October 18th.

Five months exactly since the apocalypse began. On the Mingfa Camp's northwestern perimeter, the two terminal ends of the Dadon Moat were cut through. Water from Dafangyong Reservoir and Dongpu Reservoir flooded into the channel — forty meters wide, six meters deep — and the camp's northwestern approach was sealed. A small garrison at the bridge spanning the midpoint was all that would be needed. Anything capable of crossing that moat was beyond ordinary troops to stop regardless.

Shen Cong had parked Great Vajra by Dafangyong Reservoir and was sitting on the roof watching the distant completion ceremony. The speeches and the crowd noise drifted over.

He watched for a few minutes. Got bored. Drove through.

The engine's roar momentarily cut across the ceremony's atmosphere. Great Vajra crossed the preserved bridge — the only intact road out of camp, a section of the original eight-lane Sili River Road left uncut when the moat was dug — and headed north.

He had a mission.

Long-Feng County, Tushan Township. At the base of Tushan Hill sat Jiushan Lake, an artificial reservoir from before the apocalypse. A militia squad on patrol had spotted something there: a ten-meter hedgehog, each quill as thick as a human thigh. In a defensive ball, the thing would be nearly impenetrable.

The footage had been studied carefully. The Huoxue had classified it as near-Heavyweight and named it the Spike King.

Shen Cong had lost interest in hunting Lightweight and Featherweight prey. The Spike King was worth his attention. Upgrading his weapons meant acquiring near-Heavyweight Activity cores — that was the practical ceiling of what he could solo hunt.

The Violent Ape King had provided his Ape King series. Losses since then: Two Ape King Javelins — gone with the scouting team. One Ape King War Hammer — gone with the scouting team. One Ape King Long Blade — gone with the scouting team.

The Giant Condor's massive beak, harvested a few days earlier, had been processed into two strangely-shaped Condor Blades from the upper mandible, two Condor Arrows from the tip, and a Condor Spade from…