Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 246 The Price of Motherhood, the Right to Walk in the Wilderness!

call--

call--

In the vast underground space, Cheng Ye staggered to a stop, his hands gripping his knees tightly as he gasped for breath.

Large beads of sweat poured from every pore of his body, rolling down his skin. Before the medical staff could even get close, a puddle of water had already formed at his feet.

He gritted his teeth and struggled to stay upright, refusing to kneel down; an invisible willpower burned fiercely at that moment.

A marathon is only 42.195 kilometers long.

The distance he runs each day, calculated at a speed of 6 meters per second, is a terrifying 384 kilometers, equivalent to running 9 marathons every day.

From 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., there is only one hour of rest time in those 17 hours.

Even with Sawano's physique and a large medical team, this state cannot be described as "exhausted"; it's more like his soul has been largely ripped from his body.

By the third day, Cheng Ye had already lost all feeling in his body.

The excruciating pain could no longer shake his spirit; even without the "Iron Body," he could still endure it.

But at the same time, he also lost his close connection with his body, as if he had been disconnected from the material world.

This feeling was terrible; at the end of each day, his control over his body was decreasing significantly.

"Prosecutor Cheng, water!" A medical worker rushed over, carrying not an ordinary kettle, but a heavy stainless steel one.

Even so, when Cheng Ye took it, his fingers gripped the pot tightly, making a "crackling" sound.

After he drank all the water in the kettle, several clear fingerprints were left on the stainless steel kettle.

Despite being mentally prepared, the medical staff were still somewhat dumbfounded.

The power that Inspector Cheng unleashed when using the source of infection has yet to be reasonably explained internally, but the improvement in his physical fitness under normal conditions has become a new research topic.

Is it really possible for someone to develop such terrifying physical abilities by paying the price of being infected?

"Inspector Cheng, nutrient solution!" Another staff member handed over two red bags of nutrient solution and thoughtfully tore open the seal.

Cheng Ye took it, tilted his head back, and drank it down. Only after the fresh water and nutrients had seeped into his body did his head tilt to the side, and he collapsed heavily to the ground with a "plop".

"Ah!!! Prosecutor Cheng, he's collapsed!" The medical staff who had just handed him the water were terrified and shouted at the top of their lungs.

If he had even the slightest bit of strength left, Cheng Ye would definitely have strained to lift his head and retorted:
"I've collapsed, not died!"

But at this moment, he had truly lost all his strength, and he didn't even have the energy to speak.

He could only let the medical staff lift him onto a mobile medical bed and, in a daze, be sent into the cryotherapy room.

After the cryotherapy ended, a dozen warm hands repeatedly rubbed his body to relieve muscle stiffness and fatigue.

During this time, various medications were constantly being put into her mouth, some to supplement nutrition, and others to reduce inflammation and relieve pain.

Even more outrageous, a large atomizer was pushed over from the side and placed directly on his head.

hum-

The specially prepared mutated crystal liquid was pulverized into a fine mist, which seeped into his body with each breath.

It must be very expensive, right?
Although no one showed him the detailed bill, even excluding the cost of these medicines, based on the salary of 30 happiness coins per person per day for 300 people.

Over five days, at least 45,000 Happiness Coins were spent on his labor costs.

After receiving his medication and a massage, Cheng Ye was taken back to room 1001 on the 10th floor. A group of medical staff carried him to the bed and lit some calming incense before leaving.

After everyone left, he struggled to sit up, took out the pendant, took out a portion of living water essence and drank it all in one gulp, and then fell into a deep sleep.

The moon sets and the sun rises.

When the alarm clock rang again, Cheng Ye jolted awake and slammed his head against the headboard with a thud.

He smashed a large hole in the headboard of the upholstered bed, but he didn't care.

Because outside the window, it was already daylight.

Did you oversleep?

Cheng Ye was startled and subconsciously looked at the task sheet on the table.

