Chapter 238: A-Grade Talent: Cryo-Energy Radiation (Upgradeable)

Qi Suian captured the unknown survivor.

He quickly left and found a safe area—a location the Black Crystal Tide wouldn’t reach for at least ten hours.

Then, of course, the first order of business was to begin dissecting the survivor.

"Just as I thought. A unique mutation formed from radiation and cold energy."

"Even with guided artificial interference, this type of mutation would require a great deal of time and resources. In contrast, a random mutation like this, born of pure luck, formed incredibly quickly."

"So, as long as I can fashion it into... huh? You’re awake?" Qi Suian was in the middle of summarizing his findings when he noticed the survivor had unexpectedly regained consciousness.

Evidently, the mutations in the man’s body had significantly reduced the anesthetic’s effectiveness, causing him to wake up earlier than planned.

Gao Zhong, groggily waking up, saw the Tai Sui Divine Armor and was shocked fully awake on the spot.

"You... You... Violator! How are you not dead?!" Gao Zhong stammered.

He had never personally faced the violator, Qi Suian, but back in the Cold Winter World, Qi Suian’s attacks on the world’s capitals had been big news.

At the time, the cold energy hadn’t yet arrived, so news still spread rapidly online. Naturally, he knew what the Tai Sui God looked like.

Even though the Tai Sui Divine Armor wasn’t as bulky as before, its overall frame was unchanged.

The previous limited-time event regarding the violator had been completed, which meant the violator was dead.

But now, Gao Zhong was seeing the violator again. How could he not be terrified?

"Couldn’t I have just killed the violator and taken his gear?" Qi Suian lied without skipping a beat.

Hearing this, Gao Zhong calmed down. ’That seems to make sense.’

It was common knowledge that the Doomsday Game would alert any survivor whenever a violator came within a one-kilometer radius.

Gao Zhong hadn’t received such an alert. Therefore, it was reasonable to assume this person wasn’t a violator.

But he soon realized a very serious problem.

’Even if he isn’t a violator, he still means me harm!’

He looked at the surrounding environment and equipment, then considered his own powerlessness and the gruesome state of his body.

’I’ve fallen into the hands of a psychopathic killer.’

He couldn’t help but swallow. "We’re all survivors," he said. "We should be sticking together."

Gao Zhong tried to appeal to Qi Suian’s conscience.

"Actually, you were right the first time. I am the violator," Qi Suian said, telling the truth.

This left Gao Zhong utterly speechless. ’Is it really necessary to mess with me like this?’

"You won’t get anything by killing me."

"I’m just an ordinary survivor. I don’t have any items or equipment." Gao Zhong began to argue that he was worthless.

Qi Suian nodded. "I know. The Doomsday Game is stingy. Apart from the top-tier survivors, low and mid-tier survivors at this stage can’t get their hands on that kind of stuff."

That being said, the survivors in the Wasteland World were pretty much all low or mid-tier.

Anyone with potential or sufficient strength had already died back in the Cold Winter World.

"So there’s no point in killing me. Let me go, and we can get through this crisis together."

"The limited-time event is about to end. An extra person means extra strength." Hearing Qi Suian’s words, Gao Zhong couldn’t help but sigh in relief internally.

’Finally, an opening. As long as I appeal to his reason and better nature, I should be able to make it out of this alive.’

As for turning the tables and killing his captor? The thought hadn’t even crossed his mind.

This man had killed a violator and was wearing his armor. How could he possibly be a match for him?

Even though his heart was filled with hatred and rage, he had to endure it for the sake of his own life.

"You don’t seem to realize your own value."

"Why don’t you open your talent panel and have a look?" Qi Suian said, continuing his research, unconcerned about letting his subject know his own condition.

At Qi Suian’s prompting, Gao Zhong recalled seeing a notification about a new talent just before he passed out.

[A-Rank Talent: Cold Energy Radiation (Upgradable)]

When he saw the words "A-Rank," his mind went blank.

He’d never dreamed he would have anything to do with A-Rank quality. Then, he saw the parenthetical note: "Upgradable."

For a moment, he simply couldn’t comprehend how he’d come to possess such a talent.

This meant A-Rank wasn’t the talent’s ceiling; it could be raised even higher.

Even if it only reached S-Rank, that alone would be a game-changing transformation for him.

But he quickly came back to his senses. He wasn’t free; he had been captured by an unknown survivor.

Worse, his captor knew about his talent. And more importantly, this guy probably wasn’t a psychopathic killer, but a mad scientist.

"See? A very nice talent, and an acquired one at that."

"To be honest, this is the first time I’ve ever met a chosen one like you," Qi Suian said with a grin.

"If you want to torture me, just say so. You don’t need to invent some excuse about an ’acquired talent’," Gao Zhong said coldly.

He couldn’t deny it outright; he had to do it indirectly.

Otherwise, it would be a dead giveaway.

Not only would it fail to fool his enemy, it would actually allow him to confirm the truth.

