Chapter 273: Embodiment of a Different Species

Chapter 273: Embodiment of a Different Species

Monster: Fungal Giant

Level: Catastrophe

Species: Embodiment (Giant's Power, Frenzy, Rapid Self-Healing, Limb Regeneration, Plant Manipulation)



Ji Xinghuo was no stranger to such species information, having encountered it before.

This was an Embodiment species!

Embodiment species are a type of variant ability in which killing a monster has a certain probability of forming an "embodiment" species, which contains multiple monster abilities but does not include all variant abilities, usually two to three, while the rest disappear and cannot be collected.

By fusing with an Embodiment species, one can directly transform into that monster and possess its abilities.

Therefore, Embodiment species are extremely cost-effective.

However, they have an extremely low fusion success rate and a strong repulsion, after which many variant abilities cannot be performed.

The "Werebeast" profession template is a fusion of multiple Embodiment species, transforming into various forms.

When in one form, the abilities of the other forms cannot be used.

However, this is not absolute. If two forms are similar and one becomes proficient in transformation, some variant abilities may still be usable. Non-humanoid monsters have greater repulsion, while humanoid monsters have better compatibility and hence, a higher price.

The Fungal Giant is one of the best Embodiment species, and it is humanoid.

This is why Chi Zhonglin chose to fuse with the "Fungal Giant," maintaining his humanoid form even when transformed into a giant, allowing him to still perform martial arts and other variant abilities.

Ji Xinghuo had consulted him about this in the past.

Chi Zhonglin's Fungal Giant Embodiment species, in its previous life, was only a super group monster with three abilities, valued at a super-limit species.

Obviously, his embodiment was far inferior to the current Fungal Giant.

It possessed five variant abilities!

Just "Rapid Self-Healing" and "Limb Regeneration" were already super-limit abilities, and with the additional three, this Embodiment species was worth far more than an ordinary super-limit species.

Of course, the success rate of fusing with it must also be extremely low, and one would have to take a huge risk.

But there will always be those willing to try.

Ji Xinghuo cut open the belly of the Fungal Giant and dug out a piece of soft, greenish-colored flesh that resembled a mushroom.

Species: Fungal Giant Embodiment

Grade: Super-Limit

Fusion Success Rate: 48%

Upgradable: Yes

Holding it in his hand, the species information appeared before him.

Ji Xinghuo took a glance and shook his head: "A success rate of only 48%?" He had been thinking that if the fusion success rate was high enough, he could give it a try, as the abilities of this Embodiment species were so comprehensive that it would be well worth using one of his fusion opportunities.

However, a success rate of only 48% was simply discouraging.

Since obtaining the Myriad Astro Eyes, he had not come across a variant ability with a fusion success rate lower than 60%. Today's rate was the lowest yet, indicating a complete mismatch between himself and the species.

"Let's sell this one."

"It should still be worth several dozen ether crystals, and if brought back to Earth, it could sell for three to four hundred million."

Ji Xinghuo kept the species and then walked towards the corpse of another Catastrophe-level Fungal Giant.

Unfortunately, this Fungal Giant had not formed an Embodiment species. It possessed eight species, including the five abilities of the previous Embodiment and three other excellent and superior species, which Ji Xinghuo collected efficiently.

A total of ten Fungal Giants and ten Poison Spine Dragons.

Ji Xinghuo inspected them one by one and found two more Embodiment species.

One was a super group-level Fungal Giant with three abilities, and the other was a super group-level Poison Spine Dragon Embodiment with four abilities. Because it was non-humanoid and its abilities weren't particularly remarkable, its value was far inferior to the Fungal Giant Embodiment.

There were also two to three thousand monster corpses in the surrounding area, and Ji Xinghuo, after patiently searching through them, found over a dozen Embodiment species of various monsters.

"Is the probability this high?"

He sensed that something was amiss. The monsters on the Abyssal Star were noticeably different from those in the Star Realm.

They had a lower number of species than the average, but the probability of forming Embodiment species was much higher, at least ten times more than the monsters in the Star Realm!

In the past two years, Ji Xinghuo had killed countless monsters in the Star Realm, with the Stone Scythe Monkeys being the most numerous, possibly totaling over ten thousand. Yet, he had only come across Embodiment species three times. Due to the low quality of the Stone Scythe Monkey's abilities, they were worthless.

But today, with only two to three thousand monsters, he had found over a dozen Embodiment species.

Ji Xinghuo couldn't quite understand it.

The Abyssal Star gave him the feeling that something strange was going on everywhere.

