Chu City was built against a mountain, positioned on a towering peak. Due to the steep southern slope and the gentler northern incline, the southern part of the city had always served as the gateway for travelers, while the eastern, western, and northern sides were completely sealed off, with stringent defenses that made it almost impossible for birds to fly through.
The city was divided into four districts, with the northern district being the nobility area. It had the largest land area, the best terrain, and the most robust defenses, making it the safest part of the city.
Chu Xun's "home" was located in the northern district. However, since both of his parents had passed away, and he had failed to awaken any abilities for so long, his status in the family had steadily declined. At this moment, his so-called home was barely a single room of less than ten square meters. Though not completely bare, it only had a few basic pieces of furniture and appliances, making it extremely simple and modest.
Returning home, Chu Xun immediately locked the door behind him, carefully opened the wardrobe, and retrieved a small metallic box the size of a palm.
Upon seeing the blue metal box, Chu Xun couldn't suppress a burst of excitement. He took a deep breath and opened the box. Instantly, a gentle blue light radiated from inside.
Indeed, the box contained the ten standard crystal cores he had received this month. These crystal cores were about the size of regular coins, completely transparent like blue crystals, emitting a soft glow that was impossible to look away from. Just looking at them made one feel incredibly comfortable.
These crystal cores were a blend of viral energy and life force. After being refined by biological organisms and processed with high-tech methods, these standard crystal cores were much gentler than before and easier for the human body to absorb. According to the memories in Chu Xun's mind, these standard crystal cores not only strengthened the bodies of ordinary people but could also enhance the abilities of ability users. They were extremely valuable.
For an ordinary family, it was nearly impossible to earn even a single crystal core through a year of hard work. But as a direct descendant of the Chu family, Chu Xun received a family welfare of at least ten standard crystal cores every month before turning sixteen. This starkly highlighted the difference between the nobility and commoners in Chu City.
Fortunately, the Chu family had established laws to prevent excessive internal conflict. The private lands of the nobility were considered sacred and could not be violated. Otherwise, Chu Qing would not have had to go through the trouble of extorting Chu Xun. Instead, he could have simply barged into his room and looted it.
"This is a standard crystal core, it's so beautiful..." Chu Xun couldn't help but marvel at the soft blue light coming from the cores. Even without the strange abilities they contained, their beautiful appearance alone would likely make them the object of many people's desires.
"I wonder if these crystal cores will be useful to me..." Suddenly, Chu Xun thought about his insect body ability, which had been activated by the Super Savior System. Would these crystal cores even work for him?
Thinking this, Chu Xun immediately took one of the cores, holding it in his hand. Following the method in his memory, he closed his eyes and began to feel its energy.
Buzz!
Soon, the crystal core in his hand began to tremble slightly and emitted a buzzing sound. The coin-sized core suddenly transformed into a beam of blue light and merged into the palm of Chu Xun's hand.
"Beep. Host has received biological energy supplementation. Insect body ability enhanced. Gene lock unlocked by 10%."
As the blue light entered his body, Chu Xun felt a warm flow spreading throughout his body, eventually merging into his mind, giving him a sense of comfort and clarity. At the same time, an icy voice rang out in his mind, providing a prompt.
"Gene lock?" The sudden notification made Chu Xun furrow his brows. Then, without hesitation, he decided to continue. Taking a deep breath, he extracted all the remaining crystal cores from the box and held them in his hand.
Instantly, a soft buzzing sound filled the room as beams of blue light continued to emanate from his palm. In no time, all the crystal cores disappeared, and once again, the cold voice sounded in his mind.
"Beep. Host has received biological energy supplementation. Insect body ability enhanced. Ant gene enhanced. New gene lock unlocked."
"Please note: Do not consume the third gene unless the host's body is sufficiently strong. Doing so may result in the collapse of the host's genetic chain."
With the system's notification, Chu Xun felt as if some chains within his body had been broken, and powerful forces surged through his veins. It made him want to punch the air and smash everything around him.
At the same time, a faint blue glow surrounded his body. The glow intensified as his originally frail and thin body became noticeably stronger. Although still not muscular, it was no longer as fragile as before.
"My strength has definitely increased!" Chu Xun clenched his fists, feeling a notable improvement in his power. However, he knew that he would need to test it more to gauge the full extent of the enhancement.
Apart from the increase in strength, the so-called gene lock also caught his attention. It seemed that his insect ability couldn't be freely enhanced without restriction. Otherwise, his genetic chain would collapse and turn him into a monster—something that was definitely not desirable.
