All-out: Starting with the Awakening Special Operations Unit, search, attack, and withdrawal.

"Twenty million energy points?!"

[Clifftop Plague Hospital] is located in the secret camp.

Luo Xin, who had once again emerged from the secret realm with Song Jiao'er and the others, received a message from her communicator.

When he called back to the He Group and heard the price quote coming from the other end of the communicator, his voice involuntarily rose several octaves.

"Minister Deng, are you sure it's 20 million energy points? A top-secret realm?"

She asked again, somewhat incredulously.

"That's right..." Deng Jie, the man with gold glasses and head of the Pioneer Training Department of the He Group, exchanged a glance with He Zhenshan in front of him.

"Don't just look at the high reward. The group has never set foot in this secret realm before, so apart from the information circulating in the market, we can't provide you with any additional support. The 20 million will only count if you complete all the intelligence gathering requirements on our list..."

Upon hearing this, Luo Xin couldn't help but purse her lips.

I knew these guys weren't that kind.

However, considering that this action could directly pay off one-fifth of the debt, Luo Xin decided to accept it after a moment's thought.

The harshness, even exploitation, that Deng Jie displayed during this time seemed to Luo Xin to be in line with their usual style.

"The mission is rather urgent, you'd better come to [Thousand Insect Village Base City] today..."

Hang up the communication.

Luo Xin looked at Song Jiao'er with some embarrassment. Just as she was about to say something, she heard Wang Suming scratching his head with a suspicious look on his face.

"Just gathering intelligence costs 20 million energy points... Why doesn't that He Group hire a dedicated intelligence gathering team? They probably wouldn't even need 10 million, right?"

Luo Xin's joy froze instantly, while Chu Hong seemed to have already sensed something.

......

Hidden in the dimly lit underground pipes.

Luo Yi looked at the green-haired rats soaking in the dark green solution tank in front of him. At this moment, the solution tank was connected to several valves and testing equipment.

His tired, bloodshot eyes held a hint of urgency and excitement.

"The source energy mutation value is 36 units. It needs to stabilize. Once it stabilizes, crystal solidification can be completed..."

He muttered to himself, years of tedious and despairing research. If it weren't for his sister Luo Xin's constant encouragement and care, Luo Yi would have already ended his life.

A pioneer who doesn't even have source energy, once held the title of the pride of the Dragon Roar Holy Academy, sounds laughable.

He stared intently at the data, including the "source energy mutation value," on the experimental instrument in front of him, his breath catching in his throat.

In fact, the so-called research on "forbidden items" is just a kind of "miniaturization of secret realms".

The power of bosses or elite monsters in the secret realm is extracted, and various technologies are used to form a solidified crystal layer around this power, similar to the barrier of a real secret realm.

Then, when the pioneers used this power, it achieved an effect similar to "devouring an entire secret realm".

Their strength has increased dramatically, and they have also gained unexpected and powerful abilities.

Ding!

As the experimental data stabilized within the predetermined timeframe, Luo Yi suddenly pressed a button on the experimental platform.

In an instant.

Behind them, in the center of the laboratory, the green nutrient solution in the solution tank immediately seemed to be lit up, shining with a crystalline green light, while the eyes of the humanoid bird-beaked black-robed monster in the tank, beneath its mask, also instantly lit up with a scarlet light.

"hiss!"

Luo Yi gasped sharply, clutching his chest.

The excruciating pain caused him to break out in a cold sweat.

however.

The pain didn't fill him with the slightest fear; instead, it filled him with excitement.

Source energy!

Although it was extremely subtle, the moment the pain was triggered, it was that strange power that had been forcibly draining every last bit of source energy from his body.

He actually stopped his bandit-like behavior, and his body's energy began to slowly and naturally recover.

"Squeak squeak squeak!"

A chubby, green-furred mouse with brownish-yellow goggles on its head jumped onto Luo Yi's shoulder.

This is a monster called a "swamp rat".

It is a group of creatures left behind in the wilderness after a certain secret realm was destroyed and the beast tide ended. It is a very common monster in the wilderness of this era.

But this "swamp rat," named Luo Luo by Luo Xin, possesses remarkable intelligence.

The "swamp rat" monster has always been the experimental subject used in Loe's research.

Time passed by, second by second.

After an unknown amount of time, the "swamp rat" in the solution tank behind them suddenly struggled for a while, then slowly curled up and fell asleep, and the dark green solution began to fade.

It turned into a pale green with a hint of gray.

A "beep" sound.

All experimental instruments automatically stopped working.

As Luo Yi, filled with excitement and ecstasy, held the completely crystallized "swamp rat" jar in his hands, information about the product he had researched and created appeared before him.

[Item Name]: Forbidden Item - Plague Rat

[Item Level]: Gold

Value: 600,000

[Type]: Energy Source Material

【Weight】: 1.9kg

[Occupies backpack slot capacity]: 2×3

[Item Description]: An unknown substance with extremely violent source energy factors, definitely not a product of the secret realm.

The item description was exactly the same as those of the forbidden items he had seen before, with very little information. However, the moment Luo Yi saw this thing, his face lit up with ecstatic joy.

Become!

Moreover, it's a forbidden item of gold quality!

This was even beyond Luo Yi's own expectations. In his mind, he would be able to research and develop a forbidden object of purple or even blue quality to resolve the strange power within him.

But he never expected that he would create a forbidden item of gold quality!

This is on par with organizations like official energy universities and the Black Hole Council.

Luo Yi was breathing rapidly.

Without any hesitation, just as they were about to use the [forbidden substance], the experimental equipment, which had stopped operating and entered standby mode, suddenly emitted a sharp alarm sound.

The alarm sounded "woof woof woof!" accompanied by a red glow.

Luo Yi's expression changed drastically. He looked up and was shocked to see that the monster, which should have been asleep, suddenly raised its head in the central solution tank.

"Snap!"

The sharp claws suddenly smashed the solution container.

Luo Yi's eyes widened. As soon as he put his whole hand into the jar of [Forbidden Item: Plague Rat], a dark green power began to flow down his arm and through his entire body.

The next second, he was grabbed by the neck and lifted up by the freed [Bio-Creative Monster - Bird-Beaked Deathstroke].

"Squeak squeak squeak!"

Lolo the swamp rat let out a sharp screech and rushed forward, trying to scratch the monster's body.

Its sharp claws couldn't even leave a scratch on its opponent.

Within his body, the source energy surged with the violent beating of his heart. As the power that had been tormenting him for eight years poured into his body, the power that had parasitized him in his senses returned.

Suddenly, it was like a Pandora's box whose shackles had been opened.

"Ugh!"

The surging, powerful energy exploded within his body like a bomb.

Luo Yi couldn't help but let out a painful scream, and at the same time, a red light flashed in his hand, and suddenly a small, pistol-like object appeared.

A sharp needle protruded from the muzzle of the gun.

"Pfft!"