Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies
Chapter 778: Astonishing Ceiling

Chapter 778: Astonishing Ceiling

The Tianlong Pirate Crew’s invasion of Tianhai City was a grave misstep.

The East Sea District had already taken action without much ado, launching missile strikes against multiple port bases of the Tianlong Pirate Crew.

Hundreds of ships were sunk, and the Tianlong Pirate Crew suffered heavy casualties.

This was a warning, a clear signal of the stance of all six major districts of the Huaxu Kingdom.

“However, completely eradicating them is still somewhat difficult,” Zhu Zheng admitted honestly.

“They don’t have fixed strongholds and roam freely across the Starry Sea, where countless islands and complex terrain make it inconvenient for our navy. Our forces move like dragons on the open ocean but cannot easily penetrate such landscapes.”

“Deploying too many troops would waste excessive resources without any worthwhile gains. So this will remain just a warning.”

The apocalypse was upon them, and the world was in chaos; the navy had many threats to guard against.

For example, the new naval forces in regions like Neon and the Colombian naval troops stationed in the Neon Archipelago.

Investing huge resources to wipe out a ragtag group of pirates would be a thankless task.

Moreover, due to Zhang Yi’s prior preparations, Tianhai City suffered no significant losses from the pirates, so this matter would ultimately be minimized or quietly dismissed.

Zhang Yi furrowed his brow with some concern.

“Will Tianhai City face retaliation from them in the future?”

Kanute and others had all been killed by Zhang Yi’s hand, and Tianhai City was a coastal city, so naturally Zhang Yi worried about this.

Zhu Zheng immediately responded, “Rest assured, we will provide Tianhai City with the strongest protection!”

Zhang Yi’s mouth twitched slightly.

Well, can I really trust what you say?

But thinking it over carefully, Tianhai City’s defense forces were indeed too weak right now.

If a large enemy force attacked, only Blizzard City behind them could truly hold the line.

So Zhang Yi requested a batch of heavy weapons from Zhu Zheng; he planned to set up defenses near Chaoyu Harbor.

Zhu Zheng readily agreed, approving a shipment of coastal defense artillery for Zhang Yi.

Zhang Yi could handle the ammunition supply himself.

After some small talk, someone soon came to see Zhu Zheng.

Knowing Zhu Zheng had been busy lately, Zhang Yi took his leave.

After sending Zhang Yi off and watching his retreating figure, Zhu Zheng was filled with an inexplicable feeling.

“A man who dislikes power and lacks no material wealth—how can I make him serve me?”

“Could it be that what he truly desires is a woman?”

Zhu Zheng pondered silently.

After Zhang Yi left, a woman entered Zhu Zheng’s office.

She was Li Lingxue, the Minister and Chief Expert of the Scientific Research Department.

Wearing a white lab coat and thick black-rimmed glasses, her long hair was casually tied up with a carbon pen.

She was a textbook example of a female scientist.

“Commander Zhu, the latest evaluation report is ready.”

She placed a report on Zhu Zheng’s desk.

Zhu Zheng picked it up and saw it was Zhang Yi’s profile.

This was a reassessment by the Scientific Research Department based on Zhang Yi’s recent performance.

Just as Zhang Yi had anticipated, according to Blizzard City’s latest evaluation, his superhuman ability index had been raised to 9,600 points, far exceeding the average at the captain level.

“9,600… isn’t that close to the Epsilon standard?”

Zhu Zheng’s eyes widened.

Li Lingxue’s voice remained calm and steady.

“By definition, yes. And I’ve discovered a very interesting phenomenon.”

“Generally, captains find it nearly impossible to increase their superhuman index through Co-Devour once it reaches 9,000 points. Every 100-point increase results in a massive power gap.”

“However, Zhang Yi doesn’t fit this pattern.”

Li Lingxue adjusted her glasses, “When he fought in Tianhai City, his superhuman index was around 9,200 points. But after absorbing the essences of Phoenixin Ren, Takeuchi Mayumi, and Kanute, his index surged by 400 points in one go!”

Zhu Zheng looked at her. “What does this mean?”

Li Lingxue explained, “It means he’s different from other captains.”

A gleam of excitement flashed in her eyes, the feeling of discovering an intriguing research subject.

“My conclusion is that he’s not a Delta-level superhuman, but Epsilon or even higher.”

“His ceiling is not 9,200 points. 9,600 is definitely not the limit!”

Zhu Zheng’s eyes bulged, speechless for a long moment, his whole body trembling with excitement.

“So you mean our Jiangnan Region now has an Epsilon-level superhuman?”

“Our Jiangnan Region will have its own Epsilon!”

He knew very well the concept of an Epsilon-level superhuman.

In the world’s ranking system for superhumans, the boundary between Epsilon and Delta is a person versus a city.

In other words, an Epsilon-level superhuman possesses the power to destroy a city of average size.

Simply put, it’s like a human weapon of mass destruction.

Li Lingxue said, “But currently, this is only a hypothesis. We can’t confirm it yet. Also, we don’t know how to help him improve further. After all, the miracle in Shengjing is hard to replicate.”

Zhu Zheng pondered for a long time, his mind racing through countless thoughts.

If Zhang Yi could truly wield Epsilon-level power, it would be great for the Jiangnan Region.

But would it be good for him personally?

A superhuman too powerful would be beyond his control.

A deep shadow flickered across Zhu Zheng’s eyes.

He thought to himself: I must find a way to make Zhang Yi mine; only then can I rest easy.

After leaving Zhu Zheng’s office, Zhang Yi went to the armory to collect a large batch of military supplies.

This mission earned him one billion task points, enough to purchase a massive amount of specialized weapons and equipment.

Among them were SLDS Type 2 black combat suits for every family member.

He also acquired a large quantity of coastal defense cannons for the Chaoyu Harbor base.

Once armed, he visited the Deng Family to bid farewell to Deng Yuanbo and Deng Shentong.

He also took the opportunity to inquire about superhuman evolution.

He wanted to help Old You and Fatty Xu enhance their powers.

Deng Yuanbo welcomed Zhang Yi warmly, inviting him into the tea room along with Deng Shentong.

After hearing Zhang Yi’s request, Deng Yuanbo pondered for a while before slowly speaking:

“Liang Yue’s condition cannot be replicated. Not everyone has her exceptional physique and strong will.”

“Also, this method only works for Delta-level and above superhumans.”

But then he offered an alternative.

“However, within their superhuman level range, I can maximize their power improvements.”

Zhang Yi’s eyes brightened, then he quickly regained composure.

“What needs to be done? If you can help, Zhang Yi will surely reward you greatly.”

Deng Yuanbo smiled faintly, “It’s nothing more than a small favor. It’s difficult for outsiders, but since you are a friend of the Deng Family, there’s no need to talk about thanks.”

Author's Note