The battle in the Mushroom Forest had left Zhou Yi with a haul of materials.
The main items included a set of Light Blockers that had restrained the Tie Ma, a glowing long weapon used by the Thief Leader Knight, a damaged four-wheeled motorcycle, and a slender rifle with a hexagonal barrel and an attached metal-cased optical scope—its barrel had left a deep impression on Zhou Yi.
Among these things, the rifle could currently be used by no one. Just like the previously captured flintlock pistol, it ultimately needed bullets to be loaded from the front end, a cumbersome process. Without extensive practice, it was very difficult to ensure long-range shooting accuracy.
And in close-range combat, its long reloading time would significantly reduce its efficiency.
This was one of the reasons why Zhou Yi had never considered using firearms during his ten years at the sea floor.
The era he lived in had already reached a higher standard of firearms technology, but it also required a lot of practice with bullets. Due to strict national gun control, only certain areas might unearth firearms.
Firearms and matching ammunition were hard to come by. In the Dead Sea, poor visibility was another major issue.
By comparison, melee weapons were everywhere, abundant, easy to handle, and if they broke, it wasn't a big loss.
The most common were kitchen and fruit knives found in every household, and the rebar from buildings, which could easily be dismantled for use.
The samurai crabs assembled and practiced throwing kitchen knives to compensate for their lack of range.
Three items of war loot remained.
The four-wheeled motorcycle was a fine vehicle, but unfortunately, the Black Samurai had been too heavy-handed in killing the driver and the gunner. The tires had been chopped off, the body torn open, and the front engine was full of gaps, rendering this mode of transportation unusable. Without a mechanic, the motorcycle was essentially scrapped.
The glowing long weapon had pierced through the roof of the Tie Ma, but it seemed to have exhausted its energy. Now it was just a heavy iron spear with a sharp tip. No matter how Zhou Yi tried, it no longer glowed or showed its previous power.
What was preserved the best was the Light Blocker.
But the device looked complex, so Zhou Yi handed it over to the former Alchemist Apprentice, Gong Zheng, to decipher.
After more than half a month of work, they finally made some progress.
Gong Zheng brought Zhou Yi to the rooftop outside.
Here, two small fridge-like metal devices were placed. They were connected in a circular shape by an iron chain, with a long extending chain on each side going outward. It looked like a chain ring that formed part of a large chain structure.
"The Light Blocker consists of these two Light Resistor Boxes, and the chain-like structure called the Chain Line," Gong Zheng explained.
"The Light Resistor Boxes need to be activated by Light Seeds, and their power will be enhanced under the Chain Line. After deployment, they will absorb the Dead Light Energy within the space covered by the Chain Line and then transmit it to the output lines on both sides."
Gong Zheng pointed at the two extending chains.
"The whole mechanism is such that the Light Blocker extracts Dead Light from its circular coverage area and then expels it to the outer perimeter. The extending chains can use copper, iron, and other metals to reach a safe area, thus reducing the risk of energy impact. The inside coverage area is fixed, it cannot be expanded, but it can contract."
"With this, we can lock a weakened Guangna Species inside, preventing it from absorbing external Dead Light."
The Light Blocker actually resembled a powerful pump, extracting a small scope of Dead Light and redirecting it to another nearby area.
Zhou Yi immediately realized that it wasn't just the Light Blocker that restrained the Tie Ma.
That glowing long spear and the sniper rifle must have played a part too; the various pieces of equipment had worked together to suppress the farm machine within the trap.
Zhou Yi looked towards Gong Zheng, "Without a Light Seed, how did you conduct the experiment?"
"Chairman, to test if it's working or not, we don't need to use expensive materials like Light Seeds."
Gong Zheng opened the bottom door of one of the Light Resistor Boxes, revealing an iron frame inside. He grabbed some dry grass and branches, lit a fire below on the lower level, and then closed the door.
He followed the same process with the other Light Resistor Box, lighting up a fire.
Both metal devices began to blaze and smoke.
"Please wait a moment, sir. The verification process takes a little time," said Gong Zheng.
Around twenty minutes later, the Light Blocker's circuit began to change. Flickers of light, intermittent yet clearly visible in the dark, appeared on the Chain Line.
With a relieved expression, Gong Zheng announced, "Chairman, the manual says that lighting coal, charcoal, or wood can warm up and test the structure for integrity. As long as it produces a light that covers the entire Chain Line , it signifies that the device itself is operable."
