"If the family were a little wealthier, this girl would probably dare to go out and lend money at high interest rates!"
Alden held a few crumpled bills in his hand, feeling a bit distressed, and quickly left the house.
Without delay, he soon arrived at the central hospital.
Although there were quite a few people coming and going in the hospital, there were very few people moving around the morgue. Alden, with his sharp mind, easily bypassed several surveillance cameras and quietly made his way into the underground morgue.
As soon as he pushed open the large door, a smell of medicinal water rushed over him, followed by a row of cold storage units standing against the wall under the pale light.
"These... are all corpses…"
Even Alden, with his strong will, couldn't help but feel a bit creepy:
After all, he was just a student. Even though he had just experienced a life-and-death struggle, seeing this scene inevitably made him feel afraid!
Alden calmed himself and began to quietly open the compartments one by one.
"No… no… no… Ah! This one has it!"
After not finding anything from several bodies in a row, Alden finally "struck gold." From the body of a big man floated a green +10 light sphere!
"It seems that this guy, in his lifetime, was probably even more powerful than that Leo! He's likely to be close to the mid-level peak awakened ones!"
Alden was somewhat amazed, silently lamenting his own good luck. To think that a body of this level of awakened person was still preserved in the hospital, it was really like finding treasure in a pile of dog poop.
Alden quickly absorbed it into his body and immediately felt a refreshing sensation.
Tasting success, Alden immediately became fully alert and began searching through other cold storage units.
If someone were to suddenly barge into the morgue at this moment, they would see a teenager acting as if possessed, continuously flipping through the cold storage units while occasionally emitting an eerie laughter towards the bodies...
Most people would probably be lucky to not be scared into mental instability by such a scene.
Alden moved quickly, and it didn't take long for him to search through the entire section of cabinets. However, the harvest wasn't particularly abundant. Apart from the initial big man, he only gained a total of +4 points from three bodies.
But Alden was already satisfied. How difficult was it to find the identity of an awakened one? It was rare for even a few to be born in a year. Moreover, due to their innate superiority over ordinary people, they were extremely rare compared to the general population. In this small place, for Alden to find four bodies of awakened ones, including one mid-level awakened one, was already an extremely rare stroke of luck.
"If... if this really represents the awakened power value, then isn't my current awakened power value already up to 88 points?!"
After a quick calculation, Alden couldn't help but feel extremely excited:
This value was only 7 points lower than Ethan's. He was only 13 points away from the threshold of awakening!
On this basis, his absorption and refining abilities for awakening stones had now returned to normal.
In other words, his current awakened power value was likely close to the 90-point mark. Even without absorbing any more bodies, relying solely on his own diligent training, three months later he was very likely to join the ranks of the awakened ones!
After all, before his body had problems, he, Alden, was the strongest among his peers! He had full confidence in this!
"I won't go to the museum first!"
Alden quickly calmed down and made this decision.
He was not a foolish person. With his current awakened power value of only 60 points, in just a few days, if his awakened power value broke through 100 points, if he didn't restrain himself and continued to plunder recklessly, by the time of his awakening day, his awakened power value would likely surpass the 200-mark. Then, he would probably be forcibly taken away for research.
After making up his mind, he immediately chose to quietly leave the hospital and return to his residence to focus on training.
The monthly test was coming up. After passing this test, he would go to the museum or similar places to try his luck and improve himself, at least making it seem more normal.
With these thoughts in mind, Alden prepared to leave the hospital.
Just then, Alden suddenly noticed a group of people pushing a stretcher hurriedly towards the hospital entrance.
"Is that him?"
Alden was slightly stunned because among the group of people, he unexpectedly saw Light, whom he had seen before.
Light looked anxious and shouted loudly, "Doctor! Doctor! Come and save him!"
Alden squinted and noticed a young man lying on the stretcher wearing a peculiar uniform. His face was handsome, but his breathing was weak, and his complexion was pale, showing very weak signs of life. Alden noticed multiple irregular indentations on the white sheet, indicating extensive missing limbs of the man.
Several doctors rushed to the scene and took a brief look before shaking their heads in succession:
"He has lost too much blood, multiple organs have necrotized, and it is already past the optimal time for rescue. His ability to hold on until now is nothing short of a miracle..."
"You haven't even tried, how can you give up?!"
