Wasteland: My items are infinitely upgraded.

Chapter 134: Second-order existence, refraction plan, and honesty
"Captain, are you really going to promise that guy the Rockhorn Horse's second-level essence?"

On the way back, Ma Li whispered:

"But didn't we take it as a reward for Wang Chen's ambush and traitorous act in the Li family? Without the information Wang Chen revealed, this robbery wouldn't have been so successful."

"Give the second-level source essence to Lin Feng now, then..."

In order to carry out the plan to seize the Rock Wildebeest industry, the Salvation Army led by Bai Ye had actually been planning for many years.

Of course, all this was thanks to the fact that many years ago, after learning about the situation in Oasis Town, Chief Bai Ye keenly realized that there would inevitably be a fierce struggle between the Oasis Church and the local clans to determine the ownership of the Oasis.

The reason is that the Holy Spring Cult has been developing slowly in recent years and is no longer able to send more forces to the oasis, and its control over the area has been declining year by year.

Therefore, the upper limit of oasis development will be limited by the breeding output and quality of Lijiayan wildebeest.

This is easy to understand.

Because evolution is like rowing against the current, if you don't move forward, you will move backward.

A late-stage first-level evolver in peak condition is definitely more combat-ready than an early-stage second-level evolver who hasn't eaten for many days.

The second-level evolution is not as difficult to advance as the third-level king. On the contrary, for those top forces that have mastered the third-level evolution path, as long as there are enough resources, the second-level evolvers can even be mass-produced.

The second-level evolution, as the mid-to-high-end power above the wasteland, is the strongest existence walking the world in the era when there are no third-level kings.

Therefore, those top forces can firmly control all the resources of the wasteland and curb the development of other second-rate or wandering forces.

However, for top forces, although it is not difficult to cultivate second-level evolved subordinates, it is a considerable expense to feed them.

The reason for this is not only the consumption required by the immortal bodies of the second-level evolvers themselves, but also their long lifespan of thousands of years.

If a person in a high position, whether an individual or an organization, lives too long, it will inevitably lead to a serious consequence, that is, class stratification and excessive concentration of resources.

In the context of a wasteland with limited resources, the organization is bloated and redundant, and as resources continue to differentiate, the average strength of individuals continues to decline.

This is also the reason why the deacons and priests of the church are weaker than the hunters and wanderers of the same level in the wilderness, and even the relatives cultivated by the local big families.

Because of this, the church decided to take the risk and choose to absorb the life essence of the steppe wolf to temporarily enhance its combat effectiveness in order to resolve the crisis of the Li family's rebellion.

Moreover, as the situation has evolved to this point, both sides have only one chance. Once the second-level evolver is unable to replenish nutrition and energy in time after the battle, his condition will only continue to deteriorate, and may even fall to the late first-level level.

Therefore, Bai Ye was not worried about how much of a threat Lin Feng would pose after he was promoted to the second level.

Before solving the problem of second-level food reserves, forcing yourself to advance to the second level will only make you exhausted from struggling for survival.

Become a slave to evolution.

Ma Li's worries and concerns will not affect the Salvation Army's subsequent operation to seize the rock horn beetle industry.

After all, Wang Chen is worthless after being used, and it is still unknown whether he can survive the war.

"That guy? He's just an evolved dog shackled and kept by the Li family. We've already paid him the life essence of a first-stage late-stage leader-level rockhorn horse as compensation."

"Even if the conditions promised later are valid, it depends on whether he can survive to get them."

As he spoke, Bai Ye looked at his men, who were busy using solar concentrating stoves to smelt tools, and then continued:

"In addition to the second-level physique, the Li family's goods also include two leader-level rockhorn beetle essences. They are both at the late stage of the first level, with the upper limit of level 19. After giving one level 17 to Wang Chen, there are exactly one level 18 and one level 19 left..."

"When the refraction plan is implemented, starting from the negative first floor, every time Lin Feng helps us solve a layer, we will give him a copy to ensure that he can be promoted to level 19 before the negative fourth floor."

