Apocalypse: I Can See Health Bars

"Brother Liu... this is Lin Fan... Come in..."

Lin Fan sat in the clinic, eating a braised egg as he called out to Liu Bin on his walkie-talkie.

A moment later, the walkie-talkie crackled with static,

"Brother Lin, it's Liu Bin. What are your instructions?"

"How are things going? Any rooms with something unusual?"

Lin Fan asked directly. This was what he was most concerned about.

"It's going pretty smoothly... We've cleared seven apartments... all just regular zombies. But there are... three... that are... different."

'Oh?'

A sharp glint flashed in Lin Fan's eyes upon hearing this. 'Strange activity. It's almost certainly a Mutated Zombie.'

"Where are you? I'll come find you," Lin Fan asked.

"We're heading back to the supermarket entrance. Let's meet there," Liu Bin replied.

"Okay."

Lin Fan was about to head out when he suddenly remembered something. He turned back, went home to grab his keys, and then headed downstairs to apartment 201 to find a clean set of clothes to wear.

'Anyway, my build is just a bit stockier than the average person's right now. I can basically wear any normal-sized men's clothes.'

'Tossing out a set of my own clothes after wearing them just once is too painful. Better to wear someone else's for now.'

After changing into a long-sleeved work uniform he'd rummaged out of someone else's closet, Lin Fan returned to the clinic. He fastened the belt Su Qing had made for him around his waist, sorted out his gear, and then left his home, heading toward the supermarket.

His previous spear was already somewhat bent. The damage was irreversible; even if he forced it straight again, it would be useless. Lin Fan didn't want it to snap at an unexpected moment and give him a nasty "surprise."

So, he simply switched to his spare. 'Anyway, every building's stairwell has heating pipes. There's no shortage of them.'

A few people were standing by the road at the supermarket entrance. The moment they saw Lin Fan, they immediately hurried over to greet him.

"Brother Lin..."

Lin Fan looked up to see it was Liu Bin. He offered a relaxed greeting and then casually asked:

"What's the haul?"

"It's decent... We found a freezer, so we put all the meat we scavenged from the apartments in there..."

He pointed, and only then did Lin Fan notice a long cable running from the charging port on the side of a van near the entrance into the building.

'Looks like they're using it to power the freezer.'

"Oh, right. There's something else I need to ask you..."

Lin Fan suddenly had an idea. 'Why not just hand the spear issue over to him? If I did it myself, I'd have to rig up the wiring.'

"My spear got bent..."

"We cut a bunch of steel pipes this morning. Even after giving one to everyone, there are still plenty left. I'll take you to see..."

He didn't even finish his sentence before leading Lin Fan into the supermarket.

Lin Fan stepped inside and was stunned by the change. It was completely different from yesterday.

The previously cluttered shelves and trash had all been cleared away.

On one side of the spacious hall sat a freezer and some instant food. On the other side were several large barrels, likely filled with rainwater collected the previous night. Leaning against a wall were more than a dozen iron pipes of various colors.

They were all about five and a half to six feet long, with one end sharpened to a point, identical in style to the one in Lin Fan's hand.

Lin Fan walked over and squatted down. He picked one up, hefted it, and then tossed it back.

"Too light..."

The pipes Liu Bin's group had collected were mostly just shelf supports and thin water pipes. After all, a normal person who could fight for an extended time with a seven or eight-pound spear would already be considered a beast.

Lin Fan's pipe, a thick steel tube weighing over ten pounds, could practically be classified as gym equipment.

"The normal ones are usually... Whoa! Brother Lin, this thing must weigh over ten pounds! It's a heating pipe..."

Seeing that Lin Fan was unsatisfied with the spears, Liu Bin subconsciously picked up the steel pipe Lin Fan had leaned against the wall. He nearly dropped it on his foot and quickly gripped it with both hands, hefting it as he spoke.

It was wrapped in electrical and adhesive tape, so he'd assumed it was just an ordinary iron pipe. He never expected it to be so heavy.

