The faint glow of dawn struggled to pierce through the clouds, sparingly casting light into the classroom of Class 3, Grade 3.
The lingering scent of battle permeated the air: the heavy smell of burnt flesh, the pungent odor of strong acid evaporating, the metallic tang of fresh blood, and the strange sweet aroma of burnt paper and melted plastic—they blended into a nauseating, apocalyptic incense that stubbornly invaded the nostrils of the survivors.
The massive, charred remains of the Four-Eyed Ghost Tiger occupied the center of the classroom, like a sculpture of a monstrous beast baptized by hellfire, silently testifying to the brutal night.
Time seemed to freeze.
The students, having survived the ordeal, lay sprawled on the cold, debris- and blood-stained floor, panting heavily.
Li Mingyu seemed to have had all his bones drained, slumping beside the twisted, deformed, and entirely red steel rod; each inhale was accompanied by a knife-like pain deep in his chest, and the bloody phlegm he coughed up contained tiny black particles—proof of severe internal organ damage from the immense impact.
Sun Qiang leaned against the cracked wall, the claw marks and corrosive indentations on his metallic skin shockingly evident; his formerly deep luster had dulled, and fine cracks spread along his arms and sides.
With each breath, a dull, weary grinding sound emanated from his metallic body.
Zhou Yunguang's condition seemed the worst; he leaned against the overturned podium like a pile of mud, the flashlight that had once emitted destructive holy light rolling on the floor, its head charred black.
His face was paler than a whitewashed wall, his lips dry and bloodless, his body still trembling slightly, and his eyes unfocused.
Chen Xue huddled in a corner of the classroom, the silver light in her chest as faint as a candle in the wind; the overuse of that sacred power had left her so weak she could barely lift a finger.
She stared blankly at the dozen or so bodies on the ground, disfigured by the poisonous mist and resembling charcoal, tears silently streaming down her blood-stained cheeks, dripping into the dark brown pool of blood on the floor.
There was nothing she could do; the corrosive nature was too strong, and she couldn't save them in time.
The only person still moving was Ling Chen.
He too looked miserable, a gruesome wound tearing open his left shoulder and back, deep enough to expose bone, the surrounding flesh ragged from claw-wind and shockwaves; blood soaked through his tattered clothes, spreading a large dark red stain across his back.
His face was ashen, his forehead covered in a mixture of cold sweat and blood, and his breathing was heavy and erratic.
However, he did not lie down; instead, he moved with great difficulty and extreme slowness, his movements stiff and pained, as if each step drained the last bit of strength from his marrow.
His target was clear—a relatively intact piece of foreleg meat, stained with crimson and char, next to the massive cat corpse. The meat still had a relatively smooth black “hard shell” covering it, burnt by high temperatures, emitting a faint mixture of meaty and burnt aromas.
Finally, he moved next to the meat.
Without tools, he extended his slightly less damaged right hand—fingers equally covered in blood and dirt—and desperately dug his fingers into the edge of the leg meat, which was larger than his two fists, using his body's strength to drag it towards Li Mingyu and Sun Qiang.
Screech—
The sound of the heavy meat dragging across broken glass and rubble was particularly grating in the dead silence.
“Ling… Ling Chen? What… what are you doing?” Li Mingyu gasped, raising his bloodshot eyes, his voice hoarse with inquiry.
Ling Chen did not answer, merely dragging the meat to a spot not far from Li Mingyu, and then, as if all his strength was spent, he collapsed onto the ground, leaning against the remains of a broken desk, clutching the wound on his left shoulder, panting heavily, blood seeping through his fingers.
“What… is this?”
Sun Qiang’s voice, like metal grinding, sounded with a hint of confusion; he looked at the leg meat, then at the charred, smoking massive cat corpse.
“The monster’s… can it be eaten?”
“Mutated… mutated beast meat…”
Ling Chen’s voice was broken, accompanied by suppressed coughs, “It’s… not… not like… ghouls… ghouls’… flesh… is poisonous… will infect… this… won’t…” He swallowed a mouthful of bloody, sweet-tasting saliva.
“They… only infect… their own kind… just like… foot-and-mouth disease mainly spreads among livestock… after high-temperature treatment… humans… can eat it!”
These words were like stones dropped into a stagnant pond, instantly stirring ripples among the survivors! Hunger had long gnawed at everyone’s stomachs like the fiercest beast; now, the hope of life appeared before their eyes in the most primitive form of food!
