"He... He’s gone! The Gene Trader is not here anymore!"
As the Survivors rested and checked their notifications, soone suddenly realized the Gene Trader had disappeared!
This was a blunder.
Kai’s expression changed as he imdiately gave a command. "Search the area. Check the mausoleum, the tunnels, even the crypts. Don’t leave a stone unturned."
Claire’s squad moved quickly, spreading out across the cetery.
Wallace and Victor checked the collapsed tombs, Aurora and Jonas scouted the tunnels, while Elena and Marissa searched the mausoleum itself. Farrah and Alfie even climbed onto broken rooftops to scan the surroundings.
But after nearly an hour, they had to admit defeat...
The Gene Trader had vanished without a trace.
Kai stood silently as he tried to make sense of the situation.
In the end, he had suspected that there was a limit.
It seed that the system wouldn’t allow Survivors to abuse the trap forever. This disappearance was the solution... a safeguard against endless farming.
Finally, Kai exhaled and accepted it.
"Enough. He’s gone. We’ve pushed the trap as far as we could. The system must have set a limit, and now we know what happens when it’s crossed."
The others nodded reluctantly.
They already guessed as much.
They had gained much, but the opportunity was gone.
Still, Kai wasn’t discouraged.
He checked his own status and smiled faintly. He had already reached Level 19. Unfortunately, the next milestone required more.
To reach Level 20, he would need to absorb another batch of C‑Grade Energy Cores. Thankfully, he had plenty stored.
Kai clenched his fist. "Even without the Trader, we’ve grown stronger. Level 20 is within reach. This was worth it."
The Survivors looked at him, reassured by his calm acceptance.
They had also leveled up, and even if they didn’t reach Level 19 like Kai, they still managed to reach Level 14, and so of them even reached Level 15!
The Gene Trader was gone, but they knew that it wouldn’t be long before they could find another Gene Trader.
As a matter of fact, Kai was aware of the location of another Trader. It was the one found by Russel, Dylan, and Gabby within the ruined industrial zone.
***
Since the matter was settled, the Survivors finally left the cetery and returned to New Haven‑45 Shelter.
The atmosphere was calr now, though everyone still felt a little concerned about the disappearance of the Gene Trader.
Nonetheless, inside his quarters, Kai sat down and opened his inventory. His eyes fell on the crystal‑like object. Although most of the Energy Cores they had collected from the Tyrants were in the vault of the shelter, Kai had one stored in his Inventory.
It was specifically for this mont!
[ Tyrant Energy Core (C) ]
[ Origin: Not from the A.I. Rebel forces of this world, but from the A.I. Civilization that seeded and influenced its artificial intelligences. ]
[ Description: A condensed energy source harvested from a C‑Grade chanical Tyrant. Unlike ordinary Energy Cells, this core also contains energy that can push organic hosts beyond their natural limits. ]
[ Requirent: Can only be absorbed by Survivors with a Physique Rating of D or higher. ]
[ Effect: Upon absorption, the Energy Core will permanently enhance the host’s body, unlocking the potential to surpass human limits and reach Level 20 ]
[ Warning: Absorption is irreversible. Failure to et requirents may result in fatal overload. ]
Kai gently nodded after seeing it once again...
When he saw this for the first ti, he knew that it would give him a huge surprise if he reached the limit...
Now, he had already reached Level 19, and it was finally ti to reach this level!
"Level 20... it’s ti."
He held the Tyrant Core firmly.
[ Energy Core absorption initiated... ]
[ Synchronizing with host physiology... ]
A surge of power coursed through his body. It felt warm, but it was starting to settle within his body...
Soon, he felt his physique improve, and nurous notifications followed!
As expected, the Level 20 was a huge milestone!
[ Absorption complete. ]
[ You have leveled up! ]
[ Level: 20 ]
[ Health Points 100 ]
[ Spirit Points 5 ]
[ Physique Rating has improved! ]
[ New Gene Skill Awakened! ]
The system didn’t stop there.
[ Congratulations! You are the first Survivor to reach Level 20. ]
[ You have received a new Title: Guardian ]
[ Your Survivor Title has been upgraded to Skilled Survivor. ]
[ Reward: Superior Gene Skill Awakening Token 1 ]
[ Reward: Survivor dal 5, Skill Point 2 ]
Kai’s eyes widened as more lines appeared.
"This is aweso..."
His Survivor Title had finally been upgraded, and he even gained a new one!
Furthermore, he even managed to obtain a Superior Gene Skill Awakening Token! Just from its na, he felt that it was a lot better than the Gene Trader’s Low-Grade or Mid-Grade Gene Skill Crystal.
It didn’t matter whether it would give him passive or active Gene Skill, it would definitely be amazing!
And then, sothing unexpected appeared.
[ New Feature Activated: World Chat ]
[ Description: Survivors who reach Level 20 gain access to the World Chat system. Communicate across shelters and territories. ]
[ Limit: 3 ssages per day. ]
[ Warning: ssages are visible to all Level 20 Survivors worldwide. Use wisely. ]
[ Your achievent has been broadcast to the World Chat. ]
The system that he could use was also being upgraded!
Kai looked at the system ssage, stunned. He didn’t expect such an update to happen.
"Broadcast?"
He was the first to reach this milestone, and now, it has been announced in the World Chat!
"Interesting system feature. World Chat... so now, Survivors can connect beyond their shelters. This changes everything."
The notifications faded, leaving Kai with a sense of accomplishnt. He had crossed the threshold, and the system had acknowledged it...
In any case, it was ti to check the Gene Skill he had awakened!
[ New Passive Gene Skill Activated! ]
[ Skill: Bronze Skin (Level 0) ]
[ Description: The user’s epidermis hardens slightly, reducing incoming physical damage by 8%. Provides minor resistance against cuts, bruises, and blunt force. ]
[ Note: Passive skills cannot be deactivated. Leveling requires Gene Skill Points. ]
"Ohhhhh... Finally! A defensive Gene Skill!" This was definitely worth a celebration!
Even if it wasn’t an Active Skill, he’d take it!
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