16: Zhang Lei's promotion

The hind helicopters hovered at a safe altitude, and the 30mm twin-barrel cannons beneath their noses were the first to let out a deathly roar! "Dong-dong-dong-dong—!" The dull, continuous thumping of the cannons sounded like the drumbeats of the Grim Reaper. Thick tracer rounds lashed out like two scorching whips of fire, striking the streets below with a vengeance! Zombies hit by the rounds were like ragdolls torn apart by an invisible, massive force, exploding instantly. Foul blood and mangled flesh splattered everywhere, spreading a viscous "carpet" across the ground.

Next, the rocket pods under the short wings spat out lethal flames! "Swoosh-swoosh-swoosh-swoosh—!" Dozens of rockets trailed long plumes of fire, crashing into the dense, writhing black ant-like Zombie Tide below like a meteor shower!

"Boom-boom-boom-boom—!"

The earth-shaking explosions merged into one! Orange-red fireballs soared into the sky, and the violent shockwaves tore through and sent swaths of zombies flying! Severed limbs and debris fell like rain, and the air was instantly filled with a nauseatingly thick smell of char and blood. The entire commercial street flickered in the light of the explosions, looking like a living hell on earth.

Occasionally, a few stray Agile zombies attempting to climb the buildings were blown apart mid-air by precision-fired anti-tank missiles from the helicopters!

The efficiency of this massacre, carried out purely for the sake of "grinding points," was staggering. The originally overcrowded Zombie Tide in the commercial street thinned out and dispersed at a speed visible to the naked eye. Only ten minutes later, the ammunition counters for both hinds hit zero.

"Report to Commander! Unit One is out of ammunition!"

"Unit Two is out of ammunition! Requesting to return to base!"

"Permission to return granted!" Jiang Xin's command was concise and forceful.

The helicopters turned back. Almost as they approached the Government Building, a system notification sounded clearly in Jiang Xin's mind, and a virtual interface appeared in his field of vision simultaneously:

> "Unit Status Update:

> 'hind' Attack Helicopter (No. 001): Cumulative kill count reached, promoted to three-star!

> Mi-24 'hind' Attack Helicopter (No. 002): Cumulative kill count reached, promoted to three-star!

> three-star Enhancement in effect: Armor strength increased by 150%, endurance increased by 150%, ammunition capacity increased by 150%, and weapon system power increased by 150%!"

Looking at the golden light representing three-stars flickering around the edges of the two helicopter icons on the interface, a satisfied curve finally formed at the corner of Jiang Xin's mouth. Two three-star hinds with a 150% combat boost would undoubtedly be a massive help for Brother Lei's mission to rescue his parents tomorrow.

The crisis was averted, and the harvest was bountiful. Once his tense nerves relaxed, a deeper exhaustion washed over him like a tide. Jiang Xin took one last look at the silent night outside and the stray sparks in the direction of the commercial street that hadn't quite gone out, then turned and walked toward a nap bed in the administrative office. This time, his head hit the pillow, and he fell into a dreamless sleep almost instantly.

The night was deep. In a relatively intact office within the Government Building, Zhang Lei sat cross-legged on the cold floor, completely wide awake. Before him lay twenty-five crystal cores of varying sizes, emitting a faint fluorescence—these were the extra spoils from today's battle. Jiang Xin had unhesitatingly given him fifteen of them, including the two special crystal cores with a noticeably cloudy yellow-white tint harvested from the brains of the Licker and the Agile.

Zhang Lei picked up an ordinary white crystal core; it was cold to the touch, and he could feel the faint but pure energy contained within. He closed his eyes and tried to guide this energy into himself. One, two... the energy from thirteen white crystal cores flowed into his body like small trickles. The sense of improvement wasn't strong; it only made his mind clearer and the water and fire energy circulating in his body seem slightly more refined. (Don't worry about whether he's eating or absorbing them; Xiao Feng also thought eating them was a bit gross, haha, so I changed it to absorption.)

