Unboxing, Unboxing

Seeing Lin Yi even had the heart to crack a joke, everyone felt a weight lift from their chests.

Because although Zhou Jianjun hadn't said anything, his previous look of worry had been plain for all to see, and everyone had been carrying a heavy stone in their hearts.

With this bit of banter, even the low-pressure atmosphere that had persisted in the hall was largely dispelled.

"Brother Yi, why don't you open these crystals so we can broaden our horizons?"

Seeing that everyone was in good spirits, Chen Yu rubbed his hands together and suggested to Lin Yi.

As a streamer who did part-time unboxing of trendy toys, he was naturally extremely interested in such things. Ever since he heard there were two pieces of equipment inside the crystals, his eyes had been practically glued to them, and his face was written with impatience.

The others were also deeply curious, especially regarding the "Flowing Cloud Type I Light Armor" and the "Abyss-Splitting Type I" spear, which sounded extraordinary. Everyone wanted to see for themselves what this Source Energy combat equipment actually looked like.

"Brother Yi, let us have a look."

"That's right, Xiao Yi, show everyone. Everyone is worried about you going out in that damaged armor, so having new gear will put our minds at ease," Zhou Jianjun added with a smile. As a soldier, he was also an enthusiast of weapons and equipment.

Lin Yi looked at their expectant eyes and naturally wouldn't spoil the mood.

He smiled slightly and first picked up the white crystal inscribed with "Flowing Cloud Type I Light Armor."

"Alright, let's look at the armor first."

As he spoke, he applied a little force with his five fingers, and with a crisp "crack," the crystal shattered.

However, this time, the shattered crystal did not turn into lightning like the detector had; instead, it erupted into a soft, cloud-like white glow.

This mass of light rapidly condensed and took shape in the air, eventually turning into a physical object that Lin Yi caught.

It was not the mighty suit of armor everyone had imagined, but a metallic belt that looked quite high-tech.

The belt was silver-gray all over, with a slightly protruding, dark oval crystal in the center, which seemed to be the core.

"Huh? It's not armor? Why is it a belt?"

Chen Yu was stunned, feeling a bit confused.

Lin Yi didn't explain. He simply fastened the belt, pressed his fingertip against the dark crystal, and moved his mind to inject a faint trace of Source Energy.

The next moment, with the belt as the core, countless silver-gray light beams resembling liquid metal shot out instantly. They did not spread randomly but followed a set, extremely complex trajectory, rapidly covering Lin Yi's entire body from top to bottom.

Shoulders, chest, back, arms, legs. In almost the span of a single breath, a set of lightweight, full-body armor with smooth lines and a minimalist yet powerful design covered Lin Yi's torso and limbs seamlessly.

The surface of the armor flowed with a water-like shimmer under the candlelight, which was the origin of the name "Flowing Cloud."

"Holy crap! Holy crap!!" Chen Yu was dumbfounded and couldn't help but blurt out an expletive.

The others also engaged in an excited discussion.

"This... this is too magical!"

"It just put itself on?!"

Lin Yi moved his limbs, feeling the slight sense of restraint and the almost negligible weight of the armor, and explained:

"According to the information in the crystal, this is portable Source Energy armament. The belt is the core and trigger; it only requires a trace of one's own Source Energy to activate the suit."

"Maintaining this basic armor form consumes very little Source Energy. At my current level, it's enough to last through a battle. Even at its most basic defensive setting, it should be comparable to the armor of a main battle tank."

"As for the additional effects, there are two: Dynamic and Deflection. Look, the subtle flowing effect on the armor isn't just for aesthetics. Dynamic means that by consuming Source Energy, I can sacrifice defense in the surrounding area to increase it in one specific spot. I suspect this is mainly for piercing attacks."

"As for Deflection, it uses the armor's own flow to dissipate force, providing better deflection and dispersion for low-intensity attacks. Of course, if you want to trigger active protection effects, you need to consume extra Source Energy to drive them."

After finishing, Lin Yi stopped the injection of Source Energy.

The armor receded like a tide, quickly retracting back into the belt form.

