Lin Xinghai had plenty of guesses about the strange attributes, but now wasn't the time to study them.
All around, survivors were already retreating to the personnel carrier after scavenging from the zombies. Time was short.
Closing the attribute panel, Lin Xinghai hurried to another corpse. The moment he broke into a run, the difference hit him.
My speed… it's ridiculous!
He could reach his old sprinting limit with ease. In fact, he had to hold back, afraid someone might notice. Even restrained, the boost let him harvest blood energy at a much faster pace. By the time he was done, he had gathered thirteen points.
When only a handful of people remained outside, Lin Xinghai slipped back into the troop carrier, not wanting to draw eyes.
"How is it? Did you figure it out?" Roger slid in beside him the moment he sat.
"I've got a theory," Lin Xinghai replied after a pause. "The wounds on the back of their heads weren't random. They were shallow cuts, not stabs. And when I reconstructed the flesh, I noticed something missing—almost as if a piece had been carved out."
He leaned closer, voice dropping. "If I'm right, there was something inside their skulls, and it was taken."
Roger's expression flickered, surprise quickly masked. He nodded. "Correct. Yuanjing—a crystal that carries special energy."
He fell silent for a beat, then added, "Now that you've seen the outside world for yourself, you should understand the stakes. I'll ask you again—will you join my mercenary group?"
Lin Xinghai tilted his head. "And the benefits?"
Roger's lips curved. "Not here. Too many ears." He stood, leaving Lin Xinghai no choice but to follow.
At the front of the carrier, Roger rapped twice on the alloy plating. With a hiss, a concealed door slid open, leading into the cab.
Inside, the space was surprisingly roomy, enough for half a dozen men. After greeting the soldiers at the controls, Roger led him to a corner.
"Our group is the Splitting Sky Mercenaries—first-level, registered with the guild. Out of the hundreds in the shelter, we rank middle-tier."
"With your B-level genetic rating, you'd earn a hundred points a week just for joining."
"Points?" Lin Xinghai interrupted.
"Currency," Roger explained. "Everything in the shelter runs on them. A hundred points a week is already higher than most jobs. And once you become a genetic optimizer, your pay jumps to at least one-fifty."
"Genetic optimizer?" The phrase made Lin Xinghai's pulse quicken. His system panel had a section for genetic optimization…
Roger nodded. "It ties to genetic engineering. For centuries, humans studied their genes with little progress. Then Yuanjing appeared. Its energy, once refined into genetic medicine, allows us to enhance our bodies. At thirty percent optimization, you break through the limits—strength soars, sometimes even special abilities awaken. Those are the genetic optimizers."
"If you join us, you'll receive a share of medicine each week based on your talent. It'll speed up your path to optimizer."
Lin Xinghai's eyes gleamed. His panel already showed nineteen percent. With his stockpile of blood energy, optimizer status was only a matter of time. But he'd need cover for such rapid growth—and the mercenary group offered the perfect shield.
"And if I agree?" he asked smoothly. "How much medicine are we talking about?"
Roger smiled. "Three vials a week."
Lin Xinghai frowned. "Only three? With a B-level evaluation, shouldn't I be worth twenty? Thirty?"
Roger's face darkened instantly. Even the soldier driving cast him a strange glance.
"Do you even know what new recruits get? One vial. Official members? Two. Even as captain, with all my perks, I get six. You want thirty? Be serious. I had to fight to secure you three." His voice carried sharp annoyance.
Lin Xinghai blinked. That was… far more generous than he expected. He quietly activated his system's probe.
Name: RogerConstitution: 50Strength: 65Speed: 43Ability: Giant Strength (temporarily boosts strength 30% for three seconds)Genetic Optimization: 65%
So strong… and already awakened to an ability. Yet he only receives six vials weekly. That means genetic medicine is rarer than I thought.
A smile tugged at Lin Xinghai's lips. "Captain Luo, your genetic evaluation wasn't B-level, was it?"
Roger froze, expression betraying just enough.
"Then my B-level talent must be quite valuable," Lin Xinghai said lightly. "If word got out, other groups would…" He left the sentence hanging.
The driver suddenly spoke up, eyes on the road. "With a B-level evaluation, you'd do better joining the military. Safer. Three vials a week, guaranteed."
Roger's jaw tightened. He cursed himself for not keeping the conversation in the main cabin.
"Four," he said finally. "That's my limit. But there's a condition—within a month, your strength must grow in line with your talent. Fail, and it drops back to three."
Lin Xinghai chuckled. "Fine. But if I surpass your expectations?"
Roger narrowed his eyes, recalling how fearlessly the youth handled corpses earlier. After a moment, he gave a thin smile. "Then we'll make sure you're rewarded. Our Splitting Sky Mercenaries know how to treat talent."