The apartment building Lin Qi lived in had three units per floor, with three apartments in each unit. The units did not connect to one another.
Lin Qi was on the twenty-second floor, in Unit 3.
Through Psychic Vision, he saw no other survivors in the unit. There were, however, six zombies.
It did not take Lin Qi long to clear out all six.
Every zombie had a Crimson Crystal in its head. The drop rate was one hundred percent.
"That's terrifying. At a rough estimate, about ninety percent of people have turned into zombies. If this parallel world has a population of seven billion, that means more than six billion Extraordinary Items—and that's counting only human zombies."
"With so many Extraordinary Items flooding the world, Extraordinary Professions and higher-ranked Extraordinary Items are bound to emerge."
"In the Cyber World, the Wizard Profession tops out at the Second or Third Rank. But in this world, becoming a Ninth-Rank Wizard might actually be possible."
In the Cyber World, Extraordinary Professions generally topped out at the Fifth or Sixth Rank. Anything above the Sixth existed only in legend and fantasy.
As Lin Qi understood it, the limits on an Extraordinary Profession's rank came down to Spiritual Energy Particles and Extraordinary Items.
The Cyber World simply lacked the conditions to support higher-ranked practitioners.
For practitioners of Extraordinary Professions, this Doomsday World was practically virgin soil.
After collecting the six Crimson Crystals, Lin Qi did not rush to clear out more zombies. Instead, he returned to the apartment for the moment.
A Wizard's ability to gain powers by analyzing Extraordinary Items was innate, but Analysis did not mean fully understanding an item's effects.
Experimentation was fundamental to any Wizard—and to Lin Qi as an L-level Researcher.
Microscopic imaging, energy monitors, spectrometers...
Lin Qi had none of them!
An Exoskeleton Armor was not a bottomless bag. Lin Qi had always focused his modifications on combat capability.
With the Witch Hunt underway, Wizards faced a dangerous world. Lin Qi had consistently prepared to fight in his own defense.
Fortunately, he had Psychic Vision. Crude experiments could at least give him a preliminary understanding of an Extraordinary Item's properties.
Xia Chu sat beside the bed, watching Lin Qi at the desk, his expression intent.
After four years together, Xia Chu trusted Lin Qi completely.
Besides, he looked exactly as he always did when he was focused.
She chose to set aside her questions about the Exoskeleton Armor, the Short Tang Dao, and the Crimson Crystals.
Lin Qi gripped the Short Tang Dao's hilt and had the Brain set the Exoskeleton Armor's arm to exert a fixed amount of force, preparing to test the crystal with a physical strike.
Before he could begin the first step, an interruption came at the worst possible moment.
Bzz, bzz, bzz...
The sound came from a phone fitted with an antenna and set to radio mode.
The broadcast signal had partially returned.
"This is the Dragon Capital, broadcasting to survivors nationwide. Be advised: the government of the Dragon Nation remains in operation."
"Rescue operations are underway. The first areas to receive aid are Jing, Modu, Wu, Qing..."
"Survivors in those areas should remain at home and await rescue."
"Due to incomplete local administrative forces, rescue operations cannot yet reach remote areas. Remaining local authorities and officials in those regions should take independent action immediately and use the following frequency to maintain contact with the capital."
"Next, we will broadcast a survival guide."
"First, this crisis is not infectious. Do not be afraid to fight the zombies."
"Second, clear zombies from your surrounding area as soon as possible, including but not limited to those transformed from humans. Try to obtain the crimson crystals in their heads."
"Third, crimson crystals can be held beneath the tongue to strengthen the body and promote the healing of external wounds."
"Fourth..."
Before the fourth point could be broadcast, severe interference swallowed the signal again.
Even from that limited information, Lin Qi could tell the Dragon Nation's government remained formidable. Barely a day after the apocalypse began, it had already brought its remaining forces together and even discovered some of the Crimson Crystals' effects.
Hold one beneath the tongue?
Lin Qi looked at the Crimson Crystal and decided against taking that advice without testing it.
He went ahead with the crude experiment.
Clink!
The crystal was evidently less durable than A-level material. The blow shattered it into fragments.
Lin Qi kept Psychic Vision active as it broke.
He saw a vast number of Spiritual Energy Particles scatter from the shattered crystal.
These particles differed slightly from those permeating the air. A Wizard could not absorb them through meditation.
Instead, they passed through the metal Exoskeleton Armor and entered his arm.
The Wizard's instinctive insistence on bodily purity made him want to reject the Spiritual Energy Particles.
But a First-Rank Wizard could not directly control their flow with Mental Power.
The particles released by the Crimson Crystal entered his body anyway, unstoppable.
As his blood flowed and his heartbeat quickened, they gradually spread throughout his body.
"Xiao Ai, report my physical condition."
Lin Qi felt he had been reckless with this experiment.
Given his usual caution, he should not have started it so hastily.
He should have waited until his next crossing—or even the one after that—and brought more experimental equipment to the Doomsday World first.
As for taking a Crimson Crystal back to the Cyber World?
That was out of the question.
Surveillance in Hongguo City was far more extensive than one might imagine. Lin Qi would never casually bring any Extraordinary Item back from the Doomsday World.
Data from his body was transmitted through the electrode behind his ear and projected directly onto his retina.
Lin Qi could clearly see the changes.
Cell activity and muscle-fiber strength had risen slightly, while hormone levels had shifted a little.
Overall, the changes were minor, and the few he could detect were positive.
The aversion rooted in his Wizard instincts eased a little.
The effect was much like that of the drugs produced by the Red Fruit Weapons Research Institute.
They stimulated the human body to a degree and would probably work well for practitioners of Extraordinary Professions such as Martial Artists and Knights.
"The Crimson Crystal's foreign Spiritual Energy Particles can strengthen the body without conflicting with the Wizard Profession."
"As for side effects, I haven't noticed any yet. If they were harming my body, my Wizard instincts—that strange aversion—would react strongly."
"Maybe I could use Crimson Crystals to strengthen myself, then pass it off as a new Extraordinary Profession?"
"Cybernetic modifications fit much better with Martial Artists and Knights."
Lin Qi instinctively wanted another identity to hide behind.
Being a Wizard was too dangerous. Someone was always looking to tie Wizards to stakes and burn them alive.
As Lin Qi pondered this, he suddenly felt something soft against his back.
With no danger present, the Brain gave no warning.
"Lin Qi, Modu is among the first places scheduled for rescue. All we have to do is wait at home."
"It's been seven days since we... Why don't we..."
Sunlight flickered outside the window, yet the room felt a little cold.
Lin Qi's heart rate reached 160. He could not tell whether the Crimson Crystal's Spiritual Energy Particles had caused it, or Xia Chu had.
This is bad...
Lin Qi took a deep breath and shook his head firmly.
The scorch marks were still on the floor. He could not bring himself to do that here.
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