HBWnovel Chapter 223: Size-as-Desired! A Non-Human Giant!
Chapter 223: Size-as-Desired! A Non-Human Giant!
"How... how do you feel?"Seeing Cheng Ye frozen by the water, staring blankly at the Crab-men beneath the surface, Luo Kuke quickly trotted over to stand in front of him.
He did not dare get too close, simply tilting his head back to shout, his voice still trembling with lingering shock.
This was his first time seeing someone willingly infect themselves with an A-rank benign infection source. Although the Cheng Ye before him still retained a human silhouette, he already exuded the terrifying aura of a super fusion entity.
If an ordinary person was not holding a firearm, they would not muster even the slightest thought of fighting against him.
"I..."
Cheng Ye slowly turned his head. Under Luo Kuke's dumbfounded gaze, his body, originally over five meters tall, began to shrink rapidly.
The thin golden carapace faded away like a receding tide, his muscle lines contracted, and his compound eyes shifted back into human pupils.
In just over ten seconds, he completely returned to the size of a normal human, as if the giant form from moments ago had merely been a hallucination.
"I... I feel great!"
Cheng Ye rolled his neck, his bones letting out a soft pop, and he could not help but break into a wide grin.
"I have never felt this good!"
No wonder villains in movies and anime would do anything for power. This feeling of absolute control was simply too intoxicating, too desirable.
After entering the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse Form, that colossal surge of power brought an unprecedented calmness to his heart.
The reassuring sensation of holding his fate entirely in his own hands was more tempting than anything else in the world.
"Then..."
"Wait, I still need a moment to get used to this."
Cheng Ye looked down, only then realizing he was completely naked.
When his size skyrocketed just now, his clothes had been torn to shreds. Furthermore, the Red Blade left behind by Cheng Long and Wang Cheng's Purple Blade were practically toys when he was in his giant form. If he really needed to fight, he would not even have a suitable weapon.
"I will go get you some spare clothes!" Luo Kuke snapped out of his daze, immediately turning and jogging toward the camp.
Taking advantage of the gap while he was gone, the panel automatically unfolded in Cheng Ye's vision, popping up a new notification:
[Detected that the Collector is using the "Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse Symbiotic State". An unavoidable cost must be paid.]
[Current Cost: 100 kilometers of moderate-intensity exercise (must be completed within 7 days).]
[Note: Within the time limit, the Collector may manually initiate the cost task at any time. Once initiated, it must be completed uninterrupted; pausing is not allowed.]
[Note: If the time limit expires and the task has not been manually initiated, the cost will be forcefully triggered and will persist until completed.]
"It actually lets me choose when to start?"
Cheng Ye paused in surprise.
This was quite different from the descriptions of infection sources forcefully demanding their cost.
The Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse did not seem to tyrannically hijack his body; instead, it felt more like they had reached a cooperative symbiosis. It even left a buffer period for the cost.
It even felt somewhat similar to Little Flame, except Little Flame had established a strong connection with him from birth. They were more like twin existences, sharing life and abilities.
The Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse, on the other hand, was an out-and-out foreign invader, merely treating him as a vessel to collect nutrients.
'Could the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse upgrade to Lv.6 or even higher in the future?'
Cheng Ye pondered as he shifted his intent, switching the panel to his personal profile.
[Collector: Cheng Ye]
[Current Rank: Lv.2 Novice (81.2/100)]
[Life Level: 2]
[Skills: Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse*, Heart-Protecting Fire, Zeye Physique, Fish-Mimicking State, Snake Force]
[Abilities: Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse Symbiotic State* (Mature), Blazing Eagle Symbiotic State (Shaping)]
[Currently Locked:]
[Evaluation: Life Level...]
The evaluation had not fully refreshed yet, but his rank Information Degree had quietly climbed to 81.9%.
He was less than 20 points away from Lv.3!
