Chapter 53: The Value of The Crystal

Zarek smiled at the broad man.

"Now will you tell me what that crystal is?"

The broad man’s face twisted with anger. He glanced at the bodies scattered across the hall, then looked back at Zarek as though the sight only made him more furious.

"You killed those lowly bastards and think you’re in a position to question me?" he spat.

"You’re still a rat. Just because you managed to kill a few men doesn’t mean you can come into my territory and demand answers!"

Zarek tilted his head, listening with mild interest.

The man had quite a mouth on him. Even after watching his subordinates get slaughtered, he still hadn’t learned when to shut up.

"Are you finished?"

The broad man’s expression darkened.

"YOU—"

Zarek moved.

He crossed the distance between them in an instant, his fist driving straight toward the man’s face. The broad man reacted quickly, raising his arm to block the punch before swinging his other fist toward Zarek’s ribs.

Zarek twisted aside, but the blow still caught him hard enough to force him backward.

His shoes scraped across the floor.

For a moment, he simply stared at the man.

What the fuck?

Before the apocalypse, Zarek had already been stronger than most people his age. Since escaping Blackwood Prison, he had received multiple Permanent Physical Enhancements through his investments.

Each return had added to his strength, and the improvements had accumulated far beyond what he initially expected.

He could feel the difference whenever he fought. Mutants that once forced him to struggle were becoming easier to kill, and even the enormous creature that had nearly crushed him was no longer something he considered an insurmountable threat.

Yet this broad man had just knocked him back with a single blow.

A grin slowly spread across Zarek’s face.

"Well, aren’t you interesting?"

The broad man apparently mistook his reaction for mockery. He charged forward, throwing a heavy punch toward Zarek’s head.

Zarek ducked beneath it and drove his fist into the man’s stomach. The impact forced a grunt from the broad man’s throat, but he barely staggered before swinging an elbow toward Zarek’s face.

Zarek blocked it with his forearm. The collision sent a sharp jolt through his arm, and he answered with a punch that struck the broad man squarely on the jaw.

The man’s head snapped sideways.

He took two steps back, spat blood onto the floor, and came at Zarek again.

Their fists collided several more times. The broad man relied on his raw strength, throwing heavy punches that could easily break bones, while Zarek moved more cautiously, watching how the man shifted his weight and recovered after each attack.

One punch caught Zarek across the cheek. Another slammed into his shoulder, forcing him to retreat around a fallen chair.

The broad man laughed when he saw him backing away.

"Where did all that arrogance go, rat? Come on! Show me what you’ve got!"

Zarek touched his cheek with his tongue and tasted blood.

Then he laughed.

"Ahahaha! You really can hit hard!"

The broad man’s smile faltered at the sound.

Most people became frightened when they realized they were in danger. Zarek seemed to be enjoying himself more with every exchange, and the look in his eyes made the man increasingly uncomfortable.

Still, he refused to back down.

He rushed Zarek with another powerful punch, putting his entire body behind the attack. Zarek stepped to the side at the last moment, allowing the fist to pass his shoulder, then drove his own punch into the man’s ribs.

The broad man grunted and tried to retaliate, but Zarek had already moved inside his guard. A second punch struck his stomach, followed by a vicious blow to his jaw that sent him stumbling into a table.

The furniture overturned beneath his weight.

Before he could recover, Zarek grabbed him by the front of his clothes and slammed him against the wall.

The impact rattled the decorations hanging nearby.

The broad man struggled, swinging at Zarek’s head, but his movements had become noticeably slower. Zarek caught his wrist, twisted his arm aside, and drove a knee into his abdomen.

The man doubled over.

Zarek released him only to punch him across the face. Blood splattered onto the floor, and the broad man collapsed onto one knee.

He tried to rise.

Zarek kicked him in the chest, sending him sprawling onto his back.

The broad man lay there, gasping for breath. When he attempted to push himself up again, Zarek planted a foot against his chest and forced him back down.

"Stay there. I’m not finished with you."

The man froze, breathing heavily beneath Zarek’s foot.

Zarek looked down at his own hands, flexing his fingers as he considered the fight.

The broad man had genuinely surprised him. Despite all the strength he had accumulated through his investments, he had needed to fight seriously to overcome the man.

That realization left him with mixed feelings.

Part of him was delighted. He had finally encountered someone who could withstand his attacks and force him to pay attention.

Another part was annoyed.

He had expected his accumulated enhancements to give him a more overwhelming advantage.

How strong would I be if I hadn’t received those returns? And how many people like this bastard are out there?

The questions were worth remembering, but they could wait. For now, he had someone at his feet who owed him answers.

Zarek crouched beside the broad man and grabbed him by the hair, pulling his bloodied face upward.

"Let’s try this again. What is the crystal?"

The broad man’s eyes darted toward the fallen guards. His earlier confidence had disappeared, replaced by the desperate calculation of someone trying to find a way out of a terrible situation.

"Wait! Don’t kill me!" he blurted. "I’ll tell you everything! Just let me live!"

Zarek loosened his grip slightly.

"Then talk."

"The crystals..." The broad man swallowed painfully. "They’re used to make people stronger. You eat one, and your body absorbs its energy. How much stronger you become depends on the crystal."

Zarek glanced toward the container resting near the entrance.

"So those things come from the monsters?"

"Yes! We collect them from the monsters and bring them back here. They’re valuable. With enough crystals, a person can become much stronger than an ordinary human."

The broad man hurried through his explanation, clearly terrified that any hesitation might earn him another beating.

Zarek listened without interrupting.

So that was why the group had been carrying those creatures back to the factory.

Their bodies contained something people could use to grow stronger, and the crystals were valuable enough for the broad man’s subordinates to collect them and bring them to him in exchange for rewards.

Zarek glanced at the broad man. So this bastard had been using the crystals to increase his strength.

That explained why he had been able to match Zarek’s physical power despite the multiple enhancements Zarek had accumulated through his Investment Returns.

Interesting.

He remembered the two crystals he had collected after killing the human-faced monster.

At the time, he hadn’t known what to do with them. He had simply stored them in his System Space, intending to investigate their purpose later.

Now he finally had an answer.

But what interested him most wasn’t the possibility of becoming stronger himself.

Elsa and Ayesha had both improved considerably through training, and their achievements had already earned him several valuable returns.

If these crystals could make them stronger, he might be able to push their growth even further.

He didn’t know how the system would calculate the returns from such an investment, but the possibilities were tempting.

A chuckle escaped him.

If I feed these crystals to my girls, what kind of return will I get?

For the first time since entering the factory, Zarek was genuinely glad he had followed those men.

This place might turn out to be far more valuable than he had expected.