Following the negotiations aboard the aircraft carrier, Zheng Zha finally boarded a military helicopter. To his surprise, among the naval soldiers escorting him to the island was the very officer with whom he had just negotiated. According to the officer, both sides must take responsibility for the price paid, so he had to witness the soldiers unearthing the landmine himself.

Zheng Zha didn't mind; he hadn't intended to risk his own life retrieving the landmine anyway. With his current standing, such a risk wasn't worth it. A quick calculation revealed he possessed one A-rank sub-plot, two C-rank sub-plots, and one D-rank sub-plot—a haul that could easily be called a complete success. In terms of Reward Points, he had over 7,000, not counting the 1,000 points he would receive for completing this horror movie. In short, he was a man of considerable means now, and until he utilized these points and sub-plots wisely, he saw no reason to court excessive danger over a D-rank landmine.

Beyond the impressive haul of sub-plots and points, he was even more intrigued by the changes within himself.

This was a massive leap forward in overall strength. Firstly, both his inner force and Vampire Energy had nearly doubled in total volume. His physical attributes had improved correspondingly; his strength was more than double what it was before. While he couldn't immediately ascertain the full extent of the improvements to his other physical qualities, he assumed they must also be substantial. More than anything, however, he was eager to test his regenerative capabilities.

Having heard the researchers discuss the restorative power of the Dragon Cells, and having witnessed it firsthand, he took a small knife and sliced off a tiny piece of flesh from his fingertip. Within seconds, the bleeding at the wound had completely stopped. Furthermore, a layer of scabbing had already formed on the surface. When the fingertip began to tingle besides the lingering pain, Zheng Zha couldn't resist peeling away the scab. Beneath it, pale red skin was already emerging, though traces of blood remained. Yet, this was certainly not a fresh wound; the entire process had taken barely three or four minutes.

(Such terrifying regenerative ability, more than three times what it was before… perhaps even more…)

Zheng Zha clenched his fist, quietly contemplating the implications of these enhancements. Primarily, his close-combat capability had been further amplified. Regardless of strength or speed, he was formidable even without unlocking the Genetic Lock. Ordinary people posed virtually no threat to him now. However, his reaction speed still needed refinement. Without the Genetic Lock engaged, his current nerve response speed clearly lagged behind his newfound power and velocity.

Aside from strength, speed, and non-locked close combat, the boost to his inner force and Vampire Energy thrilled him even more than the physical upgrades. Firstly, these increases would significantly boost the power of his skills. The inner force increase signaled that his Qinggong movement would become much swifter, while the enhanced Vampire Energy meant he could summon a larger army of the Dead. If it had doubled, he could summon 200 Dead—practically a small battalion.

More importantly, the dual increase suggested extended durations for his "Explosion" and "Ruin" skills. Coinciding perfectly with this was the massive boost to his recovery power. This meant his "Explosion" skill might now last for 30 seconds, and "Ruin" could potentially hold for 10 seconds…

Giving him ten seconds with the "Ruin" skill, he could possibly slay another Dragon!

It was a pity, however, that he was currently strapped inside a helicopter with no opportunity to test the extended duration of these skills. Even if he could test them, he dared not deploy them carelessly. Last time, he had the Dragon Cells to sustain him; could he really beg the Americans for his life this time? It would be a mercy if they didn't dissect him for specimens.

In unspoken silence, the helicopter soon reached the island from Jurassic Park Part I. As several military choppers landed, rows of U.S. Marines quickly assembled. Then, led by their officer and organized into squads of ten, they soon moved inland.

"...Uh, it's right here, within this canyon. The location where the landmine was buried looks obvious. We initially assumed that Dragon wouldn't spot the buried mine, but it somehow sensed something was amiss. In any case, the mine is buried in this canyon. Rest assured, the trigger weight we set is high—it poses no risk to humans stepping on it. But I can't guarantee it will be as safe when you try to extract it, since it's already armed." Zheng Zha pointed at the map, indicating the general area of the mine to the officer, then grabbed an intercom, turned, and headed toward the jungle.

