Based on the previous speed of collecting information.

Cheng Ye estimated that the inspector's trainee stage should be much faster than the collector's.

After completing duties at the North and South stations, establishing his footing, and waiting for Liu Bi to return, he could start preparing for his first field mission.

As long as the field mission passed, with the connections Cheng Long had left behind, no one should block his official appointment.

However, an unexpected event arrived first.

An infection tide caused by the Stand-In Starfish had inadvertently allowed him to meet the conditions for advancing his collector status first.

Switching to his personal panel and confirming that all skills had been unloaded.

He whispered softly.

"Advance!"

Whoosh.

A stream of azure light suddenly burst from his vision, spreading like a living thing.

In the blink of an eye, it gently swallowed the entire room.

Only pure blue remained before his eyes, like crushed starlight sinking into the deep sea.

A gentle breeze came from behind. Cheng Ye instinctively turned around and saw an unforgettable scene.

Countless pages surged from the void, like star clusters awakened by invisible hands.

Not chaotic at all, each page unfolded its edges, drawing elegant arcs through the air.

They flew to his front and slowly gathered, forming part of a massive page.

From top to bottom, lines of text began to manifest.

[Civilization Collector, Cheng Ye]

[Total effective civilization information collected during trainee period: 771,541 entries]

[High-value civilization information: 12 entries]

[Rating: Excellent]

[Database has been organized]

[Current affiliated civilization: Solar System|Blue Star|Wasteland Human Civilization]

[Current civilization activation attempts for this collector: 44,571]

[Successful activations: 1 (only Collector Cheng Ye activated, all other humans fail to meet requirements)]

[Please confirm rank advancement. After advancement, this civilization will be permanently bound to Collector Cheng Ye. If the collector encounters an accident, this civilization will be permanently locked!]

"Over forty thousand people tried to activate before me?"

Cheng Ye was slightly stunned.

Does this mean Cheng Long had also tried to activate but failed?

His gaze fell on the phrase "fail to meet requirements." Cheng Ye couldn't quite understand what this meant for the moment, but it seemed like good news overall?

Since he was the only one who could meet the activation conditions, at least he didn't have to worry about some "small fry" suddenly popping up from the wasteland, shouting and clamoring to steal his collector.

"Confirm advancement!"

Boom.

The floating pages suddenly exploded, countless fragments deconstructing and reorganizing in the sky.

Sometimes swirling lightly like butterfly wings, sometimes streaking like meteor tails, carrying an almost rhythmic beauty.

This time, the reorganized giant page didn't stand in the distance.

Instead, it slowly gathered before him, thousands of tiny paper fragments like precise puzzle pieces, fitting together seamlessly, gradually outlining a dark green page.

Text manifested again, no longer the previous ink color but transformed into lustrous silver-white.

[Trainee Civilization Collector Cheng Ye, advancement successful]

[Please choose your next collection route. The collector will automatically match new functions for you!]

[Please note: Each advancement allows route reselection and function matching]

[1. Adventure: With courage as blade, cut through unknown fog. Great civilization collectors are either adventuring or on their way to adventure. They dare to venture deep into danger, investigating lost information hidden beneath civilizations, and enjoy seeking unknown secrets, measuring information value with their footsteps]

[2. Steady: With stability as vessel, navigate civilization's long river. Experienced collectors never take risks. They obtain all desired information through the safest methods, whether through trade or assistance, making native civilization trust become information's conveyor belt, completing collection effortlessly]

[3. United: Adventure as spear, stability as shield. The two don't conflict. Down-to-earth collectors prefer keeping all initiative in their own hands, striking without hesitation when needed, waiting patiently when required, ensuring no high-value information escapes]

[4. Control: Overwhelm everything, break laws with force. Powerful collectors won't waste time on native civilizations. Facing lower civilizations, what they most enjoy is crushing everything with power, violently plundering valuable civilization information]

[5. Locked]

[6. Locked]

[...]

"So many routes?"

Cheng Ye was stunned, reading carefully from top to bottom, suddenly feeling overwhelmed.

He had originally thought trainee advancement was just a rank promotion. Now it seemed that different route choices would also affect the next function.

Adventure? Definitely not. This looked like a huge trap, and he didn't have the ability to venture outside.

Steady? Not a bad choice, perfectly matching the inspector profession.

United? Seemed like a balanced choice that wouldn't go wrong.

Control? Was this something a person who could only be transcendent for five minutes should consider?

Among the three selectable options, Cheng Ye hesitated for a while, finally deciding...

"Choose United!"

For his first advancement, he wasn't clear what these routes truly represented.

If he chose one that was useless short-term, he might waste this precious advancement opportunity.

After all, even trainee advancement was this difficult. Who knows when the next advancement would come.

Balance was fine. As long as it didn't go wrong and allowed steady development, that was enough.

The moment his thought fell, the azure scene shattered completely, and Cheng Ye returned to his familiar room.

The panel still floated in his vision, with a small progress bar added.