Fortunately, this limitation was not permanent. It seemed that more crystal cores were needed to break through this barrier.
"That makes sense," Chu Xun thought, shaking his head. "If I want to grow stronger, I must pay the price. There's no way around it." A glint of excitement flashed in his eyes. "Next, I can consume a new insect gene. Which one should I choose?"
With that in mind, Chu Xun began to consider his options.
After the battle with Qing Yi, he had a better understanding of his own strength. After consuming the ant gene, his muscles had become much stronger. Now, with the enhancement from the crystal cores, if he gave his all in a fight, he could easily defeat a strong, full-grown adult. His strength had likely increased by ten to fifteen times compared to an ordinary person, which was more than enough for his current needs.
However, the increase in strength did not match his physical durability. His bones were still relatively fragile, which limited the full potential of his strength. During his fight with Qing Yi, although his punch had easily killed Qing Yi, it had also severely damaged his right arm, nearly rendering it useless. Now, although his strength had increased, his physical resilience had not seen any significant improvement, which was clearly an imbalance. His body was strong, but not strong enough to withstand the forces he was generating.
In addition, his defensive ability and reaction speed were still poor. If they had been better, he would have been able to avoid the knife attack that severely wounded him.
"Looks like the next insect gene I consume should either be focused on speed or defense," Chu Xun muttered as he rubbed his chin. He then began thinking about the available targets in the vicinity of Chu City.
In the aftermath of the virus outbreak, almost all living creatures had either evolved or mutated. Even the ants he had consumed had undergone mutations, becoming more dangerous than regular ants, with only a few retaining their original form. Similarly, humans had also seen a similar divide: a small percentage had gained abilities, while the majority remained ordinary.
Considering this, it was no surprise that many other species had mutated in terrifying ways. Natural creatures, except for those kept as genetically modified organisms by humans, were becoming increasingly rare. Therefore, in order to find suitable insect genes to consume, Chu Xun would have to leave the city and venture into the wild.
"D*mn it, wealth and danger go hand in hand. I'll do it!" After a moment of hesitation, Chu Xun clenched his fists, making a decisive decision.
The student assessment was approaching, and with his current strength, it would be difficult to even defeat someone like Qing Yi. Not to mention, he still had to compete against other aristocratic students. If he couldn't secure first place in the assessment, he would face execution. So, rather than waiting to die, it was better to take the risk. Even if he died, he would have no regrets. After all, he had already died once before!
After resting for a night at home, Chu Xun packed a few supplies and grabbed a regular alloy combat knife before leaving his room, ready to leave the city for his hunt.
Chu City was a Tier 1 city, though only the lowest level of urban development, its scale far surpassed that of any wilderness settlement. With a permanent population of 300,000, it spanned 10,000 square kilometers, making it the largest human city in the area.
Built within a mountain range, the city was surrounded by steep and jagged terrain that had withstood intense bombardment during the Great Cataclysm hundreds of years ago, leaving the rock formations incredibly compact and strong. From a high vantage point, Chu City appeared as a square nestled within the mountains. The eastern, western, and northern sides were nearly impassable, with landmines and traps preventing anyone from crossing. The only accessible route was the south, where a smooth road led up to the mountain. The city's ten-meter-high walls were constructed from solid stone, making it easy to defend but hard to attack.
However, the danger was outside the city. Beyond the walls, zombies, mutated creatures, and other hazards were everywhere, making the area a perilous wasteland. As a result, Chu City's internal defenses were extraordinarily strong. Thousands of elite soldiers were stationed on the walls, and massive artillery, missiles, and automated machine guns were in place. Additionally, two enormous crystal core energy cannons were mounted on the walls. These cannons used the biological energy from the crystal cores, and each shot consumed over a thousand crystal cores, but their power was immense, capable of reducing mountains to rubble.
Outside of the crystal defenses, Chu City only had one gate in the southern wall, made of special alloy and reinforced several times, making it far more durable than the city walls. Even a Level 3 zombie would have a hard time damaging it.
The gate only opened for special occasions, like the arrival of influential figures or the quarterly arrival of trade caravans. For anyone else wishing to leave the city, they had to be lowered over the ten-meter walls by the city guards using a crane.
Just as Chu Xun arrived at the southern gate, ready to leave Chu City and begin his hunt, an unexpected problem suddenly arose.