Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan
The dense branches that once cleared the area had grown even more luxuriant after the apocalypse, forming a canopy that blotted out the sky.
A woman, wielding a sickle, parted the surrounding branches as she led the way.
These Twin Stone Mountains are truly worthy of being called Jade Mountains.
The group ascended, surrounded by an abundance of rocks.
Chen Mo casually picked up a stone that looked like a rough jade and sliced it open.
Indeed, it was a jadeite crystal, but the quality was poor, with numerous cracks and a brittle texture, leaving only a small portion of valuable jadeite.
The woman's voice carried over.
"Almost all the small, dark brown stones with rough surfaces scattered among the rocks on Twin Stone Mountains are rough jade.
However, these small stones usually yield jade of inferior quality and in small quantities. I'll take you to the summit, where the most rough jade can be found."
***
"We're here."
The area was vast and open, littered with rocks and upturned soil.
There were also several enormous boulders standing tall.
The woman, eyeing the rough jade stones, suddenly seemed to have a realization and spoke up.
"Most of the medium and small rough jade stones here have been mined out. There are some too large to carry down the mountain due to manpower limitations."
Chen Mo's gaze swept over the rough jade stones and approached a particularly massive one.
A black gleam flashed.
"Crack!"
With the experience from before, Chen Mo applied more force this time.
He felt a clear resistance but it didn't stop the Ghost Knife from slicing through.
The meter-high rough stone was split in two by the Ghost Knife, revealing the jade inside.
Unlike ordinary jadeite crystals, the interior shone with a translucent, ink-green luster.
It sparkled brilliantly, distinctly different from the previous jadeite crystals.
This is... Chen Mo was taken aback.
His pupils dilated in shock.
The quality was beyond his expectations, clearly superior to the previous jadeite crystals.
The woman also curiously observed the massive stone.
Chen Mo moved to several other large rough stones and methodically split them one by one.
"Crack!" "Crack!"
Without exception, the jadeite crystals that emerged from these sizable rough stones were of exceptionally high quality!
Chen Mo's eyes brightened, his heart stirred by the sight of these jadeite crystals.
We've struck it rich!
These crystals, by rough estimate, could support a large survivor faction or even supply an entire military district.
It's a pity there are no Abilities users with forging skills here.
Otherwise, it would be time to upgrade the Ghost Knife.
Chen Mo pondered and then asked.
"How long would it take for the people of Lin Village to transport these stones if they were to mine them all?"
The woman surveyed the surroundings and said.
"It would probably take several years."
"A stone this size would require at least a dozen adult men to barely carry it down the mountain."
"Too slow..." Chen Mo muttered to himself.
With a flick of his hand, the Ghost Knife deftly and neatly sliced through several nearby rough stones.
Lines appeared on the surfaces of the stones, followed by the stones splitting apart.
"Crash..." A large number of cut stones fell to the ground.
"This should do it, right?" Chen Mo said, looking at the stones scattered before him.
The woman was startled and nodded in amazement.
"This... it should be enough."
Chen Mo continued to slice through the rough stones for the rest of the time.
Each piece of jadeite crystal here would become capital for his future.
The woman stood by quietly, watching with surprise and a flicker of struggle in her eyes.
***
As evening approached, a small campfire flickered to life.
Around them lay scattered jadeite crystals.
The woman hung her head, her hair falling forward, lost in thought.
"Want some?" Chen Mo tossed a piece of bread her way.
The woman paused, motionless.
She looked up at Chen Mo, who was eating his bread, and asked.
"Are you an Abilities user?"
Chen Mo: "Hmm, isn't it obvious?"
The woman smiled,"Indeed, How does one acquire Abilities?"
She was curious.
Chen Mo glanced at her and, with nothing better to do, said indifferently.
"I don't know, it's probably up to luck and awakening. Of course, some awaken through those zombie Crystal Cores."
"Crystal Core..." the woman murmured.
She clearly understood what that was.
"So you're saying..."
"I might have a chance to possess Abilities?"
Chen Mo: "You don't want to die?"
With that statement, the woman's face changed instantly.
She clutched the hem of her clothes tightly and lowered her head, saying nothing.
Chen Mo continued eating his bread without further comment.
It was normal.
People often act irrationally in the heat of the moment.
But when they come to their senses, the instinct to survive takes over.
Even ants cling to life; the instinct to cherish life is natural to everyone, zombies excluded.
The woman broke the silence after a long time.
"I... Am I very cowardly?"
She bit her teeth tightly, her eyes filled with pain and struggle.
For a moment, she realized she was terrified of death; she didn't want to die unnoticed.
"It's nothing really. No one wants to die, once you're dead, there's really nothing left." Chen Mo said softly.
After finishing the last bit of bread, Chen Mo's expression remained calm, as if nothing could perturb him.
He glanced at the woman and took out a first-order Crystal Core from a small bag.
He tossed it over.
"Thud..." The Crystal Core rolled on the ground.
"This is a zombie Crystal Core, it might give you a chance to awaken Abilities. But at the same time, there's a high chance of death."
"About... one in ten. I'm talking about the chance of survival," Chen Mo added.
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Awakening Abilities post-apocalypse, the higher the quality of the Crystal Core, the greater the chance, with fourth-order being the best.
Anything more, and one wouldn't be able to withstand the energy within the Crystal Core after awakening.
A first-order Crystal Core is almost the worst method, with very few willing to take the risk.
At least a third-order Crystal Core would be used to awaken Abilities.
But for ordinary people without weapons, even killing a first-order zombie is difficult.
Not to mention second or third-order zombies.
I have quite a few second-order Crystal Cores, but I won't give them to her.
The woman shuddered at his words.
She looked at the Crystal Core on the ground, which emitted a faint purple glow in the night, about the size of a quail egg.