The Kill

Simon frowned slightly as he circled the colossal crab. The beast couldn't keep up with his speed, and soon, Simon was behind it. He thrust the iron rod under the crab, gripping it tightly with both hands, and with a low grunt, used all his strength to flip the crab over.

With a resounding "thud," the giant crab was overturned, its belly exposed to the sky. It struggled violently but couldn't right itself, rendering its soft underbelly vulnerable like a flipped turtle. Simon, seizing the moment, raised the iron rod and struck down on the crab's belly.

Though protected by a shell, the crab's underbelly was soft, and Simon's blow shattered it. Yellowish substance splattered out. The crab's vital organs, shielded by this fragile shell, were now exposed and damaged. The crab's whole body shuddered, its once-frenzied claws slowing down.

Simon delivered several more strikes, reducing the crab's abdomen to a pulp. Yellow and white fluids poured out, and the crab's claws stiffened and ceased moving. Shortly after, a spirit source emerged from the crab's body and was absorbed into Simon's forehead.

"Level 3 Spirit Source User: Spirit Source 8/30"

Having successfully slain the crab, Simon gained two spirit sources. He exhaled a long breath, realizing that while he had triumphed, it hadn't been easy. Despite his thousand-pound strength, the exertion had taken a toll on him. His prodigious strength drained his stamina rapidly.

Simon sensed an imbalance within his body. With his muscles enhanced to a second form, capable of exerting immense power, his other organs struggled to keep pace. The human body, an intricate machine, relied on the harmony of all its parts. His muscles, having undergone two fortifications, were vastly stronger than the rest of his body, which put a tremendous strain on his system.

As the spirit source was absorbed, a warm flow suffused his body, rejuvenating his exhausted form. His heart, which had been pounding furiously, began to calm.

Simon gazed at the lifeless carcass of the dominant crab, noticing no further changes in its body. A wave of disappointment washed over him. According to the information gleaned from the "Insight Sigil," killing an elite species like this crab could grant him the special ability "Domineering Armor." Yet, the crab's body remained unchanged, and he had not acquired the ability.

"How unfortunate," Simon thought, shaking his head. He turned and walked toward Long and Lily. Defeating elite spirit source beasts only provided a chance to gain special abilities; it wasn't guaranteed. He had previously obtained unique abilities from slaying the monocular frog and the gluttonous hound, but this time, luck wasn't on his side.

"Simon, you were incredible." Long, now slowly sitting up and still clutching his chest, had watched Simon defeat the crab and was deeply impressed.

"How are your injuries?" Simon inquired, noticing Long hadn't risen from the ground, indicating significant harm.

"Several broken bones, it's quite troublesome," Long replied with a frown. Despite being a level 4 spirit source user with remarkable healing abilities far exceeding those of ordinary people, his bones would still take time to mend.

"No worries," Simon reassured him, "Just absorb a new spirit source, and you'll heal quickly."

Spirit source users possessed extraordinary healing powers, and absorbing new spirit sources would enhance their regenerative abilities dramatically. No matter how severe the injury, as long as it wasn't fatal, it would heal rapidly.

On the rooftop, with the dominant crab slain and no other monsters in sight, Simon instructed Lily to help Long up. "Follow me," he said, leading the way toward the stairwell.

Long used his right hand to support himself with a steel shovel and draped his left arm around Lily. As he slowly stood up and took a few steps, his face contorted in pain, sweat breaking out on his forehead.

"It's all my fault. I should have listened to you earlier," Long said, feeling a mix of guilt and frustration. He watched as Simon disappeared into the darkness of the stairwell.

A resounding "bang" echoed as a figure tumbled from the entrance, hitting the ground—it was a low-level corpse beast. 

"It's yours, Brother Ding," Simon's voice called out.

Understanding Simon's intention, Long gritted his teeth and endured the pain, swinging his steel shovel with his right hand. With a sharp "crack," he shattered the corpse beast's head, and a spirit source emerged, merging into his forehead. 

Although the spirit source of a low-level corpse beast offered minimal enhancement to Long's power, it was still absorbed by his body, forming a warm current that focused on his chest injury, accelerating its healing. Of course, the healing effect of such a low-level spirit source was far inferior to that of higher-grade spirit source beasts.

Simon descended the stairs, encountering several corpse beasts. He captured them and tossed them onto the rooftop for Long to slay and absorb their spirit sources for healing. 

Long killed four corpse beasts in succession, absorbing four spirit sources. Though their effects were negligible, the accumulated spirit sources significantly alleviated his pain. 

Long exhaled deeply, finally catching his breath. His complexion improved as he followed Simon into the stairwell. 

Descending further, Simon spotted a water rat beast. With a swift strike, he broke its front legs with his iron rod. A quick flick sent the water rat beast flying toward Long, who had just appeared behind him. 

Long swung his steel shovel down, smashing the water rat beast's head with a resounding "crack," and absorbed another spirit source. The spirit source of the water rat beast was considerably superior to that of a low-level corpse beast. While it offered little evolutionary benefit to Long, its absorption significantly aided his healing. He immediately felt a noticeable improvement in his chest.

The pain lessened once more, and Long promptly followed Simon off the rooftop. Spotting two more water rat beasts in the corridor, he didn't wait for Simon's help this time. He raised his steel shovel and charged at them, ready to fight.