, they walked to the wooden crate to collect their guns, clumsily learning how to load the magazines and pull the bolt.

Gunfire throughout the Black Forest camp went from sporadic to intermittent, and eventually became a continuous chorus.

The momentum looked impressive, but the fight was a complete mess.

Most of the bullets didn't even graz the target, flying deep into the woods and disappearing without a trace.

The expression changed for everyone who pulled the trigger.

The humiliation of being oppressed by the gifted and mutants in the wasteland and living like an animal was gradually chipped away by the vibrations from the gun butt.

Lin Xuanzhi stood not far away, quietly watching all of this.

Her right hand hung at her side, the black flame mark on her wrist mostly hidden by her sleeve, with only a small edge showing.

Zhao Xinyan walked over and handed her a gun. Lin Xuanzhi looked at the gun, then at her right hand.

"No need." She opened her right palm. A very thin layer of dark mist rose from her palm, silently, but a pungent, sweet-smelling fishy smell instantly filled Zhao Xinyan's nose.

She exclaimed excitedly, "Xuanzhi, you did it?!"

As the black mist dissipated, Lin Xuanzhi withdrew her hand, nodded slightly, and her eyes were full of anticipation.

"I'll go tell Xiaochen this good news." Zhao Xinyan said with a delighted expression, and was about to pull Lin Xuanzhi over.

Jiang Xiaochen glanced over from a distance and gestured to Lin Xuanzhi with his chin, as if to ask how she felt after awakening her talent.

Lin Xuanzhi and Zhao Xinyan walked up to him, their voices very low.

"Awakened. Third tier."

Jiang Xiaochen raised an eyebrow, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Did the sect leader bestow upon you that talent crystal dropped by the fourth-tier mutated monster?"

"Um."

Jiang Xiaochen didn't press the matter further, a hint of jealousy flashing in his eyes. He turned back to continue watching the rookies on the training field.

The gunfire continued throughout the morning.

By the afternoon, even the worst miner could shoot a bullet into a half-person-high piece of blackwood from a distance of twenty meters.

Not very accurate, but at least it won't fly more than three meters away from the target.

Panic was gradually crushed amidst the gunfire.

What replaced it was a raw, primal confidence. "I have a weapon now; can a gifted person withstand bullets?"

Deep in the Black Forest, gunshots echoed against the gray sky, startling a flock of mutated flying beasts that fluttered towards the ruins of Tokyo.