Mushroom Forest's participation was the icing on the cake.
Zhou Yi's focus returned to Jade City.
It had now become the physical mainstay of the Wasteland Development Company, no longer needing to worry about monster attacks putting the company in danger. Consequently, its repair and recharging became a top priority.
His long-term goal was to buy up the monopoly on all the houses in Jade City and then thoroughly develop this architectural lifeform.
The total cost for this building was a staggering 80,000 Light Seeds.
This was not a sum that could be gathered in a short amount of time.
Zhou Yi decided to take it slow.
He currently needed to collect semi-finished raw materials from the sea floor, including concrete, steel, plastic, bricks, cement, asphalt, etc., all of which Jade City confirmed could directly repair its body to restore its strength.
If it lacked sufficient materials, it would have to gather them from the surrounding natural world itself, resulting in enormous energy consumption, not to mention greatly delayed repair times.
With the precise targeting of Red Kestrel, the Samurai Crabs partially demolished a nearby old residential area. They carried blocks of concrete, bricks, prefabs, and rebar, delivering them one by one to the vicinity of Jade City.
A large pile of materials formed a small hill.
Daytime charging fell behind the energy consumption needed for repairs, which affected the progress.
Even so, the high-rise structure of the company changed visibly day by day.
Jade City, previously full of holes and in a state of disrepair, was gradually becoming smooth and symmetrical on its surface, and larger gaps were being fundamentally repaired, evolving from an unfinished building to an old but robust structure.
Zhou Yi would dive during the day and rest at night, continuing the traditions of the older human generation. The new humans of the company still worked at night and slept during the day.
After another half month of this busy routine, Red Kestrel reported an unusual situation.
The number of Bone Fish in the shallow waters of the nearby Dead Sea was dwindling.
Although he fished, Zhou Yi did so far from the company, in distant waters. He hunted in one sea area only once before moving on to the next, hardly ever touching the shallow waters near the company, yet the Bone Fish disappeared without a trace.
Bone Fish weren't very intelligent; they would only flee their habitat if there was a significant threat.
With continuous extensive searching by Red Kestrel, a clue finally emerged.
The instigator was a long-necked crocodile, hiding to the north of the Dead Sea outside the company's base. Whenever Zhou Yi and his crew left, it would stealthily move in to hunt Bone Fish in these waters with abandon.
Someone had stolen from under his nose!
These fish were to be conserved for future use; they were his ecological fishpond. Who the hell do you think you are, coming over to pick the fruits?
It was necessary to strike hard, to fight evil with a heavy hand.
Red Kestrel warned, "The long-necked crocodile is a C-class creature, a cunning life form. It isn't known for its strength like the Guangna Species, but it's very adaptable with its abilities. Its 'Stretching' can make various changes in all kinds of terrains, and 'Guard' can detect danger through energy trails." Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs novel⟡fire.net
"I've recorded a clip of it."
On the remote control screen, the long-necked crocodile moved snake-like across the sea floor ruins. Its body could flexibly change shape, weaving through narrow crevices like water.
Its somber keratin layer blended with the environment, and its eyes also appeared a murky grey.
This sea floor hunter suddenly halted its advance, plunging its head into a hidden hole underground. Its soft body furiously burrowed down, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Before long, the long-necked crocodile dragged the skull of a large Bone Fish from the ground, crushing its head in its jaws before beginning to absorb the Light Seeds that leaked from its skeleton.
Zhou Yi had dealt with this kind of creature before.
The long-necked crocodile could substantially stretch and retract its body; it was a clever predator that always carefully observed its surroundings, specifically targeting weaker prey.
If any higher-level monsters appeared, it wouldn't hesitate to abandon its catch and choose to escape safely.
When the Samurai Crab Army was newly formed, Zhou Yi had attempted to hunt a long-necked crocodile, but the creature led them into an area teeming with high-level monsters, which caused no small amount of trouble.
But something was strange.
Under normal circumstances, his body's strength was now sufficient to maintain a safe distance from a long-necked crocodile and not make risky moves.
Why then did the long-necked crocodile dare to dance in a minefield?
"Red Kestrel, activate 'Bird's Eye View'."
"'Bird's Eye View' will likely trigger its 'Guard,' possibly startling it," the rotor drone warned. "The approach of the Samurai Crabs will also be detected by it, making it difficult to get past its sensory guard line."
Zhou Yi said, "Then let's zoom in the camera. Will that be noticed?"
"Just the camera recording won't be noticed, as it's just an enlargement and clarification of the viewpoint for the lens."
Zhou Yi watched the long-necked crocodile patiently.
After it hunted the Bone Fish, it didn't hurry to leave. Instead, it hid amidst the ruins.
More than half an hour later, the long-necked crocodile slowly emerged from underground. Confirming that there were no ambushes or followers around, it changed direction and continued its hunt for Bone Fish.
Zhou Yi said, "Enlarge its back position."
The camera on the screen immediately zoomed in further, focusing on the spine of the long-necked crocodile.
Zhou Yi stared at the electronic screen.
There was a charred wound on the spine under the neck of the long-necked crocodile. The wound curled over, exposing the dark brown flesh inside, but the bones were nowhere to be seen, creating a collapsed area.
It had been injured by something, was healing nearby, and hence targeted the natural fishing grounds close to the shore that it reserved for itself.
The long-necked crocodile's mobility had greatly declined.
There was an opportunity.
Zhou Yi decided to give it a try.
The long-necked crocodile stealthily approached the nearshore fishing area again.
This creature, over three meters long and agile in form, strolled slowly on the distant edge. It inspected back and forth, repeatedly testing to ensure there were no threatening forces nearby.
Then the long-necked crocodile transformed into a soft-bodied beast, slowly burrowing its way in from the sea floor.
It rushed toward a Bone Fish with increased speed.
The next moment, two samurai crabs suddenly burst from the ground, their pincers clamping onto the wounded area on the long-necked crocodile. The long-necked crocodile, in agony, bit off their pincers in two bites. But this brief moment was enough.
More samurai crabs armed with guns rushed in formation, hindering its second attempt to break free.
Then the Black Samurai closed in.
The Weapon Master, armed with a steel-reinforced spear, pierced the long-necked crocodile, while the Hammerhead Soldiers pressed down on its head with their immense strength, and the Double Swordsmen's blades constantly inflicted new wounds on the enemy.
Faced with a well-trained assault by many samurai crabs, the long-necked crocodile struggled desperately for a few minutes, eventually dying from significant blood loss.
Only then did Zhou Yi relax.
To deceive the enemy, he had to involve ordinary samurai crabs in the most dangerous first ambush.
Because only a small number of ordinary samurai crabs would not be perceived as a threat by the long-necked crocodile—to it, wild samurai crabs were merely a bit tougher to chew than Bone Fish.
The main thing was that with Red Kestrel's vision and positioning, they would no longer be led by the nose by the long-necked crocodile.
Zhou Yi felt somewhat relieved.
He had finally eliminated the fish thief.
This was also his first successful kill of a Class C creature.
At this moment, small points of light slowly emanated from the body of the long-necked crocodile, gradually condensing into a small orb of light.
But this Light Seed was different from the ones he had encountered before, emitting a green color.
Zhou Yi held it in his hand, his gaze slightly changing.
"Stretching": Expends 10 energy points to temporarily extend or retract the body's local structure.
It was unlike any Light Seed he had harvested before.
It displayed clear combat characteristics and carried the skills of the long-necked crocodile.
Zhou Yi clenched his fist.
The Light Seed merged into his body.