Chapter 42: No Longer Useful
“No way!” Chu Yang refused immediately, thrusting his hands forward again. “You risked your life out in the dark to get these. Why should I be the only one to use them? You need to build your strength too! Both of us have to get stronger to survive this mess and share the benefits together.”
He stubbornly pushed the crystal cores back toward Jiang Jue.
Jiang Jue simply met his gaze in silence. The resolve in his dark eyes was unmistakable: You go first.
Chu Yang held his stare for several tense seconds before finally wilting. He knew better than anyone that once Jiang Jue made up his mind, nothing on earth could sway him.
“Fine, fine, I’ll go first…” Chu Yang grumbled under his breath, yielding to the pressure.
Still, he made a silent vow: the moment he finished, he would force Jiang Jue to absorb the rest, no matter what it took.
Sitting cross-legged on the mattress, Chu Yang closed his eyes, settled his breathing, and cleared his mind. Entering a deep state of concentration, he began channeling the ambient energy sealed within the Tier 1 crystal cores resting in his palm.
He could distinctly feel faint, wispy threads of energy slowly trickling into his hands, traveling up his arms and circulating through his energy pathways.
Before long, however, his brows knitted tightly. The energy he managed to draw in so painstakingly seemed to vanish into thin air the instant it entered his body, sinking away like water poured over parched desert sand. Only an infinitesimal trickle actually took hold, giving him a barely noticeable boost in strength.
It felt like trying to fill a bucket with a gaping hole in the bottom—after all that effort, barely a drop remained.
“The absorption rate is way too low… Using these is practically the same as doing nothing.” Chu Yang opened his eyes, staring dejectedly at the dull stones in his palm as he muttered in frustration.
Could it be because he had already stepped into Tier 2, increasing his body’s threshold and “appetite” for energy? Were these low-level Tier 1 cores simply too weak and full of impurities to satisfy his current needs?
With that thought, Chu Yang turned his attention toward the other pouch. It held the Tier 2 crystal cores Jiang Jue had harvested over the past few nights. They were few in number, but noticeably larger, gleaming with a dense, brilliant luster.
He counted them quickly—six in total.
Gritting his teeth, he picked up a Tier 2 crystal core, gripped it tightly in his palm, and shut his eyes once more.
This time, the sensation was entirely different!
A wave of energy—vastly purer and incomparably denser than before—surged into him like a tidal wave!
The power was fierce and unyielding, tearing through his pathways with raw momentum. It brought a sharp ache of soreness, numbness, and internal pressure, swiftly followed by an exhilarating rush of pure, unadulterated vitality.
Beads of fine sweat surfaced on his brow, and his frame trembled faintly as he poured all his focus into guiding the energy through his body.
One core… two… three…
The moment he drew the energy from the fifth Tier 2 crystal, a crisp pop resonated from deep within him, as though an invisible barrier had shattered!
A wave of cool, invigorating energy cascaded across his limbs, washing through his muscles and bones!
His body felt weightless, his senses sharpened to a razor’s edge, and his thoughts became crystalline. An overwhelming surge of boundless power rushed through his veins, making him feel as though he had limitless strength to command.
Chu Yang snapped his eyes open, a brilliant light flashing across his pupils as pure, unfiltered ecstasy broke across his face!
Whoosh!
He sprang straight off the mattress, throwing himself forward in his excitement and crashing directly into Jiang Jue, who had been watching him quietly from the side.
“Brother Jiang! Brother Jiang, I—”
“Watch your wound!” Jiang Jue was pushed back half a step by the sudden tackle. Catching the boy with steady hands, worry flared in his eyes as his calloused palm instinctively moved to protect the injured waist.
Chu Yang froze mid-hug. Prompted by the warning, he reached down to touch his flank and blinked in utter confusion. “Wound? Wait… it doesn’t hurt at all?”
He hastily yanked up the hem of his shirt. Where a jagged, inflamed laceration had once been, the skin was now completely smooth, pale, and unblemished—not a single trace of pain remained.
Looking up in sheer astonishment, he gave Jiang Jue’s arm an eager shake. “Brother Jiang! Look, it’s completely healed! I don’t feel a single thing!”
Before Jiang Jue could even reply, Chu Yang was swept up once more by the thrill of his breakthrough, shouting with wild enthusiasm: “Brother Jiang, I broke through! I leveled up again! My storage space is at least ten times bigger than before—no, maybe even more! We’ll never have to worry about running out of room for supplies again!”
Jiang Jue allowed the boy to cling to him, listening to the breathless, joyful rambling.
The sharp, rigid lines of his handsome face softened. Raising a hand, he rested his palm against the back of Chu Yang’s sweat-dampened hair, gently ruffling the soft locks. His fingertips brushed against the boy’s warm, flushed ear, his deep voice carrying the faint trace of a tender smile.
“Mm. It’s good that you leveled up, and even better that your injury is healed.”
Chu Yang held him for a few moments longer before stepping back, the excited flush still lingering on his cheeks.
Looking down at the lone remaining Tier 2 crystal in his hand, and then at Jiang Jue, Chu Yang scratched his neck in sheepish embarrassment. “Brother Jiang… uh… sorry about that. There’s only one Tier 2 core left… I ended up using almost all of them. Here, take this one! You have to try it!” He hurriedly shoved the final stone into Jiang Jue’s hand.
Jiang Jue looked at the glowing crystal resting in his palm, then glanced down at the three bags of Tier 1 cores on the floor, his tone calm and steady. “I’ll just use the regular ones. Keep that Tier 2 core to stabilize your foundation, or save it for your next breakthrough.”
“Come on, Brother Jiang!” Chu Yang protested frantically. “I just tested them—these Tier 1 cores are practically useless for us now! The energy is far too thin and loaded with impurities; the absorption rate is pitifully low. For someone at your level, the effect would be basically zero! Just take this Tier 2 one, please!” He stared at Jiang Jue with earnest, pleading eyes.
Meeting his stubborn gaze, Jiang Jue remained silent for a heartbeat before finally giving a slight nod. “All right.”
Holding the crystal tightly, he closed his eyes.
A few minutes later, Jiang Jue opened his eyes, a thoughtful look settling over his features.
“The energy is indeed far purer and more concentrated,” he said slowly. “It appears that as our ability rank increases, our bodies demand a much higher quality of energy. Tier 1 cores carry weak power and too many impurities, so our utilization efficiency will only continue to drop. If we want to advance quickly in the future, we’ll need to hunt higher-tier mutants.”
Chu Yang nodded vigorously in complete agreement. “Exactly! That’s precisely what I felt! Looks like we’ll need to pay special attention to those Tier 2 monsters from now on!”
He then glanced at the three heavy bags of Tier 1 crystal cores sitting on the table, clicking his tongue with a touch of disappointment. “Sigh, it’s such a pity we have all these low-tier cores and can’t even put them to good use…”
Jiang Jue cast a calm glance over the bags. “It doesn’t matter. Give them to Lin Xiao and Su Mubai. They’ve only recently awakened their powers, so these are ideal for building up their foundation.”
Chu Yang’s eyes lit up, his disappointment vanishing in an instant. “Right! How could I forget about them? Old Lin and Little Bai need energy to steady their abilities! Handing these over to them won’t be a waste at all!”
