Ugly Duckling Phenomenon

Finding a single duck across such a vast country was an extremely difficult task.

But this Strange Duck was far too brazen.

It began slaughtering farms everywhere, killing only ducks and farm owners.

At first, whenever the Strange Duck came across a farm, it charged straight in. If there were ducks, it killed them all, then killed any farm owners who resisted.

If there were neither, it left without looking back.

Later, it grew increasingly familiar with the routine and realized that farm owners would always come out to interfere whenever it attacked ducks.

So it learned strategy.

Whenever it arrived at a farm, it would make noises behind the farmhouse door and ambush the farm owner when they came out to investigate the strange sound.

Only after killing all the farm owners would it attack the farm's ducks without restraint.

It was learning.

The hunters also discovered that it ignored anyone who was not a farm owner, unless that person tried to stop it.

At one farm, a hunter had worn a farm owner's clothes and stayed inside fishing, but after a single night, ducks lay dead everywhere while the Strange Duck had ignored the hunter.

At the same time, the hunters found that the Strange Duck did not harm family members living with farm owners, nor did it pay any attention to witnesses who spotted it on the road.

After repeated tests, the researchers discovered that this duck possessed some kind of forced identification ability, capable of determining whether someone was a "farm owner" and a "duck keeper."

Only someone possessing both Attributes at once would be listed as the duck's target.

After understanding the duck's attack patterns, the hunters finally lay in wait for the attacking Strange Duck at a farm that met the conditions.

At this new crime scene, the hunters noticed that the duck-like traits on the Strange Duck's body had undergone peculiar changes.

A graceful white feather had grown from its head. Every feather on its wings was hard, and Light Spots like stars reflected from the snowy plumage, like sparkling grains of gemstone sand.

The down on its body swayed gently in the breeze, making its softness almost imaginable. Its muscles no longer looked jarring beneath its graceful curves.

Its eyes were dark and bright, and the way it looked at the hunters carried an unexpectedly sacred, noble air. Its features were simply far too conspicuous.

Upon discovering the hunters' ambush, it did not force an attack. Instead, it darted and twisted, evaded their strikes, and left the encirclement.

It was incredibly intelligent.

When the hunters pursued it, they were lured into a swamp and trapped. It then doubled back and slaughtered every duck on the farm.

Finally unable to endure it any longer, the hunters applied to the research department for a batch of cutting-edge sniper rifles and traps, then set another trap at a different farm.

At last, the Strange Duck could not hold out alone and was hunted down by the hunters. Its corpse was sent to the research department's dissection table.

But the autopsy results and DNA test left every researcher utterly baffled.

The Strange Duck was not an Abyss Creature.

It was a White Swan...

To record an Abyss Creature, it at least needed a name. If this fact were made public, neither the hunters nor the families of the farm owner victims would ever accept it.

What? You said a White Swan could devise strategies, use magical attacks, and identify people's "traits"?

Thus, a Relic Phenomenon known as the "Ugly Duckling Phenomenon" was born.

As for what Relic it was, the researchers did not know either.

The answer was simply "unknown" and "undefined." During the Great Cataclysm, this was hardly the only Relic Phenomenon of its kind.

The record did not end there.

Mo Ling continued reading.

The "mantis" that wiped out a village's locust population.

The "Bald Eagle" that slaughtered an island's seagull population.

And the "Silverback Gorilla" that caused an entire mountain range's monkey population to vanish.

Because they shared the same characteristics, these incidents were all classified under the Ugly Duckling Phenomenon collection.

"Born from the descendants of a certain species, it possesses intense hostility toward the source species, transforms into a similar creature, evolves various abilities, and slaughters the source species."

"The source species has several definitions: it may refer to the maternal species, or the entity it considers its mother."

This was the researchers' explanation of their definition for the Ugly Duckling Phenomenon in the records.

They also made a determination regarding the Ugly Duckling's slaughter of farm owners, believing that after its birth, it might have regarded farm owners as its mother as well.

But why it was so fixated on identifying "farm owners" and "duck keepers" remained unexplained. With too few examples, the researchers had failed to reach any conclusion.

This phenomenon still appeared frequently even now, and the research had continued without interruption.

The record ended there.

After reading it, Mo Ling felt that it fit Little Lamb's behavior perfectly.

Its unusual attack ability, especially its deliberate return, suggested that it was preparing to seek out other Tree-Cutting Sheep herds.

His eyes lit up, and he quickly had Li Luo inform Captain Su and the others.

After Li Luo told Captain Su about the Ugly Duckling Phenomenon, he initially could not believe it. But after checking the materials, he nodded repeatedly.

"That's right, that's right. It fits perfectly."

After reading the record, Captain Su asked Li Luo, "Between the Red String Worm's identification and the Ugly Duckling Phenomenon's identification, which takes priority?"

Li Luo could not answer that question either. No one had ever seen an example like this.

But one thing was certain: Little Lamb had gained both the Red String Worm's immortal healing ability and the Ugly Duckling Phenomenon's unreasonable evolutionary ability.

"This is difficult. There is basically no precedent for incidents involving multiple Relics and mixed creatures. We can only take things one step at a time," Captain Su said gravely, realizing the severity of the situation.

"And creatures like this are far too dangerous. We have to find a way to deal with it as soon as possible." Captain Su sighed. "We need to go down and take a look."

Captain Su was highly experienced at handling such matters, and he quickly arranged the affairs at the scene.

Some people stayed behind to guard and clean up the area, while the Outpost Station was notified to send reinforcements.

After the unrest was quelled, movement within the Sealed Area became much smoother. Before long, the area around the cave entrance was surrounded by arriving soldiers.

Several detectors were sent into the cave in succession. Though their images would eventually blur and disappear, a three-dimensional image of the entire passage had already been mapped out.

"Captain Su, the exit is approximately fifteen hundred meters below. It is still within the Sealed Area."

"Understood. What is the condition of the detectors?" Captain Su pressed.

"No damage. Integrity rate: one hundred percent."

"Has the cave's composition been analyzed? Are there any harmful substances?"

"Ordinary fungi, similar to shiitake mushrooms. They are even edible." The soldier walked to the cave entrance, cut off a chunk of flesh, and handed it to the Captain.

After taking it and giving it a sniff, Captain Su shouted to the surrounding soldiers, "Those willing to go down, get ready. In ten minutes, if the detectors are still undamaged, we move out."

"I will lead from the front." Captain Su's voice was full of authority.

The soldiers who had just watched their comrades be sliced in half said nothing. They silently sorted through their gear and luggage.

Li Luo looked at the Cube.

Mo Ling also made the Cube tremble as though nodding.

The two had already reached a tacit understanding.