Chapter 104: A Price for Power

Spirit crystals indeed boost strength, but the cost and effect are far from proportional.

Essentially, the unclaimed spiritual energy within the crystals is the same as the energy gained from slaying mutants, though the former is present in very minute amounts…

So little that even a beginner Second-Stage fighter aiming for the intermediate level would require at least 8,000 units of spirit crystals!

In other words, that’s nearly 100,000 credit points—and subsequent costs will be even steeper!

Some calculations reveal that powering a Second-Stage fighter up to Second-Stage Peak demands spirit crystals worth almost a million!

This isn’t mere waste—it’s building strength by throwing massive resources at it, and the strength gained is anything but stable!

Generally, spirit crystals are reserved for Third-Stage Awakeneds, who can absorb them at a higher rate or use them as supplemental energy, much like batteries.

Using such strategic materials to boost power—the Military really isn’t stingy! Are they afraid that these high-potential seeds might suffer losses during upgrades?

The Seed Plan…

Yenir felt a twinge of bitterness, even a hint of sorrow.

He had overlooked one crucial detail.

He knew that the First Sequence Fire Seed in the Seed Plan received massive supplies from the Military, yet he had no idea of the exact figures.

He had based his assumptions purely on personal experience.

And therein lay his mistake.

In his previous life, when the Military discovered his potential and invested heavily in him, supplies were nearly depleted—how could they compare to now?

Back then, humanity survived only in a few major military regions and the Capital Zone; resources, equipment, and supplies had almost all been exhausted.

When he was being groomed, the nation could barely amass enough spirit crystals for him—there were scarcely any Spiritual Energy Fruits to boost his power.

His prowess was forged in the heat of battle—earned on the frontline at the cost of his life. It was through a mix of Third-Stage resources that he barely reached the peak of that stage.

Compared to today’s thriving world, where resources are almost endless, it was a world apart.

Yenir realized that if even the Capital was willing to pour vast resources into something as basic as power enhancement, then everything else must be on an even grander scale.

Rough estimates suggest that the First Sequence Fire Seed enjoys resources valued at no less than tens of millions!

With such astronomical consumption, it’s no wonder that in his previous life the resource reserves were so meager—nearly everything was exhausted in the first round of the plan…

A self-deprecating smile crept across his face.

Yenir mused that he had been ‘earning’ quickly enough; whether the Military supplied pre-Third-Stage resources wasn’t much of a concern.

But in hindsight, he realized just how naïve he had been.

To avoid injuries or fatalities, the resources allocated to these high-potential seeds far surpassed what he had painstakingly earned.

After all, a nation supports hundreds of Safe Zones—does he really want to pit himself head-to-head against them?

For a moment, Yenir even felt the urge to head straight to the Capital Zone and re-test his innate talent in front of everyone!

With these resources thrown his way, he was certain he’d be stronger than in his previous life—and his chances of advancing to Fourth Stage would be significantly higher!

But after pondering his Willpower Type talent for a long while, Yenir suppressed that impulsive thought.

Whatever—an SSS rating meant nothing. Until he reached Third Stage, no one would bet on him.

In his previous life, people only took risks and invested resources when everything was nearly lost… without influence or connections, no one would back him.

After stifling these thoughts, Yenir simply asked Wang Yangping with a blank expression:

“Looking for spirit crystals?”

“How many are you offering?”

“I have about 4,700 units on hand.”

Roughly, one Three-Stage Kill Credit goes for 1,000; after 14 rounds it’s around 2,000. Add in the two companions I brought along, and it roughly sums up to that number—which converts to nearly 50,000 credit points on the market.

Wang Yangping beamed with delight—he had been mulling over how to broach the subject, yet Yenir had mentioned it first.

“Alright!”

“What do you think? We’re even prepared to pay a premium for the enchanted materials you’ve gathered this time!”

That price wasn’t low at all—almost a 10% premium. It was mainly Yenir’s enigmatic strength that made Wang Yangping subconsciously want to befriend him, prompting the highest offer within his authority.

Nodding slightly, a trace of emotion flickered in Yenir’s eyes.

Truly, he was generous…

By that count, he netted over 200,000—even upwards of 300,000—from just one dungeon run.

Though the two Three-Stage enemies didn’t drop any equipment, they did yield plenty of high-grade enchanted materials.

But should he set some of those materials aside?

Huang Kai had kindly managed to drop a bunch of equipment for him—by his calculations, it was more than enough to boost all his attributes beyond 25.

Spurred on by the Seed Plan, he was determined not to settle for anything less than perfection in his fundamentals.

After finalizing the spirit crystals deal, Yenir casually passed over two blue enchantments he deemed unworthy.

Within half a minute, Wang Yangping’s face lit up with grateful delight as he said:

“I truly appreciate you, Ye Lin.”

“Totalling 123,000 credit points—let me round it up to 124,000 for you!”

After the credit points were transferred, he carefully observed Yenir’s reaction; seeing no flicker of emotion on his face, he couldn’t help but marvel. Big names remain unfazed even by tens of thousands.

“Lord Ye Lin, would you be interested in running the dungeon a few more times?”

“The Military Department has an enormous demand for spirit crystals. If you’re willing to help, you’re sure to earn the favor of General Tang.”

“To be honest, the spirit crystals collected by our Military Region this time were gathered specifically for General Tang’s second son.”

“His youngest son has already been selected for the Third Sequence of the Fire Seed Plan. If all goes well, he’ll undoubtedly become a high Three-Stage fighter—and his prospects for Fourth Stage look very promising!”

With a mix of pride and envy, Wang Yangping’s eyes hinted that Yenir should secure the right connections early.

As the pride of their Military Region, General Tang’s second son had once caused a sensation after being rated with S-level potential—countless people saw him as the next successor, with many even dreaming of his reaching Fourth Stage.

“Oh?”

Yenir echoed a troubled ‘Oh?’ in his mind—he couldn’t believe he was effectively ‘working’ for a Third Sequence…

Driven by curiosity, he inquired:

“General Tang’s second son? May I ask, how many people are in the Third Sequence? And how many spirit crystals did you collect for him this time?”

Noticing Yenir’s interest, Wang Yangping quickly responded:

“The Third Sequence consists of roughly twenty individuals. Since the minimum requirement is an S-rating, every one of them is a genius among geniuses!”

“As for how many spirit crystals were collected…”

With a hesitant expression and after a rough estimate, he ventured:

“Around two million, perhaps?”

“I heard that General Tang, to prevent his son from absorbing too quickly and risking flaws in his internal energy, prepared double the amount of spirit crystals.”

“But I’ve also heard that the consumption for earlier major factions was even more outrageous—the general behind the First Sequence reportedly prepared nearly six million worth…”

Yenir: …..

These damned rich dogs!