Speculations about Awakening Abilities

"Extracting life essence from corpses?" Duke speculated in his mind. Awakened individuals possessed a wide variety of abilities, especially combat-related ones which were highly sought after. Besides combat abilities, there were also awakened individuals with abilities related to everyday life, like those who could catalyze plant growth – especially valuable in times of resource scarcity.

With the last crystal in his hand, Duke pondered for a moment before deciding to absorb it. Although it could provide sustenance for Monica, they were currently in a quarantine zone with infected individuals lurking around. Enhancing his combat capabilities was more important at the moment.

This crystal was slightly larger, extracted from the "scar-faced" man. Duke could sense that the Force provided by this crystal was stronger than the previous one. He speculated that this had to do with the strength of the deceased person – the stronger their strength in life, the greater the energy provided by the crystal extracted from their body.

However, he still had a question – was this extraction ability effective only for those he had personally killed, or could it work on any corpse? There was no opportunity to verify this question right now.

Suddenly, a chilling breath from outside, accompanied by a strong scent of blood, reached their ears. Duke and Monica both stood up, realizing that infected individuals were nearby.

"Shh." Duke gestured for Monica to stay quiet. Although his Force had been enhanced, he was still inadequate to deal with infected individuals mutated from awakened ones. Both Monica and Duke tried their best to remain silent, but the approaching breath and the scent of blood grew closer.

"The smell of fresh blood." A terrifying voice echoed, as if coming from the depths of a chest. Duke and Monica's gaze fixed on the door as the infected individual reached their doorstep.

"Knock, knock." It sounded as if someone was lightly tapping the door. In an instant, their heartbeats quickened, their eyes fixed on the door. Duke even grasped the dagger on his boot. Time seemed to slow down, then suddenly accelerate. Then heavy footsteps grew closer, finally fading into the distance.

As the sound gradually receded, they breathed a sigh of relief, their breaths calming slightly. However, a male voice came from outside.

"It was here, now I don't know where it went."

It was Alexander's voice. He had warned Duke not to go out tonight. Alexander was a member of the J City Enforcement Bureau, responsible for handling infected individuals and mutant creatures.

"It's been fatally wounded, so it shouldn't have gone too far. Let's search the area nearby." Another female voice sounded – another member of the Enforcement Bureau.

"Alright, I'll check on this family first." 

In an instant, Duke felt nervous. He knew that if the Enforcement Bureau members discovered their room, the evidence hidden within would be exposed.

Although his actions were in self-defense, murder wasn't a minor matter. The syringes and blood-stained bowls in the room were sensitive pieces of evidence. In a split second, he rushed to the door, opened it, and walked out without hesitation.

"It, did the infected one leave?"

  Facing their gazes, the young boy appeared somewhat frightened. Alexander recognized the boy as the one he warned Duke about.

"Is that you?" Alexander's gaze landed on the boy, then glanced at the small girl by the door. She leaned weakly against the door frame, trembling all over, her eyes vacant. The room was in darkness, with no other figures present.

  "Well, are you scared? Don't worry, with us here, you'll be safe," Alexander said with a smile as he reached out his hand, attempting to pat Monica on the head. However, she seemed quite timid and immediately recoiled, leaving only a small gap through which she watched the two at the door. Alexander and the one beside him, Martha, both chuckled at her reaction.

"Monica, don't be afraid, they're high-ranking members of the Enforcement Bureau. They'll protect us."

Alexander seemed satisfied with this response. He knew that both were unharmed and nodded, "Young man, you did well. Don't be afraid, and absolutely do not make a sound. Is it just the two of you here? Where are your parents?" Duke looked somewhat perplexed at them. 

Alexander and Martha exchanged a knowing glance, understanding the situation.

In the slums, orphans like this weren't uncommon. Although the slums were situated near the city walls, the roads leading to the wilderness were often perilous. Those who ventured into the wilderness for work were easily killed by mutant creatures, tragedies that happened from time to time.

Alexander patted Duke on the shoulder, just as a voice came through the radio.

"Captain, I've searched the vicinity but found no trace of Infected #2. It seems to have escaped quite far."

Both Alexander and Martha frowned. The infected  individual from earlier was just a level one initial-stage awakened mutation – it shouldn't have been a major concern. Even if injured, it shouldn't have gotten that far.

However, as they were contemplating, Duke looked up towards the distance. From the direction the infected individual had fled, he seemed to have noticed something – a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

A few hundred meters away, the abandoned church that once stood in the slums now radiated a vivid green light. The color matched the aura that appeared after the scar-faced man's death.

This prominent aura, however, seemed to have gone unnoticed by everyone except Duke. Neither Alexander, Martha, nor even Monica saw it.

"Where could it have gone?" Alexander furrowed his brows. One infected individual was still unaccounted for, and eliminating it was their top priority.

Yet Duke's gaze remained fixed on the faintly shimmering green aura a few hundred meters away. He felt a certain urge, a strong impulse.

If he could obtain life crystals generated by infected individuals after their deaths, it would greatly enhance his Force. Becoming an awakened individual might provide them with a chance to leave this dangerous slum and live in a safer city.

"Sir, I know where it went," Duke suddenly spoke, capturing Alexander's attention.

"You saw it?"

"Yeah, even though I was scared just now, I still took a peek out the window. I can take you there."

Alexander and Martha exchanged a glance, both surprised. After all, someone who could remain composed under such circumstances was already commendable. The fact that this young boy dared to observe the movements of the infected individual, especially considering the situation earlier, was truly astonishing. However, their immediate concern was dealing with the injured infected individual. Alexander nodded.

"Alright, lead the way, but don't stray more than three meters from me. If we don't find anything, I'll bring you back."

Martha frowned, "Captain Alexander, is it really a good idea to take a child to such a dangerous place?"

Alexander waved his hand, "It's fine. The other infected individual hasn't shown up, and the danger level here is within our control. Let's go." Martha nodded.

"By the way, I'm Alexander, the captain of the J City Enforcement Bureau's division. And this is my deputy, Martha." Alexander laughed heartily, patting Duke's shoulder.

"I'm Duke," Duke responded, though his gaze drifted off, fixed firmly on the faintly shimmering green aura a few hundred meters away. The aura flickered with a mysterious light, as if conveying a certain secret.