The current situation was somewhat complicated. The Observer hinted that after the Fusioner's upgrade, 'the Witch's poisonous candies' might have a special use. For instance, if modified, they could produce different effects. Although the Observer could be unreliable, it was usually very helpful. Hints like these were generally significant. Therefore, Lu Luo felt there was something to anticipate regarding the Fusioner's upgrade.

"My master, can I still trust you?"

The witch Luo Ling, already grievously injured, undoubtedly had no loyalty left to speak of. Even if some remained, it would be a minuscule amount. However, Lu Luo wasn't particularly concerned about a witch's loyalty. He needed the witch's candies; even poisonous, they might prove useful later.

"Luo Ling, I told you I'd give you a 20 to 50-year opportunity, and I will."

"You could also have me make candies until I die."

Luo Ling wasn't wrong. Lu Luo decided to explain the reasoning to her.

"Luo Ling, you are too weak. Though you're a Lord-level Exotic Species, you are still fragile. In the Wasteland, your abilities are extremely valuable. But being weak yourself, you will only bring endless trouble upon yourself. Besides, you no longer have a choice. Do you have a better option than to trust me?"

Lu Luo's words were somewhat domineering. Luo Ling's gaze flickered for a moment.

"My master, besides obedience, I can also choose death."

"You won't. I'll have Qi Xinzhu heal you. Rest well."

Lu Luo didn't give Luo Ling much time to think, which was intentional. People who dwell on things too long tend to overthink. Presenting someone with the result directly, bypassing the process, reduces their thinking time. Less thinking time means significantly fewer complications. This was similar to how many companies in his previous life would tell employees the desired outcome first, then gradually construct the process. The principle was the same.

Lu Luo picked up the poisonous candies. These things were interesting; he needed to study them thoroughly.

"Qi Xinzhu, Gu Fangyi, continue to watch her. I'll take these candies for now."

"Understood."

Qi Xinzhu and Gu Fangyi had recently made significant strides in their strength. Together, they could reliably suppress the witch Luo Ling. This reassured Lu Luo considerably. After all, she was a Lord-level Exotic Species, so some risk was inherently involved.

The immediate priority was still to address the upgrade issues for the Fusioner and Observer. Lu Luo needed a relatively stable and safe environment for the upgrade process. No problems could arise with the witch.

The Observer, needless to say, was the bedrock of his information and intelligence—the most crucial ability that had brought Lu Luo this far. The Fusioner's combat performance was somewhat lackluster. However, its function in optimizing Cultivation Techniques and realms was excellent. It was also one of the reasons for Lu Luo's current strength. His Qi He was originally weaker than the Holy Radiance; only after optimization could its energy intensity match the potent energy of the Holy Radiance. But Lu Luo still hoped the upgraded Fusioner would be stronger than before. It should at least have some standout features, right? Currently, compared to the Observer and the Devourer, the Fusioner was somewhat outmatched.

"This time I've gained something from Dumb Hair. If all goes well, we should have a significant enhancement before we go to the Inner Ring."

"A significant enhancement? Are you referring to the candies?"

Qi Xinzhu and Gu Fangyi both already roughly knew the candies' effects. They were indeed powerful, but required the witch's cooperation, even at the risk of her life. If the witch Luo Ling wasn't cooperative, this couldn't be done.

"It concerns the candies, but it's not solely about them; it also involves my own issues," Lu Luo said.

Qi Xinzhu nodded, then recalled Lu Luo mentioning their trip to the Inner Ring earlier.

"So, about going to the Inner Ring? When the time comes, are we going together?" Qi Xinzhu's eyes sparkled with surprise. It had been a very long time since she had been home. If she could go back with Lu Luo, it would be the perfect chance to introduce him to her parents.

Meeting the parents... Qi Xinzhu was already lost in daydreams about meeting her parents.

Lu Luo also smiled and nodded. "Of course! I'm completely unfamiliar with the Inner Ring. Without you two as my 'shields' to guide me, I'm afraid I won't manage well there."

Lu Luo said this with an expression that suggested it was the most natural thing in the world. If he could have lived off a wealthy woman, he would have done so long ago.

But Qi Xinzhu picked up on certain implications in Lu Luo's words, such as: "Two shields... you mean me and... Bai Yuetong?"

Qi Xinzhu hesitated for a moment, while Gu Fangyi blinked. He spoke in an indescribable tone, "So you weren't planning on taking me."

After that, Brother Gu turned his head away.

[What to do when the handsome guy turns his head away?]

Ah... this! Lu Luo felt somewhat helpless. Brother Gu, you're a grown man! How can you throw a tantrum over something like this?

Lu Luo immediately tried to reason with him, appealing to both emotion and logic. "Brother Gu, it's truly not that I don't want to take you. You have to understand the current situation in the Fourth Ring. If Circular's main forces all accompany me to the Inner Ring, what about the Fourth Ring's defenses? What about the base's defenses? If a more formidable Exotic Species appears, are you expecting Brother Kane to handle the defense?"

