Chapter Eleven: Garuda Mode

Inside the red brick building.

Jiang He casually set aside the admission notice and then began to eat with full concentration.

Three bags of raw white rice and over a hundred pounds of cured jiao meat—all gone down his throat in just half an hour.

The Garuda’s egg had now merged with its user’s heart, enveloping his digestive system in a pure azure energy that greatly accelerated digestion. Every few minutes, this pure azure energy would carry nutrients back to his heart for storage and accumulation.

Jiang He quietly attuned himself to the flow, like water caressing his body. After some time unknown to him, he attempted to mimic this flow, hoping to channel his player energy.

On the interface panel, his energy value rapidly dropped, blinking down to [250/300].

A subtle sensation arose deep within him, as if sweat were about to break through. The next moment, a faint azure glow appeared around his fist, resembling a pair of heavy gauntlets.

“I’ve mastered the divine skill!” exclaimed Old Hei, rushing over in surprise.

“It’s not exactly a skill; at least, there’s no change on the player panel. It should be considered a technique of energy manipulation,” Jiang He explained.

He found a stone and first punched it with a normal strike. Unsurprisingly, the pain made his expression waver slightly. As a low-level player, his strength, physique, and agility had not yet surpassed ordinary humans by much. Without armor, he couldn’t yet shatter stone with a bare fist.

After a brief rest, he tried again.

Pure azure energy surged forth, as if armor clad his flesh and bones. His punch crashed down, shattering the stone with a thunderous sound.

He felt no pain this time, though the azure energy around his fist dimmed slightly.

“This can be used to enhance both offense and defense. It can sustain this mode for about ten minutes using fifty energy points. Also...” Jiang He pondered, then decisively released all his energy, his entire body glowing azure.

Old Hei laughed teasingly, “Now you’re a Saiyan.”

Next, Jiang He ran around the courtyard, wielding a steel fork that whirled like a fierce wind.

After two and a half minutes, the azure glow faded.

He summarized, “Garuda Mode One: Localized Enhancement, fifty energy points for ten minutes.”

“Garuda Mode Two: Full Enhancement, three hundred energy points for three minutes.”

“It mainly boosts attack and defense, with slightly less effect on speed. Additionally, the mode can empower weapons.”

Old Hei poked the stone fragments with his paw, noticing scorched black marks along the edges.

“There’s also a burning effect, though it’s not very pronounced.”

“Garuda,” Jiang He reflected, “in mythology, it self-immolates to death. My original energy color should be transparent, but now the Garuda’s egg has dyed it azure.”

Recognition, experimentation, understanding, mastery, progress—a continuous cycle of learning. Through learning, one grows stronger.

Jiang He said, “Next, I need to research how to inflict damage outside the body. I can’t do it yet; it feels like my strength is insufficient.”

Old Hei analyzed, “Maybe your energy isn’t enough. Naturally, a hungry person has little strength.”

Jiang He nodded. That was possible.

...

After waiting all morning, his energy fully replenished, the pair headed to the local gas company, spending several hundred yuan to buy six gas tanks.

For the first time, Jiang He showed a pained expression. He only had a little over six thousand yuan left, saved over an entire year. If he continued studying, his funds would quickly run dry. Anping Island sat on the border, and while there were many ways to make money, few were safe.

The six gas tanks filled his inventory. When detonated, the three cubic meter space would burn crimson hot, like the strike that had killed Dr. Ryan. Now, he could unleash that attack three times.

Garuda Mode combined with gas tank explosions was his key to exploring Yu King Valley.

Passing the outskirts of a small town, a man in a black jacket emerged from the woods, leading a group. His body was covered in blue-black tattoos, chest bare, tall and muscular. A steel baseball bat rested on his shoulder, giving him a fierce appearance.

“Han Scar” grinned upon seeing Jiang He. “What’s up the mountain? Someone’s buried in the woods—don’t get involved.”

Jiang He nodded and asked, “Walking the dog? Outsider?”

Besides travelers from all corners, Anping Island harbored all sorts of stowaways, refugees, and murderers. The underworld was real, and the local Dahe Gang’s reputation was once poor. But it was an organization formed spontaneously by locals.

Ten years ago, a Mr. He who had committed a murder came to the island, married the old gang leader’s daughter, gradually rose to lead the Dahe Gang, found his footing, firmly sided with the locals, won much support, then cooperated with several local overlords as enforcers. He secured large investments to develop tourism, eventually transforming into a famous entrepreneur.

The Dahe Tourism Group and Anping Voyage Group were the two biggest powers on Anping Island.

Han Scar lit a cigarette, saying, “The one buried there was a stowaway from Ying Country. It’s been chaotic over there for nearly a year. Word is the underground’s got heavy weaponry now, wall-crawling warriors, cat-and-mouse summoners—pretty strange.”

“Oh, and that recent storm hit the Anping Group hard. The general manager plans to reorganize the fleet. Fishermen with boats like you guys will benefit—premium prices, thirty percent more. Don’t tell anyone I said.”

Han Scar nodded twice and led his dozen or so men away. Among them were two of Jiang He’s high school classmates, new members. After greetings, they passed by each other.

...

Locals surviving out here must keep their heads down. The Dahe Group ensured they weren’t mistreated.

Jiang He and Old Hei entered the woods. Not far ahead on the ground lay a young man, unconscious with a missing tooth and a bloodied mouth. Only his head protruded, his face smeared with a special ointment. Within half a day, ants would devour him alive.

Jiang He knew without guessing that the victim’s limbs buried underground were surely broken.

They climbed the mountain. Half of Anping Island was mountainous, the other half flatlands. Wolves, deer, and other wild beasts roamed the hills—no one knew how they came. The herb “Anping Ginseng” was common and remarkably effective, giving the island its name.

After passing through the forest, Jiang He and Old Hei reached the cliff’s edge where mountain met sea. Towering terrain rose on either side, the roar of crashing waves filled their ears. Before them stood a weathered stone tablet carved with the words “Yu King Valley.”

Suddenly, Jiang He’s vision transformed into a wide canyon, opposite which lay an ancient, dark-green forest.

The stone tablet seemed to divide yin and yang.

[Task Trigger Condition Met]

[Task Name: Explore the Borderlands · Vast Wilderness]

[Task Objective: Kill 0/5 different alien creatures]

[Task Reward 1: 100 Experience, 100 Game Coins]

[Task Reward 2: Random Common Quality Scroll x1]

[Task Penalty: None]

Jiang He stepped forward. Inside his inventory, the half-jiao bone was undergoing heat and shockwave refining, showing clear signs of melting. He needed more exceptional alien bones to forge a spear suitable to himself.

The half-jiao had died at the critical stage of transformation into a giant serpent-jiao, its bones contained peculiarity and a rare chance for growth.

Common — Rare — Exquisite.

Exquisite-quality items were of an entirely different caliber than rare ones.