manynovel Chapter 193: Continuous Fusions, Surging Stats!
Chapter 193: Continuous Fusions, Surging Stats!
The extreme charging speed of 240 kilowatts was nothing short of exaggerated, causing the Recharge Value to jump by one percent every minute.Cheng Ye opened the interface and shifted to his personal page with a mere thought.
After days of continuous searching and accumulating, his stats had changed significantly.
[Collector: Cheng Ye]
[Current Rank: Lv.2 Novice (42.7/100)]
[Life Tier: 1]
[Skills: Heart-Protecting Fire, Green Field Physique, Snake Force, Eagle Power]
[Abilities: Blazing Eagle Symbiotic State (Shaping)]
[Not Yet Unlocked...]
[Evaluation: With the deep exploration of your Life Tier, your basic indicators have achieved a massive upgrade, far exceeding the average level of current Civilized Indigenous Lifeforms. However, this increase in stats will also make you more attractive to special indigenous creatures. Your current strength is still insufficient to handle these threats. Try to collect more civilization information. Raising your Rank will help you further cultivate your own forces!]
The most prominent change on the interface was the sharp increase in Information Degree.
The Perfect Grade Talent, Hundred Martial Arts Master, alone provided a full 7.6 Information Degree. This was a pleasant surprise, far surpassing the rare skills he had searched for previously.
Ranking second was the Heart-Protecting Fire, which provided extra Information Degree as Little Flame grew.
This Lv1 Transcendent Skill was not a one-time deal. Instead, it continuously provided Information Degree as it developed, making it another unexpected harvest.
The remaining Information Degree came from the pile of skills he had gathered over the past few days.
Aside from the Information Degree, the Blazing Eagle Symbiotic State had finally transitioned from its initial embryonic phase into the Shaping stage.
With a mere thought from Cheng Ye, his field of vision instantly expanded.
The soundly sleeping Little Flame was hoisted out. With fluff as puffy as a tiny fireball, it landed on the passenger seat and let out a drowsy yawn.
It looked up at Cheng Ye sitting nearby, confirmed that its surroundings were safe, and then buried its head back under its wings, curling into an even tighter ball to resume its slumber.
The little creature had only been born half a month ago. Perhaps the special flames in the Fire Brazier had provided it with extra growth speed, as its size had quietly increased by a third. Now, with its wings spread, it could perfectly cover his entire palm.
The fiery red down covering its body had grown thicker, especially on its back and belly. Touching it felt like wrapping his hand in a warm fleece blanket.
Only the down on its wings remained sparse, yet it gleamed with a distinct crimson hue. Brushing his fingertips across it revealed a much firmer texture than the fluff on its back, feeling almost like metallic feathers.
The most eye-catching feature was the tuft of golden feathers on its head. It now shone with a scorching brilliance, looking like shattered sunlight. Staring at it for too long actually stung the eyes, making it hard to keep them open.
"After entering the Shaping stage, this little guy has become sleepier and sleepier!"
Little Flame seemed to be inheriting information from its memories, only coming out to move around for half an hour each day.
For the rest of the time, it remained in a semi-dormant state, retaining only its ability to act as his lookout.
Cheng Ye watched it for a moment before looking away.
As the interface expanded further, the details of the Heart-Protecting Fire and the Blazing Eagle Symbiotic State refreshed:
[Heart-Protecting Fire (Lv1; Transcendent Talent)]
[Description: Rumored to exist within magma...]
[Growth Value: Lv1 (0.286%)]
[Growth Method: ...]
[Blazing Eagle Symbiotic State]
[Description: Upon activating the ability...]
