Yang Yi's eyes snap open, observing the bizarre phenomenon on the island from two perspectives at once—his own, and the armor's.The salt on the ground seems to have come alive, flowing like a liquid and assembling into the upper half of a human body right in front of the armor. It looks almost identical to the strange creature from his hallucinations. The spike that impaled the Long-Legged Sardine must have been a part of it.Without a moment's hesitation, the armor attacks, swinging the iron shovel and smashing the salt-man into a shower of granules. But the blow has little effect. The shattered salt immediately reforms. One of its hands sharpens into a spike and stabs directly into the armor's open chest cavity, piercing the Long-Legged Sardine still in the glass jar. In less than a second, the sardine shrivels, its moisture sucked dry just like its companion.The armor strikes again, shattering the salt-man once more. This time, the creature vanishes, seemingly reverting to ordinary salt scattered on the ground. All that remains is a skeleton-like salt crystal, like a matchstick man's frame, that crumbles at the slightest touch. Yang Yi realizes that if you had more of these skeletons, weathered by the wind, they would look exactly like the bushes in the island's center.So this island is teeming with salt-men? The thought sends a wave of fear through him. If he had landed himself, without the armor, he would have been attacked. A sneak attack could have been instantly fatal."Yang Yi, bring that salt back here, quickly! Especially the bits that just formed the man!" Suna calls out, her voice filled with a scientist's fervent curiosity. "But why a human shape? If it can freely alter its body, there's no need to form a head, especially one without any features…"The salt-man showed no hostility towards the armor itself, even after being shattered twice. Yang Yi controls the armor to collect samples of the salt, taking only a small amount from the ground. The samples are placed in separate glass jars as Suna requested. With the task complete, the armor boards the raft and paddles back to the Nyxstar.Yang Yi stands ready on deck, crystal shield in one hand, Roaring Flintlock in the other. He opens the armor's chest cavity himself, using his Third Eye to scan the containers for any sign of movement. Nothing. The moment he touches the jars, information floods his activity log.[Name: Sea Salt][Description: Salt obtained by evaporating seawater. The taste and color may vary slightly between different sea regions. Contains impurities and emits an unpleasant, salty, fishy smell.][Name: Rotted Whale][Description: Does not refer to a whale, but a type of giant creature living in the Bountiful Sea. They vary in shape and size, are difficult to kill, and grow continuously. Its core can be used in the monster gacha machine and is commonly known as the Fruit of Bounty, or the ever-regenerating flesh.]The information about the salt is mundane, but the entry for the Rotted Whale makes Yang Yi's eyes light up. The ever-regenerating flesh, hidden in the Bountiful Sea! Then he realizes the «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» truth. The information came from the substance he thought was soil. It's actually the tissue of a Rotted Whale, desiccated to the point of resembling dirt. This place isn't an island at all; it's the withered corpse of a colossal creature.A new problem arises. If the salt is just ordinary sea salt, then what was the salt-man?While Suna begins her research, Yang Yi decides to continue exploring. But first, he needs to test the armor's control range. As he prepares, he notices the iron shovel in the armor's hand is completely rusted, as if it had been neglected for years. He snaps a photo and sends it to Suna; the salt-man's touch seems to cause accelerated corrosion.He has the armor paddle back to shore, then has the Nyxstar reverse. At a distance of about one thousand meters, the armor's vision suddenly goes black. He's lost control. "Only a kilometer…" That's far too short for an island five kilometers in diameter.Maybe if I wear more of it…He decides to try, removing the armor's entire right arm assembly and equipping it himself. The sharp spikes dig into his own arm, and a searing pain makes his body tremble, beading his forehead with cold sweat. Thankfully, it lasts only a moment. "The person who designed this armor was seriously twisted…"With the whole right arm equipped, his control over the suit is far more fluid. It's not just sight anymore; he can feel a sense of touch through the armor, as if it has become his own skin. A second test confirms the control range has now extended to three thousand meters—enough to explore the island's core.He hands the armor the sword, Severed Iron (Fake). He then entrusts the ship's safety to Suna, finds a quiet corner in her lab, and prepares to pour his entire consciousness into exploring the salt island.

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