This is a daily plan that Cui Qiao made based on his situation, which records in detail the distance to run, rest time and end time for the day.

Two days ago, he had to run for 3 hours straight before he could rest for 5 minutes. Yesterday, he had to rest for 5 minutes after every hour of running to recover.

But when his gaze swept over the number at the top of the task list, Cheng Ye was first taken aback, then let out a long sigh of relief.

114.

The long journey of 2000 kilometers has come to an end, with only 114 kilometers remaining.

This distance is enough to run from Happiness City to Big Wave Town and back, but at this moment it means that this "nightmare" only has half a day left.

No, we also need to add the cost of the 50 kilometers of high-intensity exercise we incurred from using the Extraordinary Shrinking Giant Lice.

His task for today is 164 kilometers, which he can complete in less than 7 hours.

Thoughtfully, the medical team adjusted his starting time from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m., allowing him to sleep an extra 3 hours to recover his strength.

but
"I'm back to life! Luckily, I had the essence of living water to keep me going. If I had only relied on the medicine from the resurrection treatment, I probably would have been a corpse by now!"

Cheng Ye walked into the bathroom, turned on the hot water tap, and let the scalding hot water pour down from above, washing over his aching body and feeling the deep fatigue gradually dissipate with the warmth.

In the past five days, he has completely used up the four portions of living water essence that he had previously exchanged in his storage space.

Although he wanted to save on such unnecessary expenses, the feeling of being on the verge of death the next day was simply too terrifying.

Cheng Ye even had a premonition that if he didn't replenish his energy in time, he might suddenly die on the track when the race started on the third day.

Each dose of the essence of life-giving water seemed to pull him back from the brink of death.

More importantly, the "transformation" effect of the giant lice on his body was fully activated by the essence of living water.

The missing essence within the body is being rapidly replenished and transformed into an exceptionally robust foundation.

This can be seen from his significantly reduced control over his body; his body's adaptation speed can no longer keep up with the pace of growth.

Upon opening the panel, Cheng Ye went straight to his personal page to view the changes.

[Collector: Cheng Ye]

[Current Job Level: Level 3 Senior (26.1/100)]

[Skills: Shrinking Giant Lice* (Bound), Heart Protection Fire, Zeye Physique, Tanming Envoy]

[Abilities]: Shrinking Giant Flea Symbiotic Ecology* (Balance), Blazing Eagle Symbiotic Ecology* (Shaping)
【.】

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

【describe】:
[Growth Value]: Lv0 (8.35%)

[Growth Path]:
[Current Performance]:
[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: 4 meters, currently minimum size: 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)
[Currently shareable attributes]:
Health +1250% (based on the symbiote's current state)
Strength +520%
Speed ​​+575%
Defense +1050%
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)

【Liaoying Co-ecology (Shaping)】

[Description]: After activating the ability
Current Status: Shaping
[Currently Shareable Skills]: None (Currently being developed; the corresponding skill will be obtained after development is complete)
[Currently Shareable Attributes]: None (Since the Collector's current attributes are far greater than those of the Flaming Eagle Lava Cub, no effective attribute sharing will be possible)
[Currently Shareable Capabilities]:
The growth rate of the Shrinking Giant Lice has increased by a whopping 8%!

Just by looking at the drop in the attribute bonus values ​​below, you can intuitively feel the results of your hard work during this period.

His normal physical attributes have increased at least threefold, and this is an all-round enhancement in terms of health, strength, speed, and defense, to the point that the attribute bonuses from the flames have been reduced to zero again.

"If there were a continuous supply of fresh water essence, this terrifying rate of improvement might be able to continue indefinitely."

Cheng Ye squeezed on some shower gel and rubbed himself haphazardly, but his mind was racing with calculations.

Does Happiness City possess a treasure from the old era—the essence of living water?
It's hard to say. In any case, it seems that the technology of Fuxing Medical has been used to its limit. There are no other ways to help him replenish his foundation. At most, it can only maintain his vital signs.

