Chapter Twenty-Nine: Profiting from Chaos

Since the system deemed there was nothing worth searching for, Lin Lei didn’t bother to continue. Instead, he dragged a chair out from one of the nearby shops, planning to rest awhile before resuming his journey.

As for why there weren’t any people or zombies in the town, perhaps the humans had already been devoured by zombies, who in turn were eaten by passing mutant beasts.

“Huh? Wait a minute, why is there bird droppings everywhere on this street?” At first, Lin Lei hadn’t noticed—after all, with all the weeds and fallen leaves, any bird droppings would have been covered up and swept away by the wind, making them hard to spot.

But now, as he rested, he saw layers upon layers of bird droppings beneath the leaves.

He looked up by chance and noticed a large bird’s nest on a rooftop. That set him on edge.

He switched to flight mode and checked the roofs of every house in the town.

“So many bird nests? Did I wander into a bird colony? But why aren’t there any eggs in these nests?” Lin Lei was full of questions.

“It’s already past the breeding season for birds at this time of year. Host, you really should study more and avoid being mistaken for ignorant. Our system provides comprehensive knowledge packs—no rote memorization required, instant mastery, starting at just one contribution point, with discounts for bulk purchases,” the system began to hawk its wares again.

“I’m not raising birds, why would I learn that stuff?” Lin Lei retorted.

“If you’d learned about these things beforehand, you’d be running now instead of standing here arguing with the system,” it replied, neither servile nor overbearing.

“Running? Why would I need to run?” Lin Lei was puzzled.

“As the saying goes, the early bird catches the worm. It’s early morning, and the owners of these nests will soon return. If you want to bet that the mutant birds, once sated, won’t attack humans, you’re welcome to stay,” the system said, not particularly eager to lose Lin Lei.

“Hmph, I thought it was something serious! So it’s just a few mutant birds…” Lin Lei grumbled, but still activated flight mode and sped out of the town.

He could face mutant wolf packs and even stand against waves of zombies, but the one thing he truly feared were flying mutant beasts.

His only advantage now was in the air. But the highest speed his “Lone Wanderer” could reach was just eighty kilometers an hour—crop-dusting planes were faster, let alone mutated birds.

But when luck runs out, even drinking cold water gets one’s teeth stuck. Lin Lei had barely flown five kilometers out of town when he crashed headlong into a massive flock of mutant crows.

There were at least a thousand of them, a black tide that blotted out the sun.

“Five hundred meters east, a large flock of mutant crows detected. Host, prepare for combat,” the system announced.

“No kidding! I’m not blind, of course I see them!” Lin Lei shot back while hastily retreating.

The system’s timely warning felt more like a taunt.

If only he’d used his head while fleeing and doubled back along his original route, he wouldn’t be in this predicament. Or, if he’d hunkered down in one of the town’s buildings and held out until the flock left, he might have been fine. But he insisted on sticking to his planned path and, with rotten luck, ran right into the mutant crows midair. Now, not only could he see them—they could see him too.

“Is there any way to deal with them?” Lin Lei was ready to spend points.

“There are two solutions: First, enhance your physique. If you reach the level of a Stage Three Evolver, with your current gear, you’ll be able to handle the situation. Second, redeem more advanced technology—if the exoskeleton armor isn’t enough, switch to heavy mecha with an energy shield. The full set costs about four hundred contribution points. Given the urgency, I recommend the second option,” the system replied quickly.

“That expensive? You’re really gouging me now!” Lin Lei cursed.

If he had time to choose his own gear in the supply exchange, dealing with these mutant crows wouldn’t cost more than a hundred points.

“The system only offers the most comfortable solution based on your economic strength,” the system responded.

Trust a system to spin daylight robbery into something so refined.

“Fine, you win. I’ll go with your recommendation, but don’t redeem it yet—wait until I can’t hold out any longer,” Lin Lei said, still hoping to tough it out.

He agreed to the system’s suggestion just as a safety net, so he could focus on the fight.

“Kaa! Kaa-kaa!”

The mutant crows shrieked and dove toward Lin Lei, each one desperate for a share of the meat.

There was no way he could face them head-on. Lin Lei glanced around and spotted a dense forest not far away. He darted straight for it.

These mutated crows were much larger than before—a Stage One crow’s wingspan was nearly two meters, comparable to a vulture.

But greater size brought its own disadvantages. In the tangle of the forest, the mutant crows couldn’t maneuver well. Only a small group dropped to the ground to pursue him on foot, the rest circled above the treetops, keeping an eye on his movements.

With the energy booster installed, Lin Lei could run even faster than he could fly, leaving the mutant crows far behind.

But the birds were cunning; another group swooped down ahead, blocking his way forward.

“When the tiger doesn’t show its might, do you think I’m a sick cat?” Lin Lei roared in anger.

He raised his tactical rifle and unleashed a barrage at the crows that had just landed ahead.

Even the Stage Three mutant wolves couldn’t withstand the impact of his shell-less rounds—let alone birds with fragile bones.

One magazine emptied, three crows fell dead, five were wounded. No time to reload, Lin Lei drew his sword and charged, ready to fight his way out.

But just then, the sudden ferocity of his attack threw the flock into chaos. Those uninjured mutant crows beat their wings and soared into the sky.

In an instant, the crows besieging Lin Lei all took flight, leaving behind the bodies of three dead, and two more with wounded wings who couldn’t escape and remained in the forest.

“What the hell was that? All that fuss just to mess with me?” Lin Lei was bewildered.

He’d been bracing himself for a life-or-death battle, even preparing to redeem the heavy mecha—only for the birds to scatter at the first gunshot.

“System, isn’t this what they call ‘birds startled by the mere twang of a bow’?” With no one else to complain to, Lin Lei could only treat the system like a chat app.

“…” The system was silent.

It had just lost a hefty commission for no reason and was deeply wounded.

“Too bad for you—I guess I’ve just saved myself four hundred contribution points,” Lin Lei finally felt vindicated.