39: Chapter 39 Soul Crystal!

He stared at Lu Yin for a long time, his expression gradually shifting from shock to deep contemplation.

"You kid..." Xiao Wanguo slowly sat down, his fingers unconsciously tapping the tabletop.

"Level 3, killing a 100% Mechanically Corrupted hidden BOSS; Level 1, counter-killing a Level 70 Abyssal Demon General."

"This can no longer be explained by mere natural talent."

Lu Yin smiled slightly and did not respond.

Xiao Wanguo paced around the room before suddenly stopping.

"Do you know? The last person who could slay an Abyssal Demon General across such a level gap is now the Commander-in-Chief of our Eastern War Zone."

"But even he could never have achieved this level of performance at your current stage."

"Lu Yin, you have created history. In the future, you might even be our hope for returning to the Mother Planet."

"Are you interested in joining the military? We will definitely use every resource at our disposal to aid your growth."

He was not stingy with his praise, clearly wanting to recruit Lu Yin.

However, facing Xiao Wanguo's olive branch, Lu Yin's expression remained calm.

"Chief Xiao, I appreciate your kindness, but the military is too restrictive for me."

"However, you did say that as long as I completed this mission, I would be commissioned as a corporal. In a way, I'm already half a soldier."

"If there is a need in the future, you can ask me anytime."

Xiao Wanguo was slightly taken aback, then burst into laughter, though his laugh held a hint of helplessness.

"I knew you would say that."

"Fine, but if you ever need help, you can come to me anytime as well."

He nodded, a flash of understanding crossing his eyes.

He then pulled a black card from his breast pocket and handed it to Lu Yin.

"You have performed a great service by slaying the Abyssal Demon General. This military merit card contains 50,000 merit points, which you can use at military bases everywhere."

"Furthermore, the military's exclusive Dungeons will also be open to you, though some Dungeons require merit points to enter."

Lu Yin took the pitch-black card; it felt cold to the touch.

The surface was engraved with complex patterns, faintly shimmering with a dark golden luster.

"Thank you, Chief Xiao."

He calmly tucked the card into his pocket, his movements so natural it was as if he were merely accepting an ordinary business card.

Seeing his nonchalant attitude, Xiao Wanguo couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle.

"Fifty thousand merit points is enough for an ordinary soldier to struggle for ten years, yet you remain so composed."

"Chief Xiao, that's because I have even loftier goals," Lu Yin said with a smile.

"Having goals is a good thing. I look forward to your future."

Xiao Wanguo's eyes were full of admiration, but then he spoke with a slightly serious tone.

"Regarding your parents' matter, I'll check the archives when I get back. If there's any news, I'll contact you."

"Alright, thank you very much, Chief Xiao."

Lu Yin nodded slightly.

"Well, if you want to use the military's exclusive Dungeons, you can stay at this base."

"In three days, there will be a Trial Tower specifically prepared for recruits. You might as well give it a try."

Xiao Wanguo said after glancing at Lu Yin.

The Trial Tower, as the name suggested, was a tower-type Dungeon.

However, unlike conventional Dungeons, a Trial Tower would calculate rewards based on the number of floors cleared.

Naturally, the higher the floor reached, the better the rewards.

Furthermore, there were many such Trial Towers on Habitable Planet No. 35.

Not only did each tower have a different number of floors, but the final clear rewards also varied.

The towers used by the military for recruit trials were generally lower-level towers.

High-level towers, such as the famous Sky Tower and Tower of Oblivion on this planet...

...were said to be difficult to clear even for Awakening Level powerhouses.

"Sounds good, I'll participate on time."

A flash of interest crossed Lu Yin's eyes when he heard the words 'Trial Tower', and he spoke after a moment of thought.

In any case, Lu Yin currently had no suitable leveling spots.

The Dungeons near Tianyang City were becoming somewhat insufficient for him.

It was better to stay at this base for a few days and return just before the National Examination.

"Take this too."

Seeing that Lu Yin was willing to stay, Xiao Wanguo took out a corporal insignia and handed it to him.

In the military, it was difficult to get anything done without a rank.

"By the way, if you need anything, find my adjutant."

"Alright."

Walking out of the meeting room, Lu Yin requested a map of the base facilities.

Holding the map, his gaze quickly swept over the markers on it.

Training grounds, medical center, merit exchange office, Dungeon teleportation zone...

His gaze finally settled on the merit exchange office; he wanted to see what 50,000 merit points could buy.

Soldiers passing by along the way cast curious glances at his young, unfamiliar face.

But when they noticed the corporal insignia on his chest, no one came forward to disturb him.

To obtain a corporal rank at this age, none were simple characters.

Following the map's guidance, he quickly found the merit exchange office.

It was a spacious hall with several large electronic screens embedded in the surrounding walls.

On them, lists of exchangeable items and their required merit points scrolled by.

Several soldiers stood before the screens discussing in low voices, and occasionally someone would walk to the counter to make an exchange, somewhat similar to the Professional Association.

Except this was the military, so there was no need for private booths.

Lu Yin walked to a vacant terminal and reached out to touch the screen.

The interface immediately lit up, showing various category options.

Weapons, Armor, Potions, Skill Books, Special Items...

Everything a Professional might need was available here.

Lu Yin didn't have much of a need for weapons or armor at the moment.

So he first clicked on the special items category.

【Cat's Eye Stone (Material)】

【Use: Gold-quality rare enchanting material, can be used to add "Night Vision" or "Weakness Insight" effects to weapons】

【Price: 2 Merit Points】

【Star Steel (Material)】

【Use: High-grade forging material; a famous blacksmith once used it to create Gold-grade equipment】

【Price: 10 Merit Points】

...

Lu Yin's finger slid across the screen, his eyes quickly scanning through rows of item information.

Suddenly, his fingertip stopped on an inconspicuous entry.

【soul crystal (Material)】

【Use: Seems to contain a soul inside; can be used to make amplification potions, sometimes producing unexpected effects】

【Price: 3】

"Contains a soul inside?"

Lu Yin murmured softly.

Suddenly, a bold idea surfaced in his mind.

Since this thing contained a soul, would his Death Soul Extraction be able to extract it?

Like a beast smelling blood, Lu Yin's breathing became increasingly heavy.

Without hesitation, his finger tapped the exchange option.

【Confirm exchange for [soul crystal] x1?】

【Yes/No】

The moment he selected "Yes," a teleportation array inside the terminal lit up, and a small, gray crystal about the size of a fingernail slid gently out of a delivery slot on the side.

Lu Yin picked up the soul crystal and examined it closely against the light of the hall.

The crystal was translucent, with what seemed to be an extremely faint luster flickering inside.

He looked around; a corner of the hall was equipped with a table and chair area for soldiers to rest and inspect their exchanged items.

He walked quickly and sat down in an empty corner.

Taking a deep breath, Lu Yin held the soul crystal in his palm and chanted inwardly.

"Extract."

[Ding! Obtained High-tier soul of death x1!]