Chapter 268 Preparation for Exploration_2
For an entire week, the Tree Domain was in a state of extreme busyness, with the wall extending from the eastern district of the city into the outer southern district, while the construction team began focusing some of their efforts into the western district.
According to their plan, they first built a ten-meter wall, then increased its height and thickness, and the progress was very smooth.
It was also on the seventh day that the Mother Worm first completed the Fusion.
[LV1 Essence of Flesh Fusion successful, Mother Worm gains skills: LV1 Insect Quality Crystal Shield, Self-healing·Advanced, gains Skill Advancement LV2 Insect Quality]
The Fusion of the Mother Worm also took seven days, a significantly long time span, nothing like the LV1 Essence of Flesh, consuming an enormous amount of monster flesh, totaling around one hundred and ten to two hundred thousand.
Although Su Han was surprised, the Fusion process wasn't interrupted due to consumption, and the skills it acquired this time were also numerous.
"It didn't activate the Bug Quality Rift, but there's an additional Insect Quality Crystal Shield, a special shield made of Insect Quality, huh?"
On the massive body of the Mother Worm, a layer of almost translucent crystal shield covered it, a special coating made from the extracted Insect Quality within its body, significantly enhancing its defense.
The defense of an already gigantic Mother Worm was exceptionally outstanding, and now it was even more enhanced.
Su Han was thoughtful, this thing was primarily composed of substances, he wondered if he could create some special equipment from it?
"I can have Professor Tian and his team try it, but this advanced Self-healing...."
Advanced Self-healing appeared as if it suddenly emerged, but Su Han realized upon reflection that the Mother Worm probably already possessed a strong individual regenerative ability, and now the enhancement was just turning it into a skill, a compensation for its massive body.
One enhanced defense and the other enhanced regenerative ability, coupled with the native psychokinetic power, it could be said to be among the Angel Envoys, one of those capable of group attacks, and also somewhat physically resilient.
"Roar)
The Mother Worm emitted a low roar, Su Han looked at the massive creature in front of him, yet his gaze was on the large number of Zerg corpses.
There were still about over one hundred thousand corpses left, stacking up like mountains, but these were consumables.
The Fusion materials were the main part, but the monster flesh was also needed for some potion production, even for the breeding of Evolved Kinds, especially the non-human mutated flesh of the Zerg.
The Mother Worm wanted to continue the Fusion, but probably there also wasn't enough LV2 Essence of Flesh, others were about the same, and Su Han wanted to try the Insect Quality of Mother Worm.
Insect Quality, a special kind of Zerg tissue, similar to flesh, containing a lot of Zerg information, could form a hatchery, which is to say a bug nest, and possibly other things.
Essentially, this substance was special flesh that could absorb Spiritual Energy and other nutrients like other monster flesh, slowly growing flesh, one of the foundations of the Zerg, and one of the sources of food and energy.
The bodies would decay if left piled up, but Insect Quality would not, no doubt these remaining pieces of monster flesh needed to be transformed into this substance while also constructing the Zerg army.
'Devour them, then convert to Insect Quality."
Upon receiving Su Han's command, a multitude of tendrils emerged from the back of the Mother Worm, stretching over the Zerg carcasses, some of which had already begun to rot, but the Mother Worm was not concerned about that.
It opened its gaping mouth and swallowed the bodies, a massive amount of flesh was ingested by its mountain-like body and quickly transformed.
Even without flesh, as long as it could extract Spiritual Energy, the Mother Worm could slowly produce Insect Quality, which was also the source of its Insect Quality Crystal Shield.
But without transformation, it would consume its own Spiritual Energy, making this conversion rate naturally not very efficient.
But now it was different.
After continuously devouring for more than ten minutes, the Mother Worm halted its actions, then strode over to the ruins nearby.
This area had been damaged by battles, causing buildings to collapse and surrounding structures to also suffer different degrees of fire damage.
Rebuilding this area would take time, far slower than directly utilizing empty buildings elsewhere, thus Su Han designated this place as a new bug hole, stockpiling monster flesh, and also as a new bug nest.
The Mother Worm spat out a large amount of Insect Quality, the grey flesh tissue continuously wriggling, then slowly merging together.
