OBS Chapter 246: Mother Source Cost, Wilderness Walking Rights!
Chapter 246: Mother Source Cost, Wilderness Walking Rights!
Pant—Pant—
In the massive underground space, Cheng Ye stumbled to a halt, leaning heavily on his knees with both hands as he gasped for air.
Bead-sized drops of sweat poured from his pores, rolling down his skin. Before the rushing medical staff could even approach, a puddle had already formed at his feet.
He gritted his teeth and forced himself to stay standing, refusing to fall to his knees. His invisible willpower burned brightly in this moment.
A full marathon was only 42.195 kilometers.
But the distance he had to run in a single day, calculated at a speed of six meters per second, was a terrifying 384 kilometers—the equivalent of running nine marathons every single day.
And from five in the morning until ten at night, he only had one hour of rest during those seventeen hours.
Even with his Zeye Physique and a massive medical team, this state could no longer be described as just "exhausted." It felt more like the majority of his soul had been ripped from his body.
By the third day of running, Cheng Ye had already lost all sensation in his body.
The bone-deep, excruciating pain could no longer shake his mind. Even if he unequipped his Iron Physique, he could endure it through sheer grit.
But at the same time, he also lost the tight connection with his physical body, as if he had severed his ties with the material plane.
It was a terrible feeling. At the end of each day, his control over his body plummeted drastically.
"Inspector Cheng, water!" A medical worker sprinted over, holding not an ordinary water bottle, but a heavy stainless steel jug.
Yet even so, when Cheng Ye took it, his fingers gripped the jug so tightly that a creaking sound echoed.
By the time he downed the water in one gulp, several clear finger indentations had been left on the solid steel.
"This..." Despite being mentally prepared, the medical worker was still dumbfounded.
The power Inspector Cheng unleashed when using an Infection Source still had no reasonable explanation within their department. And now, the enhancement of his physical attributes in his normal state had become an entirely new research topic.
Could someone really forge such terrifying physical fitness just by paying the cost of an Infection Source?
"Inspector Cheng, Nutrient Paste!" Another staff member handed over two red pouches of Nutrient Paste, having thoughtfully torn open the seals.
Cheng Ye took them, tilted his head back, and poured them straight down his throat. Only when the nourishment of the fresh water and nutrients permeated his body did his head loll to the side, and he collapsed heavily onto the floor with a loud thud.
"Ah! Inspector Cheng collapsed!" The medical worker who had handed him the water screamed at the top of their lungs, scared out of their wits.
If he had even a single ounce of strength left, Cheng Ye would have definitely propped his head up to retort:
"I collapsed, I didn't die!"
But at this very moment, he had truly lost all his strength. He did not even have the energy to open his mouth.
He could only let the medical staff lift him onto a mobile stretcher, groggily allowing them to rush him into the cryotherapy room.
After the low-temperature cryotherapy ended, a dozen pairs of warm hands repeatedly massaged his body, soothing his stiff and fatigued muscles.
During this process, various medications were continuously popped into his mouth—some for nutritional supplementation, others for inflammation and pain relief.
What was even more exaggerated was that a large nebulizer machine was rolled over and placed directly over his head.
Hum—
A specially formulated Aberrant Crystal liquid medicine was atomized into a fine mist, seeping into his body with every breath he took.
'This must be really expensive, right?'
Even though no one had shown him a detailed bill, just ignoring the cost of the medicines and looking at the wages of three hundred people at thirty Happiness Coins per person per day...
Over five days, at least forty-five thousand Happiness Coins in labor costs had been spent on him alone.
After receiving his IV drips and finishing his massage, Cheng Ye was sent back to Room 1001 on the tenth floor. A group of medical staff carefully lifted him onto the bed, lit some soothing, fatigue-relieving incense, and quietly left.
Once everyone had departed, he struggled to sit up, grabbed his Pendant, and extracted a portion of Living Water Essence. He downed it in one gulp before falling into a deep slumber.
The moon set, and the sun rose.
When the alarm clock above his head rang again, Cheng Ye jolted awake and shot up, slamming into the headboard with a loud bang.
He directly smashed a large hole into the padded headboard, but he could not care less about that right now.
Because outside the window, the sky was already bright.
'Did I oversleep?'
Startled, Cheng Ye instinctively looked toward the task sheet on the bedside table.