It may sound a bit far-fetched, but upon closer examination, this speculation is not without basis.

These days, the elders have been sending people to deliver all kinds of books and materials. Even though he is so tired every day that he has no time to read them, he can still feel that they are targeted at him.

There were even three special devices; it seemed the elder had already figured out what he wanted to know.

Taking advantage of the brief moments of alertness each morning, Cheng Ye would squeeze in a few pages of reading while eating, gradually figuring out the various limitations and rules of the current era.

"Superhumans cannot leave the city at will. Once they leave the sanctuary, they are very likely to attract infected sources and may even attract the superhuman mother source. Therefore, most superhumans now stay in the city. Only superhumans who can hide their aura can go out, and after they make a move, they must return to the sanctuary as soon as possible to hide their tracks."

"Since extraordinary individuals can no longer go out to search for treasures from the old era, it makes sense that these resources are becoming increasingly scarce. There might have been a considerable stockpile before, but it is now most likely depleted. After all, with only expenditures and no income, even the most substantial wealth cannot withstand such waste."

Thinking about it this way, the potential of the collector is indeed immeasurable.

As long as there are sufficient properties and energy, these treasures can be extracted continuously.

Only the small crabs of the Darkwater Cave Crab family were contained, so they couldn't provide any more traits, but the wasteland is vast and there are countless similar sources of infection.

While extraordinary items are rare and beyond his current reach, items that only reach the level of "treasures" can be generated by extracting characteristics from ordinary infected individuals.

After taking a shower, Cheng Ye felt particularly pleased with himself, thinking that he would be able to finish the last leg of the race today.

He plopped down on the sofa, and suddenly heard a crisp "crack" sound from beneath him. His expression changed, and he quickly moved away.

The next second, the wooden chair he had just sat on collapsed with a crash, shattering into a pile of wood.

"Luckily, this is a hospital room. If I had sat on and broken the palm mattress I finally managed to find, I would have lost a lot of money!"

Cheng Ye sighed inwardly, picked up the three devices in front of him, and pointed the one on the left at himself.

This is an energy reaction device, still in the standard "big brick" style of Happiness City, bulky, black and rugged, quite distinctive.

There is a yellow label in the upper left corner with the word "能" (meaning "able" or "capable") written on it.

This device is issued to inspectors when they venture into the wilderness. It is used to test the strength of enemies from a distance, somewhat like the energy detector in the four-piece set. However, it is a portable version with a maximum testing range of up to 100 meters. Correspondingly, the accuracy decreases as the distance increases.

Current energy rating: 96

"Not bad, it was 87 yesterday, and it's risen another 9 points today. That's quite an achievement!"

Cheng Ye was overjoyed.

This energy rating is not derived from detecting the giant earth-shrinking lice and flames inside him, but simply from assessing his combat power under normal circumstances, which is the bonus of Sawano's physique plus the foundation he has cultivated.

This value was 67 when I entered the inner city, and it has now increased by 29 points.

While it may seem like the increase was only 40%, the actual combat power tripled, which is enough to show that the higher the energy rating goes, the more difficult it becomes and the more demanding the conditions are.

After setting down the energy reactor, Cheng Ye picked up the second device.

This is an aura exposure detector, specially issued to superhumans for use when they go out, to monitor their own aura intensity.

The elders had thoughtfully prepared this device, clearly having already noticed the flames on his body.

However, Cheng Ye picked up the testing device and pressed it against his body.

After the numbers on the screen flickered for a while, the final result did indeed make him frown.
Current aura intensity: 0

"still none?"

I've been using the Heart-Protecting Fire for three days now, but the instrument still shows an aura intensity of 0.

Cheng Ye attempted to establish a connection with the flame, and a fiery red mark flashed between his brows. The numbers on the detector began to jump, eventually settling on "13".

