Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 272: Shadow-Restraining Beam, Collecting the Mother Source Main Body!

Boom!The heavy doors of the Containment Room slammed shut. Immediately, the basic shadowless lights on the ceiling flickered to life, suppressing the Ghost Shadow Spider's Parasitism ability.

This time, however, Yu Yong did not stubbornly resort to mockery. Instead, he darted to the corner of the room like a frightened beast.

Cheng Ye took a wide stride forward, and Yu Yong instantly scurried to the opposite side with keen vigilance, playing a game of cat and mouse around the furniture in the room.

Perhaps due to the deepening infection, much like how the Cost of the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse enhanced physical attributes, Yu Yong's physical fitness had actually received another wave of enhancement.

As the two dodged and weaved through the room, Cheng Ye was astonished to realize that he genuinely could not catch up to the guy.

"What did I say the last time I came here?"

He simply stopped in his tracks, his Muffled Voice echoing from within the armor. "I said that you are actually very afraid of me."

Yu Yong's expression remained unchanged, as if he had heard nothing. He continued to stand defensively in the corner, yet his mouth fought back without showing any weakness. "So this is all you are capable of? Hurry up, release the Infection Source inside your body! Let me see just how weak its power truly is!"

Clearly, although Yu Yong's mind had been corrupted by the Infection Source, he had not gone completely stupid.

Knowing that fighting head-on was a lost cause, he actually chose the smart route of hiding and stalling for time.

However.

Under Yu Yong's wary gaze, the tall figure clad in combat armor slowly raised his right hand.

A red button was pinched between his thumb and index finger.

"Researcher Yu, I originally wanted to converse with you a bit longer, but now, I invite you to help me verify whether the Shadow-Restraining Beam I developed actually works against the Ghost Shadow Spider!"

As his emotionless words faded, his two fingers gently pressed the red button.

Click.

The shadowless lights overhead that suppressed the Parasitism did not change color, but a large, retractable Searchlight suddenly rose from the floor.

Evidently, the Research Institute was worried that replacing all the light sources might cause the Ghost Shadow Spider's Parasitism ability to counterattack, so they specifically created a fail-safe design.

Cheng Ye strode behind the Searchlight, grabbing the handle mounts with both hands and lifting them slightly.

Hum. A violent vibrating sound buzzed continuously as a glow gradually lit up inside the Searchlight.

It was not the bright white of the shadowless lights, but a highly eerie dark blue. Sustained by the power source, it condensed into a visible beam of light.

"If your speed cannot exceed the speed of light, I suggest you..."

Cheng Ye said, abruptly jerking the Searchlight upward. The dark blue beam struck Yu Yong directly in the corner.

The moment he was enveloped by the beam, the expression on Yu Yong's face practically froze. His body became completely immobilized, as if glued to the spot.

Did it work?

All the Researchers outside the Research Room widened their eyes simultaneously. Even the normally calm Yu Erlan could not help but shrink her pupils, raising her hand to swipe on her wristwatch and staring intently at Yu Yong's real-time vital signs data.

But the data showed that there was actually... no change at all?

Even though he was clearly frozen by the light, Yu Yong's vital signs remained perfectly stable, without the slightest fluctuation.

"Phew... looks like it worked." Cheng Ye turned around. Although his face was concealed by the armor, everyone could clearly sense the smile in his tone. "I specifically studied the light spectrum that restrains the Ghost Shadow Spider. The Ghost Shadow Spider controls a special sensory substance, which is its Core method of Parasitism. The shadowless light we used before merely temporarily overlaid the signal transmission path of this substance with a specific frequency, like putting up a signal jamming shield. But its main body was still active. The moment the light is removed, the Parasitism ability quickly recovers."

Yu Erlan frowned slightly, her fingertips rapidly tapping her watch. Looking at the pale purple particles constantly flashing on the screen, she asked, "So your method is to directly neutralize its sensory substance?"