"These ordinary crystal cores are becoming less effective..." Zhang Lei frowned slightly and turned his gaze to the two yellowish crystal cores. Their energy fluctuations were clearly more active and more "violent." He picked one up, took a deep breath, and began to absorb it.

"Buzz—!"

A surge of energy, far stronger and hotter than the white crystal cores yet carrying a certain cold, slimy sensation, violently rushed into his limbs and bones! Zhang Lei's body shook slightly, and fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. This energy rampaged through his body as if trying to tear something apart. He immediately activated his Water and Fire Superpowers, acting like two precision grinding stones—one cold and one hot—to slowly guide and refine this violent energy. He could clearly feel his mental strength growing, and his perception and control over the two primal forces in his body became clearer and deeper!

"The effect is much stronger than ordinary crystal cores!" A sharp glint flashed in Zhang Lei's eyes as he unhesitatingly picked up the second special crystal core.

When the energy from the two special crystal cores was completely absorbed and refined, Zhang Lei felt better than ever before.

But he soon fell into a new confusion: aside from condensing a fireball, enchanting a weapon, or conjuring some water, he didn't seem to have developed any deeper uses for his Superpower. It was like sitting on a mountain of gold but only knowing how to throw gold bricks at people.

"It shouldn't be like this..." Zhang Lei muttered to himself, his eyes filled with a desire to explore. He stood up and, without making a sound, began to experiment in the small space. With a slight thought, a ball of leaping crimson flame first condensed in his palm, its shape constantly changing—sometimes into a dagger, sometimes into a round shield. Then, the flame dissipated, and a stream of clear water wound around his arm, sometimes turning into a tough water whip, sometimes into a flexible water shield.

Suddenly, he had a flash of inspiration: "Since the Superpower can be projected outward to harm enemies, can it also be used to nourish oneself?"

He sat down cross-legged again. This time, he carefully guided the water and fire energy within his body—not to release it, but to try and use it to wash over and temper his own body!

The water energy was like the purest glacial spring, slowly flowing through his meridians and flesh. Everywhere it passed, it seemed to carry away subtle fatigue and impurities, bringing a crystalline sense of coolness. The fire energy, meanwhile, was like the fire in a furnace, gently but firmly tempering his bones, muscles, and skin. Surges of warmth coursed through his limbs, bringing an increase in strength and toughness!

"So that's how it is!" Zhang Lei was ecstatic, as if he had discovered a new continent. He became completely immersed in it, forgetting the passage of time.

Water and fire formed a wonderful cycle within his body. Water for purification, fire for tempering. He tried even more refined control: Could he condense the flames into a spiritual little bird? Could he turn the water into an aggressive water snake? Could he simultaneously control water and fire to form an integrated offensive and defensive domain? Could he... countless creative ideas flooded his mind, and he tried, failed, and tried again and again.

That night, Zhang Lei was completely immersed in the mysterious pleasure of increasing his power. He constantly consumed his Superpower, taking short breaks to recover when he felt tired, then immediately diving into the next round of experimentation. Under such high-intensity "cultivation," his mastery over the elements of water and fire integrated and progressed at an astonishing speed. He vaguely felt that his Superpower potential went far beyond this, encompassing almost every field related to water and fire he could imagine—elemental spells, body tempering, weapon enchantment, elemental creations (summoned beasts)... it was all-encompassing! This sense of absolute control over the elements, which felt almost innate, also raised a hint of doubt in his heart: Was every elemental Evolver like this, or... was he special? Unfortunately, he was currently the only Evolver in the team, so there was no way to compare.

Morning.

The first ray of golden sunlight filtered through the broken window, falling upon Zhang Lei. He slowly opened his eyes, and deep within his pupils, a flash of crimson and icy blue light flickered momentarily before vanishing. A night of bitter cultivation hadn't made him look tired; instead, he was glowing with health, his temperament more restrained yet containing a sense of power ready to burst forth. He lightly clenched his fist, his knuckles letting out a soft crackle as he felt the surging power within and his Water and Fire Superpowers, which now felt as natural as his own limbs. He knew he was much stronger than he had been yesterday.