Chapter 528: Chapter 12: Undead Virus Nest (2)

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After running a full gamut of tests, Lin Yu had Chenxi record the various results before finally activating the Concealment Array.

Under the effects of the Concealment Array, the viruses couldn’t find Lin Yu and the others hidden within. However, they could still sense the life force here, so they began to circle the array, their numbers growing steadily.

Eventually, many viruses and viral creatures were pushed into the Concealment Array, where they discovered Lin Yu’s group.

Lin Yu had no choice but to have the Death Devourers take action. Only under the shroud of their deathly aura did the viruses finally disperse.

"Sigh... I was hoping to find a more cost-effective method, but after trying everything, nothing works!"

"It looks like we’ll have to rely on the Death Devourers after all!"

After a full night of testing, Lin Yu abandoned the idea of using Magic Arrays to purify the viruses.

The main reason was that even the most efficient Purification Array would require a massive amount of Spirit Crystals.

Spirit Crystals were currently a strategic resource for the territory, and their market price was very high.

Even though most of the territory’s Spirit Crystals were artificially produced, using them to purify viruses was simply not worth it.

A quick calculation told Lin Yu that he would be operating at a loss.

After watching the tests, Rose said to Lin Yu, "My Lord, leave the task of cleaning up these things to us!"

As the leader of the Death Devourers, it was his duty to solve problems for the territory.

"Using you guys is certainly the most eco-friendly, non-polluting, and energy-efficient solution. However, there are just too few of you!"

The entire third phase of the conflict lasted a year and a half. The number of Death Devourers increased by more than 400, approaching 500, but their total number was still less than 24,000. It sounded like a lot, but spread across an entire planet, it was far too few.

Lin Yu believed there was surely more than one virus hive on this planet. Relying solely on the Death Devourers to handle them would be time-consuming and laborious—the gains wouldn’t justify the costs.

He couldn’t let them split up to deal with the hives individually, either. If they encountered a boss and suffered losses, Lin Yu would be heartbroken.

However, Lin Yu thought it was feasible to use the Death Devourers as a specialized assault team against the viruses.

Lin Yu turned to Baining, who was standing beside him. Baining had been silent all night during the Array tests, and Lin Yu couldn’t tell what it was thinking.

"Baining, what’s on your mind?"

"Lin Yu, I never realized you all were so powerful!"

"Those Tree-men are so strong, too! So much stronger than me!"

"I used to think I was the strongest tree in the world. I never imagined... there are always bigger trees in the forest."

Baining’s words carried a hint of sadness. It seemed that the power of Lin Yu’s group had made it feel inadequate.

"Baining, if you want to become stronger, you can join my territory. You have great potential, and you should be able to grow stronger quickly there."

"Really?"

"Really!"

"But... I don’t want to leave this place..."

"Don’t worry. Once we eliminate all these viruses, this place will become part of my territory. You can join my territory without having to leave."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go eat those viruses right now!"

"Wait!!"

Lin Yu stopped Baining, who was about to charge impatiently into the cave.

"There’s a problem. The viruses on this planet are likely far more numerous than I first thought. I’m not afraid of them, but completely clearing them out will take a lot of time, and I don’t have that much time to waste right now."

"So, I might need your help!"

"How can I help? Just say the word!"

"Hmm... Baining, have you ever flowered and borne fruit?"

"No. My hair can look like flowers, but it can’t bear fruit."

"Well, do you want to flower, bear fruit, and have offspring?"

"Offspring..."

Baining fell into deep thought. It recalled all the years it had lived alone as a single tree. ’If I had offspring, I would probably be happier!’

"I do!"

"Just wait! I’ll arrange it for you right now!"

Delighted, Lin Yu took out several sealed bottles of water from his personal space.

He picked one up and had Baining drink it.

Not long after it finished drinking, many fruits sprouted from the top of its canopy.

"I actually bore fruit?"

Baining sensed the change in itself and, filled with surprised delight, used its roots to touch the fruits on its crown.

"That’s nothing. The important part comes next."

"Come on, put your roots in here."

Lin Yu took out the wooden bucket filled with water from the River of Souls that Baining had given him earlier. It had been half-full, but now it was filled to the brim. Lin Yu also brought out several more buckets, telling it to place its roots into the different buckets.

"Ah? No, I can’t drink any more right now."

Baining quickly refused. It felt like it had gone from being stuffed to bursting to just being full; it was nowhere near needing to "eat" again.

"I’m just asking you to put your roots in, not drink it right now. Be good! Listen to me, or your offspring might be born malnourished."

Hearing Lin Yu say this, Baining chose to trust him and inserted its roots into the buckets.

But it immediately cried out.

"Quick, Lin Yu, do whatever you’re going to do! I can’t control myself—the water is drilling into my body on its own!"

Unhurriedly, Lin Yu took out a special syringe, twisted the dial on it, and set it to 30.

Then he plunged it into Baining’s body.

A sliver of rainbow-colored water entered Baining’s body.

In an instant, its movements accelerated countless times over. The water from the River of Souls in the buckets vanished, and the fruits on its head ripened and fell to the ground.

"Lin Yu, what are you all doing? Why have you been ignoring me for so long?"

Baining’s voice echoed in Lin Yu’s mind.

"We weren’t doing anything, just watching you. You were just accelerated. Thirty days passed for you, but for us, it was only a single moment. Your fruits are ripe now. Should we plant them?"

"Of course!"

Baining didn’t understand the first part of what Lin Yu said, but that didn’t stop it from realizing that the injection had ripened its fruit. It had also completely absorbed the water from the River of Souls, and its body had grown even stronger.

Lin Yu called over Chenxi and the others. Together, they planted Baining’s fruits in the ground, poured on water from the River of Souls, and finally added a tiny drop of the Water of Time.

The seeds sprouted and grew rapidly, quickly reaching maturity.

Through mental communication, Lin Yu confirmed that they had all indeed developed a nascent consciousness.

"There. See? These are your offspring!"

Lin Yu spread his arms, showing off his handiwork to Baining.

Baining stared blankly at the trees, which were several sizes smaller than itself. It saw a reflection of its former self in them. At that moment, a sense of awe for Lin Yu’s abilities took root.

"Baining, can you communicate with them?"

"Yes, I can!"

Baining replied hastily. Just a moment ago, it had already communicated with its offspring through its own special method, explaining the current situation to them.

Next, Lin Yu repeated the same procedure several more times.

By the time a new night fell, the canyon was filled with Baining’s hungry offspring.

"Baining, how about I leave this place to you tonight? Try facing those ’food sources’ on your own!"

"Don’t worry, you can leave it to us. This isn’t my first time. As a single tree, I might have been afraid of them stuffing me to death. But now that I have so many children with me, I’m definitely not afraid anymore."

"Tonight, we feast, my children! Everyone, familiarize yourselves with your abilities as I taught you."

Soon, the viruses and the bodies they controlled swarmed out of the caves again.

Perhaps sensing the massive amount of life force outside, they emerged in exceptionally large numbers, poised to extinguish every living thing in their path.

The entire sky went completely dark after they appeared. Accompanied by a dense wave of Undead Energy, the surrounding energies surged, stirring up gusts of sinister wind. Watching the scene in the canyon from the outside, Lin Yu and the others felt like they were witnessing the end of the world.

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