Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 244 Inhuman Power, Giant Beast Combat Strength!
A seasoned collector!
Upon seeing the Lv3 job level displayed on the panel, Cheng Ye was momentarily dazed, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

Unlike the ranks of inspectors, each promotion of a collector brings a real increase in authority, without any exaggeration.

He glanced down and saw the first change, and a surge of joy welled up inside him.

The capacity index of the charging value doubled, rising from 2 to 4.

Based on the calculation that 1 capacity index corresponds to 200 kWh of electricity, the collector can now store up to 800 kWh of electricity, which is no small amount.

Even at the Public Works Department's fast charging stations, it takes a full 8 hours to fully charge.

According to the summer electricity rate, 15 contribution points are needed for every 100 kilowatt-hours of electricity, and 120 contribution points are needed to fully charge the electricity.

"Great, now even if we go to the wilderness, we don't have to worry about running out of energy quickly."

Cheng Ye felt much more at ease; a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

After all, the wilderness wouldn't allow him to recharge freely; he could only replenish his energy by reaching some sheltered towns along the way.

As for 8000, it's enough to use for a long time as long as you don't use it for concentrated searches.

Continuing on, the option to enable Lv4 skill search permissions was entirely within his expectations.

According to the correspondence of the new martial arts system, the skills at this level are basically the various combat skills of the Embryo Realm.

However, ordinary combat skills are not very useful; what is truly valuable are those special talents.

After all, he had already felt a significant change with his Lv3 physique talent, and he couldn't even imagine what kind of breakthrough Lv4 physique would bring.

Looking at the search probability again, Cheng Ye nodded in satisfaction: "Sure enough, Lv1 and Lv2 skills are now 100% successful, Lv3 has a 50% probability, and Lv4 can also be 100% successful as long as the synergy is full."

"It's just that it consumes a lot of energy."

His gaze swept over the changes in search energy consumption, and after a quick calculation, Cheng Ye couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.

The percentages here are calculated based on the total energy value after promotion, which is based on 800 degrees:

Lv1 skills still require 80 units of electricity per use, unlike the previous promotion which reduced this requirement; it remains the same.

The Lv2 skill now generates 120 units of electricity per hit, 20 units more than before, most likely due to the 100% success rate.

The Lv3 skill maintains 240 units of electricity per cycle, with no change.

The newly released Lv4 skill is even more outrageous, requiring 480 kilowatt-hours of electricity per use. If converted to the tentacles of the Magic Eye Sponge, it would take cutting off a full 120 tentacles to equal one search.

"Luckily, I'm scheduled to take up my post in Yueye next year, otherwise, that small hydroelectric power station in Dabo Town simply couldn't support such a huge expenditure!"

At this rate of change, the Lv5 levels will likely be even more dramatic.

Even when it becomes possible to actually search for extraordinary skills, it's unknown how much energy it will take to do so even once.

Skipping over the search energy consumption, the change in the coordination requirement is also in line with the rules of the last promotion. Lv3 skills only require 50% coordination to search.

This means that Jiang Chuan can finally obtain the Breakthrough Meridian Barrier without any pressure, and Mu Shuang's four physical talents can also be easily obtained.

Even if we go to the wilderness or other sheltered cities in the future, achieving a 50% cooperation rate shouldn't be too difficult.

The only challenge is getting someone with a level 4 skill to achieve 100% synergy.

"If all else fails, we can try posting a takeout order at Pinghai Tower. Maybe that will attract someone with Lv4 skills to provide 'door-to-door service'."

While pondering how to improve the synergy of Lv4 skills, Cheng Ye turned his attention back to the panel to check the last few permission changes.

Intelligence searches no longer suffer from reduced quality, and item searches now indeed have designated options enabled, but energy consumption has also increased, from 100 kilowatt-hours per search to 160 kilowatt-hours per search.

However, the energy consumption of information fusion has not changed and remains at the original standard.

After calculating these data changes, Cheng Ye frowned slightly. This indicated that upgrading a collector's rank would not reduce the energy consumption of searching for lower-level skills.

