122. Maggot
Getting rid of the player mindset and identity is not a shameful thing; instead, it opened up Li Aozi's thinking.
Li Aozi knew very well: Blue Star did not have the soil and environment to nurture anything beyond Gamma level, just like dinosaurs couldn't grow too big in a low-oxygen environment and had to become poultry-sized.
Creatures aren't stupid; growing too tall and heavy would only crush them under the planet's gravity.
The birth of the extraordinary is also limited by the environment.
In an ordinary civilization, without a suitable environment or facing severe disasters, if there were no extraordinary beings in the species, genetic inheritance would break off.
But the upper limit of an extraordinary being is locked by the environment from the start.
Civilizations that can't evolve a magical natural worldview can't produce [Mages], and elementals without a genetic mutation basis can't produce [Mutants].
Similarly, Blue Star, whether in oxygen content, knowledge level, or energy reserves, is not enough nor necessary to produce a powerhouse beyond Gamma level.
However, the long, dark night does not mean that there will never be a fleeting flash of brilliance at the energy level.
"Biohazard King-kong" is undoubtedly that flash of brilliance.
The professor, relying on the stacking of Omega Energy, paid a great price, even abandoning her future path, to obtain the mighty body of "Biohazard King-kong".
Conversely—if all this Omega Energy is extracted, its tier will inevitably drop.
This is the only way to defeat it.
"Your calculations are off."
"Biohazard King-kong" was arrogant and contemptuous like a god, spreading its arms, golden light flickering all over its body, while countless viral fumes spread from within.
"I knew long ago that you could absorb Omega Energy. But your body is still that of a mortal, unable to contain much Omega Energy—7, 3+4, only a total of 7 Omega Energies, that's your limit."
"Nodeli died from weakness, Anna died from greed, and you have both, so you are bound to die."
The golden light shining like a vajra Buddha, combined with the viral fumes, completely trapped Li Aozi inside "Biohazard King-kong"'s body.
Neural tentacles rapidly shuttled through "Biohazard King-kong"'s flesh, siphoning life energy and Omega Energy.
[Omega Energy extracted from target]: [Enchanting Pouch]
Crushed.
[Omega Energy extracted from target]: [Blood Control]
Crushed.
[Omega Energy extracted from target]: [Rational Interference]
Crushed.
[Omega Energy extracted from target]: [Hormone Control]
Crushed, crushed, crushed!
[Your ability pods are now full of Omega Energy.]
[You can promote its evolution by repeatedly absorbing the same Omega Energy. You can also choose to crush the genetic sequence of this Omega Energy to feed it to other Omega Energies.]
Crush—absorb!
"Ugh—ugh ah ah ah ah—"
Li Aozi convulsed all over, his body crushed by the genetic impact at the gene level, the base pairs inside him shattered by the overwhelming genetic sequences.
His pupils rapidly disintegrated, other people's eyes and colors flashing in his vision.
The ability pods were a low-level mutation, inevitably carrying countless traits when extracting Omega Energy...compared to the load of Omega Energy, this would cause a complete rejection reaction from others.
Although the Omega Energy in the ability pods wouldn't genetically burden him, the traits and gene fragments carried over caused him immense pain.
The genetic sequence flooded his genetic defenses like a torrent, his immune system raising alarms instantly. Li Aozi's body temperature soared, his immune system perceiving it as a virus and foreign cell invasion, instinctively raising the temperature to kill everything.
[Mutants] can withstand a maximum body temperature of 110°C, something few other extraordinary beings can do in the early stages.
These were tolerable—these could be endured.
The real problem was the series of rejection reactions causing his white blood cells to rapidly stop and die. Soon, he felt blood pouring from his mouth and nose, and different people's low whispers and fearful wails mixed in his ears.
Omega Energy is the manifestation of the soul's traits on genes, carrying the host's personality, memories, and soul fragments, especially since they were fused with "Biohazard King-kong". Each person was in severe physiological torment.
Each Omega Energy carried some degree of pain, 948 in total, accumulating and causing Li Aozi to convulse.
[You have gained a negative effect: Internal Bleeding, losing 1% of current maximum health per second, accompanied by immense pain.]
"Ha... hiss, haha, wheeze... even if I want to retreat now, I can't. In that case—"
Li Aozi bared his sharp teeth, biting into the flesh inside "Biohazard King-kong". In Dominator form, his teeth were as sharp as daggers, biting down and tearing the flesh apart, swallowing it.
"Ugh—disgusting, tougher than dried beef jerky!"
He had previously chosen the iron stomach mutation, which now proved effective.
[Life Severance] continuously consumed Omega Energy, extracting blood from "Biohazard King-kong". The iron stomach continuously devoured flesh to restore Omega Energy!
"Ignorant, ridiculous, immature."
Even through the flesh, "Biohazard King-kong"'s voice was deafening:
"There is endless energy within "Biohazard King-kong". You have no idea what this is; it is the authority of the gods!"
[Omega Energy extracted from target]: [Moisture Distillation]
Crushed.