According to the standards marked on the equipment, 10 is the safety threshold; below this value, it will not attract the attention of infection sources.

Once it exceeds 10, for every additional point, the attraction to infection sources and infected individuals will double.

Although it only exceeds the safety line by 3 points, it still harbors a deadly threat. If it stays in a certain place for more than two days, it will definitely attract any extraordinary mother sources that may exist nearby.

Others have tried to use this method to lure and contain supernatural beings before, but no one can predict what kind of methods the attracted supernatural mother sources will employ, whether it will be one or several. Moreover, with his current strength, being targeted by a true supernatural mother source would be almost certainly a death sentence.

However, with Cheng Ye's cancellation of the symbiotic ecosystem, an unexpected situation occurred.

Within just half a minute, the exposure index returned to 0.

The unique aura emanating from him was partially contained within the golden light on Huo Meng's forehead, and the rest was suppressed by the two runes on the back of his hands, preventing it from escaping at all.

"What methods did Tan Ming use? He ignited a flame and left behind two runes, allowing a superhuman like me to move freely in the wilderness without being detected?"

Cheng Ye couldn't help but gasp in astonishment. Such methods were truly unbelievable, yet they had actually happened to him.

He is currently unsure whether this suppressive effect is limited to Shijiazhuang Province or can also be effective outside the province.

However, judging from the elders' reassurance in sending him to Guangdong Province, this ability to conceal one's aura will most likely be effective there as well.

Of course, there is another possibility.

The flame is too weak!
A single field mission is far from enough time for the flame to grow to the point where it breaks through the seal of the mark.

After setting down the breath exposure detector, Cheng Ye did not test the third device.

Because this device is an 'infection source intensity detector', and it is used in the wilderness.

When encountering an unknown source of infection, it can be used to test the intensity and determine whether the conditions for containment are met.

Logically, this equipment should have been issued to every inspector long ago, but like the Obsidian Armor, it is an imported product with an astonishingly high cost.

The one he has costs a full 50,000 contribution points, and only fourth-stage inspectors are equipped with it.

Giving him one now means that, in the eyes of the elders, he is already being treated as a true senior inspector.

Upon opening the door, two medical staff members were indeed standing there, pushing a small food cabinet.

"Prosecutor Cheng, the meal you ordered yesterday is ready. Would you like to eat now?"

"It's troublesome."

Cheng Ye stepped aside, and the medical staff quickly laid out eight plates of side dishes, two bundles of fried dough sticks, and a large bucket of soy milk.

These dishes, which are extremely luxurious in the buffer zone, will gradually become more common as arable land becomes available in the future, but for now they are an absolute treat and a true luxury.

Cheng Ye ate ravenously. The intense binge eating over the past five days had actually restored his lost sense of taste.

After finishing two bundles of fried dough sticks weighing a full three pounds, he picked up a bucket of soy milk that was half his height and gulped it down. The icy taste slid down his throat, and he felt completely refreshed.

cool!

His body was like a bottomless pit, allowing him to indulge his cravings without worrying about the burden.

Gurgling.

After drinking more than half a bucket of soy milk, Cheng Ye put down the bucket, still feeling unsatisfied, and sat down to rest for a while before changing his clothes.

The last 100 kilometers are a piece of cake.

He even jogged slowly for a while to warm up until his body was hot before he started running.

He seemed to have never been in such good condition, and even though there was still a stinging pain, it felt like a reward for him.

Cheng Ye breathed deeply, savoring the sensations.

He even had the illusion that this was not a punishment at all, but rather that the giant lizard had transformed into an iron hammer, tirelessly pounding his body to help him break through and become stronger.

That's right, this is a reward that belongs to him alone!

In the entire wasteland, you probably won't find another person who would treat the cost of being an A-level infection source as a reward.

After all, the others don't have a behemoth like Happiness City as their backing, nor do they have the living water essence that can be exchanged from the collector for daily consumption.