[Current Status: Shaping]
[Currently Shareable Skills:]
Blazing Eagle Devours Fire (Lv1, Normal, can consume a small amount of flames to heal minor injuries of itself or the host)
Hover (Lv1, Normal, grants the ability to hover briefly when falling from high altitudes, reducing fall damage)
Blazing Eagle's Heart Fire (Lv0, Rare, when the host's mental energy is heavily depleted, the Blazing Eagle can consume fire to replenish a small amount of mental energy)
Blazing Eagle's Killing Fire (Lv0, Excellent, the host's contact attacks carry a trace of Fire Damage, capable of causing dual damage to both the Physical Body and the Spirit Body Level)
[Currently Shareable Attributes:]
Vitality +1.45% (Based on the host's current status)
Strength +5.27% (Base)
Speed +3.19% (Base)
Defense +0.29% (Base)
[Currently Shareable Abilities:]
Charcoal Fire Power (Lv1, Normal, slightly increases resistance to low temperatures)
Earth Fire Power (Lv0, Rare, the host's contact attacks carry a trace of earth fire damage)
Firewood Power (Lv0, Excellent, slightly increases resistance to high temperatures)
As the Growth Value of the Heart-Protecting Fire doubled once more, the various stats of the Blazing Eagle Symbiotic State naturally rose along with it.
Both Blazing Eagle Devours Fire and Hover had stepped into the Lv1 category. What surprised Cheng Ye even more was that, aside from the original Blazing Eagle's Heart Fire, a new special skill had been derived:
Blazing Eagle's Killing Fire.
It appeared to be a skill evolved from the Body-Killing Fire.
Cheng Ye guessed that if he had chosen the Body-Killing Fire instead of the Heart-Protecting Fire back then, the initial level of this skill would probably have been much higher.
However, as long as the foundation was there, it could always be nurtured slowly in the future. There was no need to rush.
Looking at the shareable attributes below, the improvement was even more striking.
The initially unlocked strength and speed bonuses could now provide clear, tangible buffs.
The newly added vitality and defense bonuses were not as obvious, but like tender sprouts in early spring, given time and Little Flame's continued growth, they would inevitably develop into something formidable.
As for the shareable abilities column, because Little Flame had inhaled a mouthful of Earth Core Fire, it naturally derived the corresponding Earth Fire Power.
'Next up is to try fusing the Growth Factor for Little Flame,' Cheng Ye pondered to himself.
The Growth Factor extracted from an ordinary Black-striped Fish did not have a special mark, so it could not be fused.
However, the Black-striped Fish King had contributed a Growth Factor with a special mark.
Compared to the special abilities searched from Infected Bodies, the Growth Factor sounded much milder just by its name, meaning the risks would naturally be lower.
Whoosh.
The skill column expanded in response. The increasingly rich list of entries was arranged in order of level, packed tightly together:
Lv3: [Hundred Martial Arts Master (Perfect)], [Green Field Physique (Rare)], [Swimming Fish Physique (Rare)], [Iron Bone Physique (Excellent)], [White Streak in the Waves (Rare)], [Swimming Against Current Posture (Excellent)], [Advanced Ship Repair ☆]
Lv2: [Mobile Shooting (Rare)], [Dragon Power], [Tiger Force], [Snake Force], [Eagle Power], [Iron Body (Rare)], [Beginner Source Orbit Technology Principles ☆]
Lv1: [Heart-Protecting Fire (Transcendent)], [Blood Dragon Army Standard Combat Style], [Beastial Instinct], [Camel Endurance], [Toxin Filtration], [Toxin Neutralization], [Underwater Breathing x2], [Basic Aquatics], [Growth Factor x2], [Growth Factor (Marked)]
The information-type skills that had already been equipped and digested were automatically hidden by the interface.
Even so, the total number of skill entries still exceeded twenty.
The Swimming Fish Physique and Iron Bone Physique were extracted from the other three Enforcers of Pinghai Tower, one being Rare and the other Excellent.
The remaining person had truly mediocre talent. They did not even possess an ordinary Lv3 physique, barely offering the Swimming Against Current Posture as something worth recording.
There were temporarily no new changes to the Lv2 Skills.