A wave of pleasant surprise washed over Cheng Ye. He had not expected that successively coming into contact with the Immortal Object, the Demonic Eye Sponge, and a benign infection source would bring the unexpected reward of rank advancement.
His gaze quickly landed on the far left of the skill bar. As expected, "Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse" was highlighted in red, with a small lock icon hanging beside it.
With a light tap of his intent, the complete skill description popped up instantly:
[Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse* (Lv.5; Parasitic Talent)]
[Description]: A wondrous relic insect originating from the Transcendent Era of the Old Era. Its ancestors were ordinary Golden Wind Lice, but due to an accident, one fell into the budding flower of the transcendent spiritual plant "Size-as-Desired Flower." Nourished by the spiritual liquid within the bud, it accidentally stole the transcendent origin power of "Size-as-Desired."
Later, it was invaded by an unknown special virus. Fortunately, protected by the residual floral liquid, it not only withstood the destructive erosion of the virus but also gained enlightenment amidst the intertwining mutation of the spiritual liquid and the virus. It developed rudimentary sentience, allowing it to span across time and survive to this day.
Those who form a symbiotic state with this giant louse can utilize the Size-as-Desired Origin Power preserved within its body to freely adjust their bone density, muscle fiber elasticity, and blood flow rate, achieving a seamless transition between "Giant" and "Miniature" forms.
Furthermore, physical attributes will undergo precise proportional enhancements or adaptive adjustments according to the change in size.
[Growth Value]: Lv.5 (42.67%)
[Growth Methods]:
1. The Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse has completed symbiosis with the Collector. It will absorb the Collector's life force to gain growth value.
2. Detected that the Collector has chosen the united path and possesses the "Information Fusion" function. Unlocked:
Merging with special skills marked with an asterisk (*) grants additional growth value.
Note: Fusion carries a certain probability of causing skill mutation, leading to irreversible consequences. Please proceed with caution.
[Current Effects]:
1. When equipped, the absorption rate of external nutrients (including energy crystals, special flesh and blood, etc.) is permanently increased by 200%.
2. When equipped, the special ability can be activated: Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse Symbiotic State.
'Golden Wind Louse?'
'Size-as-Desired Flower?'
Cheng Ye stared blankly at the description on the panel, inevitably feeling a trace of yearning for the old Transcendent Era.
Compared to the devastated wasteland of today, the Earth back then must have been a world overflowing with miracles, right?
Just imagining a world where transcendent spiritual plants and wondrous insects coexisted was enough to fascinate anyone.
'A 42% progress rate, and I can still use fusion to increase it further...'
'What will this thing look like if it upgrades to Lv.6? Will it directly become a transcendent talent?'
With that thought, Cheng Ye shifted his gaze back to the abilities column and opened the detailed description for the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse Symbiotic State.
[Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse Symbiotic State (Mature)]
[Description]: Upon activating the ability, life symbiosis with the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse will be established, granting Skill Sharing, Attribute Sharing, and Ability Sharing. Due to the massive gap in life levels between the Collector and the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse, a cost must forcefully be borne after every symbiotic session.
[Current Status]: Mature
[Currently Sharable Skills]:
Size-as-Desired (Lv.5, Ultimate. Freely adjust body size and gain physical attributes corresponding to that size. Current maximum size: 5.2 meters. Current minimum size: 72 centimeters.)
Locked (Will unlock after 10 symbiotic sessions)
Locked (Will unlock after 50 symbiotic sessions)
Locked (Will unlock after 100 symbiotic sessions)
Locked (Will unlock after 500 symbiotic sessions)
[Currently Sharable Attributes]: None (Since the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse has lost its physical body, no shared attributes can be gained.)
[Currently Sharable Abilities]: None (Since the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse has lost its physical body, no shared abilities can be gained.)
'Ultimate! That is even stronger than perfect grade!'
Scanning through the ability description with a glance, Cheng Ye closed the panel and sat quietly by the dock.
Although the Collector panel had fully digitized his physical and ability changes, those cold numbers were far less profound than experiencing it firsthand.
