Evolution Begins with Elemental Domination

This was a pretty bountiful haul.

The most eye-catching item was a brand-new, azure Rune.

Judging by its structural pattern of Wind, Earth, and Wind elements, along with the distinct extensions on its outer edges, it was most likely another Lv2 Wind Element Rune.

’A Wind Element shield?’

Su Chen knew full well that after the Wind Tiger realized it had been ambushed, it had immediately wrapped itself in a Wind Gauze, as if enveloped within a Wind Cocoon.

However...

Compared to the might of his Lv4 Flame Burst, which also possessed a disintegrating force that could shatter matter and elemental structures, this flimsy wind shield was simply no match.

’I’ll pass on a defensive Rune.’

Su Chen had no intention of absorbing it. The number of Runes his Sea of Consciousness could support was limited, and he still didn’t know exactly how many Magic Slots he had.

Now that he had the Water Mirror Refraction Rune, there was no need to absorb another one that served a similar purpose.

’Besides, I can still use it for an Enchantment.’

He glanced at the war axe in his hand. Having absorbed the Wind Blade Rune, the surface of its blade now had a cold, grayish-blue sheen, and its profile was wickedly sharp.

The metal handle, however, remained unchanged.

The end of the handle featured a protruding pommel, which was made thick and sturdy for the sake of overall balance.

’Let’s give it a try.’

Su Chen touched the small pommel at the end of the handle directly to the Wind Element Rune.

In an instant.

The azure Rune met no resistance, surging wildly up from the pommel and along the handle. Like roots burrowing into soil, it completely reforged the entire handle from the inside out.

The metal was now encased in a layer of what looked like Wind Crystal, and countless intricate, arcane patterns resembling swirling air currents spread across the handle.

Enchantment complete.

Su Chen gripped the war axe. With a mere thought, his consciousness created a Resonance with the Rune.

VMMMM!!

An invisible force erupted from the end of the handle, instantly enveloping the hands that held the war axe before spreading to cover his entire body.

Countless strands of Wind Fluff swirled around him, weaving themselves into what looked like a form-fitting garment of Wind Gauze.

’This does more than just protect me.’

Su Chen’s first sensation was that his body felt more than fifty percent lighter, as if he were light as a feather and being held aloft by the Wind.

He took a casual step forward, and his body shot out like an arrow from a bow.

He hadn’t even exerted himself, yet his movement speed had skyrocketed.

And that wasn’t all.

Su Chen bent his knees slightly, and with a light push from his feet, a simple vertical jump sent him soaring more than six meters into the air. It was as if he could defy Gravity itself.

What was more astonishing was the feeling of suspension he experienced at the apex of his jump.

On the way down, the Wind Gauze seemed to manipulate the air currents, slowing his descent. He landed as gently as a falling leaf, standing perfectly steady.

’This is amazing...’

It was like wearing a jetpack.

This felt absolutely incredible.

Su Chen hadn’t expected that besides providing a protective barrier, the lift from the wind would enable him to perform all sorts of unbelievably difficult maneuvers.

He had to admit, he really liked it.

The synergy was great, too.

Being able to fully enjoy a Rune’s effects without it taking up one of his Magic Slots was exceptionally useful.

After about thirty seconds, the effect wore off, and the swirling fluctuations of Wind Fluff around him finally dissipated.

All in all, it wasn’t a purely defensive ability. It probably couldn’t compare to an Earth Armor Rune of the same level, but the extraordinary mobility it granted was truly excellent.

’Now I’m covered on both offense and defense.’

Su Chen gazed at the war axe in his hand. It could now release Wind Blades and generate a shield. Capable of both offense and defense—it was perfect.

Who would have thought that just half a day ago, this had been a simple fire axe?

If it continued to perform well, he could collect more of the same Rune in the future and feed them to the Enchanted War Axe to upgrade it further.

If there was one downside, it was that the Wind Tiger hadn’t dropped any Spiritual Dust Sand. Instead, it had dropped a Water Element essence and a Wood Element essence.

