Chapter 338: Tier-3 Psyker
Lin Ye leaned on the Cross Scepter, barely managing to stay upright.
Even though he had only used the compressed spiritual energy and blood stored within the Cross Scepter, his own internal spiritual energy and mental energy were almost completely depleted.
The spiritual energy was fine;
it would recover quickly in this environment. But recovering mental energy wasn't so easy.
For the current Lin Ye, the effect of Spirit Potions was rather mediocre. Drinking two bottles in a row barely had any noticeable effect.
It had been a long time since he had depleted his mental energy to this extent. The main reason was that the previous attack required a massive expenditure of mental energy, and the Cross Scepter was also absorbing his mental energy. Otherwise, it wouldn't have had such devastating power.
Using his remaining sliver of mental energy, Lin Ye sensed the lingering ripples of the bloody cross near the war fortress. Enhanced and amplified by the Cross Scepter, both Blood Burning and the various runes had been boosted to a level far surpassing Lin Ye's own capabilities.
Basic runes were just the foundational forms of runes. As one's understanding of the basic runes deepened, the strength and effects of the runes would change.
The runic effects currently lingering near the war fortress were the result of that amplification, already exceeding the scope of basic runes.
Lin Ye carefully sensed those runic effects. He might not necessarily develop his abilities in that direction, but it was a valuable reference point.
The vast majority of monsters inside the war fortress had failed to escape the first wave of compressed spiritual energy burst and Blood Burning. A handful of powerful sixth or seventh-tier monsters that weren't at the epicenter of the blast managed to survive, but they immediately faced a second wave of crisis: the effects of the various runes. For example, under the influence of the Severing rune, the spiritual energy in the environment became like invisible blades, easily slicing through their bodies. But that wasn't even the most dangerous part. The danger lay in the concept of severing contained within. Any part that came into contact with this concept would naturally be divided into two or even multiple pieces.
And that was just one type of rune. The various runic concepts mixed together, and their combined effect was far more than a simple sum.
Therefore, even high-level spiritual energy users would find it difficult to survive in such an environment.
Sensing the lingering echoes of the various runes in the distance, Lin Ye slowly walked towards the war fortress after the initial burst subsided.
His current condition was quite poor. A few mid-tier creatures could force him to fight for his life. But he didn't mind. He still had his Special Ability, and if things got truly desperate, he could always return to the Shelter.
'After finally taking down a giant boss, I have to collect some loot.'
Affected by the compressed spiritual energy burst and the effects of the various runic concepts, the blast center was left with a large amount of precious spiritual energy materials. These materials possessed various peculiar effects, and even their direct use was more effective than ordinary spiritual energy items.
However, the blast center was still very dangerous now;
it would take some time before it was safe to enter.
Some soldiers who hadn't gone to clear the nearby monsters were also approaching the war fortress. Among them, some looked at Lin Ye with awe, clearly aware of who had caused this devastation.
A senior officer, whose uniform was distinctly different from the others, walked towards Lin Ye and handed him a bottle of deep blue potion. Even through the bottle, Lin Ye could sense the intense mental energy fluctuations within.
"Thanks."
Lin Ye unscrewed the cap and downed the liquid in one gulp.
His mental energy instantly recovered by fifty percent, followed by a period of slow, gradual recovery.
'Finally met a reliable ally. Allies who don't waste words and directly provide what's needed aren't common.'
Lin Ye felt an inexplicable touch of emotion. Compared to the previous War Front activity, this one was simply too comfortable.
Even the enemy was considerate, placing such a perfectly suitable target right in the center of the battlefield, very cooperative.
After his mental energy recovered to seventy percent, Lin Ye entered the blast center. After all, this attack was unleashed by him. The lingering runic effects here were all from runes he was most familiar with, so he could enter the epicenter ahead of others.
The blast center was inside the war fortress. There were many quite excellent spiritual energy materials here, remnants of the various runic effects clinging to them, making them both dangerous and precious.
Due to the limited space in his loot space, Lin Ye only took the most valuable batch of materials. Those spiritual energy materials buried deep within the ruins would have to be left for these soldiers. After all, this was an entire giant war fortress.
After collecting the materials, Lin Ye stood at the highest point of the war fortress wreckage, absorbing the nearby spiritual energy. Spiritual energy mixed with various runic concepts was compressed within his body. God's Blood flowed in the depths, combining internal and external forces to completely shatter the limits of his body.
After completing the final strengthening and reaching a new limit, Lin Ye took out a Consolidation Potion and drank it in one go.
A scorching sensation invaded his entire body. A massive amount of spiritual energy surged into him, beginning cycle after cycle within, strengthening his bones, nerves, and flesh.
God's Blood was also transforming the deeper layers of his body. Lin Ye could already feel the pulse of God's Blood, though he still couldn't control it.
The Seed of Spirit grew within the darkness;
his mental energy had strengthened once more.
When everything settled, Lin Ye had become a third-tier spiritual energy user.
After resting for a while atop the ruins, Lin Ye pulled his homemade cart and left the war fortress, leaving the fortress wreckage for the soldiers. That officer was clearly very pleased and gave Lin Ye another bottle of the deep blue potion.
'Excellent. I can save this as a trump card.'
For now, Lin Ye wouldn't have much use for this kind of potion.
The conditions for using the Cross Scepter required the user to uphold their own moral bottom line. Every time he acted in accordance with upholding his principles, it would charge the Cross Scepter. So, to unleash an amplification of that magnitude again, he would need to accumulate more actions over time.
Pulling the cart, Lin Ye pondered his next move.
Truthfully, he could return to the Shelter now. Both his harvest and task completion were impeccable. However, he still had one Special Ability unused, and the war wasn't over yet.
If those portals weren't dealt with, the enemy could send a second, or even a third, war fortress.
The soldiers were busy processing those spiritual energy materials, with no apparent intention to pursue the victory. Lin Ye could only go deal with those portals himself.
But even if those soldiers wanted to come along, Lin Ye wasn't planning to bring them. After all, he could return to the Shelter at any time. Bringing along some deadweight would just complicate things.
'There are still ten red-circle bases... feels like I can't finish them all in one night...'
Lin Ye walked towards the officer. He planned to inform him of his plan to avoid any unnecessary trouble.
After listening to Lin Ye's action plan, the officer pointed out three bases to him: the church base and two other bases he hadn't visited.
"Just dealing with these three bases is enough?"
Lin Ye asked.
The officer didn't speak, only giving a slight nod.
"Alright. But I'm not sure if I can handle them. If it gets too dangerous, I'll just return to the Shelter directly."
Even after destroying a war fortress and several bases, Lin Ye hadn't inflated his ego in the slightest.