It was a dark night without a single star in the sky, giving a calm yet tense atmosphere around the dam that was now their temporary base.
The chill of the night permeated the air, but in the shadows of the dam wall, El's ten remaining men rejoiced.
They gathered in a small circle, laughing and sharing stories, as if trying to forget the harshness of this broken world, at least for one night.
El, whom they called Eldest Brother or boss, sat a little apart from the circle, listening with a calm yet attentive face.
After all, El had heard various bitter stories from them before, about the tensions and struggles of the one year and two months they had gone through during his absence.
Some of them expressed sorrow for the friends they had lost, a loss that had almost driven them to despair. However, a sense of pride that they had survived until now shone through their eyes.
Tian Li, with a gentle smile but teary eyes, spoke, "Eldest Brother, we had thought you... wouldn't come back. But, seeing you now, it feels like a dream." Her voice sounded trembling, implying sadness and happiness all at once.
El looked at them one by one, recognizing the faces that had survived, and feeling the warmth that she had lost during her long journey.
Although El rarely showed emotion, there was a hint of calmness in his gaze. "I always come back," he replied briefly but confidently, giving them some comfort in those cold but meaningful words.
His men began to speak one by one, reminiscing about the hard times. They laughed recalling the little things that had happened during their survival.
One member even took out the remaining pack of cigarettes as a simple celebration, something rare in this ravaged world.
"I thought... I'd never get to experience this togetherness again," whispered one of them, staring at the small fire flickering before them.
Secretly, El felt a little burden lifted. Although she understood that this world didn't give them many options for a good future, at least tonight, under the dark starless sky, they could feel together.
El hissed, "Well, instead of continuing to party all night, you better use this opportunity to improve your skills. Absorb all the Meteorite Crystals to level up your tattoos." his words were cold, yet there was a faint smile on his face.
Hearing that instruction, they simultaneously turned to El with almost frozen expressions, as if they couldn't believe the sudden order.
One of them sighed softly, "Eldest Brother is indeed peerless... A true tyrant, it's a good thing she doesn't eat people." he muttered softly, hoping his words wouldn't be heard.
Without opening her eyes, El said, "I can hear. No resistance. Start your training now," he ordered firmly, but his tone remained calm. A faint smile graced his authoritative face.
Then, with a quiet gesture, El stood up and raised her hand. From the storage ring, hundreds of Meteorite Crystals of various levels as well as several Damage Cores and Coagulated Meteorite Fragments slowly emerged, shining in the dim light.
The sparkles of the crystals danced under the dark sky, evoking a tense yet alluring aura, as if giving them a glimpse of power.
The El members were no longer surprised to see their boss seemingly pulling things out of the void, but this time, they were stunned at how many Meteorite Crystals, Damage Cores, and Coagulated Meteorite Fragments he pulled out.
Coupled with the previous ones, the total number was probably more than two hundred. They already knew that their Eldest Brother was extremely powerful, but this felt unbelievable.
One of the members, who was looking at the number in a cold sweat, ventured to ask, "Eldest Brother, where did you get all this from?"
El just grinned faintly, "From the street," he replied, as if finding those rare objects was as easy as picking up a rock by the roadside. His tone of voice was casual, as if what he was saying was commonplace.
The members stared at each other, hesitating but eventually complying. They began to pick up the crystals one by one, sat cross-legged, and centered themselves to begin the absorption process using the Blood Fusion Method.
A faint glow enveloped their bodies as the energy from the crystals began to seep into the body, strengthening and renewing their tattoo markings.
El watched in silence, making sure that everyone was processing the energy properly and keeping to their power limits. However, her mind was in turmoil. 'Hmm... They know the Blood Fusion Method?' El muttered to himself.
El just wanted to see their reaction to the crystals, but this brought another surprise. Had they ever met Zuo Tian Chen?
In the original plot story, only Zuo Tian Chen and his group knew the secret of the Blood Fusion Method.
If El's group knew it, it was only possible if they had met or even allied with Zuo Tian Chen. This brought up various questions in his mind.
El kept an even expression, but in his mind, he pieced together the clues. 'In the end, this is not a bad thing.' he thought with a faint smile.
***
The sunny afternoon marked the seventh day since El decided to rest in the Last Human world. In the afternoon, he had to leave the Last Human world and return to the Reincarnation Room.
Over the past week, El witnessed significant progress from his men, who utilized Meteorite Crystals, Damage Core, and Coagulated Meteorite Fragment to increase their strength.
Now, each of them had reached an intermediate level 2 in their tattoo abilities. This enhancement comes not only from the Meteorite Crystals, but also from the Damage Core, a rare product that forms in the bodies of infected adults with a low probability.
Although weaker in strength than the Meteorite Crystal, the Damage Core still provides substantial effects. In just a few hours, it can help Stage 1 Evolvers cross the line into Stage 2.
Coagulated Meteorite Fragment, on the other hand, has a smooth texture with a gentle yet active viral energy.
Unlike ordinary Meteorite Fragments, it allows evolvers below Stage 3 to absorb it slowly without the risk of dangerous mutations, a great advantage for those still in the early stages of evolution.
Sitting leisurely on the destroyed bus, El watched as his men fought a fierce battle against a small horde of level three Infected.
The horde was led by a terrifying figure, Blood Sucker, a dangerous infected known for its brutal attacks and incredible speed.
El sighed lightly, "This is really an interesting encounter... Almost all of my men have universal-type Evolved tattoos, except Tian Li." His eyes were glued to Tian Li's nimble figure dodging attacks, utilizing his unusual endurance regeneration type.
This type of tattoo was rare indeed and provided an advantage in defense, allowing Tian Li to recover from injuries that to others might have been fatal.
As the fight intensified, his men began to activate their tattoos one by one. With each activation, their strength seemed to surge, and their tattoos glowed with electrifying energy.
Now, they unleashed their true potential, slamming and slashing at the Blood Sucker and other infected with incredible coordination and precision.