Chapter 16 Mutant Steel Tail Scorpion

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Lin Shen felt a surge of joy and hurried to the hatching pod. Through the glass cover, he saw a crack starting to form on the Base Mutation Egg of the Steel Tail Scorpion.

Crack!

Another sharp sound echoed, and several more splits spread across the egg that looked as hard as steel or iron. These cracks radiated outward from a single point.

Crack!

The center of the cracks suddenly burst open, and a slightly curved pitch-black steel spike pierced through. Its sharp tip gleamed with a chilling, razor-sharp aura.

Lin Shen had barely had time to get a clear look at the pitch-black spike before it rapidly retracted back into the egg.

Crack!

Almost immediately, the spike thrust out again. With its repeated punctures, the eggshell could no longer sustain itself and shattered entirely. A palm-sized black metallic scorpion emerged, its body pitch-black and gleaming.

"Is this the Steel Tail Scorpion?" Lin Shen stared at the creature as it gnawed on the remnants of the eggshell, his heart swelling with mild surprise.

The Steel Tail Scorpion, a kind of Base Mutation Creature, was abundant around the Dark Bird Base, reproducing rapidly. Its Base Mutation Eggs weren't highly valued; they could be purchased for about the cost of a meal.

Many Mutators owned Steel Tail Scorpion pets. Even ordinary people without any mutations often had Steel Tail Scorpions as pets.

Lin Shen had seen countless wild and domestic Steel Tail Scorpions before, but he had never seen one quite like this.

Ordinary Steel Tail Scorpions typically had steel-colored exteriors, often spotted with rust-like stains here and there.

In contrast, this one had an entirely pitch-black body, as if forged from black iron. It was also slightly larger than the average newly hatched Steel Tail Scorpion.

There was no time to think further. Lin Shen quickly snatched up a few larger pieces of the eggshell. This action clearly enraged the Steel Tail Scorpion, which began flailing its pincers and tail wildly in an attempt to attack Lin Shen and reclaim the shell.

After several failed attempts, the scorpion realized it couldn't reach Lin Shen and resigned itself to the smaller fragments of shell that remained, finishing them off in frustration.

Once it was done eating, the Steel Tail Scorpion skittered around in circles before suddenly leaping toward Lin Shen's face like a cannonball.

Lin Shen was prepared. He raised the metal shield he had readied earlier, placing it firmly in front of himself.

The encounter produced a resounding clang as the Steel Tail Scorpion's tail struck the shield. To Lin Shen's astonishment, it managed to punch a small hole into the alloy shield. If its tail hook had been just a bit longer, it might have pierced right through.

*Lin Shen was stunned, yet simultaneously thrilled. The shield in his hand was crafted from Alloy Creature-grade materials—strong enough to resist damage from ordinary steel creatures. Generally, even a mature Steel Tail Scorpion wouldn't be able to harm such a shield, let alone a newborn one.*

*The fact that this Steel Tail Scorpion could puncture an alloy shield meant its strength and hardness far surpassed that of typical specimens.*

"A Base Mutation Egg imbued with a Fire Seed really is different," Lin Shen murmured, blocking attack after attack until the scorpion finally grew exhausted.

All Base Mutation Creatures need to consume their eggshells after hatching to replenish the energy spent during the breaking process; only then do they regain their physical strength.

This Steel Tail Scorpion had barely eaten any of its shell and hardly replenished its strength. It soon ran out of energy.

When it could no longer muster the strength to attack, the scorpion skittered in circles before abruptly curling its tail forward, exposing the underside of its abdomen.

The abdomen, also covered in black iron-like carapace, gleamed coldly. Suddenly, a small section popped out and transformed into a tiny black iron key. It flew toward Lin Shen.

Lin Shen reached out to catch the key, exhaling in relief as he lowered his shield and placed the remaining eggshell pieces in front of the scorpion.

The newborn Base Mutation Creature was still in a dazed state and lacked energy; using eggshell fragments as bait was the easiest way to tame it. Missing this window of opportunity would make domestication far more challenging.

