Chapter 95 Investigate

Chapter 95: Chapter 94: Investigate

Xu Ming’s body jolted, and he couldn’t help but let out a groan.

"Boss, I feel it! It’s warm, and I feel a bit stronger too!" Xu Ming clenched his fists, his voice filled with excitement.

"Do you feel like you’ve awakened any Superpowers?" Han Ning asked.

"N-no, it’s just a pure feeling of warmth and strength."

"Got it." Han Ning speculated that not everyone would awaken a Superpower, but at the very least, the Energy entering the body would strengthen their physique. Even without a Demon Fruit, it didn’t mean there was no chance to become strong.

"Professor Ye, it’s your turn."

Snow Cake dove into the murky water once again.

Soon, it returned with a slightly smaller Crocodile Lizard hatchling clamped in its jaws and tossed it onto the mud platform from before.

Professor Ye picked up his rifle. As a scholar who had spent most of his life working in laboratories and fields, holding a pen or a hoe was his daily routine. Holding a gun to kill a person... no, to kill a monster, was a first for him.

"Professor Ye, don’t be nervous. Aim for its relatively soft underbelly or just below its eyes," Han Ning’s calm voice rang out, carrying a reassuring strength.

Professor Ye nodded. Imitating Xu Ming, he tried his best to steady the rifle. He squinted, struggling to lock onto the target.

The first shot grazed the Crocodile Lizard’s spine and struck the mud wall behind it, splashing up a spray of dirt. Startled, the Crocodile Lizard struggled even more violently.

Professor Ye gradually calmed down.

BANG.

The bullet whizzed out.

Missed.

BANG. Missed. BANG. Missed.

He missed four shots in a row until the fifth.

BANG.

Foul blood splattered.

The hatchling twitched a few times before it stopped moving.

A pale blue Energy Light Group, roughly the same size as before, drifted out from the Crocodile Lizard’s corpse.

However, this time, the situation was entirely different.

The Energy did not fly straight toward its killer, Professor Ye, as it had previously, nor did it fly toward Han Ning standing nearby.

It hovered quietly in the air about half a meter above the hatchling’s corpse, emitting a faint blue glow that looked somewhat eerie amidst the dense curtain of rain.

Xu Ming and Professor Ye were both stunned, staring in confusion at the hovering Energy. They paused for two or three seconds.

Xu Ming stared at the light group, subconsciously touching his chest as if still savoring the warm current from earlier.

At that moment, the hovering pale blue Energy Light Group moved without any warning. It plunged into Xu Ming’s chest once again.

"Oh..."

Xu Ming’s body jolted again, relishing the nourishment of the Energy.

"What... what’s going on?" Xu Ming was surprised, delighted, yet bewildered. "Why did Professor Ye’s Energy run into my body again?"

While Xu Ming and Professor Ye were baffled, Han Ning, who had been observing in silence, revealed a thoughtful expression.

He called out, "Snow Cake, go find another Crocodile Lizard."

"HOWL!"

A moment later, Snow Cake returned with a Crocodile Lizard dangling from its mouth and dropped it onto the dirt platform. Han Ning instructed Xu Ming to shoot it.

BANG! BANG!

With two shots, Xu Ming successfully killed the Crocodile Lizard.

The pale blue light group emerged. Han Ning actively generated a strong desire for it, and his Spirit Scattered subconsciously.

Tugged by his Spirit, the light group flew into his body with a WHOOSH. As for his growth progress... it remained at zero.

"That should be it," Han Ning realized, then explained to Xu Ming and Professor Ye.

"Absorbing a monster’s Energy is related to your Mental Power.

"Xu Ming’s Spirit is vigorous and his body is stronger, so he could pull the Energy over.

"As for why it didn’t fly to me just now, it’s because the first two times, I had no desire for those two clusters of Energy.

"The third time, with that desire present, the Energy was pulled by a much stronger Spirit, so it flew to my side."

Soon, Snow Cake returned, holding the tails of three struggling Crocodile Lizard hatchlings in its mouth. It approached a spot about ten meters away from Han Ning and the others, molded three separate dirt platforms, and tossed the lizards onto them.

"Professor Ye, you make the kill. Xu Ming, do not desire that Energy."

Under Han Ning’s command, Professor Ye killed one of the Crocodile Lizards. The Energy drilled out and hovered in mid-air.

"Alright, Xu Ming, absorb it."

"Again." Han Ning’s expression didn’t change. "Snow Cake, push the dirt platform closer. Professor Ye, shoot the middle one."

Snow Cake controlled the dirt platform, moving it about two meters closer.

BANG!

Another Crocodile Lizard was killed.

The Energy Light Group drifted out. After a short while, it still plunged into Xu Ming’s chest.

"Bring it closer," Han Ning’s voice was steady.

Snow Cake brought the dirt platform to within a distance of five meters, and Professor Ye shot the Crocodile Lizard on it.

A pale blue light group emerged. It immediately merged into Professor Ye’s body.

"Ugh!" Professor Ye trembled slightly, enjoying the wash of the Energy.

...

Around the same time.

In the ruins of Bailu City, within an abandoned ten-story office building in the North District. Heavy curtains blocked out the gloomy daylight from outside, leaving the room in dimness.

A figure was sunk deep into a large leather boss’s chair, a burning cigarette wedged between his fingers. The cigarette tip flickered in the dark, illuminating a cold, stern profile. He took a deep drag, slowly exhaling the smoke through his nose until the air became thick and hazy.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

"Come in." A deep, slightly hoarse voice rang out, devoid of any discernible emotion.

The door was pushed open, and a slightly nervous-looking young man wearing a black windbreaker walked in. He stood by the door, not daring to get too close, and bowed slightly.

"Boss, it’s already the third day. Lei Gang and the others haven’t arrived yet, and the agreed meeting time has long passed... Are we still waiting for them today?"

The figure in the chair didn’t answer immediately. He took another drag of his cigarette, the scarlet cherry flaring brightly in the dark. Amidst the swirling smoke, that cold, stern face slowly turned around. He looked to be around forty years old, with shoulder-length hair tied in a short ponytail, gaunt cheeks, and exceptionally sharp eyes. He flicked his ashes and said calmly:

"Nonsense.

"Lei Gang took nearly half of my elite men, and they have a third of our firearms.

"With the skills of Lei Gang’s group, even if they ran into a Black Snake Swarm, at least one or two should have been able to escape and make it back.

"For none of them to return goes against common sense. I’m afraid they ran into trouble."

His eyes turned icy. He stubbed out the remaining half of his cigarette in the ashtray with a soft HISS.

"Have Li use his dog nose to track them down. I want to know exactly where Lei Gang and his men went and what they encountered.

"Even if they’re dead, I want to see their corpses and get back the guns they took with them."

"What if... Boss, I mean, what if they were killed by other Awakened?" the subordinate asked cautiously.

"Find out who did it... Whoever killed so many of my men and stole my munitions won’t get away with it.

"I’ll give you two days. If this isn’t done, you can disappear right alongside Lei Gang."

Though the man’s voice was flat, his subordinate began to tremble violently.

"Yes! Boss, I’ll get it done right away."