OBS Chapter 204: A Clear Path, The Path of a Leader!
Chapter 204: A Clear Path, The Path of a Leader!
The repeated dehydration process was not difficult to execute. He just needed to gather some unburnt vines for fuel and use the boards from the residential units to build a makeshift steam room.The camp was currently surrounded by dry kindling left over from the fire, more than enough to burn for three days. But the problem lay in the procedure itself. After undergoing this entire process of repeated dehydration and rehydration to replace bodily fluids, how much life would a person have left in them?
This was not just a matter of sweating it out in a sauna for half an hour, taking a shower, and then sleeping comfortably.
According to the instructions on the Kindling Terminal, the initial stage required completing "two dehydrations and two replacements." They had to wait until the sweat no longer seeped any gray substances before they could stop.
Roughly calculated, this step alone would take at least two and a half hours. It was going to be difficult!
If only a few dozen people were infected, the worst-case scenario would be letting them rest in the residential units after the steaming process and figuring out the rest once the assessment ended.
But if over a hundred, or even two hundred people tested positive for Parasitism, more than half of their workforce would instantly be out of commission. All subsequent defense and infrastructure work would grind to a halt.
Before leaving the city, Cheng Ye never imagined that such an unexpected variable would pop up during the assessment.
After thinking for a moment, he suddenly found himself absurdly praying that Luo Kuke had more infected people on his side than he did. But on second thought, he felt this idea was a bit despicable. A thousand Residents following the Inspectors to do Pioneering work represented their trust in Happiness City, their support for the Inspectors' jobs, and their hope for a better future.
Everyone's primary goal was to survive. Under these circumstances, every person spared from infection was a blessing. How could he harbor such an unscrupulous thought just to win the assessment?
Moreover, counting the two who were killed by the water ants' sneak attack during the day and the two who just went missing during patrol, they had already lost five people before the first day was even over.
No matter how tough Luo Kuke's methods were, the morale in the Red Zone must have been shaken by now.
Even if he had fewer people on his side, as long as everyone still believed in him and was willing to follow his lead, that morale might just make up for the lack of numbers.
Suppressing his distracting thoughts, Cheng Ye shifted his gaze downward to the specific details regarding the Infected Bodies.
At the top were a few illustrations Luo Kuke had shown him, which were not much different from the mutated state of that middle-aged man.
But the Fusion Entity shown further down made Cheng Ye's heart skip a beat.
The Fusion Entity in the picture was a full three and a half meters tall, dragging four ferocious crab claws behind it. Coupled with its original pair of human hands, it looked exactly like a six-armed demon god.
Even more terrifying was the layer of dark green carapace covering its entire skin, gleaming with a cold, metallic light that clearly indicated an astonishing hardness.
Compared to Zhang Can, who had previously focused on Endurance and recovery, this monster's very appearance exuded the brute-force vibe of a reckless brawler charging head-on.
The text description below confirmed his judgment.
[Corrosive Water Chela (Special Infected Body; Environmental Pollution Type)]
[Stage Two Infected Body Strength: Influenced by the parasitized host, constitution increases by 45%, strength increases by 105%, speed decreases by 57%, defense increases by 350%]
[Stage Three Fusion Entity Strength: Influenced by the parasitized host, constitution increases by 270%, strength increases by 1550%, speed increases by 47%, defense increases by 2850%]
[Infected Body Countermeasures:
1. The Corrosive Water Chela Infected Body's only visible weakness is its eyes. After destroying its eyeballs with weapon attacks, the Infected Body will lose its vision, retaining only basic environmental perception. This can reduce its movement precision and create favorable conditions for a subsequent kill. 2. Stage Two Infected Bodies have no special resistance mechanisms. Their only fatal weakness is the location of the heart in their human form (where the core of the Parasitism is located). Destroying this area with weapons will trigger an "instant kill" effect, directly eliminating the target. 3. Stage Three Fusion Entity Strength: B-
Detailed data for the Stage Three Fusion Entity is currently incomplete. Its actual Combat Power must be evaluated based on the host's original physical fitness, degree of Parasitism, and fusion level. The fatal weakness of the Stage Three Fusion Entity remains the heart, but this area is strictly protected by the carapace generated by the Fusion Entity. Tests show that the carapace thickness over the heart area is no less than 18.5 centimeters, making it impenetrable to conventional weapons. 1. Specialized armor-piercing rounds can be used for precise shots at the heart's carapace to penetrate the armor and destroy the core weakness. 2. Prioritize attacking the soft connective tissue between the Fusion Entity's carapace plates (this area lacks armor protection and has weak defense). Destroying the connective structure will cause the carapace to fall off, exposing the heart core for a fatal strike. After a Stage Three Fusion Entity is killed, the Infection Source (the core within the Fusion Entity's remains) must be contained and processed within thirty seconds. If the time limit is exceeded, the Infection Source will automatically seep into the ground, causing severe damage to the groundwater balance and triggering a secondary environmental pollution risk.]
