Regarding the matter of awakening lightning abilities after transformation

The pale moonlight streamed in, illuminating the dim room and the location of the giant spider.

It was clinging to the wall to Gu Cheng's right, and almost the instant the glass shattered, its sharp spider legs stabbed directly at Gu Cheng.

Caught by the attack out of the corner of her eye, Gu Cheng instinctively tried to roll to her left. But the spider legs shot out too fast; by the time Gu Cheng reacted, their tips were already less than a foot away from her chest.

There was no way to dodge it; Gu Cheng could only try her best to turn to the side to avoid being pierced through vital areas.

"Bang!" In mid-air, the spider leg suddenly changed its trajectory and slammed heavily onto the floor in front of it.

Without the expected pain, Gu Cheng didn't hesitate and quickly retreated to a safe position.

A large hole appeared in the ground, and the spider leg inside twitched violently, as if it were wrestling with an invisible force.

Zhou Li did not let this opportunity pass. He slashed at the vulnerable joint and severed the entire spider leg.

A ghostly green liquid oozed from the wound, and the giant spider let out a human-like wail.

Su Wanxi fired another shot, this time aiming at the spider's abdomen. The soft abdomen was far less sturdy than the spider's legs, and the bullet could easily penetrate the skin and reach the internal organs.

The excruciating pain drove the giant spider to madness. It struggled to retreat to the wall, trying to climb back to the ceiling. But because it was missing a leg, it was much slower than before.

Zhou Li, wielding a long sword, leaped onto its back. The sharp blade plunged completely into its body, drawing out even more green sap.

The severely injured giant spider frantically waved its appendages, but couldn't touch the person on its back at all. It wanted to throw Zhou Li off, but dared not expose its abdomen completely.

Su Wanxi also fired from the flank, gradually wearing down its stamina.

Gradually, the giant spider stopped moving.

"Don't move." Su Wanxi told Gu Cheng and Qin Kexin to stay put, and then approached the spider corpse.

The face was covered in green blood, obscuring its expression.

Point the pistol at its forehead, and the face suddenly struggled and spat out a glob of acid.

Su Wanxi was prepared for this and deftly dodged it, while the gun muzzle emitted a scorching light.

"Dead." Her calm voice came through the team channel.

Is that all? Gu Cheng, standing in the corner, was somewhat taken aback. The giant spider's fierce attack still left her with lingering fear.

What was expected to be a fierce battle turned into a one-sided crushing defeat of the spider by Zhou Li and Su Wanxi.

Qin Kexin didn't pull the trigger. Gu Cheng was slightly better off, hitting a spider leg with one shot. Later, because she was worried about accidentally injuring her teammates, she could only stand there and watch.

The scene before my eyes blurred again, and the cracks naturally disintegrated as the spider died.

The bustling city, the warm lights, everything in the real world made Gu Cheng feel as if she were in another world.

Zhou Li wiped the blood off the Tang sword and rewrapped it with gauze.

"Everyone except you, go back."

After dealing with the cracks, Qin Kexin and Zhou Li both had their own things to do, so Su Wanxi told them to leave first, but kept Gu Cheng behind.

"Is there anything else...?" Su Wanxi looked her over carefully, her clear eyes making her feel a little embarrassed.

"Come with me to the third basement level. There's a test about your abilities." Su Wanxi hugged her backpack and walked towards the door.

"And watch your clothes," she said vaguely halfway through the walk.

Clothes? Gu Cheng then realized that her top had been torn in a small section due to the strenuous exercise, and her fair skin underneath was clearly visible.

The quality of these clothes is terrible! Gu Cheng's cheeks flushed slightly. Luckily, no one around was paying attention, so she had to hold the gun in one hand and hold her collar with the other to avoid exposing herself.

Should we say you're lucky, or that you're incredibly unlucky? Su Wanxi stepped into the elevator, pressed the button, and let out a barely audible sigh.

The third basement level is clearly different from the other two levels. It does not have winding, narrow corridors or neatly arranged training rooms; it only has an open space the size of a football field.

"Have you noticed any changes?" Su Wanxi asked her in the center of the venue.

You mean my superpowers?

"Correct."

Gu Cheng stretched out her hand, and a blue-white current surged from her heart.

Indeed, there has been a significant change. Compared to yesterday's weak and fragmented current, it is now more stable and powerful, coiling around the fair arm like a slender snake.

Moreover, Gu Cheng felt that her connection with it had become particularly close. It no longer seemed to be an ordinary electric current, but rather an organ, an extension of her body.

"Why is this happening?" Gu Cheng felt mentally exhausted and quickly stopped controlling the electricity.

"Because of the crack." Su Wanxi paused for a moment before carefully explaining to Gu Cheng.

There are two ways for awakened individuals to enhance their abilities. The first is to naturally grow stronger with age; in other words, even without using their abilities, they will be stronger in ten years than they are now. Although this takes a long time, it is safe and stable.

The second method is more like a shortcut: exposing oneself to as many unnatural phenomena as possible, such as rifts or supernatural creatures in real life. This method can greatly enhance the Awakened's abilities in a short period of time.

"So all I need to do is participate in more missions..." After this operation, Gu Cheng roughly understood her own capabilities. She wanted to help Su Wanxi and the others, but she could only be a burden to the team.

"Do you really want to become stronger?" Whether it was her imagination or not, the light in Su Wanxi's eyes seemed to have dimmed a little.

"No, it's not that..." Gu Cheng was a little at a loss as to what she had done to upset her.

After a moment of silence, Su Wanxi realized her lapse in composure. She turned away and bit her lip where Gu Cheng couldn't see her.

"I am fine."

She was simply recalling something a senior had said.