[What did Brother Kane do wrong for you to talk behind his back like this?]

Indeed, speaking ill of someone behind their back isn't right, Lu Luo thought. However, after hearing Lu Luo's explanation, Gu Fangyi started to think there was some merit to it.

True, Brother Kane's strength is... somewhat lacking. Gu Fangyi felt that staying behind to protect Circular's base was a sign of Lu Luo's trust in him. Yep, Brother Kane is too weak. No doubt about it.

"Exactly, Brother Gu. This time, when I go to the Inner Ring, while it won't necessarily be a life-or-death struggle, it will be fraught with danger at every turn. There are too many experts in the Inner Ring. Having you along would definitely distract me. But Qi Xinzhu and Dumb Hair are different. They both belong to influential families with deep roots in the Inner Ring. Qi Xinzhu herself is a member of the Church; she's practically on home turf there. And Bai Yuetong's parents hold high positions, so it's highly unlikely they'll encounter any problems. Once in the Inner Ring, their family connections can protect them. By extension, they can also offer me some protection. This would save me a tremendous amount of energy, which I could then use for more important matters. That's roughly the situation. You understand, right, Brother Gu?"

Gu Fangyi's eyes widened. Isn't that just freeloading off women? But after glancing at Qi Xinzhu, he ultimately refrained from saying it aloud.

If Brother Luo were willing to be supported by women, Qi Xinzhu and Bai Yuetong would probably be quite happy about it. Unfortunately, Brother Luo is too strong-willed, too much of a traditional man. He has always insisted on developing on his own, rather than leveraging women's power to grow stronger. In a world full of men who live off women, few can compare to Brother Luo. But Brother Luo hasn't stooped to that level; he always sticks to his principles. Even with such good opportunities, he refuses to be a kept man. Such a person truly deserves admiration! No, we need to work harder too. Tonight's training will be super-doubled!

Lu Luo hadn't expected his casual remarks to trigger such a cascade of thoughts in Gu Fangyi's mind. And after this internal monologue, Gu Fangyi gave Lu Luo a firm nod.

"Don't worry, Brother Luo! After you go to the Inner Ring, I will make sure to take care of the Fourth Ring."

"Alright then. I'll go find Brother Kane first to sort out my own matters. You two be careful here."

After saying goodbye to Gu Fangyi and Qi Xinzhu, Lu Luo headed to Brother Kane's office. Since Brother Kane had always managed financial matters, any large-scale withdrawal of resources like Dark Spirit Stones required his approval. Otherwise, even he, the base leader and company boss, couldn't requisition them at will. These were the company rules. When the studio was smaller, rules could sometimes be bent. But the company had now grown to a considerable size. Reckless allocation of resources would only lead to the company's collapse. Therefore, even though Lu Luo was the studio's boss, he needed to go through Zhou Kai for the coordination and allocation of resources.

Arriving at the finance office, Lu Luo got straight to the point, "Brother Kane, I need a batch of Dark Spirit Stones."

"Dark Spirit Stones? You three have already requisitioned nearly six kilograms for your experiments in the base's lower levels. Is that not enough? What exactly are you trying to do?"

Six kilograms of Dark Spirit Stones! At previous market rates, that was 3.6 to 3.8 million! For the former Circle Studio, that was an astronomical sum. But today's Circle had become a large settlement in the Eastern Fourth Ring, home to nearly 50,000 people. It now possessed its own food and light industry factories, and could even produce a portion of its own water supply. Even if dealing with Exotic Species was no longer profitable, the studio's wealth accumulation rate was still dozens of times greater than before. Thus, for the current Circle Studio, 3.6 million was no longer such an outrageous figure. To put it bluntly, Circle was now affluent and not short of such funds.

Lu Luo nodded somewhat sheepishly. "Yes, Brother Kane, we have been spending a bit freely lately, but it's all for a valuable purpose. Once this is accomplished, the company's high-end combat strength will see a very noticeable improvement. Considering the current situation in the Fourth Ring, this is extremely valuable. You also know that currently, I'm the only one in the company with Hunter squad leader-level combat capability. If this succeeds, the company will gain one to three more combatants at that level."

Zhou Kai frowned slightly. An increase of one to three squad leader-level combatants? He knew the 'squad leader-level' Lu Luo mentioned was equivalent to the combat power of a Hunter squad leader. Typically, this level of combat power corresponded to the Fifth Tier. Qi Xinzhu, a peak Third Tier Believer of Light, might indeed be able to contend with a Fifth Tier expert if enhanced further, relying on her unique abilities and Sequence. Then there was Gu Fangyi, Circle's marksman. His foundational strength was much lower than Qi Xinzhu's. But he now possessed an Exotic Species transformation ability. Coupled with his diligence, it was indeed possible for him to reach that squad leader level.

