Chapter 157 - I Wanna Be Stronger!
Upon returning to the makeshift base, Loong Chen hurried to the corner and began tinkering with the electronic map.
He dedicated over half an hour to studying it, yet he couldn't even power it on.
“If I'm correct, it shouldn't require batteries,” remarked Hua Yuxin as she approached.
With that, she seized the electronic map and accessed the battery compartment.
True to her words, it was devoid of any batteries.
Loong Chen's mouth twitched slightly at the revelation.
The crux of the matter was that he had never used an electronic map before and was unaware of its reliance on electricity.
“Is there a battery around?” inquired Loong Chen. Hua Yuxin smiled wryly and shook her head.
Loong Chen had no prior experience with electronic maps, thus he was unaware of their power source requirements.
“Do we have any spare batteries?” Loong Chen queried. Hua Yuxin sighed and replied with a shake of her head.
Although it was a small store stocked with snacks and drinks, there was a notable absence of batteries.
Loong Chen let out a sigh. It seemed he still needed to make a trip to the department store.
Just as he rose from his seat, preparing to depart, Jia Jian suddenly stood up, blocking his path.
Just as Loong Chen was about to inquire why Jia Jian was obstructing him, Jia Jian unexpectedly knelt down, leaving Loong Chen bewildered.
“Superman, I aspire to become stronger.”
Jia Jian proclaimed loudly. Upon hearing Jia Jian refer to him as Superman, the corner of Loong Chen's mouth twitched involuntarily.
Superman? The manner of address sounded somewhat awkward.
“What motivates your desire to become stronger?”
Loong Chen queried with genuine curiosity.
“Because I refuse to let my weakness endanger those I cherish,” Jia Jian responded earnestly.
Jia Jian asserted resolutely, indicating that he had emerged from the grief of his brother's passing.
And because of this, he even entertained the idea of cultivating strength.
Loong Chen truly admired Jia Jian's determination.
“Then how did you come to believe that I could aid in your pursuit of strength?” inquired Loong Chen.
Loong Chen questioned.
“I'm not certain, but your strength is undeniable. I sense that you must possess a method,” responded Jia Jian.
Loong Chen locked gazes with Jia Jian. Jia Jian met his gaze, causing his body to quiver.
Jia Jian felt as though he was peering into an abyss. Loong Chen's eyes seemed bottomless, holding his gaze for what felt like an eternity, as if his very soul might be consumed.
Despite his fear, Jia Jian persisted, beads of cold sweat trickling down his forehead.
After a grueling five minutes, teetering on the brink of collapse, Loong Chen finally averted his gaze.
“Your determination is commendable. I greatly respect you. I do possess a method, but the procedure will be exceedingly painful, and the likelihood of death is significant. Are you certain you wish to proceed?”
“Yes!”
Jia Jian responded without hesitation.
Loong Chen nodded and retrieved a gleaming crystal.
This crystal held the energy essence of the advanced zombie from earlier. If an ordinary individual absorbed this essence, there was a high probability of their body exploding and resulting in death.
After all, an energy essence differed from a genetic potion. The energy within an energy essence was exceptionally volatile.
If someone lacking sufficient physical strength and determination ingested it, it would pose significant danger.
However, Loong Chen lacked the knowledge to refine a genetic potion, hence he resorted to this method.
Should Jia Jian endure and successfully absorb it, his physical constitution would notably improve.
Loong Chen exerted pressure, causing the energy essence to split in half. He then passed one portion to Jia Jian.
“To grow stronger, you must depend on yourself. Once you consume this half of the energy essence, if you can't endure it… it will detonate within you, and no one can rescue you. If you withstand it, you can consume the remaining half of the energy essence.”
“Then, you'll be able to realize your desire.”
“I'll ask you one final time. Are you certain about ingesting it?”
Upon hearing Loong Chen's words, Jia Jian's eyes briefly betrayed hesitation before being swiftly replaced by hatred.
He nodded firmly and accepted the half of the energy essence.
He swallowed it in a single gulp.
The energy essence dissolved in his mouth, transforming into pure, intense energy that surged through his body.
Even though it was only half, it was still beyond what an average person could endure.
Jia Jian let out a piercing scream instantly, causing everyone present to shudder involuntarily.
“Can he truly endure it?”
Hua Yuxin approached Loong Chen, her gaze filled with concern as she softly inquired about Jia Jian.
“Then it's up to him. Although half of the energy essence contains a significant amount of power, it pushes the limits of the human body's endurance. If his determination isn't strong enough, he won't survive.”
Loong Chen remarked indifferently. If Jia Jian could harness his exceptional talent, he could easily help him succeed.
Unfortunately, there was no ‘if'. And even if there were, he might not intervene.
Because aiding him now would hinder his future.
If Jia Jian could endure, then with his ambition to grow stronger, as long as he didn't meet an untimely demise, he would undoubtedly ascend to greatness.
Time passed gradually, yet Jia Jian's cries persisted. His skin flushed red, and bloodstains began to appear.
It seemed as though his body was on the brink of bursting.
Hua Yuxin watched Jia Jian anxiously, while the others observed him as if it were a spectacle.
Only Loong Chen remained reclined, his eyes narrowed, seemingly detached from the scene unfolding before him.
In truth, this had no bearing on him. He was accustomed to witnessing life and death. As long as it didn't involve those he cared about, the fate of others didn't concern him.
An hour later, with a final, piercing scream, Jia Jian fell silent.
He collapsed to the ground.
Hua Yuxin hurried forward. At that moment, Jia Jian appeared lifeless.
“Has he passed away?”
Hua Yuxin appeared to be speaking to herself, addressing Loong Chen once more.
“No.”
Finally, at that moment, Loong Chen opened his eyes and gazed at Jia Jian with even greater admiration.
As his words trailed off, Jia Jian, who had been lying on the ground, suddenly sprang to his feet.
This abrupt action startled everyone except Loong Chen. Hua Yuxin was so frightened that she collapsed to the ground.
“I feel an immense strength coursing through my body.”
Jia Jian exclaimed excitedly. He flexed his muscles, hearing the sound of bones shifting.
He delivered a punch to a wooden table, shattering it into pieces.
Hua Yuxin, Hu Zhao, and the others were left dumbfounded, particularly Hu Zhao.
Despite practicing Taekwondo for over a decade, he still couldn't break a wooden table with a single punch. Jia Jian, however, accomplished it effortlessly.
Just over an hour ago, he was utterly incapable of budging this table.
Was that semi-crystalline object truly that potent?
Contemplating this, Hu Zhao couldn't resist glancing at the other half of the energy essence.
If Jia Jian could endure, Hu Zhao believed he could too.
Loong Chen nodded approvingly at Jia Jian. His current strength was estimated to be around 500 kg.
While he might not possess the strength of an Evolver, he was already considered a formidable warrior at the onset of the apocalypse.
“Consuming this half of the energy essence will still enhance your strength.”
Loong Chen tossed the remaining half of the energy essence to Jia Jian. As Jia Jian caught it and prepared to ingest it, Hu Zhao intervened.
“Could you perhaps spare me this portion of the energy essence?”
This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