Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 238 The Cycle of Life and Death, the Immortal Artifact Collapses!
Wang Kang's voice trembled as he began to speak, but he was interrupted by Cheng Ye's low growl before he could finish:
"Step aside!"

Cheng Ye gritted his teeth, strode over, and picked Rokuk up from the ground.

Rokuk is probably really dead, but his vital signs haven't disappeared yet; he's just rapidly transforming into an infected being.

Is there any possibility of saving him?

He didn't know, but he would never sit idly by and watch a living person turn into cold metal right before his eyes.

"Help me hold this cup!"

After Wang Kang took the cup, Cheng Ye stretched out two fingers and pressed them hard against the iron-faced lips of Rokuk, then pried them open with great force.

Perhaps the force was too sudden and too strong, the rust layer on half of Rokuk's face was torn open, revealing a dark hole, with several pieces of iron falling off along with it.

He took the cup back from Wang Kang and carefully tilted it, letting the clear, fresh water essence flow through the opening.

One drop.
两滴
This treasure, capable of reviving the dead and restoring flesh to bones, has extraordinary effects!

But when it dripped down, it not only failed to elicit any reaction from Rokuk, but was instead blocked by his iron-plated throat, showing no sign of being absorbed.

"Still not working?"

Cheng Ye was unusually flustered.

He can charge through the crabmen without any expression, remaining calm even when facing life-or-death crises.

But he couldn't ignore the fact that his friends, acquaintances, and people he cared about had disappeared forever.

Between life and death, there is great terror.

Cheng Ye was momentarily confused until Wang Kang's exclamation rang in his ears, bringing him back to his senses.

"Brother Cheng, the back of your hand..."

"The back of my hand."

Cheng Ye snapped back to reality and looked down at the back of his hand.

The withered runes on the back of his left hand were emitting a dark red glow. The light did not stay on his skin, but instead spread slowly along the arm that was holding Rokuk, covering the other's body.

Visibly, the rust on Rokuk's head began to peel off, and wisps of dark brown iron aura were drawn away by the runes, dissipating into the air and quickly disappearing without a trace.

What? The withering rune is affecting Rokuk?
Before Cheng Ye could recover from the shock, the life rune on the back of his right hand suddenly lit up.

The pale green light enveloped the essence of living water that had been dripped into Rokuk's mouth, and like ice and snow melting, the essence completely melted into his iron-hardened throat.

The next second, Cheng Ye clearly felt the "corpse" in his arms softening!
Rokuk's iron-like body began to recede rapidly, starting with his chest. His previously stiff chest began to rise and fall again, and his heartbeat became stronger and stronger.

Immediately afterwards, this vitality spread along the blood vessels, flowing to vital organs such as the liver, kidneys, and lungs, restoring the softness and vitality of flesh and blood to those organs that were about to become completely metallic.

efficient!

Cheng Ye's eyes suddenly lit up, but he didn't speed up his movements. He maintained a slow dripping speed to ensure that the life rune could permeate every drop of essence.

Just like using an AED defibrillator to resuscitate a patient whose heart has suddenly stopped beating.

boom.

boom.

Rokuk's body suddenly began to convulse repeatedly. The vitality that spread from his internal organs, after fully activating them, surged upwards and rushed up his neck to his brain.

Through the skin, which had not yet completely lost its rust, one could even see a faint green energy flow surging upwards, shaking off the debris clinging to the face.

"Cough cough."

A sudden, violent cough came from his arms. Rokuk's chest heaved, and the iron filings piled up on his face fell off like snowflakes, revealing the blood-tinged skin underneath.

The eyes, which had been covered by rust, suddenly opened, the murky gray light receding, revealing a renewed radiance belonging to the living.

"I"

"You're not dead." Cheng Ye immediately stopped the dripping; there was still a little less than half a cup of living essence left.

But he could clearly sense that Rokuk could no longer absorb anything.

Even with the green light from the life-giving rune on the back of his right hand, the remaining essence could only swirl around in his mouth and could no longer penetrate into his body, thus failing to replenish the life-giving loss caused by the source heart flesh iron.

