Regarding the matter of awakening lightning abilities after transformation

"Sizzle..."

Hearing the strange rat's sharp hiss, Gu Cheng took a deep breath, opened her palm and then clenched it again.

"...I really don't want to use the gift she gave me to cut these dirty things."

A burst of lightning flashed, and rapid footsteps accompanied the slicing sound of blades cutting through flesh. Gu Cheng swiftly swung his Tang sword, leaving several afterimages behind him.

In less than half a minute, all the strange rats perished here. The bright red liquid flowed down the floor tiles and into the ceiling of the next floor. Gu Cheng gently flipped her wrist and held the entire blade horizontally in front of her chest. The reddish-brown bloodstains melted away inch by inch like snow falling in spring.

"That should work..."

Looking out the window, the ground is no more than twenty meters above the ground, about four or five stories high, beyond the reach of bio-electric radar.

Wait, what's that...? Something seemed to move a few times in her field of vision. Gu Cheng squinted, trying to see the distance with the help of the starlight.

As the shadowy figure drew closer, the women finally realized that they were not alone and helpless in the crevice.

Chapter 338 Sorrow (Section 344)

Seeing a fellow human in the crack brought a sense of joy, like meeting an old friend in a foreign land, even though the unknown awakened one in front of him was wearing a heavy protective suit, with various equipment hanging from his waist, and even carrying two large, portable rocket launchers on his back.

As expected of the reinforcements sent by the military, so many weapons and ammunition could arm at least one or two more people. Gu Cheng shifted her gaze, her fair and smooth throat moving slightly.

"Hello, may I ask which special operations team you serve in?"

The man removed his protective helmet, revealing a standard buzz cut underneath. His face was rugged and masculine, with a particularly neatly trimmed stubble.

"Group A, Ye Sheng, a limb-enhanced awakener, ability strength B+."

Ye Sheng spoke calmly, bright red liquid dripping down his tactical gloves, the strong smell of blood gradually filling the air. Gu Cheng knew this person; the data showed that he had punched through an eight-centimeter-thick steel plate and torn apart a weak neutral-type hellhound with his bare hands, making him a walking armor-piercing bullet.

This set of equipment was more like a burden to Ye Sheng.

"Group C, Gu Cheng, lightning manipulation, ability strength B+."

“Captain Ouyang and the rest of Team C are on the rooftop. I did a quick cleanup of the monsters on each floor; there's basically no danger, but don't let your guard down,” Gu Cheng pointed to the tall building behind her and added, “Some small creatures are moving too fast and might invade again…”

The man nodded in understanding, his gaze falling on the long sword on Gu Cheng's right side.

"...Miss Gu prefers to use cold weapons in combat?"

Before joining the special operations team, Ye Sheng was a soldier, especially skilled in close combat and close-range fighting. After awakening his ability, most military weapons could not withstand the enormous force in his wrists, and his military knife would be scrapped after a battle.

"It's not that I particularly like it, it's just that my abilities are relatively suited to using a knife." Gu Cheng flipped his hand, and a flash of azure light appeared on the blade. "Attaching an electric current can enhance the blade's power and paralyze monsters at the same time."

Firstly, it makes it easier for Gu Chengyan to analyze the target components and thus complete the concept erasure.

Upon hearing this, Ye Sheng murmured his approval: "A very effective fighting method..."

After speaking, the man quickly walked towards the door, the gust of wind from his footsteps lifting the corner of Gu Cheng's clothes. The latter took a deep breath, and the tense muscles in her back quietly relaxed.

Although she knew Ye Sheng meant no harm, the invisible aura he exuded still made Gu Cheng feel suffocated. They had been too close just now, and the explosive force was enough to penetrate the steel plate, which meant that Ye Sheng's speed could not be slower than Gu Cheng's.

"Within three steps, he'll fight you to the death."

This is Gu Chengyan's deduction.

“I know, after all, Mr. Ye is a combat specialist.”

Gu Cheng's physical strength mainly comes from microcurrent stimulation of the muscles, while his strong endurance is entirely the result of Ying Qiuhuai's modifications. Both can only be considered to be at the peak level of an ordinary awakened person, and cannot compare to a specially enhanced fighting machine.

