The Evolution Compendium
Chapter 54: Brain Worm, They’re All Family!

Chapter 54: Chapter 54: Brain Worm, They’re All Family!

"The Demon Eye isn’t an eye, but a parasite originating from the Abyss," Jiang Qiuyun interjected while driving. A gentle breeze swept by, lifting her silky black hair like satin; she had the beauty of a Fairy.

"Qiuyun, you’ll have no friends if you keep that up," Catherine complained, then pursed her red lips. "Little brother, listen to me. Most Demons are tainted by the breath of the Abyss, and some are also parasitized by it."

Chu Yi was surprised. "Parasitized?"

Jiang Qiuyun picked up the thread, saying, "The essence of the Demon Eye is a Brain Worm, which parasitizes and controls the brain. This Brain Worm has a particularly strong reproductive ability, easily replacing an entire Pet Beast clan. Even we humans, if not careful, can be parasitized by Brain Worms and become puppets of the Abyss."

Chu Yi was puzzled. "Then, why would this corporation want to extract it? Is it valuable?"

"Pfft, the value of a Brain Worm is much higher." Catherine covered her mouth with a smile, her smooth, pale legs, reminiscent of a white python, crossed. Smiling, she said, "Indeed, Brain Worms are rare spiritual materials and quite valuable. They can sell for 50,000 to 100,000 Federation coins on the market. Refining special Magic Potions with them significantly enhances Spiritual Power, greatly raising a Beast Tamer’s level. So, wouldn’t you say this material is expensive?"

So powerful? Chu Yi was shocked. The value of a single Brain Worm unexpectedly exceeded the basic pay of a two-star mission! Yet this corporation was also black-hearted, intentionally concealing the Brain Worm and acquiring it for only 10,000 Federation coins. However, the fact that Brain Worms offered such benefits, yet so few people undertook missions to acquire them, clearly indicated a problem.

"We’ve arrived at the Boneyard."

Soon, the sky darkened. The off-road vehicle reached an area of dark red soil. Along the way, signs, barbed wire, cement walls, and other debris lay scattered, all rusted and filthy. This place looked more like the ruins of a destroyed city. It had been eroded by the Abyss, its existence erased, leaving only scattered traces to indicate that a prosperous city once stood here.

Chu Yi squinted. Since entering the Boneyard, he had felt several obscure gazes watching him from the shadows. A rustling sound of something crawling echoed from within the darkness. Chu Yi looked toward a corner where weeds grew rampantly, and a sinister black shadow extended from them. It was a spider the size of a millstone, its back resembling a tortoiseshell, with serrated fangs at the edges of its carapace. Its eight slender spider spears twitched slightly, its scarlet eyes flashing constantly.

"Flesh... rebirth... twilight..." Strange whispers emanated from the spider, almost making Chu Yi think it was an illusion. A talking spider?

BANG!

A golden bullet streaked through a semicircular arc, struck the ground, then ricocheted violently, accurately hitting the spider’s soft abdomen and causing a powerful spiritual explosion! The next moment, the talking spider was blown apart, its body shattering into pieces as venom splattered everywhere.

"It’s a follower of an Evil God." Catherine twirled her revolver, her hand clad in tactical gloves, and patted Chu Yi’s shoulder. "It’s not just humans; some intelligent Demons also worship Evil Gods. Actually, any intelligent being, even one that’s blindly foolish, can worship Evil Gods in exchange for their tainted power. Long-range attacks are best for dealing with them. By the way, did your teacher instruct you on using Spiritual Power? Oh, you just formed your contract? Never mind then."

Chu Yi nodded. He noticed Catherine was very familiar with this, likely having encountered such things frequently during missions. It sparked his curiosity about her past. Although Catherine was always passionate and bold, Chu Yi’s Spiritual Power keenly sensed a hint of... loneliness about her?

