Chapter 19: Unexpected Gains
Wiping the filth off the hunting knife with a piece of cloth picked up from the ground, when her fingertips brushed against the blade, she could clearly feel the rolled edge and dull spots.
After all, this was just a hunting knife made of ordinary steel.
The precision of processing in small workshops was limited.
Even when piercing through the soft tissue of a Swift Walker, damage to the blade was still difficult to avoid.
Moreover, the black blood of most monsters had a certain corrosive effect on metal objects.
Weapons without proper anti-corrosion treatment did not have a long service life in the outside world, and it was even difficult for them to withstand a single high-intensity battle.
If it weren't for the mismatch in information preventing her from retrieving her original weapon, how could she possibly use this kind of thing on the battlefield?
“Stone… and this…”
A hand holding her carrying gear suddenly appeared in front of her.
Just by the sound of the voice, she knew the owner of this hand was Si Ling.
He wasn't the only one who had arrived here.
While Han Nianling was treating her earlier, the other mercenaries had also arrived one after another.
Before this, they had all been searching different floors and areas.
It was just that when facing these people again, Zhong Jing’s mentality had quietly changed.
Although the distance from here wasn't too far, and even if the damaged office building slowed them down, why were Xiao Liu and Han Nianling from outside the office building the first to arrive for rescue… Whether an accident happened or some other reason, Zhong Jing didn't want to delve too deeply into it.
Maintaining cooperation within the team was still necessary for now.
At least, the employer Han Nianling and Xiao Liu, this half-baked mercenary, could still be trusted to some extent… right.
Damn it… Recalling that so-called ‘treatment’, a burning sensation once again spread across her face, even the roots of her ears turned red.
Is this person really a high-level researcher?
Pushing aside the distracting thoughts in her mind, she reached out and took the carrying gear from Si Ling.
The weight in her hand was much lighter than before.
After all, the deformed protective plate had already been removed from the compartment and discarded.
This was also good: it reduced the burden and relieved the pressure on her chest, which was more conducive to the recovery of her wound.
The pain lingering in her ribs prevented Zhong Jing from making any large movements.
She just hoped that no more emergencies would occur.
“Um… Stone…” Si Ling didn't leave immediately after Zhong Jing took the carrying gear, but stood there watching Zhong Jing put it on.
After hesitating for a while, he finally spoke, somewhat hesitantly, “Are you really…”
“What Xiao Liu said is true. Since you’ve already heard it, do you still need to ask me?”
Before Si Ling could finish his question, Zhong Jing had already given her answer.
Zhong Jing had long known what Si Ling wanted to ask.
From the moment Xiao Liu discovered the truth, she knew this secret could no longer be hidden.
Since that was the case, it was better to just admit it frankly.
“What’s wrong? Are you starting to doubt my strength because of this?” After putting on the carrying gear, Zhong Jing looked at Si Ling.
Although nothing could be seen under the pitch-black goggles, Si Ling still averted his gaze unnaturally, as if he had done something wrong.
“No… it’s not that, just… confirming…”
“Haha, how could that be? Si Ling definitely doesn’t mean that. But Little Girl Stone, you’re really amazing. Xiao Liu has already told me: killing a Tier 1 Swift Walker at close range with a hunting knife, that’s truly remarkable. With such a performance, who would dare to doubt your strength, Stone?”
Uncle Lin, walking over from not far away, joined the conversation.
A few simple words bailed Si Ling out.
Zhong Jing’s question wasn’t actually intended to embarrass Si Ling, but she just didn’t want her gender issue to become a source of trouble.
Uncle Lin was right.
The death of the Tier 1 Swift Walker was a kind of proof, and also a kind of deterrent, at least greatly reducing the hidden danger brought by underestimation.
“By the way, Stone, wait a moment, this is for you…” Just as Zhong Jing was about to turn and leave, Uncle Lin suddenly called out to her.
When Zhong Jing turned around in confusion, the thing in Uncle Lin’s hand immediately caught her eye.
A sparkling particle, smaller than a fingernail, lay quietly in the center of his black tactical glove, appearing exceptionally conspicuous.
The dim room had no extra light, and the crystal itself emitted a faint white fluorescence.
And at the first sight of this little thing, Zhong Jing’s heart thumped uncontrollably.
In the past, there was rarely a need for the little knowledge she had about this thing.
Even when there was a need, it required careful recollection.
But this time, it all surged out from the dusty corners of her mind.
Crystal Core—a crystalline body nurtured in the pituitary gland of high-tier monsters.
According to the Research Institute’s explanation: it was a concretion of mutated genes and viruses caused by pollution.
In living monsters, it presented as a jelly-like colloidal dispersion, which was the central hub of the monster.
This was also why the weak points of monsters were mostly concentrated in their heads.
And once a monster was severely injured and died, the colloidal dispersion would activate a special self-protection measure—coagulation.
And thus it became what they saw now.
They didn’t know the specific use of this thing called a Crystal Core, only that its characteristic was that it was very hard, and conventional cutting methods could not damage it.
But this did not prevent mercenaries from pursuing and valuing Crystal Cores.
One reason was enough—the Research Institute bought them at a high price, and it was by the gram.
Don’t look at the small particle in Uncle Lin’s hand as insignificant; it actually had extremely high value.
“This thing was dug out from the brain of that Tier 1 walker. Since you killed it, then this is yours.”
