Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

[You have mastered "Technology - Essence Extraction Equation," and now you can improve the technology level by investing "General/Scientific Research Experience."]

Technology...

This was the first practical, complete technology Bai E had obtained; as long as he paid with experience, he could unlock its applications.

The 1000 points of Scientific Research Experience that he had amassed earlier from collaborating with Helen on the Advanced Physical Training Program 3.0 had been lying unused. Now, it seemed they could be put to use to see the effects.

[Payment: Scientific Research Experience 1000 points.]

[Current "Technology - Essence Extraction Equation" experience 1000/1000, continue to pay "Technology Points*1" to unlock "Level 1 Technology - Essence Extraction Equation."]

[Payment: Technology Points*1.]

[Technology - Essence Extraction Equation (Level 1): You have mastered the basic biological essence extraction process and are familiar with the related materials and equipment involved in the extraction process. From now on, you can oversee the construction and management of essence extraction production lines, and you can somewhat reduce the losses during production. Production Loss -10%]

The biggest difference between technology and knowledge is that one is knowledge you can apply yourself, while the other enables you to mobilize others, completing assembly-line production to expand productivity.

That's why the experience it requires is ten times that of equivalent knowledge...

Using the universal General Experience instead of the specialized Scientific Research Experience feels like quite a loss.

Having satisfied his curiosity with Level 1 technology, Bai E instantly dismissed any further plans to develop in this aspect for the time being. Such an endeavor was too resource-intensive, something he wasn't ready to handle yet.

Mission accomplished.

Time to slip away!

Bai E gently set down the bone-carving knife and politely bid farewell, "Instructor, if there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

"Wait." The butcher gently caressed the knife Bai E had used, looked him in the face seriously, and asked, "To which unit do you belong?"

"Me?" Bai E smiled, "Just an ordinary one, operating mechas."

"..."

As he walked away, Bai E pondered his future plans in the military camp; scenes like today's were worth frequenting.

For one, there was Energy Charge to harvest, and for another, it was an opportunity to make his presence known amongst various personalities in the camp.

Perhaps these numerous grassroots characters couldn't decisively influence everything, but on the odd occasion, support from these different unit grassroots characters could provide an undeniable force.

Who knows...

Moreover, these non-combat capabilities could surprisingly also enhance his combat abilities. Just this fact alone made this learning experience absolutely worthwhile.

The enhancement to combat abilities provided by dissection was a basic numerical increase, which, when coupled with abilities like instantaneous killing or powerful shooting that multiply damage, could cause the base numbers to increase exponentially, significantly boosting the lethality.

The only strange thing was why only "Light Firearms, Long-Range Weapons, Hand-to-Hand Combat"—these three specialized abilities—provided enhancements?

Is it because of... the level of proficiency?

The other specializations were only at levels 1 to 2, while these three were at levels 4 to 5.

So, perhaps the minimum requirement to trigger enhancements was Level 3? Or was it Level 4 proficiency?

Not important, there'll always be a chance to verify this in the future.

Having achieved his set goal, Bai E hastened to the dining hall, quickly ate a few bites, and then rushed to the secluded corner he had arranged to meet Yue Ying.

After slaying the high-dimensional demon and absorbing all the Spiritual Energy it dropped, Bai E's total amount of Spiritual Energy had reached a full 60 points.

Yue Ying once said that he could learn new techniques once his total amount of Spiritual Energy had improved; he wondered if 60 points would be considered sufficient.

Brimming Spiritual Energy kept Bai E's mind consistently lucid; for the past few days, he felt as though he had an inexhaustible supply of energy, hardly feeling any fatigue or exhaustion.

It was still early, Yue Ying had not arrived, so Bai E sat down to meditate on his own.

A one-time transaction was, after all, occasional; there weren't many targets that could burst with Spiritual Energy, and he couldn't always rely on killing to improve his abilities. Regular meditation was an eternal necessity.

Supported by a force both illusory and real, Bai E's body floated lightly as if he were transcending mortality.

The silent figure, who had arrived unnoticed, watched the seated warrior intently.

He seemed to be sitting on the ground, yet he was actually afloat at least two or three centimeters off the ground.