This was the daily schedule Cui Qiao had designed based on his condition, meticulously detailing the distance he needed to run that day, along with his rest periods and ending time.
For the first two days, he had to run continuously for three hours just to earn a five-minute break. By yesterday, he had to rest for five minutes after every single hour of running just to catch his breath.
But when his gaze swept over the number at the very top of the task sheet, Cheng Ye blanked for a second before letting out a long sigh of relief.
114.
Of the grueling 2,000 kilometers, he only had the final 114 kilometers left to complete today.
This distance was enough to run from Happiness City to Great Wave Town and back, but at this moment, it meant this nightmare would finally end in just half a day.
No, wait. He also had to add the fifty-kilometer high-intensity exercise cost he owed from using the Transcendent Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse earlier.
164 kilometers. That was his task for today, which would take him less than seven hours to finish.
Thoughtfully, the medical team had adjusted his starting time from five in the morning to eight, allowing him an extra three hours of sleep to recover his Stamina.
However...
"I'm resurrected again. Good thing I have the Living Water Essence sustaining me. If I only relied on Revival Medical's drugs, I probably would have become a corpse a long time ago!"
Cheng Ye walked into the bathroom and turned on the hot water faucet. He let the scalding water cascade down from above, washing over his aching body, feeling the deep-seated fatigue gradually dissipate in the warmth.
Over these past five days, the four portions of Living Water Essence he had previously exchanged and stored in his inventory had been completely used up.
Although he really wanted to save on such non-essential expenses, the sensation of being on the brink of death on the second day was simply too terrifying.
Cheng Ye even had a premonition that if he did not replenish himself in time, he might have dropped dead right on the track when he started running on the third day.
Every dose of Living Water Essence swallowed felt like it was forcefully dragging him back from the line between life and death.
More importantly, the modification effects the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse had on his body were completely stimulated by the Living Water Essence.
The missing origins within his body were being rapidly filled in, transforming into an exceptionally robust foundation.
This point could be clearly seen from his drastically diminished body control; his body's adaptation speed was entirely unable to keep up with the rhythm of his growth.
Opening his interface, Cheng Ye navigated straight to his personal page to check the changes.
[Collector: Cheng Ye]
[Current Rank: Lv.3 Veteran (26.1/100)]
[Skills: Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse (Bound), Heart-Protecting Fire, Zeye Physique, Envoy of Tan Ming]
[Abilities: Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse Symbiotic State (Balanced), Blazing Eagle Symbiotic State (Shaping)]
[...]
[Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse (Lv.0; Parasitic Transcendent Talent)]
[Description: ]
[Growth Value: Lv.0 (8.35%)]
[Growth Method: ]
[Current Efficiency: ]
[Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse Symbiotic State (Balanced)]
[Description: Upon activating this ability, you will achieve life symbiosis with the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse, gaining Skill Sharing, attribute sharing, and Ability Sharing. Because the gap in life tiers between the Collector and the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse is too vast, a cost will be forcibly incurred after every symbiotic session.]
[Current State: Balanced State]
[Currently Shareable Skills:]
Size-as-Desired (Lv.0, Transcendent. Freely manipulate body size and gain physical attributes equivalent to twice the corresponding size. Current maximum enlargement: 4 meters. Current minimum reduction: 1 meter.)
Earth-Shrinking (Lv.0, Transcendent. Grants the ability to freely blink within a certain range. Can instantly teleport up to fifty meters at will. Current available teleportations: 6 times.)
[Currently Shareable Attributes:]
HP +1250% (Based on the symbiote's current state)
Strength +520%
Speed +575%
Defense +1050%
Note: Because the gap in life tiers between the Collector and the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse is too vast, sharing attributes will increase the required cost.
[Currently Shareable Abilities: Locked (Raise life tier to unlock abilities)]
[Blazing Eagle Symbiotic State (Shaping)]
[Description: Upon activating this ability...]
[Current State: Shaping]
[Currently Shareable Skills: None at the moment (Currently in Shaping phase. Corresponding skills will be acquired once Shaping is complete.)]
[Currently Shareable Attributes: None at the moment (Because the Collector's current attributes are vastly greater than the Blazing Eagle hatchling's, it cannot provide any effective attribute sharing.)]
