Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Absorbing Crystal Cores to Enhance Superpowers

BOOM!

With a tremendous explosion, flames shot toward the sky.

The once pitch-black shopping mall was now as bright as day.

Within the sea of red fire, the bodies of the snakes writhed violently.

The air filled not only with the smell of roasting meat but also with the sound of their hissing.

Watching this scene, no one dared to let their guard down.

After all, these were Aberrant Beasts of the apocalypse, not ordinary snakes from before the end.

Whether the fire could kill them outright was still unknown.

Just as they were worrying, a few of the burning snakes began twisting madly, slithering toward them.

The sight startled many people.

The ordinary people without Superpowers were especially terrified, stumbling backward.

Bruce Rhodes was also nervous, but he didn’t retreat.

As a Superpower User, he knew he couldn’t back down now, not at a time like this.

Sierra Sullivan and Jayce, of course, wouldn’t retreat either.

Not only did they hold their ground, but they were also already prepared to fight.

Before the snakes could get too close, Jayce opened the door.

It was as if they had coordinated like this countless times before.

Sierra Sullivan used her Superpower to hinder the snakes’ movements, while Jayce seized the opportunity to strike their vital spots with unerringly precise Water Arrows.

The snakes were already at the end of their strength, so most were killed in a single blow.

Seeing this, the others weren’t as frightened anymore.

Whether with Superpowers or the guns in their hands, everyone joined the fight.

Ten minutes later, all the snakes were dead.

The fire had long since died out.

A thick smell of roasted meat filled the air, but it didn’t stir anyone’s appetite.

Everyone looked at the snake carcasses, feeling a lingering sense of fear.

Bruce Rhodes composed himself before walking over to Sierra Sullivan’s group and bowing.

"Thank you!"

"Thank you all!"

"If it weren’t for you tonight, the rest of us would probably just be waiting to die!"

Hearing Bruce Rhodes’s words, the others snapped out of their daze and also came forward to bow and express their gratitude.

Even the young children vaguely understood what had just happened.

They knew they were still alive because of Sierra Sullivan and her companions.

"Thank you!"

The earnest thanks came from a child’s tender voice.

Sierra Sullivan looked at their faces, feeling no sense of triumph or pride.

Instead, she felt as if something was weighing heavily on her heart.

Much later, when she and Jayce were sitting alone together, Sierra Sullivan finally spoke slowly.

"Jayce, let’s carve a path through this damned apocalypse together, okay?"

Jayce squeezed her hand tightly in his own. "Okay! We’ll carve a path through this apocalypse together!"

...

「The next morning.」

It was eight in the morning.

Under normal circumstances, the sky should have been bright by now.

But today, the sandstorm was still raging violently.

A sky full of wild sand battered against the windows.

The RATTLING sound was enough to make one’s heart sink.

They had to constantly worry if the windows could hold.

’What if the wind and sand shatter them?’

But no matter how worried they were, they still had to eat.

Breakfast was congee, scallion pancakes without the scallions, and help-yourself portions of cilantro and chili sauce.

Although there were no vegetables, it tasted pretty good overall.

Even if the sandstorm didn’t let up, they wouldn’t have to worry about food and water while staying here.

The only thing to worry about was an Aberrant Beast attack.

Sierra Sullivan stood by the window, looking outside. All she could see was a world of yellow-brown; no buildings were visible, let alone anything else.

But she had a nagging feeling.

’A sandstorm this big will most likely bring more Aberrant Beasts.’

’This sand, blown in from who knows where, is the very path they’ll use to get here.’

She currently had no power to stop any of it.

The only thing she could do was strive to become stronger, to protect herself and, as much as possible, those around her when the Aberrant Beasts attacked.

Sierra Sullivan pulled her gaze away from the window and looked at Jayce. "Does absorbing Crystal Cores really increase your Superpower?"

Jayce nodded. "Yes! I was originally planning to wait until we were back at the base, back in our quarters, to tell you about this under safer conditions..."

"We can’t wait that long." Sierra Sullivan shook her head. "There’s no telling when this sandstorm will weaken, and we don’t know if other Aberrant Beasts will attack tonight. I think it’s more important to absorb the Crystal Cores and increase our strength as soon as possible!"

"You’re right!"

As Jayce spoke, he took out the bag of Crystal Cores.

"Aside from the ones from last night, all the Crystal Cores we’ve gathered are in here. Let’s split them evenly among everyone!"

"No!" Dominic Crawford immediately refused. "We should still divide them based on contribution—"

Jayce and Sierra Sullivan contribute the most in every battle. If they split them evenly, it would be too unfair to them.

Jayce frowned, looking at Dominic Crawford with disapproval. "Captain Crawford, is this really the time to be hung up on that? We don’t know what dangers we’ll face tonight. The most important thing is to increase our strength. If you really feel bad about it, you can pay me and Sierra back later when you have plenty of Crystal Cores. How can a grown man not know how to prioritize at a time like this?"

Instead of getting angry at Jayce’s lecture, Dominic Crawford actually reflected on it and realized Jayce was right.

A look of guilt crossed Dominic Crawford’s face. "You’re right. I wasn’t thinking straight."

Jayce looked pleased. "See? Admitting you’re wrong is the greatest virtue!"

Jayce’s expression, paired with such a formal phrase, made everyone else laugh.

After the laughter died down, it was time to divide the Crystal Cores.

Sierra Sullivan received a handful, totaling several dozen.

Looking at the Crystal Cores of various sizes in her hand, Sierra Sullivan felt a thrill of excitement.

’I wonder what it feels like to absorb a Crystal Core. Will it be as painful as my awakening...?’

Jayce then took out another bag.

This bag was also filled with Crystal Cores, the ones taken from the heads of last night’s snakes.

The size of the Crystal Core varied with the size of the Aberrant Beast.

Jayce looked at Bruce Rhodes. "Let’s split these among us."

Bruce Rhodes’s first instinct was to refuse.

’If it weren’t for Jayce and the others, they all would have died last night. How could he possibly take a share of the Crystal Cores?’

But the words died on his lips.

What Jayce had just said to Captain Crawford was still ringing in his ears.

Jayce’s eyes filled with satisfaction. "Looks like you get it now! Since you understand, don’t sweat it. Let’s hurry up and divide them so we can level up our Superpowers!"

Bruce Rhodes took a deep breath and nodded heavily.

After the Crystal Cores were distributed, everyone found a place to sit down.

"Sierra, you try absorbing a Crystal Core first. I’ll stand guard!" Jayce said.