Each skill level seems to have a fixed baseline; no matter how high the rank, the energy consumption will not drop below the baseline.

"Huh, there really is another search option?"

When his gaze fell on the last line, Cheng Ye instantly snapped to attention and sat up straight.

The prompts for promotion were too obscure, and they didn't clearly explain what the differences would be after making a choice.

According to the name and description of the Detective, the collectors need to go to more places and bring back more things.

Surprisingly, a new search option was added.

resource?

what is this?
Cheng Ye was filled with doubt. He clicked on the prompts on the panel and searched around, but he couldn't find the entry point or detailed explanation for this new option.

The resource search requires a certain level of cooperation and consumes a certain amount of energy each time; these crucial details are completely missing.

"It seems that, just like with the previous new search options, I'll have to actually search once to know the specifics."

Cheng Ye was itching to try it, but it was already late at night, and he was in an underground space with nothing around to test it. He could only keep it in mind for now and try it during the day.

Thinking of this, he reached out and took out the pendant, examining it against the light.

The next second, a message popped up on the panel:

[A change in collector rank has been detected; the collector is currently matching ranks.]

Match successful, current storage slots changed: 4 → 8

[Increased maximum capacity charge level detected; collector is currently matching.]

[Successful matching reduces energy consumption by 50% for each item retrieval]

Four grids become eight!
Cheng Ye stared intently at the pendant, clearly seeing that the crystal grid in the center of the pendant first became slightly blurry, and then, as if it had been disassembled and reassembled, several spaces of equal size extended outwards, finally forming eight independent storage compartments.

"Great! I don't have to worry about choosing anymore. This kind of good stuff, the essence of living water, can only be stored in the pendant space. Who knows what kind of trouble it will cause if I take it outside."

The benefits of his promotion far exceeded his expectations.

After updating the pendant, Cheng Ye turned his attention to the runes on the back of his hand. Unfortunately, even after being promoted to senior collector, he still couldn't decipher these magical runes.

He even went so far as to enter the intelligence space to try to collect the runes on the cotton room, but he was still unable to unlock the corresponding permissions.

At present, this is undoubtedly a bad thing, meaning that he cannot quickly solve the lifespan problem caused by Tan Mingxin's belief, nor can he quickly improve his strength by collecting runes.

But in the long run, this is actually a good thing. The fact that Lv3 cannot include runes means that these runes are of a much higher rank than he imagined. Once they can be successfully analyzed in the future, they will definitely bring revolutionary assistance.

"I've already completed a quarter of the journey from Lv3 to Lv4, and it won't be long before I reach the threshold of the next level."

"Next, we need to bear the cost of using the infected source, and then wait until the construction of Big Wave Town is on track. We can take advantage of this time before winter arrives to start collecting valuable information in the wilderness. Maybe one trip out will be enough to gather enough information to upgrade to Lv4."

Put away the pendant and close the panel.

Cheng Ye leaned quietly against the headboard, sorting out his plans for the future.

The magical artifacts beneath the White Water River have already been contained, and the sources of infection around Dabo Town have also been cleared away. The construction can now proceed step by step.

As long as the infrastructure materials arrive on time, the construction drawings are finalized, and the personnel responsible for implementation are in place, there's basically nothing he needs to worry about.

It would be best if Wang Kang could take care of Dabo Town, but even if Wang Kang wanted to go out and see the world later, that would be perfectly fine.

We can arrange for experienced workers from the Public Works Department to oversee the construction site in Tai Po Town to ensure that the construction will not be delayed.

As for the destination in the wilderness, the City of Light and Rainbow Sanctuary is definitely the best choice.

Even the three elders did not deny this point, and even encouraged him to go out and broaden his horizons.

According to the straight-line distance from Happiness City to Guanghong, it is about 1,300 kilometers. Even if he needs to detour around areas with dense infection sources or encounter other unexpected situations, the three months before winter arrives are more than enough time for him to make a round trip.

Returning to Happiness City before winter, and then going back to Dabo Town to transition through the winter, this timing is just right.

