197: Chapter 197 Know When to Stop and Thoroughly Study the Fruits of Success

Ling Ye quickly used the tip of his crowbar to pry open the Mutant's corpse, examining its wounds and structure.

The carapace was hard, but the joints and the neck connection were indeed weak points.

The base of the deep blue tentacles seemed to be connected to some kind of dark blue, translucent ganglion, which was still twitching slightly.

Inside the tentacles were muscles and cartilage-like structures, and the bone spurs within the suction cups at the tips seemed capable of secreting some kind of transparent mucus that gave off a faint, acidic, putrid odor.

He quickly used a multi-purpose military knife to carefully cut off several cracked carapace fragments, one relatively intact deep blue tentacle (along with its base ganglion), and a small section of the end of a main tentacle (with suction cup bone spurs), and also collected a small amount of black blood and transparent bone spur mucus in an empty tin can.

These samples were carefully wrapped and sealed separately using waterproof bags and scraps of canvas to avoid direct contact.

Then, he tore off a large, relatively clean piece of canvas from beside the corpse, roughly wrapped and bundled the remaining main torso of the Mutant, and prepared to drag it away.

The corpse itself might contain information, and its odor could perhaps be used to create special bait or to deter other creatures.

He walked over to the vibration device that was still making a faint "tick-tock" sound, crushed it with one foot, sending gears flying, and silenced it completely.

Then, he quickly cleaned up the obvious signs of battle in the vicinity (bloodstains, drag marks), at least making it less easy for clues to be spotted at a glance from a distance.

Having done this, he vigilantly took one last look at the Canvas Area.

It remained deathly silent, but that pervasive, cold "presence" seemed even more solid and vigilant than before, as if something was silently "watching" this side from behind the canvas, though it did not rush out immediately.

He couldn't stay any longer!

Ling Ye dragged the heavy bundle, moving as fast and as quietly as possible, and quickly retreated to the safety zone along his pre-planned route.

Along the way, he restored several early warning tripwires and empty can traps to their original state.

After returning to the hidden corner behind the punch press, he immediately stuffed the bundled Mutant corpse into the deepest crevice and covered it with debris.

Then, he placed the collected samples and the bodily fluids and mucus to one side.

He leaned his back against the wall, panting heavily, calming his racing heart and slightly trembling arms (the aftereffects of adrenaline wearing off).

After a brief rest, he immediately began analyzing the samples and organizing the intelligence.

First, he processed the bodily fluids and mucus.

Using a shard of a glass bottle he had found as a container, he dripped a drop of the black blood and a drop of the transparent mucus onto it, then focused his mind, applying the "Energy Perception" and preliminary "material analysis" techniques from his "Legacy" to attempt to sense their energy properties and chemical composition.

Black blood: It contained distinct, albeit fading, remnants of the cold, "incompatible" energy of the "abyssal eye," though it was much weaker than when the creature was alive.

Besides this, there were complex organic decomposition products and unknown toxins.

The energy characteristics tended towards "erosion" and "chaos."

Transparent bone spur mucus: The energy reaction was very weak, but it possessed paralytic and slightly corrosive properties.

It volatilized and solidified quickly after contacting the air.

This was likely a type of anesthetic/digestive fluid used for predation.

He needed to be careful not to let it come into direct contact with skin or wounds.

Next were the carapace fragments.

He used the crowbar to tap and test them; the hardness was very high, but resistance to blunt impact was superior to that against piercing and cutting.

When observed under strong light, the edges had extremely fine, circuit board-like dark blue patterns, which seemed related to the conduction of "abyssal eye" energy.

Could this explain its sensitivity to metal/magnetism?

The carapace itself was a good insulator, but it might have weaker defenses against energy of specific frequencies (such as "Order" energy?).

Then there were the deep blue tentacles and the ganglion.

This was the focus.

The tentacles themselves seemed to be a type of highly sensitive composite receptor capable of sensing vibrations, heat, specific energy frequencies (such as "abyssal eye" contamination, metal magnetic fields?), and possibly even pheromones.

The ganglion was the processing center; its internal structure was fine and deeply integrated with "abyssal eye" energy.

The strong light had caused damage similar to an "overload burnout," and the ganglion had partially carbonized.

This confirmed that strong light was a major weakness and could potentially cause chain-reaction damage to its entire sensory System.

Finally, the end of the main tentacle.

The suction cup structure was ingenious, and the bone spurs were hollow, confirming they were toxin-injecting organs.

The tentacle muscles were powerful, but the structure was relatively fragile, especially at the joints.

Preliminary conclusions and tactical updates:

Core weaknesses: Strong light (blinding, sensory overload), joints/connections (weak physical defense), "Order" energy (theoretically a counter, currently unable to be utilized).

Countermeasures for attack methods: Be vigilant against tentacle entanglement and toxin injection.

Keep distance, avoid close quarters.

Use cover to evade tentacle strikes.

Sensory interference: Strong light is the most effective method.

Secondly, creating complex vibrations (e.g., multiple points vibrating simultaneously) or releasing strong odors (e.g., burning materials) might interfere with its sensory coordination.

Speculation on group behavior: Judging by the fact that the nest did not immediately launch a massive retaliation, its social structure might be relatively loose, or individuals might rely on pheromones/vibrations to transmit information, which has a delay.

It is also possible that there is a more powerful "mastermind" individual deep inside that has not easily mobilized.

Sample utilization: Using its blood or tissue and smearing it in specific areas might simulate its scent, confusing or attracting others of its kind.

Studying its carapace patterns might lead to finding a way to interfere with its perception of metal.

Bone spur venom can be collected with caution and used as a backup weapon (smearing it on weapon tips? High risk).

Just as Ling Ye was immersed in his analysis, a faint, yet exceptionally clear "click-clack... click-clack..." sound came from the direction of the Canvas Area again.

This time, the sound was denser, and... it seemed to be moving?

It was not approaching, but rather moving slowly along the edge of the Canvas Area, heading in another direction—it seemed to be towards the east side of the Warehouse, the direction with the ventilation duct access and the passage connecting to other areas?

Ling Ye immediately became alert, quietly moved to the observation point, pricked up his ears to listen, and simultaneously projected his "Energy Perception" over there.

That's right! That cold "presence" was moving towards the east side!

And it seemed there was more than one source!

Although the quantity was unknown, they were definitely more "active" than before.

What were they trying to do? Leave the nest area? Explore the east side? Or... had they detected the vibration source and the battle site, and begun conducting peripheral searches or patrols?

If it was the latter, it meant their alert level had increased, and their range of activity might have expanded.

Then, the chances of the "safety zone" where he was located being discovered would increase significantly!

He had to take action immediately!