Chapter 89: You’re Becoming More and More Like an Exotic Species (Subscribe for 1st Update)

On the Gravel Barrens, Qi Xinzhu watched Lu Luo and Gu Fangyi’s performance. Lu Luo stood in front as the melee fighter and tank, while Gu Fangyi assisted with ranged attacks from the rear. Their teamwork was incredibly seamless, and their killing efficiency was increasing rapidly, but these were not the things that surprised Qi Xinzhu. What really astonished Qi Xinzhu was Lu Luo’s almost crazed fighting style. Why call it crazed? At this point, Lu Luo was no longer cautious. He kicked a rock away, allowing the poisonous insects underneath to bite him all over. But he paid them no attention, the Wraith Blade in his hand hacking at the largest one first, then slashing at the smaller ones. There was no dodging, no retreating. He relied not on Qi He but on sheer physical strength, perfectly embodying the term "crude martial artist." He dared to be so reckless because the Steadfast effect negated all attacks from these poisonous insects. [You are attacked by a Double-tailed Scorpion. Your Steadfast effect immunizes you from this attack. The toxin enters your body, but you are immune to the toxin damage.] [You are attacked by a Silver Centipede. Your Steadfast effect immunizes you from this attack...] The potent effect of Steadfast was why Lu Luo dared to charge wildly here; a final damage reduction of -4 was simply too effective against the multi-stage, continuous damage from poison-type attacks. Originally, Lu Luo wouldn’t have fought so recklessly, completely forgoing any attempt to dodge, but among these attack prompts, there were occasional ones like this: [You have suffered multiple toxin effects. Your resistance to poison has slightly increased.] After seeing this prompt, Lu Luo completely let himself go. That’s right, he was farming poison resistance. Even though Steadfast’s effect allowed him to be immune to a lot of poison damage, there would always be poisons he couldn’t withstand. So, under normal circumstances, dodging was still necessary. But now, if he could gain free poison resistance during combat, he would naturally take full advantage of it. One could never have too much personal resistance. Lu Luo believed. Later on, with Constitution-based damage reduction, Steadfast’s damage reduction, his inherent poison resistance, and Steadfast’s final damage reduction value, plus a gas mask or something, he should be able to immunize himself against most toxin damage, right? That was Lu Luo’s most genuine thought. He always believed that any action that could improve overall strength was worth trying. For example, voluntarily letting insects bite him; since it didn’t break his defense, let them bite. The monster-killing efficiency here was high. In just one day, Lu Luo’s agility had increased to 13 points. And after finishing off this wave of monsters, he had also accumulated 500 energy points and 30 Sequence Value. This efficiency far surpassed the previous search-and-hunt method in the urban area. The only downside was the extremely high risk of combat here. He could only be so reckless after his Constitution reached 20 and he had enhanced Steadfast. If he had come here before his attributes were sufficient, he likely would have been quickly overcome by the poison. Even now, the way he and Gu Fangyi fought still carried a chance of failure. The main reason he felt more confident was Qi Xinzhu, their healer, being present. Lu Luo had already confirmed Qi Xinzhu’s strength—at least Second Tier. Even if Gu Fangyi accidentally failed, Qi Xinzhu could still lend a hand. During a brief lull in the non-stop slaughter, Lu Luo grumbled internally. So many Silver Centipedes, and not a single Black Wolf Spider. What kind of rotten luck is this! The Gravel Barrens teemed with poisonous insects, and common ones like the Silver Centipede were naturally among them. It was just a pity that he hadn’t encountered the Black Wolf Spider he was looking for. "Lu Luo." Qi Xinzhu tugged at Lu Luo’s pants. She did so because Lu Luo, in his quest for poison resistance, was shirtless, so she could only tug at his pants. "What is it? I’m annoyed right now." "Is that dark blob over there the Black Wolf Spider you’re looking for?" Qi Xinzhu really