As I thought about it, drowsiness gradually crept in.

Cheng Ye didn't let sleepiness drag him down to sleep. Instead, he got up, took off his clothes, and took a hot shower in the bathroom. After washing away his fatigue, he lay back on the soft bed and fell into a deep sleep.

In the entire wasteland, there are probably few places safer than the underground space of Resurrection Medical Center.

He slept exceptionally deeply and peacefully that night.

However, it was inevitable that his established biological clock would kick in again in a stable environment, causing him to wake up promptly at seven in the morning.

Get up and take a shower.

When Cheng Ye changed into a loose hospital gown and was about to leave, as expected, Cui Qiao was already waiting outside with a large medical team.

Twenty or thirty people filled the ten-story corridor, each with a tense expression on their face. An uninformed person might have thought he had some terminal illness.

"Prosecutor Cheng, we have accessed all information related to the Shrinking Giant Flea through the Spark Alliance and worked overnight to develop a corresponding emergency plan. Here is the key information that we have compiled; please take a look."

As Cui Qiao spoke, she handed over a document clipped to a hardboard.

Cheng Ye casually took it, quickly skimming through the contents, his gaze finally settling on the "cost calculation formula" in the second part:

Formula for calculating the cost of the giant hyacinth:
1. It is necessary to first test the infected person's maximum physical fitness, and then use that data to deduce the required exercise intensity.

2. Pain can be relieved with medication. Currently, there are three safe medication formulations, with analgesic effects categorized into weak, moderate, and strong levels. Weak-level medications can be used unlimited times; moderate-level medications need to be adjusted according to the individual's condition and can be used a maximum of 10 times; strong-level medications can only be used a maximum of 3 times. Exceeding this limit carries a risk of death and must be used with extreme caution.
3. Once the burden of infection accumulates to its limit, the pain level and exercise intensity level will significantly increase. It is crucial to remember that you should never attempt to push yourself to the limit.

"There are even specialized painkillers that can accurately deduce the required intensity of exercise?"

Cheng Ye was slightly surprised.

The availability of such detailed information suggests that a considerable number of people have likely been infected with the giant ground beetle in the past.

Thinking about it, he couldn't help but wonder if he might encounter someone who had also used the giant lizard infection source when he went to the wilderness.
"So I'm going to have my physical fitness tested now?" Cheng Ye looked up and asked, withdrawing his gaze.

“Yes.” Cui Qiao nodded immediately, her tone becoming even more serious. “We have already prepared a testing ground for you. Also, have you already reached your limit in terms of the costs you've incurred?”

"Yes, it's full!"

Cheng Ye spoke casually, explaining that the Shrinking Giant Lice needed to deduct 100 kilometers for each transformation. He had used it no less than ten times in and out of the cotton room, and with several battles, he had long since accumulated the maximum allowance of 2000 kilometers.

Fortunately, after the Shrinking Giant Lice evolved into its extraordinary form, the cost requirement did not change; it could still be offset by moderate-intensity exercise.

"Then please come with me as soon as possible! Only through more detailed testing can we accurately analyze the subsequent plan!!"

Cui Qiao tensed up instantly and turned to the medical team behind her, whispering instructions.

Even though she deliberately used a lot of technical terms, such as the specific formula parameters of the drug, as if afraid that Cheng Ye would hear the details, Cheng Ye could still tell from her rapid speech that Cui Qiao had already assessed his risk to the maximum.

The medication we're preparing will likely be the most potent painkiller, which can only be used three times in a lifetime.

Of course, Cheng Ye did not bring up that he had an "iron body" that made him immune to pain. After all, he was not sure if the iron body could completely offset the pain and cost of the Shrinking Giant Lice. It would be safer to follow the medical team's plan for the time being.

As the group descended the elevator, Cheng Ye discovered that the building actually had a basement level. Upon reaching the third basement level, the elevator doors slowly opened, instantly revealing a massive testing ground with a ceiling height of eight meters and an area of ​​no less than two thousand square meters.

