Countdown: [229:45:05]
The day's gathering work had gone fairly smoothly.
They encountered several more scattered Star Beast attacks along the way. Most were low-level Star Beasts drawn by the camp's energy fluctuations or the researchers' activities, and the three of them dealt with them easily.
Xu Wuyi's [Undying Flame] handled the battlefield as efficiently as ever, quickly erasing the team's traces and minimizing the risk of being tracked.
By evening, everyone returned to camp.
The three researchers did not even pause to rest. They immediately began processing and analyzing the samples gathered during the day at the makeshift workbench, their faces weary yet excited.
"Professor, look at this!" Researcher Li projected a set of data onto the light screen. "An unknown active enzyme is contained within the Blood-Coagulating Moss. It doesn't match anything in Outpost Base Seven's database!"
Professor Chen leaned in for a closer look, his eyes gleaming. "And this piece of Blue Fluorescent Ore."
He picked up the ore Researcher Zhang had collected.
"Its energy radiation pattern is extremely unusual. It seems to contain an exceptionally stable structural force field. If we can decipher it—"
Watching the three researchers sink into a frenzy of research, Xiang Yong shook his head and spoke quietly to Xu Wuyi and Liu Qing. "Looks like we'll have to stay here a few more days. According to the original plan, this isn't the only sample-rich area."
Liu Qing wiped down her twin blades and said flatly, "The mission period is ten days. We have plenty of time."
Xu Wuyi silently counted the vitality and mental energy he had expended that day.
Frequently using [Undying Flame] for such meticulous "cleanup" work had consumed more than he had anticipated.
He took out the Concentration Potion he had exchanged for earlier and took a