Compared to the strength of the Starfish Epidemic, the Combat Power of individual Infected Bodies parasitized by the Abyssal Water Cave Crab was an explosive increase.
While ordinary infected individuals had their strength and defense doubled, their speed was drastically reduced, allowing humans to rely on agile footwork to evade them.
But a Fusion Entity obviously exceeded the limits of what ordinary people could handle.
It only had one fatal weak point on its entire body, and it was firmly protected by a tough carapace. It required specialized armor-piercing rounds to punch through.
This single fact meant that even with suppressive fire, the ordinary handguns wielded by the guards would struggle to deal any lethal damage.
Could the Thunderbolt-1 break through its defenses?
It was hard to say. A twentyfold increase in defense was genuinely terrifying, not to mention that the Fusion Entity's speed had not decreased but rather increased by nearly half. It would be incredibly difficult just to aim at that fatal weak point.
What concerned Cheng Ye even more was that the evolutionary path of the Abyssal Water Cave Crab was somewhat similar to the path he had chosen.
It did not have the Starfish Epidemic's special mechanism of recovering through flesh consumption. It relied purely on stacking raw stats, crushing opponents with brute strength and defense.
This was evident from its methods of attack, which were extremely crude. Whether it was the two crab claws of an ordinary infected or the four claws of a Fusion Entity, they only used the most primitive moves: slamming, smashing, grabbing, and ramming.
'If we actually run into one, we must blind its eyes immediately and then use kiting tactics...'
'But with nearly fifteen times the strength, even a glancing blow would probably cause severe injuries.'
Cheng Ye pondered to himself. He picked up the enamel mug beside him and gulped down two large cups of water.
Since the interface had explicitly stated that ingesting a small amount of the toxic water crystal fragments would not lead to Parasitism, and that there was a way to remove the parasite even if infected, he stopped being paranoid and scaring himself.
In comparison, it was the eerie footsteps that had echoed behind him earlier that still made the hair on the back of his neck stand up when he thought about it.
So much so that the kick he landed on that middle-aged parasitized man carried a bit of a "personal vendetta" to vent his frustration.
'With the supernatural state stacked on top of unlocking the strength limit of my Iron Body, exactly how powerful was that kick?'
Cheng Ye could not help but recall how it felt at the time.
Ordinary people could gauge their strength through the force of impact, but after activating his Iron Body, he lost all sense of pain and feedback. He could not accurately measure his current level of power.
Unfortunately, Happiness City did not have any testing equipment, nor did it have a sparring partner who would allow him to go all out without holding back, making it impossible to intuitively test his lethality. Additionally, Cheng Ye tried summoning Little Flame again.
The little guy was still asleep, but the connection that allowed them to fuse symbiotically at any time remained unbroken.
This proved that the two Hover jumps he had performed earlier had not reached Little Flame's current capability limit at all.
'Charging forward on the ground, utilizing the momentum to Hover, and then launching a sweeping kick from the air... The force is at least a third stronger than kicking from the ground, and the attack angle is much trickier. An ordinary person who has never seen this move would have no time to defend. Taking a kick like that would cost them half their life.'
