Wasteland Border Inspector

The skin had already turned blood red, with faint blood vessels spreading under the skin, tearing through countless blood vessels and muscles during the transformation.

"I didn’t realize that switching between giant form and miniature form would cause such significant bodily damage..."

Cheng Ye frowned; the tearing sensation on his skin continued, but he did not feel much pain.

It seemed that it wasn’t just the adrenaline at work, but also the endurance and life force bonuses brought by his physique.

Staring at his blood-red arm, Cheng Ye calculated internally, surprised by the hidden costs of transforming between giant and miniature forms.

To avoid damage, one must deliberately control the frequency of transformations and the output of power.

When pushed to extreme use, it results in a state like this, leaving the person half incapacitated.

"I wonder if the trait of Living Water Essence has been fully accumulated?"

If this trait reaches its full value, it can be exchanged for essence, which can quickly heal the tears on his body and replenish the energy just consumed, far more efficiently than drinking Nutrient Paste.

Recalling the odd tingling sensation after shattering the eyeball, Cheng Ye summoned the panel through his thoughts.

As the light blue screen unfolded, a plethora of notifications filled his view instantly.

There were hundreds, all indicating an increase in "trait accumulation value."

With a quick scan, he noted that the trait value for Cotton Room and Passage Silk Pattern had again risen to 200%, reaching the cap, unable to accumulate further.

To his delight, the Commanding Silk Pattern surged to 70%, just 30% shy of exchanging for intel.

The Fusion Silk Pattern was also at 40%, just a step away from full value.

Even the previously slow-progressing Nature Silk Pattern, Earth Element, and Water Element Cotton Pattern had broken the 30% threshold.

"Even the Eye of Regulation and the Rectangular Eye maxed out?"

Cheng Ye’s eyes lit up instantly.

He had speculated about these traits’ rapid increase upon shattering the Demon Eye Sponge’s eyeball, and it turned out his guess was spot on!

Moreover, the progress on Living Water Essence surprisingly crossed the 100% mark, reaching 104%.

Although the trait value provided by ordinary Crab-men was minimal, he had taken down nearly a thousand in one offensive, coupled with a few giant crabs and several Fusion Bodies with fragmented skulls, which all added up significantly.

"If not enough Infected Bodies are available to farm this trait, it’s nearly impossible, unless you can directly eliminate the infection without containment,"

Cheng Ye thought, feeling a bit of a headache, "It’s a pity that the charging speed is only 60kw, and I’ll need to exchange for two keys to enter the Cotton Room. If I convert to Living Water Essence now, the remaining charging value won’t suffice for exchanging that intel on the silk patterns..."

He shook his head, feeling a bit regretful, but knowing he had already done his best to reach this point.

However, as his gaze shifted to the icon of the collection manual, Cheng Ye’s previously tense body suddenly stiffened, and he sat up in surprise.

"How is this possible?" Staring at the charging value, Cheng Ye was utterly stunned.

Before entering the water, it was only at 32%, and in less than half an hour, it couldn’t have charged more than 7%.

But...

100%?

Quickly, he used his mind to tap on the charging value icon, and a list of charging records popped up:

[Detected dispersed energy, recovering through host...]

[Current energy grade: Lv5 (Low-level source energy)]

[Recovery complete, charging value increased by 3.5%]

[Detected dispersed energy...]

[Reco...]

[Recovery complete, charging value increased by 1.7%]

[Detec...]

...

Low-level source energy?

What is this?

Apparently, it’s two levels higher than electrical energy, reaching Lv5?

Watching the numbers in the records continually jump, Cheng Ye’s initial shock slowly turned into ecstasy.

He even felt that his body wasn’t in pain at all, leaving only a surge of excitement and exhilaration from the depths of his heart.

The eyeball at the tip of his tentacle can actually increase the charging value?

Could it be the runes behind the eyeball, that the energy disperses and gets absorbed by the Collector after the runes shatter?

Just when it seemed like a dead end, new hope suddenly appeared!

It came without any effort!

The eyeball of the Demon Eye Sponge can provide charging value, and charging value can be exchanged for trait use.

Given Living Water Essence can heal injuries, wouldn’t it mean that...

The collection manual page popped up, shifting to the Ghost Water Cave Crab section, Cheng Ye eyed Living Water Essence and silently chanted to exchange it.

The usual item exchange requires only 25% of the charging value, but this time, after thoughtful consideration, he directly maxed out the charging value!

All in with 100% charging value to enhance the Living Water Essence’s quality.

[Trait exchange successful!]

[Due to the impact of additional charging value, the quality of Living Water Essence has improved]

[Collector is currently out of the Collector’s usable range, will receive corresponding items upon entering range]

...

"Out of range?"

Cheng Ye slapped his forehead, hurriedly got up, and staggered toward the direction of the truck.

After just a couple of steps, he saw Luokuke running back, holding a box of Nutrient Paste, assuming he couldn’t wait to replenish his energy.

"It’s fine, just help me over there." Cheng Ye waved his hand.

"Alright!" Luokuke immediately set down the box, cautiously supporting his arm, helping him to sit in the truck, and then unpacked the box of Nutrient Paste and placed it in front of him, "I’ll get more if needed."

Indeed, Luokuke, this third-level Prosecutor’s dedication, was commendable.

In his gaze, Cheng Ye could see a hint of complete dependence, as if he had become his only support.

If he were to die now, or if something happened, Luokuke might completely break down.

"You should rest for a while. The commotion from the fight probably scared the camp residents. I’ll go and reassure them."