[Currently Shareable Abilities: ]
The Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse's Growth Value had skyrocketed by a full eight percent!
Just looking at the corresponding drop in the attribute bonus values below, one could intuitively feel the fruits of his grueling training over this period.
His base physical attributes had tripled at the very least, and it was a comprehensive enhancement across vitality, strength, speed, and defense—so much so that the attribute bonuses provided by Little Flame had returned to zero once again.
"If I had an endless supply of Living Water Essence, this terrifying rate of improvement might just be permanent."
Cheng Ye squeezed out some body wash and scrubbed himself haphazardly, his mind racing with calculations.
'Does Happiness City hide Old Era treasures like Living Water Essence?'
It was hard to say. In any case, Revival Medical's technological means seemed to have been pushed to their absolute limits. They had no other ways to help him replenish his foundation, at most only being able to maintain his vital signs.
It sounded a bit absurd, but thinking about it carefully, this speculation was not without basis.
Over the past few days, the Elders had constantly sent people to deliver various books and documents. Even though he was dead tired every day and had absolutely no energy to flip through them, he could still sense how targeted they were.
There were even three special pieces of equipment. The Elders seemingly already figured out exactly what he wanted to know.
Taking advantage of his brief window of mental clarity after waking up each morning, Cheng Ye would race against time to read a few pages while eating. Gradually, he had figured out the various restrictions and rules of the current era.
"Transcendent beings cannot freely leave the city. Once they step outside a shelter city, they easily attract gatherings of Infection Sources and might even draw out a Transcendent Mother Source. Therefore, most Transcendents nowadays hunker down inside the city. Only those who can hide their Aura are able to venture out, and after making a move, they must return to the shelter city as quickly as possible to conceal their tracks."
"Since Transcendents can't go out to search for Old Era treasures, it makes sense that such resources are depleting. There might have been quite a stockpile in the past, but it's highly likely it's been exhausted by now. After all, it's all going out and nothing's coming in. No matter how deep their pockets were, they couldn't withstand such consumption."
Thinking of it this way, the Collector's potential was truly powerful beyond measure.
As long as there were enough Traits and energy, he could endlessly extract this type of treasure.
Of the Abyssal Water Cave Crab family, only the small crab had been Contained, so it could not provide any more Traits. But the wasteland was vast and boundless; similar Infection Sources were countless.
Transcendent Objects were naturally rare and not something he could get his hands on at his current stage. But items that merely reached the "treasure" tier could be generated just by extracting Traits from ordinary Infection Sources.
After finishing his shower, knowing that he would be able to run the final stretch of miles today, Cheng Ye felt exceptionally pleasant.
However, the moment he plopped down onto the sofa, a crisp crack echoed from beneath him. His expression changed, and he hastily moved aside.
In the next second, the wooden chair he had just sat on collapsed with a crash, splintering into a pile of broken wood.
"Good thing this is the hospital ward. If I had crushed that palm mattress I worked so hard to find, it would've been a huge loss!"
Cheng Ye sighed inwardly. He casually picked up the three devices in front of him and aimed the one on the left at himself.
This was the Energy Reaction Meter. It retained Happiness City's standard "big brick" aesthetic—bulky, black, and thick, full of character.
A yellow label was stuck to the top-left corner, bearing the word "Energy."
This device was issued to Inspectors heading into the Wilderness to test enemy strength from a distance. It was somewhat similar to the energy detector in the standard four-piece kit, but this was a portable version. Its maximum testing range was up to a hundred meters, and correspondingly, the further the distance, the lower the precision.
[Current Energy Rating: 96]
"Not bad. It was 87 yesterday, and today it jumped another 9 points. That's impressive progress!"
Cheng Ye was overjoyed.
This energy rating was not derived from detecting the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse and Little Flame inside his body, but purely an evaluation of his combat power in his normal state—meaning the boost from his Zeye Physique combined with his newly forged foundation.
Before he entered the Inner City, this value had been 67. Now, it had increased by 29 points.
It seemed like a mere 40% increase, but his actual combat power had tripled. This was proof enough that the higher the energy rating climbed, the more difficult and demanding it became to raise it.
Setting down the Energy Reaction Meter, Cheng Ye picked up the second device.
This was the Aura Exposure Detector, specially issued to Transcendents going out into the field to monitor the intensity of their own Aura.