The two seemed to have reached some kind of balance. The iron-like state of Rokuk's upper body had basically faded, his skin had become soft again, and the rise and fall of his chest had become stable. However, his lower body was still in a straight iron-like state, and his legs were like two rusty iron pipes, unable to even bend.

"I'm not dead?" Rokuk repeated blankly, subconsciously raising his hand, still covered in some of the metal shell, to touch his face.

When his fingertips touched the warm, soft skin, his eyes suddenly shone with an unprecedented light, and his voice trembled: "I'm really not dead?"

A wave of surprise exploded in his heart, and at the same time it washed over Cheng Ye and Wang Kang.

Pulling a life back from the brink of despair is all the more precious at this moment.

"Don't die before the final victory, or I'll take all the credit."

Cheng Ye let out a long sigh of relief, his tense shoulders finally relaxing. He took off his mask and couldn't help but slump to the ground.

At one point, he even felt a sense of weariness.

I never want to step into the wilderness again. I just want to go back to the buffer zone of Happiness City and live a peaceful life.

But the next second, his gaze fell on the flashing runes on the backs of his hands, and the thought was immediately suppressed.

The world will never become gentler because of people's retreat. Only by running forward and having more strength can we prevent those regrets from happening again, protect the people we care about, and not let them leave easily.

The three of them remained silent, sitting for a while, savoring the slight joy brought by their resurrection.

It wasn't until another round of enthusiastic applause erupted from the town center that Cheng Ye snapped out of his daze.

"Where's Garcia?"

"Over there." Wang Kang immediately pointed in the direction of the west of the town. By the bright moonlight, a human head could be vaguely seen protruding from the ground next to the probe ball, which was particularly conspicuous.

"Take me with you, let's go together." Hearing that the two were leaving, Rokuk hurriedly shouted and tried to move his body, but he was trapped by the iron in his lower body and could only move in place.

Cheng Ye glanced at him, handed the empty cup to Wang Kang, bent down, put one arm around Luo Kuke's waist, and hoisted him onto his shoulder.

Although his hindquarters are made of iron and are quite heavy, they are no problem for him now.

The three quickly arrived at the probe sphere in the west of the town. Garcia had his head down and seemed to be sleeping.

He was mostly buried in the ground, with only his head showing. Dark green vines had grown from the top of his head, and the vines were still covered with damp soil, making him look like a half-human, half-plant "monster".

Hearing footsteps, Garcia slowly opened his somewhat dazed eyes and asked in a muffled voice:
"Is the knot tied? The divine artifact... has it been contained?"

"Not yet." Cheng Ye responded in a low voice before Rokuk could speak, his gaze falling on the vines above Rokuk's head, somewhat surprised: "Are you using Tan Ming's petrification curse to suppress the growth of the vines inside your body?"

Good guy.

He let Tan Ming enter the cave and started fighting with Wan Lingdi's conch shell.

Garcia was also very clever; he knew to use the petrification curse to absorb the vines' life force and slow down the eruption.

only.

Compared to Rocco, it doesn't matter whether Garcia lives or dies.

Prosecutor Cheng has always been clear about his likes and dislikes. Although he wouldn't go so far as to kill his 'colleague' at this moment, he also wouldn't waste the remaining essence of the living water at the bottom of the cup on him.

"Yes, yes." Garcia nodded with difficulty, the vines above his head swaying gently. "I can hold on for seven more days, seven more days!"

“Okay, if you need anything, just tell Wang Kang. Do you want some water?” Cheng Ye asked casually.

Upon hearing the word "water," Garcia immediately shook his head violently, the vines above his head swaying wildly as if he had been greatly agitated: "No, no water! If it's going to rain, please dig me out. I can't touch water anymore!"

"Okay." Cheng Ye nodded in agreement and looked up at the night sky.

The moon was bright and the stars were few; the sky was clear and cloudless, indicating that it would not rain anytime soon.

Now that autumn has fully arrived and the rainy season in Batu Province is long over, there's no need to worry too much about this issue.

Garcia was left to continue "planting" in the field, while the three of them returned to the truck and sat down again.

"Xiao Kang, you can drink the rest."

"Alright." Although Wang Kang didn't know what the liquid was, seeing that Rokuk had returned from the brink of death with it, he knew it was no ordinary substance.

