Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 212 Old Generation Secrets, Ability Amplifier!

The danger in Dabo Town came suddenly, and the unexpected level of cooperation caught everyone off guard!
Moreover, after the cooperation rate reached 100% at an unprecedented speed, the changes continued.

Based on past search experience, Liu Kun's name should turn light gold at this point, indicating that a special search can be activated, increasing the hidden success rate, or a guaranteed success opportunity can be given based on cooperation.

But now, the name color has changed, and there's a direct suffix I've never seen before.

Completely open.

"What does 'completely open' mean? Shouldn't it mean a guaranteed win?"

Cheng Ye's gaze focused instantly, and his body reacted even faster than his thoughts.

Almost instinctively, he opened the search options, fearing that Liu Kun's strange state would suddenly disappear.

The items on the panel began to appear clearly.

[Liu Kun, 100%, completely open]

Searchable scope:
1. Intelligence (Quality fixed increase: current maximum value: 3; search direction can be selected freely)
2. Item (Probability: Guaranteed to hit * 1)

3. Skill Lv1 (Probability: Guaranteed Hit * 1; Energy Cost: 20%)

4. Skill Lv2 (Probability: Guaranteed Hit * 1; Energy Cost: 25%)

5. Skill Lv3 (Probability: 6.7%; Energy Cost: 100%)

6. Skill Lv4 (Probability: 2.237%; Energy Cost: 100%)

7. Skill Lv5 (Probability: 1.52%; Energy Cost: 100%)

8. Skill Lv6 (Probability: 0.031%; Energy Cost: 100%)

9. Skill Lv7 (Probability: 0.00059%; Energy Cost: 100%)

So, "completely open" means that all entries can be searched?

"It seems to be a higher tier than a guaranteed win, but the probabilities below are just too low."

Cheng Ye glanced at the bottom of the panel and his pupils suddenly contracted.

How come Liu Kun has a Lv7 skill?

He remembered clearly from the last search that Liu Kun's highest skill level was only Lv6, and the collector would always display all the entries neatly, so it was impossible for it to miss such crucial information.

But now, the Lv7 entry is right there in the open.

What does this mean?
It is known that Lv5 should correspond to the unity of heaven and man, and the highest level skill below the level of extraordinary beings.

Upon reaching Lv6, one officially enters the ranks of the extraordinary and begins to possess a series of incredible abilities.

But could it be that the fire cage I casually created just now, and the ability to fly instantly, were all brought about by the Lv7 skill?

Cheng Ye didn't have time to think about it in detail; now was definitely not the time to ponder Liu Kun's condition and the meaning of his Lv7 skill.

He took a deep breath, banishing all distracting thoughts from his mind, leaving only the most primal greed and reason to begin their struggle.

Looking up, the search success rates for Lv3, Lv4, and Lv5 are all in the single digits.

What's even more troublesome is that the search energy consumption for all three skills is as high as 100%, which means he only has one chance to gamble, and if he loses, he will completely run out of energy.

Is it a gamble, or a safe bet?

It's about trying to find a high-level skill as a trump card.

Or should we proceed steadily, replenish the three layers of earth fire, and strengthen the foundation?

soon.

"There's no time for me to recharge my search now; I can't waste this precious chance to win!"

Cheng Ye made the most rational choice almost instantly.

The previous search has proven that different skill levels and the "guaranteed hit" of items only consume a single search opportunity.

Even if you use up the guaranteed hit of Lv2, the guaranteed hit of Lv1 is still there.

Choosing the item, Lv1, or Lv2 means he can reliably obtain two skills and one item, which is definitely not a loss.

But if you choose Lv3 or higher and take a gamble, and you encounter a built-in secondary probability like when you searched for Killing Flame or Soul-Destroying Flame last time, you'll be completely doomed.

"Search for Lv2 skills!"

Cheng Ye lowered his head slightly, pretending to ponder whether or not to accept the mission in Dabo Town, but in reality, his eyes were fixed on the control panel.

