Chapter 435: Chapter 355: Awakening (Part 1)
Hearing this, Hu Qi fell into thought.
He was pensive.
’He must be feeling the particles in the air.’
’That must be the Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy of this world.’
’But the Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy in this world seems a bit different from that of the previous two.’
’It’s mixed with some other substance, likely related to the past Cataclysm.’
’The Evolvers of this world call it the Ethereal Wanderer.’
’This substance can replenish an Evolver’s energy and help them grow stronger. From what I know so far, its effect is no different from Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy.’
’The other thing is that Lu Hong’s bone fragment transplant went even more smoothly than I’d imagined, without a single hitch.’
’And as for a rejection response, there appears to be none at all so far.’
’This whole situation is completely unscientific.’
’After all, no matter how perfect the match, it’s impossible to have zero rejection.’
’But then again, since this involves Extraordinary Power, so-called science can only be a reference.’
’Besides, this is just for now. I’ll have to observe him for a while to see if any issues crop up later.’
"Try to channel the power inside your body..."
Hu Qi said.
At his words,
and at his command,
Lu Hong began to try.
The next moment,
a faint, bluish-black sheen, like the color of steel, appeared on his otherwise normal skin.
It was the same ability the Iron Bear had displayed.
The only difference was that, upon closer inspection, the color was much fainter.
Furthermore, it lasted for less than ten seconds.
Lu Hong’s skin then returned to its normal color, and he began panting heavily, as if he had expended a tremendous amount of energy.
"Sir, does this mean I’ve become an Evolver?"
Lu Hong asked, his voice hesitant.
Once he relaxed, his energy began to recover at a rapid pace. The sensation was incredible.
He then recalled how Hu Qi had said he could help him become an Evolver.
Hu Qi just glanced at him.
He nodded and said with a small smile,
"Theoretically, yes. You’ve succeeded."
"But don’t celebrate just yet. We still need to observe you for a while. Remember, if anything feels wrong, tell me immediately!"
"Yes, sir!"
Lu Hong nodded.
"You can go back for now."
Hu Qi waved a hand.
Even though Lu Hong had just undergone surgery, his new Evolver constitution meant he had already mostly recovered. Walking on his own wouldn’t be a problem.
Watching the man’s retreating figure,
the smile on Hu Qi’s face faded.
His expression turned pensive.
’Although Lu Hong’s transplant was a success, the skin hardening he can manage is nothing compared to the Iron Bear’s.’
’But that’s to be expected, I suppose.’
’The Iron Bear’s death must have drained some of the power from the bone fragment.’
’If I were to kill Lu Hong now, the Rune’s power within the bone fragment would probably become even more diluted. It might not even be possible to transplant it again.’
’That makes sense, though.’
’If I could create Evolvers of the same tier through transplantation without any loss of power, couldn’t I just use this method to farm infinite Modification Points?’
Suddenly,
the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the door, rapidly approaching.
The person who arrived was a well-built member of the Hunting Team with a dark, weather-beaten face.
As soon as he saw Hu Qi, he dropped to one knee and said respectfully,
"Chief, we have a lead on what you asked us to find!"
"Oh? Let’s hear it."
Hu Qi’s expression flickered with interest.
He had previously ordered his men to keep an eye out for powerful Wild Beasts in the area to prepare for an awakening ceremony.
He hadn’t expected to get news so soon.
"A survivor spotted traces of what might be a Tier Three Wild Beast at Rock Lake, about twenty kilometers from our position."
"Tier Three?"
Hu Qi’s expression shifted, and he made a decision on the spot.
"Take me there now!"
A dozen minutes later,
with engines roaring,
several off-road vehicles drove down the central gravel road, watched by the awestruck survivors of the Rotten Leaf Gathering Place.
They passed straight through the main gate and sped off into the distance.
...
Not long after Hu Qi had left,
noon arrived.
Above the Rotten Leaf Gathering Place, the scorching sun beat down.
Despite being in a gorge where the cliffs blocked much of the sunlight, the air remained hot and oppressively humid.
By the watchtower near the main gate, two guards who had just come on shift were leaning against it.
They gazed out at the distant wilderness, chatting idly.
"Life is unpredictable, huh? Who would’ve thought our Chief would change overnight. I heard from the other guys that the new one..."
The speaker was a guard missing a tooth. He leaned against the wall, lit a tube-like object rolled from a withered yellow leaf, and took a deep drag, a look of contentment spreading across his face.
The leaves came from a nearby tree called the Yellowscale Tree. When dried and smoked, they released a unique aroma that relaxed the mind and sharpened the senses, similar to a cigar. It was one of the few luxuries available to the survivors in the Rotten Leaf Gathering Place.
Smoking too much of it, however, could cause numbness and stiffness in the body.
The other guard, who was cleaning his rifle barrel, stiffened at his words.
His movements paused.
He shot a wary glance around them. When he saw that no one was paying attention, his expression relaxed slightly.
"Old Wu, you’ve got some nerve, talking about the Chief behind his back. If you’ve got a death wish, fine, but don’t you drag me down with you."
"Relax, I’m just making small talk. Besides, it’s not like I said anything bad about the new Chief,"
Old Wu replied nonchalantly.
"Oh, Old Wu, I don’t know what to do with you."
"Just yesterday, with a single word from the Chief, Tong Chang took over Liu Guang’s old position."
"Right now, tons of people are scrambling to get on the Chief’s good side, just hoping for a chance. They won’t care what you actually said."
