MTLNOVEL Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Crystal Cores in Animals
Xiao Yang and his group retreated to their villa.
The day had been far too perilous—Lu You, their personal chef, had nearly lost her life.
If it hadn't been for the mysterious flute player's intervention, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
Xiao Yang realized they couldn't afford complacency anymore. They needed stronger defenses and to accelerate their power growth.
The image of the flute player lingered in his mind. What kind of power does she possess to lure away the zombies? She must have awakened a unique ability.
He resolved to visit her villa the next day. If possible, he wanted to recruit her. Her ability could be pivotal to their survival.
After showering, Xiao Yang decided not to trouble Lu You—still weakened—with cooking.
He retrieved instant meals from his spatial storage: self-heating hot pots, sausages, spicy strips, and more, spreading them across the table.
Pouring drinks for everyone, he proposed, "Let's calm our nerves with a toast."
As they ate, Xiao Yang counted the crystals they'd collected that day—300 in total.
"Ten each. Absorb them after dinner," he said, distributing the crystals.
Neither Mu Wanqing nor Lu You objected. They trusted his judgment. With this, all three would surpass 20 years of Chrono Energy, significantly boosting their combat prowess.
Next time, killing those zombie dogs will be easier… though we still need to avoid being overwhelmed.
Xiao Yang regretted not absorbing the crystals earlier. If they had, today's battle wouldn't have been so harrowing.
Most survivors still hadn't grasped the use of Chrono Energy. In his past life, it took a month for knowledge of crystal absorption to spread.
Who first discovered this? he wondered. Regardless, he intended to exploit this information gap to gather resources ruthlessly.
After absorbing their crystals, the trio shuddered as their Chrono Energy surged past 100 years.
Their bodies transformed—muscles brimming with strength, senses sharpened, skin glowing.
Xiao Yang's energy stabilized at 325 years, while Mu Wanqing and Lu You each reached 20 years.
"Rest early tonight," Xiao Yang announced. "Tomorrow, we visit the flute player's villa. If she's willing, she'd make a valuable ally."
Mu Wanqing and Lu You nodded in agreement.
The next morning, refreshed, they devoured Lu You's fried chicken legs and sea cucumber soup before arming themselves for the expedition.
Passing the battlefield from yesterday, Xiao Yang harvested crystals from the zombie dogs' corpses.
Unlike human crystals, these animal cores were spherical and pitch-black. Xiao Yang dubbed them "Crystal Cores."
While useless for boosting Chrono Energy, these cores could enhance abilities. Their potency depended on star ratings—1-star for Level 1, 2-star for Level 2, up to 9 stars.
Ordinary zombie animals bore no stars. Only mutants did.
In his past life, Xiao Yang had obtained a 6-star core, pushing his spatial ability to Level 5.99. A single 4-star core would have broken him into Level 6.
But 4-star mutants required 1,000+ years of Chrono Energy to challenge—far beyond their current strength.
These cores are better fed to Coal Ball, he decided. For animals, cores were growth accelerants.
At the flute player's villa, the open gate revealed chaotic paw prints in the snow—remnants of yesterday's horde.
Inside the courtyard, two zombie dogs—a stray and a Pekingese—snarled at them.
Xiao Yang glared at the tiny Pekingese. You bullied my people?
Enraged, he sliced both apart with his Tang sword. After securing the area, they entered the villa.
The first floor and basement were clear. Xiao Yang headed upstairs, recalling the flute player's position on the second floor.
Outside a locked room, a zombie Golden Retriever and middle-aged man lurked. Xiao Yang dispatched them swiftly. Lu You extracted their crystals and cores.
Knocking on the door, Xiao Yang called, "Hello? We're here to thank you for yesterday."
A wary voice replied, "Who's there?"
The door cracked open, revealing a disheveled woman wrapped in a quilt, clutching a flute. Though pale, her elegance was undeniable.
When her gaze landed on Mu Wanqing, she gasped. "Wanqing?!"
Mu Wanqing stared, then exclaimed, "Shishi?!"