Reaching Level 20

Reaching Level 20

"That's pretty good."

Xu Zhi didn't want her Familiars to end up looking bizarre. Following the development she hoped for, they should all become somewhat good-looking, right?

She thought her taste was pretty good.

After giving Doggie's head another rub, Xu Zhi picked up her book and continued reading, waiting for Little One to finish digesting its last fruit.

After Little One woke up, Xu Zhi picked up the Game Console and checked. Sure enough, even after finishing digestion, Little One was still a little short of reaching level 20.

[Familiar: Python Lv18 → Lv19

Mind: 600 → 740

Body: 1800 → 2000

Attribute: Blade

Traits: Toxin Lv6, Sharpness Lv5, Bloodlust Lv5, Cunning Lv4, Strength Lv6]

Special Ability: Transformation Lv2]

[Evolution Points: 5000/6000]

Although its special ability hadn't leveled up, Strength had gone up a level, which was not bad. More importantly, it only needed one thousand more points to reach level 20. Xu Zhi patted its head and instructed, "Go. Head toward the south side of the city and level up quickly."

She was still waiting to use her two chances to draw traits after Little One reached level 20.

Just one thousand Evolution Points—it shouldn't take long to gather them.

After all, Cloud City's Mutated Animals were growing stronger by the day, and the Evolution Points they could provide were increasing by the day as well.

Presumably, like Shen Jinwen, the supernatural power in their bodies was constantly growing, helping them mutate into stronger forms.

Xu Zhi suddenly wondered how Cloud City Zoo and the animals in the mountains were doing.

Cloud City was huge and located in the south, surrounded by mountains. Xu Zhi wasn't sure whether there were any wild beasts within them, but there had to be plenty of animals in the mountains.

Those places were probably the animals' true territory. The Mutated Animals in the city did not even count as numerous.

Humans, Aberrations, and Mutated Animals made up the three different "species" within this sealed-off city.

This time, when Little One and Doggie went out hunting, Xu Zhi did not bury herself in her book again. Instead, she deliberately observed them for a while. This was her first time using Idle Mode since the game update, and she wanted to see how it differed from before.

Little One was incredibly fast now. Moreover, the Mutated Animals around the Old Residential District had mostly been cleared out by it and Doggie, so it directly followed Xu Zhi's orders and headed south to search for prey.

Although Xu Zhi intentionally wanted Little One to head toward Nanshan Villa District, it was still too far from the Old Residential District. Even Little One would not run that far while hunting for now. But this had to be done step by step; she only needed to gradually figure out the direction leading toward Nanshan Villa District first.

While Little One hunted, Xu Zhi discovered that the Mutated Animals seemed to have naturally formed a new "food chain." It was still survival of the fittest, with the strong ruling over the weak, but animals that had once been weak could leap to the top of the food chain after gaining supernatural abilities through mutation. Former predators could also become prey because they had failed to awaken powerful supernatural abilities.

"Animals really adapt fast."

From Little One's perspective, she also occasionally saw cautious humans. Compared to Mutated Animals, they seemed to adapt more slowly to the changing environment.

Soon, Little One gathered the thousand Evolution Points. After Xu Zhi recalled it, she tapped the level-up button.

She waited eagerly for Little One to reach level 20, wanting to see whether Little One or the game would change afterward, as well as what choices would be available for her new Familiar.

[Familiar: Python Lv19 → Boa Lv20

Mind: 740 → 1000

Body: 2000 → 3000

Attribute: Blade

Traits: Toxin Lv6, Sharpness Lv5, Bloodlust Lv6, Cunning Lv4, Strength Lv7, Evolution Lv1]

Special Ability: Transformation Lv3]

[Evolution Points: 0/7000]

Both Bloodlust and Strength had risen by a level, and Transformation had leveled up too. But most importantly, its Mind and Body attributes had surged, and it had gained an additional trait: Evolution.

Little One had clearly been constantly evolving throughout the leveling process, so why had it suddenly gained a level-one Evolution trait now?

Unless this [Evolution] represented something different—and something more important.

If I could draw this Evolution trait, I wonder whether something would change.

The thought flashed through Xu Zhi's mind, and she shook her head. It was not something she could decide. Besides, compared with this level-one trait whose effect was unclear but whose potential was obvious, she would rather draw a level-seven Strength trait first.

Simple, brutal, and effective!

But in terms of potential, perhaps [Evolution], whose meaning was obvious from its name alone, was more valuable.

"Then I'll draw those two."

Xu Zhi had her little plans laid out nicely, but the Narrator did not immediately give her the chance to draw cards. Instead, a flood of notifications popped up all at once.

[Congratulations. Your first Familiar has reached level 20. The third Familiar slot has been unlocked. You may go to the Familiar selection interface to draw your third Familiar.]

[Because you have raised one Familiar to level 20 and entered the Metamorphosis Phase, the initial level of Familiars available for selection has increased.]

[Upon entering the Metamorphosis Phase, all aspects of a Familiar will enter a period of rapid growth. When its Evolution level reaches the maximum level of 10, the Familiar will complete its metamorphosis, break through its limits, and become a higher-level life-form.][Familiars that have entered the Metamorphosis Phase require more supernatural energy. Please provide them with more cores of suitable attributes.]

[Congratulations. Because you have raised one Familiar to level 20, you have roughly mastered the game's current content. More content has been unlocked.]

[Spirit Vessel: The game will record locations you have randomly reached. You may pay additional cores to designate a Spirit Vessel to descend at these recorded locations. Recording different locations requires different core costs.

When you use cores of more than three different attributes for a random Spirit Vessel, you will have a chance of randomly reaching more distant locations. These locations can also be recorded, but will require more cores.

When you invest more than ten cores, the random Spirit Vessel is guaranteed to possess a supernatural ability. The more cores invested, the more powerful the supernatural ability that may be randomly obtained.]

[Supernatural Item: Item forging has been unlocked. Using any suitable item + cores with suitable attributes, you may have the game forge a Supernatural Item for you.

The quality of forged items is affected by various factors. There is a chance of forging an item with no practical use whatsoever. The creation and effects of Supernatural Items are extremely unstable. Increasing affinity with * can raise the success rate and stability.

Most items have a duration. The more cores invested, the longer they can be used.

When naturally formed Supernatural Items are discovered, the game will provide a notification.]

"Supernatural Items?"

Xu Zhi looked at the line and thought for a moment. She might need a light bulb that would never go out.

She had been reading by candlelight lately. If this kept up, wouldn't she become nearsighted?

But forging Supernatural Items required suitable attributes, and Xu Zhi currently had no idea what paired well with what. That meant she would need to spend a great deal on trial and error, and she did not have that many resources to waste right now.