"Not exactly. The method I attempted is resonance suppression. This sensory substance relies on frequencies to lock onto targets, and the spectrum of the Shadow-Restraining Beam has been precisely calibrated to form a reverse resonance with this frequency band. It's like plucking a guitar string in the exact opposite direction with the same force, instantly bringing the vibrating string to a halt."

The logic was very simple: the shadowless light provided shielding by overlapping the spectrum, while the Shadow-Restraining Beam was a targeted strike meant to suppress.

The expression on Yu Erlan's face shifted continuously. She didn't press him on how he discovered this frequency, but instead asked, "So, what is your plan?"

"Let's try weakening its power first," Cheng Ye said calmly. "Making Yu Yong afraid of us is useless; we need to let the Ghost Shadow Spider know who the true Master is here."

With that said, he turned and walked toward the paralyzed Yu Yong.

Seeing Cheng Ye approach, unconcealable terror surged in Yu Yong's eyes, but his body could not move an inch. He could only watch as Cheng Ye hoisted him up effortlessly, like picking up a baby chick.

"Don't be so afraid of me. This is only the beginning." That demonic voice echoed once more.

Immediately after, Yu Yong's body was slammed against the wall of light. A sharp sizzle rang out instantly, like a drop of water falling into boiling oil.

Exactly like last time, black Essence immediately surged from the surface of his body, and the Ghost Shadow Spider's agonizing shriek pierced the air.

But the difference was that previously, the black Essence dissipated without a trace as soon as it appeared. This time, it seemed completely frozen. Not only did it fail to scatter, but under the illumination of the Shadow-Restraining Beam, it grew increasingly dense.

The chill in the air abruptly deepened, carrying a putrid, sickly sweet scent. Cheng Ye's hairs instantly stood on end.

Amidst the flowing light, the diffuse black Essence began to churn violently, as if drawn by an invisible force, slowly converging and solidifying.

At first, it was merely a hazy black mist. Then, twisting and tangling beneath the light, it gradually outlined clear silhouettes.

They were fist-sized spider shapes!

Pitch black as ink, their shells gleamed with a greasy luster. Fine hairs were faintly visible in the light, and their eight slender legs were sharp as blades. Even before fully taking shape, they already exuded a bone-chilling malice.

The most scalp-numbing part was the backs of the spiders. They were not ordinary carapaces, but rather lifelike human faces—some male, some female, some old, some young...

They were the Residents of Shelter C35 who had been infected and killed by the Ghost Shadow Spider!

Every single human face on the backs of the spiders, without exception, wore an ashen, deathly pallor. Their eyes were hollow, yet they conveyed an indescribably complex array of emotions.

Some had the corners of their mouths pulled into stiff curves, their eyes filled with desperate pleading, as if begging Cheng Ye to save them, or perhaps begging for release.

Others furrowed their brows tightly, their faces stained with tears, radiating endless mourning. They seemed to be weeping for their own tragic deaths, or perhaps lamenting the fate of the shelter.

Still others had their eyes wide open and mouths agape, revealing ghastly white teeth as they unleashed silent, anguished roars. Full of resentment and malice, they looked as though they wanted to pour out all their suffering.

Cheng Ye's heart unavoidably sank. He instantly understood—these must be the core powers of the Ghost Shadow Spider.

The souls of all who died had been subjected to its Parasitism, reduced to a source of power, forever trapped in this terrifying form.

In a mere instant, hundreds of Ghost Shadow Spiders condensed into shape. Densely packed, they covered every inch of Space touched by the dark blue light, resembling a massive black net.

Not only did they cling to Yu Yong's body, but they also dragged along to firmly envelop Cheng Ye's left arm.

Cold, clammy, terrifying, despairing... Even insulated by his Cotton-padded Suit, countless negative emotions still pierced through, bringing a bone-piercing Chilling Dread.

'Is this the power of an Anti-State Mother Source?'

Cheng Ye felt as though all the blood in his body was about to freeze. His stomach churned violently, and the intense discomfort almost suffocated him.

Fortunately, a comforting warmth immediately emanated from his Spiritual Body Space, blocking the discomfort from reaching his soul. Across the surface of his body, dense, intricate golden Runes flashed to life, forming a protective barrier.