"But as long as the straight-line distance exceeds fifty meters, he cannot defeat me head-on."

No matter how strong Ye Sheng is, he cannot escape his human identity. Carbon-based life forms would definitely die if subjected to high-intensity electric shocks. Moreover, Gu Chengyan's ability has already reached A-level. High-level awakened beings naturally have a suppressive force over low-level awakened beings.

"Sister Xuewei, Mr. Ye has gone upstairs. You can come out now."

There was no one around. Gu Cheng deliberately lowered her voice as if she were talking to herself. About half a minute later, a young woman with black hair and dark eyes, wearing a simple protective suit, emerged from the darkness.

"clatter..."

The sound of her boot heels striking the ground was clear. Jiang Xuewei steadied herself, and faint golden ripples spread from the soles of her feet.

"When did you find out about me?" she asked Gu Cheng.

“Three minutes ago, the veil near the billboard started to spread. Even if Sister Xuewei moved very quietly, it would be impossible for her to leave no trace.” Gu Cheng replied softly. Back in Su Guo, they often acted together, and she knew the ability to move through shadows all too well.

"I see. It seems you also have many questions for me."

Jiang Xuewei bent down, her slender legs slightly straightened, and the next second, she pulled out a bullpup assault rifle from the shadows and casually tossed it to Gu Cheng.

"Um, Sister Xuewei, I want to know what's going on outside?" Changes inside the crack will be directly reflected in reality, and this mosaic just happened to appear in the city center. Gu Cheng was really worried about the safety of the outside world, especially Su Wanxi.

"The situation is dire. Local residents are being evacuated in batches, the military has deployed all four special operations teams into the Rift, and Awakened individuals from several nearby cities are on their way..."

"Before entering the rift, I obtained some information from Zhishui, including the rift's level classification: intensity, classified as a major disaster."

Just as she had imagined, the girl gently bit her lower lip and looked up to see Jiang Xuewei's expression, which was neither sad nor happy.

"Any other news besides this?"

"One good news, one bad news." The woman touched the bridge of her nose, belatedly realizing that she was wearing contact lenses today, without a frame.

"The good news is that the team in charge of this aid mission includes S-class Awakened individuals, so the casualties should not be as high as the first time we encountered the powerful rift."

"And what's the bad news?"

Jiang Xuewei paused, her tone cold: "The bad news is that I've discovered that some Awakened have died." She took out a small stack of papers from her inner pocket, the edges of which were stained with dark red blood.

"I encountered her while traversing the shadows. When I found her, she had a large hole in her abdomen and had lost too much blood." Opening her ID, an ordinary-looking woman smiled at the camera. She was the C-team member who hadn't arrived yet, with a C- level ability.

Gu Cheng's delicate, upturned eyelashes drooped low, as if bearing an unyielding sorrow. Jiang Xuewei saw this and comforted her.

"I've put her in the shadows, and taking her back for burial is a way of making amends."

Shadow travel allows living people to enter Jiang Xuewei's shadow, but as long as the other party has the characteristic of being alive, they will still be swept away by spatial turbulence when crossing the rift.

"Sister Xuewei...you're so kind..." The deceased is gone, Gu Cheng closed the booklet and quickly composed herself: "By the way, when you came in, did you see Su Wanxi?"

“Su Wanxi?” Jiang Xuewei repeated, resting her chin thoughtfully. “We’re quite far away; she seems to be helping to evacuate the crowd.”

The scene was quite chaotic at one point, but with an Awakened One who could clearly see the exact size of the crack assisting, the safety of the others was naturally much higher.

However, wouldn't it be better to leave this kind of thing to an awakened person below level D? Although she knew that Su Wanxi was in poor health, Jiang Xuewei still felt that it was a waste of talent.

"That's good..."

Whether it was relief or disappointment, Gu Cheng murmured to herself.

Chapter 339, Section 345: Dusk is Approaching

At 3:21 a.m., the first batch of support troops had assembled. Ouyang Tuo put the signal gun back into his weapon belt and turned to walk towards the campfire.

"...That's basically the situation."

