Although Ren Zhong can think of a way for Zheng Tian's team to change direction tomorrow and avoid the Blade Mantis,
the daily income per person for Zheng Tian's team is 1 Contribution Point. Tomorrow, following the original route to the Iron Worm Forest presents a chance for a slightly bigger harvest.
If they can take down the Blade Mantis, it would be a great success.
Even if there are risks, as long as they are manageable, it's worth a try.
Accumulating more wealth quickly before becoming combat-ready is very meaningful.
It will make training or purchasing equipment much easier going forward.
He knows very well that in any era, wealth is crucial for standing out.
Ren Zhong has realized that living a routine life can only get him trapped in the shackles of the era, becoming an ant like the masses.
To live like a human, he must break conventions and be unconventional, or else there will be no path for advancement.
Crystal Winged Dragonfly: Insect-type Ruined Beast, most individuals are First Level Ruined Beasts. They can fly at low speeds, with an average body length of about 1.1~2 meters and a wingspan of about 1.9~3.7 meters. They use pincer-like mouthparts and eight alloy-like slender legs as weapons, with pouncing as their main means of attack and no long-range abilities. The soft tissue at the head-thorax joint is easily penetrated. They have weak resistance to biological magnetic fields and can easily lose balance and fall into a coma if a strong magnet is brought within 0.2 meters of their heads, taking at least half an hour to recover.
Blade Mantis: Insect-type Ruined Beast, most individuals are Third Level Ruined Beasts. Average body length is 2.1~3.8 meters. In rare cases, they like to coexist with First Level Ruined Beasts, the Iron Beetles, to absorb the iron elements from the Iron Beetles. They can glide over medium distances, have strong bouncing abilities, and pounce very quickly. They use sharp blade arms as their main weapon, with pouncing and slashing with blade arms as their primary offensive tactics and no long-range abilities. There is a fist-sized piece of soft tissue at the back of their triangular head that can be easily penetrated, severely damaging the brain and easily harming the Crystal Chip. Due to the high iron content in their body alloy structure, Blade Mantises easily get attached to Magnetic Dust, which is hard to shake off once adhered, reducing their speed. Magnetic Dust explosive weapons can be used to change the battlefield environment, and when the dust enters their joint connections, their mobility will be significantly reduced, lowering their threat level considerably.
Another five minutes passed, and Ren Zhong finished reading the Ruined Beast compendium on Crystal Winged Dragonflies and Blade Mantises.
His mind was extremely agile, and he already had a rough plan in mind.
He generally had a plan and next was to try and execute it.
Of course, there was more in the database than just information on these two Ruined Beasts. Ren Zhong only glanced briefly at the overall catalog, and there were already tens of thousands of recorded Ruined Beast species, ranging from First Level to Level Nine.
However, with Ren Zhong's current First Level wrist watch access, he could only inquire about Ruined Beasts below Third Level.
Time was tight, and although curious, he didn't have time to sweep through those Ruined Beasts that he wouldn't encounter for a while.
Ren Zhong still wanted to understand many things.
For example, how to become a qualified Mecha warrior as quickly as possible.
He reopened the professional teaching system, quickly browsed through it, and when the time felt right, he drained his cup of tea and got up to leave.
It was still the familiar visit to Mayor Ma Dafu, but the situation had changed a bit from last time.
Mayor Ma had become more polite and enthusiastic.
Before Ren Zhong reached the town hall, he saw Ma Dafu waiting outside, smiling and chatting with Zheng Tian.
Seeing Ren Zhong from afar, Ma Dafu's wrinkled, chubby face broke into a practiced sales-like smile that was as skilled as an Amway salesman. He took three steps forward in two strides and clasped Ren Zhong's right hand with his oily big hands, "Mr. Ren, hello, hello. I am Ma Dafu, representing Starfire Town to welcome you. Your distinguished presence is truly an honor for old Ma and Starfire Town!"
Ren Zhong was slightly stunned.
Although Old Fat Ma was enthusiastic last time too, why did it feel like there was a sense of progression this time?
Ren Zhong keenly took another look and discovered that Old Fat Ma's gaze was unconsciously slightly drifting towards the formal wrist watch on his right hand.
The gaze of Zheng Tian next to him also fell on his right hand, with a mix of sudden realization and envy in her eyes.
Ren Zhong thought to himself, is the difference in status so big between wearing a watch and not wearing one?
Little did he know, what Zheng Tian and Ma Dafu were thinking at the time was:
This undercover inspector is not very professional, he doesn't know how to disguise himself at all. Coming into town empty-handed, trying to pretend to be a wanderer, yet turns around and buys a formal wrist watch. It only proves he has substantial financial resources and can't endure hardship, feeling uncomfortable without internet for a day.
If Zheng Tian and Ma Dafu had any doubts about Ren Zhong's identity before, they were now confirmed.
Ma Dafu's enthusiasm was a good thing for Ren Zhong at that moment.
After the routine registration, Ren Zhong rolled his eyes and asked, "By the way, Mayor Ma, I have an unkind request."
Ma Dafu was delighted and replied with a smile, "Please go ahead."
"Where is the Military Weapon Store in town that sells ammunition and weapons? What time do they usually close?"
Although Ren Zhong had already made up his mind, there was still a checkpoint before officially embarking on the path of a Mecha warrior.
That was to test the Brain-Machine Synchronization Rate.
Now, at a physiological age of twenty-three, he is an adult.
If his initial Synchronization Rate was measured to be less than 10%, he would not struggle and would decisively change careers.
According to the guidelines of the professional teaching system, the device for testing the initial Synchronization Rate of a Mecha warrior is located in the town's Military Weapon Store.
However, based on Zheng Tian's previous hurry to replenish supplies, Ren Zhong guessed that the Military Weapon Store had probably already closed by now.
Ma Dafu checked his watch and said, "They usually close at nine at night, and now they've just gotten off work, Mr. Ren, do you have any business there?"
As expected, Ren Zhong was quite disappointed.
He sighed inwardly, fearing he could only make it in early tomorrow, but that would delay the team's departure time, disrupt the timeline, affect the causal relationship, and it was likely he would miss the Blade Mantis.
As an outsider in Zheng Tian's team for the moment, it would not do to give direct orders to others, telling them not to mind anything along the way and to head straight for the Blade Mantis' haunt, stalking a Third Level Ruined Beast that the team normally couldn't defeat.
That would seem too conspicuous, easily arousing suspicion, and even if they won, it would feel unreasonable.
"What a pity. I was thinking of testing my Brain-Machine Synchronization Rate to see if there was a chance to become a Mecha warrior."
Ma Dafu pondered over the hidden meaning in Ren Zhong's words, wondering if this inspector didn't know that the official stores in the town-level administrative units all closed at nine.
He intentionally asked, perhaps to test whether the formal citizens of Starfire Town had a proactive work attitude?
Ma Dafu calculated the time and found there was still enough time.
"Mr. Ren, let me take you over there in my small Flying Device. I'll have them work overtime."
Ren Zhong was taken aback, "Is that convenient? Won't making people work overtime offend them?"
Ma Dafu laughed heartily, "Mr. Ren, you're overthinking. The citizens of my Starfire Town love working overtime!"
Ren Zhong was secretly pleased, "That would be a big help."
"Not a bother at all!"
Ren Zhong thought to himself, it turns out this Mayor is indeed a good person.