Can a Frankenstein's monster be an adventurer?

Chapter 28 Hunting the Giant Centipede

Feeling the smooth breathing brought by the newly installed lungs, Luo Lan turned her gaze back to the giant crocodile skeleton, to the row of spines that had been peeled off its back.

The ridge-like crimson thorns still flickered with faint red arcs of electricity, and occasionally a few tiny sparks of electricity would jump out between the thorns, flashing on and off.

This is what Luo Lan truly wanted. The ability to breathe underwater became an unexpected bonus.

He walked to the scattered spines, squatted down, and pressed his hands against the entire row of spines.

[Casting - Assembly]

[Consumed Chaos Essence: 765]

[Current Chaotic Essence: 123]

This time, the amount of Chaos Essence consumed was astonishingly high, and purplish-black particles surged from the palm, enveloping the thorns layer by layer.

One by one, the spines on the back were lifted up out of thin air by an invisible force, and gradually deformed, melted and reshaped in the purplish-black light particles.

The outer shell of bone disintegrates and peels away layer by layer, revealing the condensed crimson crystalline core inside. These crystalline cores extend and elongate in the air, shaping one after another into the shape of crimson crystalline bone protrusions, with faint electric arcs flashing within the crystalline structure.

"Click click click..."

One after another, crimson crystalline bone protrusions attached themselves to Luo Lan's back. Fine, dark threads extended from the base of the bone protrusions, piercing through the spinous bones and sewing the outer layer of flesh, tightly fitting into the surface of the [Dark Gold Skeleton] underneath.

The bright red crystalline bone protrusions are arranged one after another, extending from between the shoulder blades all the way up to the waist.

From the outside, it looks as if a cyberpunk-style spinal prosthetic body, crackling with red lightning, has been attached to this rugged monster's body.

[Assembled: The Thunder Crystal Backbone of the Diving Thunder Crocodile]

[Rank: Silver]

Specialty: Bio-batteries

[Skill: Crimson Lightning Storm Lv.1]

[Bio-batteries: Increase daily metabolic consumption and convert excess biomass energy into bioelectric energy storage; the upper limit of energy storage is affected by physical properties.]

【Crimson Lightning Storm Lv.1: Consumes the body's bioelectric energy reserves to release a low-intensity crimson lightning arc, granting immunity to crimson lightning damage released by the user. When bioelectric energy reserves are insufficient, stamina can also be consumed to activate the skill.】

[Silver Rank.]

Luo Lan silently recited the rank in his mind. This was the highest level of extraordinary organ he had come into contact with since his body was assembled, so it was not surprising that it had consumed most of his accumulated source essence.

Luo Lan reached behind her and touched a row of crystalline bone protrusions. Her fingertips felt a cold, hard texture, and the solidity of the material was comparable to that of the Dark Gold Skeleton.

Luo Lan could clearly feel that a portion of the energy in her body was being quietly diverted, with a portion being forcefully intercepted by the new external spinal cord on her back.

The diverted energy is subtly transformed into red bioelectricity, stored in those crystal-clear red joints, further increasing daily energy consumption.

Luo Lan activated the newly connected Crimson Lightning Circuit, extending his right hand with his five fingers spread wide.

【Red Lightning Storm lv.1】

Several crimson arcs of electricity leaped from his fingertips, as thin as spider silk, crackling between his fingers.

Luo Lan increased the output power by a few points.

The crystalline bony protrusions on the spine lit up starting from the lumbar vertebrae, and the crimson light climbed all the way up the spine—exactly the same pattern as when the diving crocodile was gathering its breath.

The electric arc that was originally as thin as a spider's thread at the fingertip instantly swelled into a lightning whip as thick as the wrist.

Luo Lan flicked his wrist, slamming the raging crimson lightning into the blood-stained black pool at his feet.

The electric current instantly split several crimson forked lines on the water's surface, spreading out in all directions into a crackling web of lightning.

Try increasing the output power to the maximum.

All the crystalline bone protrusions on his back lit up, and violent crimson lightning burst forth from his entire body. Arcs of electricity danced wildly around the [External Eight Spider Lances] and the [Dark Gold Skeleton]. Occasionally, a few thick bolts of crimson lightning struck the water's surface, even electrolyzing the water molecules into tiny bubbles.

