Chapter 24: Pure Water Roars: Goblin Bombs and Blood Claw

Wrench's goblin laboratory was a fusion of a mad junkyard and an arms depot. Rusty boilers had been converted into furnaces, twisted steel pipes welded into bizarre contraptions, tables piled high with unknown chemical bottles and exposed wires, and in the corner, several incomplete products—ridiculous flying bombs with wings.

Lin Mo endured the acrid stench and the ever-present fear of explosion, assembling the large water purifier under Wrench's chaotic direction. Though Wrench was insane, his mechanical talent was astonishing. He used a massive, rusted but structurally intact industrial filter housing as the main body, filling its interior with knowledge from Lin Mo's Water Treatment Manual combined with his own "experience": the bottom layer laid with specially engineered energy-conducting crushed stone, then a thick layer of charcoal made from burned mutant plants, soaked in some kind of oil Wrench claimed could absorb "evil radiation energy," followed by multiple layers of fine metal mesh from scrapped engines and clean cloth, topped with fine sand.

The most critical pump? Wrench dismantled the motor from a discarded car engine cooling fan, combined it with plastic tubing and a leather diaphragm dug up from the gear graveyard, and crudely assembled a hand-cranked suction pump! It was crude—but it worked!

"Look! The Great Wrench's 'Super Invincible Purification Fortress'!" Wrench slapped the greasy, massive filter, beaming with pride. Lin Mo, panting from exhaustion, stared at the colossal device, his heart brimming with anticipation.

Meanwhile, Wrench hadn't been idle with his "defense gadgets." He rummaged through boxes and cabinets, pulling out a pile of rusted ball bearings, sharp metal shards, half a jar of thick black powder, and several bottles labeled with skull symbols.

"Hehe, let Wrench the Great show you his 'Jumping Sugar'!" he cackled, mixing powder, bearings, and shards into empty glass bottles Lin Mo had brought, then dripping in a few drops of chemical agent and sealing the mouths with oil-soaked cloth strips. "Light it! Throw it! Boom! Splat! Burn, explode, and bloom! Awesome!"

Lin Mo watched the dangerous bottle, his eyelid twitching. This power far exceeded his own incendiary bottles!

Wrench made several more, ingeniously fashioning a "launch base" from springs and metal sheets, claiming it could hurl them farther and more accurately. He even dug out a rusted alarm clock, dismantled its spring and gears, and began tinkering with a more complex "timed ignition" device…

Time passed amid clanging noises and Wrench's wild shouts. When the main body of the massive water purifier was finally assembled by Wrench and Lin Mo together, and its joints crudely sealed with sealant found in Wrench's stash, a denser, more furious roar of beasts echoed from the depression—along with… the rumble of engines?!

Lin Mo's face darkened. The Limp Wolf couldn't wait! Had the beast tide's chaos calmed? Or had he driven the tide forward in unison?!

"Hurry! We must get back!" Lin Mo urged.

"Wait! Wait! My 'surprise gift pack' isn't ready yet!" Wrench frantically stuffed the last dismantled alarm clock parts into a larger metal can, welding several menacing spikes onto its exterior.

"No time!" Lin Mo grabbed several of Wrench's "Jumping Sugar" incendiary bombs and the hand pump, then heaved the main purifier body onto his shoulder. "Grab your 'gift pack'—move!"

Wrench reluctantly hugged the heavy metal can, muttering, "Wrench the Great's masterpiece… hasn't even been calibrated yet… if it explodes, don't blame me…"

The two scrambled back like fleeing ants, shouldering their heavy gear, stumbling unevenly through the gear graveyard. Behind them, the beast roars and engine rumbles grew closer!

When they gasped their way to the edge of the depression, the sight before them plunged Lin Mo's heart into ice.

The fire wall had long burned out, leaving only smoldering ash. Though the beast tide had been mostly scattered by prior explosions and chaos, scattered monsters still wandered the ruins. To the west of the depression, seven or eight modified motorcycles and off-road vehicles, painted with the Blood Claw totem, roared as they assembled. At least fifteen fully armed raiders leapt down—wearing crude armor, wielding cleavers, shotguns, even two automatic rifles! At their head stood the gaunt man with a limp leg and a sniper rifle—Limp Wolf! His face twisted in a cruel sneer, his chainsaw blade humming!

Sister Ai Li knelt on one knee behind cover at the entrance of the shack, her short crossbow strung, the last few bolts glowing with eerie blue light. Her lone-arm silhouette, holding the bow, looked tragically small against the overwhelming enemy. Xiang Lingna hid behind her, face pale as paper, clutching the two young seedlings tightly.

The Blood Claw's full-scale assault had begun!

"Crush them! Take them alive! Especially that little girl!" Limp Wolf's roar drowned out the engine noise!

