r18novel Chapter 16 Taoxi Service Area
Chapter 16 Taoxi Service Area
Xu Si felt better than ever before. He didn't offer any explanation and let them speculate.
He felt the energy surging through his body from anchoring the blood sun. This power was scorching and domineering, yet it was tamed by the characteristics of the "Star Anchor," flowing gently through his limbs and bones, strengthening his physique and nourishing his transformed "Star Eyes."
He tried to channel a wisp of energy into his eyes, and the scene before him instantly became clearer and more layered.
Everything has changed.
"Pack your things, get ready to leave." Fu Xiaojian withdrew his gaze, no longer delving into the matter, but his evaluation of Xu Si rose another level.
Having another teammate in the team whose strength is unknown but who clearly has potential is ultimately a good thing.
The camp was busy again.
Xu Si ate a few biscuits, quickly packed up the tent, and prepared to set off. Today was a good day to test the new car.
The convoy set off again, driving into the wasteland bathed in the crimson sunrise.
Xu Si deliberately lagged behind the convoy, following along while familiarizing himself with the new power source. The power from the electric scooter made him feel more at ease; at least he wouldn't fall behind.
To his surprise, the car that the urban beauties had towed out of Tashan was still drivable.
This dashed his hopes of finding a bargain, but he was already quite satisfied.
The next step is to find a way to improve my sequence and upgrade my super knife.
Sequence represents power. In the apocalypse, without power, everything is meaningless, and without a vehicle, survival is impossible.
Feeling the surging, inexhaustible power within his body, he felt that the 1,000 purification points were well spent.
As for the remaining 760 purification points, he did not use them rashly.
On the one hand, there was nothing suitable to upgrade, and on the other hand, it was to keep it in case of unforeseen circumstances.
As for how to improve his sequence, his sequence told him there was only one way—stargazing.
He tried to focus a sliver of energy into his eyes, gazing at the seemingly impenetrable mist surrounding him.
In an instant, the vision seemed to pierce through the thin fog, revealing the blurry outlines of the terrain further away, and even capturing some faint, unusual, and disordered energy flows.
However, this state was extremely mentally taxing, and after only a few seconds, he felt a slight dizziness and had to look away.
"It seems we can't overuse it," Xu Si thought to himself.
Perhaps it's because the Star Pupil's rank is too low, which is why the consumption is so high.
He gazed at the blood-red sun in the sky, preparing for his ordinary daily cultivation. His sore eyes suddenly felt much lighter and refreshed.
The blood sun, which represents madness and the bizarre to others, seemed to have a different meaning to him.
He actually felt a sense of closeness to it.
Still trailing at the back of the convoy, no one noticed Xu Si's unusual behavior, but a touch of crimson at the roots of his hair was quietly changing.
In less than half a day, the convoy was back on the straight asphalt road.
The road conditions are comparable to those of a military expressway; it's wide, straight, and without any bridges or tunnels, which is extremely rare in the south.
The convoy sped along the smooth asphalt road, much faster than before.
Xu Si's "Super Knife" hybrid system is working well, with electric and fuel power working together, allowing him to easily keep up with the group and even have the energy to observe his surroundings.
The steadily decreasing fuel gauge brought a bitter look to his face. Although he still had some reserves, it was only a small amount. He really couldn't bear to exchange them for supplies; that bag of rice was enough to feed him for at least two months.
This is also the reason why the entire team is short of fuel.
The next step is to upgrade the truck with a larger fuel tank, preferably the kind used in heavy trucks, and also upgrade the cargo bed, preferably with a cover. If a seat compartment were added, it would be so comfortable.
The flat road seemed endless, and the convoy barely made any repairs for two consecutive days.
The longest break was only about three hours, and the intense fatigue made everyone almost hallucinate.
Xu Si only had one bottle of fuel left, which he was reluctant to use, as it could be a lifesaver in a critical moment.
The fleet's fuel reserves are also not optimistic.
The school bus and the car belonging to the father and daughter had already been exchanged from Fu Xiaojian twice.
If they don't find a supply depot soon, the entire convoy might collapse, since the school bus carries the most people.
In the past two days, Xu Si has also been consuming a lot of the supplies he brought with him. He did not save any resources, but instead ate very lavishly at every meal.
Having enough resources is one thing, but his body lacks energy after awakening the sequence is another.
After being starved for more than a month, Xu Si's body finally received an unprecedented boost in the past two days, and he felt better than ever before.
As for the pickup truck and the two urban ladies' cars, Xu Si didn't see anyone exchanging gasoline for them.
However, the woman named Yan Feifei did exchange some supplies with Xu Si.
Xu Si was finally able to briefly say goodbye to the embarrassing situation of wiping his bottom with a stone, and it's unknown how much toilet paper the two of them had stockpiled.
"Service area spotted ahead! Again, service area spotted ahead! Low danger level, all personnel recommended to proceed for supplies!"
Fu Xiaojian's slightly excited voice echoed throughout the convoy through the loudspeaker.
Everyone's spirits were lifted!
A service area means there might be supplies, but it also means—there might be fuel!
Xu Si focused his star pupils and looked ahead at the convoy, but found nothing.
It wasn't until Xu Si rode his bike past a huge green and white service area sign that he suddenly realized what was going on.
The green part of the sign reads "Taoxi Service Area," and the white part has a knife and fork refueling sign.
It really is a service area!
Indeed, the most efficient way to find your way only requires the most basic method.
However, Xu Si's eyes lit up when he saw the sign.
This is the perfect choice for a truck bed. If there were a few more pieces of sheet metal like this, wouldn't he have a complete truck bed?
Without a word, he stopped the car, drew his knife, and quickly removed the sign, dragging his dirty, smelly delivery uniform behind the electric scooter.
It was all done in about two minutes.
"Why are you all parked here?"
After driving for a few more minutes, Xu Si saw the convoy stop at the entrance of a service area in the distance. According to his understanding, shouldn't they be rushing into the service area now?
After all, this was the first time he had heard Fu Xiaojian say the words "low level of danger".
"We thought you were being chased by some weirdo and were running for your life!" The little girl's voice was still familiar.
The screeching sound of the electric scooter dragging the signboard sent chills down the spines of everyone in the convoy, who felt as if something eerie was following them. However, they were relieved when they saw who it was.
"What are you doing dragging that big thing behind you? Don't attract any monsters!" The little girl stood on the Pikachu's footrest, craning her neck and peering around.
"Are you sure there's no danger in here?" Xu Si asked doubtfully, not having time to pay attention to the little girl.
"That's exactly what my sequence tells me!" Fu Xiaojian said, somewhat unsure of himself, after all, their last trip to the canyon almost resulted in their complete annihilation.