Volume One, Chapter 16: Beneath the Withered Leaves Mountain
The few battered rafts finally wobbled ashore, their occupants barely dragged off, collapsing one by one onto the ground, utterly drained of strength.
The man who had been crying out earlier was named Zhao Desheng. Upon seeing Li Hexuan’s strong, well-armed group and the smoke rising from their campfire, he struggled to his knees. “Heroes! Please, I beg you, take us in! We can do anything—just give us food to eat!”
Li Hexuan gestured for Zhang Nan to help them up, his voice cold and sharp. “Chen Hao of Linjiang City—what’s going on? Explain it clearly.”
Zhao Desheng trembled, as if recalling some terrifying ordeal. Swallowing hard, his voice quivered, “That Chen Hao... I don’t know what damned luck he had, but he awakened a demonic power! He can manipulate minds! He gathered a bunch of ruthless outlaws under him and set up a so-called ‘Dawn Camp’ in Linjiang City. They claim to protect survivors, but they treat us like cattle and beasts! Those who disobey get beaten half to death at best, or thrown out to be fed to those monsters at worst! We barely escaped with our lives!”
Another survivor wailed, “Yeah! He even steals food and women! Worse than pigs and dogs!”
Listening to them, a chilling cold radiated from Li Hexuan, almost freezing the air around him.
Chen Hao’s supernatural ability was indeed of the “mental manipulation” variety.
Such powers were the most insidious, poisonous, and unpredictable.
“Rest for now,” Li Hexuan said, tossing a command to the newcomers. Then he ordered Zhou Yong, “Old Zhou, find them a place to stay and observe them for a few days.”
His Thunder God Base did not harbor dead weight, nor would it tolerate ungrateful traitors.
After sending them off, Li Hexuan beckoned Zhang Nan and Su Mengyi aside.
From his pocket, he pulled out two white source crystals and placed one firmly into Zhang Nan’s hand. “Nanzi, this one’s for you. You’ve just awakened the ‘Titan’s Strength.’ Use this to stabilize your foundation and master your power. There will be many tough battles ahead.”
Zhang Nan grinned broadly and grabbed the crystal without hesitation. “Don’t worry, Brother Xuan! I’ll absorb it all, every bit!”
Li Hexuan then handed several high-quality gray source crystals to Su Mengyi. “Mengyi, these are for you. Your ‘Life’s Benediction’ is the most important ability for our whole team. Upgrade it quickly—saving our brothers’ lives will depend on you.”
Su Mengyi nodded solemnly, accepting the crystals with determination. “Yes! I’ll work hard!”
Finally, Li Hexuan weighed the deep, shimmering green source crystal in his hand.
This crystal should elevate his “Electric Control” power to a new level.
After the brutal bloodbath against the fish monsters and witnessing the terrifying strength of Li Hexuan and his comrades, as well as Su Mengyi’s miraculous healing, the eyes of every survivor in the base—old or new—had changed.
Especially Li Hexuan, a decisive young man whose words were law. To them, he was no longer just a strong fighter but the only towering pillar they could rely on in this savage, cannibalistic apocalypse.
The words “Thunder God Base” burned into their hearts like a brand, symbolizing hope to survive and a rare sense of safety.
---
The following days were busy atop Falling Leaf Mountain.
Li Hexuan began deliberately training Zhang Nan.
This big oaf had brute strength but fought like a bulldozer, recklessly charging through enemies.
Under Li Hexuan’s guidance, Zhang Nan gradually learned to control the bursts and restraint of his power, no longer relying on mere brute force.
Engineer Zhou Yong was also busy, leading his team to reinforce the defenses at the mountain’s base using the hard bones and thick hides left behind by the fish monsters, plus metal scavenged from the ruined hospital and nearby areas. Following Li Hexuan’s blueprints, they strengthened the fortifications several layers deeper.
Traps, barricades, shooting slits—they were all crafted meticulously, far superior to the previous shabby structures.
Meanwhile, Su Mengyi, while solidifying her own power, discovered with delight that she could sense faint energies in certain special parts of the segmented fish monster meat.
Even Li Hexuan was impressed—soon they could pick the finest cuts for consumption. Her support ability was simply all-encompassing!
With everything arranged, Li Hexuan retreated alone into the quiet room on the top floor of the villa.
Sitting cross-legged, he tightly grasped the green source crystal pulsing with surging energy.
It was time to break through to the next level!
Down below, the water’s surface, which had only recently calmed, rippled ominously once more...
---
In the villa’s quiet chamber, Li Hexuan sat cross-legged, the green source crystal in his palm glowing and swirling with fierce energy.
He closed his eyes and channeled the pure power fully into his body.
The energy of the green source crystal was wild and overwhelming, far surpassing the gray-white crystals. It rampaged inside him, refining every limb and bone.
Li Hexuan grunted, veins bulging on his forehead as his body trembled.
Muscles and bones, every cell, transformed and reformed under this power.
His “Electric Control” ability shattered its limits, his command over electricity instantly multiplying several times over.
The blue arcs at his fingertips condensed from scattered pale blue to a deep, profound sapphire, their power more restrained yet deadlier.
With a flicker of his mind, a tough electromagnetic field instantly formed around his body surface.
“Peak F-rank Enhancer! Novice stage of the ability!”
Li Hexuan opened his eyes, a fierce electric spark flashing through his gaze.
Clenching his fists, energy surged inside him, his mastery over electricity no longer the same as before. A cold smile curved his lips.
---
Meanwhile, in another room of the villa, Zhang Nan grinned widely.
He had fully absorbed the energy from the white source crystal.
The “Titan’s Strength” roared within him, his brute power now solid and heavy, muscles under his skin as hard as iron. Ordinary blades could at best leave a shallow white mark.
He felt as if he had endless energy, and the threshold to becoming an F-rank Enhancer was no longer far.
---
A few days later, down by the water at the foot of Falling Leaf Mountain.
“Brother Xuan! There are people coming down the mountain!” Liu Zhong, on watch, shouted hoarsely, his voice tinged with urgency.
Li Hexuan and Zhang Nan hurried to the lookout point halfway up the mountain.
In the distance on the water’s surface, five or six crude wooden rafts were paddling toward Falling Leaf Mountain.
These rafts were much sturdier than those Zhao Desheng’s group had used. About twenty people stood on them, many wielding sticks, and a few crude rifles glinted ominously.
The lead raft carried a burly man who stood out. A jagged scar ran from his left eye down to his chin, adding even more menace to his already fierce face.
He squinted, appraising the clearly reinforced defenses and the villa atop the mountain, a greedy gleam flashing in his eyes.
“Damn, they don’t look friendly,” Zhang Nan muttered, scratching the back of his head with a dull voice.