The moment the thought was uttered, the panel began to flash wildly.

It seems that using 25% of the energy to search for a transcendent's Lv2 skill is extremely difficult.

After the panel trembled slightly, a tiny flame began to emerge from the black background.

In the blink of an eye, the flames coalesced into a crimson wave of fire, scattering sparks like shattered gold in all directions.

Within the confines of the narrow panel, each collision creates fleeting, unique runes, as if they are about to break free and materialize into reality at any moment.

However, just as the flames reached their peak, a faint golden-red light suddenly appeared in the center, resembling a tuft of golden hair on the top of the flame.

Ok?
Cheng Ye was stunned for a moment, and then saw the light spot expand instantly, actually transforming into a round, phantom image of a blazing eagle.

The little guy spun around gently, and the flames inside the panel instantly froze.

Immediately afterwards, all the flying sparks seemed to be drawn together by invisible threads, rushing towards the center.

In the blink of an eye, the raging flames were completely absorbed by the fire, and then the phantom gradually faded, turning into lines of clear text wrapped in a faint flame, which floated steadily in the center of the panel.

[Liu Kun (Transcendental Ecosystem)]

[Lv1 Skill]: Lock-on
[Lv2 Skill]:
Super Talent: Incinerating Flame (Extraordinary, grants the power to manipulate external flames; Probability: 0.5%)

Super Talent: Guardian Flame* (Extraordinary, condenses a flame to protect oneself; Probability: 0.005%)

Super Talent: Soul Fusion Fire (Transcendent, gains the power to attack another level; Probability: 0.25%)

Skill: Wildfire* (Perfect, grants a short-term boost to fire manipulation)
Skill: Heartfire Shield* (Perfect, grants a mental shield formed from flames for a short time)
Skill: Blazing Eagle Flame* (Perfect, adds a trace of special power when attacking)
Skills: (9 common skills are hidden)
[Lv3 Skill]: Lock-on
[Lv4 Skill]: Lock-on
[Lv5 Skill]: Lock-on
[Lv6 Skill]: Lock-on
[Note]: The searcher has been detected to be affected by a special force, resulting in a mutation in their skills. The collector has issued a warning via *Note and will follow the rules below:

1. For skills marked with '*' in the notes, if the collector does not possess the corresponding special power, the skill rating will be significantly lowered (from Perfect to Rare).
2. Note: Double '*' skills will automatically grant the collector the corresponding special power if the collector does not possess it (this special power is only in its initial form, supplying the skill to function normally, but it cannot correspond to the collector's current level).
"My God, Liu Kun actually has an even higher level of extraordinary talent?"

Cheng Ye stared at the panel, his heart filled with barely suppressed surprise.

He was prepared for the possibility that there was a secondary probability hidden in the guaranteed winning option, but the first three extraordinary talents completely exceeded his expectations!

He had thought that the Lv2 skill would be derived from the "three basic flames", such as strengthening the power of the Killing Flame and optimizing the effect of the Soul-Destroying Flame, but he did not expect that a new talent would appear directly.

Burning fire, guarding fire, melting fire.

These three names are remarkably similar to the previous skills, clearly indicating a shared lineage.

What really caught his eye was that the Guardian Fire, which looked like an "advanced version of the Heart-Protecting Fire," didn't have a double asterisk (*) marking on it.

This means that he already possesses the corresponding seed for this extraordinary skill!

"Could it be that Liu Kun's extraordinary skills have advanced during this period?"

Cheng Ye's gaze fell on the locked Lv7 skill at the bottom of the panel, and he instantly understood the key.

Liu Kun left the city earlier to improve his strength, and now it seems that he not only succeeded, but also broke through to a higher level.

"According to the panel, if I search for the Heart Flame, can I directly obtain the complete extraordinary talent?"

Cheng Ye secretly guessed.

I had previously thought that the collector's principle was to use pure energy to simulate conversion capabilities, and now this conjecture has undoubtedly been preliminarily confirmed by the data.

