Chapter 1025: 319. Knowing It Beforehand_2
These measures include, but are not limited to, forcibly taking wizards who appear near the Pollution Zone under the pretext of “investigating the truth behind the appearance of the Pollution Zone.”
When Noland Lee read this passage, he sneered inwardly, already accustomed to the actions of the Pure Light Court.
In fact, without needing a reminder from Professor Erica, he would leave after a brief reconnaissance of the “Bustling Tunnel.”
He wasn’t the kind of brute who would expose his own tricks just for some spoils of war.
“Sir, the scout mechanos is in position,” Nolin sent through a mental message.
Noland Lee cast “Mind View” and turned his attention to the mechanos stationed outside the Pollution Zone.
...
Looking at the Pollution Zone from the vantage point of that mechanos, the sight was utterly deplorable.
Howling winds swept past the mechanos, kicking up dust and obscuring visibility.
The grey blood vessels, built from flesh, were sticky and slimy, their surfaces reflecting a polluted sheen.
Their interiors were spacious and dimly lit, filled with an eerie and filthy aura.
The festering sores on the exterior of the blood vessels spat the hustle of the wind and corrosive mucus, making the surrounding air even murkier.
Noland Lee observed carefully for a moment.
Apart from the cosmic noise that’s a staple of the Pollution Zone and the howling from the “Bustling Tunnel,” it seemed that this Pollution Zone wouldn’t cause any harm to the outside world.
“Enter, Nolin,” Noland Lee said.
“Yes, Sir.”
Nolin maneuvered the mechanos to fly into the mouth of a grey blood vessel.
This mechanos relied on the “Floating Formation” and “Airflow Formation” for aerial movement.
In the moment its figure disappeared into the blood vessel, Nolin uttered a low cry, and Noland Lee received a system message.
“Ah, there it is, the mechanos has lost contact.” There was no hint of pain in Nolin’s voice, indicating that the disconnection hadn’t harmed her.
Noland Lee looked at the system text in his mind.
[Attention!]
[Your ‘Scout Mechanos (Number 1344)’ has been attacked by the ‘Bustling Tunnel’!]
[The ‘Rotting Howl’ dealt a fatal blow to the mechanos.] noveldrama
[Your mechanos has been completely scrapped.]
‘Rotting Howl’?
Noland Lee raised an eyebrow and spent Energy Points to activate Deconstruction.
…
[Name]Rotting Howl
[Type]Mysterious Side Extraordinary Ability
[Level]Unable to predict at this time
[Effect]
A judgment related to “Attribute Values” is initiated on the target.
If the sum of the target’s “Attribute Values” is less than 400 points, the judgment fails, and “Rotting Sores” will be forcefully applied to the target.
[Explanation]
Mysterious side extraordinary abilities often disregard the target’s lifeform and structure.
Even Alchemy Creations made of metal like mechanos can be affected by “Rotting Sores.”
…
Noland Lee targeted the entry for “Rotting Sores” and initiated a new Deconstruction.
It was a negative effect capable of rapidly rotting the target.
A target afflicted by this negative effect, if not promptly treated, will rot away within 10 seconds, turning into a sludge to be absorbed by the “Bustling Tunnel.”
The tricky part was that “Rotting Sores” is a negative effect from the mysterious side, and even mechanical objects like mechanos cannot avoid its impact.
Noland Lee would need to construct a mechanos with a summed “Attribute Values” exceeding 400 points in order to pass the “Rotting Howl” judgment and thus remotely scout the “Bustling Tunnel.”
Or perhaps…
Change the approach?
Noland Lee stared at the grey blood vessels of the “Bustling Tunnel,” a glint flickering in his eyes.
He took out the Thunder Orb, held it aloft in his left hand, and drew out thunder and lightning energy from it.
After a brief energizing process, the lightning energy ball floated in the air in the form of a Magic Circle, turning into a low-power “Tracking Thunder Arrow Array.”
A Lightning Arrow containing 10,000 points of thunder and lightning energy shot out from the circle, aimed at a vessel of the “Bustling Tunnel.”
“Crackle~”
“Pop~”
The flash of lightning passed in an instant.
The grey blood vessel was struck by the Lightning Arrow, twitched, but remained unharmed; only a small portion of the surface mucus was lifted by the coursing lightning snakes.
Noland Lee was unable to inflict any damage on the grey blood vessels.
He also failed to activate Passive Deconstruction.
But!
The explosion of the Lightning Arrow on the grey blood vessel proved one of Noland Lee’s hypotheses:
The Pollution Zone known as the “Bustling Tunnel” could be attacked!
It was an entity with physical properties.
Without hesitating, Noland Lee took control of the Capacitor Pack Device Spirit from Nolin.
Three Capacitor Pack Device Spirits, holding a combined 6 million points of thunder and lightning energy, flew close to the grey blood vessels and initiated the lightning injection program!
“Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!”
Lightning raged, and the lightning bolted.
Thanks to the directed injection feature of the Capacitor Pack Device Spirit, all 6 million points of thunder and lightning energy were precisely directed at the same section of the vessel’s exterior.
“Splurt!”
A crack tore through the grey blood vessel, out of which a fierce wind burst, accompanied by a ghastly wailing.
The crack existed for about 10 seconds before quickly sealing itself, leaving no trace.
[System Information:]
[You have caused an extremely slight damage to the “Bustling Tunnel.”]
[Passive Deconstruction activated!]
[Your progress in Harmless Deconstruction on the target has increased by 0.001%.]
[You obtained the following Deconstruction Results:]
[You have unlocked a feature of the “Bustling Tunnel”:]
[Feature Name]Durable Energy Protection
[Feature Effect]
Only by causing a single instance of energy damage of 5 million points or more to the “Bustling Tunnel” can it be substantially damaged.
Energy damage less than 5 million points will be immunized by the “Bustling Tunnel.”