—Would you like to spend 1 Energy Point to activate the one-click collection function?
Although he had received the system notification, because all operational interfaces had to be executed through the vending cart, Lin Xia signaled to Chi Zheng with a gesture, indicating that he should follow him off the rooftop first.
The two had drawn a lot of attention during the battle. Chi Zheng in particular, though he hadn’t displayed any explicit superpower, had performed spectacularly during his frontal clash with the water centipede, leaving a deep impression on most of the people present.
Now seeing that he was about to leave, someone tried to step forward to make him stay.
“Hold on a second, we’re about to divide the spoils of war.”
The one speaking was the fire-system ability user who had struck first, named Feng Kun. His ultimate move was the Fire Tornado, and his combat strength was by no means just a little bit higher than Chen Song’s. The squad he belonged to was also the largest group on the field, featuring various types of ability users, and they clearly revered him as their leader.
He was the first to extend an olive branch to Chi Zheng.
“My name is Feng Kun. I’m a few years older than you, and I’m the captain of the Skyfire Squad. You can call me Brother Kun or Captain Kun.”
After a brief self-introduction, Feng Kun pointed to the water centipede’s carcass not far away and said, “The crystal cores of mutant beasts are good things; they help ability users elevate their powers.”
“For insect-type mutant beasts, their carapaces, hides, and venom can also be sold for money. If you leave now, your share will very likely be gone.”
Chi Zheng maintained a completely indifferent expression.
However, he remembered that Lin Xia had instructed him to be polite to people. Thus, he nodded to thank the other party for his kindness, and then left the rooftop directly, walking away without a single shred of hesitation.
“Brother Kun, that punk is fucking ungrateful.”
One of Feng Kun’s trusted lackeys looked indignant.
Brother Kun had taken the initiative to show goodwill, which was such a massive honor. What did leaving like that mean? Did he look down on their Skyfire Squad?!
In truth, he was merely talking big; he wouldn’t actually dare to chase after him and pick a fight.
If nothing else, based on that battle with the mutant water centipede just now, that youth in black definitely possessed serious skills. While the other physical enhancers had all sustained injuries to varying degrees during close combat, he was the only one who didn’t take a single scratch. Instead, he had run the water centipede in circles, creating countless opportunities for the elemental ability users in the rear to drop their attacks.
What squad wouldn’t want such a stable front-line fighter?
“Forget it. He’ll regret it once he learns the hard way.”
Having his pride slighted, Feng Kun felt a bit displeased inside as well.
However, the persona he maintained in front of others was that of a generous and loyal leader, so it wouldn’t look good to appear too petty right now. Nevertheless, he definitely held a grudge. When it came to dividing the spoils, Feng Kun didn’t stand on ceremony at all; not only did he make exorbitant demands, but he also monopolized the water centipede’s crystal core.
Some people were indignant. After all, everyone had contributed during the battle just now. Even if Feng Kun’s squad was strong, they were only one of many. On what grounds did they claim so much?!
But what could they do even if they were dissatisfied? Feng Kun might not have been able to beat the water centipede alone, but dealing with them was well within his capability. Moreover, the youth with the highest combat strength on the field had already left, and the Skyfire Squad had strength in numbers. Could these scattered, individual ability users really contend against an entire team? They could only pinch their noses and accept it.
Once the others were sent away, only the members of the Skyfire Squad remained on the field.
Relying on their numbers, they had secured the water centipede’s crystal core, venom, and carapace.
The venom could be used to manufacture venomous arrows and corrosive flasks, the carapace could reinforce vehicles or be processed into weapons, and the crystal core was naturally the most valuable item. The moment it was dug out, it was delivered straight to Feng Kun, waiting for him to enjoy it.
Yes, Feng Kun knew the method to absorb the energy of crystal cores. Not long after the Great Cataclysm, he had elevated his fire-system ability to level three, which was exactly why his destructive power was far more formidable than Chen Song’s despite both being fire-system ability users.
Staring at the man-sized, soil-yellow core, Feng Kun’s eyes flashed with undisguised greed.
Previously, the cores he had consumed were all white crystal cores, all originating from low-tier mutant organisms. The energy they could provide was miniscule, requiring an accumulation of sheer numbers to achieve a level upgrade.
To make matters worse, that kind of upgrade was far from stable. Although his Fire Tornado appeared majestic and massive, its actual lethality was ordinary, nowhere near as powerful as it looked.
Feng Kun attributed this to the low tier of the crystal cores he had absorbed and the insufficiency of their energy. If he could absorb the crystal core of a high-tier mutant beast, his Fire Tornado would definitely undergo a qualitative leap.
And look at that, wasn’t the opportunity right here?!
Feng Kun stared greedily at the colossally large crystal core in front of him.
The crystal core of this mutant water centipede was truly different. An item capable of supporting such a massive torso had to be a high-density energy body. If he were to absorb all of it into his own body, there was no telling how many levels he could gain consecutively. He might very well become the number one person in the Fourth District!
When the time came, he could enter the Capital District with such a status and become a lord on the new colony planet—a title he would fully deserve!
While Feng Kun was staring at the crystal core, practically everyone else was staring at him too.
The primary reason he had been able to amass a team of so many people in a short period was that he possessed the method for upgrading abilities.
Many people had guessed that crystal cores were beneficial to superpowers, but no one knew how to use them—chewing them, swallowing them, or smashing them and running electricity through them yielded no results, and a slight oversight could even trigger a crystal core explosion. To date, Feng Kun was the only one who had successfully upgraded.
The eyes of the surrounding ability users turned red with envy. They wished they could pry open Feng Kun’s skull to wrench out the method for using the crystal core.