If Qi Xinzhu is a definite one, and Gu Fangyi is highly probable, then who's the third? It couldn't be me, could it? Does Brother Luo really think that highly of me?

What Zhou Kai didn't know was that the three squad leader-level individuals Lu Luo had in mind were Han Shiyu, Qi Xinzhu, and Gu Fangyi. He hadn't even considered Zhou Kai. But then, people are prone to wishful thinking.

"Brother Luo, you know my capabilities. If you're including me, isn't this burden a bit too heavy? I'm just an accountant. Don't do this to me, alright?"

[Brother Kane sure knows how to concede quickly.]

"What are you talking about, Brother Kane? Everyone knows your strength. You can't seriously think that I would hand over anything combat-related to you."

"Scram!"

After some awkward back-and-forth, Lu Luo successfully obtained the 1,000 grams of Dark Spirit Stone he wanted. After all, this directly benefited the entire company, so it could be considered research and development funding.

Back in his room, Lu Luo took out the Dark Spirit Stones Zhou Kai had given him. He called up the list of materials required for his Sequence upgrades.

[Devourer LV4: 50,000 energy + Constitution 100 + Sequence Value 1,000 + Devour 1,000/1,000 energy materials + Lord's Pride 1 piece.]

For the Devourer, aside from lacking the 50,000 energy, Lu Luo had the 1,000 Sequence Value, had met the devouring quota, and possessed a Lord's Pride. A Lord's Pride was essentially a Lord's most prized organ or component. It could be a weaponized organ or perhaps a core component. The Lord's Prides he currently possessed included: the Witch's Brain, the Rotten Serpent, and the Parent-Child Sac. Regrettably, with the Lords in the Nightmare Castle, he had either lacked the time to devour them or to collect their parts, resulting in many wasted Lord organs. Then there was Zhuang Yanshan, the Nightmare Centipede, which had been instantly incinerated by Netherfire.

Originally, Lu Luo had intended to collect these Lords' Prides to enhance the Unbelievers. However, the number of Lords' Prides he currently possessed was still far from the 22 required. The Unbelievers required 22, whereas the Devourer upgrade only needed one. Thus, enhancing the Devourer would naturally take precedence. Upgrading the Devourer was an option, but not the highest priority.

Currently, his energy reserves were insufficient, with only a little over 30,000 energy available beyond his baseline needs. This 30,000 baseline energy was reserved for summoning Zhuang Yanshan at any time. This energy was not to be touched under normal circumstances. It was Lu Luo's primary trump card, aside from activating the Circular disc.

Compared to the massive resources required by the Devourer, upgrading the LV3 Fusioner and Observer was much less costly. For the current Lu Luo, the cost even felt somewhat 'commoner-friendly'.

[Fusioner LV3: 5,000 energy + Third Tier Profession + Sequence Value 200 + Dark Spirit Stone 500 grams + Elite's weapon.]

[Observer LV3: 5,000 energy + Third Tier Profession + Sequence Value 200 + Dark Spirit Stone 300 grams + Elite's eyeball.]

Upgrading both Sequences combined would only require 10,000 energy, 400 Sequence Value, 800 grams of Dark Spirit Stones, and parts from two Fourth Tier Elite Exotic Species. Lu Luo already possessed materials from Fourth Tier Elite Exotic Species. In the past, these could have been sold for money. But with the economic collapse in the Fourth Ring, Lu Luo had stored them all. With his current capabilities and finances, Lu Luo could completely afford this expenditure without significant pressure.

The time to head to the Inner Ring was gradually approaching. Enhancing his strength as much as possible at this juncture was Lu Luo's most logical choice. Attributes, Sequences, and Qi He were all components of his strength. Lu Luo had always focused intently on his attributes and Qi He. However, his Sequences had always been somewhat lacking, and it was indeed time for a proper upgrade.

"Prepare for Sequence upgrade. Upgrade the Observer."

[The great Sequence S-11 Observer is finally going to stand up? After several arduous years, this hasn't been easy at all.]

[Enhancing S-11 Observer. Requirements: 5,000 energy + Sequence Value 200 + Third Tier Profession + Dark Spirit Stone 300 grams + Elite's eyeball.]

[Sequence S-11 Observer advanced to LV3. Observer's basic effects comprehensively improved.]

[Your Observer can now discern targets' basic attributes, energy attributes, and ability characteristics.]

[Your Overclock Mode has been enhanced.]

[Your Mimic effect has transformed into Copy.]

[You have obtained the complete Observer linkage ability: Item Information Retrieval.]

Effect 1 - Information: Provides prompts.

Effect 2 - Copy: In Overclock Mode, you can directly copy a target's abilities.

Effect 3 - Item Information Retrieval: Your Observer has a high probability of retrieving item advancement paths and Fusioner Recipes.

Introduction: The eyes that see through everything.

[Alright, the great Observer Sequence is finally on the same level as the Devourer!]

"Don't rush," Lu Luo said. "They'll all be very high in the future, exceptionally high!"