However, the numbers on the progress bar jumped extremely fast. In just a breath's time, it had already reached 5%.

"This fast?"

Cheng Ye got up and grabbed a bag of nutritional paste to fill his stomach. By the time he finished drinking, the upgrade was complete.

The familiar function panel reappeared, with rows of update notifications added in the center.

[Trainee Collector Cheng Ye has completed rank advancement]

[Current rank: Elite Collector]

[Please collect more civilization information to improve rank]

[Affected by collector's chosen route 'United', all functions have changed in this update]

[Basic functions have been updated:

1. Maximum charge capacity index increased, current index: 1→2

2. Skill search range increased, currently searchable: Lv3

3. Skill search probability changed: Lv1: 100%, Lv2: 50%, Lv3: 25%

4. Skill search energy consumption changed: Lv1: 20%, Lv2: 25%, Lv3: 60%

5. Skill search compatibility requirement changed: Lv1: 1%, Lv2: 50%, Lv3: 100%

6. Intelligence search changed: Can reduce search quality and probability, specify search direction

7. Item search changed: Minimum energy consumption: 50%, can invest more charge to improve success rate and quality]

[New 'United' route function added: Information Fusion]

[Information Fusion: Effect: Add acquired 'skills' for reconstruction and fusion. Fusion quality affected by skill quality and level. Higher quality yields better fusion effects

Consumption: Fixed 50% charge consumption per use

Input quantity limit: 2/time

Note: Cannot cancel after fusion begins, but can continue investing charge for random direction mutation

Note: Only same-level skills can be fused, no cross-level fusion allowed]

"So many changes?"

Cheng Ye read each change carefully.

Doubled charge capacity meant 200 degrees of electricity would increase to 400 degrees, but for his current stage, this change was better than nothing.

After all, he couldn't find suitable places to quickly replenish this much electricity.

Even with fast charging stations, it would take a full 7 hours to reach full charge.

But looking further down, the expected upgrade arrived as promised, he could now search for Lv3 skills!

At the same time, there was an unexpected bonus: Lv1 skill search probability became 100%, and energy consumption also decreased.

By this ratio, 80 degrees of electricity could perform one search, truly reducing the cost considerably.

Of course, the troublesome compatibility requirement finally decreased.

Lv1 could be completely ignored, since so far only Chu Yunfeng's son Chu Xuan had shown 0%, while others had at least 5% as baseline.

The compatibility changes for Lv2 and Lv3 were unsurprising, adjusted proportionally.

As for intelligence and item searches...

He hadn't tried intelligence search even once, so couldn't tell if the changes were good or bad.

Item search was quite surprising though. If he encountered transcendent beings and could only rely on compatibility for item searches, maximizing the investment might bring unexpected rewards.

"Eh, the United route's new function... isn't this skill synthesis?"

After reviewing the basic changes, Cheng Ye paused, focusing on the new function.

Compared to the somewhat complex action functions, Information Fusion had no comprehension barrier for modern people, he understood it immediately.

Input skills for synthesis, combining two into one to produce new effects.

"I only have three skill slots. I was worried about getting multiple talent skills with no way to equip them. Now it's perfect, just throw them all in together."

Cheng Ye's eyes lit up, immediately realizing this function's greatest benefit was not taking up slots.

As for the effects after fusion mutation, he wasn't too concerned.

Skills didn't need fusion because equipped skills could gradually become internalized through learning.

For example, the rare-level 'Mobile Shooting' he got from Master Tian, in just these few days, even after unloading it he retained thirty percent effectiveness. He figured he could fully master it in a month or two.

But talent skills were different. They immediately lost effect when unloaded, and he could only equip three maximum, making choices difficult.

If he could fuse them, it might truly bring surprises.

"Wait, what if I could fuse all the Lv1 talents collected from humans together? What would that effect be?"

A bold idea suddenly popped into Cheng Ye's mind.

Whether Miao Yang or Chu Yunfeng, they each possessed different Lv1 talents.

He hadn't considered this direction before, but now with the fusion function, he might as well slowly collect all these talents and try fusing them for a couple rounds to see the effects.

As soon as the idea appeared, his personal page quietly popped up.

[Collector: Cheng Ye]

[Current rank: Lv.2 Elite (0/100)]

[Life Level: 0]

[Skills: Mobile Shooting, Beast Instinct, Empty]

[Not yet unlocked...]

[Evaluation: Choosing the United route means the collector has officially embarked on the path of tracing civilization's development. Collecting and fusing more native civilization information will help improve life level]

"Fusing information to improve life level?"

His gaze fell on the evaluation section. Cheng Ye was slightly stunned, then wild joy surged in his heart.

Right, his idea might be correct!

Could the way to improve life level be to find ways to fuse more talents and equip them?

"This is truly a major discovery! If life level can improve, maybe it could unlock more skill slots... at minimum, it should resist contamination!"

Finally finding a method to improve life level, Cheng Ye let out a long breath of relief.