Thinking of this, Cheng Ye put away his Kindling Terminal and raised a hand to take off his helmet. Having worn the thing all day, transitioning from the initial stuffy discomfort to eventually getting used to it, the sudden ability to breathe freely now made his lungs feel wonderfully clear and refreshed.
The scents in the air also became much clearer. No wonder those Infection Sources targeted human Pioneering groups. The scent of dry grass from burning the vines that afternoon had not yet dissipated, but far stronger was the overwhelming "living human scent."
The mingled body odor of hundreds of people drove away the lingering sense of decay from Dabo Town's abandoned buildings, exuding a vibrant, lively aura.
He gazed at the nearby camp, his eyes momentarily spacing out.
Even at this hour, after a full day of exhausting work, the Residents were still tirelessly hammering away.
Around the parking lot, layers of steel plates were nailed to wooden stakes, and tangles of barbed wire were wrapped around the exterior. Even the gaps were plugged with crushed gravel.
None of this had been in his original plan; Sun Dazheng had led everyone to do it on their own initiative.
These people from the Small Gathering Places in the Wilderness might lack a grand strategic vision or an understanding of complex tactical planning, but when it came to "how to survive," they possessed the purest form of wisdom.
He did not need to urge them or teach them anything; they inherently knew to fortify their defenses and hide their supplies. This survival instinct and self-motivation carved into their bones provided far more reassurance than any meticulous plan.
Without him noticing, Wang Kang walked over, having also removed his helmet, holding a matching enamel mug in his hands.
Seeing Cheng Ye sitting on the ground looking somewhat "deflated," Wang Kang clearly paused, his footsteps halting in place.
"Sit down. Why are you just standing there in a daze?"
Cheng Ye turned his head and patted a clean spot beside him.
While he had been leading people to clear the surrounding Wilderness, Wang Kang had not been slacking either, which was evident from his current state.
His combat armor was covered in marks left by ash and stone, and his visor was coated in layers of dust.
His face looked a bit sallow, and his lips were pale, clear signs that he had joined the Residents in their construction efforts.
Sitting down where Cheng Ye had patted, Wang Kang took a sip of water and asked in a hoarse voice, "Brother Cheng, I just heard a burst of gunfire. Did... did something terrible happen again?"
Although he deliberately lowered his voice, it only made the tremor at the end of his sentence all the more obvious.
"Do not overthink it. It is nothing major, and we have a way to resolve it."
Cheng Ye shook his head. Even if they detected someone infected tonight, they would have to wait until early tomorrow morning to deal with it.
Moreover, this was precisely the time when they needed manpower to prevent a night raid. There was no need to cause panic by announcing it now.
In addition, he glanced at the enamel mug in Wang Kang's hand and swallowed the words that had reached the tip of his tongue.
It was entirely possible that Wang Kang had already been infected by the Abyssal Water Cave Crab. However, since the Parasitism could be removed, there was no rush to tell him right now. If he tested positive tomorrow, they would just arrange for him to be the first one to undergo the dehydration treatment.
But this hesitant, almost speaking but stopping expression only made Wang Kang even more uneasy when he saw it.
After hesitating for a few seconds, he could not help but ask, "Brother Cheng, are you scared?"
"Me? Scared?"
Cheng Ye instinctively retorted, feeling a bit amused.
Yet, the moment the words left his mouth, he froze. He fell into a sudden silence, not knowing what else to say.
Fear was a complex emotion. He knew Wang Kang was not referring to the danger or those monsters.
Instead, it was the wavering of his previously set Pioneering plans amidst constant, sudden changes. It was the confusion over how to proceed with the path ahead.
A moment later.
Cheng Ye slowly nodded and spoke in a candid tone, "I am indeed not as bold as you think. That uncontrollable fear might just be because my body hasn't fully adapted to the rhythm of the Wilderness yet."
After saying this, he suddenly paused, actually feeling a bit more relaxed all over.
Right, feeling afraid or terrified was nothing to be ashamed of.
Out in the perilous Wilderness, Pioneering in an abandoned town, who could genuinely claim not to panic at all?
Furthermore, his fear did not stem from the Infected Bodies, the Infection Sources, or any tangible, physical enemies.
Rather, it stemmed from memories, from his ingrained preconceptions!