Using only 25% of the energy, which is 100 kWh of electricity, is far from enough to convert the entire Heartfire into a complete Fire, and the search probability is even lower than that of a Lv5 skill.

He couldn't help but shake his head inwardly, shifting his gaze to the other two talents.

Last time, the search had a 100% guaranteed success rate for the Heart-Protecting Fire talent, but this time, all three new talents require gambling, and the probabilities are all incredibly low.

Should we abandon our talent and choose a more reliable skill?
Cheng Ye's gaze shifted, scanning the panel repeatedly before finally settling on "Heartfire Shield" in the skill bar, after skipping over the three talents.

Putting aside the pitifully low probability, he already has the seed of extraordinary talent. All he needs to do now is nurture the spark step by step, without rushing to add any new seeds.

Moreover, the Lv2 talent would take up an already limited skill slot and could not be fused with the Heart Protection Flame, which he simply could not afford to maintain with his current abilities.

More importantly, when he re-entered Dabo Town, what he lacked was not means of killing, but the ability to protect himself.

The ability to manipulate the defensive skill of protecting the heart fire is what is most urgently needed right now.

"Search, Heartfire Shield!" With a firm decision, Cheng Ye no longer hesitated and quietly confirmed his choice.

No sooner had he finished speaking than an unexpected scene unfolded.

The phantom image of the blazing eagle, formed from the flames, reappeared on the panel, taking a slight breath towards the words "Heartfire Shield".

A condensed beam of fire instantly soared into the air and landed precisely in the golden mark on the flame's forehead, instantly brightening its light.

at the same time.

A series of prompts flashed across the panel.

Search successful

[Civilization Collector successfully logged: Heartfire Shield* (lv.2; Perfect)]

[Similar skill (Heart-Protecting Fire) detected; automatically absorbing and fusing.]

[Heartfire Protection and Heartfire Shield fusion complete! Heartfire Shield entry disappears, Heartfire Protection growth progress moderately increased!]

"Huh? There's such a good thing?"

Cheng Ye's eyes lit up immediately.

Although Heartfire Shield is clearly a defensive skill derived from Heartfire Protection, it can now be fused with and enhanced Heartfire Protection, saving a valuable skill slot. It's a win-win situation!

He didn't rush to check the changes in the Heart Protection Fire; he immediately returned to the panel and pressed the search button for Lv1 skills.

Sure enough, after a flash of fire, the three extraordinary talents disappeared from the interface, confirming that Liu Kun's strength had greatly increased and all his talents had advanced!

"It seems that extraordinary talents, like the previous rudimentary form of dragon power, can also continuously advance to higher levels."

Cheng Ye nodded slightly.

Without the three extraordinary talents, only the three perfect skills of fire control, fire attraction, and fire absorption remain.

After a slight hesitation, he followed his previous approach and chose the Flaming Eagle Devouring Fire, derived from the Heart-Protecting Fire, to further strengthen the flames.

The phantom of the Blazing Eagle reappeared, gently inhaling at 'Blizzard Devouring Fire', and a new notification popped up on the panel:
Search successful

[Civilization Collector has successfully recorded: Flaming Eagle Devouring Fire* (lv.1; Perfect)]

[Similar skill (Heart-Protecting Fire) detected; automatically absorbing and fusing.]

[The fusion of Heart-Protecting Flame and Blazing Eagle Flame has been completed! The Blazing Eagle Flame entry has disappeared, and the Heart-Protecting Flame's growth progress has slightly increased!]

Cheng Ye couldn't help but feel secretly pleased when the range was reduced from "medium" to "small".

It turns out that besides feeding flames and swallowing fire, you can also increase your growth rate by searching for similar skills!

As its growth rate increases, the flame will definitely become stronger in all aspects, and with its extraordinary symbiotic bonus, it might even leap forward again!

The previous extraordinary symbiotic ecosystem has been significantly enhanced, so what will it become now?
Cheng Ye's heart was pounding wildly. He hadn't been nervous when he was being interrogated earlier, but now he couldn't contain his excitement.