As his strength grew, even the buffs provided by Lv2 Skills like the four forces had become negligible. Only higher-tier Rare or Perfect grade skills could bring about meaningful improvements.
However, even a slightly stronger Enforcer like Wang Qing did not possess any Rare grade Lv2 Skills. In the end, he could only abandon the search and convert it into Action Points.
As for the Lv1 Skills, all the Traits that could be exchanged in the compendium had already been extracted.
He had once tried to fuse the Underwater Breathing and Water Affinity skills provided by freshwater fish. The two Basic Skills of water affinity had synthesized into Basic Aquatics, proving that this path was feasible.
Since he was going to take root in Dabo Town in the future, dealing with the White Water River was unavoidable. Skills of this nature were naturally the more, the merrier.
As for the three Growth Factors, Cheng Ye had already tried equipping the normal versions, and the effects were better than nothing.
As for the marked version, according to the interface's prompt, equipping it meant being subjected to Parasitism by a special power. He hadn't dared to attempt it.
'The physique talents require two fusions, the Heart-Protecting Fire needs one, and White Streak in the Waves and Swimming Against Current Posture need one fusion...'
'The remaining two attempts will be used to fuse Basic Aquatics and Underwater Breathing, synthesizing the three skills into one.'
Having too few skill slots and too many skills was simply a happy problem to have.
Cheng Ye had tried to unequip the Heart-Protecting Fire, but the interface prompted: "Probable loss of growth progress upon unequipping."
The cost was too heavy, so the Heart-Protecting Fire had to remain permanently active, occupying one slot.
Although the Green Field Physique didn't have this restriction, unequipping it would result in the loss of its vitality bonus, causing a sharp drop in Combat Power. It also had to remain permanently active.
As a result, only two slots remained available for swapping in daily life.
When not in combat, these two slots would be used to learn and fuse skills like Eagle Power and Snake Force, which he would master in another two or three days.
During ground combat, he would switch them to the combination of Iron Body and Hundred Martial Arts Master to maximize his intensity.
'The two aquatic skills I am currently fusing are just perfect for underwater use...'
Having figured out his plan, Cheng Ye saw that the Recharge Value had reached eighty percent and opened the fusion function.
First, he would fuse the lowest tier, Underwater Breathing.
Perhaps because they were similar skills, or maybe because their levels were too low, the fusion happened without any strange phenomena.
Two small bubbles bumped into each other in the center, and the process was complete.
[This Information Fusion process is complete. Fusion Result: Excellent]
[The Civilization Collector has successfully recorded the newly fused skill: Underwater Breathing (Lv1; Excellent)]
"Huh, even Lv1 Skills have an Excellent grading?" he murmured.
Cheng Ye was slightly surprised.
Once the Recharge Value climbed back to fifty percent, he fused the Excellent grade Underwater Breathing with Basic Aquatics.
A bubble and a virtual Black-striped Fish.
Upon contact, the Black-striped Fish was enveloped by the bubble. Its size shrank as it shuttled nimbly inside, no longer as rigid as before, appearing remarkably lifelike.
[This Information Fusion process is complete. Fusion Result: Rare]
[The Civilization Collector has successfully recorded the newly fused skill: Fish-Mimicking State (Lv1; Rare)]
"It turned out to be Rare?"
Cheng Ye was pleasantly surprised, not expecting Skill Fusion to be so incredibly useful.
Separately, Water Affinity and Underwater Breathing took up too many slots, and using them individually didn't provide much utility.
But fusing them into the Rare-grade Fish-Mimicking State—just the name itself sounded highly effective.
He figured that once he went underwater, it would definitely prove its worth.
'I wonder if continuing to fuse Water Affinity and Underwater Breathing into it would raise it all the way to Perfect, or even promote it into an Lv2 Skill?'
Cheng Ye mentally noted this down. Once the Recharge Value refilled to fifty percent, he began fusing the Lv3 Skills.