In addition, the two tiger cubs had contributed two Wind Element essences.

’I have just enough to meet the upgrade requirements for the Jingzhe Rune.’

Su Chen picked up the Wood Element essence.

The Rune trembled, and a notification appeared.

[Jingzhe] Lv2→ Lv3 Advancement Successful!

Traits Enhanced: Duration, Physique Boost.

...

[Jingzhe] (Lv3): Thunder drives the breath of life to awaken your potential, granting a 145% boost to physical functions for 1.5 seconds.

Upgrade Requirements: Jingzhe Rune 0/4, Spiritual Dust Sand 0/1

Mastered Runes: Water Mirror Refraction Lv1, Flame Burst Lv4, Jingzhe Lv3, Shadow Leap Lv3, Shadow Summon Lv3

’Standard, but not bad.’

The duration had increased by 0.5 seconds. It seemed brief, but while the ability was active, his perception of time slowed to a crawl, giving Su Chen more than enough time to calmly evade and counterattack.

After feeding the two remaining Wind Element essences to his Shadow Leap Rune, he took a small vial from his backpack and stored the Water Element essence inside. He also took out two new Small Straight Knives to replenish his throwing weapons, hooking them onto his tactical belt.

He didn’t take out too many at once, so as not to hinder his movements.

Finally, he pulled the Engineer Shovel from his bag and planted it firmly in the dirt in front of him.

Once he had taken care of everything, Su Chen pushed aside the remains of the mother tiger’s carcass.

Ignoring the pool of bloody foam, he saw that the exposed rock layer beneath was covered in a web of cracks. Peeking out from two of the fissures were clusters of faint green crystals of varying shades.

A large portion of one jade-green cluster had already been excavated and lay exposed, while the other merely showed a greenish crust on the surface.

Just standing there, Su Chen felt a refreshing sensation wash over him, as if he were being bathed in a spring breeze. It was even more soothing than soaking in a hot spring in winter. Even the Runes in his Sea of Consciousness began to glow as they accelerated their energy Recovery.

’Just as I thought. The exposed mineral crystal vein was already being excavated.’

This was to be expected.

Given its healing properties, as long as Plant and Mineral Crystals could be easily excavated near the surface, it was bound to keep attracting monsters.

At that moment, Su Chen took out the white Jade Pendant from under his shirt. He crouched down and gently pressed it against the shallow, greenish crust.

In an instant.

Wisps of pale, jade-green energy seeped out like mist and were greedily absorbed by the Jade Pendant.

The pendant’s pure white surface gradually turned a deep emerald. After about ten seconds, it took on the magnificent luster of imperial green, and rough-hewn characters began to appear on its surface.

As the energy was drawn out, the greenish crust rapidly turned white, but the absorption didn’t stop at the surface.

The connected mineral lode beneath was absorbed as well. Perhaps because it lost its structural support, the entire section of rock suddenly collapsed, revealing a bathtub-sized cavity.

’It absorbed that much?’

Su Chen was surprised. He took his Engineer Shovel and dug a few times into the pit, but all he found was pulverized dirt and dust.

There wasn’t a trace of green left on the rock faces around the pit.

’Was the mineral quality too poor, or have the Jade Pendant’s needs increased?’

Su Chen sighed to himself. Theoretically, as his own Physique attribute increased, his demand for converting Elemental Energy would naturally rise along with it.

Perhaps it was a combination of both factors.

At least the other large, exposed cluster of jade-green crystals looked much more vibrant and lush.

’One to absorb, one to-go.’

After putting his family’s heirloom Jade Pendant back on, Su Chen picked up the Engineer Shovel and began digging around the mineral lode. He stopped after clearing out the dirt to a depth of about twenty centimeters.

He pulled a golf club from his backpack, infused it with a bit of the power from his Flame Burst, and with a resounding CRACK, struck the exposed base of the lode. The jade-green crystal cluster snapped clean off, completely detached from the vein.