disliked insects, and a monster like the Wolf Spider was even worse than a regular spider, especially since it was hairy, which she found even more disgusting. However, she had just heard Lu Luo continually muttering about it, so she asked. "That’s it! Well done." Upon seeing the Black Wolf Spider, Lu Luo rushed forward as if he had found a long-lost relative. The Black Wolf Spider, a poisonous type of Exotic Species, was most feared for its potent venom, which just so happened to be countered by Lu Luo. [You were bitten by a Black Wolf Spider, and you are poisoned.] Although Lu Luo was still poisoned, the Black Wolf Spider’s venom was so greatly reduced by Steadfast and his poison resistance that he was still full of energy despite being poisoned. Lu Luo pressed one hand against the Black Wolf Spider’s head, gathered Qi He in his right hand, and delivered a powerful punch. This heavy punch directly burst all eight of the Black Wolf Spider’s eyeballs. Then, he drew the Wraith Blade and, with lightning speed, hacked off the Black Wolf Spider’s eight legs in two slashes. He plunged the blade into the Black Wolf Spider’s belly, clamped his hands around its head, and applied full pressure with his Mechanical Arm. CRACK! [Friendly reminder: When you’re extracting fangs, make sure to preserve the poison gland; otherwise, it’s useless.] Lu Luo twisted its neck barehanded. After doing all this, he finally sat down carefully on the ground and began to pull at the Black Wolf Spider’s poison fangs with his hands. "Lu Luo, what are you doing? It’s poisonous!" "I know it’s poisonous. Stop bothering me; can’t you see I’m busy?" He was extracting the fangs by hand mainly to avoid damaging the venom gland; fingers were more reliable than a knife for this. Lu Luo didn’t realize how shocking his actions were to Qi Xinzhu. Pulling out the poison fangs of a Second Tier Exotic Species barehanded? Was this something a human could do? Even as a Second Tier Believer of Light, she couldn’t accomplish such a feat! So Qi Xinzhu was certain of one thing. Lu Luo is getting stronger during this period, and rapidly so! Lu Luo’s growth rate was astonishing. Qi Xinzhu also thought of Lu Luo’s behavior of devouring Exotic Species, but she didn’t ask, knowing that even if she did, he wouldn’t tell her. It wasn’t just Qi Xinzhu; Gu Fangyi, too, was shocked by Lu Luo’s rate of growth. But he wouldn’t ask; he didn’t even entertain the thought. Why ask? Isn’t it great to have an awesome boss? Asking such questions would be utterly superfluous. Gu Fangyi was well aware of this. After collecting the Black Wolf Spider’s fangs, Lu Luo felt very pleased. The Fusioner Recipe for an unknown attribute potion, secured! Although he didn’t know what kind of concoction the three poisons would ultimately create, nothing from a Grade S Sequence had been subpar so far. "Let’s rest a bit and eat something. After the meal, we’ll continue." "Okay." "Okay." Sitting beside some cleared rocks, Lu Luo prepared to begin allocating his points for enhancement. "Will upgrading the Devourer cause significant impact and fluctuations?" [No, the entire process is silent. Please feel free to upgrade.] Seeing the Observer’s prompt, Lu Luo felt reassured. At this rate, another day of killing tomorrow could get his agility to 20, and he’d also save up enough Sequence Value for the Observer’s upgrade. So, he didn’t plan to be frugal with the current 30 Sequence Value. "Activate Strength first." [Consuming 10 Sequence Value to activate D-03-Strength. Please wait...] Five minutes later. [D-03-Strength activation complete.] Effect - Strength: Vitality increased by 25%, physical attack power increased by 5%. Description: Strong individuals always die a bit slower than others and are also more powerful. Just after Lu Luo activated Strength, a new prompt appeared. [Sequence D-03-Strength is compatible with C-00-Extreme Sequence Chain. Fuse Sequence?] Damn! This compatibility is too broad. "Fuse." Lu Luo was somewhat surprised. The C-00-Extreme Sequence Chain had broad coverage, seemingly encompassing all aspects related to physical constitution. [Fusing Sequence Chain. Please wait.] [Sequence Chain fusion complete. Your C-00-Extreme has undergone a new change.] Sequence C-00-Extreme Effect - Toughness: Reduce damage by 17%, stacks with any other damage reduction, all damage ultimately reduced by 4. Effect - Agility: Increase agility by 12%, reduce fall damage from heights. Effect - Combat Power: Increase physical damage by 12%, physical damage penetration by 1%. Effect - Strength: Increase life force by 30%, physical attack power by 6%. Description: Extreme is the ultimate; only the pinnacle can forge the Extreme State. [Sequence C-00-Extreme Advancement: Material 1 + Material 2 + All physical attributes enhanced to 20 + Second Tier Essence of Life] [Material 1: Titan’s Blood + 30 grams of Dark Spirit Stone + 1,000 energy points] [Material 2: 60 kilograms of Third Tier Exotic Species’ muscles + 30 grams of Dark Spirit Stone + 1,000 energy points] After activating D-03 Strength, Lu Luo felt an overwhelming surge of vitality. Not just vitality, his physical strength had increased as well, all thanks to the amplification from the Strength sequence. It seems like I’m drifting further away from the path of a beefy tank, but why can’t I gain weight? Lu Luo subconsciously pinched his muscles, somewhat dissatisfied with his current physique. Moreover, he discovered that other sequences merged into C-00 Extreme would also receive a slight enhancement. This boost wasn’t huge, but it wasn’t insignificant either. However, as Extreme grew stronger, its advancement difficulty also changed. Besides the previous basic requirements of all attributes at 20 and a Second Tier profession, it now also required 2,000 energy points, 60 grams of Dark Spirit Stone, and 60 kilograms of Third Tier Exotic Species’ muscles. And then there was the very expensive Titan’s Blood. In Lu Luo’s eyes, all these things boiled down to one thing: money. So, making money meant getting stronger. Lu Luo shifted his mindset slightly. Women would only affect the speed at which he drew his sword. The most important aspect of getting stronger was staying away from women; this was true. But a rich woman wouldn’t. A rich woman would buy him a new sword and even purchase a large jar of goji berries to nourish his body. At this thought, Lu Luo’s gaze towards Qi Xinzhu softened somewhat. "Continue! Enhance the Devourer." The activation of D-03 Strength was just an appetizer. The real main event, impacting Lu Luo’s future progress, was the S-02-Devourer. [Consuming 20 Sequence Value to enhance Sequence S-02-Devourer. Please wait...] This process was quite lengthy. Gu Fangyi and Qi Xinzhu had long since rested and were now watching Lu Luo, who seemed to be in a daze. However, they didn’t disturb him, just quietly waited for him to return to normal. Half an hour passed, and Lu Luo hadn’t moved an inch. He could feel his body undergoing some sort of transformation. This transformation seemed to affect the structure of his entire body, so he dared not move. [S-02-Devourer has advanced to LV2. Base effects of Devourer comprehensively improved.] [Your Devourer’s Dark Energy mimicry talent efficiency has increased to 120%.] [Your devouring speed has increased by 100%, allowing detection of lower energy values.] [Your number of Devourer tendrils has increased to 4.] Effect 1 - Devour: You can devour energy materials. Effect 2 - Xeno-seed: During devouring, energy is copied to form a Xeno-seed. Maximum 2 types. Currently stored energy: Fire Poison. Description: The nucleus that devours all. [Observer’s fair assessment: Have you noticed you’re increasingly resembling an Exotic Species?] He should have been happy, but the Devourer’s evolutionary path made Lu Luo narrow his eyes. Xeno-seed! The only dominant elemental energy Lu Luo had encountered so far was indeed poison. Most of the Exotic Species he had killed were lower-tier, and a large portion of them were poisonous. And the most potent poison was from the Red Shell encountered at Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals. Now, the Fire Poison from the Red Shell was preserved, condensing beside his vital acupoints into a small crimson ball. Lu Luo knew this must be the so-called Xeno-seed. Lu Luo extended his palm, attempting to manipulate the Xeno-seed’s energy. He found that the Xeno-seed directly extracted Qi from his acupoints, transforming it into a scorching energy that appeared in his palm. His