Indeed, there must be supplies before a major battle.

Danger comes with opportunity.

Just like the destructive pollution source affecting Dabo Town right now, if we could contain it, could we collect all the characteristics and exchange it for a transcendent law?
"It's great! It's so great!"

It was precisely because he had previously discovered the Heart-Protecting Fire and the immunity-boosting mental pollution that he was now qualified to leave Dabo Town.

Thinking about facing an unknown threat and having more ways to save his life, Cheng Ye suppressed all his complicated emotions and gently pressed the last item search button.

Several strings of obscure characters flashed across the panel, then instantly solidified into clear text:

Search successful!

[Liu Kun (Transcendental Ecosystem)]

[Searchable Item Range Check:] [Search successful, you have obtained the special item - Blazing Eagle's Brazier]

?

Why is there another brazier?!

Director Liu, is this a wholesaler of rice bowls?

Cheng Ye was a little confused, but the changes on the panel didn't stop, and it triggered a fusion just like a skill:

[A similar item (original Flaming Eagle Fire Basin) has been detected in the storage space and is being added and fused.]

[The fusion of the Flaming Eagle's Fire Basin is complete! You have obtained a new item: Flaming Eagle's Perching Cauldron]

"what?"

Cheng Ye was completely stunned. "Items can actually be fused together?"

If skill fusion is based on a shared information flow, it's understandable, but item fusion is just too bizarre.

What exactly are the criteria for this judgment?
Moreover, the three fires in the brazier before couldn't even absorb 10% of the flames. Will they all disappear after merging?
Countless ideas popped up, but as unexpected as they were, there was no way to take them out and verify them right now.

Moreover, after three searches, the item consumed 50% of its charge, and the skill used 45% twice, leaving only a pitiful 5% in the upper right corner.

We need to find a way to replenish our energy.

Cheng Ye pondered, his gaze falling back onto the panel, where Liu Kun remained completely unchanged.

This search was conducted entirely amidst questions.

The process went more smoothly than ever before, and the reinforcements were genuine, but this "smoothness" itself had an inexplicable eeriness about it.

Considering their incredibly low level of coordination, could it be that an elder from Happiness City has arrived?
“Cheng Ye, you have three minutes to prepare.” Harlin’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “Also, just a reminder, it’s almost dawn.”

Ding Yishan never returned after leaving, as if he had already made up his mind about his choice.

Only Deputy Station Chief Harlin was left to clean up the mess.

He walked over and sat down, carrying a stack of documents. His tone was more gentle than before. "I agree with Director Liu. A level-one infection source is not something a trainee prosecutor like you can touch. Or rather, at this level, even if I went in, any senior prosecutor wouldn't have a much higher success rate than you."

He paused, then added, "But I know what you're thinking right now, so I won't directly advise you to give up."

"First, classify the sources of infection!"

Harlin's tone suddenly turned serious, as if he had returned to the lecturer mode that Cheng Ye first met during the training camp. His voice was clear and powerful, "Like the disaster level and infection wave level, the infection source is also divided into six levels: group, wave, plague, disaster, destruction, and extinction. These six levels represent that if the infection source breaks out in full force, its maximum lethality can reach the level of an infection wave of the same level."

"What you are about to face is a devastating source of infection. Since the beginning of the new century, there have been four recorded devastating waves of infection, with an average of 172 million casualties and an average of 170,000 square kilometers of land destroyed each time."

"But be aware that the 'destructive level' of an infection source is different from the 'destructive level' of an infection wave. The former only represents the upper limit of its destructive power after an outbreak. If it can be found and contained before the outbreak, its threat level can be reduced to the 'disaster level' or even lower. Since the beginning of the new era, the Torch Alliance has records of 2927 destructive infection sources that have been successfully contained; and 130585 that have not been contained, resulting in the entire area being sealed off as a 'wasteland'. Based on this ratio, the containment probability is about 2%, so your adventure is not entirely without a chance."

There are hundreds of thousands of destructive infection sources that have not been contained to this day?