"For official use, simply open the top cover of the Light Resistor Box and install a Light Seed."
Zhou Yi nodded, listening.
The design was rather thoughtful.
But whether it could truly be used, only a trial would tell.
Zhou Yi walked over to the Light Resistor Box, and Gong Zheng used a stick to open its top cover, revealing a circular indentation with curved copper plates on all sides.
Zhou Yi slotted the Guangna Box into the indentation, and the flexible copper plates provided a supportive lock.
The cover was closed.
At Zhou Yi's command, Gong Zheng began to preheat and adjust the device.
The Light Blocker began to operate, emitting a low, wind-like howling.
Gong Zheng took out the Guangna Box that had already had its Light Seed extracted from the top of the cover and returned it to Zhou Yi. Newest update provıded by N0veI.Fiɾe.net
At the same time, a faint light rose in the center of the circular area constructed by the Chain Lines, and the crouching Ye Zhao within shivered slightly.
Zhou Yi asked the test subject, "How do you feel?"
"Master, I feel very weak... The energy within my body is being drawn out by an external force, and I can't control it. It's as though my body has been pierced with many holes, and the energy is leaking out."
Zhou Yi uttered an "Oh."
So, this device had quite a strong power consumption and would even extract energy from the organism itself.
From the "Alert" perspective, he saw that the clawed pig employee was a bundle of condensed white light, which was now slowly dissipating, sucked into the Light Blocker and then transferred along the Chain Lines to the output ports on both sides.
The experiment lasted for an hour. The Light Resistor Box emitted a red light, signifying that a Light Seed had been completely exhausted.
Ye Zhao was feeble when it came out, staggering.
Zhou Yi transferred energy to it, allowing it to slowly recover.
The experiment proved that this device's energy consumption was not small; it was difficult for it to have a significant effect on its own. But when combined with other tools and equipment, it opened many possibilities for manipulation.
Ji Zhang's gang originally planned to use this against Jade City.
Zhou Yi asked the party concerned from Jade City, "Can the Light Blocker be effective against you?"
"Its mechanism is excellent, but the intensity is too low."
Jade City was succinct, "As a tool for inspecting potential safety hazards in partial building structures, it is feasible. I can inject energy from my body to start it."
Zhou Yi thought it might work.
It could at least be used for company building maintenance.
A night breeze was blowing.
Just as Zhou Yi was about to go back to his room to rest, he caught sight of the Dead Sea bathed in scattered light and shadows in the distance.
Absorption and transfer.
A bold idea popped into Zhou Yi's head.
Could the Light Blocker have another application?
"Jade City, you can absorb the Dead Light Energy from the Dead Sea, right?"
Jade City replied, "Entering the Dead Sea Zone, I can quickly complete energy recharging. But in that environment, my body will be completely covered and sealed by the dense Death Light, falling into prolonged dormancy and stasis, unable to provide any services to the owner."
Zhou Yi asked it, "The Dead Light you absorb from the Dead Sea, that's usable by you too, right?"
"As long as it is Dead Light, it's quality energy that can be used."
Zhou Yi and his employees were busy for over five hours and finally completed the modifications and connections of the Light Blocker.
The Light Blocker was placed in the shallow part of the Dead Sea, its extended chain lengthened with rebar and laid out from the sea floor, reaching all the way to the tall, damaged Jade City and connecting to the steel structure at one of its gaps.
Then Zhou Yi saw through his "Alert" view bright, intense white light on the extended chain, casting a metallic red sheen on the surface of the building.
"The energy recharge is very powerful."
"I am steadily receiving large amounts of Death Light."
"If this continues, I estimate it will take only 100 days to fully charge and restore me to pristine condition."
The feedback from Jade City made Zhou Yi pause for a moment, then he was overcome with elation.
The mechanism of the Light Blocker made it so. If one end of the absorption was used for the Dead Sea, then it could draw on immense energy.
However, the raw power of Dead Light Energy was tumultuous and disordered; its expulsion would create a small area of hazardous light fog.
But Jade City, as a living architecture, could directly withstand and absorb that energy.
Most importantly, by using remote recharging through this device, the risk of being completely covered by the Dead Sea was avoided. Jade City would not only prevent falling into slumber but also remain in a powerful, fully charged state.
The transformation of the Light Blocker into a Dead Sea charging station, a huge success!