If the thing on Skull Man's chest had seemed disgusting before—a cancerous organ purely designed to leech sustenance from the host—then now, with the host nearing death, this cancerous organ began to regurgitate everything it had absorbed, feeding all its stored nutrients back into the dying host in a desperate bid for survival.

However, while this method might prolong life, it could not save it. This was because, firstly, this cancerous organ was no perfect and formidable lifeform like the Solar Ladder. Secondly, the injuries sustained by Skull Man Tom were simply too catastrophic. Even for a Contractor whose body was digitized, these injuries were fatal. No matter how much nourishment the parasitic organ stored, there would always come a point when it ran out.

Surprisingly, upon seeing Fang Senyan, Skull Man struggled violently, seemingly trying to sit up, his mouth working as if attempting to speak. Yet, extreme weakness rendered all his efforts futile.

At this moment, Fang Senyan observed the pale yet congested look in Skull Man Tom’s eyes, and the twisted, yet strangely unpained, expression on his face. A bizarre and unfamiliar sensation bloomed in his heart, as if he were facing an entirely different person.

Fang Senyan immediately delved into this hypothesis. Given the severity of the wounds, Skull Man Tom’s original body must be on the brink of death, if not already deceased and in a deep coma. In that case... with this strange, cancerous organ in control of the entire body, was it possible that this entity attempting to communicate with him was actually the consciousness of the organ itself?

Of course, Fang Senyan was completely unaware of Skull Man Tom’s tragic ordeal, nor did he know that the cancer-like growth on his chest had been synthesized from the cells of the Ten Strongest beings stored within the Nightmare Space.

But Fang Senyan was, after all, a freak himself. One must not forget that his own body housed a peculiar biological organ—the Solar Ladder. Having this preconceived notion, Fang Senyan naturally began to draw parallels.

Therefore, Fang Senyan naturally turned to Dardanian: “Is there a way to replenish some energy for him?”

Dardanian shrugged: “There is, but it’s a bit pricey.”

“Do I look like someone who avoids paying debts?” Fang Senyan asked coolly.

Dardanian had only intended to make Fang Senyan feel indebted; he had no intention of charging a fee. Hearing Fang Senyan’s words, he could only offer a wry smile and casually flicked out a seed.

As the seed left his hand, a potent, fresh fragrance filled the entire room, reminiscent of the warm aroma when tea leaves are being pan-fried. It brought a sense of refreshment and clarity to everyone, compelling them to take several deep breaths.

The seed itself was dark and unremarkable, about the size of a chestnut, yet it descended slowly in the air like dandelion fluff. It hovered over Skull Man Tom’s body for a moment before dropping onto his neck, rapidly sprouting root-like tendrils that adhered to the skin.

In a mere few seconds, the seed withered into ash, but Tom suddenly gained vitality. The rapid rise and fall of his chest slowly steadied. He gasped for a moment, then spoke to Fang Senyan in a hoarse, stiff voice: “You… you carry a familiar yet bewildering aura that I sense.”

Fang Senyan listened quietly. He couldn't help but think of the bizarre vertical pupils that flashed in his mind when he had previously encountered the Fool's Test Subjects. He looked at Skull Man Tom and said: “What exactly are you trying to say?”

Skull Man Tom’s breathing suddenly grew ragged again. He choked violently, struggling to articulate brokenly: “You must, you absolutely must go to the Big Ben Research Institute, inside there, there, there is, there is, there is your, your…”

He never finished the last sentence. A large amount of blood and fragmented tissue erupted from Tom’s mouth, splattering onto the ceiling. He was dead. A few drops of blood from his mouth splashed onto the back of Fang Senyan’s hand; the temperature was shockingly hot, burning the skin.

Fang Senyan glanced sideways and saw Artificial Human No. 1 operating the crushing and extraction device in the distance, presumably missing what had just happened. For some reason, he felt a sense of profound relief. He silently repeated the words "Big Ben Research Institute" several times in his mind, then took a deep breath and strode out.

After the extraction of the Xuan Element was complete and the spoils divided, the group naturally had to discuss their next course of action. Time was critically short; no further delays could be afforded.

Fang Senyan turned toward Artificial Human No. 1, his eyes searching. The old android bowed slightly: “Master, the three requirements you previously laid out were: First, a species with intelligence no less than a ten-year-old human child. Second, a race skilled in subterranean living or burrowing. Third, a distance no more than three hundred kilometers from this location. Based on the spaceship data archives obtained previously, I have filtered two potential targets for your selection.”