Fish that come ashore are no longer fish. Then what are we, who blindly approach monsters for power?

Section 13, Chapter Thirteen: Night

"Gurgle~" Her stomach rumbled at an inopportune moment, which was especially noticeable in the quiet space, and the girl's already rosy cheeks now looked as if they could drip water.

"Hungry?" Su Wanxi's lips curled up slightly, dispelling her previous gloom.

"Mmm." Gu Cheng's reply was barely audible; she felt like she had used up all the blushing she could muster in a year in just a few days.

"Sorry, I forgot you've been practicing since noon." Su Wanxi's smile quickly faded, but the atmosphere was no longer as serious as before.

"I'll take you home and treat you to dinner." She took her keys out of her bag, making a jingling sound.

"Huh? I can go back by myself." Gu Cheng's first reaction was to refuse; it was so late and she didn't want to trouble someone to take her home.

Su Wanxi didn't speak, but just stared at her chest and blinked.

"Well... thank you." Gu Cheng then realized that her clothes were disheveled and it was indeed inconvenient for her to take the subway, so she had no choice but to accept the suggestion.

"Let's go." The two took the elevator to the underground parking lot.

The car interior was very clean, with a predominantly black color scheme, leather seats, and soft neck pillows. A small aloe vera plant with plump, fresh leaves adorned the windshield.

Unidentified flowers and plants hung on both sides of the car windows, adding a touch of beauty without obstructing the view.

Gu Cheng sat in the passenger seat, a strange, pleasant fragrance lingering in the air. It wasn't as pungent as perfume; it was more like the scent of some kind of flower, one she had smelled on Su Wanxi before.

"Take this and put it on." Seeing Gu Cheng's awkward movements, Su Wanxi offered her a piece of clothing.

It was a black coat, very thin but not transparent.

Gu Cheng hesitated for a moment, then took the coat and draped it over her chest. She gently smoothed out the wrinkles with her fingers, taking each step carefully, afraid of getting it dirty.

"What do you want to eat?" Su Wanxi asked her softly, gripping the steering wheel.

"Anything is fine, I'm not picky." Gu Cheng doesn't have any weird dietary restrictions; she can accept any food on a normal person's menu.

It seemed to be raining outside. As soon as I drove out of the underground parking lot, the windows were covered with raindrops. They slid down along their own paths and eventually gathered into a small stream.

Gu Cheng gazed quietly out the window, where the lights, sometimes near, sometimes far, blurred into hazy orbs on the glass. They were vibrant and colorful, like a rainbow blurred by water.

My chest wasn't so cold anymore; the thin jacket had retained its warmth very well.

Su Wanxi was focused on driving when Gu Cheng turned her head and saw her delicate profile. Under the light of the soft orange lamp, she didn't look as aloof as usual, but rather radiated a gentle warmth.

"Thank you."

"You thanked me."

"No, that's not it. I meant the rift. If it weren't for you helping me..." Gu Cheng later carefully recalled the battle in the rift and discovered many details she had missed. For example, the dazzling golden light emanating from Su Wanxi when the giant spider swung down its claws.

"Since I chose to bring you in, I will definitely bring you out again."

"..." Gu Cheng fell silent, unconsciously clenching the clothes in her hands.

"I will try my best." She looked up at the other person earnestly, at least not wanting to be the one who held them back.

"Keep it up~" Su Wanxi smiled lightly and turned her gaze back to the road.

A moment later, the car turned into a side alley. Su Wanxi turned off the engine and left the light on for Gu Cheng.

"Here's your coat." Noticing that Su Wanxi was only wearing a tank top, with her smooth shoulders exposed, Gu Cheng handed her his coat.

“You need it more than I do,” Su Wanxi refused, rummaging through her bag.

"Besides, I brought an umbrella." She pulled out a clear plastic umbrella and neatly closed the car door. The rain seemed to be getting heavier, and Gu Cheng could only see her blurry figure through the window.

Even though she had only been gone for a short while, Gu Cheng felt as if each day was an eternity.

She felt like a submissive wife waiting for her husband to come home, and she closed her eyes and gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"Click." Not long after, the car door was opened again. Su Wanxi placed the plastic bag in front of the car seat, closed the wet plastic umbrella, and carefully placed it in the storage compartment inside the car.

"Here you go." She handed Gu Cheng a small lunchbox containing steaming hot tofu pudding.

Gu Cheng took the lunchbox and noticed the glistening water droplets on Su Wanxi's arm.

"Is the rain heavy?" she asked softly, holding the lunchbox.

"It's not big. We'll leave after you finish eating." Su Wanxi pulled out a roll of toilet paper and wiped away the rainwater that had accidentally splashed on her.

"Let's go first, I'll take it back to eat." Eating in the car can easily make the seats dirty, and Gu Cheng didn't want the food to spoil the pleasant aroma in the air.

Su Wanxi guessed what she was thinking, and took the initiative to open a lunchbox and began to eat slowly and deliberately. The tofu was delicate and smooth, with an excellent texture, and the hot sugar water was at just the right temperature; a small bite was enough to warm the stomach.

She wasn't actually that hungry, but if she didn't eat first, Gu Cheng might really go hungry.

Seeing Su Wanxi's actions, Gu Cheng finally couldn't resist opening the lunchbox.

Sweet, really sweet? Gu Cheng was taken aback by the taste the moment the tofu touched her tongue. She had grown up eating savory tofu pudding and had never tried sweet one before. The warm brown sugar syrup flowed between her teeth, its sweet and smooth texture stimulating her taste buds. It wasn't bad, but something just felt off.

She turned her head to look at Su Wanxi, who was enjoying her food attentively. Her already rosy lips looked even more tempting under the broth.