In Alden's eyes, Light's previously composed demeanor instantly collapsed as he angrily grabbed a doctor by the collar, loudly demanding, "He is an elite member of the Wilderness Expedition Team, only eighteen years old! He was injured while suppressing a beast's den in the wilderness. His blood was shed for the safety of our people. How can you just stand by and do nothing?!"
Facing Light's furious roar, Alden couldn't help but be moved:
The expedition team referred to the Wilderness Expedition Team! It was a special organization independent of the military, judiciary, and other systems. They carried out various tasks related to the wilderness, often battling fierce alien beasts and even more terrifying entities to eliminate threats, open passages, and explore ruins. Comprising solely powerful awakened individuals, the expedition team was highly respected by the public. There was a widely circulated saying among the people: "Heroic Blood, Expedition Soul." These fearless members of the expedition team were the heroes guarding humanity's walls!
Alden never expected to encounter a critically wounded member of the expedition team here.
"Light, I know my own situation... being able to bring back intelligence and even sacrificing myself with a fierce beast, I'd consider my life well-lived..."
The young man seemed to have come to terms with his fate, revealing a resigned smile. But then, the light in his eyes gradually dimmed, and he completely lost his vitality.
"Damn it!"
Light angrily punched the wall, feeling powerless in the face of the talented yet prematurely deceased hero before him, filled with grief and indignation.
"Mr. Light, please accept my condolences."
Alden walked over to Light, comforting him while absentmindedly stepping on a green light sphere.
"+1? Why so few..."
Alden was somewhat puzzled, but when he noticed a red light sphere that had appeared at his feet, a hint of astonishment flickered in his eyes.
"What is this?"
It was the first time Alden had seen a red light sphere appear on a body, and he was momentarily taken aback.
But then, he felt a strong, almost irresistible temptation emanating from the red light sphere, as if it was constantly coaxing him to make contact.
"This thing... probably has something to do with the low value of the green light sphere!"
Alden speculated inwardly as he touched the red light sphere lightly.
In an instant, the red light sphere disappeared.
At the same time, Alden felt a scorching sensation surge through his entire body, the intense pain nearly making him want to scream, but he suppressed it with extraordinary composure, barely showing any outward signs of distress.
However, compared to the physical agony he experienced, the impact on his mind was incomparably stronger.
"Acquired Awakening Ability: Eruption."
This was the string of text that popped up in front of Alden before he made contact with the red sphere.
Awakening ability!
Alden never imagined that this red light sphere would actually be an awakening ability!
Now, even though he had not yet reached the threshold of 100 awakening power, he had already awakened an ability. This was simply unheard of! It might even be considered a first in human history!
"No wonder the points on the green sphere were so few... it seems to be related to the appearance of the awakening ability!"
Alden couldn't help but feel excited. After all, this awakening ability came from a member of the expedition team, and its strength was likely unmatched by ordinary awakening abilities!
"Huh? It's you again? How did you end up here?"
Having finally calmed down, Light was extremely surprised to see Alden behind him. This was the third time they had met in the last two days!
"I'm here to retrieve something for someone."
Alden casually brushed it off, then asked, "Is this... a member of the Wilderness Expedition Team?"
"Yes, and he's one of my juniors."
Once he mentioned the young man, Light's tone became very solemn:
"His talent is exceptional, and his awakening power value at the time of awakening broke the historical record of our school. His awakening ability is also very powerful, seen as a rising star in the expedition team. It's just a pity..."
At this point, Light clenched his fists tightly, filled with sorrow and indignation:
"The situation in the wilderness is getting worse. The pressure on the expedition team is increasing, and even a newcomer like him has been sent on high-risk missions! At this rate, the future of our human race..."
Realizing that he may have said too much, he shook his head and patted Alden on the shoulder:
"Work hard, young man. Strive to awaken!"
"The future of humanity needs more awakened individuals..."
With these words, he walked away with heavy steps, leaving along with his companions.
"The wilderness environment is deteriorating..."
Alden was not clear about the specific situation. However, the passing of the young life before him and Light's solemn words gave him a general understanding of the current situation.
"Heroic blood, expedition soul... I'm sorry. Although I have inherited your ability, I cannot be as passionate and noble as you."
Alden glanced at the young man being pushed away and shook his head lightly. Coming from a humble background, he was very practical, without lofty aspirations or noble sentiments. He was more concerned about his own life and survival. Faced with the tragic fate of this heroic young man's passing, he keenly felt his own insignificance and powerlessness. In this world, there are still many people willing to fight and sacrifice for the future of humanity, while he, Alden, was just an ordinary person.