Armored!

The pitch-black battle attire, enveloped by threads of dark energy, hung in the air, a sight that would surely unsettle any ordinary onlooker.

With no time to spare, Su Chen took immediate action, replenishing the battle suit with energy units as per its insatiable demand.

Yet, this suit that materialized out of thin air seemed like an abyss with no end.

He poured in one energy unit, but there was no change—it still hungered for more.

Two, three... five...

Gradually, a peculiar sensation washed over Su Chen. It felt as if he had fused with the battle armor before him. Through the continuous flow of energy, his consciousness began to submerge, and his awareness of the outside world involuntarily waned. Conversely, he could keenly perceive the interplay between the energy he supplied and the suit itself. It was akin to a "needle" repeatedly traversing the transformed Mark 45, tirelessly reinforcing each step and connection.

A glimmer of understanding flickered within Su Chen. His previous modifications were carried out step by step, but in reality, they merely completed the overall renovation of Mark 45. It was akin to constructing a wall—although the bricks were assembled, they lacked the crucial cement to hold them together. Without it, they would crumble when pushed. Only by adding the cement could the disparate bricks form a solid wall.

Initially, the process advanced sluggishly. However, as Su Chen grasped this realization, he took conscious control, hastening the traversal of energy units within the armor. He strengthened the connections between each link and module, cementing the bonds.

Throughout this process, Su Chen's entire consciousness seemed to sink into it. He glimpsed the door to the second level, faintly within reach. Yet, he lacked something vital, preventing him from pushing it open and entering the realm of heightened abilities.

To his surprise, when Su Chen consumed the tenth energy unit, the battle armor before him suddenly expanded with a loud bang. Strands of black energy trailed and floated, while the entire suit disassembled into its smallest, thumb-sized diamond-shaped units, all still incessantly demanding energy from Su Chen.

Simultaneously, the suit emitted dark energy lines that hovered in the air, seemingly yearning for something.

Reacting swiftly, Su Chen seized the nearby grenade launcher and hurled it into the midst of those black energy lines. The launcher was instantaneously enveloped upon contact. However, some strands of energy continued to hover in the air. After a brief hesitation, Su Chen tossed in his shotgun, which too was swiftly engulfed. The battle armor seemed to have "swallowed" and assimilated both weapons.

Driven by an impulse, Su Chen yearned to test the limits and threw his Miao Dao into the mix. However, this time, his weapon was met with rejection. It appeared that he had reached the upper threshold, and the blade was mercilessly expelled from the battle armor.

Finally, as Su Chen channeled the sixteenth energy unit, with only a meager reserve of bodily energy remaining, the smallest diamond-shaped units converged, spreading across his arm coverage. They transformed into a form that perfectly adhered to his body—sleek, sharp, and flawlessly fitted. The battle armor underwent a profound metamorphosis. The familiar visage of Mark 45 was no longer discernible, replaced by an ominous darkness imbued with the raw power of doomsday technology.

Su Chen's attention was drawn to a small, rocket-like device situated on the back of his feet. It appeared to be meticulously deconstructed yet composed of the same material as the battle armor.

However, how was this contraption powered?

An idea sparked in Su Chen's mind as he cast a glance at the supermarket's lofty ceiling, adorned with raised racks. Without hesitation, he channeled his sole remaining unit of energy into the dark suit, deftly guiding it toward the rocket ejectors on both feet.

A low hum resonated.

Flames shot forth, propelling Su Chen off the ground in an instant. He narrowly avoided colliding with the ceiling, managing to regain control and swiftly descend. Even so, the unfamiliar sensation of "flying" left Su Chen disoriented, nearly careening into a cargo platform teeming with putrid fish!

An exhilaration surged within Su Chen. "Am I truly taking flight this time?"

Yet, his joy was short-lived. He soon discovered that the dark suit devoured a quarter of his energy unit within a matter of seconds, leaving only three quarters remaining within the armor itself. It seemed to possess an insatiable appetite for power.

Raising his left arm, Su Chen's mind stirred, and the energy within the pitch-black suit responded instantaneously. The diamond-shaped armor on his left hand transformed like a shape-shifting marvel. It encased his palm while leaving his forearm exposed, revealing a muzzle resembling a menacing abyss.

This was the fused grenade launcher, seamlessly integrated into the armor.

Su Chen attempted to extend his arm into the darkness, preparing to unleash a shot. However, despite the surge of energy, nothing happened.

Although this hand cannon required no physical ammunition, each "bullet" fired from the hand cannon demanded an entire energy unit, a cost that Su Chen currently couldn't afford.

As for Su Chen's right hand armor, it housed a modified towing shotgun. Its original form had undergone a mystical alteration before integration into the suit. Now, all Su Chen had to do was extend his arm and activate the suit's energy, causing the five fingers to unleash a compelling tractor beam that ensnared its target. Visually, it possessed an uncanny resemblance to the hand of a sorcerer.

The final manifestation of the obsidian-black suit exceeded Su Chen's expectations. Its transformative capabilities far surpassed any of his previous creations, requiring a mere one or two energy units for a complete metamorphosis. Once infused with energy, the suit seemed to grow lighter, yet it devoured power at an alarming rate. Even when idle, it continued to drain energy relentlessly. With his energy units already stretched thin, Su Chen couldn't afford further experimentation. However, he discovered another function of the suit.

The battle suit possessed the ability to retract fully, with the diamond-shaped units shrinking, overlapping, and regrouping to form a sizable black backpack. This operation consumed Su Chen's last remaining energy unit, leaving him embarrassingly unable to reactivate the armor.

Su Chen suspected that the suit's high energy consumption might stem from its inferior materials and insufficient energy input. It was akin to a cheap fixed-frequency air conditioner, notorious for their excessive energy usage, compared to a top-of-the-line inverter air conditioner of the same horsepower boasting first-class energy efficiency.

Nevertheless, this marked the limit of Su Chen's current capabilities. He lacked the resources to provide a sturdier foundation or infuse more dark energy into the suit. Although he hadn't tested its resilience or true combat effectiveness, Su Chen surmised that it couldn't be too shabby.

With this armor, he finally possessed the means to survive in this treacherous world!

However, his euphoria and immersion in the suit's wonders dissipated as he heard the commotion outside the supermarket. Furrowing his brow, he consulted his watch for the time.

Initially, Su Chen contemplated modifying watches and mobile phones as well. Their precision was unquestionable. However, the remodeled mobile phones might not possess combat capabilities, offering little assistance in his current predicament. Energy units remained scarce, forcing Su Chen to shelve these plans for the time being.

Glancing at his watch, he was taken aback.

The transformation had consumed a staggering seven hours of his time!

A chill ran down Su Chen's spine. In the midst of his earlier immersion, his mind had become completely absorbed, as if merging with the suit itself. Particularly when he touched the second level's gate, it felt as though he had plunged into a perilous realm of dark energy. Although transformed into a battle suit, it harbored immense danger. If not for the safety within these walls, with monsters running rampant outside, he might not have even comprehended his own demise.

A sense of vigilance gripped Su Chen's heart. Armed with this newfound experience, he resolved to remain more cautious in the future.

Just as he ruminated on his thoughts, a faint sound of footsteps broke through the silence, drawing nearer within the dimly lit supermarket.