"Crystals. There really are crystals."
"But these snakes… they don't look like creatures from our Blue Star."
"They're mutated. Aren't we told everything here has mutated?"
"Mutated creatures can grow crystals? Never heard of that before."
"Then what, they fell from the sky?"
"All things in the world are connected. When there are ability users, there will naturally be mutated creatures. And to supply energy to ability users, energy stones must exist too."
Hearing the four speaking so casually, Brother Zhang's lips twitched. Then he noticed they still had their backpacks on. He asked, "Are you leaving? You haven't even put your bags down."
Lao Gao glanced at Brother Zhang. "No. We were going to exchange some contribution points. We forgot earlier. Then we heard the commotion and came over."
When he heard they were not planning to leave, Brother Zhang let out a breath. Looking at the snakes pressing closer outside, he cautiously asked, "Could you help deal with these things? The base will compensate you according to our standards. Or, if you have requests, we will try to meet them. Of course, if you cannot help, that's fine too. No need to feel pressured."
Brother Zhang knew they were just temporary guests. They had no obligation to help. But there was no harm in asking. If they agreed, the base's safety would be much more secure. And if they failed, it would not be their fault.
Limited ability meant nothing could be forced.
Since Brother Zhang had spoken up, and they were already hoping to make connections, they naturally did not refuse. Ling Jiang asked, "Brother Zhang, what are these snakes afraid of?"
Her ice ability had been useless against the mutated rabbits before, and she worried it might be the same with snakes.
Brother Zhang understood the meaning behind her question. "Your abilities are strong. They were ineffective against rabbits only because the rabbits' fur is too thick after mutation."
But snakes were different. They had no thick fur. Ice could freeze them.
Not only that, the red crystals on the snakes' heads were fire-type, meant to replenish fire-ability users.
Blue crystals were for ice abilities, purple for lightning, white for water, green for plant, and transparent for spiritual power.
Each type of crystal restored energy for its matching ability and could not be used for other types, but their effects were excellent.
With so many snakes at the H City base entrance, there were also that many crystals. Not only could the snake meat be cooked into meals, the sheer number of crystals was valuable. Taking down the snakes would benefit both the base and the four of them.
They each had their own thoughts, but that did not stop them from working together.
The transparent protective door was still a bit high. Lan Jin climbed onto the chair a soldier had used earlier to pour liquid outside. Before she could hesitate, she quickly used her lightning ability on the snakes.
In this world, there were very few things not afraid of electricity. With one small strike, the snakes in that spot convulsed a few times before going still.
Seeing that Lan Jin's method worked, Lao Gao joined in. But while Lan Jin had deliberately controlled her output, Lao Gao did not. One blast later, the snakes were cooked, the air filled with the smell of roasted meat.
Ling Jiang frowned. "Turn your fire down. Don't burn them to a crisp. Didn't they say we could eat them? If you ruin the meat, it's a waste. And the crystals, will they get damaged? We don't know much about this. Don't go breaking things."
The people nearby stared in disbelief. At such a critical moment, these four looked so relaxed it was hard to believe.
Brother Zhang said dryly, "You should at least stay alert."
Huang Jinghe honestly saw no problem. "But we're inside, right? There's a barrier."
Sure, but that did not mean they could treat it like a game.
In truth, their relaxed attitude was only on the surface. Lan Jin had already thought of a solution. She turned to Ling Jiang. "Sister Ling, can you make thin icicles and pin them into the snakes one by one? That way, you can kill them and keep the bodies intact."
Brother Zhang immediately agreed. "Aim for the seven-inch spot. No matter how much they mutate, they are still snakes."
Ling Jiang asked sincerely, "Where is the seven-inch spot?"
That stumped the girls for a moment.
But Brother Zhang was calm. He explained to Ling Jiang, then told her to try. After she got the hang of it, he turned to Huang Jinghe. "Water can work the same way. The temperature out there is low. While using your ability, you can freeze it into an ice spike and drive it into the snake's seven-inch spot."
Clearly, the base's people knew more about using abilities effectively. Once explained, Huang Jinghe understood right away.
This method killed the snakes without damaging them.
All four of them joined in with their own approaches. Before long, the hundreds of snakes outside were wiped out.
Once the snakes stopped moving, the task was done. But Lan Jin felt utterly drained. Sitting back down on the chair she had climbed earlier, she said weakly, "Why do I feel like I'm out of strength?"
Brother Zhang was not surprised. "You've overused your abilities. Even if it was for a short time, the sustained use drains a lot of physical energy."
For most people, their powers would have run dry long ago. To last until every snake was dead was beyond his expectations.
He then told someone nearby to bring a few crystals and taught them how to absorb the energy.
Just two crystals each, and their strength returned. The crystals in their hands lost their glow and became ordinary stones.
After absorbing the energy, Lan Jin asked, "Do these crystals require contribution points to buy?"
Seeing they truly knew nothing, Brother Zhang explained, "Haven't you used your abilities before? Here's how it works. If you find crystals outside, they're yours. But in our current situation, we usually split them evenly. On the twelfth floor above the main hall in this building, there are supplies and weapons for ability users. If you want, I can take you to see them."
The four were thrilled. Getting what they wanted without even trying.
"Alright!"