He took the cup and drank it all in one gulp. The next second, pure life energy slid down his throat into his body, nourishing the deficit caused by his continuous work day and night like a warm current.

Within seconds, Wang Kang's eyelids began to feel heavy. He forced himself to shake his head, his voice heavy with drowsiness: "Brother Cheng, I...I'm so sleepy."

"Go to sleep if you're sleepy. I'm awake now, so you can all sleep peacefully." Cheng Ye nodded.

Wang Kang could no longer hold on, and with a thud, he sat down on the ground and fell asleep with his back against the truck bed.

Wan Bu Tie gave him a continuous source of physical strength, but this physical strength would eventually consume his original life energy. The fact that he was feeling sleepy at this moment meant that his life energy had not only been replenished, but had also overflowed significantly.

"This essence of living water is truly potent," Cheng Ye thought to himself. "There are still two portions left to redeem. I'll use the 100% charge value to exchange for the enhanced version later, and the effects will probably be even more amazing."

It must be said that the gains from this trip to the cave far exceeded his initial expectations.

Rocco, who was standing to the side, had also been unable to hold on any longer. When he saw Cheng Ye looking over, he said in a low voice, "Prosecutor Cheng, thank you for your help."

"Go to sleep. You can sleep as long as you want." Cheng Ye nodded slightly.

Once both of them were fast asleep, he got up, walked out of the carriage, and gently closed the door.

In the town of Big Wave, during his day of slumber, order was maintained entirely by Rocco, Wang Kang, and Garcia.

Now he has woken up, but all three of them have collapsed, leaving him the only one holding on.

Fortunately, all threats are now under control; all that's needed is to wait for Tan Ming and Wan Lingdi to settle their differences.

Cheng Ye walked to the first truck, opened the truck bed door, and checked the supplies.

Bai Wei was clearly well-prepared, anticipating a potential protracted battle, and had no worries about food and drink.

There are 5,000 packets of that yellow-bag nutritional syrup alone, which can keep you full for a day with just one packet. If you drink it sparingly, it will definitely last you a week.

However, the spiritual pollution persists, and the longer it goes on, the more variables there will be. We can only take it one step at a time.

After taking inventory of the supplies, Cheng Ye paused briefly, then turned and headed towards the town center.

The residents around the campfire were still chatting and laughing. He stepped forward and solemnly reminded them that the noises at night might attract infected individuals and sources of infection.

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately lost interest and obediently returned to their residential units to rest, and the noisy open space quickly quieted down.

"Chang Kai, you're in charge of the red zone's security patrols. You just need to go out every three hours. I'll go with you." Cheng Ye called out to Chang Kai, who looked somewhat familiar to him.

"Yes!" Chang Kai's eyes lit up when he heard that Cheng Ye would personally lead the team, but as soon as he agreed, he couldn't help but ask weakly, "Prosecutor Cheng, Prosecutor Garcia and Prosecutor Rocco have been missing for a whole day. Are they alright?"

"They're fine, don't worry about them." Cheng Ye waved his hand, his tone resolute. "There were some unexpected changes in this assessment, but with me here, the situation won't get chaotic."

After settling things in the red zone, he found Li Jie and said, "Li Jie, you will lead the team to patrol the blue zone, once every three hours. I'll come with the team."

"Yes!" Unlike Chang Kai's concerns, Li Jie had no further questions and readily agreed.

After arranging the patrol, Cheng Ye turned and walked towards the government affairs center building.

Upon reaching the fourth floor, two rows of body bags were piled up in a corner, belonging to Huang Liang and his group.

He silently bent down, his gaze fixed on the body bag, and murmured softly, "It'll be over soon. Just a few more days, and it will all be over." After doing all this, Cheng Ye walked out of the building, facing the slightly bleak autumn evening breeze, and climbed onto the rooftop.

The monitoring tools that the undercover agents had previously set up were still on the rooftop. He casually swept them aside and sat down against the edge of the rooftop.

This is the spot where I sat when I came here to investigate with Jiang Chuan before.

Just half a month later, in the same location and from the same perspective, my state of mind and that of Dabo Town were completely different.

