Apocalyptic Wasteland Simulator

Chapter 187 - 182: Reversal of Offense and Defense
The current Chen Pingchuan was vastly different from his former self. Through frequent use of his ”Phantom Hands” skill, he had honed it to the peak of perfection. The skill now felt innate, and he could execute it with effortless fluidity.His lips moved almost imperceptibly, as if silently whispering some ancient, mystical incantation. In an instant, a liver, still warm and coated in a layer of yellow grease, materialized out of thin air in his palm. The greasy stench of the organ made Chen Pingchuan’s stomach churn, and a wave of intense revulsion washed over him.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, a rocket launcher operator was taking careful aim at his target. He suddenly felt as if a vital organ had been ripped from inside his body, immediately followed by a stabbing pain that surged through him like a tidal wave. No longer able to stand, he clutched his chest, and his massive body crashed to the ground. A companion nearby witnessed the fall and assumed he had been tragically hit by a stray bullet, giving it no further thought.

Chen Pingchuan frowned, disgustedly flinging the greasy liver to his right.

SPLAT! The organ smashed to pieces on the ground, splattering a nauseating mixture of blood and fat.

His lips trembled once more as he muttered, ”Phantom Hands!”

Immediately, a bleeding pancreas, still steaming slightly, appeared in his hand. Chen Pingchuan discarded it without hesitation.

”Phantom Hands!” he cast the skill again. This time, an assault rifle with half a magazine remaining materialized before him.

This time, Chen Pingchuan did not toss the item aside. Instead, he threw it into a leather bag to his left.

Having survived the intense battles at the mine, the highway interception, and the apocalyptic chase, Chen Pingchuan was no longer the naive man he once was. He now understood the importance of having his own faction. He needed a combat squad that would obey his orders. That way, in group engagements, he could simply focus on continuously using his skill to turn the tide of battle. It was far easier than fighting a group all by himself.

As time went on, the spoils Chen Pingchuan obtained grew increasingly diverse. The majority of it was useless, such as fresh hearts, intact arms, various organs, men’s underwear, briefs, and even bizarre men’s undergarments. The styles were bewilderingly varied, leaving one astonished.

During this process, Chen Pingchuan also discovered a peculiar pattern: the skill had a significantly higher probability of acquiring human organs than other items.

I’m not some villainous overlord; this skill doesn’t really fit my persona. he thought with a wry, internal smile.

Of course, he had acquired a fair share of useful items as well. Assault rifles, pistols, rockets, tactical knives, and even powerful high-explosive grenades fell into his possession.

”Fuck! A high-explosive grenade!”

Chen Pingchuan’s heart clenched as he stared at the grenade in his hand, its safety pin already pulled. The motion to toss it to Liu Haofeng froze instantly.

Liu Haofeng, completely clueless, was still shouting excitedly, ”Throw it, Boss!”

Wearing an odd expression, Chen Pingchuan retorted, ”You really want me to throw it?”

”What’s wrong, Boss? Of course! Throw it!” Liu Haofeng waved his arms, his face alight with excitement.

Chen Pingchuan ignored him. Instead, he spun around and hurled the grenade forcefully into the distance.

BANG! A deafening explosion erupted, sending a pillar of fire towering into the sky, followed by thick, billowing smoke.

The excitement on Liu Haofeng’s face froze. He stood there, dumbfounded, taking a long moment to snap back to reality.

”Still want me to throw it?” Chen Pingchuan watched him with a smirk.

”No more throwing!” Liu Haofeng cried out with a crestfallen look, finally realizing his boss was just messing with him for fun.

The power of the high-explosive grenade’s blast was stunning. Not only did it terrify Liu Haofeng, but it also shocked Gelieza and Shi Wuhua, who had been standing to the side watching Chen Pingchuan’s divine skill in a stupor, out of their trance.

”Big Boss! Is that you? Boss, I’m your long-lost brother...” Shi Wuhua reacted the fastest, squeezing forward a couple of steps as a torrent of flattery poured from his mouth.

He had his own calculations running. Seeing Chen Pingchuan cutting a bloody swath through the battlefield as if it were his own private domain, he knew this was an opportunity. If he didn’t latch onto such a powerful patron now, when would he ever get another chance? Even latching on for a short while would be for the best. Besides, if Uncle Huainan asked later, he could just say this was his new big brother, someone who had been so moved by his well-meaning reminder that he had insisted on taking Shi Wuhua under his wing. Young people are always looking for ways to seem special, after all.

Standing to the side, Gelieza slowly recovered from the shock. His demeanor was a sharp contrast to the joy of those around him; his was replaced by pure fear. Recalling his earlier behavior, a wave of retrospective fear washed over him, and a cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

He pondered to himself. His previous behavior seemed overly arrogant, though he had been completely unaware of it at the time. Upon first meeting Chen Pingchuan, he’d effortlessly seized the gun from his hands. Had it not been for his primary mission directive to protect Chen Pingchuan, he might have considered simply capturing and detaining the man. In his mind, that might have counted as a different form of ’protection.’ Now that he thought about it, he was deeply grateful he hadn’t acted so rashly. The only reason he hadn’t was that his sixth sense had shrieked in warning the moment the idea had formed in his mind. After all, would a boy who dared to call himself a god really be that simple?

Ultimately, his caution had saved Gelieza’s life.

Chen Pingchuan ignored everyone’s reactions, his face still expressionless, even tinged with a hint of cold severity. His gaze was locked on a large man within the Black Skull Legion—the very same man who had escaped his grasp before: Mad Dog. The mere thought of this man filled Chen Pingchuan with an uncontrollable wave of disgust and revulsion.

His lips began to move faster.

”Phantom Hands!” ”Phantom Hands!” ”Phantom Hands!”

By now, both sides on the battlefield had noticed the anomaly. The Black Skull Team, which had previously held the upper hand and had the tactical squad completely suppressed, was now plagued by constant problems. Numerous operators of their heavy firepower would either drop dead without warning, have their weapons vanish from their hands, or suffer from bizarre physical ailments. For a time, the shadow of death and chaos loomed over them, and many Black Skull Soldiers died without knowing why.

The black-robed Uncle Li Huainan, with his sharp eyes, was the first to notice something was wrong.