On the drive back to the sanctuary, Chen Du uploaded the photos he had taken after killing the mutated spider to the chat channel.
He wasn't doing it to recruit survivors like Sheriff, nor was he kindly warning others to flee when encountering such creatures.
He was simply flexing.
ID 1945: "Almost bit the dust just now… but Lady Luck was on my side, and I managed to take it down (attached photo of the dead giant mutated spider)."
After the image was posted, the chat channel fell silent for a moment.
Then, a flood of question marks poured in.
ID 5674435: "???"
ID 5789323: "???"
ID 1209919: "???"
ID 23462343: "??? (keeping the formation)"
ID 123321: "Forget the formation! This is obviously fake, definitely photoshopped! Everyone knows 1945 is a lone wolf. How could he possibly take down such a colossal mutated spider by himself? Fake, absolutely fake!"
ID 54321: "Exactly! I hate to admit it, but while 1945 might have decent gear, there's no way he could solo a beast like that!! He must've had help!"
ID 5678567: "You two are obsessed with hating on 1945… In this post-apocalyptic world, where would we even get the tools to photoshop? System-uploaded images can't be fake."
ID 54321: "Then he must've found help. There's no way he could've done it alone…"
ID 1945: "Being invincible sure is lonely."
ID 54321: "1945, you—!"
ID 1945: "Believe it or not, I'm already back home with the gold-tier supply crate. Just sharing the good news."
Chen Du chuckled softly as he closed the chat channel.
His goal had been achieved.
Drawing the daily ire of 123321 and 54321 was a small pleasure in these trying times.
He pressed the accelerator, the speedometer needle climbing past 100 miles per hour.
The battered Jetta roared down the road, carrying him swiftly back to the sanctuary.
Ever since Chen Du had gathered the materials to repair the Jetta's transmission, the old car had been given new life. It could now shift into fifth gear effortlessly, significantly improving his efficiency in gathering supplies.
Meanwhile, Sheriff was frowning as he read the message Chen Du had just posted, letting out a heavy sigh.
"This 1945… he's exceeded our expectations. His arsenal is far beyond what we imagined."
Their hunt for the mutated zombie boar had come at a great cost.
They had expended a massive amount of supplies, sending expendable fighters armed with melee weapons to wear it down, all to claim the title of being the first to kill a mutated creature.
If they had been any slower, 1945 might have snatched that achievement from them.
Standing beside Sheriff, Scorpion pondered for a moment before speaking.
"Sheriff, is it possible, like the other survivors suggested, that 1945 had help?"
Clearly, Scorpion also found it hard to believe that 1945 could have taken down such a colossal mutated spider alone.
After all, he had been a key participant in the hunt for the mutated boar and knew firsthand how formidable mutated zombie creatures could be.
Sheriff, however, shook his head.
"Unlikely. He's a lone wolf. If he needed outside help, he wouldn't have rejected our invitation so decisively back then. Clearly, he doesn't trust other survivors."
Scorpion looked incredulous. "But… but that's impossible! For one person to take down a mutated creature? That's just unbelievable."
Sheriff zoomed in on the photo Chen Du had posted, pointing out the bullet wounds and slash marks.
"Look, these gunshots clearly didn't do much damage to the spider. The key must've been 1945's Enhanced Arming Sword."
"You have one too, so you know how devastating that Critical Strike weapon is against zombies."
"If I'm not mistaken, he must still have some in stock. He didn't sell them all like he claimed."
Scorpion nodded.
"You're right, Sheriff. The Enhanced Arming Sword is incredibly sharp against zombies."
"But even so, he couldn't have taken down the mutated spider with just that. After all, we had to expend a ton of resources to wear down that boar before I could finish it off…"
Sheriff waved his hand dismissively.
"That's exactly my point. 1945's arsenal is beyond our imagination."
"He must've worn down the spider first, then finished it with the Enhanced Arming Sword. That's the only explanation."
Scorpion frowned. "So… should we try to befriend him?"
Sheriff let out a derisive laugh.
"Befriend him? Absolutely not! Even if his strength does make me wary, as long as we're willing to go all out, eliminating this threat will be worth it."
"Sheriff, so you're saying we're going to start targeting him?"
Sheriff nodded.
"It won't be long. Let him enjoy his freedom a little longer."
At that moment, Chen Du had no idea that a single photo had solidified Sheriff's resolve to eliminate him completely.
Chen Du drove back to the villa district, where the Fortress Wall slowly opened.
[Welcome back, Master!]
Xie Li and Bai Xi had come out early to greet Chen Du after his day out.
Bai Xi was clearly unhappy.
"Why do I have to come out and greet him too? I'm a hostage! Since when do hostages welcome their captors with open arms?"
Xie Li chuckled. "That's not quite right. As a hostage, shouldn't you be trying to please your captor? Aren't you afraid Chen Du might just 'cancel' you?"
"Exactly. If you piss me off, I'll toss you out to the zombies."
Chen Du parked the car in the garage and walked over, overhearing their conversation.
Xie Li naturally took Chen Du's hand, her voice soft with concern. "You're not hurt, are you?"
"I'm fine, don't worry."
Bai Xi, standing to the side, had a strange look on her face.
"I didn't expect you to actually take down a mutated spider by yourself. I underestimated you."
Chen Du rolled his eyes.
"Oh, come on. Do you really want me dead that badly?"
Bai Xi snorted.
"Of course! If you died, I'd just run off. Who cares what happens to you?"
"Heh, thanks for that… But I'm too strong. I'm back with a gold-tier supply crate. How's that for annoying?"
Chen Du was in a good mood.
On the way back, he had opened the gold-tier supply crate. Inside was an automatic defense weapon system.
Though it was just one item, for Chen Du, it was a godsend.
Currently, both the zombies and the survivors were growing stronger.
Chen Du's biggest concern had been the security of the sanctuary.
While the gold-tier Fortress Wall was impressive, it lacked active defense mechanisms.
If they were away, there was a risk that other survivors might take over the sanctuary.
Now, that worry was gone.