HPDBC Chapter 61 Adds Sequence 2
Chapter 61 Adds Sequence 2
"Thank you, Brother Dao! How's Xiao Luo?"
Xu Sichong waved his hand at her, indicating that Xiao Luo was alright.
Jiao Jiao breathed a sigh of relief, sat down next to Ta Shan, and whispered, "Brother Shan, don't be sad, they're not good people."
Tashan paused for a moment, gave a muffled "hmm," and continued working, only slowing down his movements.
As night deepened, the wind and snow seemed to intensify, howling and wailing as they swept across the dilapidated buildings, producing a sound like ghostly cries.
The candlelight flickered in the wind, casting long shadows on everyone's faces.
Xu Si stuffed the last bit of the hard-to-swallow dried fish into his mouth, swallowed it whole, then closed his eyes and began to guide the stellar energy within his body to flow slowly, nourishing his tired body and spirit. At the same time, he spared a wisp of his mind to feel the restrained yet powerful energy brought by the Ice Heart within his body.
Time passed in a symphony of silence and snow.
The little girl hadn't slept at all, and every now and then she would tiptoe over to check on Su Su's condition, or help her tuck something in to keep her warm.
In the latter half of the night, the wind and snow gradually subsided, leaving only fine snowflakes occasionally drifting down from the cracks in the broken roof.
The candlelight burned more steadily, illuminating the small space in a dim, yellowish glow.
Xu Si awoke from his shallow meditation, feeling that his spirit and energy had been largely restored.
He looked towards the direction of the pickup truck. Su Su's breathing had become steady and long, and the restless blood and qi around her body had subsided. Her face was still pale, but the pain between her brows had disappeared.
It seems the most dangerous moment has passed, and promotion to Sequence 2 is only a matter of time.
He gently opened the car door, and the cold air rushed in instantly, invigorating him.
Tashan leaned against the wall, hugging his petrified arms, seemingly asleep, but he immediately opened his eyes when Xu Si approached.
"I'm fine." Tashan's voice was a little hoarse, but his eyes had regained their usual composure.
"It's just... I feel a bit choked up." This guy, who usually loves to sleep the most, was unusually unusually not carefree today.
Xu Si sat down next to him and picked up a small stick to poke at the candle flame in front of him.
"It's better to be congested than empty," he said casually.
"In this world, when the heart is empty, a person is truly dead."
Tashan was silent for a moment, then nodded heavily.
In fact, he didn't need someone to tell him the truth.
In the end times, with the exception of a very few individuals, everyone's heart is transparent.
On the other side, Fu Xiaojian also opened his eyes. In the light of the candlelight, the gloom in the depths of his eyes seemed to have melted away, replaced by a kind of settled bitterness. His gaze toward Xu Si was somewhat complicated.
The three grown men stood silently facing the candlelight.
After a long silence, Tashan sighed and patted his knees with his huge rocky hand.
"I just... I just feel that if I could be a little stronger, like you, Knife, maybe I could..."
"You can't save everyone. If it's my turn someday, I hope you'll be a little selfish. Living is more important than anything else," Fu Xiaojian interrupted him.
Tashan was stunned.
His rock-hard fist clenched, then slowly relaxed.
"I... understand."
"Only by living can we keep moving forward. If you die, you really have nothing left."
Xu Si also has a younger sister. When he needs to be selfish, he will be more selfish than anyone else.
Since things have already been said to this extent, there is no need for anyone else to offer further advice.
"Brother Dao, Brother Dao, come and see my aunt!" The little girl was visibly panicked.
Xu Si immediately stood up, and Fu Xiaojian and Tashan followed closely behind to the pickup truck.
By this time, the pickup truck was no longer the pristine vehicle it once was. The cargo bed had several large holes, and the body had several dents. Calling it a battle-damaged version would not be an exaggeration.
On the passenger side of the pickup truck, Su Su's aura was undergoing a dramatic change.
Her previously restrained blood and qi now surged like boiling lava beneath her skin, radiating intense heat that even caused wisps of white steam to rise from the heavy clothing covering her.
Her face was no longer pale, but flushed with an unnatural redness. Her tightly furrowed brows were filled with struggle and pain. Her teeth were clenched, and a suppressed whimper, like that of a wounded young animal, came from her throat.
"This is... a sequence backlash?" Fu Xiaojian frowned, his tone grave.
Combat-oriented advancement is generally extremely dangerous. For example, the Stoneborn of Tashan need to severely damage their own bodies to advance, and the Fist Servant must go through a life-or-death battle to advance.
"Sequence advancement can have backlashes?" Xu Si was speechless; he had never heard of such a thing.
"In most cases, advancement is possible without any problems, but the awakening of a sequence-transcendent always comes at a price. If the transcendent individual cannot bear this price, it may cause a backlash during the sequence advancement!"
"What should we do? Brother Dao, Brother Fu, please think of something! Please!" Jiao Jiao was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes, and she was at a loss.
Xu Si stepped forward, a trace of extreme cold energy gathering at his fingertips, and gently touched Su Su's burning forehead.
"laugh--"
As the icy mist rose, Su Su's body trembled violently. The scorching heat around her seemed to be suppressed for a moment, but then it rebounded even more violently!
"No!" Fu Xiaojian pressed down on Xu Si's hand.
"Forcibly suppressing her will only make the backlash worse. This is her own battle, and we can't help her."
Tashan clenched his fists, his rocky knuckles cracking: "Are we just going to stand by and watch?"
"The price of the Su Su Fist Servant sequence is indifference. If there were a corresponding artifact to offset this price, it might be helpful! But where can we find such an artifact now!"
Xu Si's expression became somewhat puzzling. Could it be that fate had ordained this in the dark?
"This was found on that orc bear, it should help Su Su get through this difficult time!" Xu Si said, taking out the exquisitely crafted brass knuckles.
After receiving it, Fu Xiaojian was also surprised by how well its characteristics matched and how reasonable the price was.
These characteristics and costs seem tailor-made for Su Su.
After all, this was considered a spoil of war for the convoy, and Fu Xiaojian couldn't just dispose of it privately, so he looked at Tashan.
"I have no objection! Quickly put it on her and let her try it on!"
Fu Xiaojian handed the [Violent Tiger] to Jiao Jiao: "Put it on her."
With trembling hands, Jiao Jiao carefully slipped the brass knuckles onto Su Su's right hand.
The moment the brass knuckles, neither gold nor stone, touched Su Su's skin, the animal-shaped patterns on them seemed to come alive, flowing with a dark luster.
"Buzz—"
A deep, guttural roar, seemingly from the ancient wilderness, resounded in everyone's hearts.
Su Su's surging blood and qi seemed to have found an outlet, rushing wildly towards the brass knuckles she was wearing in her right hand.
The stripes on the brass knuckles grew brighter and brighter, radiating a scorching heat that even slightly distorted the surrounding air.
The abnormal flush on Su Su's face quickly faded, her tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and the suppressed sobs in her throat turned into long and steady breaths.
The restless aura emanating from her body, like a tamed wild beast, gradually subsided and became more restrained, eventually stabilizing completely.
A far more powerful and refined aura emanated from her body, carrying the sharpness and strength unique to combat units.
Sequence 2, done!