In other words, his Spiritual Energy was already powerful enough to lift his own body.

How long had it been since he first encountered Spiritual Energy?

Yue Ying pursed her thin lips, her gaze complex as she watched the meditating warrior.

Even among her own race, the Elf Race, such a gifted talent was rare to see.

Few, apart from his own sister, could achieve such rapid enhancement.

"Yue Ying?"

A gentle call roused Yue Ying from his momentary distraction.

Feeling an oppressive sense of a foreign object approaching, Bai E opened his eyes and saw Yue Ying looking at him; his bottom had returned to the ground, and he hadn't even realized that he had briefly floated.

"Mhm~" Yue Ying hummed, his elongated, willow-leaf-like eyes fixed intently on Bai E, cutting straight to the point, "Were you the one last night?"

"..." Bai E was startled, having not expected that last night's event would alarm the young miss.

A fleeting thought crossed his mind, and without any hesitation, Bai E nodded in agreement, "Yes."

There was no need to lie to Yue Ying, and it would probably be impossible to deceive her anyway.

If she was asking him this question so firmly now, it likely meant that she had watched the entire event last night.

As for why no one had noticed her presence... Could someone at the peak level of combat power that Bai E currently recognized, who chose to hide, really be discovered by others?

When Yue Ying heard Bai E's almost instant agreement, a slight joy stirred in her heart—

'He doesn't want to lie to me.'

"Actually, I also felt that someone like you... I didn't expect it to really be you." Yue Ying spoke with a tone of slight lament, even though she had guessed and was almost certain, when the person himself confirmed it, she couldn't help but feel a wave of surprise.

The memory of last night's two arrows and their style flashed through her mind again; these were skills and abilities she had never taught him.

Such remarkable comprehension.

And... a leader with enough charisma.

On the long street, faced with everyone's worship, he accepted it nonchalantly and thereafter shouldered the responsibility of managing them.

This was not about glory, but sacrifice.

Just as he said, the meaning of a crown lies not in being above others, but in eternal guardianship.

Such a person would surely rise to a high position in their human cities soon, wouldn't he?

As for the internal affairs of humans, Yue Ying, feeling like an outsider, had no interest in further understanding or interfering; she only wished to deeply connect with the souls that she found interesting.

This human warfighter before her seemed to already possess the qualifications to be accepted by the Elf Race.

For the first time, Yue Ying actively removed the hood that shrouded her head.

Her hood was not tight, but it always prevented one from clearly seeing her face underneath, which felt more like a spiritual energy block.

Only when she performed a specific action... like removing her hood, did it imply that she was lifting this block.

A delicate and charming face appeared suddenly before the eyes, the crystal-pink thin lips parted slightly, shimmering like dusted with gold, irresistible to the urge of drawing closer to passionately indulge in a kiss.

In terms of sheer beauty, even the most captivating and stunning Helen could not compete with the beauty of an elf on the basis of pure looks alone.

Beautiful to the point of surreal, yet tangibly real.

"..." The impact of the breathtaking beauty so close by made Bai E involuntarily space out for a moment, as if the air itself became still, and his heart uncooperatively paused for a split second.

Then it resumed once again.

Using self-restraint to control the secretion of exciting hormones in his body, the light of reason reclaimed its place in Bai E's eyes.

"I finally understand why you have always worn a disguise."

This level of a femme fatale, who wouldn't be enraptured by her looks?

She was a walking aphrodisiac; letting her wander around, Blackwater City would transform into a den of carnal demons by tomorrow.

Yue Ying's lips curved lightly, a smile gracing her features; no one dislikes praise, provided they themselves are not dislikeable.

Her gaze stayed focused on Bai E; under the boost of her attractiveness, such gaze was especially heart-racing. Yue Ying was aware of her lethality to most humans.

But satisfyingly, she couldn't detect a hint of desire in the eyes of the human warfighter before her.

As expected...

After all, she believed that someone who could resist her spiritually-charged desire on that night would not easily be corrupted by mere beauty.

"The policies you implemented yesterday are quite interesting, why do you require them to work?" Yue Ying asked, still locking eyes with Bai E, as it was her habit.

Eyes seldom lie, especially not under her scrutiny.