The choice

Lu Heng turned around and left the window.

He reached out and unlocked the clasp, taking off the Bronze protective suit he was wearing.

The protective suit lay flat on the ground. As Bronze Tier protective suit, its main structure was intact, without large-scale damage. However, after several fierce battles, the wear and tear was still visible to the naked eye. The surface of the shoulders and back was covered with dense scratches, some of the protective membranes had minor cracks, and there were two or three shallow tears on the side of the waist, caused by the fangs of the rats and the Mutant King Cobra during their fight.

As Lu Heng traced the marks with his fingertips, he could feel the rough edges of the torn membrane.

He knew in his heart that it was already a stroke of luck that things had managed to stay this way.

The Mutant King Cobra can only coil, squeeze, and bite; it lacks sharp claws to tear. If it were a beast skilled in pouncing and tearing, even Bronze armor would suffer devastating damage.

He carried the protective suit to a well-ventilated area inside the house and then turned to walk into the bathroom.

The lotus seeds from the Pure Water Lotus were too perfect. As the water flowed over his skin, Lu Heng could feel the lingering soreness in his muscles gradually subsiding. The bruises, bumps, and superficial damage from the previous battle had all disappeared, leaving no trace of injury on his skin. His strength and reflexes had returned to their peak.

After rinsing off and changing into clean clothes, Lu Heng returned to his room and took stock of his main combat weapons.

He first picked up the Giant-Feather Crossbow.

I thoroughly inspected the crossbow body, arms, bowstring, and mechanism. There were no signs of damage or deformation. I'll place it on the weapon rack and repair it slowly.

He put down the Giant-Feather Crossbow and reached for the Bronze Hunting Blade.

The moment you hold it in your hand, you can sense something is off.

The handle doesn't feel right—the last time I held it, the blade was straight and the center of gravity was stable. Now, I can clearly feel a slight shift in the middle of the blade.

Using the dim light inside the room, Lu Heng leaned closer to examine the blade. There was a slight deformation in one area, and it was no longer straight. Several notches of varying depths were distributed along the edge, and a small section of the tip was already chipped.

Lu Heng's brows slowly furrowed.

This knife can't withstand the next intense close-quarters battle.

If they were to engage in a head-on confrontation, the blade could easily break or even snap when the force is applied, posing a potentially fatal risk.

He remembered the only Weapon Modification Scroll in his Wristband Space. If he wanted to continue using this Hunting Blade, he could only rely on the scroll to repair and enhance it.

He consulted the rules of the scroll, his gaze sweeping over each line.

Upgrading requires the use of corresponding-level alien beast body materials as a fusion medium.

Lu Heng mentally reviewed the Bronze materials stored in the Wristband.

Materials from the Mutant King Cobra were eliminated first. The scales were tough enough, but not hard enough; the bones were too soft to be forged into weapons; Poison Fang were hollow and couldn't withstand the impact of the modification and fusion. None of them were usable.

All that's left are the various materials produced by the Rat King.

With a thought, Lu Heng directly retrieved the complete body of the Rat King from the Wristband Space.

The heavy body slammed onto the floor with a dull thud, causing the entire room to tremble slightly.

A strong stench of blood instantly filled the room, mixed with the murky smell unique to the corpse of a strange beast. Lu Heng subconsciously held his breath briefly, his stomach churning slightly. He frowned slightly, but instead of taking a step back, he squatted down and moved even closer.

The Rat King remained in the same state as when it died in battle, its body enormous, its fur dull, and its skin still bearing the dark bodily fluids that had seeped out during the fight.

He parted the fur around his head, revealing two thick, sharp teeth. The teeth were thick and hard, with sharp edges and pointed tips.

After examining the teeth, he raised his hand and lifted the Rat King's forelimbs.

Five sharp claws extend outwards, their bodies hard and their edges cold, gleaming, and sharp.

Lu Heng stared at the complete corpse of the Rat King.

He originally only intended to cut off the fangs and claws as a fusion medium for modification.

But now, looking at the complete body of the Rat King before him, a thought came to mind.

The rules for the Weapon Modification Scroll are clearly stated: use the corresponding level of alien beast body material as a fusion medium.

Body material, not part material.

Lu Heng crouched down, placed his palm on the Rat King's back, and slowly felt along the direction of the bones. The entire skeleton was intact, without any breaks, and the bone density far exceeded that of ordinary beasts. The shoulder blades were thick, the forearm bones were strong, and the spine was segmented one after another.

Sharp teeth provide penetration, claws provide cutting, and a complete skeleton provides hardness and toughness.

The more complete the integration, the more comprehensive the characteristics the modified Hunting Blade can inherit.

As the thought arose, the cost also came to mind.

The entire body was used up, meaning the Rat King material would be completely consumed in one go, with no chance of recovery. If the modification failed, the scroll would be useless, and the Rat King material would be completely lost. In the short term, he would not be able to find a second Bronze Tier beast material to strengthen his weapon.

Lu Heng did not rush to act, but just squatted there, quietly looking at the corpse on the ground.

The fishy smell lingered in the room, and his nasal passages slowly adjusted to the pungent odor. He turned his head and his gaze fell on the Bronze Hunting Blade on the table. In the dim light, the chipped tip of the blade was particularly conspicuous.

The next danger won't wait for him to slowly prepare.

Lu Heng slowly stood up, raised his hand, and took out the Weapon Modification Scroll from his Wristband Space.

The scroll lay quietly in my palm, a thin sheet, yet it represented my only chance.

His gaze swept back and forth across the deformed Hunting Blade on the table, before settling back on the massive corpse of the Rat King on the ground.

The materials needed for the renovation have been determined.

The entire body of the Rat King was used.