Still hoarding supplies in the apocalypse? I'll just go on a killing spree and looting!

The door opened and there was Mu Xue.

Mu Xue saw Lin You wake up.

She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, a smile spreading across her face. "You're awake. How are you feeling?"

"I feel a little dizzy. How long have I been asleep? What time is it now?"

You slept all day.

Lin You sat up, frowned, and asked, "All day?"

"It has been 26 hours since you came back. Team Leader Song has come several times, and An'an also secretly came to see you. I even saw An'an secretly wiping away tears."

Lin You, rubbing her throbbing head, asked, "How is An An now?"

After a moment of hesitation, Mu Xue said, "Um... I don't know how to say it, but Shunzi said that An'an has started secretly hiding food."

Lin Youxi moved her lips slightly, then fell silent.

Mu Xue sat down opposite Lin You and took out a small bag of cookies from her pocket.

The small package of soda crackers was broken.

Mu Xue said, "Shunzi found it. An'an hid it under the pillow, in her clothes pocket, and in the crack of the bed board."

Lin You turned her head and looked at the bag of crushed biscuits.

Mu Xue placed the cookies on the coffee table, her voice soft: "Shunzi asked him why he hid them. He said, 'What if my sister leaves again?' He said you promised to invite him to dinner last time, but you didn't come. He's afraid you won't come again."

Lin You didn't speak; the only sound in the room was their breathing.

"I understand, thank you, Muxue."

Lin You's gratitude made Mu Xue smile shyly, and she changed the subject, saying, "By the way, I still have the skull of the strange beast from that night. Would you like to take a look?"

Lin You glanced at the living room, thought about the size of the skull, and then nodded.

Mu Xue made a move.

The skull of that giant beast appeared on the coffee table.

Now, placed on the coffee table, it looks like a giant rock that has been peeled off from the mountain.

It has a sense of profound and vastness.

Looking at the giant beast's skull, Lin You raised an eyebrow and drew the mantis knife that was placed next to the sofa.

The mantis knife twirled in Lin You's hand, the blade pointing at the skull.

Then he chopped down hard.

The dull thud sounded more like the thud of two bones colliding than like striking steel.

Lin You looked at the blade of the mantis knife in her hand, relieved that she hadn't used too much force.

If the mantis knife breaks, wouldn't I be devastated?

Looking at the skull again, there was only a tiny scratch.

The skull retains the ferocious outline of the beast when it was alive.

Viewed from the side, it resembles a flattened triangular arrowhead, narrower at the front and wider at the back.

The overall lines expand sharply backward from the nasal bone, reaching their widest point at the cheekbone, and then contract towards the occipital bone.

This structure is aerodynamically suited for high-speed impacts—when this beast was alive, its head was a battering ram.

There is a longitudinal ridge in the center of the frontal bone, extending from the root of the nasal bone to the top of the head, about two fingers high, with sharp edges, like a blunt knife turned upside down on the top of the skull.

Several rows of irregular osteomas are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the bone ridge, each about the size of a thumb.

Most striking are the two thick, horn-like protrusions on the top of the skull.

They grow obliquely upwards from the back of the frontal bone, reaching a length close to that of the forearm, with the base thicker than the wrist. They are dark gray in color and have spiral patterns on the surface.

The tip of the horn was broken off, the break was uneven, and there were bone fragments embedded in the crack.

That's because it broke apart when it hit the armored vehicle.

At the front of the maxilla, four fangs protrude from the alveolar bone.

The two longest ones extend vertically downwards from the front edge of the maxilla, exceeding the length of a palm, their curved arc resembling two recurved knives.

The tooth cusp was intact and gleamed with a cold white light.

What use is this thing?

Shouldn't this be considered a weapon? Shouldn't the remains left after dismantling the alien beast be considered weapons and equipment?

Lin You was somewhat uncertain.

Reach out and grasp the sharp corner, then with a slight force, flip the skull over.

The skull was not as heavy as expected, which was acceptable given its sturdiness.

I'll say it again, what use is this thing?

Can it be used to make a heavy-duty bone hammer? It utilizes the bone ridges and osteomas at the top of the skull as the striking surface, with an overall weight exceeding ten kilograms.