As the water vapor began to be electrolyzed by the red lightning, large plumes of ozone, mixed with a pungent odor, rose up.

After letting the thunder rage for more than ten seconds, the new organ had only been installed recently, and the energy storage tank of the specialty [Bio-Battery] was still basically empty. At this moment, activating the skill relied entirely on Luo Lan consuming energy to drive it.

The sustained maximum power of the [Crimson Lightning Storm lv.1] brought Luo Lan a wave of exhaustion that surged from the depths of his bones, so he stopped the test.

The electric arc extinguished segment by segment along the back, and the electric arc retracted into the body and disappeared.

Luo Lan turned to look at the black pool.

Having already acquired the [Underwater Breathing] specialty, and with a pool of black water before her, Luo Lan hesitated for a moment, then chose to leave.

[It's time to address the export issue.]

After defeating the Submersible Thunder Crocodile, Luo Lan had a new assessment of his own strength.

Based on his experience fighting the Thunder Crocodile in the Black Pool of the Sewers and the Giant Centipede Digging in the Stone Bridge Cave, Luo Lan initially judged that they were monsters of similar strength.

Since they were able to defeat the Thunder Crocodile before, taking down the Giant Centipede should be a piece of cake after obtaining the [Crimson Lightning Storm] and further enhancing their strength.

Rather than continuing to explore the underground river within the palace, Luo Lan was more curious about the outside world.

Luo Lan has decided to hunt the giant centipede!

……

……

A day later, after resting, he returned to his peak condition.

Luo Lan stepped back into the cave connected by the narrow stone bridge.

On the cave floor, several tunnels remain from when the giant centipede chased Luo Lan. The deep entrances are nestled among the rubble, and the soil around the edges has long since dried up and hardened.

This time, however, Luo Lan was confident that she would not run away in defeat again.

On the distant cave cliff, the exit light curtain, shimmering with a faint purple light, still stands quietly.

Unlike the previous time when Luo Lan tried to approach, this time, no warm-toned sunlight pierced through the exit. Instead, a few strands of cool, silvery light slanted in from the cave entrance, flowing through the rock walls with a thin layer of pale gray luster.

[Moonlight? Is it night outside?]

Having remained deep within the underground palace and never seen the sky, Luo Lan had no way of knowing the laws governing the alternation of day and night in this world.

But it's okay.

Once the obstacles to exports are overcome, these questions will naturally be answered.

Last time, when walking towards the cave exit on the ground, it was probably the vibrations caused by the giant armored spider's massive body that attracted the giant centipede's digging attack.

This time, Luo Lan learned from her mistake and jumped onto the rock face from the very beginning.

The [External Eight Spider Spears] wedge into the slippery rock crevices, while the [Grasping Bristles] barbs spread out in the crevices to provide a stable grip.

The spear tip pierced the rock fissures alternately, and the person crawled forward along the cave ceiling, weaving and circling among the dense stalactites.

We climbed until we were not far from the exit, and then there were more and more tunnels next to the exit. These dark openings were embedded in the rock wall like honeycomb holes.

The giant centipede has still not appeared.

This situation confirmed Luo Lan's suspicions—the monsters buried deep underground did indeed rely on ground vibrations to locate their prey.

One hundred meters, fifty meters.

The exit was now in sight, and the cool moonlight poured in from the cave entrance, illuminating Luo Lan's dark golden skeleton.

Luo Lan stopped what she was doing.

With a simple leap, Luo Lan could escape. But what if, upon returning to the underground palace, he happened to encounter the giant centipede waiting patiently at the exit?

Only by eliminating any future troubles can Luo Lan travel with peace of mind.

"Click."

Two spider spears were used to pry open a crevice in the cave ceiling, and a boulder the size of a millstone was removed from the ceiling.

Luo Lan suspended the boulder in front of him, gripped the rough rock surface with both hands, and used his strength to smash the boulder down.

"Thump—!"

Rock fragments flew everywhere, dust rose, and a dull thud echoed through the cave.

The shockwave spread in all directions along the rock strata, passing through the ground, tunnel walls, and all the way to the depths of the earth.

Lure the snake out of its hole.