After dealing with the troublesome punks and confirming that the boy who had gone inside was the protagonist, Andrew, Xu Xiao did not continue waiting at the door.
It wasn't some special treasure that could only be triggered by the protagonist's appearance. The Superpower Crystal was near the site of their party that night, so waiting around would only be a waste of time.
Xu Xiao found the abandoned factory called Haven Hills on the map and drove straight off.
After driving for over half an hour, he arrived at his destination.
By now, quite a few students had already arrived to set up the venue, and several cars were parked there.
Xu Xiao paid them no mind. He parked his car in an inconspicuous corner, picked up his firearms and tools, and headed into the hills on his own.
A vast coniferous forest lay beside the abandoned factory, stretching all the way to a modest hill.
Xu Xiao vaguely remembered that the three protagonists had found the Superpower Crystal on a patch of flat ground in the hills, so that was where he decided to search first.
Dusk was approaching, and no one would notice someone heading into the coniferous forest alone.
Xu Xiao made his way through the woods alone, searching bit by bit.
Not until night fell
After groping around in the undergrowth for nearly an hour, Xu Xiao finally found his destination in a depression in the hill.
On a small patch of flat ground was a hole about a meter across.
"This should be it. I got here ahead of the students in the story, so I've beaten them to it." (A group of students found the cave, but only the three protagonists dared to go down. The dialogue in the movie hinted at this.)
Looking at the large hole before him, Xu Xiao's heart pounded.
Heaven rewarded those who persevered. He had finally found something that could defy the heavens and change his fate.
Without any hesitation, Xu Xiao switched on the flashlight he had bought at the supermarket and promptly descended into the hole.
The party outside had only just begun, and the young men and women would all go inside to have some fun first.
Only after finding they weren't lucky enough to win the favor of the opposite sex would they choose to wander outside.
In short, Xu Xiao was the only one here at the moment, and it was destined that he alone would enjoy this power.
Dark, damp, cramped.
Even with the flashlight to light his way, the path through the cave was still difficult to navigate.
The cave was only as tall as a person, so anyone walking through it had to watch their head at all times. In some places, he even had to stoop to get through. Great expanses of rock somewhat resembling quartz surrounded him.
"I wonder where this Superpower Crystal came from. Was it a gift from aliens or a treasure born of the Earth?"
The closer Xu Xiao drew to what he had been seeking, the more nervous he became.
His thoughts wandered, all sorts of ideas churning through his head, from the origin of the Superpower Crystal to whether touching it alone would have any special effect.
When people were nervous and excited, their minds always wandered of their own accord. It wasn't something an ordinary person could control.
But at the thought that he was about to touch the Superpower Crystal that could transform a person from the inside out, Xu Xiao couldn't help quickening his pace.
Before long, he rounded a bend in a rocky crevice and saw a faint light ahead.
As Xu Xiao rounded the bend, a spacious cavern appeared before him.
In the underground cavern that had suddenly opened before him was a gigantic crystal emitting a pale blue light.
Most of the crystal's structure extended deep into the rock, and even the exposed portion alone was three or four meters tall!
Its overall shape resembled a sea urchin growing within the rock, and it continually pulsed with brighter and dimmer light, as though breathing.
"Superability Crystal!"
The treasure he had dreamed of was right before his eyes, and Xu Xiao couldn't help crying out.
He took a deep breath and calmed his excitement a little. This was a lesson he had learned for himself while facing danger in the apocalypse.
The more tense and critical the moment, the more important it was to stay calm. Only by facing things with composure could one accomplish great things!
Rather than rushing forward, Xu Xiao secured his flashlight to a rock nearby, then took some time to prepare himself mentally.
Come on. Success or failure, it all comes down to this.
The three of them shared this power in the movie and were still so powerful. This time I'll have it all to myself, so my ability will definitely surpass theirs!
To live a life above others, I'm going all in!
Facing the pale blue crystal, Xu Xiao reached out without hesitation and pressed his palm directly against it.
The gears of fate began to turn!
Hum. An invisible wave emanated from the crystal.
Xu Xiao felt as though someone had struck him on the head, leaving him dazed and groggy.
His vision also began to blur, and at the same time, he felt warmth on his face. He knew it was because blood was pouring uncontrollably from his nose.
Having seen this strange phenomenon in the movie, Xu Xiao did not panic like the three protagonists had. Instead, he did his best to stay conscious.
I can't sleep. I have no legal identity in this world. If someone else finds me, I'll spend the rest of my days in prison!
Forcing himself to stay alert, Xu Xiao silently watched the changes taking place in the blue crystal before him.
The originally azure crystal had emitted a red light the instant he touched it, and now the light was growing more and more intense.
Even the parts originally buried deep in the rock began to emit a fierce red light, and the entire crystal twitched as though it had come alive.
Invisible energy swept through Xu Xiao's body with every twitch, and blood gushed from his nose as if it cost nothing.
Shifting from light red to deep crimson, the crystal developed streaks inside it that resembled meridians, and red light illuminated Xu Xiao's face.
The red light from the entire Superpower Crystal grew more and more dazzling. Then it began to turn mist-like, becoming a thin red fog that surged madly into Xu Xiao's body.
"Ah!"
Xu Xiao clutched his head and screamed, suffering as though thousands of needles were stirring his brains.
Blood was no longer confined to his nose. It began to trickle from his eyes and ear canals as well. Bleeding from all seven orifices was no longer just a figure of speech.
Although Xu Xiao kept forcing himself to stay alert and not pass out, human willpower was still helpless once the body reached its pain threshold.
He lasted less than five seconds before the extreme pain caused his body to activate its self-protection mode.
Xu Xiao passed out from the pain.
The human body was a mysterious and intricate machine. When subjected to unbearable pain, it would spontaneously suppress the nervous system's perception of the body to avoid suffering.
But the Superpower Crystal's effect on the human body would not stop just because he had lost consciousness.
After Xu Xiao collapsed unconscious, the red mist formed from the Superpower Crystal continued to bore into his body.
Only after more than an hour, when the red mist was exhausted, did it all stop.
Xu Xiao remained unconscious underground until three young people, guided by fate, also descended into the cave and woke him.