Chapter 54: Waiting by the Stump for a Hare (Part I)
Water is, by its very nature, the source of life, nourishing all things.
"Wither," on the other hand, represents the severance of vitality and the desiccation of existence.
Two diametrically opposed attributes were now being forcibly fused together.
Xia Tong had no idea whether her choice was the right one, but she felt no anxiety; she still had the "Source Core" backing her up from behind.
She could feel her water-type crystal core transforming into a violently churning vortex, alternating between a piercing, glacial cold and a bizarre, stripping sensation.
Her spiritual sea tossed and turned in tandem, fine beads of sweat seeping from her temples as her body, curled deep within the artificial rock cave, trembled slightly.
A strange wave of energy erupted with Xia Tong at its center, causing the surrounding plants she touched to wither and die in succession.
"...It's like playing with fire and burning oneself."
Xia Tong smiled bitterly to herself. She could clearly perceive the berserk energy collision within her water-type crystal core. Had it not been for the "Source Core" forcibly suppressing and guiding it with an even greater power, her F-grade aptitude water-type crystal core would likely have shattered and disintegrated long ago under such an impact.
It was absolute torture.
Yet she dared not lose focus, cooperating fully with the "Source Core's" guidance as she struggled to harmonize the nearly uncontrollable power surging inside her. Time trickled away in agony, and the daylight outside the artificial rock gradually transitioned from bright to dim, the sun sinking into a twilight haze.
......
......
Meanwhile, in another part of the abandoned zoo.
"Captain, Li... could something have happened to him? It's been almost a full day, and there's not a single trace."
Wang Yang wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking somewhat anxiously toward Liu Ye. They had already searched this area back and forth multiple times, yet they hadn't even found a shadow of Li Sisui.
That mutated creature was nowhere to be found either...
Hearing this, Wang Quan loudly and crudely chimed in:
"What is that fellow surnamed Li dawdling around for? I bet he found something good and wants to keep it all to himself! I thought something was off about him from the start—acting all secretive for a mental-type Esper!"
"Wang Quan, stop talking nonsense!"
Liu Ye frowned and scolded him, though he couldn't entirely conceal the worry in his eyes. "Even though Li Sisui joined us later on, he shouldn't be the kind to... Still, having no news for this long doesn't feel right."
Yan Wenli, one of the only two women in the team, readily echoed, "That's right, Captain. Although Brother Li doesn't talk much usually, he's quite steady in his ways. He wouldn't drop out of contact for so long for no reason."
On the other side, He Ting had been keeping her brows tightly furrowed. After closing her eyes in perception for a long time, she finally opened them slowly, her voice carrying a hint of solemnity:
"My plants sensed that his final aura was near the banyan grove to the southeast. The energy fluctuations over there were... very chaotic, as if a fierce battle had taken place, and then... his presence vanished completely."
"Vanished?" Liu Ye's expression shifted drastically. "Could it be that he..."
"I'm afraid the odds are heavily against him," He Ting said in a low tone. "Amidst that chaotic energy, apart from Brother Li's spiritual power fluctuations, there was also an extremely pure and aggressively sharp water-type energy, alongside... a trace of extremely faint residual wood-type energy."
"Water-type? Wood-type?" Wang Quan was stunned. "These... two attributes?"
Liu Ye's face darkened so intensely it seemed water might drip from it. "It looks like he's met with a mishap."
"However, since it dared to kill one of our people, it will pay with its crystal core!" Murderous intent flashed in Liu Ye's eyes. "Pull yourselves together, everyone! We must not let it escape this time!"
......
......
Inside the small artificial rock cave.
How much time had passed, Xia Tong could not be sure, but the violent energy collision within her spiritual sea had finally begun to subside.
Her water-type crystal core remained azure blue, but upon closer inspection, one would notice an extremely faint grey thread winding through its interior, flowing slowly like traditional Chinese ink. It remained distinctly separate from the pure water-type energy yet coexisted with it in a bizarre harmony.
[Ding! The 'Wither' attribute has been successfully integrated into the water-type crystal core.]
[The water-type ability has undergone an unknown mutation; the host may inspect it at will.]
[Due to a conflict between the 'Wither' attribute and the host's water-type origin, a large amount of source energy has been consumed for suppression and harmonization. Currently, the 'Wither' attribute's effect is suppressed by 70%. Subsequent advancements will automatically lift this restriction, and utilizing water-type abilities will grant partial 'Wither' effects.]
[Warning: This mutation is irreversible; the host is advised to exercise caution in its use.]
Xia Tong slowly opened her glazed cat-like pupils and exhaled a long breath, sensing the shifts within her internal water-type abilities.
"'Wither' effects reduced by 70%..." she murmured softly, her heart a tangled knot of emotions. Fortunately, the suppression would lift automatically as she advanced further.
This "Wither" attribute was undoubtedly a double-edged sword.
It endowed her water-type abilities with a brand-new, eerie method of attack, but it simultaneously brought immense risks. The word "irreversible" made her acutely aware that once she stepped onto this path, there would be no turning back.
Lacking any knowledge of this from her past life, she had to fumble through it entirely on her own. She could only hope her choice to incorporate "Wither" into her water-type crystal core was the right one...
Afterward, Xia Tong attempted to mobilize the water-type energy within her, and a faint yet distinct aura of "Wither" immediately diffused outward.
A stubborn little blade of grass poking out from a crack in the corner of the cave withered rapidly at a visible pace under the gentle brush of her mist, losing every shred of vitality it possessed.
"As expected..." Xia Tong's heart tightened.
Even with its potency suppressed by seventy percent, this power to strip away life remained frighteningly tyrannical.
This strength, born from the attribute, filled her with excitement and a thrill of anticipation.
At that moment, Xia Tong's cat ears twitched alertly.
She clearly perceived an unfamiliar wave of energy rapidly approaching her direction from afar.
"They're here fast." Her gaze turned icy, a cold flash crossing her glazed feline eyes.
Li Sisui's companions had tracked her down after all.
She licked her paw, sensing the water-type energy within her that was both familiar and foreign, tainted by an elusive hint of absolute stillness.
"Very well. Just in time to test this new strength."
Hiding was never a long-term solution; only through combat could she adapt more quickly to her mutated ability and elevate her strength all the faster.
With that thought, she rose quietly, stretching her slightly stiff limbs, and cast her gaze toward the crevice at the mouth of the cave, which was obscured by vines and gravel, as if she could already see the murderous glares waiting outside.
This game of cat and mouse was far from over.
......
"It should be right around here—that rich aura of water elements."
Yan Wenli had sensed the dense and refreshing water element aura near the banyan grove from the very beginning. After the discussion concluded, she had followed the team in their search until she suddenly perceived an equally potent water element aura lingering here, prompting her to make an excuse to slip away from the group and head here alone.
The ability she had awakened was also water-type, and she could directly absorb the energy contained within a water-type crystal core.
Thus, she intended to hunt this target personally. Perhaps with another water-type crystal core, her ability could advance to the next stage.
With that, she expanded her perception, and the unrestrained water elements began to surge...
This prey—she would hunt it herself!