Ma Li was a little surprised.

The conditions and treatment offered by the leader around her were a bit too generous, and this was the first time in all these years that she had seen Bai Ye being so generous.

Bai Ye's mouth corners slightly raised:

"Don't be too surprised. This is just to ensure his most efficient method. Don't forget that after completing each level of evolution and absorbing the life essence, the evolver's state will be instantly restored to its peak..."

"This way, Lin Feng will be able to complete the cleanup of the upper three levels of the ruins as quickly as possible. Later, when he challenges the Level 3 Aberrations on the negative fourth level, he, having already been promoted to Level 2, will have sufficient energy and strength to suppress those monsters."

After hearing what Bai Ye said, Ma Li thought about it carefully and it seemed to be the case.

"Since he said that if we pay in advance, we can get the full support of a firearms evolutionist, how can we justify our advance investment if we don't exploit him properly?"

After entering the cave, Bai Ye added with a smile.

He then began to instruct his team to set up various equipment outside the cave entrance, preparing to build an extra-large solar concentrating stove.

Less than an hour later, Lin Feng came out of the team camp, carrying half a pot of yam and horse meat stew, and walked towards the Saviors in the cave of the shelter.

Seeing Lin Feng coming, the members of the Salvation Army were also a little nervous. After all, the person in front of them was a guy who could fire more than a dozen shells in a row, and the damage was comparable to that of a human-shaped mobile tank.

Fortunately, Lin Feng was not wearing that fully armed battle armor, but the same level nine light steel armor as before, otherwise he would have really become a humanoid heavy tank.

By then, the entire Salvation Army would probably have to hide behind bunkers, armed with guns and on guard.

After Lin Feng walked in, a captain of the Salvation Army team bravely stepped forward and asked the man why he came.

Upon hearing that the other party was looking for their leader to inquire about the specific battle plan, the team leader who had evolved into the middle stage of the first stage turned around and hurried into the cave to report.

It can be seen that there is still a certain degree of discipline and organization among the Salvation Army. They are not the evil bandits described by Zheng Yanying.

Since their respective positions are somewhat contradictory, it is inevitable that they will exaggerate the other party's situation and describe them as unforgivable villains. Therefore, if you want to know the real situation, you can only come and check it out in person.

In fact, there is one thing that can support Zheng Yanying's point of view. The flaw is the other wandering forces gathered outside the cave entrance. If the Savior Army is really an organization that burns, kills, loots and does all kinds of evil, then how could there be so many convoys staying outside the cave entrance.

As a combat priest, Zheng Yanying must face enemies who are definitely villains in the wasteland.

Over time, they will naturally form an inherent impression and develop a natural hostility towards all wanderer forces.

But in Lin Feng's opinion, although the wasteland where the strong prey on the weak and strength is respected, it also has its unique advantages, such as unrestrained freedom and the warmth of mutual support under harsh conditions.

Because from his perspective, the interpersonal relationships and atmosphere within the Salvation Army are that of a relaxed and easy-going environment.

Instead of evildoers everywhere.

As for what they are doing now, Lin Feng can roughly guess what Bai Yue mentioned as a quick cleanup plan.

That is to use sunlight, or more accurately, the energy of the scorching sun's radiation, which contains the power of curse, and then use the concave mirror of the solar concentrator to gather the light outside the cave to the entrance of the shelter inside the cave.

Then, using the principle of mirror refraction, the sunlight from outside is continuously sprinkled and illuminated into the interior of the ruins.

By then, even a third-order distortion king would have to retreat and hide in the deeper negative fourth floor.

Lin Feng had also thought about this idea, but there were actually great limitations in implementing it.

To solve the problem of light refraction, we have to find a mirror that can withstand temperatures of thousands of degrees.

However, the main material of the mirror is glass, which has a melting point of only 600 degrees. Even if it is replaced with a smooth metal material, most metals will melt into liquid at a high temperature of thousands of degrees.

Lowering the temperature to allow for refraction will inevitably weaken the light source, reducing the energy of the scorching sun, and it can only illuminate the first or second negative floor at best.

