42: Mental Power and the Domain of Kings

Jiang Xin's fingers trembled slightly, hovering over the cold metal interface of the command console. On the screen, the lavish reward icon for his promotion to Battalion Commander, along with the nearby stage task completion notification flashing with an enticing golden light, held his gaze like a magnet. By a rough estimate, the value of these rewards... was at least a million in funds! A surge of heat instantly rushed from the soles of his feet to his head, making his heart hammer against his ribs like a drum. In the apocalypse, power was everything! This wealth of resources would be the key lever for his future!

"Phew..." He took a deep breath, barely suppressing the ecstasy that was nearly overflowing from his chest. His voice carried a hint of imperceptible hoarseness and urgency: "No. 1, extract the Major rewards first!"

"Understood, Commander," No. 1's cold electronic voice responded, devoid of any emotion.

Buzz!

Two beams of soft but non-blinding white light appeared out of thin air in the center of the command room floor. As the light dissipated, two suitcases made of a peculiar material with a cold metallic sheen were revealed. One was larger, with square and sturdy lines; the other was small and exquisite, exuding an air of mystery.

Jiang Xin couldn't wait to squat down, his fingers trembling slightly as he opened the larger suitcase.

Click.

The moment the lid opened, a scent mixed with new fabric and special materials wafted toward him.

Inside lay a brand-new Major's uniform, neatly folded. Unlike previous standard-issue clothing, this uniform was a deep navy blue, with a more tailored and upright cut. The fabric shimmered under the light with subtle ripples, like flowing water—this was high-strength nano-fiber material! Jiang Xin reached out to touch it; it felt tough yet flexible, capable of stretching up to three times its size, enough to withstand the claw bites of a First-Tier Zombie! It was an officer's uniform with excellent protective capabilities!

Next to the uniform lay a pistol with a highly sci-fi design—the Falcon-1. The streamlined body shimmered in matte black, the grip was ergonomic, and complex energy rails were faintly visible beneath the barrel. Its power was by no means comparable to ordinary firearms; it could fire special armor-piercing rounds and was a lethal weapon for close-quarters defense.

What drew Jiang Xin's gaze the most was the longsword lying quietly in its groove—starfall. It had the classic design of an eight-sided Han sword, ancient and majestic. On the 1.3-meter-long blade, deep golden blood grooves were inlaid, resembling a flowing river of stars. The hilt was 0.25 meters long, wrapped in non-slip dark leather. Held in his hand, it felt heavy, weighing exactly 4.8 catties, yet it gave a strange sense of balance. As his fingertips brushed the cold blade, he could feel the peculiar energy contained within. This sword was a perfect fusion of Nano-grade Starship Armor Material and advanced memory metal! It was indestructible and could even self-repair if damaged! With enough strength, it could even slice through the outer armor of an interstellar warship, leaving Jiang Xin breathless! This was a true divine weapon!

Finally, in the box was a seemingly ordinary black bracelet. Jiang Xin picked it up and slipped it onto his left wrist. A faint sensation of an electric current passed through, and then, an invisible space of a full 100 cubic meters seemed to unfold within his consciousness. Storage Space! In the apocalypse, this was practically a god-tier existence! Logistics, carrying vital supplies, or even hiding key items... its strategic value was immeasurable!

His gaze turned to the small suitcase. Jiang Xin's heart accelerated again, nearly bursting through his throat. Holding his breath, he carefully opened the lid.

There was nothing else inside but a slender glass tube lying quietly in a velvet-lined groove. The tube contained a pale purple liquid that shimmered with a mysterious and enticing luster under the light, like a solidified river of stars.

First-Tier Strengthening Potion!

Jiang Xin's eyes instantly lit up with an amazing intensity, and even his breathing stopped! This was it! The key to the power he had dreamed of! For so many days and nights, he had watched Zhang Lei command ice and fire, sweeping through the battlefield like a god. That envy, that longing, had nearly consumed him! He was the Commander, the brain, but deep down, how could he not long to charge into battle like a warrior and feel the passion of power surging through his veins? What young man hasn't dreamed of being an invincible force on the battlefield?

Without any hesitation! Jiang Xin almost roughly tore open the sleeve of his left arm, revealing his sturdy forearm. He picked up the syringe, pulled off the protective cap, and stabbed it fiercely into a clear vein!

The slight pain of the needle piercing his skin was completely drowned out by the tidal wave of emotion in his heart. He pressed the plunger with his thumb, slowly injecting the pale purple liquid into his body.

At first, it was a cold sensation, like a stream.

But in an instant!

"Argh—!!!"

An indescribable, terrifying burning pain, as if molten lava was being poured directly into his veins, suddenly erupted! Wherever the potion went, muscle fibers seemed to be torn apart, melted, and reshaped! The intense agony swept through every cell of his body like a tsunami! Jiang Xin's face instantly turned from red to white, then flushed a horrifying purple-red. His eyes bulged from the intense pain, and the veins on his forehead stood out like knotted ropes! He let out a painful roar that didn't sound human, his body twitching violently as if struck by a high-voltage current. His consciousness was hit hard as if by a heavy hammer and was instantly swallowed by boundless darkness. A split second before losing consciousness completely, he seemed to hear No. 1's cold and distant electronic voice: "Modifying the Commander's body..."

...After an unknown amount of time, his consciousness struggled to surface from the dark sea like a shipwreck.

Jiang Xin slowly opened his heavy eyelids, the blinding light making him instinctively squint. The first thing he felt was the sensation of the soft bed beneath him, and... the coldness of being stark naked!

"Hiss..." He sucked in a breath of cold air and suddenly sat up. Looking down, he was indeed naked. His skin was as smooth as a newborn's, and the minor scars from previous training had vanished. His muscle lines seemed more fluid and firm, filled with an explosive sense of power. He clenched his fist, and his bones let out a crisp popping sound as a surge of unprecedented energy flowed through his body.

"Congratulations, Commander, on completing the physical strengthening and successfully advancing to a First-Tier Evolver," No. 1's voice sounded at the right time. "You have also successfully awakened the Psychokinesis Superpower. The Commander will receive the talent domain ability—Kings Domain."

"Kings Domain?" Jiang Xin was stunned.

"A spherical area with a 10-meter radius centered on the Commander is the Kings Domain. Within this domain: First, the Commander can perceive all malice directed at themselves and physical or energy-level danger omens; second, the intensity of the Commander's Psychokinesis attacks will receive a five-fold increase; third, all forms of invisibility and stealth skills will completely fail within this domain."

Jiang Xin listened, dumbfounded, his mouth slightly agape: "So... strong?!" This was practically a miniature domain of a god! Offense and defense in one, plus anti-stealth! His sense of security instantly skyrocketed!

He couldn't wait to try it out. With a slight movement of his will, he concentrated his mind on the thin blanket covering him.

A magical scene occurred!

The thin blanket seemed to be grabbed by an invisible hand and floated up into thin air!

"It worked!" Jiang Xin was ecstatic, unable to help but grin. However, as the blanket rose, his completely naked body was also fully exposed to the air. The chilly sensation made him instinctively shrink back.

Just then—

Click.

The door to the lounge was pushed open without any warning.