First were White Streak in the Waves and Swimming Against Current Posture.
The blurred figures manifesting the two talents appeared—one darting through the waves, and the other swimming against the current.
After the fusion, the figure's posture became slightly clearer, and its swimming motions grew even more fluid.
[This Information Fusion process is complete. Fusion Result: Stable]
[The Civilization Collector has successfully recorded the newly fused skill: Surfing Through Waves (Lv3; Rare)]
Combining Excellent and Rare had failed to trigger a grade upgrade.
Cheng Ye wasn't surprised. Previously, fusing two Rare skills hadn't even touched the edge of Perfect. It was only natural that the higher the level and grade, the harder the upgrade.
'Once I get to the White Water River, I can take some time to test the buffs of these two skills.'
With his Recharge Value drained, Cheng Ye cleared his mind and closed his eyes to rest.
With the support of the Extreme Charge, he could perform a fusion every fifty minutes. The efficiency had drastically surged.
At that moment, the Dabo Town Topographic Map unfolded in his mind once more. He mentally marked several locations that posed a risk of infection.
Unfortunately, he still didn't know which section of the terrain he would be assigned for his assessment.
If it was the eastern part of the town, it would be closer to the White Water River. The western part would be closer to the ruined Wilderness.
Both locations carried their own risks, but generally speaking, the dangers in the east were slightly higher.
Ding.
This time, Cheng Ye waited until the Recharge Value was entirely full and the charging station automatically stopped before he began fusing the physique talents.
Compared to the wild grass and water waves from last time, this round's swimming fish and iron bone looked even more incompatible.
He simply decided to fuse the two first:
Upon manifesting, the swimming fish was a long, unseen species, resembling a ribbonfish, with its whole body glowing in a blue light.
The iron bone, on the other hand, was a lump of Metal with an indistinct shape. Its surface was rough, gleaming with a cold sheen.
The fusion began. Both erupted with a dazzling light and slammed violently into each other.
Based on their talent grades, Cheng Ye had assumed the iron bone would merge into the swimming fish, causing the fish to mutate.
But the unexpected occurred!
No matter how the swimming fish battered against it, the metal remained as steadfast as a small mountain.
Once the swimming fish ran out of momentum, the small metal mountain suddenly sprang up and suppressed the fish beneath it.
Flashes of blue light flickered past. The fusion had unexpectedly completed with the Iron Bone Physique acting as the core.
[This Information Fusion process is complete. Fusion Result: Excellent (Downgraded)]
[Record the fused skill: Blue Iron Physique (Lv3; Excellent)?]
[Detected that the Collector's current Recharge Value can trigger the 'Random Mutation' mechanism. Select Mutation?]
"It downgraded?"
Cheng Ye sat up straight, furrowing his brow.
For a moment, it was difficult to judge whether this Blue Iron Physique was strong or weak. However, after pondering for a few seconds, he still decided to attempt the mutation.
Setting aside the downgrade from Rare to Excellent, the combination of Blue Iron Physique and Green Field Physique simply didn't look like something that could fuse normally.
If a normal fusion resulted in another downgrade, the loss would be far too great.
Investing fifty percent of his Recharge Value, the phantoms of the swimming fish and the iron mountain surfaced once again.
This time, everything went smoothly. The swimming fish effortlessly devoured the small mountain. The blue glow around its body retracted, transforming into a flowing Silver Glow.
[This Information Fusion process is complete. Fusion Result: Stable]
[The Civilization Collector has successfully recorded the newly fused skill: Iron Fish Physique (Lv3; Rare)]
"Not bad, another Rare physique talent!"
Feeling satisfied, Cheng Ye pushed the door open, stepped out of the vehicle, and swapped his charging card.
Having learned from his previous experience, he deliberately waited until the charge was full at one hundred percent before initiating the new fusion.
The Green Field Physique expanded on the left panel, turning into a patch of vibrant, verdant grass.