“Can it… really be eaten?” A thin boy mustered his courage, his eyes gleaming with a desperate desire for food. “Will eating it… not turn us into monsters?”
Ling Chen nodded with difficulty; naturally, he couldn't lie to them. He still needed to use this identity to infiltrate the military, so how could he possibly harm them?
He pointed to the steel rod in Li Mingyu’s hand: “Fire… use heat… burn off… the outside… charred shell… high temperature… can sterilize…”
Zhou Yunguang seemed to have regained a little strength, weakly raising his hand and pointing to himself: “Fire… the light… is broken…”
Li Mingyu didn't hesitate; holding the almost-scrap steel rod, he looked at the leg meat, a determined glint in his eyes.
Live! He took a sharp breath, enduring the intense pain in his chest, and pressed the end of the scorching steel rod against the charred outer shell of the foreleg meat.
Sizzle—
A puff of white smoke, accompanied by an even stronger aroma of char and meat, rose into the air! The charred outer shell crackled slightly under the high heat. Li Mingyu, little by little, carefully used the hot rod to peel and scrape off the outer layer of “hard shell” that was contaminated by strong acid or excessively burnt, revealing the relatively intact, dark red muscle tissue underneath.
As he worked, the aroma of the meat became increasingly distinct, like a hook, tugging at the already numb and empty stomachs of all the survivors.
“Water…” Ling Chen whispered again, “It’s best… to rinse it…”
A half-empty bottle of mineral water was tremblingly handed over. Li Mingyu carefully rinsed the hard-won, steaming piece of meat with water.
After cleaning, the meat's texture was clearer, and the strange burnt smell was gone, leaving only a pure, mouth-watering meaty aroma, though its dark red color and origin still made one's heart pound.
Li Mingyu laboriously cut off a small slice using the broken edge of the steel rod. Everyone held their breath, watching him.
He picked up the warm, slightly oily slice of meat with two relatively clean fingers, closed his eyes, and with a determined resolve, put it into his mouth!
Chewing… swallowing…
A few seconds later, he abruptly opened his eyes, an incredible light bursting forth! It wasn't poison taking effect, but excitement!
“It… it can be eaten! It’s chewy! Like… like the best beef!”
He practically roared, his voice distorted by excitement! A tremendous sense of happiness instantly washed away his pain and exhaustion!
The instinct of hunger overwhelmed the fear of the unknown!
In the desperate ruins, a flame named “survival” was ignited by a piece of monster meat!
Soon, with the cooperation of Li Mingyu and Sun Qiang (Sun Qiang provided his sharp metallic fingernails), the several-dozen-pound foreleg meat was dismembered, its dangerous outer layer seared off, and cut into as many small pieces as possible.
When the first wisp of fatty, charred aroma diffused in the pale morning light, a silent, profound transformation began to spread in the hearts of the survivors.
The extreme fear of the Four-Eyed Ghost Tiger was replaced by a complex emotion mixed with awe and greed. It was a calamity, a harbinger of death, but at this moment, its flesh became the hope that sustained their lives.
The temporary satisfaction and warmth brought by food dispelled some of the coldness and despair. Led by Li Mingyu and Sun Qiang, more and more students tremblingly reached out, cautiously taking the cut, warm, even somewhat hot pieces of meat.
Chewing sounds, suppressed sobs, and the slight rumbling of stomachs finally appeased, replaced the fearful gasps of the previous dead silence.
Just as everyone was immersed in the temporary peace and hope brought by the food, Ling Chen’s gaze fell on the ice-blue, chillingly pure crystal core still in his hand. It could provide greater power, but also carried risks.
“Ling Chen,” Chen Xue had moved beside him at some point, looking at his pale face and the wound on his back, her voice hoarse from crying and filled with deep concern,
“Your injury… let me…” She instinctively reached out to touch him, a faint silver light flickering on her fingertips again.
Ling Chen's body naturally shifted, avoiding her touch.
“Don’t… waste it…” His voice was low and weak, “I’m… fine… This crystal core… is… important.”
He held up the ice-blue crystal core, letting its pure radiance become the focal point in the dim classroom.
“Those small crystal shards… the energy inside… is chaotic… too many impurities… this one…”
He spoke with difficulty, his gaze sweeping over the few individuals with abilities—Li Mingyu, Sun Qiang, Chen Xue, Zhou Yunguang.
“It’s purer… stronger… if you want to live… and get stronger… you… must absorb it…”
Li Mingyu immediately stopped chewing, his eyes gleaming: “How do we absorb it? Like before, just hold it in our hands?”