At this moment, the power of the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse was still flowing through his body, subtly altering his bone density and muscle fiber structure. This continuous sense of remodeling was both unfamiliar and marvelous.
He knew very well that after this transformation, he would never be able to "blend in" with the crowd like before.
In the future, whenever he visited an inspection station in any sanctuary city, the traces of the infection source inside him would stand out like a bright lightbulb in the dead of night. This would be especially true for a place like Torch, which relied on highly sensitive instruments; they would spot it immediately.
"But as long as I can contain the Demonic Eye Sponge and secure the Immortal Object, these traces will be the best medal of honor!"
He meticulously savored that thread of energy circulating inside him until Luo Kuke returned. Then, Cheng Ye opened his eyes.
Luo Kuke ran back, clutching a spare set of black combat fatigues.
"Put the clothes down for now. We can get into the water."
"Then..." Luo Kuke stammered, "Are we going in from upstream, or..."
"No need to take a detour. We will head straight down from the dock."
Cheng Ye stood up and silently tugged at that faint connection. The dormant power surged forth once more.
This time, he acutely felt every nuance of his body's transformation.
Gurgle, gurgle.
The blood within his body seemed to boil. A soft, humming vibration echoed from his bones as they slowly expanded outward.
A layer of pale golden carapace surged up from beneath his skin, rapidly encasing his limbs and torso, wrapping perfectly all the way to his fingertips.
Crack.
Crack.
His physical size swelled at a visible rate—one meter, two meters, five meters... finally stopping at a staggering height of 5.2 meters, nearly the height of a two-story building!
He turned his head toward Luo Kuke. His reddish-gold compound eyes glinted coldly as he asked in a deep, booming voice, "How do I look now?"
"You... you..." Even though he had mentally prepared himself, cold sweat instantly soaked Luo Kuke's back. This was not just mere size suppression; it was a Heaven-Earth difference in life level and sheer power. Just standing in front of Cheng Ye made his breathing feel restricted.
"Come on, throw a few punches at me. Give it a try!"
Cheng Ye patted his waist, but realizing Luo Kuke could not reach it, he simply bent down and pointed at his calf. "Hit me right here."
"?!...!"
Luo Kuke was thoroughly stunned. He knew Cheng Ye wanted to test his defense, but facing a figure that rivaled a monster, he was rapidly losing the courage to even throw a punch.
"Don't be afraid. I can take it," Cheng Ye urged again.
"Here I come, then!"
Luo Kuke gritted his teeth, his eyes reddening and muscles pulling taut. Although he was only at an ordinary Embryo-Holding Stage, when he unleashed his full power stacked with the Ironization Buff of the Source Heart Flesh Iron, he could be considered a top-tier combatant among normal men.
Taking two steps back, he suddenly charged forward, raining punches onto Cheng Ye's calf.
"Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang..."
Muffled thuds echoed across the dock. A flurry of fists struck and scraped relentlessly, but every point of contact felt like slamming into incredibly tough old tree bark. It did not even leave a single white scratch.
"You crazy bastard... are you even human?"
Sweat poured from Luo Kuke's forehead, and his arms were already beginning to ache, yet there was not the slightest sign of breaking through the defense.
"Use some strength!" Cheng Ye's voice rumbled from above. "Don't hold back, I can still take it!"
"..." Luo Kuke sweated even more. He outright switched to elbow strikes, circling Cheng Ye's calf and smashing wildly. Even the ironized skin of his elbows was turning red, but Cheng Ye's carapace remained perfectly still.
"Alright, stop hitting. I've already felt the pain!"
Cheng Ye frowned slightly. He merely felt like a mosquito was biting his leg, stirring up a faint, tiny tingle.
Let alone breaking his defense, such feeble attacks could not even trigger a single reaction from the Silver Dragon Fish Totem in his Dantian.
Luo Kuke stopped, panting heavily. He bent over to catch his breath, but just as he was about to speak, his eyes abruptly widened.
