Chapter 66 Taking the Initiative! Hunting the Worms!

The "ghost" moved silently through the intricate network of pipes like a true "ghost".

Thanks to the new skill "Void Affinity", Lin Yuan felt his perception of the surrounding environment had improved by more than one level.

Previously, he had to rely entirely on the perfect stealth of the "Spatial Lens Force Field" to avoid being discovered, and his whole body was as tense as a drawn bow.

But now, he even dared to move at a relatively high speed while in stealth mode.

He could clearly "feel" how his energy aura blended perfectly with the chaotic biological energy field around him, just like a drop of water merging into the ocean, indistinguishable.

"The 30% stealth bonus is too effective!" Lin Yuan marveled inwardly, "This feeling is just like when I used to go to the scrapyard to steal... no, to investigate the market—wearing clothes the same color as the trash pile. As long as I lay still, people couldn't see me even if they stood right in front of me."

He was full of confidence now.

Soon, he arrived at the main energy channel marked on the map.

As soon as he entered, a surge of biological energy, so dense it was almost tangible, rushed toward him.

The energy concentration here was more than ten times higher than in the "capillaries" he had stayed in before!

The flowing light on the surface of the "ghost"'s adaptive armor became much brighter, like a person who had been hungry for a long time and finally smelled the aroma of food; every cell in his body was cheering.

"What a great place! This is practically a natural 'charging station'!" Lin Yuan felt a surge of excitement.

He didn't rush to find a target but first found a relatively hidden depression to hide the "ghost", then began to carefully observe the surrounding environment.

This main channel was exceptionally wide, with a diameter of at least five kilometers.

The inner wall of the pipe was no longer dry tissue but covered with various strange, seemingly still-wriggling "tumors".

Some unknown, fluorescent fungi clung to the tumors like moss, illuminating the entire dark passage with an eerie, ghostly green light.

"Pheromone scan... threat level, low. No large predator signals detected."

"Biological energy scan... energy flow stable, no abnormal fluctuations detected."

Lin Yuan patiently analyzed the data, like an experienced old hunter carefully observing the hunting ground before the hunt.

"Got it!"

About ten minutes later, his detector finally captured a familiar target.

Below the passage, in a huge cave about twenty kilometers away, a "Tunneling Worm" even larger than the previous one was lying there lazily, seemingly just having finished eating.

Its tail was rhythmically contracting and wriggling.

Lin Yuan knew this was a sign that it was "digesting" food and purifying energy.

Before long, a brand-new, glittering "deep blue star" would be "manufactured" by it.

"Hehe, big guy, I've been waiting for you for a long time." A mischievous smile tugged at the corners of Lin Yuan's mouth.

If it were before, he would have honestly hidden, waited for it to finish pooping, and then used the same old trick of "making a feint to the east and attacking in the west" to steal that "crystal".

But now, he had upgraded his equipment.

He wanted to test how powerful these new "toys" he had just acquired really were.

"Command Center, this is Lin Yuan." He connected the communication.

"Lin Yuan! How is the situation? Have you found a way to replenish energy?" Academician Wang's anxious voice came through immediately.

"Found it, Academician Wang." Lin Yuan chuckled, "I've found a new 'production line', even larger in scale than the previous one. I'm preparing to go 'urge delivery' now."

"Urge delivery? What are you trying to do again?!" Academician Wang's heart tightened again upon hearing his flippant tone. "I warn you, no reckless actions! Safety first! We have already found a way to 'charge' you, you just need to..."

"Academician Wang, don't worry yet." Lin Yuan interrupted him, "Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth. Our new weapon has just come off the assembly line; we have to take it out for a walk, do some target practice, and test its performance, right?"

"I plan to take the initiative and... tidy up that worm a little. That way, it will be easier for me to get the 'power bank'."

"Take the initiative?!" Everyone in the Command Center was shocked.

The Minister of Security roared directly: "Nonsense! Comrade Lin Yuan! I order you to immediately abandon this dangerous idea! The threat level of that thing is 'extremely high'! You..."

"Minister, don't worry." Lin Yuan's tone was exceptionally calm, "Times have changed. Before, we had millet and rifles, and we definitely had to go around tanks. Now that we have anti-tank missiles in our hands, we can't just stay in the trenches and wait for them to throw shells at our heads, right?"

"And I found detailed information about this kind of 'Tunneling Worm' from ashilya's database." Lin Yuan started talking nonsense with a straight face—oh no, conducting a scientific analysis.

"This thing looks scary, but it's actually just a big dummy. Its only attack method is physical attacks and corrosive liquid attacks using its suckers. Its perception is only sensitive to large-scale energy fluctuations. As long as we are fast enough and our attacks are precise enough, we can cripple it before it reacts; it won't pose a threat at all!"

"Its weakness is in the middle of its body, where its ganglia are most concentrated. As long as we destroy that area, it will fall into temporary paralysis."

Listening to Lin Yuan's well-founded "monster weakness analysis", the biologists in the Command Center were stunned.

Chen Weiguo was silent for a moment, then finally said slowly: "Lin Yuan, I'll ask you one more time, how confident are you?"

"Reporting to the Chief!" Lin Yuan's voice was resolute, "Ninety percent!"

"Good!" Chen Weiguo didn't hesitate anymore, "I approve your 'live-fire test' plan! But remember your words, safety first! Once any accident occurs, use 'spatial jump' to evacuate immediately! That is your last trump card for survival; don't use it lightly, but don't hesitate when you need to!"

"Understood!"

Having received the Chief's approval, Lin Yuan felt the blood in his body start to boil.

He controlled the "ghost" and slid silently out of the hidden depression.

He transformed the "nanocluster plasticity tool arm" into that cool-looking plasma light sword burning with scorching white flames!

"Big guy, Grandpa is here to... trim your feet!"

Lin Yuan let out a strange cry in his heart.

The next second, the black "ghost", like an arrow leaving the bow, with a scorching white tail of death, pounced toward the giant worm that was still leisurely "digesting" its food below!

The worm also seemed to sense danger. Its massive body shuddered violently, and countless chrysanthemum-like suckers opened instantly, wanting to counterattack.

But it was too late!

"Swish—!"

The scorching white light sword, carrying unparalleled high temperature and sharpness, slashed fiercely at its pale, huge body!

There was no blood-splattered scene as imagined.

Under the terrifying high temperature of the plasma light sword, the worm's tough skin and flesh were directly vaporized and carbonized the moment they were touched!

A huge, charred, bone-deep wound a hundred meters long instantly appeared on the worm's body!

"Roar—!!!"

The intense pain made the giant worm let out a silent but painful roar!

Its massive body began to roll, twitch, and slam wildly in the passage!

Countless gravel and chunks of meat were sent flying by its collisions.

And just as it was struggling wildly, the "sphincter" at its tail suddenly relaxed.

With a "poof" sound.

A "deep blue star" that was even larger than the previous one and radiated brilliant blue light, mixed with some messy, yellowish-green mucus, was "excreted" by it in advance.

"Hey! That's exactly the effect I wanted!"

Lin Yuan was overjoyed to see this.

He controlled the "ghost", dodged a truck-sized piece of gravel flying toward him with a nimble dodge. Then, like the most excellent scavenger, he accurately rushed toward that freshly baked "treasure".

He extended the mechanical arm and scooped it up!

Then, without looking back, he accelerated violently in the direction he came from!

The whole process was smooth and fluid, clean and neat!

Leaving behind only the giant worm still rolling and roaring in pain on the spot, and a group of scientists in the Command Center who were dumbfounded and unable to speak for a long time.