“No… the risk… is great…” Ling Chen shook his head, then coughed violently a few times,
“This energy… is too strong… it needs… guidance… I’ll… help you…”
He paused, as if gathering the strength of his words,
“The process… may be… painful… your will… must be firm… are you… willing?”
“Hell yeah!” Li Mingyu said without hesitation, pounding his sturdy chest, which caused another fit of coughing. “Of course, I’m willing! Ling Chen, I trust you! If it weren’t for you, we’d have died eight times over already!”
Sun Qiang said nothing, only nodding heavily, his metallic face filled with determination. Chen Xue looked at the crystal core, then at Ling Chen’s gruesome wounds and resolute eyes, and also nodded vigorously.
“I… I also…” Zhou Yunguang struggled to sit up slightly, his voice weak but firm, “I also need strength! I want to… protect everyone!”
Ling Chen’s gaze lingered on Zhou Yunguang for a very brief moment, then he nodded slightly: “Good… find a place… sit cross-legged… try to… be quiet… relax your mind… but… your consciousness… must be clear…”
Soon, the four sat down around Ling Chen, forming an irregular circle.
The other survivors held their breath and retreated to the edge of the classroom, watching nervously.
Ling Chen closed his eyes, holding the ice-blue crystal core in both hands, placing it before his chest. He seemed to be silently regulating his breathing, suppressing his own injuries.
Time passed by minute by minute, and only heavy breathing remained in the classroom. Li Mingyu shifted his position, a little restless.
Suddenly, Ling Chen opened his eyes! A faint blue stream of light seemed to flash deep within his pupils! An indescribable, cold yet pure energy aura emanated from the crystal core! It wasn't violent, but it carried an overwhelming pressure!
“Close your eyes! Calm your mind! Sense that coolness!” Ling Chen commanded in a low voice, his words carrying a strange penetrative power.
The four immediately complied.
“Now…” Ling Chen’s voice seemed to directly echo deep within everyone’s mind, carrying guidance and an unquestionable power.
“Imagine… your ability… is… a calm lake… or… a burning flame… or… solid steel… or… warm sunlight… then… draw the… ‘coolness’… before you… into it… let it merge…”
He began to guide them mentally, slowly, word by word.
At the same time, the crystal core emitted several visible faint blue energy streams, as if pulled by an invisible hand, slowly and extremely carefully flowing separately towards Li Mingyu, Sun Qiang, and Chen Xue’s hands.
When a faint blue energy stream tried to surge towards Zhou Yunguang, Ling Chen’s fingers, holding the crystal core, trembled imperceptibly and extremely subtly.
A subtle, imperceptible, invisible mental fluctuation, like the most precise needlepoint, accurately pierced into the energy flow within the crystal core’s core that was heading towards Zhou Yunguang!
How could he allow someone with such a powerful ability to become stronger? A cat is only cherished when it is cat-sized; when it grows as large as a tiger, humans will not hesitate to raise their hunting rifles.
Instantly, the faint blue energy flow towards Zhou Yunguang was like a drop of extremely concentrated ink thrown into it!
It wasn’t severed, but… contaminated! The internal structure of that originally pure and cold energy seemed to be forcibly twisted, instantly becoming mixed, chaotic, and carrying a subtle sense of agitation!
The moment it touched Zhou Yunguang’s fingertips, and as soon as it made contact with his spirit, it triggered a violent rejection and chaos in his light energy core!
“Ugh ah—!”
Zhou Yunguang suddenly let out a suppressed cry of pain! His body shook violently! Veins bulged on his forehead! A chaotic energy conflict erupted within him!
That mixed energy, which he had struggled to draw into his body, was like an out-of-control wild horse, rampaging within him. Not only did it fail to bring enhancement, but it instantly triggered a backlash from his already severely overdrawn light energy core!
A faint white light flickered wildly on his body for a few moments, then quickly dimmed like a snuffed-out spark!
“Pfft!” Zhou Yunguang suddenly spat out a small mouthful of blood, his face instantly turning ashen, like gold leaf. His body swayed, and he softly fell backward, completely unconscious!
“Zhou Yunguang!” Chen Xue cried out in alarm.
“Steady!” Ling Chen’s voice carried an unquestionable, icy authority, instantly suppressing the situation that was about to spiral out of control.
“He… overexerted himself… his body… couldn’t bear it… forcibly absorbing… caused a backlash… Chen Xue! Quick, save him!”