From 9:00 AM to 1:45 PM.

Cheng Ye didn't even feel tired before completing the basic goal of 2000 kilometers.

To his surprise, the 300 medical staff who served him set up a celebration stage at the finish line, preparing to celebrate him as if welcoming a marathon champion.

He crossed the finish line with a mix of amusement and exasperation, and confetti and fireworks rained down from the sky as hundreds of people surrounded him.

Windows in the surrounding buildings opened one after another, and dozens or even hundreds of faces peered out.

Cheng Ye turned his head and saw Rococo, Garcia, Wang Kang, and many other people he had never met before.

Whether old or young, energetic or weary, they all turned their gazes toward him and slowly began to applaud.

Even Garcia, who has lost both arms, seems to be gently waving his empty sleeves in respect.

This is the highest praise that humanity can give to those with great perseverance!
Regardless of factions or ideologies, it stems solely from a sincere recognition of perseverance and resilience!

He earned these applause and respects with his crazy run of 2,000 kilometers over five and a half days.

However, opening champagne at halftime is not a good idea.

Although the evolved Shrinking Giant Louse can delay the repayment of the cost to 15 days, it ultimately cannot escape it.

After enjoying the celebratory atmosphere, Cheng Ye walked to the side and whispered to Cui Qiao, "I still have fifty kilometers of payment to make up for."

"What?" Cui Qiao was stunned. "Didn't they say that the Shrinking Earth Giant Flea could only accumulate a maximum cost of 2000 kilometers?"

"That's the problem. My giant ground beetle is a bit special; it underwent another change midway through its life. It's no longer a typical benign source of infection, but rather..."

"An extraordinary mother source?" Cui Qiao's face instantly turned ugly, and she blurted out the speculation that the medical team had been having for the past few days.

Cheng Ye's data completely overturned previous records.

Despite everyone's best efforts, including using supercomputing to verify the results, no definitive conclusion could be reached. The only speculation was that either Cheng Ye himself had mutated, or the Shrinking Earth Giant Lice had evolved. Considering Cheng Ye's previous statements, the latter was more likely.

"More or less, I'm not sure exactly what it is. But the remaining cost is 50 kilometers of high-intensity exercise, and I don't know what that will be like."

"The distance is halved, and the intensity is upgraded from medium to high." Cui Qiao paused for a moment, then quickly switched to professional mode. "Inspector Cheng, I'm sorry, we don't have that kind of information, and we can't even calculate the intensity standard required to meet the cost. We can only..."

Cheng Ye interrupted her directly: "No need for complicated plans, just attach the testing equipment to me. I need the most accurate values ​​to determine what level is sufficient when we have to pay this kind of price in the future."

"Understood." Cui Qiao nodded immediately. "Shall we go to the underground testing ground?"

"Well, let's go."

With so many people watching, Cheng Ye didn't want the news of the Shrinking Giant Lice's evolution to spread like wildfire.

The group entered the underground training ground, where medical staff quickly brought various testing equipment and put it on him one by one.

The equipment is a bit heavy, but it's nothing compared to getting accurate data.

After Cui Qiao dispersed the unrelated personnel, leaving only the core medical team, Cheng Ye took a deep breath: "Well then, I'm going to begin!"

He opened the panel again and clicked the red button for reimbursement.

The button was pressed and immediately deactivated. Then, a sound like firecrackers exploding suddenly erupted inside him.

what?
A loud bang?

The moment the sound rang out, an unimaginable, excruciating pain swept through his limbs and bones.

It felt as if someone was violently pulling out every bone from his body; the immense force from the inside out instantly flipped him to the ground, his body bent into a shrimp-like shape.

Is Iron Body not activated?
Cheng Ye's face was flushed red as he forced himself to bring up his personal interface, but the "Iron Body" icon in the skill bar was lit up, which made him tremble all over again.

