Chapter 12: The Energy Crystal Stone

“Captain Roger, since this mission is tough, all the more reason for me to go. As a member of the Skybreaker Mercenary Group, how can I back down now?” Lin Xinghai said resolutely.

He was certain that Roger would have no grounds to refuse such a standard answer.

“I’m not the captain, so there’s no need for you to show loyalty just to me,” Roger replied with a look of exasperation.

After a pause, he continued, “I wasn’t joking earlier. This mission will take us deep into the city; the danger level will be at least twice as high as usual.”

“You have talent, but you’re still just an ordinary person. Even if I assign you to logistics, if real danger comes, it’s unlikely you’d be able to escape.”

At that moment, Lin Xinghai realized that Roger wasn’t testing his loyalty or anything foolish like that—he genuinely cared for his safety.

With that in mind, he decided to be upfront. “Captain Roger, there’s something I want to report. I’m not as weak as you might think. After we were assigned shelter accommodations this afternoon, five thugs from the Axe Gang came to collect protection fees, and I dealt with them.”

It was difficult to hide his growing strength, especially with a mission looming where danger was certain. Better to reveal it now and prepare everyone mentally than to be caught off guard later.

“Didn’t you show your mercenary badge? Why did you get into a conflict with the Axe Gang? If I recall correctly, they’re backed by the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group!”

Wait a moment...

Roger suddenly understood. Swallowing hard, he stared at Lin Xinghai in disbelief. “What did you say? You actually took down five thugs from the Axe Gang? How is that possible?”

Lin Xinghai smiled. “There’s something I haven’t told you before. Before the apocalypse, I was the provincial sanda champion. My hand-to-hand combat skills aren’t weak.”

Hearing this, Roger’s eyes widened abruptly, but he quickly shook his head. “Still, that shouldn’t be possible. You haven’t taken any gene enhancers, and the physical fitness gap between you and those thugs is huge, especially fighting five against one.”

“That’s the second thing I wanted to tell you—I found that I absorb gene enhancers unusually fast.”

“In just half a day, I’ve absorbed two bottles of gene enhancers. That’s the main reason I was able to defeat those thugs,” Lin Xinghai finally offered this fabricated explanation.

He knew the excuse was weak and probably unbelievable to anyone reasonable, but he had no choice. The system’s existence was something he could never explain, nor did he want to.

“What!” Roger was so shocked he stood up abruptly, his eyes locked onto Lin Xinghai. “You… are telling the truth?”

“Yes, though I don’t know why,” Lin Xinghai replied with a serious expression.

Roger stood there in a daze for a long moment before muttering, “Could it be that you have some kind of special constitution?”

Lin Xinghai twitched his ear. “Special constitution? What’s that?”

“It’s literal. Among millions, some have unique constitutions with abilities beyond the ordinary. People with such constitutions often awaken especially strong powers,” Roger explained.

“Yeah, I think I have that kind of constitution,” Lin Xinghai quickly agreed.

He didn’t care what it really meant; since it helped cover his lie, he’d claim it without hesitation.

“Why?” Roger asked.

“No reason, just a feeling. Otherwise, why would I absorb gene enhancers so fast?”

“...”

A long silence fell over them. After a good fifteen minutes, Roger finally accepted the reality.

“You must keep the fact that you have a special constitution absolutely secret, understand?” Roger warned seriously.

“Got it! I understand,” Lin Xinghai nodded earnestly. “So, can I go on this mission now?”

Seeing Roger’s hesitation, Lin Xinghai added, “If you’re still worried about my strength, give me a dozen or twenty more bottles of gene enhancers—I can break through and become gene optimized before departure.”

Roger’s expression darkened, but after some thought, he reached into his pocket and pulled out two bottles. “We’ll boost your strength as much as possible before we set out. Stay close to me and don’t act recklessly.”

Lin Xinghai hadn’t expected Roger to actually give him gene enhancers, and it was clear they came out of his own pocket.

He didn’t refuse but accepted them outright.

He urgently needed the vitality boost now, and he’d repay the favor handsomely once he grew stronger.

“Now, let me brief you on the mission. The Starshield Shelter is 200 kilometers southeast of Tianshan City. During our last mission, we accidentally detected an energy signal in a part of the city center. We suspect there’s a significant stash of energy crystals there.”

“Preliminary estimates put it at over a ton. Those energy crystals are our target,” Roger said in a low voice.

“A ton of energy crystals!” Lin Xinghai exclaimed, then quickly covered his mouth and glanced around.

Now he finally understood why Roger spent extra money on a private room and carefully scanned the surroundings with his wrist-mounted computer before speaking.

After spending the afternoon gathering information, Lin Xinghai was no longer a novice. At least, he knew the value of energy crystals.

A ton of energy crystals might not have been extraordinary before the apocalypse.

But in these times of energy scarcity, their worth was incomparable.

If successfully retrieved and sold at the shelter, they could fetch at least 100,000 to 150,000 points.

Such wealth would drive any mercenary group to frenzy.

“If this mission succeeds, the mercenary group can purchase a large amount of new equipment and be promoted to a second-tier mercenary group.”

“At that time, with your talent, you might really get a dozen or so bottles of gene enhancers a week,” Roger smiled.