'An ordinary person... Forget it. This man is clearly no ordinary person. Not only are his combat skills unmatched, but he's also blessed with superhuman strength...'

Seeing Liu Bin's surprised expression, Lin Fan commented casually,

"Even this is starting to feel a little light for me. I wonder how I could make it heavier..."

Lin Fan wasn't trying to humblebrag; he was genuinely considering it.

The twelve-or-thirteen-pound steel pipe had felt just right when his Life Value was at [300], but now he was already at [595] Life Value. The ten-plus-pound pipe was now noticeably too light, which was actually limiting his destructive power.

Weapons like fire axes and sledgehammers had their center of gravity too far forward, and their hardwood handles could easily snap. They weren't suitable.

Lin Fan was just muttering to himself, but he was surprised when one of the men with Liu Bin suddenly spoke up.

"Um... Brother Liu, Brother Lin, I might have an idea..."

As soon as the man spoke, both Lin Fan and Liu Bin turned to look at him. Lin Fan found him vaguely familiar; he was probably one of the men who had been luring zombies with Liu Bin on the first floor earlier.

"Haitao, you have an idea?"

Liu Bin spoke first, then quickly made an introduction for Lin Fan's benefit.

"This is Wu Haitao. You've met him before."

"Ah, right, I remember. Go on, let's hear it."

Lin Fan replied casually, but he was genuinely interested. After all, this concerned his own combat effectiveness.

"Fill it with something, then seal both ends..."

"..."

Before Lin Fan could say anything, Liu Bin gave the man a light kick on the shin and muttered:

"Isn't that obvious? How would you seal it..."

"Hey, Brother Liu, just let me finish..."

The young man named Haitao dodged to the side, a clear sign that the two were on good terms.

"Let him finish," Lin Fan said, standing up. He took back his steel pipe and carefully examined its interior. It was somewhat corroded, with limescale from the heating water, but the core was still very hollow.

"I make steel-framed windows... I have a welding machine at my shop..."

'A welding machine could seal the ends shut, but...'

Lin Fan hadn't said a word, but Liu Bin seemed very enthusiastic and quickly added:

"Right! Weld the ends shut and fill the empty space with fine sand. That would add at least three or four pounds!"

Lin Fan listened and silently shook his head. "Three or four pounds isn't enough..."

Hearing Lin Fan say it wasn't enough, Liu Bin was once again left secretly speechless, but he quickly continued speaking.

"What if we find some ball bearings or something to mix in with the sand? The hardware store might have some, but the one in our complex is all the way on the other side..."

"Is there any way to make it a solid steel rod?"

Lin Fan asked Wu Haitao directly.

"Solid... A single rod would weigh thirty pounds..." Wu Haitao said in astonishment.

"Thirty pounds?"

Even Lin Fan was taken aback when he heard that. But then he thought, 'I'm almost at 600 Life Value. Once my constitution increases a bit more, thirty pounds might just be manageable as a standard weapon weight.'

He then asked, "Is there a way? How would we do it?"

"...Yes!" Wu Haitao said after a moment of thought.

"We can insert welding rods... bundle a few together, stuff them inside, and pack them down tight... Finally, we weld both ends shut. It'll be no different from a solid steel rod. Then we can fashion a spearhead for it..."

Lin Fan's eyes grew brighter and brighter as he listened. Before Wu Haitao could even finish, Lin Fan clapped him firmly on the shoulder.

"Where's your shop? Go get your tools right now."

"Huh?"

Wu Haitao quickly glanced at Liu Bin. They had been waiting here to take Lin Fan into the apartment buildings; he hadn't expected their leader to change the plan the moment he arrived.

When Lin Fan saw him look to Liu Bin, he instantly understood the situation.

"The abilities of Mutated Zombies are unpredictable. If we have a chance to upgrade our weapons, that should be our first priority."

'Even though I feel like I can take them,' Lin Fan thought, 'I'd rather not get injured...'