Chapter 42: The Wound Heals, Gathering Evolution Points

The journey was silent; after an hour, Zhang Ran finally dragged his wounded body back to the Forward Base. He proceeded to the mission area to sell the spoils of his latest campaign, then visited the trading zone to purchase ingredients for three doses of internal wound medicine, and finally rented a room at the base.

Entering the room, Zhang Ran dropped his military backpack wearily onto the floor and took off his damaged level-one combat suit, replacing it with his old uniform. He gazed once more at the wound on his waist. Compared to when he was first injured, a thick scab now sealed the surface, with tiny new buds of flesh emerging around the edges.

"Chip, analyze my wound healing time," he commanded silently, relieved to see the wound stable, no longer bleeding, and free from further infection.

"Ding! Analyzing..."

"Ding! Analysis complete. Based on the host's cellular activity, the wound will reach preliminary healing in two days and seven hours, restoring eighty-five percent of combat ability. Full recovery will occur in three days and seventeen hours, restoring one hundred percent combat ability. With internal wound medicine, preliminary healing can be accelerated to one day and seventeen hours, and full recovery to two days and twenty-three hours."

The chip responded immediately, delivering its results via a soft chime. For an ordinary person, such an injury might take weeks to heal, but Zhang Ran was a quasi-evolver; his physical constitution far surpassed that of a normal human. His cellular activity, wound healing speed, and recovery abilities were several times greater, and with the aid of evolution energy, his wound had already undergone initial recovery. Thus, complete healing could be achieved in just a few days.

"Three days for full recovery—quite fast, really. Shame I don’t have higher-grade healing medicines, or I’d recover even quicker," Zhang Ran nodded, satisfied with his resilience. He took the medicinal herbs from his pack and, fighting off fatigue, began preparing the wound medicine with the chip’s assistance.

...

Half an hour later.

"Finally done," Zhang Ran sighed, looking at the three portions of blue-gray powder before him. He placed two portions into glass bottles and swallowed the remaining one mixed with water. The medicine was bitter, but he grimaced and forced it all down, then carefully stored the other two bottles, finally collapsing onto the bed, eyes closing in relief.

Such a fierce battle was exhausting enough, let alone with his current injuries and the extra energy lost from blood loss. Zhang Ran was utterly spent upon returning to the base; if not for his strong will, he would never have remained conscious this long. Barely ten seconds after closing his eyes, he had sunk into sleep. The chip then began transmitting special electromagnetic waves to his brain, helping him enter deep sleep and boosting his body’s self-repair abilities, allowing his wound to heal as quickly as possible.

...

Fifteen hours later.

Because Zhang Ran needed sleep to recover his strength and wounds, the chip made a considerate adjustment, refraining from waking him automatically at five thirty in the morning. Zhang Ran slept until he naturally awoke.

"So comfortable!" Rising from the bed, Zhang Ran stretched vigorously, then bent to examine his waist wound. After a night’s rest, his body’s self-healing had covered the wound with a thin layer of new tissue, and the pain had largely faded.

Of course, this new tissue was still very fragile; any strenuous activity risked tearing it. Zhang Ran had to avoid combat for a while longer, giving the tissue time to grow, gradually restoring his fighting capabilities.

"Gurgle, gurgle!"

As he checked his wound, his stomach protested loudly. Since returning to the base yesterday, Zhang Ran had prepared his medicine and gone straight to sleep—nearly twenty hours without food. Combined with the extra energy needed for recovery, he was ravenous.

After tidying his room, Zhang Ran went to the living area, spent two hundred Black Eagle coins on a hearty meal, devoured it all, and finally felt his hunger abate.

At last, he had time for a proper bath. Unable to hunt due to his unhealed wound, Zhang Ran entered the chip’s simulated combat space, replaying his battle with the elite rot wolf, honing his combat skills in a virtual life-or-death struggle.

...

Two days later.

"Excellent, my wound is fully healed!"

After two days of recuperation, aided by his robust physique and internal medicine, the savage wound on Zhang Ran’s waist was completely healed. Though the new tissue was still tender, the muscle’s function had fully returned.

With his wound restored, Zhang Ran left Black Eagle Base once more, heading for Rot Wolf Plains to resume his hunt.

"Slayed rot wolf. Body absorbed evolution energy. Evolution point condensation +0.23%. Current progress: 99.65%."

Five days had passed since his recovery. After five days of hunting, Zhang Ran’s first evolution point had reached 99.65% condensation—only a single step remained.

Now, Zhang Ran could distinctly sense the evolution point behind his spine: a burning, luminous node radiating warmth throughout his body, subtly remodeling his constitution.

"Just 0.35% left! If I eliminate two more packs of rot wolves, I can successfully condense my first evolution point and advance to full evolver!"

The chip’s prompt brought a gleam of joy to Zhang Ran’s face. He gripped his military dagger, searching for his next opponent.

"Slayed rot wolf. Body absorbed evolution energy. Evolution point condensation +0.26%. Current progress: 99.91%."

"Slayed rot wolf. Body absorbed evolution energy. Evolution point condensation +0.15%. Current progress: 100.00%. Evolution point prototype transforming."

Thirty minutes later, guided by the chip, Zhang Ran found two packs of rot wolves and dispatched them.

As the chip’s notification rang, the evolution point prototype at his spine began a mysterious transformation.

Under Zhang Ran’s perception, as evolution energy poured in, the once-diffuse prototype began to condense, its volume shrinking. At the same time, it gradually assumed a solid form, as if transforming into a crystal.