hand began to turn an unnatural, warm red. This strikingly obvious elemental change surprised him greatly. This is... Fire Poison? As Lu Luo observed the Fire Poison, Qi Xinzhu, who had been wondering why he was resting for so long, noticed something unusual about his palm. "Lu Luo, what’s wrong with you? Are you poisoned? Is it the Black Wolf Spider’s poison from earlier? Let me help you treat it." "No need." Lu Luo retracted his hand, the redness on his palm gradually subsiding, but Qi Xinzhu still seemed a bit worried. "If you’re poisoned, I can heal you." "I said, no need." Lu Luo’s reaction was quite sharp, startling Qi Xinzhu, who timidly sat back down. This time, Lu Luo truly wasn’t targeting Qi Xinzhu. Only Lu Luo himself knew the reason; he didn’t want others to learn his secrets. Seeing Qi Xinzhu with her head down, Lu Luo softened his tone slightly as he explained, "It’s not your fault, don’t overthink it." Seemingly surprised that Lu Luo would actually explain to her, Qi Xinzhu lifted her head again. "Ah? Oh, shall we continue then?" Lu Luo glanced at the sky. Though the view in the Gravel Barrens was broader and seemed somewhat brighter than the urban area, the sky was already very dim. According to the Observer’s hints, it was about 5 o’clock in the afternoon. The sun remained unseen beyond the walls of the Wasteland, but at this hour, nightfall certainly wasn’t far off. "Should we camp here tonight? If we’re to stay overnight in the Gravel Barrens, I think we should prepare in advance and set up a temporary camp. If we’re not staying overnight in the Gravel Barrens, we could head towards the building district now. The night is too dangerous; it’s better to be prepared early." Qi Xinzhu looked at their surroundings. On the Gravel Barrens, aside from a few scattered large rocks, some oddly shaped cacti, and tumbleweeds, there were hardly any places to take cover. Spending the night in such an environment was extremely dangerous. It was best to prepare in advance and use rocks to build a defensible perimeter. Lu Luo looked at Qi Xinzhu and Gu Fangyi. Camping here overnight wasn’t a problem for him, but it was for his two companions. In such a wilderness environment, more people meant more safety, as they could take turns on watch. Unfortunately, with only three of them, they would always be short-handed for guard duty. So, after some thought, Lu Luo eventually shook his head. He had indeed originally planned to set up camp and rest in the Gravel Barrens. But on reflection, Qi Xinzhu was right; there was no need to take the risk. The Gravel Barrens did harbor Third Tier Exotic Species, though rarely, such as the Mantle. The Mantle was a creature that could burrow underground in the Gravel Barrens, but it had stamina issues, limiting its range of activity. During the day, Lu Luo and his group could completely avoid the Mantle’s range of activity. But night was different. If they encountered a Third Tier Mantle at night, they would either have to face it head-on and kill the Mantle, or flee. Whether fleeing in the dark or fighting the Mantle head-on, both scenarios carried a high risk of attracting other creatures. If other Exotic Species swarmed them, it would be disastrous. Both options were very risky. "Let’s head back." "Ah, are we really going back?" She had been prepared to keep watch here tonight, despite her intense dislike for insects and the various kinds present here. But who made her a Believer of Light? A Believer of Light should possess courage. Unexpectedly, Lu Luo had actually adopted her suggestion, making Qi Xinzhu wonder if he had undergone a change in personality today. She had always seen Lu Luo as a very autocratic person. She had just been speaking casually earlier, not actually expecting Lu Luo to agree. "Mm, let’s go back." "Alright." After Lu Luo gave the order, the three of them began an orderly retreat. Safety had to be the priority; there was no need to take risks at this time. Lu Luo’s agreement and choice undoubtedly put Qi Xinzhu in high spirits. On the way back to the urban area, she was so pleased that she even hummed a few lines of a hymn. Gu Fangyi: "What’s she so happy about?" Lu Luo: "No idea! What song is she singing?" Gu Fangyi: "A hymn, probably. It sounds quite nice."