Chapter 173: Chapter 173: The Second Superpower
Jiang Si suddenly discovered that the energy stone inside her had expanded slightly. Amidst its originally white crystalline glow, there were now streaks of purple light.
It was as if she had absorbed the energy from another kind of energy stone.
Jiang Si was startled. The last time, she had felt extremely unwell, and when Qin Shen helped her, the energy stone had suddenly changed, adding another square meter to her space.
’Could it be that I can really absorb Qin Shen’s energy?’
Jiang Si was lost in thought, contemplating the energy stone for a moment. Sensing something was amiss, Qin Shen gently nudged her with his furry paw pads.
Snapping back to reality, Jiang Si suddenly hugged him. She wanted to test if holding onto Qin Shen could make her space expand even more.
Suddenly, she let go in alarm.
’If I keep absorbing his energy, what if Qin Shen can never turn human again?!’
’Even if I really did absorb Qin Shen’s energy, how would I give it back?’
The last time her space expanded, she hadn’t seen Qin Shen show any discomfort.
’Could it be because I’ve been holding him for so long since last night?’
Jiang Si couldn’t figure it out no matter how much she thought about it, and Qin Shen couldn’t answer her question either.
Just as she was wondering whether to tell Qin Shen and come up with a plan together, the ship’s hull suddenly resounded with a loud CLANG.
Immediately after, Jiang Linhai’s booming voice came from inside the cabin, "Vulture attack! Don’t panic, and don’t go outside."
Vultures had sharp beaks and talons as hard as steel; there was a risk they could tear right through some part of the hull.
Jiang Si had to go out and check the situation.
She rested her forehead against Qin Shen’s and instructed, "Don’t come out. Wait for me to get back!"
Jiang Si quickly opened the door and left the room. Qin Shen tried to stand up, but his back hit the ceiling, forcing him to stop.
If he went out now, Jiang Si’s room would be completely destroyed.
Everyone would also find out that his original form was a tiger.
Just as Jiang Si had said, the fewer people who knew, the less danger and risk there would be.
Qin Shen had no choice but to lie back down, pricking up his pointed ears to listen to all the commotion outside.
If Jiang Si really ran into trouble, he would charge out without a second thought.
When Jiang Si came out of the room, people didn’t see Qin Shen and instinctively asked, "Where’s Qin Shen?"
Jiang Si said vaguely, "He’s on the toilet."
Uh... It really wouldn’t be right to call him out at a time like this.
So, no one asked any more questions, and their focus shifted back to the Vultures circling outside the ship.
Shen Baoying asked, "Sisi, should we shoot them with the guns?"
Jiang Si and Qin Shen had specifically led everyone in modifying the Icebreaker. It had special firing ports, which could be used to throw or launch weapons, observe enemies, survey the environment, and so on.
The adult monkeys even knew how to hold guns and shoot from the firing ports.
Jiang Si shook her head. "Let’s wait and see first. If we shoot them down, we might just attract a flock of other Vultures to feed on their corpses. As long as they can’t break into the Icebreaker, they’re not a threat to us."
With their current supplies, they could stay on the ship for a lifetime without any issues.
Suddenly, the hull was struck violently a few more times.
They were mainly attacking the cargo hold, where the moose, chickens, and ducks were kept.
The Vultures must have smelled the food.
"BANG! BANG! BANG!"
This tremendous noise, coupled with the Vultures’ frantic screeches, was a terrifying experience.
Bo Xi was most afraid of birds, and now the entire Icebreaker was surrounded by these Vultures.
He nervously clutched his cup of tea, hiding his pale complexion.
Everyone hurried down to the bottom of the hold to check the situation.
The livestock were frightened, squawking and crying out in panic, and the walls of the hold were scored with several distinct marks.
These Vultures were surprisingly intelligent, knowing to attack the same spot repeatedly.
Suddenly, Jiang Chengwu ran over with Vulture feathers all over his head and said, "Sisi, the little Vultures are scared and looking for you. We had to cover them with a cage for now."
Jiang Si had no time to worry about them. "Okay. As long as they’re not running around, it’s fine. I’ll soothe them later."
Vultures could be cannibalistic. The young Vultures saw her as their mother, so they were naturally afraid.
But right now, they couldn’t let the hold continue to be damaged.
Jiang Linhai complained, "With all that energy, why don’t they go chisel some ice? I really can’t tell if they’re smart or stupid."
Lu Zhifeng said, "The temperature outside is low. Before they could even break through the ice, it would probably freeze over again. No, they’re genuinely smart."
Everyone sighed heavily again. They would either have to shoot all the Vultures, then hurry ashore, find a suitable cave to hole up in, and avoid the next blizzard.
The key issue was the fear that as soon as they killed these, another flock would arrive, and the smell of blood would attract something even more terrifying—like the giant-toothed shark from before.
Jiang Si caught sight of Bo Xi out of the corner of her eye and suddenly remembered that Bo Xi could control insects!
’Vultures are raptors, carnivores... but with no other food, if they came across some protein-rich insects, they’d surely gorge on them, right?’
Jiang Si quietly pulled Bo Xi into a corner and asked him in English, "Can you control insects to lure the Vultures away right now?"
After the temperature had risen, those bite-everything, salt-fearing insects had been wiped out by natural causes. Hearing Jiang Si’s idea, Bo Xi closed his eyes to concentrate. He could sense a type of insect in the snow—not many, but it seemed they were gradually reawakening.
If he controlled them, he should be able to awaken them from the snow ahead of schedule.
Bo Xi nodded. "I can try."
"Okay. If you can’t, don’t force yourself."
Bo Xi returned to his room, and Jiang Si followed him in. After closing the door, Bo Xi closed his eyes, extended a hand, and veins bulged on his skin. The insect in his palm began to squirm violently.
Bo Xi looked as if he were possessed, trembling uncontrollably.
The scene was bizarre and horrifying.
Jiang Si didn’t dare interrupt him. She waited until his eyes snapped open and he collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, only then did she hurry to help him up. "Are you all right?"
Overexerting himself to summon insects always caused Bo Xi severe physical discomfort. The moment Jiang Si touched him, he felt a strange, pleasant coolness stream through his body, making him stare with wide eyes.
As soon as Jiang Si let go, the pain immediately swept over his entire body again.
A moment later, he passed out.
"Bo Xi? Bo Xi?"
Jiang Si didn’t dare touch him again. Because the instant she made contact, Bo Xi’s energy had actually drilled right into her.
It seemed that after her spatial ability, she had awakened another power—the ability to absorb others’ energy and temporarily soothe their pain.
This was different from Qin Shen’s Healing Power. He could only heal ordinary people, while she could affect superpower users by absorbing their energy.
She just didn’t know what the serious consequences would be after she absorbed it.
Qin Shen still hadn’t returned to his original form. She actually felt a little scared.