In just three days, more than half of the dilapidated buildings in the town were demolished, leaving only the foundations.

The residential units are also taking shape. Five units have been built in the red zone, which can accommodate 700 people, and seven units have been built around the parking lot in the blue zone, which can accommodate 1,000 people.

Although the town is currently filled with large, shared dormitories and will inevitably be demolished and renovated in the future, it now exudes a brand-new vibrancy and vitality, and its former dilapidation is no longer visible.

Cheng Ye looked up at the distant Baishui River, where moonlight shone on the surface, making the water sparkle.

He stared at it quietly for a moment before turning his gaze away. With a flick of his finger, he opened the panel and began to carefully examine yesterday's gains.

First, the energy level was fully replenished while I was sleeping. It was 1% consumed when I just obtained the essence of living water.

Upon opening the notification bar, a barrage of messages began to pop up.

[The Collector's equipment skill (Shrinking Giant Lice*) has changed in form. Details are being updated.]

[Information update successful. The Shrinking Giant Flea* has been contaminated by a special force, and its nature has changed!]

[The Shrinking Giant Lice* (Lv5, Parasitic Talent) has been automatically uninstalled and disappeared]

[The Shrinking Giant Lice* (Lv0, Parasitic Extraordinary Talent) has been collected by the Collector and automatically bound to the Collector's equipment.]

[Detected that the Collector's form has changed since the skill (Heartfire) was not equipped; details are being updated.]

[Information update successful. The Heart-Protecting Fire has been contaminated by a special force, and its nature has changed!]

[The Heartfire Protection (Lv1, Extraordinary Talent) has automatically disappeared]

[The Heartfire (Lv0, Extraordinary Talent) has been collected by the Collector and automatically bound to a Collector.]

[Due to changes in skill morphology, the symbiotic ecosystems of the Shrinking Giant Lice and the Blazing Eagle have changed.]

"Ok?"

Cheng Ye's gaze swept over the prompts on the panel one by one, and his eyebrows suddenly twitched, a hint of surprise rising in his heart.

The giant earth-shrinking louse has actually evolved?
Previously a level 5 parasitic talent, it has now been prefixed with "extraordinary" and its skill level has plummeted from level 5 to the lowest level, level 0.

What does this mean?
Does this mean that after all ordinary skills reach Lv5, if you want to advance further, you will first have to return to the extraordinary Lv0 level before you can break through to the next level again?
Furthermore, the Heart-Protecting Fire connected to the flame was also reduced to Lv0 by Tan Ming, which is outrageous!

Cheng Ye quickly opened the skill bar and scanned the specific changes in both skills.

[Collector: Cheng Ye]

[Current Rank: Level 2 Rookie (97.8/100)]

[Skills: Shrinking Giant Lice* (Bound), Zeye Physique, Fish-like Form, Tanming Messenger]

[Ability]: Shrinking Giant Ibis Symbiotic Ecology* (Balanced)
【.】

【Shrinking Giant Lice* (lv0; Parasitic Extraordinary Talent)】

[Description]: Originating from the influence of a special force, its life level underwent a qualitative change, officially entering the ranks of extraordinary beings and gaining a physical existence.

[Growth Value]: Lv0 (1.88%)

[Growth Path]:
[Current Performance]:
1. When equipped, the absorption rate of external nutrients (including energy crystals, special flesh, etc.) is increased by a fixed 300%.
2. When equipped, a special ability is activated: Shrinking Giant Lice Symbiotic Ecology.

[Shrinking Giant Ibis Symbiotic Ecosystem (Balance)]

[Description]: After activating this ability, the collector will form a life symbiosis with the Shrinking Giant Lice, gaining shared skills, attributes, and abilities. Due to the significant difference in life levels between the collector and the Shrinking Giant Lice, the collector will forcibly bear the cost after each symbiosis.