Cheng Ye was secretly alarmed, but his face remained calm. He nodded slightly to signal Harlin to continue.

"Second, regarding the state of the source of infection you will be facing."

Harlin's tone remained calm as he stated, "The activity level of wild infection sources is divided into four stages: dormancy, awakening, outbreak, and full-scale outbreak."

"Currently, most high-risk sources of infection on the wasteland are still dormant. At this stage, the sources of infection are completely harmless. As long as they can be discovered and contained in time, they will not cause any adverse effects."

"A small number of high-risk sources of infection are in an awakened state. During this stage, the sources of infection will passively release their abilities, affecting the surrounding environment. For example, the Water Cave Crab you found, its behavior of releasing toxic water crystals is a passive ability trigger."

"Only a very small number of high-risk sources of infection will enter an outbreak state, in which the substitute starfish will be."

Harlin's eyes narrowed slightly. "Once the Stand Starfish enters its explosive phase, it will leave its original dormant location, actively seek out a target to 'detonate' itself, and eventually enter a full-blown explosive state, causing widespread pollution."

"Is the source of infection in Dabo Town still awake?" Cheng Ye pressed on, quickly sorting through the known information.

Unexpectedly, Harlin gave an unexpected answer: "Strictly speaking, the source of infection affecting Dabo Town can only be considered half a source of infection."

"Half?" Cheng Ye frowned, not understanding the statement.

"Yes, its full scientific name is: 'Multi-Supernatural Hybrid'."

Harlin explained, "Born during the five most active years of the superhumans in the old era, the principle is similar to grafting fruit trees or mixing biological genes. It forcibly fuses multiple superhuman entities together, allowing their abilities to complement and catalyze each other, giving birth to an incredible power of the century. This hybrid itself has very complex abilities. After being infected by the S4 virus, all its abilities underwent mutation and recombination, ultimately combining to produce a pollution ability that humans cannot understand."

"After the New Era, humanity gave this special source of infection a name." Harlin paused, emphasizing his words, "Divine Objects!"

"Why is it called that?" Cheng Ye pressed, a guess already forming in his mind.

“Because…” Harlin hesitated for a moment, but finally admitted honestly, “Do you know what the core of Source Technology is?”

"Could it be..." Cheng Ye was taken aback and looked up in astonishment.

“That’s right, the core of the Source-Attracting Technology is the Immortal Artifact.” Harlin nodded, his voice inevitably carrying a hint of complexity. Containing a Destruction-level Infection Source is difficult enough, but an Immortal Artifact is even more troublesome than one of the same level.

Even when he had heard those two words before, he only felt a chill run down his spine.

"Only by using the magical artifact can we have the opportunity to reproduce the abilities of the 'immortals' of the previous era, which is why it has acquired this special name."

call.

The sheer volume of information overwhelmed Cheng Ye, leaving him stunned for several seconds before he came to his senses.

He took a deep breath, glanced at the ceiling with a complicated look, and suddenly changed the subject: "What if I refuse to carry out the mission?"

Before Harlin could even react, Cheng Ye suddenly felt a lightness all over his body.

An irresistible pulling force came from the soles of his feet. He looked down and found that his feet had left the ground and were uncontrollably floating into the sky!

Damn it?

How did I become able to fly?

Before he could even sort out his thoughts, his body felt as if it had passed through an invisible barrier, just like when he saw the camp squad before.

When it rose to about twenty meters in the air, a light blue ripple suddenly spread out.

In the darkness of the wilderness, not far away, two old men sat cross-legged, along with a person frozen solid.

Wait, isn't that Liu Kun?
Cheng Ye's heart sank, but he had no time to think about Liu Kun's changes. He could only let the invisible force pull him to the two old men.

The distance is close.

My first impression was that it resembled those elderly men who enjoy exercising in parks these days.

The elderly man on the left is rather thin, but his back is ramrod straight, showing no signs of hunchback or old age.

