Bai Mao breathed a sigh of relief as the team drew closer, and as they were only ten meters away, he prepared to spring up.
Qin Chao exerted a slight force, and a stream of Qi immediately shot at the outer knee of Bai Mao.
Bai Mao had already assumed his ready-to-jump posture, but unfortunately, he couldn't get up and just collapsed.
The rats following closely saw this and showed no mercy; two sharp incisors immediately bit into Bai Mao's thigh.
"Ah---!"
Bai Mao screamed miserably. He slashed his dagger at the rat behind him, but the rat was also fierce, enduring several cuts without letting go.
The few people around Qin Chao were startled by this sight and quickly focused their firepower on the rats that were viciously attacking Bai Mao.
The rats on Bai Mao were killed, but the remaining seven or eight rats rushed past Bai Mao on the ground.
Qin Chao couldn't hide any longer at this point; he dropped his gun and raised his right hand.
A Qi Sword shot out, and the first rat in its path was instantly pierced through, falling to the ground, twitching twice before becoming still.
Seeing this, the remaining rats turned and charged towards Qin Chao.
Qin Chao was delighted by this.
"They're just a bunch of beasts after all, saves me the trouble of aiming."
He wasn't idle with his hands either, charging up and continuously shooting five Qi Swords from his Shaoshang Point.
The remaining rats that were hit died instantly, and even those grazed were left with deep wounds.
Cooperating with the firepower of the five people around, they completely annihilated the rats in a short time.
Looking at Bai Mao seven or eight meters ahead, he was still sprawled on the ground, clutching his thigh and howling. Qin Chao went over to check; the muscles on the back of both his thighs were almost completely ruptured, and his bones were visible.
The others quickly contacted the medical team to take Bai Mao away, and a military officer came over along the way.
The military officer briefly examined Bai Mao's injuries, then surveyed the remaining battlefield, instructing personnel to search the rat corpses for any crystal cores.
Even a mosquito's leg is still meat!
Qin Chao, watching from the side, was also a bit anxious.
"Let me go! I urgently need vital energy!"
Unfortunately, Demonic Beasts killed by the military had to be handed over, and Qin Chao couldn't search for them himself under everyone's watchful eyes.
The military officer walked towards Qin Chao.
"Hello, I am Zhou Qiwen, a military officer from the Evolver Department of 203 Base. I heard you used an ability in the recent battle."
Qin Chao replied, "Yes."
"I checked the department's records, and it seems there isn't a new Evolver like you listed."
Upon hearing this, Qin Chao thought to himself, "Isn't he talking nonsense?"
I only activated this ability today myself, so how could I have reported it?
He could only attribute everything to fate.
"A few days ago, I exchanged for Evolution Fluid through other channels, and today, while fighting, the ability just appeared on its own."
"Oh, I don't have any record of you using a treatment capsule here. Did you just use it directly?"
Qin Chao asked with some surprise, "Treatment capsule? Isn't that only for injuries?"
Zhou Qiwen explained, "Most people need to use a nutrient capsule the first time they use Evolution Fluid, because the first time activating an Evolution is too painful. Many people might go into shock from the pain and never wake up again."
It was only then that Qin Chao understood why Zhang Lei had looked so surprised when he saw him that day, and also why the original Soul of this body had disappeared.
"I didn't feel much discomfort at the time; it just happened in a blur."
Zhou Qiwen glanced at the wounds left on the rats in the distance and said,
"Oh, perhaps your Physique is quite special. However, I've seen your file, and you're not a formal soldier yet. Are you interested in officially joining the 203 Base military? With your ability, you might directly be appointed as an officer."
Qin Chao pondered briefly.
Joining the military offered safety, but any crystal cores obtained would have to be handed over, essentially making him work for free.
With his Golden Finger activated, he didn't know how many resources he would need in the future. Although an officer's salary wasn't low, he wasn't Cultivating slowly.
Under the sustenance of immense resources, his strength might grow rapidly. A mercenary team would be more suitable for him.
Thinking of this, Qin Chao no longer hesitated and replied,
"I've just acquired my ability and am not yet familiar with this aspect. I don't want to make a choice too early. Thank you for your invitation; I'd like to consider it."
Zhou Qiwen heard Qin Chao's reply, just smiled, and said,
"No problem. Although resources are acquired slower in the military, there are some precious resources that are not available outside. You can learn more about it. If you are willing, we welcome you at any time."
After speaking, he didn't linger and directly turned to continue directing the cleanup.
After the crystal cores were dug out, the corpses could not be left on the spot. The smell of blood was too strong, fearing it would attract other Demonic Beasts and cause trouble for the teams behind.
Zhou Qiwen watched as the staff processed and buried the last of the corpses. His communicator on his wrist vibrated. After checking it, he waved to Qin Chao and left.
The team regained order and continued to advance.
Qin Chao continued to follow the team, while also contemplating where to secure a source of vital energy, as this was his foundation.
Amidst the vast fleeing procession, a stumbling figure in the distance was approaching.
In Su Ling's mind, it wasn't the disheveled state from her fierce battle with the Crimson Flame Cloud Tiger, but rather the casualties among the civilians during the evacuation from the city.
The entire 203 Base had a population of approximately 130,000, but unfortunately, fewer than 100,000 escaped, with thirty to forty thousand people remaining forever in that base.
Su Ling, of course, knew what fate awaited those who didn't escape, but she didn't want to think about it.
Su Ling's body trembled.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it."
After speaking, a great chill emanated from her, and ice mist permeated the air, but unfortunately, it stopped abruptly after not lasting long.
Su Ling pressed her hand to her chest. She had single-handedly held back that Advanced fifth-tier Demonic Beast for the evacuation of everyone. If not for the protection of her family's Spiritual Artifact, she would have surely perished.
She glanced at the route map sent by her subordinates on her personal terminal just before the evacuation and continued forward.
Here, Qin Chao had just mastered a new ability, but he was troubled by the lack of vital energy input, and he couldn't contain his impatience. He often left the team alone, hoping to find and kill some stray Demonic Beasts. Unfortunately, Qin Chao's position was in the middle of the team, and the nearby Demonic Beasts had already been mostly cleared by the teams ahead. He searched for several days without finding any, though he did see many buried mounds on both sides of the team.
Until the third day,
Qin Chao still walked distractedly on both sides of the team, deep in thought.
"It's already the third day."
He saw that the vital energy value on his panel had increased from 26 to 32 over these past few days.
Qin Chao discovered that the activation of the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian allowed him to absorb vital energy from the air with each breath. However, the current speed was incredibly slow, only 2 points a day. At this rate, he would have to wait another month to activate the third Acupoint.
"No, I have to go out and get some crystal cores today."