Chapter 6

【Congratulations on successfully killing the "Mutant Centipede", Experience Points +25】

【Points +5】

【Level increased to Lv. 6!】

【Obtained: Sturdy Carapace Fragment x1, Centipede Venom Gland (Damaged) x1, Low-grade Aberrant Species Core x1】

Ying Duo leveled up again from the gained experience, and without question all attribute points were poured into 【Agility】, occasionally allocating a few scattered points to 【Strength】.

He didn't even spare a glance at the loot, just habitually picked everything up, then immediately dragged the 【Low-grade Aberrant Species Core】 and 【Sturdy Carapace Fragment】 toward the Modification Interface.

【Modification Failed! Modification Proficiency +4】

Continuing deeper, the harshness of the environment suddenly intensified.

The broken walls and ruins grew even taller, various vines and weeds covered the mottled walls, the air no longer reeked only of iron rust and unknown dark‑red blood dust.

A foul odor belonging to powerful mutant creatures emerged, mixed with the sour stench of some corrosive liquid.

Visibility around also decreased, with mysterious fluorescent dust floating in the grayish air.

And in the mini‑map at the upper‑left corner of the screen, the red dots representing hostile creatures were not only larger and brighter, but their movement trails also became swifter.

【Mutant Hound Lv. 7‑Trait: Pounce Bite, Cooperative Hunting】

【Corrosive Spider Lv. 6‑Trait: Spit Acid, Spin Web】

【Mutant Vulture Lv. 8‑Trait: Dive Claw Strike, Call Interference】

Combat has become more difficult; dealing with a Lv. 7 Mutant Hound, Ying Duo often needs to accurately hit its weak point two or three times with gunfire to kill it, and the consumption of MP is far faster than its recovery.

The difficulty of close‑quarters combat surged even more: the hound's pounce speed is extremely fast; the spider's acid can corrode the gun barrel, causing durability to drop faster; the vulture's dive speed is greater, and if he reacts even a little slowly, his positioning cannot dodge it.

His health bar also began to fluctuate, crucially the game's automatic HP recovery speed is especially slow.

「Bang! 」

Again he smashed down hard, Ying Duo used his slightly deformed gun stock to shatter the head of the last corrosive spider.

Bubbling green corrosive liquid splashed onto his arm's clothing, immediately emitting a slight "hiss" of corrosion, accompanied by a continuous durability deduction prompt.

Fortunately, clothes can also be repaired.

【Successfully killed the "Corrosive Spider", Experience Points +18】

【Points +7】

【Obtained: Corrosive Gland x1, Flexible Silk x2, Unknown Blueprint x1】

Hmm? Something new appeared?

Ying Duo crouched expressionlessly, completely ignoring the discomfort on his arm, and continued performing the looting action.

When his finger touched that blueprint, which had slightly curled edges with scorch marks but otherwise undamaged content, it instantly turned into a stream of Ying Guang Lu‑colored Data Stream that merged into his body.

【Obtained Formula: Simple Explosive Device】

【Requirements: Modification Level 1, Metal Scraps x3, Detonator x1, Explosive Core x1】

【Effect: Create a single area‑of‑effect energy explosion, dealing shock damage to targets within the area based on Modification Level (effective against structures and terrain)】

【Detected player holding Aberrant Species Core, can substitute some materials, but the product will be unstable】

Yang Yixie immediately opened the semi‑transparent crafting interface that comes with the Modification skill.

He happened to have all the needed materials; his previous monster grinding and scavenging had already accumulated a large amount of 【Common Metal Scraps】.

【Low-grade Aberrant Species Core】 has a chance to drop after killing Aberrant Species; this quantity is relatively small, and after discovering this touching drop rate, he stopped using it to grind proficiency.

Due to Yang Yixie's previous frantic attempts at modification that failed, accumulating a large amount of proficiency, the Modification level had been forcibly "piled" up to Level 1, exactly meeting the formula's requirement.

【Crafting: Simple Explosive Device……Success Rate 92%……】

【Crafting Successful! Modification Proficiency +10】

【Obtained: Simple Explosive Device (Unstable) x1】

The finished product is a rather crude device: a cube barely assembled from metal scraps, with a crude pull‑ring safety pin inserted on top, inside it emanates unstable energy fluctuations.