Uncle Lin’s words struck Zhong Jing’s eardrums one by one.
Zhong Jing looked at the corpse of the Tier 1 Swift Walker in surprise.
Sure enough, there was a bloody, hollowed-out cavity at the back of the corpse’s head.
This sparkling crystal was indeed taken from there, but this made her even more confused.
“But… isn’t the condition for a Crystal Core to form at least a Tier 2 monster?”
That’s right, not every monster could possess a Crystal Core, otherwise Crystal Core resources wouldn't be so scarce.
Tier 2 monsters were almost a necessary condition for the formation of Crystal Cores, or rather, monsters possessing Crystal Cores could be classified as Tier 2 monsters.
But Tier 2 monsters were not so easily killed.
Hunting them inevitably required a very high price, and even so, it was impossible to guarantee that a Crystal Core could be obtained.
At least the battle Zhong Jing had just experienced directly proved that this monster did not yet possess the strength of a Tier 2 monster.
“Normally, it’s correct to judge it this way, but this Tier 1 Swift Walker is an abnormal mutant… so I tried it a bit, and look, isn’t this an unexpected gain?”
As Uncle Lin spoke, he pointed at the corpse, or more precisely, at the fleshy tail growing behind the Tier 1 Swift Walker.
Only then did Zhong Jing remember that she had been knocked flying just now because she hadn't expected the other party to have this tail.
Normally, walkers of the same evolutionary branch had roughly consistent physical characteristics and were easy to distinguish.
Occasionally, extra limbs caused by mutation were mostly useless deformed limbs.
However, the tail of this Swift Walker was not merely a useless deformed limb.
The heavy blow it had dealt Zhong Jing was enough to prove the point.
It had a complete skeletal structure and muscle layout; it was a real, usable tail.
And this could classify it into another category among post-apocalyptic monsters: mutated individuals.
Monsters belonging to this group were more aggressive and dangerous than their peers, but relatively speaking, they were also more likely to produce Crystal Cores in their brains.
But what surprised Zhong Jing was not just the appearance of the Crystal Core, but also Uncle Lin’s behavior.
Did he really just hand over the Crystal Core to her so easily? This made Zhong Jing feel somewhat incredulous.
One had to know that a small Crystal Core was the main culprit behind internal conflicts in most mercenary squads.
Seemingly noticing the doubt in Zhong Jing’s heart, Uncle Lin grinned, but after realizing that his gas mask blocked his facial expression, he changed to a thumbs-up gesture: “Don’t worry, I’ve been in this line of work for almost ten years. I know what I should touch and what I shouldn’t. You’re still a newcomer and can kill a Swift Walker. You’ll definitely be even better in the future. This Crystal Core is only two grams, just enough for you to get a better melee weapon. What I value is the mission reward from the employer.”
Uncle Lin’s words revealed a steady and composed demeanor, greatly changing Zhong Jing’s impression of this middle-aged mercenary.
Regardless of his overall personality, an old mercenary who could possess such awareness and insight was a highly respected existence in the mercenary circle.
After hearing Uncle Lin’s words, Zhong Jing no longer doubted anything and took the small Crystal Core from Uncle Lin’s hand.
This was the first time Zhong Jing had come into contact with this kind of thing in her two years as a mercenary.
She even couldn't resist taking off her left glove to touch it directly.
The warm and moist feeling in her hand was very comfortable.
The crystal core, which was almost transparent and crystal clear, seemed to contain a starry sky.
Amidst the dim light, countless points of light could be vaguely seen inside the crystal core.
It was hard to imagine that this Crystal Core, as beautiful as a work of art, actually came from the brains of those ugly and disgusting monsters, extracted from that mixture of red, white, and black brain matter.
The strong contrast always felt a bit unreal.
“Are you done resting? The employer has been waiting for a long time.” Just then, Crow’s voice came over.
At some point, his figure had appeared at the entrance of the corridor, quietly watching the few people in the room.
Zhong Jing always had a feeling that Crow’s gaze had lingered on her for a long time, but it couldn't be effectively confirmed under the goggles.
“But, it’s only been until now, Stone’s injury…” Si Ling couldn’t help but ask.
It seemed that after confirming Zhong Jing’s gender, he paid extra attention to Zhong Jing.
“I’m fine, let’s continue the mission.” Zhong Jing carefully put the Crystal Core into her inner pocket, then picked up the gun leaning against the wall, indicating that her body was fine.
This level of injury was still manageable if she gritted her teeth.
She didn't know that the moment the Crystal Core was put into her inner pocket, the necklace pressed against her chest suddenly flickered.
The light was not strong, and the change, which happened in the blink of an eye, combined with the obstruction of her clothes, meant no one saw it.
Then, the necklace, having returned to calm, reverted to its original state, as if nothing had happened just now.
After finishing the danger assessment of the office building, the members of the mercenary squad set off again towards Sector 04A.
No one knew: that more than ten minutes later, a petite figure in a leather coat visited this office building, walked up the stairs to the second floor, which was a mess after the battle.
Here, a faint but familiar smell permeated the air.
The crimson pupils turned towards the source of the smell, under the bookshelf that had been dented.
Waste paper and files were piled up there messily.
Such messy scenes were common in the post-war world, but the lingering smell allowed one to discern something different within.
“New… Younger Sister?”
In the shadow under the hood, a red light flashed and disappeared.