Upon realizing this, Li Cheng heaved a sigh of relief.
"The most significant threat I currently face is the genetic hunger caused by the Master of Insects infection, which risks me turning into a monster. To eliminate this hidden danger, the best strategy is to seek help from official agencies or guild organizations."
"They entered the killing field four and a half years ago and must have accumulated a considerable amount of resources, knowledge, and experience."
"However, there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. First, I must show potential worth cooperating with, and at the very least, have the means to protect myself. I can't have one foot in negotiations and the other being reported to the Special Affairs Bureau, only to be taken out with a single shot."
After pondering for a moment, Li Cheng saw a statement on the forum's registration page—only players could see the registration option, and non-players could not register as official forum members.
After confirming that his tourist status restricted him from accessing more content on the forum and gathering further information, Li Cheng closed the webpage and pulled two plastic boxes from under the bed, containing a mantis and insect pupae.
When he previously absorbed the gene and grew the Bone Blade, Li Cheng felt some connection with the mantis.
After reflecting for two days, he confirmed that it wasn't an illusion; he could indeed control the movements of the mantis to a certain extent.
Focusing deeply and consolidating the thought "lift your left limb" in his mind, the green insect in the plastic box slowly raised its left forelimb.
Changing his thought again, the mantis lifted its right arm and moved according to Li Cheng's will.
"Because I absorbed its genes, has it become my appendage? If the bee-like monster did not die before, would I have been under its control?"
"What pathway does this control utilize? Sound, light, pheromones, or perhaps electrical signals?"
Li Cheng conducted further experiments. He sealed the gaps in the plastic box where the mantis was with tape to prevent air from flowing and found that he could still control the insect, thus ruling out pheromone-based control.
He then covered both the plastic box and his mobile phone with an opaque bag, filming the situation inside the box with the phone, continued to concentrate his thoughts, and found the control effect was still active, thus ruling out control via light and sound propagation.
"If I had a lead box on hand, I could test whether it's through electrical signals that the subordinate insects are controlled."
Li Cheng silently noted to himself, "However, one thing is certain: the control strength is related to distance. The closer the distance, the stronger the control effect and the lower the delay."
After some thought, using a pair of metal tweezers, he took a Divine Calamity Fragment from the sealed plastic bag he carried and gently pressed it onto the mantis's body.
As soon as the two made contact, the originally crystal-like Blood Amber rapidly dissolved, penetrating into its body through the thoracic and abdominal spiracles.
With the help of the light, one could clearly see threads of blood-red spreading throughout the mantis's body.
Half a minute later, its forelimbs, the left middle leg, and the abdomen swelled up, and the back's skin could not withstand the pressure, bursting open and spewing out green body fluid.
The entire insect body trembled continuously, as if it could not bear the strength granted by the Divine Calamity Fragment and was about to transform into something else.
Li Cheng immediately reached out and touched the mantis; as the connection was reestablished, the superfluous strength from the Divine Calamity Fragment transferred to Li Cheng, and his mutations gradually ceased, with his body slowly returning to normal.
About a quarter of an hour later, the mantis stopped trembling.
It had grown larger in size, its forelimbs, now sword-like arms, had become more robust, and its overall color changed from emerald green to brown, resembling the dried leaf mantis of Malaysia.
"Control effect enhanced. Precision control distance increased from one meter to five, and the maximum range from three meters to fifteen."
Li Cheng felt the subtle changes and manipulated the newly born insect into performing various complex motions, such as lifting a pencil, opening a drawer, etc.
"Its body weight and strength have been significantly enhanced; it can nearly lift a bottle of water, and its forelimbs have become stronger and sharper, capable of easily cutting through leather and fibrous materials. Crucially, it can also fly."
Under Li Cheng's direction, the brown mantis spread its wings from its back and took flight, circling the bedroom ceiling before landing back into the plastic box.
Ordinary mantises can only flutter a short distance with their wings; they definitely can't fly with such ease and grace.
"A powerful insect with sharp forelimbs comparable to daggers and capable of hiding among the plants, and now with the ability to fly, is simply the perfect assassination weapon."
Li Cheng could easily imagine the applications of this new ability—he would let the mantis fly to the treetops in advance, wait for the target to pass underneath, then suddenly descend, slit the target's throat with one swift cut, and immediately take off again.
If the position, angle, and lighting were right, one could completely evade surveillance cameras, achieving a silent assassination.
"...No wonder the Special Affairs Bureau is so vigilant. The Master of Insects' infection effect can make even lower-level food chain organisms extremely lethal, let alone those higher up the food chain."
He put the lid back on the plastic box, secured it with wire, and placed it under the bed—the mantis was fed every three to four days; once full, it was too lazy to move, so there was no need to worry too much.
Next was the pupa of the Longicorn Beetle.
Li Cheng took out the second Divine Calamity Fragment from the bag and gently placed it on the surface of the pupa.
Just like before, the pupa was effortlessly penetrated by the Divine Calamity Fragment and started to swell.
Li Cheng followed the same method, touching it to absorb the excess Divine Calamity Fragment power, establishing a connection with the pupa.
He could feel the insect inside the pupa undergoing profound transformations.
The color of the pupa itself had changed from brownish-yellow to grayish-yellow; it lay in the man-made pupation chamber, occasionally trembling, showing no signs of hatching any time soon.
The Longicorn Beetle was already the pinnacle of its kind; after being enhanced by the Master of Insects infection, it was uncertain what it would become after hatching.
At this point, four Blood Ambers remained, their surfaces flowing with a captivating luster under the light, inevitably stirring up an intense urge to absorb them all.
"Let's call it quits for now."
Li Cheng took a deep breath, bundled carbon powder, air filter cotton, and deodorizing cotton together around the Blood Amber, wrapped it tightly in cling film, secured it with a rubber band, and placed it in the most concealed box under the bed.
The period of Genetic Hunger had not yet arrived; there was no rush, and he also had an idea—perhaps he could sell the excess Divine Calamity Fragments in exchange for intelligence or Healing Potions.
After sorting these out, he began to inspect his second gain for the day.
"When I picked up the Blood Amber, I came into contact with the blood of those two Master of Insects infected bodies and absorbed their genes. I wonder what ability I will obtain this time."