「A moment later.」

The number of Demons encountered along the way decreased significantly, though a few camps were still stationed in the area. The group soon arrived at the Fei Niao Group’s mining area. The Bloody Wilderness was rich in resources. Those discovered had long been divided up and mined by the major powers of Yaoguang City. The real trouble was the endless stream of Demons that emerged from within these territories.

"Thank you, thank you for coming!" The manager, a portly man resembling a groundhog, greeted them. He was surprised that this "Three Hearts, Two E’s" team included two beautiful women, but he didn’t dwell on it. With a fawning expression, he began to provide information about the Three-Eyed Demon Wolf. Chu Yi was the last Beast Tamer to be briefed.

"The Three-Eyed Demon Wolf is only a low-level elite; you can handle it alone. Remember, if the Demon Wolf makes any significant moves or causes a big commotion, it’s best to retreat and observe from the shadows." Catherine placed a revolver into Chu Yi’s hand, along with a bandolier of high-explosive grenades and three distress signal flares. She then said, "Qiuyun and I will go monitor the status of the Purple Gold Centipede Claw King. We’ll pick you up in three hours and then head to the next mission point."

Dealing with the Three-Eyed Demon Wolf was Chu Yi’s task, a chance to hone Bika’s combat skills. The two women were very confident, as a high-level elite Pet Beast could easily crush the Three-Eyed Demon Wolf.

"Okay, sisters, take care. I’ll definitely complete the task brilliantly," Chu Yi said with a smile.

"Good boy. When you return, I’ll give you an unexpected reward," Catherine cooed, blowing him a kiss, her tone warm and playful.

Jiang Qiuyun maintained a stern face, her pink lips slightly parted. However, her tone was caring as she advised, "When you get there, don’t trust anyone. The human heart is hard to fathom. The most dangerous individuals might be the Beast Tamers right beside you. Watch out for backstabs."

"I understand, Sister Jiang." Chu Yi smiled. He wouldn’t mind if other Beast Tamers came after him; it would just mean a new batch of Spirit Cores for the taking. Waving goodbye to the two women, Chu Yi boarded the autonomous vehicle provided by the manager and headed to his destination.

This looks like a junkyard, Chu Yi thought as he got out of the car.

The first thing that met his eyes was a vast expanse of garbage. Rusty dust filled the air, mingling with the ruins of collapsed skyscrapers, painting the image of an apocalyptic city. This was a garbage concentration area deliberately created by the Fei Niao Group, and it had temporarily become the domain of the Three-Eyed Demon Wolf.

Chu Yi’s gaze swept into the distance, where a splendid nebula seemed to float above the horizon. Below a mountain of garbage, several crimson beasts were gnawing on a human corpse and the carcass of a wild bull Pet Beast. Chu Yi saw the scene clearly. It was a Beast Tamer who had died recently, their intestines pulled out—a truly tragic end.

As for the gnawing beasts, they resembled Siberian Wolf Gods. They were half skeletal and half flesh, their organs visible and entangled by numerous sticky tendons, giving them a grotesque appearance. Their hairless tails, now lumpy masses of flesh, swayed back and forth before suddenly splitting into multiple tendrils. These tendrils twisted irregularly, questing for the scent of blood in the air as they searched for prey. Each wolf’s head had two hollow, gray vertical pupils, and from the center of its brow, a scarlet eyeball bulged, emitting a faint sizzling noise.

Suddenly, several Three-Eyed Demon Wolves raised their heads, all looking in the same direction. They had scented prey.

The next moment, the pack of Three-Eyed Demon Wolves went into a frenzy, practically bursting with excitement. They called out to their allies, and one by one, more Demon Wolves dashed out from the various heaps of trash. Fixated on Chu Yi’s location, they transformed into blood-red shadows of death, swiftly approaching...

"Mew?" Master, Master, where are we? Bika poked its head out of Chu Yi’s pocket and yawned. It had been sleeping very comfortably in the car.

A paradise for harvesting experience packs. They’re practically ’family’ here, Chu Yi thought with a faint smile, his beautiful Star Eyes dazzling in the dim light.