Fang Xinhan used a grappling technique to seize the toad zombie, pinning it to the ground.
"Last time I didn't keep any of those crawling zombies, so this time I'll capture you for research."
With that, an empty cage appeared in Fang Xinhan's hand, and he used it on the toad zombie.
〈Item: empty cage〉
〈Type: Consumable〉
〈Quality: None〉
〈Special Effect: Has a certain probability of capturing creatures no larger than 5m in size.〉
(Note: Pokémon get daze.)
The first time, it failed.
The second time, it failed.
The third time, it succeeded.
The empty cage, now holding the toad zombie, displayed the name 'Cage - Mutated Zombie'.
"It really can catch them! Then I'll have to catch a couple more."
Fang Xinhan put away the empty cage and leaped to a high place.
He wondered if Kuuga's four basic transformation forms all had a Super Rising Mode, would there also be an Amazing Mode?
Without further ado, he explored the power within his body, and streaks of black lightning spread across him.
Then, Fang Xinhan transformed into the black Pegasus form—Amazing Pegasus.
"If I get injured in this form, it'll be deadly, right?"
At this moment, Fang Xinhan could hear sounds from the entire city, even from ants. He slowly filtered and sifted through them, trying to find different sounds.
"12 of them."
This was the sound Fang Xinhan heard that was different from ordinary zombies.
After Fang Xinhan confirmed there were a total of 12 mutated species, he immediately transformed into the black Dragon form—Amazing Dragon.
"Tonight, I'm going to collect all these zombies. If they possess basic intelligence, then that forbidden technique can be attempted."
Fang Xinhan made an absurd leap, crossing half the city. Whenever he encountered a mutated species, he started with a grappling technique,
followed by the empty cage.
In less than half an hour, all 12 mutated species were subdued by Fang Xinhan.
Then, Fang Xinhan jumped to a high place again and arranged the 13 cages containing the mutated species.
Among Fang Xinhan's Alchemy techniques was a forbidden art that could extract the intelligence of living beings and bestow it upon inanimate puppets.
"Before, I didn't have suitable materials, but now with 13, even if I'm clumsy, it's impossible for all of them to fail, right?"
Fang Xinhan transformed into Amazing Titan and released a corpulent mutated zombie.
The mutated zombie tried to run when it saw Fang Xinhan, but Fang Xinhan quickly moved behind it and placed a hand on its head.
Then, the obese zombie's body began to convulse.
However, this zombie's mental strength was too weak. Before Fang Xinhan could extract anything, this mutated species exploded with a loud bang.
But in front of Amazing Titan, such an explosion was nothing.
"Failed? No problem, failure is the mother of success. Next time, it will definitely succeed."
Then, Fang Xinhan released the second zombie,
and as expected, it failed.
"That doesn't make sense? It must be the wrong technique."
The third one, failed.
The fourth one, failed.
...
The ninth one, succeeded.
Fang Xinhan now held a small, glowing mass of brain in his empty hand.
"Is this the materialization of intelligence?"
Fang Xinhan casually took out an empty bottle and put the glowing brain into it.
This was not a brain in a jar, but the key to enhancing the intelligence of puppets.
"Basic intelligence, due to its simpler thought logic, I can extract, but I still cannot extract more complex intelligent creatures."
Fang Xinhan, gradually mastering the method of extracting intelligence, began to summarize.
He had now consumed nine mutated zombies just to extract a piece of intelligence the size of a date, which was truly inefficient.
However, since it had come to this, he had to try what kind of evolution such a small amount of intelligence could bring to a puppet.
Fang Xinhan took out materials from his portable conversion table and then used Alchemy to create a flesh puppet.
"Now, let's begin the experiment."
Fang Xinhan pinched the puppet's mouth open, then poured the materialized intelligence from the bottle into its mouth.
After a short while, the puppet opened its eyes, but it didn't open them immediately like a robot.
Instead, it slowly opened its eyes like a real person.
"Do you know who you are?"
"I am a puppet created by the Creator."
The flesh puppet answered without hesitation.
Fang Xinhan walked closer and patted its shoulder. Just as the puppet looked confused, he shouted,
"Can't hear you, speak louder! Who are you?"
The puppet was stunned for a moment, but then it shouted loudly,
"I am a puppet created by the Creator!"
"Very good, full of spirit."
Fang Xinhan praised it, and at that moment, Fang Xinhan's watch rang.
"It's almost 4 o'clock already? Time to go back."
Fang Xinhan turned to the puppet and said,
"I'm going to put you into the empty cage; don't resist later."
Then the puppet was smoothly put into the empty cage. After doing all this, Fang Xinhan stretched, stepped onto his hoverboard, and returned to the camp.
However, after Fang Xinhan left, the zombies in the city began to tear at each other and evolve.
As he approached the camp, Fang Xinhan drank an invisibility potion, jumped off the hoverboard, and stealthily entered his tent.
He didn't plan to sleep; instead, he quietly took out his arcane worktable. Before entering the dungeon, he had specifically made several gold capped greatwood staffs to store various essences.
"Finally, I can change my staff."
He placed the fully charged iron-capped wooden staff into the arcane worktable, then placed greatwood logs into the arcane worktable to synthesize a greatwood staff handle.
Then, he used gold nuggets to make a gold cap and synthesized it with the greatwood staff handle to create a gold capped greatwood staff.
The gold capped greatwood staff has a capacity of 50 (can store 50 Vis of each basic essence).
Its creation requires 9 points of each of the six primal essences.
It has 0% mana reduction, so it neither consumes extra mana nor saves extra mana.
However, according to the research and development of the Age of Mystery, it is still recommended as the second staff for players to craft.
Fang Xinhan had just fully charged several iron-capped wooden staffs, so today he was going to retire all of them and replace them with gold capped greatwood staffs.
Through Fang Xinhan's efforts, he obtained 20 gold capped greatwood staffs. If all were fully charged, that would be 1000 essence points.
"Counting the amount of essence needed for the Rune Matrix, Arcane Stone, Arcane Brick, Arcane Pedestal, and Arcane Alembic."
Fang Xinhan picked up his magical handbook and began to silently calculate the required amount of essence.
"Hiss~, not quite enough. As expected, 1000 points is still a bit low."
But just as Fang Xinhan was silently contemplating, the sun quietly climbed over the mountain, beginning to emit light and heat.
Everyone else also woke up one after another.
Early in the morning, Qin An saw Fang Xinhan sitting on a wooden stump, like Rodin's 'The Thinker' bronze sculpture.
That posture, that pose, that expression... oh, he was wearing a blocky head, so it couldn't be seen.
"Why does this feel a bit familiar?"
Qin An remembered someone who gave Fang Xinhan a red envelope at the Management Bureau.
"What's wrong?"
Hearing the sound, Fang Xinhan turned his head and saw the yellow German-style trench coat.
(P.S.: Children, use your imagination. I will write the next part of the story based on your settings.)