His face has a slender jawline, and even when he's wearing a casual gray tracksuit with the sleeves casually rolled up to his forearms, he still exudes a dignified and authoritative air.

The elderly man on the right exudes a capable air; he is slightly stocky but not bulky, with broad and flat shoulders.

Her short hair was neatly cut, and although there was some gray in her temples, it was neatly styled. She was also wearing sportswear, with her hands on her crossed legs, and her eyes were bright.

Before he could speak, the old man on the left, without even opening his eyes, spoke first, his voice unusually cold, "Cheng Ye, you are the inspector of Happiness City. As far as the checkpoint is concerned, there are still nearly a thousand people waiting to be rescued inside. You are the only survivor and the only variable. It is your responsibility to contain the immortal artifact. As far as Happiness City is concerned, the fragments of the immortal artifact are the core of the research on the source-guiding technology. Since you have not been contaminated, you should immediately go in to find the fragments and help Happiness City develop."

"You have no right to negotiate." The old man's tone was firm and unquestionable. "Go back and find the fragments. Whatever you want, I will decide. I will give you what is due. But before that, you have no right to choose."

As he spoke, the invisible force suddenly tightened, subtly locking onto his vital points, carrying a silent threat.

Cheng Ye narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze falling once again on the thin old man's face.

Ha, what a display of official power!

Since he transmigrated and became a prosecutor, no one has ever spoken to him like this.

It seems these two people must be at the top of the power structure in Happiness City, the so-called elders?
However, before he could respond, the old man on the right chuckled and chimed in, "Old Zeng, I can forgive your attitude towards Little Liu, but back then you followed Old Cheng around calling him 'Brother Cheng' more often than anyone else. What, are you trying to regain your prestige in front of his grandson today?"

Ok?
That voice sounds so familiar.

Cheng Ye paused for a moment, then turned to look at the capable old man, the night he killed Zhang Can flashing through his mind.

The sounds that came from the defense communication system back then are almost instantly connected to the sounds we hear now.

Is this the elder statesman of the idealists?
"Old Cheng"

The thin old man muttered something under his breath, his tone softening, "Cheng Wu himself doesn't care about these children and grandchildren, so does he expect me to fulfill the responsibilities of a grandfather?"

“That’s not how it works.” The capable old man shook his head. “Even if Cheng Wu squandered some of his contributions to Happiness City, the remaining amount is enough to make his grandson give up this mission now.”

After speaking, he looked over, his eyes softening considerably: "Cheng Ye, Old Zeng's words are harsh, but his reasoning is sound. You've been to the Fire Alliance, so you should have seen their Fire Mountain, right? That's just the tip of the iceberg of their source-guiding technology. Although this immortal artifact is only a fragment, it's a great opportunity for Happiness City."

"I can make the decision and give you a real choice."

Seeing that Cheng Ye seemed hesitant to speak, he chuckled and said, "Come on, ask me anything you want to know."

"Elder?" Cheng Ye asked tentatively.

“My surname is Qian. I was a comrade-in-arms with your grandfather back then. There’s no need to be so formal.” Old Qian waved his hand, his smile widening.

But when Cheng Ye saw that smile, his heart skipped a beat; it felt strangely familiar.

broken.

This feels so much like how he always schemes and plots.

Could it be that one of them is playing the good cop and the other the bad cop?

“Alright, Mr. Qian.” Cheng Ye composed himself and went straight to the point, “I want to ask, you’re so strong, why don’t you go in yourself to rescue people and find the fragments?”

"Good question."

Mr. Qian nodded frankly, without any attempt to hide anything, "Because we old folks are rather afraid of death."

Seeing the astonishment on Cheng Ye's face, he gently shook his head and explained, "The biggest difference between immortal objects and ordinary sources of infection lies in the degree and direction of their influence by the S3 and S4 viruses. The sources of infection you are encountering now can only be considered 'ordinary'. Their predecessors were not truly extraordinary objects; they were merely partially mutated by the S3 virus. In the old days, humans called them 'treasures,' which could bring some benefits but could not help people become extraordinary."