Part of it came from his modern Earth background; in this pitch-black, eerie environment, it was hard not to associate it with ghosts and monsters.
The other part came from the impressions of the Wilderness formed by manuals, books, and word-of-mouth tales.
Men scaring themselves was the deadliest fright.
For too many people, the mere mention of the Wilderness conjured up images of rampant dangers and rampant Infection Sources. Hearing about it constantly naturally bred a sense of dread.
Just like the sound of those footsteps following him earlier. If a powerful Fusion Entity had actually lunged out, he would have readily drawn his blade to fight it.
But the unseen entity never appeared from beginning to end. The threat constantly loomed around him, and the more he kept it bottled up, the more frightening it became.
Now that he voiced it out loud, his heart felt immensely lighter, as if he had shed a heavy layer of armor.
"Yeah, fear, terror, even breaking down—it is perfectly normal to experience these negative emotions the moment you leave the safe zone."
Wang Kang took a sip of cold water and continued, "Hall Master Miao told me before that the rookies in the Blood Dragon Legion cannot be deployed directly outside the city. They have to do it gradually. Today, they spend three hours outside, tomorrow it's extended to five hours. Only by slowly adapting to the atmosphere of the Wilderness can they handle the pressure."
"If they were forced to camp outside the city right from the start, even the elite recruits would wet their pants in fear and might even suffer psychological trauma. And not everyone can adapt. Many legion soldiers who have fought brutal battles for two or three years, blocked Infection Tides, and killed hundreds of Infected Bodies, still lack the courage to patrol alone at night."
He had to admit, Miao Yang was indeed a competent teacher.
Perhaps because Cheng Ye always acted so experienced, Miao Yang never brought these things up with him, treating him entirely like a seasoned Inspector.
But when dealing with the pure-hearted Wang Kang, he took even these minor details into account, carefully advising him on matters that Cheng Ye himself should have addressed.
Wang Kang swallowed and added, "Honestly, I'm scared too. But as long as I'm standing in a crowd with others around me, I don't panic. The Inspector's manual also says that the strength of the collective is meant to help us shoulder these emotions."
"Brother Cheng, if you are scared, let's switch. I'll take the night watch tonight, and you can get some good rest."
"What?"
Seeing the undisguised sincerity on Wang Kang's face, Cheng Ye was utterly stunned, waves of emotion instantly rising in his chest.
Putting himself in Wang Kang's shoes, if he possessed the meager strength of someone who hadn't even forged a Martial Body, he would never dare to say something like this.
This wasn't merely a matter of being scared or not; it was about bearing the immense responsibility of "a single mistake during the night watch could put hundreds of lives in danger."
But he could clearly sense that Wang Kang wasn't just being foolishly brave. There was a firm conviction pushing him forward, a burning resolve that prompted him to speak those words.
Cheng Ye paused. As their eyes met, a fiery emotion surged through their shared gaze.
It was an emotion called "courage."
'Courage...'
Cheng Ye stayed silent. He was beginning to understand why he felt fear and terror.
Personality-wise, he was a typical "strategist." He liked to meticulously plan everything before taking action, harboring a deep hatred for out-of-control surprises.
In his approach to work, he constantly sought to evade all risks within his plans, ensuring everything followed a strict order. But in this wasteland Wilderness, overrun by erratic Infection Sources, how could anything ever be "absolutely controllable"?
He instinctively avoided the unexpected and recoiled from losing control, which naturally left him lacking the courage to face adversity head-on.
"Xiao Kang, what do you think I am afraid of?" Cheng Ye furrowed his brows, picking up his enamel mug to take a sip of cold water and suppress his surging thoughts.
"Brother Cheng, I am not sure, but I can feel it... Sometimes, you might just be thinking too much."
Wang Kang maintained his serious expression. "Your strength is so much greater than ours. If even you are scared and afraid to face this, what hope do the rest of us have to survive?"