If transcendent abilities were a sharp spear allowing him to handle frontal impacts and threats.

Then improving life level was a solid shield, giving him ways to resist contamination from those strange infection sources.

Even if Happiness City collapsed someday and he had to leave, he'd have the ability to survive in the wilderness.

"Now, I should continue settling down and developing steadily."

"The Horned Starfish just gave me self-protection ability. To truly roam the wasteland, I still need solid fundamentals, personnel, abilities, resources, none can be lacking."

Closing the panel.

Cheng Ye got up, dressed properly, and went to the adjacent washroom.

Opening the security door, he was surprised to find that yesterday's... well, the night before last's broken window hole in the corridor had been repaired, replaced with clean new glass showing no trace of damage.

The blood stains on the walls had also been thoroughly cleaned, with a fresh coat of white paint applied. The entire corridor looked brand new.

Even the cement floor beneath his feet had obviously been mopped many times, so clean it seemed spotless.

"This saves trouble, no need to fix it myself."

After walking two steps forward, he suddenly turned and noticed a wooden sign hanging on the wall beside his security door.

[Resting, Please Do Not Disturb]

He flipped to the back.

[Person is out, contact 507-Huang Sheng for matters]

"Ha."

Cheng Ye couldn't help shaking his head with a wry smile.

Though just insignificant small details, seeing them somehow made his mood inexplicably lighter.

Walking to the washroom, it was equally spotless inside.

He didn't know if Huang Sheng and the other two had done it, or if all the fifth floor residents had spontaneously conducted a major cleanup.

Turning on the faucet, after a day's wait, tap water had resumed supply.

Cheng Ye simply filled a full bucket of water and stood in the shower area for a refreshing cold shower.

Being able to take a thorough shower in the wasteland was absolutely a luxury.

Wu Zhihong had mentioned several sanctuary cities yesterday. Though his mind was fuzzy then and he hadn't listened carefully, he remembered many sanctuary cities still remained in relatively primitive agricultural forms.

Forget tap water, they didn't even have many vehicles, requiring walking everywhere on two legs.

After all, starting from S-1, viruses had repeatedly devastated the foundations of human civilization. By the S-4 transcendent era, humans had completely abandoned technology, throwing themselves entirely into pursuing transcendent power.

After the new era began, sanctuary cities started redeveloping technology from scratch, but unfortunately technology required step-by-step foundation building to advance upward.

Infrastructure was one aspect.

Talent cultivation was another.

Including various benefits, even the strength of inspection stations was an important influencing factor.

And industrial sanctuary cities' talent vacuum effect was too obvious. After the first round of development, few people were willing to go to destitute places and start over from scratch.

"Hope Happiness City's advantages can retain a few more people..."

After showering, Cheng Ye sighed with emotion.

With his current status and abilities, he had no way to solve residents fleeing.

Happiness City's leadership seemed unwilling to manage it either, those who wanted to leave could leave, those who wanted to stay could stay.

But the problem was, if everyone ran away and the buffer zone became uninhabited, the inspector's authority would be greatly weakened.

Without talent joining Happiness City, technological development would stagnate, this was a spiral of death!

"First, let me find Sister Luo. I should be able to learn quite a few hidden secrets from her."

Returning to his room, Cheng Ye consumed six bags of nutritional paste in succession, changed into clean clothes, and headed out.

After a day, not a trace of blood plasma remained on the ground, only a faint bloody smell still lingering in the air.

Walking out the residential complex gate, the materials collection station remained closed, but the Big Meat Cafeteria had opened.

The owner was busy braising new meat products, trying to make the big meat flavors as rich as possible.

But with Uncle Dong gone, only this one shop remained at the complex entrance, looking rather desolate.

Moreover, walking along the street, Cheng Ye could clearly feel the entire buffer zone had become considerably more depressed. Pedestrians all walked hurriedly with heads down, everyone expressionless.

Though still summer, still sweltering, when the breeze blew, it carried a desolate chill like autumn wind.

Especially on the main road, foot traffic was sparse, no longer showing the lively scenes of the past.

"In this wasteland, population is the most crucial resource. Without population, there's truly nothing left."

After the brutal infection tide passed, the real great recession seemed to have just begun.

Cheng Ye sighed for a while, continued forward, and soon saw the operating bus station.

Unfortunately, what was parked there waiting for passengers wasn't that bus always polished to gleaming brightness, and standing beside the vehicle wasn't the smiling Master Tian.

Though it was only after six in the morning, the bus station was crowded with people, three to five hundred people all carrying huge military backpacks, openly wearing handguns at their waists, some even carrying rifles. Clearly this was a migrating crowd planning to leave Happiness City.

Cheng Ye stopped in his tracks, suddenly feeling everything seemed unfamiliar, momentarily having the same disorientation as when he first transmigrated.

Three months had passed. He had finally become familiar with Happiness City, familiar with the buffer zone.

But this place had become strange overnight.

Summer already looked like this.

Then... what about winter?