The officer looked perplexed. "Where are you going? This island is full of dinosaurs."

Zheng Zha chuckled. "I'm not afraid of dinosaurs…" With that, he channeled his Qinggong, leaping up. After a few bounds off the trunk of a tree, he sprang onto the canopy and shot forward, leaving the officer gasping, muttering praises about Chinese Kung Fu.

Though he lacked the Green Goblin Glider, Zheng Zha still remembered the general layout of the island. He headed first toward the direction the Spear of Judgment had flown. That spear was now his most powerful weapon, its destructive force rivaling that of Bawang's firearms, and perhaps even surpassing them in certain aspects. Therefore, the first thing he needed to recover was the Spear of Judgment.

With his inner force doubled, his Qinggong speed had only improved by about twenty to thirty percent. Fortunately, traveling across the treetops meant he didn't have to dodge ground obstacles like trunks or terrain variations, making his traversal speed astonishingly fast. Moreover, he had taken the intercom used for coordinating with the American soldiers when he left. This ensured he could reach the Tyrannosaurus Rex's last known location immediately, especially since he was eager to test the "Explosion" skill. If he found himself too far from the Marines, he could use the skill to cover the distance instantly.

Running for a short time, Zheng Zha spotted a long, black burn mark in the distance, resembling the aftermath of a forest fire, though this mark was far more uniform—a straight strip. Zheng Zha knew he had arrived at the scene of the previous battle. Even now, recalling that fight sent shivers down his spine. Facing such a colossal Dragon, one breath attack could have annihilated them all, yet he had somehow mustered the courage to charge into its mouth…

In that instant, he had prepared for mutual destruction, hoping at least to save his companions. He had placed his faith in his teammates; even if he died, he still had the chance for resurrection. But in the end, he had survived miraculously, emerging stronger from the disaster. This made the present reality feel somewhat surreal.

Lost in thought, Zheng Zha never slowed his pace. He continued sprinting toward the likely trajectory of the Spear of Judgment's throw. Since they had been far from the coast then, it was highly improbable the spear landed in the sea, greatly narrowing his search radius.

After running for a few more minutes, Zheng Zha finally saw a flash of golden light on the trunk of a large tree in the distance. He quickly activated his Qinggong and sped over. A few leaps later, he confirmed it: the Spear of Judgment was indeed embedded in the tree trunk. However, the spear seemed to have lost most of its momentum upon impact, having penetrated only halfway into the wood. Given its sharpness, this seemed an unexpected result.

Zheng Zha gently pulled the Spear of Judgment from the tree. The golden shaft caught the overhead sunlight, gleaming like a divine artifact. This was currently the most potent weapon in his arsenal; used skillfully and effectively, it might give him a fighting chance even against another Dragon.

"Locate the Tyrannosaurus nest… there are two T-Rexes in the nest. Our position is at…"

Static suddenly erupted from the intercom, and Zheng Zha quickly tuned in, meticulously recording the location mentioned. The island had once been officially divided into over thirty sectors on military maps, and Zheng Zha had memorized these sectors while reviewing the map earlier. Without hesitation, he placed the Spear of Judgment into his storage ring, turned, and sprinted in the noted direction. Yet, after only a few minutes, a thought struck him, and he abruptly changed course, heading toward the area where he had last seen the Dragon sleeping—a large expanse of flattened leaves and broken branches.

(Though I doubt there are so many coincidences, since Chu Xuan specifically told me to check that place… perhaps there’s an unexpected boon awaiting there.)

Legend held that magic-based Dragons enjoyed hoarding treasures and often dwelt in caves or dungeons. However, the Dragon he had fought didn't fit that image. Though it could fly and breathe fire, it preferred rolling in the mud and lounging on piles of leaves and branches. Such behavior was hardly typical for a Dragon.

Despite his mental musings, Zheng Zha quickened his pace toward the spot. Soon, the large nest of crushed leaves and branches appeared before him, and simultaneously, he heard the sound of barking dogs… He jumped towards the area.