Sure enough, the Steel Tail Scorpion quickly devoured all the eggshell pieces. Its body grew even darker and colder, and its tail gained a sharper glint.

With the Base Mutation Key now in hand, the Steel Tail Scorpion seemed attuned to Lin Shen's thoughts. It crawled over to him, turned around, and raised its tail to align the keyhole under its abdomen with him.

Lin Shen inserted the key and gently twisted it. The scorpion's body began undergoing an extraordinary transformation.

Its various segments spun and shifted as it compressed inward. Before long, it condensed into a black metallic capsule no larger than a quail egg.

Lin Shen caught the Pet Capsule in his palm and casually removed the key, his gaze immediately falling on the data displayed on the capsule's surface.

Mutant Steel Tail Scorpion: Steel Level Creature (Evolvable)

Strength: 10.

Speed: 9.9.

Hardness: 10.

Toughness: 10.

Base Mutation Talent: Enhanced Armor Piercing Stab.

*Lin Shen was ecstatic after seeing the scorpion's stats.*

*Its attributes were nearly maxed out for the Steel Level, and its Base Mutation Talent significantly boosted its armor-piercing ability. Enhanced Armor Piercing Stab was already superior to the common version, and only rare, exceptional Base Mutation Creatures possessed it. This Mutant Steel Tail Scorpion was undoubtedly a top-tier offensive pet.*

*Yet what thrilled Lin Shen the most was not its stats, but its evolvable attribute.*

*This meant the Mutant Steel Tail Scorpion could potentially ascend to Alloy Level or even Crystal Base Level, making it far more valuable than regular Steel-level pets.*

*For example, although the Supersonic Gunman was Alloy Level, its upper limit was fixed, leaving it destined for eventual obsolescence despite being a reliable companion for now.*

*If raised properly, the Mutant Steel Tail Scorpion might someday surpass the Gunman in utility.*

"A Fire Seed-infused Base Mutation Egg truly stands apart." Lin Shen put the Mutant Steel Tail Scorpion capsule away and turned his attention to the two remaining unopened eggs.

"What a pity... I'm out of time…" Lin Shen chuckled bitterly and shook his head.

*Base Mutation takes time; it's not something that can be done in a day or two. If not for the upcoming mission at Gourd Mountain, Lin Shen could have easily used one of the remaining eggs to complete his mutation and ascend to the Steel Level.*

*But now, there wasn't enough time. The Qi and Wang families wouldn't wait for him to complete his mutation before heading to Gourd Mountain.*

*Meanwhile, Bai Shenfei remained an enigma, her actions riddled with contradictions, making her motives difficult to discern.*

*The Super-Base Evolutionary Fire Seed she carried further deepened the mystery surrounding her origins, leaving Lin Shen unsure of how to judge her.*

*On top of that, the Lin Family undoubtedly harbored internal spies, creating a perfect storm of external and internal threats.*

Lin Shen grabbed a backpack, placing the two unopened eggs inside, intending to take them to Gourd Mountain. If an opportunity arose, perhaps he could complete his mutation there.

"These things are far from becoming true combat assets—it's the abilities granted by Fire Seeds that are practical. But where can I find more Fire Seeds? Where can I find a large, untapped cache of Base Mutation Eggs?" Lin Shen pondered briefly before his eyes suddenly lit up. He remembered a place that had plenty of Base Mutation Eggs he hadn't yet seen.

This particular stash wasn't made up of ordinary Base Mutation Eggs—they were all failed hatchlings, known as dead eggs.

These eggs couldn't hatch into Base Mutation Creatures, nor could they be used for extracting Base Mutation Fluid, as they had completely solidified during their failed incubation process. Most of them ended up being melted down for industrial materials.

*Even though they were dead eggs, they were still Base Mutation Eggs—worth investigating.*

The three major families had specialized warehouses for storing these dead eggs. Checking out the warehouses of the other two families would take some ingenuity, but his own family's warehouse posed no obstacles.

"Hopefully, the latest batch of dead eggs hasn't been sent to the factory yet." Without hesitation, Lin Shen headed out toward the Lin Family's dead egg storage warehouse.

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