It was the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse and Little Flame!

Although their power could not compare to that of the Ghost Shadow Spider, it was enough to fend off these basic invasions.

Forcing down the scalp-numbing terror and his body's instinctive resistance, Cheng Ye abruptly shot out his other hand, accurately grabbing several spiders that had already crawled to his chest, and ruthlessly slammed them against the wall of light in front of him.

Sizzle—

An ear-piercing burning sound instantly exploded, like an ice cube slamming against a red-hot iron ball.

The human faces on the backs of the black spiders instantly twisted and deformed, letting out overwhelmingly miserable shrieks.

The sound didn't resemble human voices, yet it carried the agony of a soul being ripped apart, shaking the listener to their very core.

The next second, the spiders pressed against the wall of light disintegrated into wisps of black smoke and dissipated into the air.

At the same time, fragmented Hallucinations flashed before Cheng Ye's eyes.

The night was already deep.

Inside the peaceful Shelter C35, the dim Halo of the streetlights blurred into vague patches of light on the concrete ground.

A middle-aged man stepped out from the shadows, looking at the grocery store not far away. He pulled out a rather old Kindling Terminal and turned it on. The glowing screen made the wrinkles around his eyes look even deeper.

As the call connected, the man's Adam's apple bobbed, and he forced a slight smile. "Honey, it's Yinyin's birthday today. Let's celebrate properly."

He deliberately made his voice sound cheerful. "I'm going to buy a small cake right now, get some meat, and pour out a quarter-liter of draft liquor. I'll show off my cooking skills for you guys when I get back."

"Don't waste money. You just became the deputy workshop director and you're already showing off?" The woman's laughing reproach came from the other end of the receiver.

"It's fine, it's a celebration! It only comes once a year!" The man laughed, hung up the phone, and walked into the grocery store.

In the freezer, a cream cake the size of a palm sat all alone. It was quite expensive, equivalent to more than a week of his wages.

He stared at the cake for a moment, but the smile on his face only grew wider. "Boss, box up a cake for me."

Clutching the cake box, he turned into the butcher shop next. One and a half kilograms of pork belly gleamed with fresh fat, and his quarter-liter of draft liquor was poured into a glass bottle, clinking with a crisp sound.

These few items nearly wiped out his savings for the month, but the man felt incredibly warm inside. He hummed an off-key old tune all the way back to his apartment complex.

People hurried along the streets, seemingly drawn by a major event, all gathering in one direction. The man glanced over a few times but resisted the urge to join the commotion, quickening his pace even more.

Below his apartment building, a window on the fourth floor glowed with a warm yellow light, like a star in the dark night.

Beside the window, a small figure leaned out. It was Yinyin.

She was wearing her favorite floral dress, waving down at him.

The man couldn't help but beam with a wide smile. He had just raised his hand when he saw the small figure suddenly fall straight down, as if she had been shoved.

"Yinyin!" the man unleashed a heart-tearing roar. The items in his hands crashed to the ground as he ran over like a madman.

But before he could even take a few strides, his wife's silhouette appeared by the window.

She was entirely expressionless, her eyes as hollow as bottomless black holes. Immediately after, she threw herself out as well.

Bang!

Bang!

Two muffled impacts rang out in rapid succession, shattering the tranquility of C35.

The man halted in his tracks in disbelief, as if struck by a paralyzing spell, all expression freezing on his face.

Subsequently, window after window in the old apartment complex flew open at the same time. One figure after another plummeted down like dumplings falling into boiling water, blossoming into splashes of blood upon hitting the ground.

"I..."

With this horrifying scene flashing before his eyes, the man managed to stumble two steps forward before collapsing to the ground in convulsions.

Under the streetlight, his shadow seemed to boil as it coalesced, ultimately morphing into a fist-sized black spider that crawled away from his body.

And the shadows of all those corpses also converged into an army of spiders, frantically swarming toward the center of Shelter C35.

'Is this... the day C35 was destroyed?'

As the Hallucination melted away, before Cheng Ye could recover from his shock, he was yanked into another vision.