There were too many monster corpses, and he couldn't collect all their species at once. He gave up on many low-value species and left after finishing the rest.

That was the Eternal Day Merit.

While the Fungal Giants and Poison Spine Dragons only gave 1 spirit source energy point each, their merit value was exceptionally high. A single Catastrophe-level Fungal Giant awarded 12 merit points, and even the Super Group-level monsters were worth 3! The ten Fungal Giants and ten Poison Spine Dragons together garnered him a total of 108 merit points!

"1,722 merit points now," Ji Xinghuo checked his badge, satisfied with the result.

He spent the night resting in the shelter.

The next day, Ji Xinghuo set off early in the morning, but instead of lingering in the Tier 1 region, he made his way swiftly to the nearest underground passage and boarded the vacuum train.

Over the past dozen days or so, he had been operating in the northern hemisphere of Abyssal Star.

First, he returned to the Guardian City to restock on firearms, weapons, and supplies before venturing into the southern hemisphere. However, he still steered clear of the high-level dangerous zones, opting for regions on the fringes, a complete opposite direction from before, thousands of kilometers away.

The climate on Abyssal Star changed very little, with no distinct seasons.

There was little difference between the southern and northern hemispheres; the surface remained covered in lush vegetation, endless primeval forests, and grasslands that stretched as far as the eye could see, making it incredibly easy to get lost.

Upon arriving, Ji Xinghuo first scouted the surrounding environment and monsters, ensuring there weren't any significant dangers before beginning his monster aggregation.

However, it didn't take long for him to realize there was a problem.

The monsters wouldn't gather!

Similar to his previous experience, many monsters wouldn't pursue him over long distances, exhibiting reduced aggression and often giving up or falling behind.

This lack of commotion failed to attract monsters from farther away, preventing the desired snowball effect.

"Damn it!"

Ji Xinghuo simply turned back and sliced through the thousands of monsters like a hot knife through butter, reaping over a thousand spirit source energy points and a dozen merit points.

Staring at the corpses scattered across the ground, he fell into deep thought.

He then returned to the underground passage and traveled to another Tier 1 region, thousands of kilometers away, to attempt monster aggregation once more. As expected, the result didn't surprise him—the monsters still wouldn't gather in large numbers, and he could only amass around a thousand monsters before it became impossible to increase their number further.

"All the monsters on Abyssal Star are controlled by the same will or system," Ji Xinghuo confirmed his suspicion.

"They aren't just mindless, unintelligent beings."

"By killing so many of them, the will behind them has targeted me and sent the Fungal Giants and Poison Spine Dragons, but it has misjudged my strength."

"The next time it happens, the danger will undoubtedly be even greater!"

Ji Xinghuo's eyes narrowed with gravity.

He finally realized that he needed to be much more cautious in his actions on Abyssal Star; he couldn't continue the rampant slaughter of monsters as he had in the previous ten days. Consequently, his efficiency in acquiring spirit source energy and merit would decrease significantly, but for the sake of safety, a low profile was necessary.

From then on, Ji Xinghuo began hunting monsters but never stayed in one region for more than two days.

He also stopped trying to attract large numbers and instead opted to engage any group of monsters he encountered. He would first shoot down a portion of them with his Crystal Light Gun, and as the remaining monsters charged, he would finish them off with his battle axe.

Using electromagnetic induction to search for monsters also proved effective.

In a single day, Ji Xinghuo could locate over a dozen groups, ensuring a daily gain of a thousand to two thousand spirit source energy points.

His Eternal Day Merit also increased steadily.

At this rate, it would take him at least ten days to clear out the monsters in one region, but Ji Xinghuo never stayed beyond two days, always leaving before nightfall on the second day.

Then, he would board the vacuum train and randomly select another region to harvest for two days before moving on.

It was like waging a guerrilla war.

While the efficiency was low and the harvest reduced, it was safe.

This strategy persisted for over thirty days; with Abyssal Star's days lasting only about fifteen hours each, thirty-some days were equivalent to just over ten days in the Star Realm.

Ji Xinghuo had originally intended to stay on Abyssal Star for a more extended period, but on this particular night, as he rested in the underground shelter and logged into the Eternal Day Guardians' forum, he came across a piece of news posted by the Crystalite Clan—the Exquisite Auction House was about to introduce new items, including several Heaven Treasure Diamonds.

This immediately sparked enthusiastic discussions among the Eternal Day Guardians.

The most alluring item the Crystalite Clan offered was the Heaven Treasure Diamond, ranked first on their list. It could increase one's fusion opportunities by two, making it an incredibly rare expansion item.