Current State: Equilibrium

[Currently Shareable Skills]:
Size at Will (Lv0, Extraordinary, freely adjusts body size, gaining twice the physical attributes corresponding to the current size; currently maximum size: 3.8 meters, currently minimum size: 1.1 meters)
Shrinking Earth (Lv0, Extraordinary, grants the ability to freely blink within a range; within a 50-meter range, one can teleport instantly at will; current number of teleports: 6)
Locked (will unlock after fifty symbiotes)
Locked (will unlock after 100 symbiotic cycles)
Locked (will unlock after 500 symbiotes)
[Currently shareable attributes]:
Health +1450% (based on the symbiote's current state)
Strength +800%
Speed ​​+675%
Defense +1250%
Note: Due to the significant difference in life level between the Collector and the Shrinking Giant Lice, sharing attributes will increase the cost.
[Currently Shareable Abilities]: Locked (Upgrade your life level to unlock abilities)

"Good heavens, the extraordinary Shrinking Giant Flea, hasn't it become the mother source?"

Cheng Ye frowned.

Tan Ming's power is truly terrifying; he was able to cause such a complete transformation in a benign source of infection.

More importantly, the Shrinking Giant Lice, which clearly had no physical form, was forcibly given a physical form by Tan Ming.

This means that after extraordinary symbiosis, the power and attributes it can provide will increase dramatically.

Despite his significantly smaller size, the description of him possessing physical attributes twice his original size suggests that he will have even greater explosive combat power.

The newly added "shrinking" ability is even more outrageous; isn't that just like teleportation in a game?

He can move freely within a 50-meter range; if someone were to shoot him, they would be committing suicide.

Within a distance of 300 meters, he only needs to activate the Shrinking Earth technique six times in a row to reach the destination; no one can withstand such a surprise attack.

And
"More than ten times the health and defense bonus, plus eight times the strength and six times the speed?"

Cheng Ye was dumbfounded.

This data is not based on his previous frail physique, but rather on an amplification of his current physical condition.

Although it still can't compare to the attributes of the Starfish with Horns, once the Shrinking Giant Lice possesses it, can an ordinary person still break through its defenses?
Could even ordinary sources of infection pose a threat to him?
But when his gaze fell on the cost section below, his initial excitement quickly subsided.

Even if the Shrinking Giant Lice undergoes a qualitative change, its essence remains a parasitic talent, completely different from the symbiotic mode of the Heart-Protecting Fire.

So, what will be the cost of the update?
Special debuffs:
1. Collectors cannot uninstall the fixed special skill: Shrinking Giant Lice*, this skill will be permanently bound to the skill bar.
2. Each time a collector uses an ability, they must provide a certain amount of vitality as a starting resource. The current resource requirement is 5% per use, and the maximum requirement every 24 hours is 35%. If the requirement exceeds 35%, vitality will no longer be deducted when using the ability within the cycle.

3. Each time a collector uses the "Shrinking Giant Lice Symbiosis" ability, they must bear an unavoidable cost.

The current cost: 50 kilometers of high-intensity exercise (to be completed within 15 days).

Collectors incur unavoidable costs each time they use attribute sharing.

The current cost is: a fixed 350% drain on vitality (50% per instance / once every 24 hours / lasting for 7 days).
4. This talent has been locked by a special force and cannot be fused with other non-parasitic talents or skills. Please do not attempt to fuse it; otherwise, it will cause a drastic change in the collector's life form, which may be fatal.

Sure enough, after the Shrinking Earth Giant Lice transcended its current level, the costs and limitations also changed.

Cheng Ye scanned it carefully and nodded slightly.

Although the Shrinking Giant Lice has completed its evolution, its talent prefix still includes "parasitic," so it was expected that its skills could not be uninstalled.

The previous fixed life force extraction mode has been changed to deducting activation resources only each time an ability is used.

This change indicates that the basic parasitic cost of the giant hyacinth beetle has been met, and subsequent consumption has become more flexible.

"Lost vitality can be restored through physical strength, so this is a much smaller danger."

Cheng Ye was somewhat satisfied.

But as I continued reading, I couldn't help but get a headache; the fixed cost of using the ability had clearly increased.

Previously it was a 100-kilometer moderate-intensity workout, now it's a 50-kilometer high-intensity workout. The length has been halved, but the difficulty has more than doubled.

What's even more ruthless is that when using attribute sharing, it continuously drains 350% of your life force. Even with living water essence, it might not be possible to completely withstand it.

As for the last one, Cheng Ye glanced at it and couldn't help but look towards the direction of the Baishui River.