This time it was a massive factory. Crazed workers roared as they hurled themselves into the industrial mixers. Soon after, another massive horde of black spiders formed and poured out through the cracks in the factory's main doors.

Hallucinations flashed by time and time again. With every spider destroyed, Cheng Ye was forcibly dragged into the Host's final moments before death.

He possessed these people, personally experiencing their despair, their terror, and that unspeakable horror!

"Ah!"

After being washed over by an untold number of visions, Cheng Ye abruptly released his grip, staggering back two steps as he let out a guttural roar.

Countless unfamiliar memories madly assaulted his consciousness. His head felt like it was going to explode, nearly making him lose his footing.

It wasn't until four or five minutes later that the agonizing pain from the mental shock gradually subsided.

Even without opening his visor, Cheng Ye could feel blood seeping from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. The Cost of forcibly dissolving the Ghost Shadow Spider's power was actually this severe!

"Your vital signs have already dropped to 87 percent," Yu Erlan's voice rang out from behind him.

Cheng Ye subconsciously turned his head. The data displayed on the light screen did not belong to Yu Yong, but to himself.

Various indicators were flashing a warning red, and they were still continuously dropping.

"Furthermore, the energy level reaction of the Ghost Shadow Spider inside Yu Yong is declining, which is subsequently dragging down his fusion level as well," Yu Erlan added.

The light screen switched. The Ghost Shadow Spider's energy reaction had plummeted to 99.4 percent, while Yu Yong's fusion level had fallen below 120 percent, dropping back to 117 percent.

'It really works!'

Cheng Ye's eyes lit up. By utilizing Traits to analyze the suppressive frequency and paralyze the Ghost Shadow Spider's power, he could indeed extract and weaken it.

He immediately opened his status panel to check Yu Yong's Cooperation Level, but unfortunately, it was still at zero percent.

'Could it be that as long as the fusion level doesn't drop below 100 percent, there is no way to separate Yu Yong's consciousness?'

With a thought, he clicked open the Illustrated Handbook to check the collection speed of the Traits. One look and he was instantly overwhelmed with ecstasy!

Compared to last time, the collection speed for the three foundational Traits—"Shadow State," "Shadow Passage," and "Puppet Spider Silk"—hadn't accelerated. Dissolving hundreds of spiders just now had only added about 45 percent.

Including Shadow Passage, it had only risen slightly, reaching 27 percent.

But last time, while other Traits had already been collected to 200 percent, the Ghost Shadow Spider's "Main Body" Trait had remained stuck behind a decimal point. This time, it experienced a tenfold, hundredfold explosive surge, reaching a full 4 percent!

In addition, the progress for "Swarm Shadow Resonance" and "Shadow Drain" had also vastly improved, unexpectedly shooting straight to 15 percent.

'So collecting the Traits of an Infection Source can actually be done targetedly?' Cheng Ye realized in a sudden flash of insight.

No wonder he couldn't collect the "Main Body" Trait before; those dissipating wisps of black gas didn't carry the Ghost Shadow Spider's core power at all.

Only now, when these solidifying spiders were destroyed, could he truly capture this Core Trait.

'If that's the case, might it be possible for me to collect the complete Ghost Shadow Spider Traits?'

Cheng Ye felt a surge of joy. As an Infection Source, the Ghost Shadow Spider couldn't be directly equipped, but it could be used as a fusion material to strengthen the power of the Earth-Shrinking Giant Louse.

If he could conveniently obtain some of its abilities along the way, that would be incredibly worth it.

Thinking this, Cheng Ye simply stood up, grabbed a stool, and tried to prod the hovering human-faced spiders.

But the stool passed straight through them, as if touching a shadow; they couldn't be physically struck at all.

"Its power exists in another dimension..." Yu Erlan's voice drifted over again, carrying a slightly shifted tone.

Cheng Ye frowned and put the stool down. The data on the light screen vanished, revealing the busy scene outside.

At some point, several operating consoles had risen from the floor outside the Research Room. Researchers were crowded around the Instruments, hurriedly recording and calibrating.