He watched as Cheng Ye reached out and picked up a short blade resting nearby. The very next second, without the slightest hesitation, Cheng Ye slashed at the golden carapace on his own arm!
Screech, screech.
A harsh, grinding noise rang out over the dock, sounding like a dull blade scraping against raw stone.
It was not until the blade made its third pass that the Silver Dragon Fish Totem in Cheng Ye's Dantian finally reacted.
A streak of faint silver light traveled up his meridians to his arm, covering the spot where the blade had cut. However, it did not condense into a pinpoint defense like usual; it merely draped lightly over the surface of the carapace like a thin veil.
"Even this won't break the defense?"
Cheng Ye frowned. He simply grabbed both ends of the blade and flexed his arms with explosive force.
Terrifying power erupted instantly. The blade groaned under the pressure, twisting and warping within his grip.
Standing to the side, Luo Kuke watched with his heart pounding wildly and his breath catching in his throat, a tingling sensation spreading across his scalp.
He watched helplessly as the sharp, standard-issue short blade—capable of effortlessly slicing open the shells of ordinary infected bodies—turned into soft clay in Cheng Ye's hands, forcibly crushed into a mangled ball of iron.
Clang.
The iron ball dropped to the ground, rolling twice before resting at his feet.
"You..."
Luo Kuke picked up the clump of iron. His eyes flickered, and an unprecedented glimmer of... hope... suddenly bloomed in his heart.
Was this the tremendous boost provided by an A-rank infection source?
He even felt that if the Abyssal Water Cave Crab fusion entity underwater came out, Cheng Ye would not even need a weapon; he could pound those fusion entities into mush with his bare hands.
"I wonder if I can still wear the Obsidian Battle Armor in this state?"
Cheng Ye took a step. With merely two strides, he reached the equipment box over ten meters away.
Bending over, he delicately pinched the equipment box between his thumb and forefinger, lifting it to eye level for a closer look. Then, resting the box in his palm, he used the tip of his pinky finger to gently press the equip button on its side.
Hum.
The equipment box immediately began to vibrate. Streams of black fluid poured from its opening, crawling up the golden carapace like living creatures until they swiftly enveloped Cheng Ye's entire body.
They reshaped themselves over his giant form, wrapping securely around every inch of his skin.
"It actually fits?"
Cheng Ye was slightly stunned, followed by a surge of pleasant surprise.
He had assumed the drastic shift in size would render the armor incompatible, but to his amazement, the Obsidian Battle Armor could adjust its form accordingly.
However, he quickly noticed something amiss. While the armor covered him entirely, its previous feeling of heavy bulk was gone. The overall defensive power was noticeably weakened, now only serving to conceal his human aura and shield him from the gaze of infection sources.
"Well, hiding my aura is more than enough."
Cheng Ye patted the armor on his chest, feeling the power surging within him as he shifted his gaze back to the water.
The Crab-men lurking underwater clearly sensed that something was wrong. They retreated step by step, and the once-impenetrable net of crabs showed signs of faltering.
Especially the few giant crabs that had been sneering viciously at him earlier. As they stared at the towering dark silhouette by the dock, the malice and fury in their eyes slowly melted away.
Taking its place was primal fear, mixed with a trace of greedy hunger for greater power.
"I am going in first!"
Cheng Ye took a deep breath, opened his panel, swapped out Snake Force, and equipped Hundred Martial Arts Master!
Perfect-grade power control instantly blanketed his entire body. Even though his size had ballooned to over five meters, his bodily coordination had not weakened in the slightest; rather, it became incredibly precise.
He stomped hard on the ground. The bluestone slab beneath his feet cracked with a loud bang, cobweb-like patterns webbing outward in all directions.
Boom...
Propelled by immense strength, his entire massive frame shot straight up over ten meters like a cannonball.
And then, with thunderous momentum, he plummeted downward!
Boom!