Starting from the negative third floor, the scorching sunlight that has been refracted three times will definitely decay to a level of 100, and its lethality to the deformed body will also be greatly reduced.

So at most it can be used to clean the top three floors.

After reaching the negative fourth floor, you still have to rely on your own strength to deal with those distorted monsters, especially the third-level distortion king.

While observing the Salvation Army at the cave entrance, Lin Feng pondered the feasibility of their plan...

Soon, the team leader who had entered the cave to report the situation hurried back and invited Lin Feng in.

As soon as you enter the cave, you can clearly feel that the temperature inside has risen a lot compared to before.

It has increased from around 30 degrees to nearly 40 degrees.

At this time, some small condensing mirrors have been tested outside, forming a thin line of hot light source, aimed at the entrance of the shelter inside the cave.

At the entrance, a large iron pot had already been set up, like a searchlight, with a person standing behind it to control it, aiming the concentrated light beam at the basement level of the shelter below.

For a moment, high-temperature light of hundreds of degrees descended on the dim ruins that had never seen sunlight all day long. The deformed bacteria and viruses floating in the space turned into wisps of carbonized sublimated white gas.

The deformed body that was stranded on the negative first floor was also struck by the high-energy beam and melted into a pool of bloody solution at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Seeing this scene from afar reminded Lin Feng of the sci-fi weapons in previous games, the Prism Tower and Prism Tank, which used high-energy lasers for defense and attack.

Now, with the help of the cursed energy of the scorching sun, the deformed creatures born from the genetic radiation of the third-order king are attacked. The two have the same effect.

Moreover, the cave is more than ten meters high, and the entrance to the shelter is also nearly ten meters high, so there is no need to worry that the concentrated light will hurt the explorers below.

In order to move a large amount of heavy building materials and heavy engineering equipment into the shelter, the entrance gate of almost every large shelter was designed to be very large.

Now it has also become a feasible condition for the spotlight action.

Otherwise, if you play like this, it is easy to accidentally hurt your teammates and cause them to be accidentally infected with the Sun Curse, which will be counterproductive.

When Lin Feng continued to walk closer and entered the cave, he saw a busy crowd of people.

The other second-level evolver who was holding an umbrella for the leader, the muscular female mechanical engineer Ma Li, was directing her subordinates to move equipment from the car.

And in the convoy, Lin Feng also saw a familiar scene.

Lisa was standing in front of a towed cart, feeding some grass to the wildebeests imprisoned in the iron cage on it.

Compared to the rock wildebeests in Oasis Town, which can eat fresh plant tuber fibers, the rock wildebeests captured by the Salvation Army team basically eat hay. Not only is the nutritional value low, but whether they can eat enough is also a problem.

After all, even wild herds of rock wildebeest rely on long-distance migrations, constantly moving from one location to another, and eating as they roam the vast wilderness to accumulate the energy they need for growth. And if captive rock wildebeests lack adequate food for a long period of time, their evolutionary level may even decline.

Unless the Salvation Army sends people to different areas every day to collect dead branches, rotten leaves and dry grass, or establishes its own planting industry like Farm Village and Lin Feng Team.

Based on planting, the ubiquitous light energy is converted into biomass energy and provided to the superior rock wildebeest, forming a cycle, and thereby obtaining a continuous supply of clean and stable evolutionary meat.

So Lin Feng couldn't help but speculate that perhaps the Salvation Army would one day attack the farm village in Oasis Town to seize the planting industry in their hands.

Mainly related seedling cultivation and agricultural technicians who can farm.

These people are more popular than engineers.

In the resource-poor wasteland, even the old farmers who have been farming for a lifetime in the old Earth period are more valuable and useful than people like Lin Feng who have adapted to modern life during the urbanization process.

Otherwise, the Liu brothers and sisters would not have fallen to this point.

Lin Feng was also a person who didn't know the difference between grains. His only experience in planting crops was probably growing bean sprouts and watermelon seedlings out of curiosity when he was a child.

