The squad ignored the military's screening directive outright. Lu Ye made it clear with a single sentence:
"We don't follow orders. We solve problems."
Zhao Yang nodded.
"What we need now is the zombie's core crystal."
He Xuan had already pinpointed a zone of high-frequency activity— magnetic fluctuations were off the charts.
Lin Lan ran the analysis.
"Possibly a Tier 4 mid-level entity."
Chen Mo strapped on his gauntlets.
"Then let's go see."
Hu Hao had rejoined the team. His neural circuit had been recalibrated. He spoke quietly:
"If it has sentience, I might be able to control it."
The target zone was an abandoned factory. The outer perimeter had been cleared of zombies, but the magnetic field inside was still unstable.
Upon entering, the squad found the Tier 4 mutant standing at the center. It was massive. Its eyes were no longer vacant.
It didn't attack immediately. Instead, it let out a low-frequency growl— a warning.
Lin Lan whispered:
"It's aware."
Zhao Yang smirked.
"That makes it worse."
Chen Mo struck first. His Shattered-Time Fist tore open space, forcing the mutant to reposition.
He Xuan deployed magnetic interference to restrict its jump capabilities. Zhao Yang laid down a blood mist layer, ready to disrupt its judgment.
Hu Hao activated his mental command, attempting to suppress its consciousness. The mutant hesitated. Its movements slowed— but its resistance was fierce.
Sweat beaded on Hu Hao's forehead. His voice was strained:
"It's breaking free… I can't hold much longer."
Just as Hu Hao's mental grip began to collapse, Zhao Yang pulled down his hat and entered full blood mist mode.
He flanked the creature, and with surgical precision, drove a blood needle into its neck— disrupting its neural feedback.
The mutant roared. Its coordination shattered.
Chen Mo seized the moment, landing a direct blow to its core. Lin Lan synced her feedback loop, pinpointing the crystal's location.
Lu Ye moved last. His Thunder Domain Slash sliced cleanly— separating the core.
The mutant collapsed. The magnetic field fell silent.
Hu Hao dropped to the ground. Zhao Yang handed him a bottle of water.
"You did good."
Hu Hao gave a tired smile.
"Next time, don't make me take on a Tier 4."
The core crystal sat on the table. Everyone was quiet.
Zhao Yang spoke first:
"This one goes to Lu Ye."
Lin Lan nodded.
"He was close to a breakthrough last time."
Chen Mo didn't object.
"Our captain deserves the upgrade."
Lu Ye didn't refuse. He simply said:
"I'll make good use of it."
Zhao Yang watched as Lu Ye began absorbing the crystal. His eyes held only a trace of fatigue.
Lin Lan noticed.
"You burned a lot."
He Xuan agreed.
"That wasn't a standard blood needle."
Chen Mo leaned back.
"You need to recharge."
Zhao Yang said nothing. He pulled a small vial from his pocket— a concentrated blood mist crystal, self-refined.
"I don't take cores. But I need blood." "If I fight like that again, I'll burn out."
He injected the crystal into his circuit. His body reignited.
Blood mist surged outward, blanketing the house perimeter. Sensory layers stabilized and expanded.
Lin Lan blinked.
"Your range… it's bigger."
Zhao Yang nodded.
"I can disrupt five targets at once now." "But only for thirty seconds."
Lu Ye looked at him.
"That's enough."
Chen Mo chuckled.
"Your blood's worth something."
Zhao Yang pulled his hat back on. His voice was calm:
"I don't rely on cores. I rely on myself."
Lu Ye smiled, then began absorbing the crystal in full.
Lightning circuits expanded instantly. His power surged to Tier 4 Initial. The Eye of the World entered a new phase.
Perception radius extended to ten meters. A new internal channel emerged.
Lin Lan's eyes widened.
"Is that… long-range detection?"
Lu Ye closed his eyes. His voice was quiet:
"I can detect anomalous structures up to a million kilometers away." "But only for one minute." "And only if they're… structurally irregular."
Zhao Yang murmured:
"That'll come in handy."
He Xuan logged the data.
"We'll need a tagging system."
Chen Mo clapped Lu Ye on the shoulder.
"You finally leveled up."
Lu Ye opened his eyes. They were steadier now.
"It's time we all moved up."