I hacked through the chaotic world with my blade
Chapter 57 - 054 The Role of Crystals

Chapter 57: Chapter 054 The Role of Crystals

Desert, the base.

"Professor, the substance within this crystal isn’t any known material to us."

The researcher reported the situation, they had been studying the crystal since they acquired it, hoping to unlock the secret of the zombies. Their greatest wish was to develop a gas lethal to zombies but harmless to humans, thereby eradicating the undead.

"How stable is the energy?"

"It’s very stable. The protective layer around the crystal is like crystal but its structure is quite strange. It’s similar to our skin, yet much harder than skin."

The professor pondered. Being capable of serving as a base, the equipment here was naturally top-notch, but even with all the top-notch equipment, they still hadn’t figured out the function of the crystal found in the zombies’ heads.

That young researcher once said that in novels, absorbing energy from crystals could grant superhuman powers.

He had contacted both Dragon Palace Base and Galaxy Base.

After discovering the crystallization in the zombies’ heads, they had also tried capturing and killing zombies but hadn’t observed any crystals in their heads, ultimately concluding that regular zombies did not have them.

Only special zombies had crystals.

It indicated a situation that was even more alarming: zombies could evolve. This was not good news for the living. If a way to counter the zombies wasn’t found soon, humanity might truly...

The unthinkable.

Sunshine District.

Lin Fan handed the book to Grandpa Wang, and then gave the toy to Mengmeng before heading back to his post to continue working.

Room 804.

"Grandpa, what’s this?" Chen He looked at the book handed to him by the elder with a bit of helpless confusion.

"I had Lin Fan find these books for you. They’re all related to the internet. I don’t understand these topics, but you are an expert in this area. Think it over when you have time, and you’ll find a way. After all, Lin Fan’s internet is still waiting for you to fix," said Grandpa Wang with a chuckle.

He always liked bringing warmth to others.

It’s alright if we don’t understand.

As long as we are willing to learn, we will definitely understand.

Chen He looked at the books, then lifted his gaze to Grandpa Wang, his eyes revealing a sense of bewilderment and helplessness. This was serious business.

"Thank you, Grandpa."

He accepted the old man’s kindness.

So, he would read the books.

When Feifei returned from school and saw Uncle Chen He holding two thick books, her eyes sparkled. Accustomed to the post-apocalyptic learning routine, seeing her uncle studying filled her young heart with immense satisfaction.

But it was far from enough.

"Hello, Grandpa Wang," greeted Feifei cheerfully.

"Good, good, what a good girl," replied Grandpa Wang with a beaming smile, kindly as ever. Though confined to the district, the occasional chats with the young people kept his spirits high.

Soon after.

Feifei turned to Chen He, "Uncle, Tingting is already eight years old, she should be in second grade by now. Grandma Liang’s teaching quality is really good. How about letting Tingting join me in my studies?"

Still not fully recovered from the shock of the apocalypse, Tingting raised her head upon hearing this, looking innocently at her sister Feifei.

If she were a little adult, she would undoubtedly have a thought: Wow... how can this girl be so cunning?

Chen He looked at Feifei, then at Grandpa Wang, the books in his hands, and finally at his silly daughter.

If this is a dream, please let me wake up soon.

For some reason, he always felt that the people in this district were strange.

Not that they were bad.

But they were truly odd.

...

In Huang City, atop the roof of a certain district.

"I’ve got it, I’ve got it..."

A seemingly deranged young man held a Zombie Crystal in his hand, giggling madly, his face flushed with excitement.

His name was Jiang Hao.

An avid reader who had spent ten years reading novels. Since the apocalypse, he had been struggling to survive like other survivors but the young man thought of the scenarios in novels - whether there were crystals inside the zombies’ heads.

Even though zombies could run fast and were very strong, these creatures had no brains. He had managed to kill a zombie using strategies but found nothing inside its head.

Later, he encountered an odd-looking zombie and felt sure there had to be a crystal in its head.

Originally there were seven other survivors including him, eight in total, but in order to find out whether there was a crystal inside that zombie’s head, he tricked the other seven survivors to their deaths and eventually found one in the zombie’s head.

"Absorb the crystal, and I’ll become formidable. After that, continue killing zombies, keep getting stronger, I can reign as the king in this apocalypse, and become the true overlord. Then, what is there that I can’t have?"

He imagined many scenes in his mind.

It was just like in many novels, surrounded by admirers and standing at the pinnacle of the world. Just thinking about it was thrilling.

Looking at the crystal in his hand, which he had cleaned, he was afraid the crystal was contaminated with zombie blood, that he might turn into a zombie upon ingesting it.

He swallowed it in one gulp, directly down into his stomach.

It was the only method he could think of, as the surface was too hard; holding it in his mouth was useless, so he eventually decided to swallow it.

Jiang Hao stood up straight, stretched out his arms, embracing the entire world.

"Come on, I’m ready. Let this power change my body, grant me extraordinary power. I want to be the king of the apocalypse, the ruler who changes women every single day of the year."

"Hahaha..."

A moment later.

"Hmm?"

Jiang Hao touched his body, feeling no change in himself, which was puzzling. This was not what he had imagined.

"How can this be? Is the crystal really useless?"

Suddenly.

Intense pain erupted in his abdomen.

"Ah, here it comes, it’s coming."

Jiang Hao was in such pain that he clutched his stomach and rolled on the ground. Yet even so, his expression remained manic, the look of anticipation no longer hidden.

All he could think about now was the bright future after gaining strength.

Wow!

Unable to bear it anymore, blood gushed from his mouth.

He coughed violently.

With each cough came more blood.

Cough cough cough cough...

The ground was stained red.

Jiang Hao sensed something was wrong and his face showed a look of horror.

How could this be, it’s impossible.

Wow...

Another mouthful of blood sprayed out.

The thick blood even included chunks of flesh, seeming as if some internal organ had rotted and shattered, ejecting directly from his body.

"Impossible..."

"Impossible..."

Jiang Hao felt weak, his consciousness gradually blurring, lying powerlessly on the ground, staring blankly at the sky, his body involuntarily trembling, as blood poured out from his mouth, nose, ears, and eyes.

Gradually.

There was no more movement, even though he was already dead, blood still flowed out.

A young man who went through hardships, killed countless survivors, finally obtained a crystal, hoped for extraordinary power, dreamed of being surrounded by women and becoming a king of the apocalypse, died in despair amidst his expectations.

Sunshine District.

"This smells so good."

Lin Fan sniffed the air, catching the aroma. It turned out that Sister Li was cooking at home, and he immediately felt at ease, Sister Li’s culinary skills were indeed pretty good.

He checked the time.

It was already half past ten.

"It’s about time to go back and cook."

Life in this post-apocalyptic world certainly couldn’t be compared to before.

But nonetheless.

Striving to live a better life was essential.

Back at home.

He opened the fridge to see not much food left; he would need to think about going out to buy some in the afternoon.