Evolution Begins with Elemental Domination

A volley of arrows flew, most missing their mark. But then, a single Thunderbolt Arrow tore through the air with pinpoint accuracy, and a large bird plummeted from the sky.

Su Chen looked up and witnessed the scene.

The arrow, fletched with feathers shimmering with lightning, was clearly empowered by an Enchantment Rune. It tore through the air at incredible speed.

It seemed to be a type of Attached Damage, just like the Flame Burst Rune.

’So the drone is also being used as a trap.’

With so many arrows being fired, it looked like an organized effort to lure the bird. On second thought, it wasn’t a bad idea, though it certainly put the archer’s skill to the test.

Hitting a moving target in the air wasn’t as easy as it sounded. One wrong move, and you could hit the drone instead.

Su Chen considered it. There had to be a good number of drones at the campsite. Not only were they sold in the shops, but the airspace over this suburban area wasn’t restricted. People coming out to the wilderness for recreation were likely to bring them along.

And that didn’t even account for the RV tourists; it was likely half of them owned a drone.

Just then, the black DJI drone climbed higher, its protruding, ultra-wide-angle camera once again scanning the ground below. At the same time, it kept watch, waiting for another large bird to take the bait.

Su Chen glanced over, then detoured onto the main street.

At that moment, he saw two people in the resort’s central courtyard flowerbed.

Affected by the recent elemental surge, the once neat and beautiful flowers had swelled and warped. Their petals were now as large as washbasins, their colors garish and unsettling.

One of them had found a large pair of gardening shears somewhere and was frantically hacking at the plants as if they were paper, squatting down to search for treasure.

The other person, standing guard by the edge of the flowerbed, was looking around. When he saw Su Chen, his expression turned wary, and he instinctively tightened his grip on a bone cleaver that was wreathed in flames.

It was another elemental weapon, likely created by accident, just like Su Chen’s own.

And there was a decent chance that a Wood Element Essence had formed inside the flowerbed.

"Hey, man. It’s not that I’m a coward, but you’ve got a look that’s... a little intimidating." The man across from him, after a moment of tense apprehension, decided to test the waters by showing weakness.

It wasn’t surprising he was so wary.

People had changed.

Trapped in this arena, once you’d truly fought and shed blood, the trust between people fractured even further.

Everyone had to admit that civilization was beginning to fade away.

"Carry on."

Su Chen’s expression was placid. He walked around them and continued north.

He entered A9 Courtyard. Inside, a small family had been wiped out in the karaoke room.

Considering the Exotic Tiger and Leopard’s place in the food chain, any dogs in the area would have instinctively fled their hunting grounds out of fear. Any that were too slow would have become prey themselves.

He went through three more villas without finding any monsters. Instead, he came away with two survival knives and over a dozen golf balls.

Unlike folding knives, these so-called survival knives were forged with a full tang to meet any need in the wild. They could handle cutting, chopping, shaving, and even hammering. With blades typically over ten centimeters long, they were also very easy to carry.

Much more useful than a traditional Swiss Army knife.

When used as throwing knives infused with Flame Burst Runes, they were single-use items. Naturally, the more he had, the better.

As Su Chen approached the next villa, he felt the family heirloom Jade Pendant around his neck grow warm. If he wasn’t mistaken, he could even feel a squirming sensation coming from it.

He scanned his surroundings, sweeping the area carefully. Once he confirmed it was safe, he entered a guest room and took out the Jade Pendant.

Cradling it in his palm, Su Chen immediately noticed something unusual. A mysterious, raised character had formed on the pendant’s surface.

Unlike the pyramid-like structure of Elemental Runes, this unknown character looked crude. Its lines were twisted, lacking any of the geometric order typical of a Rune.

Furthermore, the energy from the green crystal it had previously absorbed was completely exhausted in forming this character. Other than the raised symbol, the Jade Pendant had reverted to being simple white jade.

"It’s actually squirming..."

Su Chen murmured, his eyes locked on it.

The instant he focused on it, the character suddenly trembled. It detached from the jade’s surface like a living thing, transforming into a ball of greenish-blue light that snaked up his palm along the lines.

He instinctively tried to pull his hand away, but it was too late.

The moment the threads of light touched his skin, they vanished into his palm.

But unlike Elemental Essence, which traveled directly to his Sea of Consciousness, this power surged through his entire body, coursing through countless meridians and blood vessels to seep deep into his very flesh and blood.

Instantly, the lingering soreness in his right arm vanished, and the mental fatigue that had been building up was completely wiped away.

This wasn’t a temporary boost or stimulation; it was a fundamental physiological reset.

’This isn’t an illusion.’

Su Chen felt his body reach its absolute peak.

But there was more!

As the warm current slowly subsided, he could clearly feel his heartbeat growing steadier and his breathing deeper and more sustained. The Vitality of his cells had taken a quantum leap forward.

This was no illusion.

A message appeared in his Sea of Consciousness.

’Healing ability enhanced, immune system strengthened.’

’Physique +1’!

A new, consolidated information panel popped up along with it.

Attributes: Power 13 / Physique 15 / Agility 13 / Intelligence 12 / Perception 11.

Runes Mastered: Water Mirror Refraction Lv. 1, Flame Burst Lv. 3, Jingzhe Lv. 1

’A digitized representation of my own body?’ Su Chen was stunned.

His physical attributes had genuinely improved.

This was crucial.

No one wanted to be a glass cannon. It was hard to feel secure as a physically weak Spellcaster. Forget about being afraid of an Exotic Tiger and Leopard getting close; even the miasma deep in a primeval forest or the threat of insect bites was a tricky problem.

Aside from purification and healing abilities, the best solution was to improve one’s own Physique.

Su Chen was overjoyed. This was the perfect solution to a major potential weakness. Looking at these five stats, he might even be able to raise the others one by one.

’What is the origin of this family heirloom Jade Pendant?’ Su Chen was puzzled. ’From the looks of it, it seems to convert Elemental Energy into pure physical strength.’

The Wood Element corresponded to an increase in cellular activity, resulting in Physique +1.

’Then what changes could the Fire Element, Wind Element, or Water Element bring? What corresponding attribute increases would they provide?’

Also...

’My Perception Attribute is the lowest, and my Intelligence is the second lowest.’

Su Chen mulled it over. If the benchmark for his own Power was 13, then what would the Strength Attribute of a bodybuilder or a professional strongman be?

In terms of overall fitness and athletic skill, he could definitely wipe the floor with them.

But in a direct comparison of arm wrestling or punching power, he’d definitely be overpowered.

In any case, with his family’s Jade Pendant acting as a converter, Su Chen could let his imagination run wild. He could completely change his awkward "glass cannon" predicament.

’The question is, what kind of stats would I need to physically withstand a bullet?’