Its psychokinetic power was also slowly shaping, Insect Quality spreading, part stretching across the street surface, another part clinging onto the walls of buildings, similar to a chunk of flesh embedded into the wall.
Zerg Nest
Su Han watched as this tumor-like thing formed, and from the information transmitted by the Mother Worm, he knew that this was a Zerg Nest, a Level One Zerg Nest.
A cyst slowly appeared on the Zerg Nest, and then with the energy supply of the entire Zerg Nest organ, the first worker bee was being nurtured inside.
Su Han could see through the translucent flesh membrane clearly, the appearance of the worker bee inside, which was dark red mixed with black, just like the previous worker bees.
"If the Bug Quality is sufficient, then more Zerg units can be nurtured, but a Level One Zerg Nest has limited unit strength and types."
Zerg Nest units are somewhat similar to the Envoy species but fundamentally different.
The control of the Envoy species is more detailed, the bloodlines clearer, while Zerg Nest units are more like tools, hierarchical among their kind.
The stronger the Mother Worm, the more powerful the psychokinetic power, the more Zerg Nest units it can control, and the stronger the combat power that can erupt.
Conversely, if the control is insufficient or if it is in some uncontrolled, disconnected state, then the Zerg Nest units will lose control, either acting independently or becoming berserk.
The Envoy species are vassals of the Nine-Snake Mother Tree and exist attached to the Nine-Snake Mother Tree, so every withdrawal has to bring them back together.
But Zerg Nest units are different—acting independently is their advantage but also their flaw. They cannot be controlled as deftly, at least not by others.
Su Han muttered, "It seems it's time to perform some information engraving through the Mother Worm, like having people from the Tree Domain donate some blood for information recording, otherwise if the Mother Worm loses control, it could cause chaos."
Recording information isn't too difficult, only a matter of how to record the information within the genes of the Zerg units that are hatching.
It needs to be effective without causing other troubles.
It's not possible to make them not attack humans, right?
In this apocalyptic world, there are not only people from the Tree Domain, but others in various cities, and it's inappropriate to encompass such a wide range.
After handling the Mother Worm, Su Han had it slowly transform the Bug Quality, nurturing as many Zerg units as possible.
Just as this was finished, suddenly there came news from the Blood-Erosion Alligator Dragon.
[Level 6 Water Fusion complete, Blood-Erosion Alligator Dragon breaks through to Fourth Rank Lower Class, obtaining Skill Advancement: Level 4 Waterflow Control, Level 4 Black Water Shield, Level 2 Black Water Cannon]
The moment the Blood-Erosion Alligator Dragon made its breakthrough, a powerful aura surged into the sky, Su Han quickly moved to the river where the Blood-Erosion Alligator Dragon was located.
At that moment, the water around the Blood-Erosion Alligator Dragon was churning, massive waves lifting in the river, its huge body tumbling in the water, its blood wings spread wide, rushing out of the water with a roaring sound.
Su Han looked at the now even more powerful Blood-Erosion Alligator Dragon, its body had swollen significantly, its size a massive fifty to sixty meters, truly a giant creature.
The Blood-Erosion Alligator Dragon landed in front of Su Han, the water flow completely controlled, not a single drop falling to the ground.
Level 4 Waterflow Control, capable of affecting the water up to five kilometers centered around the Blood-Erosion Alligator Dragon, lifting stormy waves, twisting out endless whirlpools, a power not to be underestimated.
The already powerful Black Water Cannon also increased by one level, its power naturally ascending further.
Su Han looked excited, but not because of this skill, but because the Blood-Erosion Alligator Dragon was now Fourth Rank Lower Class.
"The Fourth Rank Blood-Erosion Alligator Dragon should be able to withstand the erosion from the Spiritual Energy Blood Sea, causing turmoil, so we can try exploring the spatial rift to the east of the city. The Nine-Snake Mother Tree might also try merging with the blood sea."
Su Han was strategizing in his heart; exploring the spatial rift and the Spiritual Energy Blood Sea had always been part of the plans, only postponed due to insufficient strength and tasks like reclaiming South City.
Now that South City had gradually stabilized, he could proceed further.
He jumped onto the Blood-Erosion Alligator Dragon, its blood wings spread as they soared into the sky, heading straight for the Tree Domain.
Before exploring, he needed to find someone to record various conditions of the exploration.