The Elders had thoughtfully prepared this device, obviously having already discovered Little Flame on him.
However, Cheng Ye picked up the detector and pressed it against his body.
After the numbers on the screen flashed for a moment, the final result caused him to frown...
[Current Aura Intensity: 0]
"Still nothing?"
He had been equipped with the Heart-Protecting Fire for three days, yet the instrument still showed an Aura intensity of zero.
Cheng Ye tried establishing a connection with Little Flame. A fiery red mark instantly flashed across his brow, and the numbers on the detector began to jump, finally settling on "13".
According to the device's labeled standards, 10 was the safety threshold. Anything below this value would not attract the attention of Infection Sources.
Once it surpassed 10, every 1-point increase would double its attractiveness to Infection Sources and Infected Bodies.
Even though 13 only exceeded the safety line by 3 points, it still concealed a lethal threat. If he stayed in one spot for more than two days, it would absolutely attract any Transcendent Mother Sources that might exist in the vicinity.
In the past, people had tried using this method to "fish" for Containment targets, but no one could predict what abilities the attracted Transcendent Mother Sources would have, nor whether there would be just one or several.
Besides, with his current Strength, being targeted by a true Transcendent Mother Source would undoubtedly mean certain death.
However, as Cheng Ye canceled the Symbiotic State, something surprising happened again.
In just a short half-minute, the exposure index dropped back to 0.
The special Aura fluctuations bleeding from his body were partially retracted into the golden light on Little Flame's forehead, while the rest were suppressed by the two Runes on the back of his hand, entirely preventing even a fraction from leaking out.
"Just what kind of method did Tan Ming use? He enlightened Little Flame and left behind two Runes, which can actually allow me, a Transcendent, to move freely in the Wilderness without being noticed?"
Cheng Ye could not help but click his tongue. Such methods were simply unbelievable, yet they were genuinely happening to his very own body.
Currently, he was unsure if this suppressive effect was limited to Shi Province, or if it would still work outside the province.
However, judging by the Elders' reassured attitude in sending him to Guang Province, this Aura concealment ability would highly likely remain effective there as well.
Of course, there was another possibility.
Little Flame was too weak!
The time spent on just one field mission was far from enough for Little Flame to grow strong enough to break through the mark's Aura blockade.
Setting down the Aura Exposure Detector, Cheng Ye did not bother testing the third device.
That was because this device was the "Infection Source Intensity Detector", which was also meant to be used in the Wilderness.
When encountering an unknown Infection Source, one could use it to test its intensity, thereby judging whether the conditions for Containment were met.
By all rights, this device should have been issued to every Inspector early on, but like the Obsidian Battle Armor, it was an imported good, and its manufacturing cost was staggeringly high.
Just the unit in his hands was worth a full fifty thousand Contribution Points. Only Fourth-Stage Inspectors would be equipped with them.
Giving him one now meant that, in the eyes of the Elders, they were already treating him as a true High-Tier Inspector.
Opening the room door, two medical staff members were predictably standing outside, pushing a small dining cart.
"Inspector Cheng, the meal you reserved yesterday is ready. Would you like to eat now?"
"Thanks for the trouble."
Cheng Ye stepped sideways to make room, and the medical staff swiftly laid out eight small side dishes, two bundles of deep-fried dough sticks, and a large bucket of soy milk.
These dishes were extremely luxurious in the Buffer Zone. Although they would gradually become commonplace in the future as arable land expanded, right now, they were an absolutely rare treat, utterly extravagant.
Cheng Ye began devouring greedily. These five days of high-intensity binge eating had actually fully nurtured back his previously lost sense of taste.
After downing two bundles of deep-fried dough sticks weighing a solid 1.5 kilograms, he simply picked up the half-person-tall soy milk bucket and chugged. The icy, refreshing taste slid down his throat, filling his entire body with a sense of utter comfort.
'So refreshing!'
Right now, his body was like a bottomless pit, allowing him to wantonly satisfy his cravings without worrying about the burden.
Gulp, gulp.
After downing more than half the bucket, Cheng Ye set it down, still craving more. He sat and rested for a moment before changing his clothes.
Just the final hundred kilometers—a piece of cake.
He even did a relaxed light jog for a while to warm up, and only when his body was burning up did he break into a wild sprint.