Under the eight-meter-high ceiling, silver metal supports crisscross, with dozens of track-mounted sensors suspended above them. Pale blue sensor light strips flow slowly along the ground grid, clearly dividing the two-thousand-square-meter space into multiple functional areas.

On the left, dozens of dynamic testing devices of different specifications are arranged side by side. The screens are filled with a dense array of light spots and data, which is dazzling even at a glance.

The central area is a strength testing zone covered with soft padding, where several staff members are making adjustments to the adjustable horizontal bar and weighted equipment before testing.

The most eye-catching area is the explosive power test zone at the end of the field, which is about half the size of a football field. More than a dozen robotic arms move back and forth in the air, and red positioning lights below flash continuously as the robotic arms swing. The electronic screen outside the cabin plays a demonstration animation of the test subject jumping up and touching the sensor. The ground is covered with a thick cushioning mat, and a vertical jump height measuring instrument stands in the corner.

The speed test area occupies the long strip on the right, with ten red alloy tracks extending in parallel. The lifting structure under the tracks can simulate different slopes and heights to meet diverse testing needs.

It must be said that the configuration here perfectly matches all of Cheng Ye's expectations for a "professional test field".

He turned his head back and forth, memorizing the layout of the site. Whether in Dabo Town or the future Yueye checkpoint, he would inevitably need to set up a private testing ground like this for himself.

"On the left is the basic data comprehensive testing area. We need to measure your basic physical data after activating the infection source as the basis for subsequent analysis. In the middle is the strength testing area, which uses adaptive weight blocks that can adjust the weight by stimulating internal substances. The minimum weight is 50 kilograms, and the maximum weight can reach 35 tons, which is enough to cover your testing needs."

"The right side is the speed testing area. A full set of sensing equipment is buried under the runway, which can accurately record speed changes. As for the outbreak area, generally speaking, for a power-type infection source like you, there is no need to specifically test your explosive power for the time being."

After explaining, Cui Qiao added, with a solemn assurance: "We have cleared the area. Apart from the medical staff present, no one will have access to your test results today. You can rest assured about that."

"Don't the elders know either?" Cheng Ye asked instinctively.

Cui Qiao chuckled awkwardly, her tone somewhat helpless: "Prosecutor Cheng, you're joking. In Happiness City, nothing can be kept secret from the elders."

"hehe."

Cheng Ye chuckled twice, then cut to the chase, no longer dwelling on the topic, "Let's begin. What do you need me to do?"

"Please go to the basic data comprehensive testing area first to activate the power of the infection source. We need to measure your basic physical data first." Cui Qiao gestured as she led the large medical team over, guiding Cheng Ye to the equipment area on the left.

Standing inside the designated yellow box, Cheng Ye paused, his gaze sweeping over the testing equipment pointed at him and the medical staff squatting on either side carrying cameras. Suddenly, he felt a pang of shame.

No wonder Hulk is unwilling to transform in front of everyone. Being simultaneously targeted and recorded by dozens of instruments is hardly a dignified experience.

But he didn't hesitate for long. He gently shook his head, focused his attention, and established a connection with the giant lice in the spirit space.

A stream of golden and red energy flashed rapidly in Cheng Ye's eyes.

The next second, under everyone's gaze, his body began to expand rapidly, quickly stopping at its maximum value:
3.8 meters!
Golden armor crawled out from under the skin, covering the vulnerable parts of the body as if it were alive.

Red runes wrapped around his right arm like chains, and were still rotating slightly.

On the enlarged face, the left eye glowed with a faint golden light, while the right eye suddenly shone with a blood-red light.

Between his brows, the pattern of the giant lizard flickered gently, like a strange bloodstone, exuding an indescribable mystique.

However, compared to the previous 5-meter height that the giant hyacinth louse could support, its current size of 3.8 meters looks significantly "mini".

The medical team was mentally prepared, but they still couldn't hide their surprise. Cui Qiao, in particular, looked much less nervous and quickly said, "Prosecutor Cheng, the highest recorded height of a person infected with the giant hyacinth is 7.2 meters. Generally speaking, the higher the height, the more serious the consequences. Your current height is relatively safe, so please rest assured."