Everyone clicked their tongues in wonder, marveling at this technology that far exceeded their imagination.

Next, Lin Yi picked up the crystal representing the "Abyss-Splitting Type I" spear.

After shattering it, what appeared in his hand was a miniature spear model only a palm's length long. It was crafted with extreme precision, dark in color, with the blade and shaft clearly visible, like a miniature work of art.

"Don't tell me this is the kind that can enlarge too?" Li Jie whispered.

Lin Yi didn't answer, instead mobilizing a trace of Source Energy within his body and slowly injecting it into the model.

Hum!

The miniature model immediately lit up with a faint glow and, at a speed visible to the naked eye, rapidly lengthened, thickened, and hardened!

In the blink of an eye, a dark metal spear with a long, sharp blade and an icy killing intent was held firmly in his hand.

The lines of the spear were sharp, the weight was moderate, the balance was perfect, and an astonishing sharpness seemed to radiate from it.

"The main effects of this spear are Sharpness and Armor-Splitting. The tip uses an alloy of extremely high hardness and has been permanently enhanced by Source Energy circuits. Its physical sharpness has reached the peak of the low-tier Stardust Rank, allowing it to easily pierce the defenses of Abyss Beasts of the same rank without consuming Source Energy."

"As for Armor-Splitting, it uses the Source Energy circuit at the tip to compress energy into that single point, giving the next thrust an explosive increase in piercing power, specifically targeting hard shells or energy shields."

"Furthermore, maintaining the basic spear form requires very little Source Energy, and it can be restored to its miniature form when not in use."

Hearing this, Zhou Yuxuan, who was to the side, was lost in thought. It sounds like all of this equipment requires very low consumption for initial use. It must have been chosen this way on purpose. It seems the High Command values Lin Yi more than just a little. Source Energy, Source Energy!

He sighed deeply in his heart, then simply returned to the corner where he had been lying, closed his eyes, and recalled the key points of the Source Energy Guidance Technique Lin Yi had explained, not intending to join in the excitement anymore.

Lin Yi, completely unaware of Zhou Yuxuan's internal turmoil, showed the spear to everyone before moving his mind to stop the Source Energy injection.

After about a minute, the spear began to shrink rapidly, returning to that miniature model.

As he spoke, he slotted the model back into a port on the side of his belt, explaining to the group, "This Flowing Cloud Light Armor Belt has several slots on the right side specifically for these miniature items, and the same on the left, which are used to hold Source Energy Crystals."

This scene drew gasps of amazement from the crowd once again.

This method of combining high technology with source energy completely subverted their understanding of "weapons and equipment."

However, only Lin Yi knew that these seemingly magical pieces of gear were merely standard-issue equipment for low-level civilizations in the vast universe.

Once the demonstration was finished, Lin Yi picked up the remaining Technique Crystals one by one, crushing them to absorb the streams of information into his mind.

On the surface, however, he deliberately spent a few minutes "digesting" each one after learning it.

After he had finished learning all the techniques, Lin Yi closed the box and said to the group, "Alright, everyone has seen the items. It's getting late, and since the crisis hasn't been resolved yet, everyone should hurry up and rest to get your strength back. I'm afraid there will be a fierce battle tomorrow."

He paused, then continued, "Because I cultivate source energy, my need for sleep is minimal. While you all rest, I'll head up to the rooftop to practice the techniques and combat skills I just acquired so I can get familiar with them as soon as possible."

Hearing this, although the group remained excited, they knew Lin Yi was speaking the truth. They nodded one after another and found places to lie down, attempting to fall asleep.

Of course, whether they could actually fall asleep was another matter entirely.

Lin Yi crushed all the remaining gray crystals at once, turning them into Source Energy Crystals, stuffed them into the slots on the left side of his belt, and then headed to the third floor to find the stairs leading to the hotel rooftop.

As he slowly pushed open the heavy fire door, the somewhat stifling air of the summer night rushed into his lungs.

The rooftop was vast and silent. In the distance, the city remained a dead, dark void, save for that massive Abyss Beast nest, which pulsed slowly like a heart, emitting an ominous, purplish-black glow.