His condition seemed to have never been this good. Even though there were still sharp stings of pain, they felt more like a reward to him.
Cheng Ye breathed indulgently, relishing the sensation.
He even formed an illusion that this was not a punitive Cost at all, but rather the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse transforming into an iron hammer, tirelessly tempering his body, helping him break through and grow stronger.
That's right, this was a reward exclusively for him!
In the entire wasteland, one could probably never find a second person who would treat the cost of an A- rank Infection Source as a reward.
After all, others did not have a colossal backer like Happiness City, let alone the Collector to exchange for Living Water Essence for daily consumption.
From 9:00 AM to 1:45 PM.
Cheng Ye completed his basic goal of 2,000 kilometers without even feeling fatigued.
What surprised him was that the three hundred medical workers serving him had actually set up a celebration stage at the finish line, ready to cheer for him like they were welcoming a marathon champion.
Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, he crossed the finish line. Confetti and streamers instantly rained down from above, and hundreds of people surrounded him in the center.
The windows of the surrounding buildings were thrown open, and dozens upon hundreds of faces popped out.
Cheng Ye turned his head and looked around. He saw Luo Kuke, he saw Garcia, he saw Wang Kang, and many others he had never met before.
Whether old or young, brimming with energy or sporting tired faces, they all coincidentally cast their gazes upon him and began to slowly clap.
Even Garcia, who had lost both arms, seemed to be gently waving his empty sleeves to express his respect.
This was humanity's highest praise for a person of immense perseverance!
Irrespective of Faction, irrespective of ideals, it stemmed purely from a sincere acknowledgment of persistence and tenacity!
Through two thousand kilometers and five and a half days of maddening running, he had won this applause and respect.
'However... popping the champagne at halftime is not a good idea.'
Although the evolved Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse could delay the payback period to fifteen days, the cost ultimately could not be dodged.
After enjoying the celebratory atmosphere, Cheng Ye walked to the side and lowered his voice to Cui Qiao. "I still have fifty kilometers of cost left unpaid..."
"What?" Cui Qiao was instantly stunned. "Didn't you say the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse could only accumulate a maximum cost of 2,000 kilometers?"
"That's the problem. My Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse is somewhat special, and it underwent another transformation midway. It's no longer an ordinary Benign Infection Source, but rather..."
"A Transcendent Mother Source?" Cui Qiao's expression instantly turned grim as she blurted out the speculation the medical team had harbored these past few days.
The data on Cheng Ye's body had completely overturned all past records.
Everyone had tried every method, even utilizing supercomputers for verification, yet they failed to reach a definitive conclusion. They could only guess that either Cheng Ye himself had mutated, or the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse had evolved. Given Cheng Ye's previous statements, the latter was far more likely.
"Close enough. I'm not exactly sure what it is myself. But the remaining cost has changed to fifty kilometers of high-intensity exercise, and I have no idea what that entails..."
"The distance is shortened by half, and the intensity is upgraded from medium to high..." Cui Qiao paused for a moment before swiftly slipping into a professional state. "Inspector Cheng, apologies, we don't have any data on this. We can't even calculate the intensity standards required to meet the cost. We can only..."
Cheng Ye directly interrupted her, "We don't need a complicated plan. Just hook the testing equipment onto my body. I need the most precise figures to determine what level of intensity I must reach when paying off this kind of cost out in the field later."
"Understood." Cui Qiao nodded immediately. "Shall we head to the underground testing grounds?"
"Yeah, let's go."
With so many eyes on him, Cheng Ye didn't want the news of the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse's evolution spreading everywhere.
The group entered the underground training ground. The medical staff quickly fetched various pieces of testing equipment and fitted them onto him one by one.
The equipment was somewhat heavy, but to obtain accurate data, this little burden was nothing.
Once Cui Qiao dismissed the irrelevant personnel, leaving behind only the core medical team, Cheng Ye took a deep breath. "Well then, I'm starting!"
He opened his interface again and tapped the red button for Cost repayment.
The button vanished upon contact. Immediately after, a sound akin to crackling firecrackers violently erupted within his body.
'What?'
'Exploding sounds?'
The instant the sound rang out, an unimaginable agony swept through his limbs and bones.
It felt as if someone was violently ripping every single bone out of his body. That immense, inside-out force instantly flipped him onto the floor, his body curling up like a shrimp.