The Iron Fish Physique manifested on the right, transforming into a silver arowana swimming freely.
Cheng Ye pressed the fusion button, and a thin thread connected the two. Yet again, something unexpected occurred!
Past fusions had mostly been clashes reminiscent of two planets colliding, but this time, it was exceptionally harmonious:
A circular pit suddenly split open in the center of the green field. Trickling streams of water instantly filled it. The silver arowana leaped into the pool, swimming joyfully in the water, causing even the blades of grass to glisten with a moist sheen.
'Could it be because I fused the water wave physique previously?'
Cheng Ye was lost in thought.
The interface timely popped up a notification:
[This Information Fusion process is complete. Fusion Result: Stable]
[Record the fused skill: Marshland Physique (Lv3; Rare)?]
[Detected that the Collector's current Recharge Value can trigger the 'Random Mutation' mechanism. Select Mutation?]
"Cancel mutation!"
Cheng Ye didn't hesitate.
Such a harmonious fusion was truly rare. There was no need to risk breaking the balance with a random mutation.
After the recording was complete, the characters for "Marshland Physique" on the interface grew darker, transitioning from deep purple to light red, faintly revealing a momentum on the verge of a breakthrough.
It gave off the sign that fusing just two or three more Rare physiques would elevate it to the Perfect grade.
'Looking at it this way, there really is a massive difference between the bonuses of a half-step Transcendent and a true Transcendent.'
Gazing at that tinge of light red, Cheng Ye thought of Jiang Chuan and Mu Shuang's Deluxe Panels, feeling quite moved.
Being Transcendent brought about an evolution in Life Tier, allowing even mediocre talents to erupt with astounding potential.
A half-step Transcendent, however, was more like a brutal Tempering, directly elevating the talent grade—another extreme form of enhancement.
He tapped open the details of the Marshland Physique, its description already updated:
[Marshland Physique (Lv3; Rare; grants a minor boost to vitality and a moderate boost to defense)]
"The vitality bonus remains the same, but it added a moderate boost to defense!"
Cheng Ye stroked his chin, anticipation flashing in his eyes. He wished he could equip it immediately to test its effects.
However, he still had the final Heart-Protecting Fire left to fuse, so he could only suppress his urge for now.
Yet, after waiting for more than ten minutes, waves of unspeakable discomfort gradually washed over his entire body.
After losing the bonus from the Green Field Physique, his baseline physical attributes hadn't vanished, but that vibrant Vitality—like plants sprouting in spring—was completely gone. It felt like plummeting suddenly from a spring meadow into a bleak autumn wasteland. Even breathing seemed slightly sluggish.
Sure enough, there was an immense gap between those with talents and ordinary people. When he had it equipped on a daily basis, he hadn't noticed much change, but now he immediately felt the stark difference.
The charge bar continued to rise.
Once it was full again, the most critical element—the Heart-Protecting Fire—began its fusion under Cheng Ye's anxious watch.
Of course, his anxiety only lasted until the skill fusion commenced.
As the Heart-Protecting Fire leaped onto the left panel, the sky-blotting Searing Hawk—despite being a mere Lv1 Skill—stretched across the firmament like a demon god.
On the right side, the Growth Factor was merely a faint phantom of indistinguishable shape.
"This looks a bit like... a vortex turtle?" he muttered.
Cheng Ye leaned in closer, noticing that as the phantom circulated, it would occasionally take on the faint outline of a turtle.
The turtle shape vanished in a flash, reverting to its formless, fluid state the very next second.
It seemed this Lv1 Growth Factor was simply too weak, utterly unable to compare to the fully-formed Heart-Protecting Fire.
"Begin fusion!"
The thought flashed through his mind.
There wasn't even any collision process. The massive Searing Hawk merely opened its beak slightly and swallowed the Growth Factor whole, as effortlessly as drinking water.