Artificial Human No. 1 shared the data while speaking.

Species A: The Black-Striped Myrmidons These creatures share characteristics with Earth's mole crickets. They are eyeless, perceiving the world through five infrared sensory glands located on their bodies. They range from one to two meters in length, with females being slightly larger. Their powerful, double-pronged forelimbs allow them to tunnel effortlessly through soil.

The Black-Striped Myrmidons possess high brain capacity, exceeding that of apes. Based on their hunting and reproductive patterns, intelligence and the capacity for external communication can be inferred. It has already been observed that they attempt to trade sun-dried plant roots with packs of Vulture Beasts. Drawback: The Black-Striped Myrmidons might not be interested in the bargaining chips we possess. More importantly, they only favor soft, flat plains; they are incapable of operating in rocky terrain.

Species B: The Sinful Fabros These are ferocious, humanoid creatures possessing four symmetrically arranged eyes—two positioned slightly higher on the cheekbones—and a rudimentary language of their own.

Their features are distinct: the most striking is a massive, fleshy aortic aneurysm perpetually growing on their right shoulder. The surface of this growth bears clear tusk-like patterns. This is because every Sinful Fabro cultist, upon birth, must insert a sharpened plant stem into their right shoulder, causing the growth to mutate over time into this vascular tumor. Their mouths resemble those of cattle, horses, or sheep, and they supplement their diet of "Suosuo Ta," a plant typically found in damp valleys, with a milky white secretion from the cap of the Fabro fungus.

Their bodies are covered in dense black fur; they seldom exceed 1.5 meters in height but possess strikingly pronounced musculature, with their legs significantly shorter relative to their upper limbs. When excited, emotionally agitated, or angered, their teeth emit an audible grinding sound, accompanied by a dog-like roar from their throats.

These creatures are natural miners, and there is reason to believe they possess rudimentary forging techniques. Every Sinful Fabro member encountered carries a sharp pickaxe. Combined with their innate abilities, rock presents no more resistance to them than tofu.

They excavate wherever stone is present, searching for a mineral called "Kurut," which is as vital to them as salt is to humans. The more of this mineral a creature ingests, the stronger it becomes. There is no doubting their intellect based on their habits of robbery and predation; the challenge lies in presenting an offering they deem worthy enough to secure their willing cooperation. Drawback: These are inherently vicious creatures—first and foremost bandits and robbers, only secondarily conversationalists. It is likely the Iron-Blooded race captured several Sinful Fabros for their combined combat prowess, bringing them to this planet. The abundance of "Kurut" here has allowed these creatures to thrive and grow stronger.

Fang Senyan reviewed the dossiers and, without much effort, decided to head for the territory of the Sinful Fabros. His group was currently unfazed by danger but severely pressed for time. Unquestionably, the Sinful Fabros, masters of dealing with rock, had a high probability of possessing information related to the Xuan mineral veins.

Thus, Fang Senyan and his party left the unfriendly human settlement. The map they were now using was vastly superior, a standard Imperial version generated by the spaceship’s detection system, clearly displaying all routes, rivers, and mountain ranges.

According to the map’s guidance, the Sinful Fabro camp was located about seventy kilometers away, nestled within the mountains. Because they tore through the terrain like pile drivers, shattering all rock in their path, their operational range was extensive. Upon reaching the general area, they would likely need time to pinpoint the exact location of the camp.

Seventy kilometers was a considerable distance for a group of Contractors like Fang Senyan’s to cover on foot, especially when they had to force a path through dense forest and open wilderness.

Fortunately, they had the Iron Golem and Ramtas clearing the way; otherwise, their progress rate would have dropped by at least 30%. As for the remaining Iron-Blooded Warriors who might be trailing them closely, Fang Senyan and the others were not overly concerned. The invisibility of the Iron-Blooded race merely warped light; it did not eliminate sounds produced by their breathing or movement.

Along the way, Fang Senyan once noticed he was being tailed by two Iron-Blooded individuals. He remained unperturbed, waiting until they entered a narrow ravine before suddenly ordering Aldaris to unleash a Mind Storm, engulfing the area where the Iron-Blooded were located. (To be continued).