"Is that so?" Cheng Ye replied in a muffled voice.

He looked down at his body, which still had the familiar golden armor, but his right arm was now adorned with blood-red runes.

With a slight exertion, the runes instantly lit up, and an unimaginable, immense power surged from his limbs and bones, even causing the air to tremble slightly.

Even before the basic data was measured, Cheng Ye could clearly feel the changes. If his previous 5-meter-tall self were standing in front of him, he could probably easily beat him with one hand now.

"Twice the physical attributes, and that's without even using attribute sharing, yet the improvement is already so significant."

Cheng Ye was slightly taken aback, but quickly figured out the key point.

According to the previous conventional counting, assuming that 3.8 meters corresponds to a body data of 3.8, it seems that there is only a difference of 1.4 between 3.8 meters and 5.2 meters. However, now his physical fitness has doubled, and the value has directly reached 7.6, which is 2.4 higher than the previous 5.2.

More importantly, there is no boundary effect in physical fitness; the higher the value, the more terrifying the improvement in overall combat power.

"Height verification passed. Current height: 3.82m"

"Weight verification passed, current weight: 1.7 tons"

"Muscle fiber scan passed; single muscle fiber diameter is 374μm; fast-twitch fibers account for 91%."

"Body composition analysis passed. Current data: body fat percentage 2.1%, muscle mass 1582kg, bone mass 109kg."

"Muscle cross-sectional scan passed. Current dimensions: quadriceps muscle cross-sectional area 183cm, arm muscle circumference 123.5cm."

"."

Cheng Ye stood quietly in place, letting the medical staff push various scanning instruments back and forth on his huge body for repeated tests.

He couldn't understand what the dense data on the instrument screen represented, but seeing the almost "ghostly" look of shock on the testers' faces, he still felt a sense of satisfaction.

Height has never meant anything; true fighting ability is what matters.

The regular version of the giant hyacinth beetle, while possessing physical attributes corresponding to its height, still remains within the conventional limitations of a living organism.

His extraordinary version of the Shrinking Giant Louse is much more outrageous, directly taking the "condensation" route, allowing his combat power to be explosively increased at the same height!

"How is this possible?" Cui Qiao clutched the newly printed test report, completely dumbfounded.

Cheng Ye's current data is not much different from the previously recorded 7.2 meters, and some core data are even better, which completely overturns the data record of the giant hyacinth infected.

"My giant lice has undergone some mutations, so it's normal that the data is different from the usual situation."

After all the test straps were removed, Cheng Ye lowered his head slightly, and his voice rang in everyone's ears.

As soon as he finished speaking, he walked over to the strength testing area that had already been set up and picked up a barbell to start swinging around.

The two-ton barbell felt as light as a stick in his hands, which he swung around with ease, leaving everyone present dumbfounded.

"Ten times more!" Cheng Ye ordered.

"Ten times?" The medical staff member in charge of debugging the equipment was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously pressed the adjustment button.

The weight plates at both ends of the barbell vibrate slightly, activating the special material inside, and the weight begins to increase rapidly.

Three tons, five tons, ten tons, twenty tons!
Humans can lift up to six times their own weight. Even if the Shrinking Earth Giant Flea provided twice the physical strength, Cheng Ye's theoretical limit, based on his current weight of 1.7 tons, would still be 20 tons.

He gritted his teeth and held on for two seconds, but ultimately couldn't maintain his balance and threw the barbell to the ground.

With a muffled thud, even though the equipment automatically reduced the weight of the barbell the moment it was released, the ground still trembled slightly, startling everyone present.

"It's not that I lack strength, it's that my grip strength can't keep up."

Cheng Ye raised his hand and looked at it, quickly finding the problem.

His hands were nearly 50 centimeters in size, but the barbell was still of standard thickness, making it impossible for him to hold such a heavy object stably due to the small contact area.

"Do you have a thicker pole?"