Two men and one woman sat around the campfire; they were the squad leaders of the four special operations teams. Two of them had reached the A-level in terms of ability. Although Ouyang Tuo held the same rank, he had far less say in the matter.

"In other words, you haven't found the exact location of the descendant at all." One of the black-haired men adjusted his glasses, his expression indifferent. Ouyang Tuo frowned slightly upon hearing this, but quickly relaxed.

"That's true, which is why we dare not act rashly."

Before she could finish speaking, the only woman among the four glanced at Ouyang Tuo and said in a low voice.

“Mr. Ouyang’s words make sense. This crack runs through the entire city. Collective exploration is too inefficient. If we search separately, a small team with limited manpower will inevitably be stretched thin.”

The woman's words were fair and impartial, which made Ouyang Tuo's expression slightly better. The man who had spoken earlier still had a stiff expression, with his arm half-rested on his knee.

"There are a total of twenty-four Awakened Ones here, including us, one of whom has the ability to fly."

They can either explore separately or continue to wait. Awakened individuals from nearby cities will arrive at the rift before dawn, and the military's individual rations can sustain them for three days and three nights.

"Wait a little longer. If there is no better way, decide by voting."

......

The scorching lava continued to radiate heat, and the sky was burned crimson by the flames. Gu Cheng sat by the railing, looking down at the crack, her soft hand gently resting on her thigh.

Qin Kexin sat leaning against the woman, her lips tightly pressed together, completely unlike her usual lively self.

"Orange, Sister Xi told me to remind you to be extremely careful, keep a safe distance from the descending creatures, use detours as much as possible, avoid direct confrontation, always be mindful of your mental energy reserves, and use your abilities only when necessary, and don't hesitate to use them if things get really bad..."

The communication channel was filled with a monotonous, chanting sound, which nearly gave Gu Cheng a headache. After a while, it calmed down a bit, and she asked in a gentle voice, "Did Su Wanxi say that much?"

Qin Ke nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes, it feels like Sister Xi's two minutes of instructions are more than she has said in a year." It seems that someone's taciturn and icy beauty image has completely collapsed. Gu Cheng touched her forehead, and the heat made her break out in a light sweat.

"Did Su Wanxi say she was coming?"

"No, not really..." Qin Kexin pouted slightly, subconsciously reaching out to tug at her protective suit, revealing a pink and white girly shirt underneath.

"It's so hot to wear this."

It was the height of summer, and the surrounding area was full of lava, so it was strange that it wasn't hot. Seeing that Qin Kexin's face was flushed, Jiang Xuewei offered her a bottle of mineral water.

"Thank you," the girl said softly.

"You are welcome."

If it weren't for Qin Kexin's help, Jiang Xuewei would never have been able to sneak out of the underground ruins so quietly. Once they were exposed that time, even if Su Wanxi pulled strings later, it would be difficult to clear her name.

After resting for more than half an hour, a gurgling sound suddenly came from nearby. Gu Cheng gripped the hilt of his knife and prepared to get up. A short-haired awakened individual gave the captain a look and, upon receiving permission, suddenly leaped off the rooftop.

"Ability strength C, mutated limbs..." Qin Kexin explained softly.

The next second, the man's clothes were forcefully ripped open, revealing a pair of gray-black wings that stretched out proudly. He circled in the air like a bird, taking in everything around him.

Countless bubbles surged out from the cracks, and the once calm surface of the magma churned like boiling water, with violent and chaotic energy gathering underground.

After floating for two or three minutes, the man flew back to the rooftop with an extremely serious expression. He recounted what he had just seen to everyone present and added his own thoughts at the end.

"The magma is becoming extremely unstable; it looks like something is about to emerge from below..."

At the same time, Gu Cheng frowned. As an awakened person whose abilities were related to electromagnetism, she seemed to vaguely sense something.

The Earth's magnetic field is changing.

Before everyone could fully process the information, with a few hissing sounds, hot, sulfur-rich gas gushed out from the pores, the earth trembled violently, and the precarious billboard fell to the ground, sending dust billowing everywhere.

"Don't move." The middle-aged man wearing square-rimmed glasses, who was sitting around the campfire, shouted. He stood up and slowly glanced around.

"Everyone, pack your weapons and listen to your superiors' commands."