The Ingredient Section Is for Making Wishes

Chapter 16: The Ingredient Section Is for Making Wishes

Burrowing Devil Worms—an exotic species originating from the Muddy Realm. They were part of the Cthulhu Mythos, a race of Great Old One servitors that lived within the planet's crust and roamed freely through the depths of the earth.

They varied greatly in size. The largest Burrowing Devil Worms could grow to over a kilometer in length. But aside from those colossal specimens, special individuals so immense they were even classified as Great Old Ones, most Burrowing Devil Worms measured somewhere between ten and several dozen meters long.

They looked like squids writhing through the earth: long, flexible, and tipped with a cluster of tentacles resembling a mouth. Under normal circumstances, they could secrete a highly acidic bodily fluid that dissolved stone, allowing their massive bodies to burrow rapidly through rock and soil as if swimming. They also had several other uses.

They possessed powerful telepathic abilities, allowing them to sense their surroundings and communicate with their kind across vast distances. They could also project this tremendous mental power to control and manipulate people with weak minds. Their hides were tough enough to withstand temperatures of up to four thousand degrees Celsius, allowing them to swim freely through magma. They could even store that heat and, when the time was right, unleash it at their opponents in the form of powerful thermal rays.

They were incredibly powerful, and incredibly ancient. Multiple Burrowing Devil Worms working together could even cause large-scale earthquakes.

They could almost serve as the psychic member of a weak team. Their only weakness was that contact with water quickly rendered them inactive and caused them to die. However, this shortcoming did not apply to their corpses.

Dead things could, of course, die again.

But a poison capable of killing the living was unlikely to remain effective against a corpse. And even if this weakness could never be overcome, it was still possible to cover them in a Battle Qi Veil so they would not have to take overly long detours while traveling through the permafrost beneath Antarctica.

A fifteen-meter-long Burrowing Devil Worm corpse cost 1,500 reward points. When the dry, gigantic creature appeared in the Main God Plaza, Si Ming—who had already called for a full-body repair—felt a slight dizziness at the first sight of its alien form, as if a series of whispers were echoing beside his ears.

Mental pollution, loss of reason. Common passive effects of creatures from the Cthulhu Mythos. But the pillar of healing light sent down by the Main God vanished almost as soon as it touched him.

"...It's not that bad."

In the Infinite World setting, Cthulhu Mythos pollution was real. But as things stood, this level of contamination wasn't enough to cost Si Ming even a single reward point in treatment.

He was a practical man. He didn't doubt that his unusual physique might be due to being an outsider to the multiverse, or even a visitor from a higher dimension. He summoned all his vast stores of Necrotic Aura and poured them into the giant worm's corpse.

"Raise Dead."

The corpse began to writhe. Expending all his Necrotic Aura was just enough to revive the giant exotic corpse. Even without using Night Battle Qi, the worm had strength and a body comparable to a tunnel-boring machine. But if he wanted to activate it further, he would need to increase his total Battle Qi.

For now, this was enough.

He hadn't taken the pill yet.

Si Ming waved his hand.

The Burrowing Devil Worm, now transformed into an undead creature, was silently swallowed by his summoning space. The Necrotic Aura he had used to raise the corpse seeped back into Si Ming as the creature was stored away.

Time to take the medicine.

He also needed to prepare a few other things.

He still had one D-rank side mission remaining. As it happened, he needed a systematic framework of knowledge to refine his Battle Qi techniques.

He soon found a suitable book.

--[Origin of Battle Qi—a secret manual from the 'general fantasy' genre, recording a variety of commonly applicable Battle Qi techniques. Since it does not cover advanced techniques, only faint traces of Battle Qi remain on its pages. Users can learn basic Battle Qi combat skills by reading the pages or comprehending the imprints. This manual is suitable for beginners or low- to mid-tier warriors seeking to build a solid foundation.]

--[Purchasing this item requires one D-rank side mission and 800 reward points. Note: Those without Battle Qi or a similar energy circulation system will find it difficult to comprehend the Battle Qi imprints on the pages.]

Si Ming returned to his personal space. He had expanded his single-room rental into a spacious training ground. The Nanosuit and Profaned Greatsword he had purchased were set aside, and he devoted himself to quickly and intently studying the copy of Essence of Battle Qi in his hands.

Reading before taking the medicine had indeed been the right decision. The book contained no theories or philosophical ideas, only straightforward techniques for controlling and using Battle Qi. Si Ming had figured out many of them by instinct, but even more made him see things in a flash of understanding.

