The central Mother Nest had already been taken by Little Feather, and the invasive DNA responsible for reproduction had ceased. No new Crunchers or Creepers would ever emerge from these chambers again.

And that was, aside from the decrease in spore concentration, the clearest proof that the tide had truly ended.

Staring at the rolling sea of pink biomass, the officer in the heavy exoskeleton couldn’t help but click his tongue in unease. “This thing looks creepy as hell.”

For the past few decades, charging into nurseries had always been mercenary work.

Although he had been part of the militia for some years, this was his first time seeing a living incubation chamber with his own eyes, outside of photographs and holograms.

He wasn’t the only one. The other militia officers were equally unsettled, unease written plainly across every face.

“Is it really safe to leave this thing here?”

“What if one day it starts breeding Crunchers again?”

“I swear it’s looking at me like it wants to eat me alive!”

They exchanged anxious glances, whispering among themselves.

Hearing his subordinates’ murmurs growing wilder and wilder, the militia commander, Joey, coughed loudly, cutting through the rising rumors.

Once the officers fell silent, he paused for a moment before saying, “The administrator has decided to designate an ‘ecological protection zone’ near Shelter 401. All nurseries and Slime Mold-producing entities within the city will be relocated there. Survivors in the eastern district of Clearspring are scarce, and the area is still full of dangerous mutants, it’s perfect for a pilot project.”

The deputy blinked, confused by the strange term.

“Ecological protection zone... what’s that supposed to mean?”

Two centuries ago, that phrase wouldn’t have been unusual, but on the wasteland, it was an idea far ahead of its time.

“It’s... uh, probably some kind of settlement where humans and Slime Mold coexist peacefully?” Joey wasn’t entirely sure himself. He tried to piece it together while explaining to his bewildered comrades. “Like, people living inside mushrooms or something.”

His half-baked understanding didn’t clear up anyone’s confusion, it only made things worse.

One officer stared blankly for several seconds before shaking his head with a bitter smile. “That’s way too weird.”

Another officer, equally unsettled, swallowed nervously as he looked at the sea of pink in the distance and nodded in agreement. “... No way I’m living with that thing. Not a chance.”

Joey shrugged. “What are you talking about? The protection zone’s only open to shelter residents for now. Even if you wanted to go in, you’d have to file an application first. Personally, I think it’s fine, as long as they don’t start planting mushrooms on the Great Wall. If this can suppress the yearly Tide, that’s good enough. Or do you have a better idea?”

The officer coughed awkwardly.

“Of course not. I fully support the administrator’s decision...”

“Same here.”

Joey nodded, then looked again at the fading field of Slime Mold, speaking slowly. “We’ve tried everything, burning, chemical agents, you name it. Even if their plan sounds insane, it’s the only thing left to try.”

His view was the optimistic one.

Not because of blind faith in the administrator himself, but because biotechnology truly was the New Alliance’s strongest field. He believed that man would have consulted experts before making a decision.

And with the New Alliance so united, there was no reason for those experts to deceive him. They would give honest, well-considered advice.

If so many specialists agreed the risk was minimal, Joey thought the ecological protection zone might actually be worth looking forward to. After all, they had nothing left to lose. The worst-case scenario was simply that the Tide, which had lasted for two centuries, would continue.

But if it succeeded... they might open a new path altogether, one that could finally bring an end to the entire wasteland.

At that moment, a soldier came jogging up and stopped in front of Joey, saluting smartly. “Report! A group of traders is approaching our checkpoint. Their representative requests a meeting with you to discuss the disposal of the Slime Mold corpses.”

During previous tide seasons, it was common for traders to come to the front lines to buy corpses in bulk, an old tradition around Clearspring City.

Though the Mutant Slime Mold weren’t edible, they were organic and could be processed for nutrients.

Whether as fertilizer or nutrient paste, they made excellent raw materials.

If left alone for too long, neither consumed by Crunchers nor recycled by the nurseries, the corpses would quickly become breeding grounds for bacteria, even causing large-scale epidemics.

So Boulder Town usually contracted the disposal to traders, collecting some chips as a fee.

Things were different that year.

Before the tide even began, the Boulder Town Militia had received direct orders from Shelter 404. From that moment, any Mutant Slime Mold captured by the New Alliance would no longer be privately traded under permit, but would be reclaimed and processed under central authority.

Unsurprisingly, those remains were to be sent to the new ecological protection zone for decomposition and reuse as construction material.

Joey gave a curt order to the messenger. “Tell the merchants that the New Alliance has taken over all Slime Mold remains in this area, they’re reserved for better use. If they’re interested in transport work, they can speak with the logistics teams. But if they’re thinking about harvesting the entities or Evolved Types, they’d better drop the idea.”

The soldier saluted again, turned, and went back to the checkpoint to relay the message to the merchants waiting outside.

After hearing it, the traders exchanged bewildered looks, stunned expressions spreading across their faces.

Better use?

Aside from turning it into fertilizer or nutrient paste, what other use could there possibly be?

None of them had the faintest clue.

...

The wasteland merchants scratched their heads in confusion, unable to guess what the honorable administrator was planning.

Just as they were puzzling over it, an announcement suddenly appeared on the official website of Wasteland Online.

[Wasteland Online Beta v0.6 Update Announcement!]

[Major Updates]

[Closed Beta access expanded from 30,000 to 50,000 players!]

[The second ring of Clearspring City has been unlocked, adding numerous newly confirmed but unreclaimed ruins, missions can be obtained from the Scientific Exploration Team.]

[Added the Barnard star system and World: Gaia! (Note: The map has been completed, but travel routes to it are still under development. Players may attempt exploration through alternative paths. Stay tuned for more!)]

[Added: Entity Cultivation System.]

[Level B7 of Shelter 404 will open soon.]

[Fixed some bugs...]

[Entity Cultivation System Introduction]

[The Hive at the center of Clearspring City is now under our control, and all nurseries across the city are in our hands!]

[However, Little Feather has a problem, it has never managed so many entities before. Designed purely for slaughter, the creatures will lash out at any other organism if not properly handled.]

[To prevent waste and help our beloved Little Feather, Shelter 404 is now recruiting volunteers!]

[Requirements: Intelligence ≥ 10, or possession of a bionic neural augmentation chip!]

[Qualified players can apply in-game via VM terminal to undergo control type Biological Augmentation Surgery. Once approved, the application counts as a successful registration. The shelter will perform the implant procedure while the player is offline.]

[After the surgery, players can establish a neural link between their biological implant and specific entities, controlling them like drones through a neural interface.]

[Standard entity adoption fees range from 100 to 10,000 silver coins, including Crunchers, Creepers, Butchers, Tyrants, and more.]

[Beyond standard entities, players may also synthesize or pay extra to adopt advanced Evolved Types, such as the Rotten Knight, or even create customized types within the limits of the gene bank!]

[The shelter system will calculate the cost based on function, organic material consumption, incubation time, and other factors.]

[Note: The number of entities a player can control simultaneously depends on Intelligence points. Please follow researcher recommendations and act within your limits.]

[If an entity goes out of control, all losses and consequences will be the player’s responsibility!]

The announcement had been out for less than 30 seconds when the entire forum exploded in excitement.