'Is the Iron Physique not activated?'
Cheng Ye's face flushed deep red as he forced himself to call up his personal interface. However, the "Iron Physique" icon in his Skill Bar was glowing bright, causing his body to shudder violently once more.
'How is this possible?'
'This pain has actually exceeded the pain-expulsion limit of the Iron Physique? Has it already struck the main neural network?'
"Inspector Cheng... Cheng..."
"Are you alright? Can you stand up...?"
"..."
Countless anxious cries echoed in his ears, seeming like auditory hallucinations. Cheng Ye only felt his blood rushing wildly as all the bones in his body emitted crisp snaps of protest.
The gap between a Transcendent and an ordinary human was utterly terrifying.
His current state was no different from relying on the power of an Infection Source to forcefully crash through the Transcendent threshold with his mortal flesh.
This was simply striking a stone with an egg!
Pssh—
A burst of cold air instantly enveloped his entire body as the medical staff frantically scrambled to physically lower his temperature.
Following that, a needle as thick as a forearm pierced the skin of his upper arm. A potent painkiller—one that could only be injected three times in a person's life—was calmly pushed into his body by Cui Qiao.
Four or five seconds later, the faint-inducing agony miraculously diminished by two-thirds. The remaining pain was practically identical to what he had felt on the first day before activating his Iron Physique.
"The pain intensity actually jumped by a full three times?"
Cheng Ye's heart sank. He gritted his teeth and struggled to his feet, only to realize that the capillaries under his skin had ruptured, and blood was slowly seeping out.
The thunderous "bone-snapping" sounds within him never ceased. To outsiders, it looked as if a pair of hands was frantically kneading beneath his skin, raising clear, wave-like bulges.
"The drug will only last for two hours, and its effects will gradually decay. You..."
"I know!"
Cheng Ye nodded heavily. Shouldering the testing equipment, he began to run.
He first brought his speed up to his previous pace of fifteen seconds per hundred meters. Cui Qiao glanced at the data on her screen, immediately shaking her head and shouting, "Not enough! That doesn't even reach half of the required intensity!"
Cheng Ye didn't hesitate. He accelerated again, pushing straight to twelve seconds per hundred meters.
"Keep going! It's a massive increase!"
Ultimately, he stabilized his speed at eleven seconds per hundred meters.
This statistic was already terrifying, reaching the speed of a true sprinter. Moreover, he had to maintain this pace for a full fifty kilometers.
"That's enough! Maintain it!"
Cui Qiao yelled. Cheng Ye immediately discarded the testing equipment strapped to him, keeping only the heart rate monitor and pace watch.
At a speed of nine meters per second, theoretically, he could complete the task in an hour and a half. However, sustaining this high intensity for such a long period was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
Barely ten minutes into the run, he had already entered the familiar phase of burning through his willpower.
But simultaneously, the Living Water Essence stockpiled within his body completely erupted at this moment. Wave after wave of power flooded his entire being, and even the Life Force Rune on his right hand began to faintly shimmer.
Fatigue was forcibly suppressed the moment it reared its head. The instant his body suffered wear and tear, the gaps were immediately filled by the massive Life Force.
Ten kilometers, twenty kilometers... thirty kilometers!
Under the incredulous stares of the medical staff, Cheng Ye continued to persevere, his running speed not shifting in the slightest.
He was like a machine, flawlessly executing the task programmed by his willpower.
Until...
Beep beep beep!
The pace watch sounded the notification that his task was complete. Cheng Ye slowed his steps, a thick cloud of steam radiating from his body, enveloping him like a steamer.
"Inspector Cheng?" Cui Qiao called out tentatively.
"I'm fine!" A steady voice rang out from within the steam. But a second later, a muffled thud echoed.
"Ah, Inspector Cheng collapsed again!!!"
Wails and shrieks came from all directions, but Cheng Ye could no longer hear them clearly.
Actually, during the final five kilometers, his Living Water Essence had already run dry, leaving only the faint effects of the Rune.
But through sheer willpower and unyielding persistence, he had gritted his teeth and pulled through.
'Damn it, I have to find more pain-immunity skills as soon as possible, or I'm going to die at the hands of this Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse sooner or later!'
Leaving behind this final thought, Cheng Ye's mind spun, and he completely blacked out.