He paused, his voice softening slightly. "My dad used to tell me that Inspector Cheng Long's greatest asset wasn't his strength, but his charisma. No matter how dangerous the situation was, he always stood in front to shield everyone else. That's why people were so willing to follow him through thick and thin. Brother Cheng, you are actually just like him right now. You shoulder all the risks yourself, protecting us behind your back. But the difference is, you are protecting us alone. You haven't considered us as a force that can shoulder the burden together with you."
"But in reality, this world is independent, and everyone in it is independent. If you want us to survive, what you should do isn't take care of all of us, but point out a path to survival and lead us down it together. If you are just blindly dragging us along, you will be scared, and we will be scared too, because the moment you let go or leave, we are dead. But conversely, when things get really tough, even if you fall, we can step up and protect you."
"Wait..."
Cheng Ye waved his hand, digging a notebook out of the Backpack beside him, and could not help but laugh. "Inspector Wang, your words are a bit too profound. I haven't fully digested them yet. I need to write them down and think about them slowly."
Pfft.
Wang Kang's tense expression immediately broke, and he could not help but chuckle.
Yet, as his gaze shifted, he saw that Cheng Ye hadn't written down what he said in the notebook. There was only one word:
Path?
What was a "path"?
Just as Wang Kang was about to ask, he saw Cheng Ye add another line right beneath it:
A path open to everyone!
Before he could fully grasp the meaning of those words, a sudden commotion erupted in the streets outside. It sounded like the Residents from the Red Zone had gathered together, their shouts and cries drifting over on the wind.
The people still building the defense line immediately stopped their work. One by one, they grabbed the wrenches and iron pipes near them, nervously huddling together.
Seeing this, the two men exchanged a glance and stood up simultaneously.
Fastening his helmet, Cheng Ye pressed his hand down in a calming gesture, signaling everyone not to panic. Following the alleyway from the Supermarket out to the main street, they saw that the boundary zone was indeed brightly lit, surrounded by dozens of torches.
The Red Zone Residents were crowded around, and right in the center of the circle lay three corpses.
"This is the Red Zone's business; it has nothing to do with us. Those who want to see, follow me, but don't crowd. Those on duty, keep your watch. Do not leave your posts."
After a brief thought, Cheng Ye shouted back to his people.
The initially tense Residents immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Aside from the necessary Patrol Team members, quite a few curious children tagged along to see what was happening.
Birth, aging, sickness, and death were naturally part of the cycle of life.
And in the wasteland, death was hardly a terrifying occurrence. Even in the safest Super Sanctuary Cities, large-scale casualties were a common sight.
As the large group marched out, Luo Kuke and Garcia at the boundary zone didn't look surprised.
Tonight, everyone had to survive in the same place.
These threats weren't solely for the Red Zone to face; the Blue Zone Residents wouldn't be able to escape them either.
But as they drew closer and saw the tragic state of the three bodies on the ground, Wang Kang's legs noticeably trembled.
The skin of the two corpses on the left was completely covered in dense, spiral patterns. Each had a bloody hole right between their eyebrows, clearly indicating they had been executed with a headshot.
The person on the right was far more horrifying. Two massive, dark green crab claws extended from his back. His neck was completely empty, leaving only two solitary stalks. From the side, one could clearly see the churning flesh and internal organs inside the neck cavity.
Gag.
Wang Kang held it in as long as he could, but ultimately lifted his visor, leaned against the wall, and began to dry heave.
He had seen plenty of gory scenes during his patrols, but he had never witnessed anything this brutally grotesque.
The Blue Zone Residents who arrived behind them also turned pale with fright. Some merely took a single glance before they too began dry heaving. A few children who had just peeked their heads out had their eyes tightly covered by the adults.
If they saw this, they would definitely be having non-stop nightmares for the next few days.
"Did you find the two missing people?" Cheng Ye's gaze skipped past the Crab-man and focused heavily on the two corpses on the left, keeping his tone as calm as possible.
Such intricate patterns—anyone who saw them even once would never forget them.
Sure enough, it was another local specialty of the Wilderness. God only knows what other surprises lurked around Dabo Town!
"Yes, I tracked them down and executed them."
Luo Kuke nodded, his expression so grim it looked as if it could drip water. "But they are not my people. If no one from your side went missing, then that means... they are extra people!"