How can it be?

The pain had actually exceeded the pain-repelling limit of the iron body. Could it have already reached the main neural network?
"Prosecutor Cheng, Cheng."

"Are you alright? Can you still stand up?"

"."

Countless anxious shouts echoed in his ears, seemingly like an illusion. Cheng Ye felt his blood rushing wildly, and the bones in his body were making a creaking protest.

The gap between the extraordinary and the ordinary is terrifying.

His current state is tantamount to using the power of the infected source to forcefully break through the threshold of the extraordinary with his physical body.

This is practically like throwing an egg against a rock!
laugh--

A blast of cold air instantly enveloped his body, and medical staff frantically tried to lower his temperature with physical methods.

Immediately afterwards, a needle as thick as a forearm pierced the skin of his upper arm, and Cui Qiao calmly pushed a powerful painkiller, which could only be injected three times in a lifetime, into his body.

Four or five seconds later, the excruciating pain, which was enough to make one faint, miraculously lessened by two-thirds. The remaining pain was almost the same as what he felt on the first day before activating his Iron Body.

"The pain intensity increased by a full three times?"

Cheng Ye's heart sank. He gritted his teeth and struggled to stand up, only to find that the capillaries under his skin had ruptured and blood was slowly seeping out.

The thunderous "bone-dismantling sound" inside his body never stopped. To outsiders, it looked as if a pair of hands were frantically kneading under his skin, revealing clear wavy protrusions.

"The medication only lasts for two hours, and its effects will gradually diminish."

"I see!"

Cheng Ye nodded emphatically and began to run, carrying the testing equipment on his back.

He first increased his speed to 15 seconds for 100 meters, but Cui Qiao glanced at the data on the screen and immediately shook her head and shouted, "Not enough! It doesn't even reach half the required intensity!"

Without hesitation, Cheng Ye accelerated again, breaking the 100-meter mark in 12 seconds.

"Keep going, the improvement is significant!"

Ultimately, he stabilized his speed at 11 seconds for 100 meters.

This data is already terrifying, reaching the speed of a true sprint, not to mention that he has to maintain this speed to run 50 kilometers.

"That's enough, start maintaining it!"

Cui Qiao shouted, and Cheng Ye immediately removed the testing equipment from his body, leaving only the heart rate monitor and pace watch.

At a speed of 9 meters per second, the task could theoretically be completed in 1 hours, but maintaining such a high intensity for an extended period of time is as difficult as climbing to the heavens.

After running for less than ten minutes, it was time for the familiar test of willpower to be tested again.

At the same time, the life essence stored up in his body exploded completely, and wave after wave of power surged throughout his body, even the life rune on his right hand began to flicker slightly.

Fatigue was forcibly suppressed as soon as it appeared, and the physical depletion was filled by a massive amount of life force as soon as it emerged.

Ten kilometers, twenty kilometers, thirty kilometers!

Under the incredulous gaze of the medical staff, Cheng Ye persisted, his running speed remaining unchanged.

He was like a machine, carrying out tasks set by his will.

until.

Drop drop!
The pace watch beeped, signaling the mission's completion. Cheng Ye slowed his pace, the sweltering heat enveloping him like a steamer.

"Prosecutor Cheng?" Cui Qiao called out tentatively.

"I'm fine!" A calm voice came from the steam, followed by a muffled "thump".

"Ah, Prosecutor Cheng, he's fallen again!!!"

The wailing and lamentation came from all directions, but Cheng Ye couldn't hear them clearly.

In fact, the essence of living water was exhausted in the last five kilometers, leaving only the weak effect of the runes.

But he persevered through sheer willpower and persistence.

"Damn it, I have to find more pain immunity skills as soon as possible, or I'll die at the hands of the Shrinking Giant Lice sooner or later!"

Leaving behind his last thought, Cheng Ye's mind raced, and he completely lost consciousness.

(End of this chapter)