Chapter 60 Crystalline Torrent Breath

Xuebing shook its head, flinging off the muddy water. The wild fury in its dual pupils faded, replaced by the familiar look of affection.

With a soft whine, it moved its four limbs, stepping through the murky accumulated water and trotting lightly to Han Ning's side, rubbing its cold, large head against its master's leg.

As Xuebing completed its transformation, an energy torrent far more majestic than the one unleashed when defeating the tuna earlier rushed into his body along the bond of the soul contract.

[Druid growth progress +525] (Current Lv5, 751/2000)
[Mental power +1.2] (Mental power: 3.4)

Han Ning shivered, feeling a wave of pleasure so intense it almost made him roll his eyes.

He could feel every cell in his body greedily devouring this power, and his vision became slightly clearer than before.

Meanwhile, Xuebing's brand-new status panel flashed into view before Han Ning:

[Animal Companion: Tri-colored (Gem) Crocodile Lizard]
[Level: Lv4 (1/550)]
[Growth Progress: 1/550]
[Mental Power: 1]
[Skills:
Mental Scream (Primary): Releases a roar infused with mental impact to shock, disrupt, or briefly stun the target.
Crystal Torrent Breath (Primary): Condenses the energy within the body, spitting out an energy stream with corrosive, slowing, or weak mental interference effects.]

"It went up 2 levels instantly? Even its race changed." Han Ning was inwardly shaken; the formidable effect of this crystal far exceeded his expectations.

He grew somewhat curious about Xuebing's current combat strength.

"Xuebing, go. Show off your skills and help them clear out the remaining monsters."

"Growl-woof!"

Xuebing responded and pushed off with its body.

Boom!

Water splashed everywhere as it charged into the group of monsters that were still besieging the Awakened squad not far away.

Its target was locked onto a Whirl-Shell Crab that was brandishing drill-like giant pincers.

The tri-colored crystal scale on Xuebing's forehead suddenly lit up.

"Awooo!"

An invisible mental wave stabbed into the Whirl-Shell Crab's relatively simple consciousness.

[Mental Scream]

The Whirl-Shell Crab's movements stiffened; its high-speed rotating drill claws came to a halt, and its body staggered in the water.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Xuebing opened its mouth wide.

Hum.

A particle stream the size of a fist, shimmering with tri-colored halo lights, condensed and formed within its mouth.

Puff!

A condensed, substantive, arm-thick beam of tri-colored light shot out, striking the upper half of the Whirl-Shell Crab's body right where it connected to its eyes with pinpoint accuracy.

Hiss-hiss~

The shell struck by the beam spewed white smoke, rapidly turning ashen and withered.

In the blink of an eye, the entire upper body of the Whirl-Shell Crab completely melted into a glazed, glassy state, to the point where no tissues were even visible anymore.

With its lower body out of control, it crashed heavily into the pooled water and died completely.

"Awoo-roar!"

Without stopping, Xuebing swept its thick tail horizontally, carrying a fierce wind pressure as it viciously whipped another human-faced jellyfish that attempted a sneak attack, sending water splashing everywhere and denting its translucent body.

[Tri-colored Gem Crocodile Lizard, growth progress +20, currently 20/550]
[Tri-colored Gem Crocodile Lizard, growth progress +15, currently 35/550]
...

"So... so strong!" The muscular man in the camouflage vest couldn't help but gasp as he watched Xuebing clear out the remaining monsters as easily as cutting vegetables and melons.

The other Awakened watched in dumbfounded awe, their pressure instantly plummeting.

Yet, Han Ning felt something was a bit off.

The energy flow fed back into his body from Xuebing killing the Whirl-Shell Crab and the human-faced jellyfish had diminished significantly.

[Druid growth progress +30] (Current Lv5, 781/2000)
[Druid growth progress +25] (Current Lv5, 806/2000)

"Decaying by this much?"
"At Lv4, killing a Whirl-Shell Crab could grant me nearly a hundred points of progress, but now it's only around thirty..."

However, Xuebing's gain was also around 20.

Perhaps Xuebing wasn't stealing his "share," but rather the total amount had genuinely decreased.

Could it be that as levels increase, the energy yield from killing lower-level monsters drops drastically?
With the rise in energy quality, the energy of low-level monsters appeared too thin.

Looking at the monster-killing efficiency Xuebing was currently displaying, Han Ning calmed down again.

"If the quality isn't enough, quantity will make up for it. Both of us have grown much stronger now, and our efficiency is no longer on the same level as before."

[Tri-colored Gem Crocodile Lizard, growth progress +12, currently 47/550]
[Druid growth progress +22] (Current Lv5, 828/2000)
...

Just as Xuebing was on a rampage, clearing out the monsters,

"President Wu! Vice President Lin! Vice President Zhao?!"

A cry of surprise from an Awakened suddenly rang out from a certain direction in the combat zone.

Hearing the exclamation, everyone instinctively turned their heads.

At the edge of that swirling, dense fog, a few battered and disheveled figures were supporting one another, wading through the turbid accumulated water and moving toward them with great difficulty.

Leading them was none other than President Wu. He looked listless, with one arm hanging limply at his side, and he was carrying an unconscious Awakened on his back.

Lin Qianqian followed closely behind. The long hair that had been tied at the back of her head was now plastered messily against her cheeks, and her windbreaker was torn in multiple places, revealing bandages soaked in blood underneath.

...

"President!" "Sister Qianqian!" "Old Zhao!"
"Quick, hurry and save them."

After a brief moment of shock, the crowd burst into emotional shouts.

The Awakened immediately swarmed forward, lending hands to help them onto a relatively dry floating debris platform. Those with healing abilities immediately began checking injuries, treating wounds, and handing over clean water and food.

Surrounded by the crowd, Lin Qianqian sat down, her gaze immediately bypassing the people to land on Han Ning, who stood not far away.

"Sister Qianqian, it's so good that you're okay." Yu Na squatted beside Lin Qianqian, looking like she wanted to hug her but didn't dare.

Leaning close to Lin Qianqian's ear, she whispered, "If it weren't for Han Ning, all of us probably would have died today."

Hearing this, a weak smile forced its way onto Lin Qianqian's pale face, and her tone was sincere: "Han Ning... Nana, thank you. Thank you everyone, for saving us."

Watching Lin Qianqian's slightly glowing eyes, Han Ning calmly shook his head: "Just a casual effort."

He couldn't possibly say that the main reason was that there were so many of them to serve as meat shields, and Boss Lin's healer skills were genuinely useful—it would be a pity if she died, right?

Lin Qianqian didn't say anything more, merely offering Han Ning a gentle, charming smile before closing her eyes in exhaustion, letting the others tend to her wounds.

Under everyone's emergency treatment and energy replenishment, President Wu, Lin Qianqian, Vice President Zhao, and the other survivors stabilized their conditions at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Around the same time, Xuebing had completely cleaned up most of the remaining monsters in the vicinity.

It roamed back trailing a scent of blood, quietly lying down at Han Ning's feet.

Struggling to sit up straight, President Wu surveyed the gradually calming battlefield around them, looked at the massive port machinery outlines looming in the depths of the distant fog, and finally fixed his gaze on Han Ning, speaking in a tone akin to seeking advice and asking for a favor:

"The monsters on the periphery have been almost entirely cleared out by Mr. Han..."
"Mr. Han, should we take advantage of this moment, before the frightened monsters gather again, to check the berth area and see if the ships are still there?"