Chapter 18: Battle Outside the Factory

“Is this kid crazy? How can he dare to get out of the car with so many zombies around?”

At first, the workers watching Ao Xin fight the zombies alone thought he was courting death.

But the next moment, when they saw him effortlessly blow the brains out of a zombie, their eyes widened in shock.

“Damn! Did I see that right? This kid is amazing!”

“He kills a zombie with just two swings of a bat? Is he even human?”

“Even devil fruit users can’t do much better than that!”

The workers buzzed with excitement, all the zombies trying to break through the barricades at the factory gate were drawn to Ao Xin.

Yet, he still hadn’t activated his dragon transformation.

Because now, he had reached the Bronze Skin stage!

His already formidable body, honed by a month of rigorous training, gave him a solid foundation.

His innate Haki talent awakened instantly, and with both passive boosts and doubled active training speed, his Haki advanced rapidly.

By the second day after the apocalypse began, he had attained Bronze Skin!

Of course, “Bronze Skin” doesn’t literally mean skin as hard as metal.

Body conditioning starts from the outside in; the skin is the first barrier. Making the skin resilient greatly reduces the impact received and the recoil from attacks.

This was the first transformation in his physical training, enhancing his strength, defense, speed, and recovery all around.

Even without transforming, the Azure Dragon Fruit granted his human form a physical boost.

That’s why he could easily kill zombies without using his abilities.

Moreover, the greater the challenge without using his powers, the faster his Haki would improve!

The workers behind the barricades at the factory gate stared in disbelief as Ao Xin slaughtered zombies effortlessly.

Soon, someone noticed a key detail.

“I recognize that vehicle—it’s a Dongfeng Warrior! A civilian armored car. He could’ve just driven out of this zombie horde, but he stopped right outside our gate. He must have designs on our base!”

“Yeah! Go tell the boss!”

Immediately, a worker left to inform their leader about Ao Xin.

Outside the factory, Ao Xin fought while retreating toward the car. At the window, he called to Ao Chen:

“Give me a piece of juicy meat!”

The heavy consumption of Haki left him exhausted. Ao Chen promptly handed him a chunk of juicy meat.

With the meat in his left hand, Ao Xin ate while raising his bat in his right, smashing it repeatedly onto the zombies’ heads.

The combat skills honed in his previous life gradually melded into his current body.

Though he didn’t use a bat back then, his mastery of body techniques allowed him to adapt fluidly. The bat in his hand felt increasingly natural to wield.

This was why he hadn’t exchanged for a fast blade.

Partly because he didn’t fancy the quality of the available knives, and partly because blunt weapons were more effective in the early stages.

Many zombies gathered in front of the factory, but his attacks never ceased for a moment.

Inside the factory, a sturdy man in his thirties with a dark complexion arrived at the gate, led by a worker.

“He really is an expert!”

His expression was grave. Ao Xin’s effortless zombie kills put immense pressure on him.

If this man harbored ill intentions toward their base, could they stand against him?

Before arriving, he had entertained the idea of recruiting this expert, but now he doubted his ability to control him.

Moreover, this expert was young, full of pride and vigor—unlikely to submit easily.

He immediately sent a message through the divine communication space:

“Old Wang, Old Wei, Old Liu, come here with two men each!”

On the comm channel, Old Wang asked in confusion:

“Boss, what’s going on? We’re about to kill this zombie!”

Old Liu also inquired:

“Yeah, Old Zhang, what’s happening over there?”

Only Old Wei didn’t ask questions; upon receiving the message, he immediately headed toward the north gate with two men.

Old Zhang explained:

“There’s an expert here who might have designs on our base. I’m afraid we can’t handle him alone, so I need you to bring reinforcements.”

“An expert?”

They were stunned.

“Boss, you have nearly twenty men there, and you can’t handle one expert?”

“Is he a devil fruit user?”

Old Zhang said:

“No, he fights with a baseball bat and can blow a zombie’s head off in two hits! He’s strong! He’s probably awakened Haki!”

“Only a few days into this, and he’s awakened Haki?”

Old Wang and Old Liu were shocked but grasped the seriousness of the situation. They told their men to focus on defense and wait for their return.

Then, they led two strong workers toward the north gate.

These men had already exchanged for the Armament Haki training method at the factory.

Though they hadn’t awakened Haki yet, their physical condition exceeded that of others, making them some of the strongest here.

When they all gathered at the north gate, they were equally alarmed by Ao Xin’s combat power.

“Damn! Is he even human? He definitely awakened Armament Haki!”

“More than that—I suspect he’s reached that Bronze Skin stage! He’s no ordinary man!”

They gripped their weapons tightly.

Fortunately, being inside the factory allowed them to craft many practical weapons on the lathes, enabling them to resist the zombies with relative ease.

Old Zhang even suggested bringing everyone’s families into the factory to use it as a base against the zombie invasion.

Not only did he propose it, but he also took the lead, driving the big vehicle to pick up the workers’ families.

Many perished along the way.

Yet, even more were brought back safely.

That’s why he was recognized as the leader, organizing the factory’s defenses effectively.

Now, seeing Ao Xin’s strength, he couldn’t help but grow anxious.

“Boss, this young man is so strong. Why not let him join us? Life would be easier.”

One worker suggested.

“No way. What if he competes with you for leadership? We can’t let him in! Besides, we don’t even know him—who knows what he’s like? This isI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.