"I don’t know the exact quality of your talent, but I’m sure it can’t reach S-Rank. A-Rank at most."

"So it will have a lot of limitations. Cold energy and radiation don’t exactly pair well."

"And I suspect it will also be subject to environmental restrictions."

"In the Cold Winter World and the Wasteland World, it should be able to display its full effects."

"But in any other Doomsday World, its effectiveness will be drastically reduced."

Hearing this, Gao Zhong panicked, especially when Qi Suian uttered the words "A-Rank."

But he forced himself to remain calm, not wanting to expose the truth.

The lower his value, the higher his chances of survival.

But now, it seemed his captor was completely certain. Otherwise, how could he have stated all that information so accurately?

"You don’t need to worry. Why would I torture you?"

"Ever since I started experimenting on you, I’ve been using anesthetics to keep you from feeling any pain."

"So even if you have to die, you won’t feel any pain. It will be just like falling asleep," Qi Suian comforted him softly.

It wasn’t out of kindness. It was because Gao Zhong’s emotional fluctuations would affect his hormonal secretions.

And that could easily affect the experiment.

"You want my talent?" Gao Zhong suddenly understood. No matter how much he tried to hide or pretend, his captor wouldn’t care.

He was a dead man. But he was unwilling to accept it. He would rather destroy this upgradable A-Rank talent than let Qi Suian get it for nothing.

"No, I don’t want it," Qi Suian refused without the slightest hesitation.

What would he do with someone else’s talent? His own were more than enough.

Besides, a person’s talents were only suited for them.

If you plundered a talent from someone else and used it directly without adapting it, it would be incompatible.

Unless you possessed an X-Rank talent like a reincarnator’s Hyper-Dimensional Evolution, which would allow the talent to adapt to you during its evolution process, it was useless.

The evolution from the Zombie Dominator’s ’Devour and Evolve’ barely counted. But since that talent was only SSS-Rank, it couldn’t compare to an X-Rank one.

"Then what do you want?"

"Let me at least die knowing why." Gao Zhong was scornful of Qi Suian’s answer. This was an A-Rank talent. No survivor could resist that temptation.

Especially one that could grow. If other survivors found out, they would kill him for it at any cost.

"It’s a bit complicated. To summarize, I’m going to use you to stop the Black Crystal Tide." This time, Qi Suian wasn’t lying.

Gao Zhong’s expression froze.

"Are you insane? Can’t we just hide from it?!" Qi Suian’s answer completely broke through Gao Zhong’s composure.

"You’re still too naive," Qi Suian said, shaking his head.

In the Cold Winter World, if Qi Suian hadn’t dealt with the Red Blood Dragon in advance, no survivor would have made it to the Wasteland World.

The same was true this time, especially since the Black Crystal Tide had accelerated after being provoked by Qi Suian.

Forget surviving for three days; surviving the first twenty-four hours was doubtful.

"Enough chit-chat. Time’s about up. You should be on your way," Qi Suian said, wiping the blood from his hands.

The next step was to turn Gao Zhong into a special kind of explosive, one that would be used to create the battlefield where he would kill Yu Shijin.

Gao Zhong naturally panicked and tried to beg for his life, but Qi Suian gave him no opportunity, terminating his life on the spot.

* * *

"Where did he run? Why can’t I find him?"

"Jack, you coward!" Yu Shijin shrieked, madly engulfing everything on the planet with the Black Crystal Tide.

Whether they were so-called pure-bloods, mutants, irradiated creatures, or even other survivors—all died in the high-concentration radiation of the Black Crystal Tide.

"Come out! Get out here and fight me to the death!"

"Hah! Not coming out, are you? Once the entire planet is consumed by the Black Crystal Tide, we’ll see where you can hide!"

Yu Shijin had gone completely mad. Especially after being slapped by Qi Suian and enduring those three taunts, he had lost all reason.

But he couldn’t find Qi Suian, leaving him with no outlet for his fury. And so, in his impotent rage, his madness only grew.

"Faster, faster!"

"Before this day is over, I will have the entire planet encased in black crystal."

"BWAHAHAHA!" Yu Shijin laughed maniacally.

The last vestiges of his sanity tried to pull him back from the brink, but it was no use. Instead, his reason was devoured by the madness.

At the very last moment, his reason flared with one final glimmer of light, managing to calm Yu Shijin down.

He reverted to the state he was in during his time as leader of the Steel Brotherhood.

"It’s the radiation... it’s affecting me. Damn it, I have to find a way... It’s too late."

In that moment, Yu Shijin understood. He was being controlled by his own power.

Three hundred years of solitude, compounded by countless traumas—especially his choice to command the radiation with his very soul—meant that everything was now headed for an irreversible abyss.

After he spoke those words, his sanity vanished completely. From that point on, he was no longer Yu Shijin, but a madman consumed by the power of radiation.

He was still him, but his consciousness was no longer his own.