To face the Trial Monsters and still gain such additional abilities!
"These three are all just White abilities," Shen Hao commented, his gaze also fixed on the three items. "Basic Electric Shock, Vulnerability Strike, and Perception Enhancement."
One could immediately see the gap between White and Blue abilities from these three.
Compared to Qiuyue's Shock Wave, which immediately boosted combat power, the names of these three abilities alone already seemed lackluster.
What's worse, Shen Hao had asked Qiuyue, and once an ability was chosen and used, it couldn't be removed temporarily.
*Maybe there would be a method to remove it later, but it might come with a significant cost—or even be impossible to undo.*
*As Shen Hao looked at these three abilities, even his Telekinesis seemed superior.*
*Honestly, he couldn't bring himself to care.*
*Equipping any of them wouldn't bring much improvement to his combat strength.*
But that was Shen Hao.
The three people in front of him were staring at the ability balls intently.
They seemed somewhat tempted.
*Their Talents were merely White; therefore, they naturally didn't have high standards when choosing White abilities.*
Especially Yang Jun.
*With just his Talent, he was nothing more than a moving target in front of the Monsters!*
Still, none of the three spoke up. They just looked at Shen Hao with a longing expression.
"Under normal circumstances, the team should reward based on merit. Gifts should be given only for achievements," Shen Hao said with a faint smile, "but given the current critical situation, we should prioritize enhancing your strength. These three abilities—choose whichever one speaks to you and take it."
Instantly, the three of them beamed with excitement.
*They now understood that following a strong Warrior like Shen Hao guaranteed access to ability balls and various equipment. There would undoubtedly be more opportunities like this in the future!*
*If this were a game, Shen Hao was the powerhouse player who not only strengthened himself but also carried his teammates to victory!*
"I want 'Perception Enhancement,'" Chen Sihui was the first to speak, staring sincerely at Shen Hao. "I'll focus on support roles going forward."
"Thank you, Captain. I'll pick Electric Shock then," Dong Gong said thoughtfully, "to see if it complements my Talent."
"In that case, I'll take Vulnerability Strike!" Yang Jun looked gratefully at Shen Hao. His top priority right now was acquiring offensive abilities.
Vulnerability Strike was exactly what he needed!
"Since you've decided, take them now," Shen Hao stood from his seat, his gaze sharp. "Get ready. We'll go find some test subjects. Didn't that Monster promise us a little welcome gift? Let's make sure we return the favor properly—wouldn't want to seem impolite!"
"Yes!" the three of them responded in unison.
With the decision made, everyone sprang into action immediately.
Donghua Middle School had now become a temporary base, and more and more military forces were rushing over.
Manpower was no longer an issue.
Although they had decided to take action against certain Monsters and test their equipment, considering that these Monsters were hiding in the urban area—or even blending in with crowds—a lot of preparation was needed.
Lock onto targets, seal off areas, set up defensive lines.
...
Humanistic District, an old but fairly upscale neighborhood. Due to its proximity to Donghua Middle School, property values had risen steadily over the years. Many early buyers had made significant profit.
He Jin was a typical case.
His family had bought no fewer than twenty properties in this area over the last decade. After graduating from university and trying out life in the city for a few months, he decided to return home and live the comfortable life of a landlord.
Each day, he would stroll around, collect rent from tenants, and check for any damages to the properties.
Today was no different.
"Mrs. Lin, it's time for rent," He Jin said as he stood at a tenant's door without entering. The renter was a thirty-seven-or-so-year-old lady, still charming, living here with her child to support the kid's schooling.
*Although He Jin sometimes felt an itch when facing her, he still had basic decency.*
*To avoid suspicion, he always collected the rent at the door and only glanced inside briefly before leaving.*
But today was different.
As soon as the door opened, a tear-streaked, delicate face appeared. She grabbed He Jin's arm tightly. "What do I do, Little Jin? The school lifted its lockdown, but my Lin Xin hasn't come back yet, and his phone won't connect!"
"Mrs. Lin, don't worry," He Jin felt something pressing against his arm, and his throat subtly tensed. "Call the school and inquire—if that doesn't work, report it to the police. With this many troops outside, he's not going anywhere."
"I've tried calling—the teachers and principal don't answer, and I even asked Lin Xin's classmates, but he hasn't returned home. Could something have happened?"
"Don't panic. I know someone from the education department; I'll call them for you."
"Thank you, thank you! Please come in and have a seat—thank you so much!"
He Jin felt himself being pulled inside by the arm. Initially, he wanted to object because it seemed inappropriate, but somehow, her strength felt unusually overwhelming, and he was practically dragged in without resistance.
It wasn't until the door closed that he realized what had happened, his face instantly flushing red.
*Could Mrs. Lin be longing for companionship after such a long separation from her husband? Was she making advances on him?*
*Even the curtains appeared to have been drawn shut!*
*Should he accept her advances—or not accept them?*
"Little Jin, have some tea."
*He Jin indeed felt thirsty, but he remembered the pressing matter.* "Let me make the call first."
"Thank you so much! Just take a sip of tea first."
"No need to rush," He Jin said, looking at her delicate face, growing increasingly flustered. Standing up hastily, he added, "I'll call now, Mrs. Lin—it seems like you're really worried."
"Drink the tea!"
Suddenly, her voice grew louder, startling He Jin.
When he looked at her face again, it seemed slightly distorted.
*"Just drink the tea—why don't you understand?"*
"Mrs. Lin, you—" He Jin stared at her, completely bewildered.
*Was it really necessary to make such a big deal about having tea?*
But then, he witnessed something he would never forget.
The charming, delicate face in front of him suddenly turned red—blood red. In fact, blood seemed to ooze from her pores as if she were sweating.
"Mrs. Lin, your face!"
He Jin began trembling all over as he watched the blood grow denser and thicker. It didn't drip downward but instead converged, swirling grotesquely across her face.
"What a hassle," came her chilling murmur. "Just drink the tea. It's so simple."
"Ghost!" He Jin screamed in terror, stumbling and rolling backward. All he wanted in that moment was to wake up from this nightmare.
But suddenly, threads of blood—like thin, nerve-like filaments—shot forth and quickly wrapped him tightly.
"Be good," the blood-dripping figure said in the soft voice of the lady. "Drink this bowl of tea."
"No! I can't..." He Jin struggled with all his might, his eyes rolling back, nearly fainting from the overwhelming fear.
But just then—
BANG—!