So Battle Qi needed to be deliberately routed through different organs. This would properly temper and strengthen each one, while the right breathing rhythm could imbue Battle Qi with different attributes. And so the vortex of Battle Qi didn't need to be forcibly compressed; instead, by drawing on the body's sinews, bones, and blood, one could involve the body in controlling Battle Qi and stabilize the vortex.

There was a lot to learn, but most of it taught Battle Qi users how to mobilize as many resources as possible while moving. Training in Battle Qi wasn't just about using Battle Qi; skin, flesh, blood, bones, sinews, and organs all had to work together. Combined with the proper techniques for generating and directing force, this allowed a Battle Qi user to maximize their combat strength without harming themselves.

"Knowledge really is important." Si Ming closed the book and let out a soft breath. "Even in a reincarnation world, I still have to study and train hard. Relying on instinct alone really isn't enough."

The book was thick, and learning everything in it would take a lot of time. But...

Gene Lock: Activate.

His eyes suddenly grew vacant. Every piece of knowledge he had just memorized appeared in his mind without the slightest omission. One simple Battle Qi technique gathered and compressed Battle Qi in the right way—and that was the Battle Qi Air-Piercing Strike!

BOOM—!

The half-meter-high target thirty meters away exploded. The cost was the same as when he'd used the Hundred-Step Divine Fist, but the range and destructive power had both increased by more than half. It had gone from a large-caliber firearm to a grenade launcher, and the recovery rate afterward was a little faster, too.

Well done.

He made a casual beckoning motion. An invisible strand of qi, detached from him yet still connected, pulled the Profaned Greatsword over from where it lay. Strictly speaking, it was an oversized sword weighing more than forty kilograms, completely unsuitable for ordinary people to wield in combat. But for a reincarnator with plenty of muscle, that little problem could easily be solved with brute strength!

FWUMP— The Profaned Flames roared to life. Perhaps because he had infused them with Night Battle Qi, the already gloomy flames had taken on a deep black hue. He lunged forward and swept the sword across. A slash of dark flame shot through the air for more than ten meters before fading.

"Good. Very good." He praised both himself and the sword in his hand. Though heavy, its balance and construction were excellent. With the Nanosuit on, or his body enhanced by Battle Qi, he could swing it as lightly as a toothpick.

So...

Si Ming thought for a moment.

His Dimensional Ring was already packed with ammunition, explosives, food, and supplies. To be on the safe side, he had even spent 1,000 reward points on a Fusion Gun capable of firing small Thermal Orbs. He had also bought a Shoulder-Mounted Railgun for the same price, which was effective against distant targets. Add a few magic scrolls for emergencies, and he really couldn't think of anything else he needed to prepare.

Maybe there was something.

But he probably wouldn't find it until a problem came along. After all, two heads were better than one. Thinking alone meant there would always be things he overlooked.

"I still need to find a way to recruit some companions. Even a few underlings to run errands would do. I have no intention of being a lone wolf with no allies to help when things go wrong."

He thought back to the East Sea Team's rookies and veterans from the previous world and couldn't help sighing. He shook his head, put those unpleasant people out of his mind for now, then reached out and swallowed the Three-Pattern Green Spirit Pill he had purchased.

He sat cross-legged and meditated. Qi flowed ceaselessly through his body.

At first, nothing happened. But soon, the medicine was rapidly digested as his stomach and intestines churned. An invisible wind rose around Si Ming, and the swirling gusts quickly expanded into a massive storm!

Inhale, exhale.

With his Gene Lock active, Si Ming remained completely focused and undisturbed.

The methods of circulating qi flashed before his eyes, while the techniques for forming a vortex flowed through his thoughts. He could also sense the medicinal energy as it swelled within him.

He knew where the road ended, and he was already on his way there. An unexpected itch arose between his brows. The Battle Qi confined by his stomach, organs, flesh, and fascia was guided by the energy of his Ancestral Aperture between his brows!

BOOM— As if something had exploded.

WHIR— As if something had expanded.

The violent wind surrounding Si Ming abruptly died down. The storm caused by the medicine had been drawn entirely into the center of his body.

The Battle Qi vortex was complete.

Stable and dense. Even if left alone, it would keep operating and growing stronger on its own. At its very center, the highly concentrated Night Battle Qi had even begun to visibly liquefy. It seemed to be on the verge of crystallizing.

If this were the world of Battle Through the Heavens, he would already be close to becoming a Great Dou Master. Even within the Infinite system, this power would be worthy of a B-rank rating.

Time passed as he adapted to his strength.

A sharp light flashed in Si Ming's eyes.

All his preparations and plans were in place.

So the only thing left to do was—

"Main God, exchange for a return to the world of Alien vs. Predator. One hundred days total. Execute immediately."

--[Request accepted.]

A pillar of light descended.