In less than two or three seconds, the interface popped up the notification of a successful fusion.
[This Information Fusion process is complete. Fusion Result: Stable]
[Detected that the disparity between the fused skills is too immense. Random Mutation cannot be performed.]
Alright.
The Heart-Protecting Fire hadn't changed even in the slightest. He had worried for nothing all these days.
Checking the progress of the Heart-Protecting Fire, this fusion had caused the original 0.286% progress to leap by 0.05%, becoming 0.336%.
'If I want an Lv1 Skill capable of influencing the Heart-Protecting Fire, I'm afraid I'll have to obtain it from a Mother Source...'
Cheng Ye pondered. The progress of the Heart-Protecting Fire had only increased by this much, so it would take some time before it fed back into Little Flame.
However, with the Growth Factor test done, he could certainly attempt more fusions with other types of skills in the future.
Skills scavenged from Infected Bodies could also be tested in fusions with Little Flame to see what would happen.
After all that tossing about, by the time the Recharge Value refilled completely, it was already four in the morning.
Cheng Ye drove away from the Industrial Department, parked his off-road vehicle in the Community Parking Lot, and walked back to the convenience store on foot.
"You're heading out tomorrow, so why are you coming back this late?"
Mu Shuang's figure slid out from the shadows. She was spinning a Butterfly Knife that gleamed with a dark sheen, the blade dancing nimbly through her fingertips.
"Couldn't sleep, so I went to charge the car for a bit," Cheng Ye shook his head, pulling up the rolling shutter door of the convenience store.
Mu Shuang didn't follow him inside. She merely muttered something under her breath outside, letting him pull the shutter door back down.
Dragging over the last two boxes of yellow-bag nutrient paste, Cheng Ye took a deep breath and clicked to equip the Marshland Physique.
Perhaps because he was about to face countless unknown dangers, his mood was remarkably calm while equipping the skill this time.
After a wave of itchy pain spread across his entire body, the hardest stage of equipping the physique was successfully endured.
The very next second, the regained Vitality surged from his heart, washing over his dried-out veins like a clear spring. Even his breathing took on a moist, gentle texture.
Boom.
Boom!
Within his chest, his heartbeat grew increasingly vigorous.
It gradually transformed from a light "thump-thump" into a thunderous "boom," pounding so hard that his ribs faintly throbbed.
Perhaps because the Vitality bonus hadn't undergone a qualitative change, the warm current quickly receded into his limbs and bones. Meanwhile, the moderate defense bonus turned into a membrane as thin as a cicada's wing, covering the surface of his skin, while a subtle sense of toughness seeped from deep within his organs.
"This is?" he muttered.
Cheng Ye's heart skipped a beat as an illusion suddenly flashed before his eyes.
It was as if he had sunk into the green world manifested by his physique. Stretches of green grass rolled toward the horizon, kicking up jade waves wherever the wind blew. The clear spring in the center shimmered, the fine sand at the bottom clearly visible.
The silver arowana from earlier was swimming in the water. Sensing his arrival, it violently leaped from the pool. Trailing a string of water droplets, it shot straight into his Dantian like a streak of silver lightning.
Compared to the bonuses in other aspects, the defense bonus was extremely wondrous.
It felt like he had fallen asleep in a clear spring. He didn't know how long had passed, but when the illusion completely dissipated and Cheng Ye opened his eyes again, he felt his skin drawn tight like a bowstring. Every movement tugged at that membrane, causing it to stretch and contract.
Lifting his shirt, the Verdant Totem on his chest remained crisp. To his surprise, a Silver Dragon Fish Totem had appeared at his Dantian, its scales glimmering with a faint watery light, perfectly complementing the green hue on his chest.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Cheng Ye adjusted his breathing. Suddenly, he felt a wondrous sensation, as if he had established a trace of connection with the Silver Dragon Fish Totem.