The raiders let out bloodthirsty howls and surged forward like a tide toward the tiny shack at the depression's center. Bullets whistled, striking the cover, sending shards of stone flying!

"Wrench! Bombs!" Lin Mo, eyes blazing, hurled the purifier parts from his shoulder, snatched a "Jumping Sugar" incendiary bottle, lit the fuse with flint, and hurled it with all his strength into the densest part of the charging wave!

Wrench howled, lit another "Jumping Sugar," and yanked his homemade launch base with all his might!

"BOOM!!!"

"BOOM—!!!"

Two explosions, far more violent than any previous thunderclap, detonated within the charging raiders! Towering flames erupted, drenching the area in a rain of scorching ball bearings and metal shards!

"Ahh—!"

"My eyes!"

"I'm on fire! Help!"

Piercing screams erupted instantly! The first five or six raiders were engulfed in flames, shredded by shrapnel! The following ranks were thrown into chaos by the sudden, terrifying explosion and fire barrage—their charge halted dead! Panic and terror spread through the Blood Claw ranks!

"What the hell?!" Limp Wolf roared in fury and shock, watching his men drop like flies, nearly hurling his sniper rifle in rage!

Seizing the moment, Lin Mo and Wrench scrambled into the depression, diving behind Sister Ai Li's cover.

"Water purifier!" Lin Mo shoved the pump into Xiang Lingna's hands. "Lingna, go assemble it behind! Follow the manual!" He shoved the Water Treatment Manual into her grasp.

Xiang Lingna stared at the terrifying scene outside, then at the pump and manual in her hands. She bit her lip, nodded firmly, and sprinted with the gear toward the safer rear of the shack.

"Goblin?" Sister Ai Li glanced at Wrench, her gaze still cold—but she made no move to stop him.

"Hehe, Wrench the Great! You're Sister Ai Li, right? Honor to meet you!" Wrench, fearless, grinned excitedly at the chaotic enemies. "Watch my 'gift pack'!" He lit the fuse on the spiked metal can—the fuse hissed, burning fast!

"Throw it far!" Lin Mo shouted urgently.

Wrench screamed, summoning every ounce of strength, and hurled the burning metal can toward the command vehicle where Limp Wolf stood. The can arced through the air, trailing smoke!

"Grenade! Take cover!" Limp Wolf's bodyguard screamed in terror.

But the metal can did not explode among the crowd as expected. At ten meters from the command vehicle, it "puff"—like a deflated balloon—spewing a thick, choking cloud of yellow smoke! The smoke spread rapidly, instantly engulfing a vast area!

"Cough! Cough! Cough! What the hell?!"

"My eyes! So burning!"

"It's poison gas! Run!"

The raiders caught in the yellow smoke wept and coughed violently, eyes searing with pain—immediately losing combat capability. Even Limp Wolf was forced to stagger back, choking and humiliated!

Wrench's "gift pack" was actually a giant… tear gas canister?!

"Hah! Wrench the Great's 'Eye-Stinging Special'! Fun, right?" Wrench danced wildly with delight.

Though it killed no one, the giant tear gas effect was astonishingly effective! The Blood Claw assault collapsed into chaos! The charging raiders were blocked by the smoke, thrown into disarray!

"Opportunity!" Sister Ai Li's eyes flashed with cold light! Seizing the enemy's confusion, her short crossbow whispered death once more!

"Shhh! Shhh! Shhh!"

The blue bolts flew like guided missiles, piercing gaps in the smoke, snatching the lives of one raiding raider after another—each shot precise, cruel, striking vital points!

Lin Mo raised his last two-bullet hunting rifle and fired at shadowy figures moving in the smoke!

"Boom!" One raider trying to break through the smoke collapsed instantly!

Wrench lit his final "Jumping Sugar," howled, and hurled it into the thickest part of the smoke!

"Boom!" Another burst of flame and screams!

The Blood Claw's meticulously planned full assault collapsed utterly under the chaos of Wrench's explosive bombs and tear gas, combined with Sister Ai Li's deadly, precise crossbow bolts! The surviving raiders retreated in terror, unable to halt their rout no matter how Limp Wolf roared.

But Limp Wolf was Limp Wolf. After his initial rage and humiliation, a cruel, insane glint flashed in his eyes. He shoved aside his coughing bodyguard, grabbed a heavy backpack, and pulled out a round metal object flashing a red indicator light!

"Want to play? I'll play big with you!" Limp Wolf roared like a wounded beast, slamming his thumb onto the device's button!

A piercing alarm blared! The red light flashed wildly!

"Remote bomb! Get down!" Wrench's beady eyes widened in terror as he spotted the object.

Limp Wolf sneered, summoning all his strength, and hurled the ominous red-glowing metal sphere toward the center of the depression, toward the shack!

"No—!" Lin Mo and Sister Ai Li's pupils contracted simultaneously!