Tan Ming has imposed restrictions on the Shrinking Earth Giant Lice? It can no longer devour extraordinary seeds, but it also cannot fuse with other skills?
It was difficult to fathom the thoughts of this extraordinary man from the old era, so he could only suppress his doubts for the time being and turn his attention to the changes in the Heart-Protecting Flame.

However, Cheng Ye looked away after only two glances.

Judging from the skill description, Heart Protection Fire has only been downgraded by one level, and its growth rate has increased from 15% to 37%, as if it has been refined.

The specific changes brought about by the refinement cannot be seen at the moment because the equipment is not yet available.

"We should wait until the pollution dissipates before equipping the equipment; we cannot afford to create unnecessary complications."

After reviewing all the changes, Cheng Ye pondered for a moment, then stopped thinking about the changes in strength.

There's only one step left to advance my rank; once I've captured the divine artifact, I'll be able to fill these gaps.

The more important thing now is to maintain order in Dabo Town until Tan Ming and Xianwu have a victor.

The sun rises and the moon sets.

Five days passed quietly in silent waiting. Counting the start of the assessment, nine days had passed since the turmoil in Dabo Town began.

On the banks of the Baishui River.

Rokuk sat stiffly on a rock, his gaze fixed on the flowing river in front of him, his eyes somewhat lost in thought, as if he were pondering something.

Only when he heard familiar footsteps beside him did he slowly turn his head, forcing a smile on his face, his voice slightly hoarse: "How is the situation in town?"

"It's alright." Cheng Ye stopped beside him, shaking his head with a slight frown. "Although the tranquilizers were long gone, I knocked out those who were on the verge of collapse. The situation hasn't gotten out of control yet. And strangely enough, the mental pollution seems to be decreasing today, and the residents are in better condition than yesterday."

"You're not trying to comfort me, are you?" Rokuk paused, then suddenly chuckled self-deprecatingly, his tone tinged with uncertainty.

"You're overthinking it." Cheng Ye raised an eyebrow. "How about I carry you around town for a bit? Everyone's preoccupied right now, so no one's going to pay any special attention to you."

“Then forget it.” Rokuk quickly shook his head, a hint of embarrassment flashing in his eyes. “It would be too embarrassing for anyone to see me in this half-Iron, half-human form.”

As he spoke, his gaze returned to the river, settling on the setting sun that was about to sink below the horizon. After a moment of silence, he sighed softly, his voice turning somber: "Food... there probably isn't much left, is there?"

"Yes, that's right. I just finished the last bag of nutritional supplement today."

Cheng Ye nodded, his tone calm, "Fortunately, the water supply is still plentiful. As long as we conserve water, we can last another four or five days."

This extraordinary battle has been far longer than he initially anticipated.

Tan Ming and Wan Lingdi have been battling for almost a week, and there is still no winner.

But judging from the changes in the residents' mental state, he could vaguely sense that the battle should be over in three to five days at most.

But what if Tan Ming loses?

The thought had barely crossed his mind when Cheng Ye suppressed it.

Construction in the town was halted two days ago. More and more people affected by mental pollution are becoming agitated and cannot be calmed with words. They can only be controlled with drugs or physical methods. The situation is actually slowly deteriorating.

He fell silent for a moment, and the two of them stood quietly by the water, just like the past five days, occasionally spacing out and sighing.

Cheng Ye talked about the situation in the town, and Rococo recounted a few interesting stories about his past adventures in the wasteland, but most of the time he was enveloped in silence.

Just as the sun was about to completely set, an extremely faint, invisible ripple suddenly swept across the riverbank.

Cheng Ye was startled and subconsciously raised his hands, only to see the runes on the backs of his hands light up at the same time.

One red and one green, one bright and one dark.

The crimson light of the withered rune suddenly intensified, almost swallowing up all the surrounding light, while the green light of the life rune quickly dimmed, and the world seemed to be shrouded in desolation in an instant.

But this strange sight only lasted for a moment before returning to normal.

At the same time, a vague yet clear thought was directly etched into his mind through the runes:
"it's over!"

It's Tan Ming's voice!
He won!

(End of this chapter)