However, Feng Kun was an incredibly cautious man; he never allowed anyone to watch when he upgraded his ability. But this time, it wouldn’t be that easy for him to conceal it. After all, the water centipede’s crystal core was too large for him to hide at all.
“Brother Kun, this centipede looked huge, but how come the inside of its carapace is entirely hollow with absolutely no meat?”
One of his trusted subordinates sidled up, complaining about the spoils falling short of their reputation just to strike up a conversation, though his true intent was to fathom his leader’s thoughts.
“Beneath the carapace, there are massive empty spaces everywhere, and the claw armor breaks at a single touch. Does this centipede have osteoporosis?”
While his mouth spoke of the claw armor, his eyes were glued tightly to the dark yellow crystal core, unable to look away for even a second.
With him acting this way, what was there that Feng Kun didn’t understand? He also knew it was time to dole out some benefits to win over people’s hearts. Thus, he cleared his throat and assumed a magnanimous, generous posture.
“If it’s lacking, then so be it. I’ll compensate you guys from other sources.”
“Don’t you all want to know how abilities upgrade? I, Feng Kun, am a man of my word. I will tell everyone the method to extract the energy of crystal cores right now.”
As he spoke, the ability users on the field immediately gathered around him. Dozens of eyes stared intently at Feng Kun’s mouth with burning gazes, terrified of missing a single word.
Naturally, no one noticed that the mountain-like carcass of the water centipede nearby was quietly and boundlessly disappearing.
Heh, who could still be bothered with that?
Hadn’t everyone allowed themselves to be ordered around by Feng Kun for so long precisely for this secret?!
Previously, it was Feng Kun who refused to speak. Now, as long as he didn’t lie, their own abilities stood a chance of upgrading. When that time came, wouldn’t the wide sea allow the fish to leap, and the vast sky allow the birds to fly?
Feng Kun was fully aware of these people’s petty designs, but he didn’t mind at all right now; his two prior ability upgrades had already granted him a first-mover advantage. Once he absorbed the water centipede’s crystal core, his ability could advance by at least another two tiers. This advantage was virtually impossible to surpass in a short period!
He was the man standing at the absolute peak of the Fourth District’s ability users!
Thinking up to this point, Feng Kun’s attitude grew increasingly genial.
“A man cannot grow fat on a single bite, and the absorption of crystal cores has its limitations as well. A person can only absorb crystal cores that are close to their own level; absorbing across tiers carries the risk of body implosion and death.”
“Crystal cores cannot be physically broken open. You need to envelop them with your own superpower, penetrating its outer skin bit by bit to synchronize your superpower with the crystal core before finding a way to extract the energy inside. Whether you choose to draw it out or dig it out, you must materialize your superpower into a tool. Don’t be fooled by how quickly I finished explaining it; this process actually requires every individual to comprehend and master it through their own experience. I also spent a long time researching before discovering this trick…”
In reality, Feng Kun had lied. This method wasn’t researched by him at all, but was an accidental gain from a certain past mission.
Feng Kun was originally hired by a certain wealthy tycoon from the Second District. He encountered an accident while executing an escort mission, and the employer’s car plunged into the ocean. Feng Kun had good luck, escaping in time, and he also made off with one of the employer’s bags, which contained a research document regarding crystal cores and superpowers.
Not long after, the global cataclysm erupted. Feng Kun, who luckily survived, awakened a fire-system ability and began upgrading himself according to the methods outlined in the document.
By now, the document had already been destroyed by him, and the upgrade method was firmly memorized within his mind. The tier restriction for absorbing crystal cores was something he fabricated himself, precisely to prevent others from coveting the water centipede’s crystal core. He definitely intended to monopolize this grand treasure.
He walked toward that massive crystal core with a smile, preparing to perform a demonstration in front of the crowd, letting everyone witness the birth of the king of ability users in the Fourth District.
At the exact same time, inside the manager’s office downstairs.
“Alright, I’ve already collected all the shares I’m entitled to take.”
Lin Xia pointed to the projection on the vending cart’s windshield.
“The most valuable part turns out to be the meat inside the jointed limbs, followed by the claw armor and the venom sac. The crystal core is actually cheaper than the venom sac.”
“It is a decaying crystal core, after all,” Chi Zheng said, stroking his chin.
“It has already reached the final stage of decay. A large amount of waste materials has accumulated inside the crystal core. Not to mention the energy is scarce, it’s also highly difficult to decompose and reuse. Naturally, the estimated value wouldn’t be high.”
“Then how are these kinds of crystal cores handled?” Lin Xia began to feel a bit curious. “Hearing you put it that way, it sounds like toxic and hazardous waste. Since all mutant creatures have a day when they die, won’t the planet be filled with waste crystal cores everywhere by then?”
“The Mud Monsters will probably solve it,” Chi Zheng casually stated a sensational conclusion.
“Weren’t you curious about what Mud Monsters can do? Mud Monsters can actually devour crystal cores; they eat any kind of crystal core. Once devoured by them, the remaining portions can be handled by microorganisms. Therefore, the appearance of Mud Monsters isn’t an accident either; it’s part of the biological cycle.”
“By eating crystal cores, Mud Monsters can likewise evolve, gaining new capabilities or intelligence. Who knows, with time, they might become a new form of intelligent life…”
Before he could finish his sentence, the two of them suddenly heard a tragic, piercing shriek echo from right above their heads.
This scream was too miserable, sounding hair-raising even through the ceiling.
Immediately after, sounds of running, leaping, shouting, and wretched cries echoed from upstairs again. Panic-stricken cries for help were unceasing, and it was clear that an unexpected emergency had occurred on the top roof once more.
What on earth was happening?!