Water exploded over five meters into the air. The sheer kinetic force drove him instantly beneath the surface, directly crushing several Crab-men who could not dodge in time beneath his colossal body.
With several sharp cracks, their heads were instantly shattered. All that remained were the pincers twitching uselessly on their backs, as if raging against the demise of their hosts.
"Give me that!"
Cheng Ye grabbed and savagely tore a still-thrashing pincer right off the infected body.
Then, his eyes burning like torches, he identified his bearings and instantly locked onto a four-meter-tall crab fusion entity nearby. He charged straight at it.
Splash.
The water's surface instantly boiled over!
Swarms of Abyssal Water Cave Crabs converged from all directions. Their cyan bodies intertwined beneath the waves, blocking out the sunlight and casting a gloomy shadow.
Luo Kuke was just about to dive in and assist when he suddenly saw a dark figure shoot out from beneath the water, wielding a thick, massive pincer in a reverse grip.
It was the crab fusion entity! Standing roughly four and a half meters tall, it was only slightly smaller than Cheng Ye's current size.
The two behemoths slammed violently into the bluestone wall of the dock with a deafening crash, shaking dust free as deep cracks zigzagged out from the corner.
The crab fusion entity was left utterly dazed by the impact, its stalk-eyes swirling with dizziness. Before it could even struggle, its body was brutally wrenched around by Cheng Ye.
Reflected in its cloudy pupils were two millstone-sized fists, hurtling toward it with a howling gust of wind.
Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang!
The punches rained down with the relentless rhythm of a pile driver. His massive size did not hinder his speed in the slightest; instead, bolstered by the comprehensive enhancements of the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse, every strike carried world-shattering force.
The flurry of fists blurred into a single continuous stream. Every impact drew sharp groans from the crab fusion entity's carapace, as brownish-red blood constantly oozed from its cracked shell.
"Its weakness is the heart..."
Luo Kuke shouted anxiously from the sidelines, wanting to warn Cheng Ye to avoid the tough head carapace.
Yet before he could finish, the rest of his words caught in his throat.
The crab-man's head—its sturdiest asset—had actually... exploded?!
Under the final devastating blow, it burst outward with a wet squelch. Red minced flesh and vital fluids sprayed everywhere, painting Cheng Ye's body and even dotting his ferocious compound eyes with specks of gore.
"What... did you say?" Cheng Ye slowly turned his head. His voice resonated with the deep vibration unique to his giant form, and the blood splattered across his face made him look utterly terrifying.
Under that gaze, Luo Kuke instinctively felt dizzy, only recovering after taking a sharp breath.
"It... it's dead?"
"Probably?"
Cheng Ye shook his head. He stepped forward, flipped the crab fusion entity's corpse over, planted his right foot squarely on its back, and locked both hands tightly onto its two three-meter-long giant pincers.
Taking a deep breath, his muscles instantly tightened. Veins bulged violently beneath the golden carapace, and even the surrounding air seemed to freeze under the immense pressure.
Squeeeelch... Snap!
Accompanied by a teeth-grinding tearing sound, the two thick pincers were forcibly ripped right off the fusion entity.
Cheng Ye hefted the pincers, testing their weight. Given his current size, this pair of limbs was surprisingly handy, akin to wielding two heavy iron whips.
At the same time, the panel popped up.
[The Collector has detected dissipating biological information. Absorbing automatically.]
[The traits of the Abyssal Water Cave Crab have significantly increased (Living Water Essence; 2.7%)!]
"2.7%??!"
Cheng Ye's pupils shrank. Previously, killing ordinary Abyssal Water Cave Crabs only added 0.007% to his trait progress each time, but this fusion entity directly granted 2.7%! Did that not mean it had the equivalent effect of killing over three hundred ordinary infected bodies!
He froze slightly, his gaze instantly blazing with fervor.
"I..."
Before his voice could fade, his massive body vaulted into the air once more, crashing back into the water with an even more imposing aura.
"Bring it on!"