"Yes, yes!" The medical staff in charge of the equipment quickly responded, and then eight people ran quickly to the equipment area, struggling to lift a barbell that was as thick as a bucket.

It was five times thicker than before, just enough to fit his enormous hands.

Once the counterweights were readjusted, Cheng Ye took a deep breath and gripped the thick rod firmly with both hands.

The next second, a surge of immense power erupted from my chest, flowing down my arm and into the shaft of the club.

Truly, his strength could uproot mountains and his spirit could cover the world!
He imitated the professional clean and jerk, first pressing the 20-ton barbell firmly against his chest to stabilize his center of gravity, and then exerting force with both arms to lift the weight, which was comparable to a large truck, over his head.

In an instant, an indescribable surge of excitement welled up in my chest.

Cheng Ye felt his body was filled with explosive power, and even while lifting a 20-ton weight, he still had a bit of strength left in his body.

Wow, that's incredible!
He inexplicably took a step forward, and when he landed, there was no deafening sound as he had imagined. It was as light as a normal person walking, but the alloy floor that his foot touched clearly sank a little, leaving a clear shallow imprint when he lifted his foot.

What kind of monster is this?

The medical team present was completely dumbfounded. Compared to the methods of the superhumans, what Cheng Ye was showing was too barbaric and too direct!
Everyone watched as he walked faster and faster while lifting the barbell, eventually becoming incredibly agile on the field. He even walked straight to the speed test track and tried to run.

Now, the weight of the barbell truly showed its power.

Boom! Boom!
Thunderous thuds echoed across the runway, while data rapidly refreshed on the nearby test screens.
Thirteen seconds, twelve seconds, eleven seconds in the 100 meters!
This data isn't particularly impressive; many scavengers can reach it.

But which wilderness warrior could lift a 20-ton barbell and a large transport vehicle and still maintain such speed?

"Remove the counterweight!"

Cheng Ye let out a loud shout.

The medical staff reacted very quickly, immediately pressing the adjustment button, and the weight of the barbell disappeared instantly.

He casually tossed the empty bar aside, and with a swift movement, began to run at full speed.

The advantages and disadvantages of his large physique became clear at this moment. Although his physical fitness had improved, the range of motion of his leg swing, push-off, and landing was still extremely large, and his cadence looked exceptionally slow.

He could cover nearly six meters with each step, completing the 100-meter sprint in just sixteen steps.

The data on the test screen was refreshed again, and a terrifyingly astonishing number popped up:
6.2 seconds!
Even though large creatures inevitably have the disadvantage of being clumsy, this flaw is completely masked by the terrifying physical attributes of the Extraordinary Shrinking Giant Lice, instead giving rise to a terrifying impact force like a "heavy artillery shell".

As for explosive power, I suppose there's no need to test it anymore.

As Cheng Ye stepped off the testing platform, his massive body began to shrink step by step, and the immense power within him gradually dissipated.

Fantastic!

With this added strength, my worries about venturing into the wilderness were greatly reduced.

Even with superior physical attributes, one's abilities are still limited when encountering strange magical objects or sources of infection, and there is still a risk of being parasitized.

But at least when facing his own kind, whether it's the complex interpersonal interactions in the wilderness, some treacherous "hunters," or even when provoked by other superhumans, when the deterrent effect of his identity as the inspector of Happiness City fails, he can transform into a behemoth at any time and use absolute power to tell everyone what order is.

"If attribute sharing is enabled and the Flaming Eagle symbiotic ecosystem is activated, what level of combat power will it reach?"

"We still have the Whirlpool Turtle seeds left to use, which will allow us to create another symbiotic ecosystem later!"

Cheng Ye let out a soft breath, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes.

His gaze swept across the room, revealing a variety of expressions in the eyes of all the medical staff.

There was undisguised shock, disbelief and realization, and a lingering sense of astonishment.
Shy?

Ok?
Cheng Ye felt a chill run down his spine and abruptly looked down.

Well, the clothes that were torn during the transformation have long since disappeared, and now his naked body is exposed to everyone without any cover.

Grass!
(End of this chapter)