Blood seeped into Li Aozi's retinas, turning his vision crimson.
He had crushed 48 low to mid-level Omega Energies, with 900 more waiting to be extracted.
Indeed...the professor was right.
Even if all these Omega Energies were crushed, the rejection reactions caused by the chaotic gene fragments would kill him. The one who would kill him wouldn't be the professor, but his fragile immune system.
All along, [Biochemists] were the natural enemies of [Mutants].
Even without intentional targeting, there were countless ways the former could severely harm [Mutants] in the early stages.
A natural enemy means that no matter how hard you try, you can only stand on par with the weakest of the opponent.
That's why people especially enjoy watching underdog revenge stories, like eggs hitting stones. Though it's overestimating oneself, it's far more interesting than a battle between equally matched strong ones.
In fact, reaching this point was already enough for Li Aozi. Even professional players, when facing obvious counter professions, would decisively choose options with higher error tolerance.
[Mutants] fighting [Biochemists] two tiers above to this extent would be questioned if spread around.
Not to mention—the Abyss Professor was the top-tier [Biochemist] on the entire Blue Star.
Her knowledge level had reached the planet's limit. Objectively speaking, it was the environment that limited her upper limit.
But.
"—It's not over yet!"
Li Aozi gritted his teeth, tearing off a piece of "Biohazard King-kong"'s flesh, and transferred all 48 gene fragments into Naomi's [Strong Parasite Mutation].
Omega-grade Omega Energy can only be upgraded with Omega-grade gene fragments.
The same Omega Energy can not only promote quality evolution but also enhance the development level of Omega Energy.
These benefits can only be enjoyed thanks to the final patch correction of version 14.0, which is why Li Aozi dared to continue absorbing Omega Energy.
Naomi's Omega Energy was the lowest quality among them, and the only one that was a physical enhancement type.
She was the least picky about the quality of gene fragments, could be upgraded quickly, and since she was stored in the gene pods, Li Aozi's genes wouldn't contaminate her. No matter how she evolved, it wouldn't affect Naomi's soul purity.
Additionally, strengthening the body and recovery ability meant he could last longer.
[Your subordinate Omega Energy [Strong Parasite Mutation] has evolved]: [Cell Activation]
[Rating]: Iota (ι, the ninth Greek letter)
[Active Activation]: Ignore all control/restriction/disable recovery effects, activate cell activity throughout the body, quickly repair, immediately restore 80% of health, and regenerate any severed limbs or internal injuries.
After use, cells will die from overexertion, needing 30 minutes to regenerate before reuse.
[Passive State]: Your cells are regarded as omnipotent stem cells, restoring health will repair all damage.
"She wants to live with you, to walk together."
Naomi, now you have to save me again.
Splat—
Li Aozi's body trembled. Under Naomi's Omega Energy effect, his internal organs, damaged by excessive hormone use, were rapidly repaired to a healthy level, even improving his aging body.
Continue extracting.
"Don't you know when to stop? Your actions are just a drop in the bucket for "Biohazard King-kong". I have thoroughly understood the Calamity and can utilize it with ease, while you—"
"Shut up, you Omega Energy dwarf. Haven't you noticed? Your eyes have long turned red and black—proclaiming yourself an Calamity researcher, you've long since become an Calamity infected yourself!"
Li Aozi's taunt made "Biohazard King-kong" pause. He didn't have time to consider how many layers of the professor's psychological defenses that statement had breached. He turned his head, murmuring:
"Hey, Naomi, have you ever seen the universe?"
The tentacles on both hands kept extracting Omega Energy and life, and Li Aozi's body bled profusely from the rejection reaction, like a broken faucet that couldn't stop leaking blood.
Afraid of passing out, Li Aozi kept talking:
"I'll tell you a secret: there's no such thing as the Calamity virus. People are just trapped by that layer of red and black clouds on the ground."
He laughed, not knowing who he was talking to. The professor, Naomi, Snow, or all the Abyss infected.
"Actually, if you break through that layer of sky, you'll see an endless star abyss."
"What nonsense, I've studied the Calamity all my life—"
"You studied a load of crap! You were just satisfying your own curiosity, obsessively going in the wrong direction. If you had just looked up, you'd know what the Calamity is!"
Li Aozi cursed:
"You've been trapped on this frozen land for so long, you've forgotten that the sun is a warm fireball, that there are seasons, grasslands, streams, and green hills."
"Be it the professor or the Four Nations, you are all cowards, waste, frogs in a well! People would rather fight among themselves, endure exploitation, and kill each other than look up at the sky. They don't even dare to imagine the dark blue unknown void."
"You brat, what nonsense are you spouting—"
"Naomi, you want to live together, to keep up with me—then evolve with me to the end!"
Li Aozi raised his head.
His left eyeball rotted from the rejection reaction, then quickly sprouted new flesh and rods. The new gray eye was covered with a layer of red and black, then swiftly bloomed with a brilliant golden halo.
"Because I come from the abyss of the stars."