Wasteland Development Diary

At first, Zhou Yi tried practicing punches using some abandoned structures on the sea floor. However, the effects were poor, with no signs of improvement.

Red Kestrel told him, "If there's not enough resistance and feedback, the combat species cannot be activated."

"When under attack from enemies, the combat species gradually changes, its energy structure locally distorting, tearing, and reorganizing to adapt to the strength needed by the body."

"After replenishing energy, the structure of the combat species repairs itself time and again, reconstructing towards better compatibility with the body until it reaches the peak fighting strength it can handle, which is the limit of the mechanism itself. After that, strength cannot be enhanced further."

Zhou Yi felt that this sounded somewhat like muscle building, where intensity is necessary for it to be effective.

He was a bit puzzled.

"How do you know so much about combat species when you're a rescue AI?"

The unmanned device replied, "Rescue machines must understand the basic structure of life, whether the distressed still show signs of life can be judged through the 'Light Seed.'"

"I am an experienced rescue machine with over 100,000 hours of operation, involved in many rescue operations. Sometimes, I also suffer from hazards and damages, entering the rehabilitation center is quite normal. In rehabilitation training, there are programs for activating and reconstructing combat species."

Red Kestrel's words made Zhou Yi more interested in Recursive City.

Once things stabilized here and were on the right track, he would have to go there and see the city created by the electromechanical lives.

Compared to the caves and semi-colonies of the new humans, perhaps that place truly represented the civilized domain of the Wasteland Era.

After confirming the right method, Zhou Yi and the samurai crabs first captured a Bone Fish.

He took on the Bone Fish in a one-on-one fight.

Stretching Fist!

Punch after punch hit flesh!

The Bone Fish retaliated with collisions and biting.

Both parties pecked at each other, exchanging blow for blow.

After a long battle, Zhou Yi wiped sweat from his forehead and took a deep breath.

Behind him, the Bone Fish slowly fell, shattering into a pile of white bones, while its head took the chance to escape.

It was a good thing I was more skilled.

Next one!

I'm taking on two!

Zhou Yi started his frenzied fish-killing mode.

...

Four days later.

Zhou Yi looked at his panel.

...

[Combat★★★]

Damage: 18-33

Cooldown: 3.45

Range: 7

"Stretching": Consume 30 energy points, temporarily expands or contracts parts of the body.

"Alert": Due to very high control over the body structure, able to sensitively detect surrounding energy trajectories.

[Body]

Life Value: 10000

Defense: 425

Energy: 2802

...

After leveling up to the maximum, the combat species underwent a qualitative change in strength, reaching the levels of the Black Samurai.

However, the attack speed had actually decreased, something Zhou Yi had not anticipated.

Red Kestrel explained to him, "Normally, the higher the damage of an attack, the more energy and body structure needed per deployment. Hence, the required cooldown time is longer."

That made sense.

Zhou Yi's biggest surprise was that, after reaching full level, the combat species even evolved a new trait[Alert].

This was also a further evolution of the [Stretching].

He looked around.

The sea floor was still shrouded in mist.

Occasionally, faint flashes of light appeared, as if he was amidst thunderclouds.

However, after mastering "Alert", the light mist barrier had gained some visual elements.

Zhou Yi could see the scattered white light continuously refracting, overlapping, and converging in the Dead Sea, forming a strange light structure, like a massive kaleidoscope unfolding before his eyes.

Within the kaleidoscope's view, there were some highly condensed light bodies that were hard to scatter.

These represented the Guangna Species.

The white light bodies were low-intensity creatures like Bone Fish and samurai crabs.

The green light bodies were relatively advanced monsters.

Zhou Yi looked towards the upper region of the Dead Sea and saw numerous green light spheres slowly moving within the light fog of the Dead Sea.

Under the kaleidoscope view, these advanced monsters and the Death Light constantly interacted with each other, some of the Death Light be absorbed by them, but some would also be released, reminiscent of energy exchange and breathing.

Life was a highly condensed, clearly colored light sphere, and after death, these lights would gradually disperse and return to nature, integrating into the Death Light.

This was the visual effect of "Alert."

By now, Zhou Yi had gained a basic short-range scouting ability and no longer needed Red Kestrel to constantly provide vision by his side.

He said to the drone, "You go back to Recursive City first, for upgrades and updates. Also, bring me a few Guangna Boxes."

"Here are 166 Light Seeds, take these first."

He handed the Guangna Boxes in his pocket to the drone.

The mechanical claw of Red Kestrel grabbed the canned-shaped Light Seed wallet and pulled it inside.

It said, "Under normal circumstances, booking for a physical measurement and inspection, completing the update and upgrade, and passing the safety test takes about 7 to 10 days. I will return as soon as possible, please be careful."

The drone flew towards the sky.

…

Thus, the deep-sea fish hunt came to an end.

On the way home, the samurai crabs stumbled upon a strange place.

There was a large circular hole beneath a broken elevated bridge, sitting right on a bridge pier.

Despite such a large gap, the pier had no cracks or signs of collapse.

Throwing objects into the hole, they would first sink in and then slowly bounce out, as if it were merely a painted mural that caused no physical effects to its surroundings unless acted upon by external forces.

However, Zhou Yi's "Alert" detected something unusual.

A large amount of Death Light was drawn in, forming bands of halos.

The edge of the strange hole had a layer of light, which under "Alert" showed an unprecedented red.

Zhou Yi contemplated.

This thing's danger level should be above that of a C-tier monster.

He would check it out once he became stronger.

For now, his work mainly involved farming, fishing, and maintaining Jade City.

Zhou Yi instructed the samurai crabs to move some rubble to cover the area around the hole and marked it.

Then he left.

It was midday the next day when he reached the shore.

Standing on the highly visible land, Zhou Yi felt a crisp refreshment.

Under the "Alert" ability, he could clearly see that Death Light also existed here, but its density and intensity were much weaker. It was evenly distributed in the air, shining on everything.

At night, the Death Light on land would become extremely thin, almost invisible.

Zhou Yi wasn't surprised by this.

The Guangna Species always roamed during the daytime, not because they liked sunbathing, but to absorb the Death Light in the air.

That night, Gong Zheng came to report something.

"Chairman, while you were away, following your orders, I studied the books you brought back earlier and found the manipulation and repair methods. Based on those two strange instruments, I made some small attempts."

"I have now restarted them."

He smiled and said, "This device called 'Light Blocker' can block and insulate the energy of the Guangna Species, and it's very valuable. It's essentially a large animal trap for capturing Guangna Species, capable of catching those monsters alive if used properly."

Zhou Yi was pleased.

The spoils he had obtained from Ji Zhang's two Alchemists had finally been deciphered.

However.

What exactly should this animal trap be used to catch?

Try catching a Bone Fish?

That said, he wasn't sure if Bone Fish could survive on land.