Alex let out a shaky breath, his face still pale with lingering fear.
Why did people steer clear of lunatics? Because their thoughts twisted in ways no one could predict. A lunatic was dangerous enough, but one wielding Di Shitian's godlike power? That was a nightmare beyond reckoning.
"Whew, he's lived nearly two thousand years, but I managed to scare him off in the end," Alex muttered, calming his racing heart. A quiet relief settled over him.
Thankfully, Di Shitian had flinched, not following him through the vortex. If he had, Alex would still be in mortal danger.
Though Di Shitian's long life had sharpened his mind to a fine edge, age brought fear of death. Why else would he obsess over the dragon essence? Alex's bluff—calling the vortex a gate to the abyss—had struck that fear, making Di Shitian release his grip.
Shaking his head, Alex pushed thoughts of Di Shitian aside. The Storm Riders world had been a gauntlet of peril, but the rewards were worth it. The sword techniques copied from Wuming and the Sacred Heart Art taken from Luo Xian were treasures of immense power.
Glancing around, Alex confirmed he'd returned to the same spot he'd left—a secluded clearing just outside the Greenridge base, the air heavy with the scent of pine and earth. He walked to a nearby sapling and dug at its base, unearthing an electronic watch he'd buried before his journey.
This was his fourth trip through the Storm Riders world. Past travels had taught him that time passed in the real world while he was gone—zombies scattering from a mall, a raging bear vanishing into the wild. But how much time? The watch held the answer.
Checking the display, Alex's brow furrowed. One day and one night had passed. "Is it always a day and a night, or just this time?" he wondered aloud. The question lingered, but he shelved it. More trips would reveal the pattern.
He turned his attention inward, assessing his crystal points. After half a year in the Storm Riders world, training with the Sacred Heart Art, his internal strength had surged. His crystal points now topped 200—a solid leap forward.
With his thoughts in order, Alex headed back to the Greenridge base. The familiar wooden walls loomed ahead, their weathered grain a stark contrast to the fantastical world he'd just left.
Inside their shared quarters, only Claire and Lily were present. Evan and Max must have stepped out. Lily's face lit up when she saw Alex, and she hurried over, clutching the hem of his shirt. She said nothing, but her tight grip spoke of trust and reliance.
"You look thrilled. What's up?" Alex asked, patting Lily's head before turning to Claire. Her grin was infectious, a rare spark of joy in their grim world.
"Alex, I've got great news!" Claire beamed. "My crystal points hit 100. I'm officially a third-level Awakened!"
"Seriously? That's awesome!" Alex's face brightened, matching her excitement. He pulled out his crystal measuring device, and sure enough, the display read exactly 100 points.
A third-level Awakened was a force to be reckoned with at Greenridge. Claire's breakthrough strengthened their team, a cause for celebration in these dangerous times.
"By the way, with your promotion, did you awaken any new abilities?" Alex asked, curiosity piqued. Each advancement brought new skills or knowledge—like the four drives he'd unlocked.
Claire nodded, her enthusiasm undimmed. "My first-level awakening boosted my physical strength, like a warrior's. Second-level gave me a blocking move. And now, at third-level, I've got a kicking technique—a control skill that can knock enemies back."
"Nice! That's a solid ability," Alex said, impressed. While blocking and kicking weren't offensive moves, for a warrior like Claire, a control skill could turn the tide in a fight if used cleverly.
"Mind if I check your progress with the Sunflower Manual?" Alex asked, keeping his tone casual. "Let me see your hand."
Claire extended her palm without hesitation. Unlike Luo Xian's soft touch, Claire's hand was rough, calloused from years of wielding a spear in battle. Alex clasped it, feeling the hardened skin beneath his fingers.
Channeling his internal energy, he probed her qi. The Sunflower Manual and Eclipse Swordsmanship were fast-track martial arts, and after a month of practice, Claire's internal strength was impressive. It likely played a big role in her swift rise to third-level.
But sensing her qi was a pretext. With contact established, Alex accessed Claire's D drive. As expected, a new file appeared—the kicking skill, slightly larger than her block at 4G. With 38G of space left in his own drive and a copy speed that could handle 4G in minutes, it was worth taking.
Without a word, Alex initiated the copy, watching the progress bar tick forward. It would finish soon, but holding Claire's hand for minutes could get awkward.
"Your Sunflower Manual is coming along well," he said, his face serious. "But quick martial arts can strain the body. I'm sensing some minor damage in your meridians. Let me help clear it."
He sent a gentle stream of internal energy through her, soothing her strained pathways. The excuse was plausible, buying him the time he needed.
Though Claire saw Alex as a trusted friend, the prolonged contact—his hand in hers, his energy flowing through her—felt oddly intimate. A faint flush crept up her cheeks, the air between them growing heavy.
Lily, still clutching Alex's shirt, tilted her head, her bright eyes darting between them. A curious, almost puzzled look flickered across her face.
Just then, Evan and Max burst through the door, their faces tense with urgency. But seeing Alex and Claire hand-in-hand, they froze.
"Uh, didn't see a thing!" Evan blurted, his usual brevity tinged with embarrassment. He grabbed Max's arm and yanked him back out, the door swinging shut behind them.
"Come back! It's not what you think. Alex is using his inner strength to heal the hidden strain in my meridians," Claire called out, her voice tinged with exasperation.
Evan and Max had clearly jumped to the wrong conclusion, and her explanation was meant to set things straight.
"We get it, we get it," Evan replied, nodding rapidly. But the sly glances he exchanged with Max made it obvious they didn't buy Claire's story.
Sensing the misunderstanding could spiral, Alex steered the conversation elsewhere. "You two rushed in here like something's up. What's going on?" he asked, his tone direct.
Evan's face grew serious, the levity fading. "There's news," he said, his voice steady. "The council's called a meeting, and they want you there, Alex. It's about the leader-type zombies outside."
"Leader-type zombies?" Alex's brow furrowed, his mind piecing together the implications. "Is the Greenridge base planning to take the fight to them?"
He could guess the meeting's purpose—a strategic move against the growing threat beyond the walls.
As he spoke, the copy process in his D drive finished. The kicking skill, now a 4G file, nestled alongside his other abilities. Alex released Claire's hand and turned to her. "Let's head to the meeting and see what's up."
"Me too?" Claire asked, her eyebrows lifting slightly. As a newly minted third-level Awakened, she qualified for a council seat, but her promotion could stir trouble. Both she and Alex had a history with Ethan, and their rise to third-level might provoke him. Could it be risky?
Awakened levels were tiered by crystal points: 1–9 for first-level, 10–99 for second, 100–999 for third, and 1000–9999 for fourth. Even within the same level, power varied widely. A third-level Awakened with 100 points was half as strong as one with 200, and a far cry from one with 900. Alex and Claire, fresh at 100 and 200 points, were no match for Ethan's likely higher count.
"Don't worry," Alex said, shaking his head at Claire's concern. "Right now, every third-level Awakened boosts the base's strength. With the zombie horde looming, personal grudges take a backseat. No one's foolish enough to stir trouble now."
He was right. Ethan wouldn't dare move against them in this crisis, just as Alex and his team wouldn't challenge Ethan, even if they could. Settling scores could wait until the zombie threat was neutralized.
"Yeah, makes sense," Claire agreed, her tension easing. Evan and Max nodded too, unsurprised by her breakthrough—they'd already heard the news.
With no time to waste, Alex and Claire headed for the council meeting, leaving the room behind.