With a subtle thought, a chilling silver light instantly erupted from the totem, washing over his skin like flowing water and condensing into a thin layer of Silver Armor across his body.
"Whoa? It can actually be activated proactively?"
Cheng Ye was stunned.
Whether it was the earlier Wild Grass Totem or the later Verdant Totem, neither had ever exhibited such a transformation.
Could it be an active trait that only unlocks when a certain bonus reaches the "moderate boost" level?
He pondered this as he grabbed a training short sword from under the counter, lightly pressing his fingertips against the edge of the blade.
An indescribable sense of toughness transmitted from his skin, feeling like two pieces of metal rubbing and colliding against each other.
Applying a bit of pressure, the sharpness of the short sword slightly won out, beginning to leave a shallow white mark on his skin.
However, the layer of silver light covering his skin sensed this and instantly converged toward the blade's edge.
With a crisp "clink," the blade was actually deflected, unable to advance another inch.
"Good heavens, have I turned into a tin man?"
Cheng Ye gripped the blade, applying even more force to test it further.
Snap!
With a muffled crack, a small chunk of the training short sword's edge was actually snapped off by his bare hands. The fragment clattered to the floor.
"Ah?"
Cheng Ye was thoroughly bewildered.
Although the material of the standard training short sword wasn't top-tier, it was absolutely not something that could be snapped apart barehanded.
He shook the fragments from his hand and observed carefully before discovering the key. Once the Silver Dragon Fish Totem was activated, the silver light spread evenly over his body, appearing as just a faint layer. However, the moment a specific area was "attacked," it would instantly concentrate there.
And once concentrated, the hardness and toughness of that small patch absolutely eclipsed the steel used to forge the training short sword.
'I wonder if it can block bullets?'
Cheng Ye was itching to try it out, but then he shook his head.
Shooting himself was far too risky. If he couldn't block it, getting a hole blown through him would turn into a complete joke.
Still, with this layer of silver light protecting his body, his safety had drastically increased. At the very least, he no longer had to worry about ignoring potential injuries due to the loss of pain when activating Iron Body.
Just as he was pondering this, the warm current began slowly providing energy within his body, and a familiar Hunger Sensation faintly surged.
Cheng Ye casually grabbed a nutrient paste, tore open the packaging, and swallowed it quickly, a wave of satisfaction rising in his heart.
In just over a month, his strength had skyrocketed at a speed incomprehensible to ordinary people. He now stood firmly at the middle tier among Inspectors, at least not weaker than those Third-stage Inspectors with average Combat Power.
This power was his foundation for survival, his capital for competing with others.
At the very least, as long as a Transcendent didn't step forward, no one popping out of some random corner could easily pose a fatal threat to him anymore.
Of course, when facing elusive Infection Sources, Fusion Entities, and Infected Bodies, he would still have to rely on his own means.
After all, those god-like Transcendents from the previous era had all fallen when their time came.
In this era, he hadn't heard of any powerhouse who could ignore these threats and run amok across the wasteland.
After continuously swallowing ninety-seven bags of nutrient paste, Cheng Ye stopped when a feeling of fullness arrived.
Looking at the mountain of empty nutrient paste bags piled up by his feet, he tried to hold back, but ultimately let out a silent, soundless laugh!
A moment later.
He gathered all the empty packaging bags and locked the alloy door of the basement.
Cheng Ye thoroughly checked the items in his Backpack once more before pulling open the shutter door and returning to his room to lie down.
Previously, he was always worried about being underprepared, fearing that if a sudden incident threw him into the Wilderness, he would be exhausted just trying to cope.
But now, with his stats surging, his skills fully prepared, and even Little Flame's Symbiotic State entering the Shaping stage, everything was developing in the best possible direction.
It could be said that everything was ready, all he needed was a final push.
Staring at the pale yellow ceiling, he felt faintly excited, yet it quickly settled into a profound sense of peace.
'It is time to ride the wind and uncover the true face of this Wasteland World!'