Chen Xue was startled and quickly interrupted her just-begun guidance, frantically pressing her hands to Zhou Yunguang’s chest. A soft silver light glowed again, helping him soothe the injuries caused by the internal energy conflict.
Ling Chen wasn’t worried about her being able to heal Zhou Yunguang’s core damage. Silver Priests specialized in mental healing; healing a core was something only high-level healing abilities could achieve.
Li Mingyu and Sun Qiang were also alarmed. They forcibly suppressed the burning and itching sensations brought by the surging new power within them, looking worriedly at Zhou Yunguang.
At this moment, the ice-blue energy guided towards Li Mingyu and Sun Qiang officially began to surge in!
For these two pure muscle & tank types, he was certainly happy for them to become stronger and stronger.
For Li Mingyu, when that cold energy entered his thick meridians, already expanded by the Buli (Brute Force) ability, it felt like billions of icy steel needles piercing and tempering! His muscles swelled and contracted violently, and his bones emitted dull popping sounds!
He groaned, clenching his jaw, cold sweat streaming down his temples. His whole body’s muscles tensed like The Boulder, and the purplish-blue veins beneath his skin pulsed madly!
Power! A stronger sense of power, accompanied by intense pain, was surging out wildly!
Sun Qiang, on the other hand, felt an icy current covering his entire body, merging with his metallic physique!
It wasn’t destruction, but… refinement! Wherever the ice current passed, the gaps in the metal seemed to be filled by tiny ice crystals, and the subtle cracks that originally existed began to mend!
A deeper, more solid, and even seemingly heavier sense of power filled his body!
The increase in defense wasn’t as painful as the burst of strength, but that deep sense of solidification also required strong willpower to control, like bearing an ever-increasing heavy mountain!
The guidance towards Chen Xue was the gentlest. After all, healers are quite fragile. That ice-blue pure energy, like a trickling stream, actively merged into the silver glow within her body, which symbolized life and healing.
The silver glow instantly became brighter, softer, and more stable, and the life force contained within it became purer and more vast.
She could even clearly feel that with just a thought, this newfound energy, perfectly fused with the silver glow, could instantly cover a larger area and heal deeper wounds!
However, at this moment, most of her energy was still focused on saving Zhou Yunguang.
The entire guidance process actually only lasted a few minutes, but it felt as long as several hours.
When Ling Chen abruptly cut off the energy flow and retracted the visibly dimmed, yet more profound and inwardly glowing ice-blue crystal core into his palm, Li Mingyu and Sun Qiang relaxed their entire bodies, like iron blocks just pulled from a furnace. They were drenched in sweat, yet also radiated a sense of exhaustion filled with newfound power, as if reborn.
This Heterocrystal was dropped by a mutated beast with six blood patterns. The energy it contained was enough to allow an ability user to break through two levels, but due to being distributed, the actual effect was not that exaggerated.
There were still two patterns of energy left in that Mutated Crystal. Except for Zhou Yunguang, the remaining three people collectively shared four patterns of spiritual energy, each only gaining a little improvement.
However, this was already a lot. After all, in the early stages, there weren't many opportunities, so one could only rely on steady progress.
Sweat beaded on Chen Xue’s forehead, and her hands pressed against Zhou Yunguang’s chest trembled slightly. Although Zhou Yunguang’s breathing was stable, he remained unconscious.
“It’s done…”
Ling Chen’s voice became even hoarser, and his face turned a shade paler. Forcibly maintaining the guidance, suppressing the crystal core’s energy, and secretly tampering with Zhou Yunguang had placed an immense burden on his already “spent” body. (At least he had to pretend to be.)
“Adapt and stabilize well…”
He took a few breaths, his gaze sweeping over the bloody mess on the floor, looking at the huge cat corpse that had been mostly cut open, and then at the quiet and dangerous campus ruins outside the window.
“Food will only last a few days…” After eating the mutated beast’s meat and receiving Chen Xue’s treatment, his condition “looked” significantly better.
He propped himself up, his gaze becoming incredibly stern, with a hint of determination, “The classroom… isn’t safe… enough. I need to go out, find places with more food, and try to figure out the surrounding hidden dangers.”
As he said this, Ling Chen couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, thinking, 'I’ve helped them understand how to use the Mutated Crystal, assisted them in cultivation, and now I even have to go out and find food for them to ensure their survival, and let them taste the new delicacies of the apocalypse. I truly am a great benevolent person.'