Evolution, Unexpected

Based on Bai Chuan's extensive experience using the panel, he had long since roughly figured out the time required for the panel to strengthen abilities.

Normally, a LV1 ability took a full day and night, while LV2 took two days and two nights—but that was for a single ability, and not one that caused external limbs or large-scale body modifications. Those involved too much bodily restructuring, and he hadn't yet determined the exact time needed.

Beyond that, once multiple abilities evolved together, the time multiplied. But he hadn't yet clarified the specific time required for several abilities evolving simultaneously. That didn't matter here, though, because he was only strengthening a single LV2.

Lost in thought, Bai Chuan had already distanced himself from the nest. Of course, he hadn't gone too far.

Just a few hundred meters away in the dense forest, he followed his serpentine instincts to find a relatively concealed spot.

Then he started digging.

Since this wasn't meant to be a long-term dwelling cave, merely a temporary shelter for evolution, it didn't take too long. After all, digging a large nest underground required considering collapse, ventilation, entry and exit, and expansion. But this one only needed to hide his entire body underground with some airflow—that was it.

The difficulty was on a completely different level.

He spent only one night on it, finishing the cave by dawn.

Afterward, he returned to his previous spot to check on the little mouse. It was still lying there quietly, just like before.

The only change was that its wounds seemed slightly better—not very obvious, but it was clear the situation was improving.

This surprised him. It actually had some effect. But then he remembered that this ability came from its own kind, the African Spiny Mouse.

Thinking that way made it more normal. Although after evolution, all abilities adapted to his body to some degree, traces of their original nature always lingered.

Still, he didn't know if it would ultimately survive this ordeal.

After all, there was definitely a difference between the true host of an ability and an outsider using it.

Bai Chuan thought silently.

Then he cut another small wound and dripped some blood to feed it.

The temperature this season was still tolerable, and the meat he'd brought back earlier hadn't shown obvious signs of rot.

It seemed that if it woke up, it might still catch a full meal.

Inside the cave, in the darkness.

As the panel unfolded once more, its faint white light, visible only to Bai Chuan, shone on his snake head.

Name: Bai Chuan.
Race: King Cobra.
Length: 6.8 meters.
Lifespan: 6 years 10 months.
Points: 8 (5%).
Abilities: LV3 Abilities (Expand), LV2 Abilities (Expand), LV1 Abilities (Expand).
Ability Structure Library (Expand).
Editable...

He looked at the panel and silently selected the Ability Structure Library, choosing the ability model named Ice Blood Cold Silkworm.

This was a creature with only four abilities, yet it was so powerful that Bai Chuan found it alarming.

The familiar model rose up, and Bai Chuan directly extracted the ability called [Symbiosis LV2 (Loves Cold)]. Originally, he had planned to strengthen all of them for safety.

But when he tried, he discovered that the Ice Silkworm's other abilities were either incompatible with him, heavily overlapped with his existing abilities, or even gave him negative effects.

For example, [Spit Silk and Cocoon]. If it were like Spider-Man shooting webs to attack, that would be fine. But this? Using silk threads to wrap himself up into a cocoon, and that was it.

Silkworms cocoon to emerge as moths or butterflies. According to the ability model, it needed to be paired with the [Metamorphosis] ability. Did he have that?

No.

As for the [Metamorphosis] ability, if Bai Chuan's current understanding was correct, it should be similar to a snake's [Final Growth], a change in body size.

If he strengthened it, his size might undergo a massive transformation.

And [Dormant Shedding] went without saying—he already shed his skin, and this ability required entering a hibernation-like state.

He had barely escaped hibernation; why would he ever go back to needing it?

In short, aside from the Symbiosis ability, the other three were a set. Did he dare strengthen them?

That meant, setting aside compatibility issues, if he strengthened them, he would very likely transform into an insectoid body.

He had a perfectly good snake body, yet he chose to become some little bug?

He must have lost his mind.

Even if he was going to evolve, it should be into something like a true dragon.

So in the end, all that remained was that ability he highly doubted—

Symbiosis LV2 (Loves Cold).

Weighing the gains and losses of these past few days, Bai Chuan extracted this ability and fused it into his body.

Then, the familiar drowsiness washed over him again.

Bai Chuan slowly sank into slumber, and that strange, viscous substance once again completely enveloped his body.

Time began to flow once more, and in the blink of an eye, two days had passed.

After two days and two nights, amidst a sound like cracking eggshells, Bai Chuan broke through the giant egg with a sharp claw and slithered out.

Instinctively, he took a deep breath.

The result was nearly inhaling a mouthful of dirt.

After sneezing several times in frustration, Bai Chuan hurriedly left the now somewhat deformed underground cave.

Leaving the cave, he once again saw the vast, boundless sky and the lush green foliage.

Bai Chuan's mood lightened for a rare moment, and only then did he have the mind to sense the newly strengthened ability.

He stood there quietly, closing his snake eyes to perceive every subtle change in his body.

After a long while, he reopened his eyes, filled with confusion.

Because, just like before, there was absolutely no change at all.

What was going on? Had he wasted two points?

No way! He had to go back and check on that Ice Silkworm first.

How strange. Could he really have been mistaken? Was he truly incompatible with these abilities?

For a moment, Bai Chuan felt utterly baffled and headed straight for the spot where he had placed the Ice Silkworm.

Before long, under Bai Chuan's urgent, rapid crawling, he returned to this cave, which was now more spacious than before.

"Squeak~ squeak~"

Before he even entered, as soon as his snake head reached the cave entrance, he heard an incredibly excited squeaking.

The excitement in those cries was like a dog that hadn't seen its owner for ages suddenly spotting them coming home.

In its joy, it was hopping and jumping.

Startled, he quickly realized what was happening.

Had the Little Mouse pulled through?

At the same time, he slowly crawled inside.

As soon as he entered, he saw a small mouse with glossy, sleek fur, full of vitality.

It was standing upright, holding that small wooden box, and kept squeaking at him nonstop. If the box weren't so heavy, it probably would have been jumping up and down.

Seeing him approach, it instinctively extended the small wooden box with its little paws, its squeaking never ceasing.

Even though he couldn't understand it, he could sense the excitement in it.

Seeing this, Bai Chuan instinctively nodded his snake head at it and extended his claw, which was about the same size as the little mouse, to take the box.

But the moment he took it, a huge reaction occurred.

A reaction Bai Chuan had never expected.

The wooden box began to vibrate wildly!