Chapter 21: Hundred-Meter Giant Beast!

"Begin evolution."

Lin Yue issued a command in his mind, and in an instant, all surrounding sounds seemed to disappear.

The next second, the gymnasium ruins beneath his feet, along with the ground within a radius of several hundred meters, began to shake violently.

"Lin... Lin kid, what... what's going on?"

Wang Gongtou held onto a broken load-bearing pillar beside him, his voice trembling from the violent shaking.

Lin Yue didn't answer, his gaze fixed firmly on the Black Tortoise before him.

A pure white halo suddenly burst from within the Black Tortoise, so rich it seemed to condense into substance.

That light was holy and majestic, instantly engulfing everything around, casting the bleak apocalyptic sky in a pallid white.

The piles of blood bat carcasses stacked like mountains inside the gymnasium, under the light's illumination, actually melted and purified at a speed visible to the naked eye.

At the edge of the light, Lin Yue and Wang Gongtou felt that their fatigue and injuries from the past few days seemed to have eased considerably.

"My heavens... this... this is a divine sign..."

Wang Gongtou could hardly believe it.

The Black Tortoise at the center of the light mass was rapidly swelling in size.

Twenty meters... thirty meters... fifty meters!

"Boom——!"

The gymnasium's already dilapidated dome appeared utterly fragile before the Black Tortoise's ever‑rising form.

Countless steel rebar and concrete fragments rained down like raindrops, yet the instant they neared the light mass, an invisible force crushed and vaporized them.

The entire process lasted a full five minutes.

Finally, as the blinding white light gradually receded, a colossal beast massive enough to make one tremble appeared before the two.

It could no longer be called a "turtle".

At this moment, the Black Tortoise had truly become a terrifying giant beast.

Its body length astonishingly reached 150 meters!

Its shoulder height exceeded 30 meters, as tall as a ten‑story building.

The gymnasium, which had previously seemed quite impressive, now appeared rather inadequate.

Lin Yue and Wang Gongtou stood before it, feeling utterly insignificant.

Merely lying there, it exuded a mighty pressure capable of making all things submit.

"This... this..."

Wang Gongtou opened his mouth, making a "huh‑huh" sound from his throat, but couldn't form a complete word.

All the magnificent buildings he had ever seen in his lifetime combined could not match even one‑ten‑thousandth of the visual and spiritual impact this giant beast exerted.

Just then, a system notification sounded in Lin Yue's mind.

【Pet Promotion Lv3 Success!】

【Pet Information Update】

【Pet: Black Tortoise (Level 3)】

【Species: Great Earth Xuan Armor Turtle (Maturity)】

【Body Length: 150m】

【Height: 30m】

【Talent Ability 1: Indestructible (Passive – Greatly Enhanced)】

【Talent Ability 2: Savage Collision (Active – Greatly Enhanced)】

【Talent Ability 3: Energy Shield (Active – Enhanced)】

【Talent Ability 4: Earth Control (Active – Enhanced)】

【New Talent Ability 5: Purification (Active): By consuming a small amount of energy, it can purify water sources, food, and supplies within a designated range, eliminating toxins, radiation, and harmful microorganisms. The purification strength and range increase with level.】

【Upgrade to Level 4 Requires: 422/Energy Points.】

"Purification!"

Seeing this new ability, Lin Yue's heart clenched, then began to race.

In the apocalypse, what is most precious?

Not food, not weapons, but clean water and unpolluted soil!

What does that mean?

It means that on this polluted wasteland, they will have an endless supply of the most precious clean resources!

"Old Wang!"

Lin Yue turned sharply, his voice trembling with excitement,

"We probably won't have to worry about finding living supplies anymore!"

"What?!"

Wang Gongtou stared, bewildered; he didn't understand what Lin Yue meant.

Seeing Wang Gongtou's clueless expression, Lin Yue immediately realized he hadn't been clear, so he told him about the Black Tortoise's new talent, Purification.

"Lin kid, are you sure you're not trying to fool this old man?!"

As an old man struggling to survive in the apocalypse, he knew all too well what clean water meant.

In the shelter, almost every day someone falls ill and dies from drinking unclean water.

And now Lin Yue tells him these will no longer be problems—how could he believe it?

Lin Yue nodded, his expression firm,

"I'm certain, Old Wang—how could I possibly joke with you about something like this?!"

Heaven hasn't forgotten us! Heaven hasn't forgotten us, ah!

Wang Gongtou wept with joy, then, as if something had occurred to him, he hurriedly untied a filthy military canteen from his waist—a canteen he had picked up from the corpse of a dead scavenger.

He trembled as he twisted open the lid; inside was only half a canteen of water, and that water was still terribly murky.

Here, Lin kid!

He handed the canteen to Lin Yue, his eyes full of hope.

You old man, you still won't believe it, ah!

Lin Yue took the canteen and gave an order to the Black Tortoise before him.

Black Tortoise, purify it!

Roar……

The Black Tortoise let out a low roar like distant thunder, and the next second a soft white light enveloped the entire canteen.

Sizzle……

The previously murky liquid inside the canteen turned clear at a speed visible to the naked eye!

This… this…

Wang Gongtou stared so hard his eyes almost popped out.

Lin Yue returned the canteen to him:

Have a taste.

Wang Gongtou took it trembling, first bringing it to his nose to sniff; a long-missed sweet scent of water rushed over him, making his cloudy old eyes instantly redden.

He could no longer hold back, tipped his head back, and gulped the clear water down, 'glug-glug'.

The cool, sweet liquid slid over his dry, cracked throat, moistening his near-failing body.

With a 'plop', Wang Gongtou's knees gave way and he collapsed straight onto the ground, two streams of scalding hot tears streaming freely down his wrinkled cheeks.

Ugh…… it's the taste of water…… it's the taste of clean water……

He cried like a child, pounding the ground with his fists while he wept.

Lin kid…… do you know…… in the shelter, how many people…… just because they drank unclean water, vomited and had diarrhea, died painfully…… my old wife…… she was…… uh……

This old man, who had struggled to survive in the apocalypse, even gritting his teeth through acid rain corroding his back, now completely broke down over a canteen of clean water.

Lin Yue stood silently to the side, not going to help him, just quietly watching him.

He understood Wang Gongtou's feelings at this moment.

In the apocalypse, let alone clean water, when people are desperate with thirst they'll even drink urine.

Now that the Black Tortoise has purification ability, at least in this apocalypse they won't have to worry about living supplies anymore!

【Ding!】

The system's voice sounded again.

【Warm tip: After the pet advances to Lv4, the System Mall will open. The host can use energy points to purchase goods in the mall.】

System Mall!

Lin Yue's heart clenched tightly.

Having played so many games and read so many novels, he knew all too well what a mall meant.

But when he saw how many energy points were needed for level 4, he felt a bit helpless.

Ten thousand energy points—what does that even mean?

That would mean he'd have to grind the Steel Bone Vultures and Ghost-faced Blood Bats he'd already killed over again ten times?

Damn, this broken system is really screwed up—why couldn't it open the System Mall at level 3, or just not mention the System Mall at all?!

Lin Yue helplessly muttered a curse.

He felt the system was doing it on purpose, deliberately disgusting him!