Dawn broke, and the horizon turned pale as a fish's belly.
The Earth Dragon Squad returned to camp, and a transport vehicle brought them back to their quarters.
"I'm exhausted."
Xiao Yunlong leaned against the seat, deep weariness in his eyes.
The Earth Dragon Squad had spent the entire night fighting without rest, hunting Shadow Cats on the outskirts of the barracks. By the end, even he, a Psionic Warrior, was struggling to keep going.
Qin Dadi and Liu Zhaozhao were in even worse shape. They'd used their abilities too much, and their heads were pounding.
Fortunately, once the sun rose, the Shadow Cats lost their advantage in night combat and had no choice but to retreat. That finally gave them a chance to catch their breath.
But...
Xiao Yunlong turned to look at Qin Tian. Their new teammate had brought them quite a few surprises.
After a whole night of battle, Qin Tian's marksmanship had grown even more impressive. At least two-thirds of the Shadow Cats had died by his hand. And that wasn't all—his physical prowess had exceeded everyone's expectations.
He ran fast and had incredible stamina. He was practically made of iron. Even now, there wasn't a hint of weariness on his face.
Were Replicants all this strong these days?
Xiao Yunlong closed his eyes and muttered to himself.
Back in their quarters, Liu Zhaozhao took off her Combat Suit and went straight into her room without even showering. In an exhausted voice, she said,
"I'm going to sleep. Call me if you need anything."
Thud~
The door shut, and a lazy groan came from inside.
"I'm going to sleep too."
Xiao Yunlong tossed his Combat Suit onto the sofa, went to the bathroom to splash some water on his face, then hurried into his room.
"Qin Tian, you should get some rest too."
Qin Dadi pointed to the room on the right. "This room is yours from now on. Let me know what you need, and I'll put in a request with the logistics department."
After speaking, Qin Dadi suddenly realized that Qin Tian might not know anything about washing up or personal hygiene. He added,
"Never mind. I'll get everything ready for you. There are some things I'll teach you little by little."
"Okay."
Qin Tian nodded and turned toward the room.
Just then, Qin Dadi remembered something. He raised a hand, about to call Qin Tian back, but after opening his mouth, he decided against it.
Forget it. Bringing it up now would only put more pressure on him. I'll tell him after the war is over.
Qin Dadi shook his head, rubbed his temples, and went into his room. Less than half a minute later, snores came from inside.
Splash, splash~~
Qin Tian turned off the faucet, wiped his face with a towel, and stared at the unfamiliar face in the mirror.
His sharp brows swept up toward his temples. His eyes were deep as an abyss, his high nose bridge sat above tightly pressed lips, and his features were chiseled and cold. He was the very picture of a striking, aloof male idol.
"Tsk, I'm so handsome it's criminal~"
With no one else around, Qin Tian could finally drop his act. His whole body relaxed.
He had to admit, acting cool all the time was exhausting.
Sometimes he wanted to ask questions or join the team's conversations, but he had to maintain his persona. So he'd stand to the side without saying a word, occasionally managing a couple of nods. It had nearly driven him crazy.
He couldn't risk taking a shower yet, in case it gave away his secret. Qin Tian took off his socks, washed his feet, then lay down on the bed and focused his thoughts inward.
Four green and two white Talent Orbs glittered like stars. Above them was a translucent little "+" sign.
Qin Tian glanced at the System Panel. After a grueling night of fighting, he'd killed dozens of Shadow Cats, bringing his Evolution Points to 326.
"Let's try a little something first."
Qin Tian selected the plus sign on [Advanced Strength]. The next moment, a number field appeared beside it, and he could enter a number with his mind.
Qin Tian entered "20" and confirmed.
Hum~~
The green orb quivered. A faint green glow flashed across it, then it fell still again.
"That's it? It doesn't even show how many Evolution Points it takes to level up."
Qin Tian was helpless. He'd spent 20 Evolution Points and hadn't even made a ripple. Still, the orb's green seemed just a tiny bit deeper.
Forget it. I'll try a different talent.
Qin Tian focused on the two white talents, [Basic Knife Sense] and [Cat's Agility].
The lower a talent's level, the fewer Evolution Points it took to upgrade.
Since he had no time to study knife techniques, Qin Tian decisively invested heavily in [Cat's Agility].
Evolution Points -200
Hum~~
The white orb shuddered violently. Its color changed from a hazy, pale white to a creamy white like milk, with a faint hint of green.
Qin Tian could clearly sense his body changing, becoming a little lighter and more agile.
It seemed that even if a talent hadn't fully evolved, strengthening it still had an effect.
In that case, let's put in another 50—no, 51.
Hum~
The green spread rapidly through the white orb. In just a few seconds, the white vanished completely, and the orb turned a pale green.
[Cat's Agility] evolved—[Shadow of the Spirit Cat]
[Name] Shadow of the Spirit Cat (Green)
[Type] Passive Talent
[Description] A body like a spirit cat, with extremely powerful explosive strength and reflexes. Moves without a sound and blends cleverly into the surrounding environment. Sense of smell, hearing, and night vision greatly enhanced.
His muscles and bones tingled pleasantly, as if dozens of little hands were massaging him.
Qin Tian closed his eyes. Everything around him grew clear: the breathing from the room next door, the squeak of treads rolling over the ground outside, the burnt smell of engine oil...
What a strange, wonderful feeling~
A faint smile curved Qin Tian's lips. Without realizing it, he seemed to have started liking this world.
Though it was full of danger, and he could die beneath a stray shell at any moment, the experience of growing stronger and gradually becoming superhuman was truly captivating.
But...
Qin Tian opened his eyes and thought back to the battles of the previous night.
Qin Dadi's tremendous rock strength, Liu Zhaozhao's Blazing Inferno, and Xiao Yunlong's swift, wind-charged blade had all opened his eyes.
Without a gun, he might not have lasted even one round against any of them.
It wasn't just a matter of abilities. There was also a significant gap in combat experience.
Ability Users, Psionic Users...
Qin Tian figured he was now halfway to being an Ability User. His physical prowess far exceeded that of an ordinary person; he just lacked offensive methods—or, more accurately, an active talent.
Compared to Ability Users, he was more interested in Psionic Users.
Xiao Yunlong had explained that there were two schools of Psionic Users: Psionic Mages and Psionic Warriors. The former excelled at spells, while the latter were stronger in close combat.
Psionic Users could do everything Ability Users could, and often do it better.
From the team's conversations, Qin Tian could also sense how much Qin Dadi and Liu Zhaozhao regretted not becoming Psionic Users.
It seemed that people only settled for becoming Ability Users when they couldn't become Psionic Users.
"Looks like I need to work on Xiao Yunlong."
Qin Tian narrowed his eyes, and a plan gradually took shape in his mind.
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