Chapter 56: The Black Crystal Core

Duan Yulan produced a black crystal core, which was quite similar to the white one Qiao Xia had obtained.

Both appeared to be nothing more than ordinary stones.

Only their colors differed.

However, as Qiao Xia gazed at the black crystal core before him, his eyes suddenly lit up with a spark of excitement.

This was the legendary crystal core capable of awakening supernatural abilities!

What a sight to behold.

Yet, no matter how extraordinary it seemed, it belonged to Duan Yulan.

He would simply sate his curiosity with a glance.

Worst case, after leaving school, he could specifically search for the mutated plants Duan Yulan mentioned. But if the red-eye contagion could be explained as a disease, how would one account for mutated plants?

It was truly perplexing.

“Currently, the probability of mutated plants appearing is very low. Although they don’t possess significant attack capabilities, finding them isn’t easy. This crystal core is for you; you can try to awaken your ability with it.”

Duan Yulan did not seem to regard the crystal core in her hand as particularly important. With the casualness of eating or drinking, she placed it directly into Qiao Xia’s hand, causing him to raise an eyebrow in surprise. He hadn’t expected her to be so generous.

There was no doubt about the immense value of a crystal core capable of awakening supernatural abilities. If word got out, thousands would surely be willing to sacrifice everything they owned just to obtain such a miraculous black crystal core.

Yet, Duan Yulan now offered it to him so nonchalantly, without a hint of reluctance.

‘Could this be her way of trying to curry favor with him?’

For some inexplicable reason, a bizarre image flashed through Qiao Xia’s mind: him lying naked in bed, clutching a corner of the blanket and whimpering, while Duan Yulan sat beside him, utterly content, smoking a post-coital cigarette and patting his shoulder, promising to take responsibility.

She would ensure he lived a life of luxury, free from worry, with nothing to do but enjoy himself.

At this thought, a chill ran down Qiao Xia’s spine. He vigorously shook his head, quickly dispelling the absurd notion from his mind.

“No reward without merit. I still haven’t prepared a return gift for the black bracelet you gave me last time. Such a precious crystal core… let’s just forget it. You should use it to awaken your own ability.”

Recalling the image of himself being ‘kept,’ Qiao Xia hastily shook his head at Duan Yulan, asserting that he couldn’t accept such a valuable item.

In his philosophy, an equal exchange was always best.

He still hadn’t figured out how to repay Duan Yulan for something as wonderful as the black bracelet. Adding the black crystal core now would only deepen his accumulating debt of gratitude.

Eventually, he might have no choice but to offer himself in repayment.

“Precious?”

However, before Qiao Xia could finish his sentence, Duan Yulan immediately interjected with a question.

Then, she pulled out a handful of black crystal cores from her pocket, astonishing Qiao Xia so much that he was rendered speechless.

‘Had Duan Yulan struck it rich?!’

‘How could she possess so many black crystal cores? Didn’t she just say that the chances of finding mutated plants were slim, making them hard to locate?’

Now, as if by magic, she had conjured a whole handful, making them seem utterly worthless to Qiao Xia.

“Hurry and awaken your ability. Your current body can only handle one; any more will cause immense pain. So, don’t bite off more than you can chew. Try absorbing one crystal core first.”

Though she had many crystal cores, Duan Yulan merely showed them to Qiao Xia before putting them back.

Qiao Xia, no longer feigning modesty, immediately nodded at Duan Yulan.

Awakening an ability now would guarantee his future safety. As for the favor owed to Duan Yulan, he would find an opportunity to repay it later; there was no need to dwell on it now.

After all, it wasn’t just one crystal core, but a whole handful. Moreover, only by surviving could he even hope for future repayment; if he died, he couldn’t do anything.

“Do I need to eat this crystal core?”

“No, just hold it in your palm and carefully observe the changes in your body.”

With Duan Yulan’s guidance, Qiao Xia was no longer the clueless novice stumbling blindly. Under the tutelage of an expert, he quickly grasped the correct method, preparing to awaken his exclusive ability.

Unlike the last time he held a white crystal core, this time, as Qiao Xia clutched the black one, he immediately felt a surge of heat. It was as if a branding iron was searing his palm, making him suppress the urge to throw it away, choosing instead to silently endure.

‘If he couldn’t even bear this much pain, he truly would be too weak!’

Continually psyching himself up, Qiao Xia endured the pain as it traveled from his palm upwards, quickly gathering in his brain. It felt like an army of soldiers besieging a city, relentlessly battering the city gates with their tools, striking without pause.

Sweat beaded on Qiao Xia’s forehead, and his face grew pale.

Duan Yulan watched silently from the side, knowing that Qiao Xia’s awakening of his ability was something he had to do on his own. With no immediate danger present, Duan Yulan remained calm, merely staying by his side to guard against any interference.

Looking up at the stars in the night sky, Duan Yulan recalled fragments of her past life. Among them were memories of Qiao Xia’s abilities; apart from his mutated ice ability, no other powers had emerged.

Now, with his ability awakening early, she wondered if a second ability would manifest successfully.

However, even with only one ability in her previous life, Qiao Xia had firmly established himself in the chaotic apocalypse, striking fear into the hearts of mad bandits. If not for *that thing*, he wouldn’t have…

As Duan Yulan mused, her eyes suddenly welled up, but she forcibly blinked the tears away.

So many years had passed, and Duan Yulan had come to understand that tears solved nothing.

Now that she had been reborn, she would reclaim all the debts from her past.

What belonged to them, not a single piece would be missed.

Those who needed to be dealt with, not one would be spared.

In this life, she would protect Qiao Xia.

At any cost.

“Hiss…”

Just as Duan Yulan was lost in thought, Qiao Xia suddenly gasped sharply. His previously closed eyes now snapped open, and faint blue light seemed to flash within his dark pupils, quickly vanishing into the night.

As soon as Qiao Xia opened his eyes, the throbbing pain in his head disappeared.

However, the images that now appeared in his mind caused Qiao Xia to tilt his head in confusion, unsure of what was happening.

“The abilities displayed in those images are your supernatural power.”

Duan Yulan instantly perceived Qiao Xia’s confusion and spoke directly, quickly clarifying the purpose of the images in his mind.

“So that’s it… Wait, why did I awaken such a twisted ability?!”

Upon hearing Duan Yulan’s words, Qiao Xia raised a hand to his forehead, his face showing a mix of speechlessness and helplessness. He felt utterly dismayed.

This, in turn, piqued Duan Yulan’s curiosity. According to the progression of her previous life, Qiao Xia should have awakened an ice ability.

‘Could it be that something different had happened in this life?’