"Only those 'extraordinary things' that existed in the S3 era but were never discovered or used by humans can be called 'origin' after being mutated by the S4 virus. And the direction of mutation of these origins is basically to pursue 'ultimate evolution'."

"Evolution." Cheng Ye silently repeated these two words in his mind, without rushing to ask further questions.

"Immortal objects are formed by the hybridization and fusion of various extraordinary items. After being mutated by the S4 virus, these hybrid parts mutated in different directions. Some pursued ultimate evolution like the original source, some continued to strengthen their original abilities, and others..."

Old Qian raised his hand and pointed to the White Water River not far away. Suddenly, a cloud of water mist burst open in the air, and a slowly rotating conch shell phantom gradually condensed in the mist. "For example, this fragment of the immortal artifact in the White Water River has chosen a special direction. You can think of it as an 'ability amplifier'."

"Capacity amplifier?"

Cheng Ye pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered the characteristics he had collected in the panel.

Extraordinary Laws?

Capacity amplifier?
"Yes, only these kinds of celestial objects are qualified to become the core of the source-guiding technology, and even then, it's only 'probable'."

Qian explained, “Not all amplification directions are useful. If it amplifies capabilities like ‘earthquakes,’ it’s just an ordinary weapon at best, not of much value to us. After all, the cost of using the Source Technology once is far beyond your imagination.”

"And those 'Sparkling Mountains' you see in the City of Sparks and Fire, their core is: Shaping Mountains!"

“Each time it is used, it can melt and recast scattered materials into a mountain, and can also change its shape at will. So they can build a mountain in a day, and can also build a giant wall of happiness in a day.”

"Don't we have any?" Cheng Ye asked instinctively.

What he received in return was a silent shake of the head from Mr. Qian, indicating that while Happiness City existed, it lacked something as practical as this.

However, Qian Xuesen did not completely keep it to himself. He changed the subject and said, "You must remember that the rules of this world are not fundamentally different from those of the old era. If a technology is of extremely high value and will not destroy the world, the best way is to open-source it and let everyone study it, rather than hiding it and figuring it out on your own."

"So the source technology itself is not the key point. The New Era 21st Century Torch Alliance has already open-sourced this technology. The real difficulty is, firstly, how to reduce the cost of use. Only when the cost is controllable and acceptable to us can we knock on the door of open-source technology. We can't sacrifice millions of people with one use, can we? Secondly, how to find a more suitable capability amplifier."

"So what ability do you think this fragment amplifies?" Cheng Ye asked, already having an answer in mind.

Based on the panel's deductions of "extraordinary laws" and "range-based mental pollution," the answer is already quite obvious.

If nothing unexpected happens
Old Qian raised his hand, pointed to his head, and said in a serious tone, "The power of this fragment may be extremely terrifying. It must be contained as soon as possible, both for the future of humanity and for our research. If it falls into the hands of a madman, this already devastated land will only become worse."

"So you said you were afraid of dying before?" Cheng Ye circled back to the original question.

"I was genuinely afraid, but not afraid of dying," Qian admitted frankly. "People of my caliber, like Lao Zeng, couldn't possibly stop the targeted contamination from this fragment. We would have lost control and gone crazy in an instant, ultimately self-destructing."

He exhaled, but the smile on his face did not disappear. "It is precisely because we are too strong that we are targeted by the fragments of immortal artifacts immediately, while you are weak enough that you are less likely to be locked on, and the success rate is higher."

"Besides, we old folks have enjoyed more than you prosecutors, so even if we're going to sacrifice ourselves, it shouldn't be for this kind of thing."

After finishing his sentence, Qian couldn't help but burst into laughter, saying, "This winter, the fifth devastating wave of infection in human history is coming, and this time, their target is..."

He paused for a second, then said, word by word, "Happiness City!"

　P.S.: 8k words delivered. I've been quite busy with work this week, but I'll try to update 10,000 words daily this weekend. Please forgive me, dear readers!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)