Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again.-Chapter 701: Fry them.

The women gathered in the lobby dispersed before Sunshine’s back disappeared. Many were already regretting having come to support Ophelia. Others were plotting how to make amends before the news reached Hades’s ears.

Someone was going to pay for the slap. The question was who the unlucky person would be.

As soon as the elevator doors closed, the System chime rang inside her head.

[Host, I have found data on the new mutant variant.]

Sunshine leaned her head against the cool metal wall of the elevator. "Finally. Tell me what we’re dealing with. Pink called them the Acid Maw Crawlers back at the base." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

[Correct] the System replied. [However, the database only has records of ’Maw Crawlers.’ There is no natural record of an acid-based version.]

Sunshine frowned. "Wait, so what exactly does that mean? Is this the new variant?"

[It is highly probable that the Xylas have modified the original species. Naturally, Maw Crawlers are quite lazy. They are considered harmless insects in their home world. The addition of acid must be an artificial upgrade_ another successful experiment by the Xylas.]

"Great," Sunshine sighed, rolling her eyes. "Just what the world needed. More lazy bugs turned into chemical weapons. So, what are these things exactly?"

[Maw Crawlers are giant centipedes originating from Realm 769. Individually, they are relatively small and slow. However, they possess a unique biological defense mechanism. Their bodies are essentially pressurized sacks for their offspring. When a Maw Crawler is squashed or crushed, millions of microscopic eggs burst out in a violent spray.]

Sunshine made a disgusted face. "That is the grossest thing I’ve heard all week. So, if you step on one, you just make a million more?"

[Precisely. These eggs are incredibly hardy. They can survive in the harshest circumstances_ heat, cold, or even a vacuum. Once they scatter, they hatch almost instantly upon contact with a nutrient source.]

"And let me guess," Sunshine said, stepping out of the elevator and heading toward her apartment door. "The Xylas made it so that when they burst, they also spray acid everywhere?"

[From all scenarios, that could be the case. By adding acid, the Xylas have turned a harmless insect into a walking landmine. If you attack them, you get melted. If you crush them, you get melted and infested. There may be other enhancements as well, such as increased speed or toxic fumes. Maybe they are now capable of spraying acid from their proboscis. At this point, it is a guessing game on what the Xylas changed.]

Sunshine threw her keys on the table and sat on her sofa. The stinging on her cheek was finally fading, replaced by a dull ache.

"Okay, so they’re a nightmare," Sunshine said. "But people or creatures live in Realm 769, right? They can’t just let these things run the place. How do the people there kill them without turning the whole area into a nursery for bugs?"

She waited, hoping for a simple answer, like "they use cans of bug spray." But in her world, nothing was ever that simple.

[I cannot fathom why the Xylas are sending Maw crawlers to your territory. Fortress Four is a high-light environment. By nature, these insects are extremely photo sensitive. In Realm 769, the inhabitants use concentrated bright light to control their movements or to keep them from mating. They are essentially creatures of the dark. And] the System added with a weirdly cheerful ping, [they are apparently a great snack. They are very high in protein.]

Sunshine, who had been leaning against her kitchen counter, made a face like she had just swallowed a lemon. "A snack? You’re telling me people eat giant, egg-filled centipedes? That is officially the most disgusting thing I’ve heard today."

She paused, her brain shifting gears into commander mode. "But wait. If the Xylas are sending them here, they aren’t stupid. They know we have lights. They must have found a solution for the photosensitivity. They probably altered with their DNA so they can walk around in the sun without being affected by the light."

[An astute observation] the System replied. [However, biology has its limits. Even if they can handle the light, the addition of acid creates a new weakness. Acid and extreme heat are not friends. In a high-heat environment, the chemical balance of the acid becomes unstable. It would be like a pressure cooker. Knowing the Xylas, the acid is stored inside the crawlers’ bodies. If we can spike the temperature high enough, they won’t just die_ they’ll boil themselves from the inside out.]

Sunshine’s eyes lit up. "So, we don’t squash them and release the eggs. We fry them and even sell them later as a snack."

[I don’t recommend frying for snacking sake. The acid makes then inedible, unfortunately.]

She immediately began mental math, counting the pyrokinetics_ currently stationed at the base. "We have a few fire ability superhumans, but not enough to cover the whole perimeter if a swarm hits. Is there something else I can buy? Some kind of industrial heaters or giant lava lamps that can complement the pyrokinetics?"

The System hummed for a second. [Host, why would you spend resources to buy heat when you have an artificial sun?]

Sunshine froze. She clapped her hands together once, the sound sharp in the quiet room. "Right! The artificial sun! We can just crank the intensity and turn the base into an oven until they are all fried!"

"And won’t you fry the residents too?" a voice asked.

Sunshine jumped slightly as Nimo walked into the workroom, looking tired but curious. "You look like shit. I thought you left with Grayson."

"I just returned from a hunt; they left without me apparently." Nimo answered, "What are you up to?"

"I think I’ve found a way to stop the next mutant attack," Sunshine said, her excitement bubbling over. "The mutants they’re sending are basically walking acid bombs, but they can’t handle high heat. The humans have heat suits_ "

"Whoa, whoa," Nimo interrupted, holding up a hand. She walked closer, squinting at Sunshine’s face. "Pause the science project for a second. Did you really get into a fistfight with a pregnant woman at the entrance of your building?"