A single swing of the weapon could shatter the skull or spine of any beast.

It can also be disassembled into parts—bone spikes can be made into bone blades, fangs can be made into daggers, and large bone plates can be cut into armor plates.

But what she wants most is a shield.

The skull of this monstrous creature withstood rifle bullets and the impact of an armored vehicle head-on with almost no structural damage.

If it could be reforged into a handheld bone shield, its frontal defense would be sufficient to withstand attacks from most small and medium-sized alien beasts.

Mu Xue's shotgun is suitable for mid-range suppression, while her mantis knife is suitable for close-range engagements.

But one role is missing – someone who can take the hits head-on and create shooting opportunities for teammates.

This piece of skull filled the gap perfectly.

It doesn't require much processing; just add a handle to the bottom and smooth the edges, and it becomes a natural bone shield.

If some animal scales and tendon fibers are incorporated, the toughness of the shield can be further improved.

She placed the skull on the coffee table, stood up, and walked to the window.

Who can use this shield? Or rather, who do you want to be the shield wielder?

A straight flush? Or those armed police officers with extensive combat experience?

For a moment, Lin You fell into deep thought.

After an unknown amount of time, Mu Xue walked over from the kitchen doorway, shaking the water droplets off her hands.

Holding two bright red apples in her hand, she glanced at the skull on the coffee table, then at Lin You standing by the window.

Lin You had been standing there for more than ten minutes.

"What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking about who should use this skull shield." Lin You turned around, leaned against the window frame, her brows still furrowed.

Mu Xue handed the apple to Lin You, asking in surprise, "You mean the shield?"

Lin You took the apple and took a bite. The crisp and refreshing taste brought her back to her senses.

Then he explained, "Look at where I just cut."

Mu Xue looked at the skull on the table, but couldn't see where Lin You had slashed it.

It's important to know that both mantis knives and bone daggers can easily cut through steel.

But... while the skull shield in front of us wasn't exactly undamaged, it simply didn't appear to have any obvious marks.

It seems this thing can actually be used as a shield.

"Not just anyone can wield a shield. The person holding the shield stands at the very front, directly facing the first wave of the monster's attack. If they're not strong enough and get knocked away, the shield becomes meaningless. If their reaction isn't fast enough and the shield isn't in the right place, those behind them are in danger."

After a pause, Lin You continued, "More importantly, the person wielding the shield can't just think about blocking damage for themselves; they have to think about protecting those around them. Selfish people can't handle a shield."

Her gaze shifted to Mu Xue. "So, who do you think should get it?"

Mu Xue played with the apple in her hand, then walked over and sat down on the sofa.

She stared at the skull on the coffee table, silent for a few seconds. "Shunzi definitely won't do it. He can't even kill a chicken; yesterday, when he killed a rabbit, he kept chanting 'Amitabha' in the kitchen for ages."

Unexpectedly, the first person Mu Xue thought of was Shunzi.

According to Lin You's observation, although Mu Xue and Shun Zi got along fairly well, it wasn't a particularly good relationship.

Judging from Mu Xue's choice, she trusts Shunzi more than the police officers.

Mu Xue paused for a moment, then continued, "The armed police do have a few capable officers. Xiao Li is quick-witted; he was the first to rush up and clear the corridor in the three buildings of the complex last time. Lao Ma is energetic; he can move more stones on the wall than anyone else."

"A wall?" Lin You suddenly interjected, "What wall? A wall for moving stones?"

Mu Xue smiled and said, "You don't know yet, do you? For the safety of the base, they plan to build a wall at the narrowest point leading into the scenic area."

Lin You thought about the terrain of the entire base and knew where the wall was located.

Skipping over this minor incident, Mu Xue continued, "But their problem is the same. They are armed police, used to squad coordination, and used to being given orders. I feel that those holding shields can't wait for orders; they have to judge for themselves when to raise their shields, when to charge back, and when to make room for the people behind them to fire. Their current tactical habits are still stuck in the pre-apocalyptic era, and it will take time to change."

"You missed someone," Lin You said.

"who."

"you."

Mu Xue looked up at Lin You, her expression somewhat surprised, but she didn't immediately deny it.