Yu Erlan stood in the center of the crowd, her expression serious and earnest.

"If you wish to continue weakening its power, it is inevitable that you will suffer from continuous mental erosion. This erosion acts equally on anyone; nobody is immune. If you do not need to continue researching other aspects, we can arrange for personnel to rotate in and share the burden of the erosion."

Hearing this, Cheng Ye nodded slightly. "Will there be any specific consequences to being continuously eroded?"

"You'll end up like him." Yu Erlan lifted her chin, gesturing toward Yu Yong, who was still pinned against the wall of light. "As long as your vital signs don't drop below 40 percent, you will recover after resting in bed for two days."

"That's fine then. I can handle it alone." Cheng Ye chuckled heartily. Ignoring Yu Erlan's somewhat bewildered expression, he turned around and stepped forward again. "The credit... no, all the compensation must be counted purely under my name."

Good heavens, an opportunity to farm Mother Source Traits this easily? If he missed this, where else could he find another?

Since lying in bed for two days was all it took to recover, Cheng Ye stopped pretending and threw himself into it wholeheartedly.

He reached into the net of light, grabbed a human-faced spider, and slammed it against the light screen without hesitation.

Amidst the sizzling sounds, the spider dissolved into black smoke. Countless Hallucinations surged forward once more, and tragic, despair-filled scenes exploded before his eyes. The final emotions of the dead flooded his consciousness like a tidal wave.

If it were merely physical pain, humanity's adaptability would quickly grow accustomed to it. But this kind of spiritual erosion, this emotional transmission spanning life and death, was something one could never become numb to, no matter what.

Every extraction felt like personally suffering through a Catastrophic Disaster, his heart aching as despair squeezed it tightly.

But Cheng Ye did not stop. He grabbed spider after spider, crushing them into oblivion.

The Trait progress bar on his panel jumped rapidly. The Ghost Shadow Spider's "Main Body" Trait broke through 10 percent, "Swarm Shadow Resonance" soared to 30 percent, and "Shadow Drain" neared 25 percent.

Droplets of blood oozed from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, sliding down the inside of his armor. His vital signs kept dropping bit by bit, yet his eyes shone brighter and brighter.

Until...

"Enough!" Yu Erlan's explosive shout suddenly rang out, and Cheng Ye instinctively let go of his grip.

An unprecedented wave of exhaustion instantly swept through his entire body, leaving him unable to even stand.

He forced himself to turn his head back, but before he could even make out Yu Erlan's expression, his vision went black, and his body crashed heavily onto the freezing floor.

His final gaze was fixed on the Illustrated Handbook. The Ghost Shadow Spider's Main Body progress had reached 53 percent—a frankly terrifying accumulation speed. At the same time, the progress from his previous collection had all hit the 200 percent maximum, and even the difficult-to-collect "Swarm Shadow Resonance" and "Shadow Drain" had blasted past 10 percent.

'This is just... exhilarating!'

Cheng Ye thought in a daze. To exchange such Non-Human suffering for such terrifying gains... even if he had to do it ten thousand more times, he would still charge forward without hesitation.

But as this final trace of a thought settled, he simply had no extra Vigor left to think.

In his peripheral vision, he saw that Yu Yong's eyes seemed to have recovered a hint of clarity. The man was staring at him with highly complicated emotions, pondering who knew what.

Rapid footsteps approached from behind, and someone began dragging him by his combat armor out of the Containment Room.

'At least this time no one is screaming... Inspector Cheng has fallen!'

Carrying this small sliver of relief, Cheng Ye's head slumped to the side as he completely lost consciousness. Only a faint, satisfied smile of gratification remained at the corners of his mouth.

Vaguely, he could feel the Researchers already peeling off his Cotton-padded Suit and combat armor.

Vaguely, a chorus of gasps echoed. It seemed that no one could comprehend how, in the face of such Non-Human suffering, he could actually pass out with a smile on his face.

"Go, send Inspector Cheng to Revival Medical! All expenses will be covered by the Research Institute!"