Whether for personal use or selling it back on the Bloody Highlands, the temptation was undeniable!

As Ji Xinghuo browsed through the forum posts, he got a rough estimate of the starting prices for many of the auction items and decided to participate in the bidding this time.

Stepping out of the Illuminated Peak and onto the streets of the City of Eternal Day, Ji Xinghuo felt as if he had been away for a lifetime.

"I'm back!"

During his time on the Abyssal Star, he had spent most of his days alone, encountering no one but monsters on the planet's surface.

This was because most Eternal Day Guardians ventured into regions of level two and above.

Very few dared to linger in the level one regions.

Naturally, no other Eternal Day Guardian had discovered that someone was crazily sweeping through monsters in a level one region, nor did they know of Ji Xinghuo's existence.

Ji Xinghuo checked into the hotel he had stayed at before and began to take inventory of his possessions in his room.

He needed Ether Crystals and Eternal Day Merit to participate in the auction at the Exotic Auction House, and while he had sufficient merit, his supply of Ether Crystals was lacking.

He only had 67 Ether Crystals.

The Heaven Treasure Diamond had a starting bid of 55 Ether Crystals and 100 Eternal Day Merit, and if there were competitors who placed high bids early on, he might miss out.

"I need to get some more Ether Crystals to be safer during the auction."

Ji Xinghuo left the hotel and made his way to the Exotic Auction House, finding it even busier than the last time he had visited.

It was bustling like a vegetable market, with people constantly looking up at the screens. However, the auction items on display did not include the Heaven Treasure Diamond or any other treasures that would incite intense bidding.

There were lines in front of several Crystalite auctioneers, and Ji Xinghuo joined the queue at the back.

Soon enough, it was his turn.

Ji Xinghuo entered the auction house's private room and encountered a familiar face.

It was the same spider-like Crystalite named Xuan Ming, who showed a hint of surprise in his eyes upon seeing Ji Xinghuo. "It's you again. You're back so soon."

Ji Xinghuo sensed the other party's emotional shift and was astonished himself. "You remember me, Xuan Ming?"

"Hehe..."

Xuan Ming suddenly laughed, "It's normal for those outside not to recognize you, but within my clan, you're already famous."

Ji Xinghuo's heart skipped a beat before he calmed down.

The Abyssal Star was the Crystalites' home planet, constantly monitored by satellites in orbit. His actions on the planet's surface were undoubtedly under their watchful eyes. Perhaps, since his first day there, the Crystalites had been secretly observing his every move, discussing him countless times.

Xuan Ming gave Ji Xinghuo a deep look, seeing his reluctance to speak further on the matter, and then asked, "What business brings you here today?"

"I wish to put something up for auction."

Ji Xinghuo explained briefly as he took out a greenish mushroom from his backpack. It was the Fungal Giant's Embodiment species, one of the most valuable items in his possession. Since he had no use for it, and neither would his family or friends, he decided to sell it to obtain more Ether Crystals.

Xuan Ming appraised the species with admiration. "A fine item!"

"This Embodiment species qualifies for the auction. I accept your request." He looked at Ji Xinghuo, "Set a starting price."

"What price do you think is appropriate?" Ji Xinghuo asked, adding, "I only accept Ether Crystals as payment."

"30 crystals to start," Xuan Ming replied without hesitation.

"Alright."

Ji Xinghuo agreed to the starting price, which was much higher than he had anticipated. With Xuan Ming's experience in the Exotic Auction House, his valuation was surely accurate.

"Since you have a Purple Crystal Badge, we'll only charge a 10% service fee upon a successful auction. It will be deducted from the final transaction price. If it doesn't sell, there's no charge." Xuan Ming said, "Here's our consignment contract. Take a look, and if you find everything in order, please sign it."

He took out a palm-sized crystal board, and after a flash of light and some input, he handed it to Ji Xinghuo.

Ji Xinghuo read through the contract and signed his name with a crystal pen.

Soon, the screens in the auction house's hall refreshed, displaying the Fungal Giant's Embodiment species along with a detailed description of its abilities.

"Fungal Giant Embodiment, quantity: 1, starting bid: 30 Ether Crystals, current price: none, time remaining: 10 stellar hours."

Such a powerful species immediately stirred excitement in the hall.

As Ji Xinghuo walked into the hall, he noticed that bids had already been placed, and the competition was fierce, with the price surpassing 45 Ether Crystals after several rounds.

This was completely unexpected.

"Is it really that valuable?" Ji Xinghuo wondered if he had underestimated the worth of this Embodiment species.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end