[Searcher: Barrett]

[Current Compatibility: 57%]

[Current Searchable Range: Intelligence, Items, Skills]

[Search Target Confirmed: Skills (Level 1)]

[Searching....]

...

[Search Successful!]

[Barrett Stuart (Symbiotic)]

[Level 1 Skills]: Rotting Vine Life*, Rotting Vine Power*, Rotting Vine Speed*, Rotting Vine Recovery*, Rotting Vine Digestion*, Lock*, Lock*, Lock*.

[Level 2 Skills]: Lock

[Note]: Special power influence detected, skills have mutated, the Collector has issued a warning through *Note. Collectors must be cautious: if search equips this special skill, equivalent influence will be incurred.

[Note]: Unlocking Rotting Vine* equipment allows viewing detailed information of Lock*.

[Note]: Unlocking Rotting Vine* equipment increases information degree, otherwise ineffective.

...

"Why is everything Rotting Vine?"

"Wait, this is... Infected Body?"

Upon seeing the panel information, Cheng Ye was puzzled about what kind of Old Martial System this person practiced, with such uniformly named skills.

And unlike Chu Yunfeng's diverse skill tree, Barrett's panel simply and rudely listed Life, Power, Speed, Recovery, Digestion, feeling like a stats monster.

However, the next second, Cheng Ye suddenly realized.

This is not an Old Martial Cultivator!

This guy is blatantly a real Infected Body!

Damn!

What is going on?

The Collector can even search Infected Bodies and extract mutated abilities post-infection?!

Isn't this equivalent to directly obtaining special powers on par with the Extraordinary?

Unfortunately, before Cheng Ye could get excited, his gaze fell on the note below.

The words "Equivalent Influence" doused all his impulses like a bucket of ice water.

If the side effects brought by an Infected Body can also be extracted equally, then why use the Collector to search? Just let the Infected Body infest.

"No, this function..."

Cheng Ye raised an eyebrow, suddenly realizing another brilliant use of the search function:

If the target's compatibility exceeds 50%, couldn't the search determine if they are infected from the root?

This is god-tier skill!

In just a moment, Cheng Ye thought of several scenarios where this functionality can be used.

For example, when working in the field, if unable to ascertain if a teammate is infected, just search.

Or during verification, for uncertain individuals, use search to obtain results.

[Please make a choice, if unable to choose, cancel the search, no return of charging value upon cancellation, considered a failure, but double Action Points acquired]

The Collector panel lights up a prompt.

Double Action Points!

Cheng Ye's eyes lit up, and unexpectedly, canceling the search can lead to such an additional gain, so without hesitation, he decided: "Cancel search."

Since the note says equipping 'Rotting Vine' is necessary to gain some information value, why hesitate?

This function in the Skill Bar is cumbersome.

"Unless one day a method is found to completely eradicate the infection source, never touch these skills."

Cheng Ye warned himself silently.

Impulsiveness is the devil; in a life-and-death crisis, without the infection source abilities, calm judgment may still lead to survival in desperate situations.

But once tainted by such mutated power, who knows if the gambler's mindset of "life for life" will arise at a critical moment.

Then, seemingly having another path is actually shackling oneself.

[Search canceled, returned Action Points '4' (Level 1)]

The panel information flashed and disappeared before Cheng Ye's eyes post-return.

Although a search opportunity was wasted, quite by accident, an alternative method was found to identify an Infected Body, also acquiring Action Points.

Cheng Ye didn't feel disappointed, stepping back several steps, planning to compensate for the loss from another direction.

"Sir... Sir..."

Barrett, leaning on the railing waiting to be questioned, was clueless.

For a moment, he heard a violent rumble, with shockwaves shaking his eardrums in pain, almost like his skull might be blown open.

Skull?

Instinctively, he reached for the aching spot on his forehead, but instead of red or white, he felt some viscous blackish-green liquid oozing continuously from the bullet-created holes, carrying a nauseating rancid stench.

I...

This...

Is...

A chaotic train of thought exploded in his mind, and at this moment, he suddenly found his vision detached from first-person, seeing his body from a third-person top-down view.

The space supposed to be occupied by a head was empty, and from the unevenly cut neck stump, clusters of green vines spewed forth from the severed edge, intertwining in the air like boiling asphalt, forming a twisted humanoid contour.

Am I infected?

The instant this realization struck, a torrent of repressed memories surged through his mind.

Amidst the ruins of the city under the setting sun.

An old Big Golden Cup vehicle crazily rushed into a dead-end alley, doors violently swung open, and eight people stumbled out of the car, their terrified gazes unanimously directed towards the alley entrance.

In the last rays of the sunset, a more than ten-meter tall green vine monster slowly emerged, and in the middle of that massive body, a twisted humanoid outline vaguely appeared, resembling a fly caught in a spider's web, silently narrating the profound terror of humanity!

Everyone fired frantically, the dense gunfire erupted suddenly, bullets rained down on the monster but only created black pits on the tough vine skin.

And the monster writhed its gigantic python-like offshoots, each lash accurately lifting a person from the crowd, tearing them apart mid-air, raining blood and shattered flesh.

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