Therefore, if one wants to establish a stable planting industry, it will be difficult to expand the scale and support team members and rock wildebeests without relevant supporting facilities, personnel and technology.

When Lin Feng observed the Salvation Army and guessed that they would attack the Li family in Nongzhuang Village again, a figure suddenly appeared.
Appeared silently behind him.

"So what? Are you interested in rock wildebeest breeding, or the people who breed them?"

Bai Ye, with silver hair, walked lightly to Lin Feng and spoke softly.

Lin Feng was suddenly shocked. You know, he has now become a late-stage first-order evolver. Logically speaking, he should be able to at least sense the existence of a late-stage second-order evolver.

Even if the other party restrains his breath, at a close distance of less than one meter, even an ordinary person with no aura will be detected by Lin Feng instinctively.

The inability to sense the other party approaching is definitely not Lin Feng’s own fault.

Then the problem comes from Bai Ye himself.

Her spatial ability can actually isolate all her own aura and allow her to approach the target without anyone noticing!
It can be called a professional skill of stealth and assassination!
If Bai Ye wanted to take action, he could kill people without them even noticing.

Seeing Lin Feng's expression was a little unnatural...

Bai Ye chuckled and continued:

"Don't be so nervous, it's just some little tricks. Spatial isolation doesn't make you invisible. You can see me by turning your head. Besides, there's no need for me to risk my life."

Lin Feng nodded, the other party was right.

I was only frightened by Bai Ye's sudden appearance when I was relaxed.

While on guard, her isolation of her own aura was obviously not as good as Chen Shanshan's blinding effect. The latter's ability had been developed to the extreme, and she could even create large blind spots.

It's just that it's in the underground ruins at the moment, and it's a bit useless.

"Haven't you eaten yet? I'm here to bring Lisa some food, how about joining us?"

Lin Feng opened the lid of the pot in his hand. There was half of the yam and horse meat stewed in the pressure cooker. The aroma wafted away as the lid was opened.

Bai Ye's mouth corners slightly raised:

"We were planning to eat together after we finish our work, but Mr. Lin's hospitality is hard to refuse, so let's eat first."

As he spoke, Bai Ye called Lisa over, set up a table and chairs next to an RV, and the three of them sat down.

Lisa was very happy about Lin Feng's arrival, and now she had the opportunity to have a good chat, so she asked about the latter's battle results several days ago when they left the Wild Rift.

Lin Feng then slowly told the story of his last big success.

During their last hunt for rockhorn horses, they killed a total of five first-stage early-stage female horses and two mid-stage leaders.

The price he paid was that Lin Feng was chased by a second-order patriarch-level rock hornbear all the way from the rift valley to the Laoshan scenic area.

I heard that Lin Feng was running wildly and being chased all the way for thirty or forty kilometers, and was finally forced to climb up a cliff to avoid being chased by the chief-level rock wildebeest...

Lisa's face turned pale.

"I didn't expect you guys to play so big..."

"I should have warned you earlier. If you make too much noise and kill too many first-level rockhorn horses at once, you'll attract the pursuit of the chief-level rockhorn horses."

"As the guardians of the tribe, the rockhorn herd is its offspring and the carrier of its bloodline."

Lin Feng shrugged:

"It's okay, it's all in the past. Next time we encounter a chief-level rockhorn horse, it's hard to say who will chase and who will run away."

Bai Ye, who was sitting opposite Lin Feng, only tasted a little and then put down his bowl and chopsticks:
"It seems Captain Lin has a very rich and varied experience, and he has reached his current position step by step on his own. So I would like to ask what Captain Lin thinks of Oasis Town and the church."

Lin Feng narrowed his eyes slightly. He didn't expect the other party to mention this matter directly. Perhaps it was because the two parties were about to cooperate and needed to know each other's ins and outs.

Just as Zheng Yanying was worried that the Salvation Army would go back on its word, Bai Ye was also worried that Lin Feng, who was armed with heavy firepower, would be detrimental to the Salvation Army in the rear.

