Evolution Begins with Elemental Domination

Yan Ruoruo returned safely.

A quiver was slung across her back. Shrouded in Wind Fluff, her tall figure revealed its elegant curves. A few strands of hair, stirred by the breeze, brushed against her pale, jade-like neck, making her face seem all the more ethereally beautiful.

"I'm back."

She looked at the tall figure standing watch at the camp entrance and spoke softly.

Su Chen had a feeling that her cool, distant expression seemed to betray a faint hint of emotion.

It was fleeting, almost imperceptible.

"How was hunting by yourself?" Su Chen asked curiously.

"It was fine."

Yan Ruoruo replied curtly. Then, she took a long case from her quiver and handed it to him. A powerful wave of the Light Element pulsed from within.

As Su Chen took it, he didn't even need to open it. His perception alone revealed the case's clever design: it was filled with small compartments, each one perfectly separating a Light Element essence.

A quick mental count revealed a full twenty-five Light Element essences.

And that wasn't all.

Yan Ruoruo then handed him two small vials from her bag, containing a Flame Burst Lv3 Rune and a Holy Radiance Lv4 Rune.

"This is a huge help."

A genuine smile spread across Su Chen's face. 'This is a true godsend.' It was reassuring to have someone so dedicated and thoughtful by his side.

It's often said that a beautiful woman's favor is the hardest debt to repay.

However, Su Chen had no intention of shortchanging those who helped him, so he didn't stand on ceremony and accepted everything.

And with that, the final piece needed for the Flame Burst Rune fell into place.

HUMMM!

The instant he absorbed it, a fiery light rippled out from him. The temperature skyrocketed, distorting the air with its intense heat. The dead leaves at his feet silently carbonized. Even Yan Ruoruo, standing beside him, couldn't help but take several steps back.

[Flame Burst Lv6 → Lv7 Upgrade Successful!]

Traits Strengthened: Damage Amplification, Soul Burning, True Flame

Trait Upgraded: Disintegration

(Disintegration: When Flame Burst hits a target, it generates an Annihilation effect, destroying the structure of both physical matter and Elemental Particles.)

...

[Flame Burst] (Lv7): Grants all of the Spellcaster's attacks a 360% True Flame damage bonus, and inflicts area-of-effect damage with Splash, Disintegration, and Soul Burning properties.

Upgrade Requirement: Fire Element Soul Core 0/1

Su Chen's first realization after the upgrade was that as the Flame Burst Rune's level cap increased, his own Fire Element resistance had risen in tandem. The intense heat around him no longer caused him any discomfort.

This upgrade didn't unlock any new traits; instead, the Disintegration trait received a major boost.

Previously, Disintegration worked by using high-frequency shockwaves to induce structural collapse.

Now, it used an energy Annihilation effect for far more effective destruction.

That's not all.

The scope of Annihilation had also been expanded. Before, it only affected the structure of matter and Elemental Particles, excluding spiritual barriers like Telekinesis shields. Now, it included Spiritual Energy as well.

'It covered a major weakness.'

All in all, it was a massive power-up.

'A Fire Element Soul Core?'

The upgrade materials had completely changed. It no longer required a geometrically increasing number of identical Runes, nor did it use the old Spiritual Materials.

It was as if they had all been fused together into this single, unheard-of material: a Fire Element Soul Core.

'It sounded incredibly difficult to acquire.'

He didn't have a single clue where to find one.

The only option was to venture deeper into the forest.

Fortunately, if he could unlock the first Core Authority of a Grand Elemental Master, he would be able to use the effects of a Lv8 Flame Burst ahead of schedule.

Regardless, his firepower had increased yet again.

"Let's go inside and talk," Su Chen suggested.

The camping supply store had high, supermarket-style ceilings, no less than 5.3 meters tall—plenty of room to park an RV inside. When Su Chen had gone out earlier, he had simply parked his Unit Thirteen by the window.

Its batteries had been fully charged in the morning, so getting more sun in the afternoon wasn't a concern. Safety was the top priority. While the group's two main combatants were away, the large metal gate had, of course, been locked tight.

In the time they had been gone, most of the cluttered items on the first floor had been tidied up and stacked neatly in a few corners.

Liao Dahai had the air of a butler. With time on his hands while guarding the camp, he and his wife had tidied up the first floor.

After they exchanged greetings, Liao Dahai added, "Some people came by this afternoon to check things out. A little intimidation was all it took to send them running."

One thing was certain: a small group of people was still holding out in this isolated campground.

Of the major factions that had been out in the open, only the Cross-Country Club remained. Since they owned so many RVs, most of their members would need a great deal of courage to abandon them, at least not until they truly felt the threat of annihilation breathing down their necks.

In this age of apocalyptic survival, life without electricity was indeed a fate worse than death.

Their choice was completely understandable.

As for the other two factions at the base, the archery hall group led by Feng Zhiyuan had already left before noon. They were undoubtedly heading for the Legacy Sanctuary. Whether or not they would return was a big question mark.

In fact, there was a deeper issue. The old hunter had also coveted the altar's hidden class Authority, but when he led his team into the forest early that morning, some of them inevitably died. With the morale of his subordinates shaken, he could only abandon the idea.

Finally, General Manager Shao's management staff had naturally been swept up in the great retreat.

"A lot of people from the Cross-Country Club must have left. In any case, their presence has diminished quite a bit. Fifty-some people at most," Liao Dahai said. "Their base of operations is the guesthouse hotel, which isn't too far from here."

This meant that, even counting the various stragglers, there were indeed fewer than a hundred people left.

Spread out across such a large base, it was sometimes hard to see another soul.

"Alright. Thank you for your hard work."

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