Almost without pause, Yang Yixie immediately poured all materials into batch production.

Placing all materials on the Modification Station, Ying Guang Lu lines formed a prototype in midair; the materials were processed in various ways, and finally assembled under the guidance of those lines.

【Crafting Successful! Modification Proficiency +10】

【Crafting Successful! Modification Proficiency +10】

【Crafting Failed! Materials Lost, Modification Proficiency +15】

【Crafting Successful! Modification Proficiency +10】

Soon, five plain‑looking, even crude metal blocks appeared in his item bar—

【Simple Explosive Device】

The description clearly states it deals area damage; if used against a single target, its cost‑effectiveness would be too low, so Yang Yixie would be better off letting Ying Duo find a group of targets and wipe them out in one go at a crucial spot.

Ying Duo continued to delve deeper, his gaze and scanner making no difference; he meticulously explored every nook and cranny inside and outside the ruins.

Shattered cans, scattered cabinets—whatever his gaze fell upon, if it could be interacted with and searched, he let none slip by.

Perhaps due to his extraordinarily high Agility also boosting Perception, or perhaps because this carpet‑like search behavior triggered some system mechanism, a new prompt appeared.

【Through repeated meticulous observation and environmental interaction, you have comprehended the skill: Reconnaissance Lv. 0】

【Effect: Slightly increases Perception, allowing you to more keenly detect traces in the environment and hidden resource points (highlighted).】

The moment the skill took effect, a faint halo of light immediately lit up the edge of his field of view, and it also pieced together trace guidance.

No longer just a plain pixel background, these light effects formed a clear "path", and the mini‑map also gained a new highlighted marker.

【Warning: You have left the assessment planning zone; you may encounter high‑danger Aberrant Species, and killing Aberrant Species after leaving the planning zone still counts toward Points.】

Surely there's no invisible wall at the edge of this assessment zone?

Yang Yixie was somewhat surprised; anyway, the meaning is that he's no longer in the newbie‑area where he should be grinding monsters?

But what does it matter? As long as it gives Experience and Points, that's fine.

Ying Duo followed this path forward, exploring, detouring around several collapsed floor slabs, and eventually arrived at a huge nest entrance half-buried underground, made of twisted rebar and concrete fragments bonded by some biological mucus.

【A foul, rotten smell surged from the depths of the dark mouth; inside there was a dangerous aura......】

The System Prompt popped up; via the mini-map, he could see red dots representing Aberrant Species densely packed inside the mouth, almost overlapping.

They are small, but they make up for it in numbers.

This should count as an underground palace dungeon, right?

I just don't know the approximate level range of the monsters inside; Ying Duo plans to go in first to scout the situation before deciding.

The light inside the nest was extremely dim, only some moss and fungi emitting a faint phosphorescence provided meager illumination; the air was hot, humid, and viscous, mixed with an indescribable odor.

【You have entered the underground palace exploration zone: Spider Nest (Lv. 10)】

【Current exploration progress: 0%】

【Danger ahead! Recommended level: Lv. 10-Lv. 15】

【Environmental effect: slight mental oppression, reduced visibility, movement speed slightly decreased】

Thanks to the bright guidance from the Reconnaissance skill and his own high agility, Ying Duo moved like a green ghost through the dim, twisted passage, silently and perfectly blending with the surroundings.

On both sides of the passage, Yang Yixie saw many small niches or recesses, inside which curled dormant Aberrant Species, mostly Lv. 4-Lv. 6 minor Mutation spiders, currently in the state of digesting food and slowly growing.

【Through cautious movement and high adaptation to the environment, you have learned the skill: Stealth LV. 0】

【Effect: reduces noise generated while moving and one's presence, making it harder for enemies to detect (movement speed slightly decreased).】

At the moment the skill took effect, Ying Duo seemed to blend even more with the surroundings; even the faint glow from the Ying Guang Lu above his head perfectly merged with those luminous moss.

Thus Ying Duo chose to continue deeper.

【Stealth Proficiency +1】

【Stealth Proficiency +1】

【Stealth Proficiency +1】