Judging from the consequences, it is obvious that Lin Feng's betrayal at the critical moment will cause more serious consequences.

After Bai Ye finished asking, the entire area around the table fell into a dead silence. Lisa, who was sitting between the two of them, wanted to say something...

But she knew her identity clearly. If she spoke up for Lin Feng at this time, it would only hurt him.

After a moment of silence, Lin Feng slowly spoke:
"The Church is the one in power. I'm a guild hunter who pursues freedom, and the Wanderer is an ambitious person who wants to achieve something. Just like the Li family in Oasis Town today, they want to break free from the control and oppression of the Holy Spring Church and establish their own rule."

"So, I'm actually not that interested in the changes in the situation in Oasis Town. I came here to collect the Steppe Wolf Essence Crystals only because the church promised to give me a second-level Essence from a Patriarch-level Rockhorn Horse."

As he spoke, Lin Feng also stated the church's conditions:

"In order to seek my assistance, the bishop even promised to hand over the farm village to me after the Li family was destroyed. I would take over the Li family's position and provide a stable supply of rockhorn horse meat to the oasis."

"But... I refused."

"Because staying here isn't my goal. I've only just woken up, and I want to see the big cities far away, travel the world, and witness this world six thousand years from now."

"By the way, let's research what happened back then that led to Sanri Lingkong's current despair."

"As for my opinion on Oasis Town and the church, I have no opinion at all. I'll help whoever offers the highest price and is more beneficial to my future development."

"This is just a simple transaction, not a stance. Just like I promise to help you kill the aberrations and ensure that you reach the weapons factory."

After listening to Lin Feng's frankness, Bai Ye smiled, nodded with satisfaction, and then sighed:
"Unfortunately, Captain Lin has already embarked on the evolutionary path of the Rockhorn Horse. The end point of his evolution in this life has stopped at the late second stage..."

"Otherwise we would have more common ground, and even work together to achieve these life aspirations."

Lin Feng nodded with a hint of regret:

"What a shame, but there are so many evolvers in the wasteland. Among the second-level strongmen, I'm afraid that only one in ten thousand can be promoted to the third-level king..."

“To be able to advance to the late second stage and become a being like Chief White is already a leader in the wasteland.”

“I am very lucky to have reached this point in my lifetime.”

A trace of regret flashed in Bai Ye's eyes:
"That being said, there is no way to advance to the third level. After evolving to the second level, each level advancement will become extremely difficult."

"Because the number of Patriarch-level Rockhorn Horses is extremely limited, especially those in the late second stage. The number of them in the entire wasteland world is no more than two hands..."

"So almost all the evolvers who embark on this path stop at the middle stage of the second stage, and even the middle stage can be counted on one hand."

After listening to what Bai Ye said, Lin Feng frowned slightly:

"The head of the Li family in Farm Village, his evolutionary level is only the middle stage of the second stage?"

"The Li family's strength seems to be just this level."

If the strongest member of the Li family is only at the middle stage of the second level, then at least the Bishop is much stronger than them.

A high priest of level 29, even if he is not good at fighting, can definitely suppress a high priest of level 26.

Bai Ye smiled after hearing this:

"That's right. The head of the Li family, Li Hao, was also a powerful figure near the holy land hundreds of years ago. After failing in his attempt to evolve to the late second stage, he lived in seclusion here."

"But don't underestimate him just because he's only in the middle stage of the second stage. Ordinary people in the late stage of the second stage are no match for him."

Lin Feng was slightly stunned, somewhat puzzled:

"Is it because they took the Rock Wildebeest Path?"

Bai Ye nodded and then asked:

"You've only just awakened in the wasteland. You probably don't know the three major evolutionary paths that have emerged in this world, right?"

"Come to think of it, after all, this is a rather taboo topic in the church..."

"As for the Li family, they will not publicize this matter."

Lin Feng's expression gradually became solemn, and he thought to himself that this trip was not in vain.

Then he replied seriously:

"Please enlighten me."

(End of this chapter)