Chapter 864 Calm Cocoon (1/2)

Having resolved the infighting of his tribe for the time being, Roland the Holy Knight slowly led the silver sorcerers in the game, consolidating power and quickly prosper to hence expand over the entire world, setting the stage in advance of the fourth phase 'Civilization'.

Meanwhile, the 'element-friendly cell' that Priest controlled had just cleared the 'Spore' phase to enter the 'Creature' phase.

Naturally, the game could not relive the full billion-year long process where life evolved and developed, nor how creatures and civilization take each stepped forward. However, Continental War was developed to the point that it was virtually reality—to Priest, at least, the game was considered genuine.

In his Spore phase, Priest finally obtained the advanced photosensitive part by moving along a tide to ambush his targets from the rear and surviving a difficult melee. After equipping the part, Priest at long last had reliable observation in the dark seas, and could acquire more valuable food and cells.

After playing for eight long hours (seven point five minutes after 64 times acceleration), Priest finally cleared the 'Spore' phase.

And his cell had been considerably reward.

Apart from basic parts of different classes such as Element perception part, thick cell war, chitin horn, tough flagella and high energy cell drive, Priest unexpectedly gained an SSR item the extremely rare special part called 'element absorber'!

It was an unexpected gain from one adventure in the volcano. Priest, having grown into a carnivore that fire a jet of water and crushed shells through its horn had been searching for food in a dormant volcano.

That was when he had been ambushed by a unique 'dual-volcanic element' creature.

Leaving aside the rather thrilling course of the battle, one or the other, Priest had used the special landscape to trap the creature in a gap and grinded it to death. That was he noticed the creature that resembled an elemental was merely a colloidal squid—on its skin, however, was a special layer of cells that could siphon large amounts of beneficial elements from its environment, briefly turning it similar to an elemental-like creature!

Having seized the 'element absorber', Joshua's control over his cell gained in redoubled power because he could use magical elements to attack. Furthermore, he could swap the chitin horn which occupied great portions for many other parts, such as the high energy cell drive which provides the cell with energy, or some special energy storage composition.

Soon, near peerless in the surrounding seas, Priest managed to clear the conditions for ascension and join the second phase, 'creature'.

”This feels great!”

Priest clearly played over more than eight hours, but was no less entertained—especially after realizing that not even ten minutes passed in reality, he was even less prepared to stop, and would keep playing.

”It's still entertainment after all, and much more fun than strolling through the streets.

With that thought, Priest did not hesitate to continue.

Then, the silver screen appeared before them.

[First phase 'Spore' completed, assessing scores now]

[Lethal: 10/10—You are the purest of hunters. Devouring other cells is the meaning of your existence.]

[Coexistence: 3/10—you would slumber inside corals under the cover of sea anemones. That is probably the only aspect where you need the help of other creatures.]

[Nurturing: 0/10—Devourers do not care for nurturing; you only need to produce excrement]

[Collection: 9/10—you have collected many special components, even entering the most dangerous of regions to obtain the rarest of abilities]

[Strength: 9/10—you are peerlessly powerful amongst the realm of multicellular creatures. You are one of the most powerful beings in the virgin sea.]

[Commencing random development of life form… commending random renaming of 'element-friendly cell']

Since Priest had selected 'all-random' at the very beginning, his cellular, creature form and naming were all completely random even as he advanced to the Creature phase. He was totally fine about that since he was the type who was fine with anything they have—be it a creature he shaped or named himself or not, he would feel invested once he began to play with it.

Soon, as his evolution was completed, the element-friendly cell which had jerking long, hard barbs, a shell that appeared soft but was actually very sturdy, its entire form glinting in various colored light enlarged and transformed at once in a wave of white light.

The white light slowly diminished as its form changed quickly, and what appeared before Priest was an extremely unusual 'cocoon' shaped creature that had more than twenty protruding bony armor which wrapped around its soft organs inside. Outside the armor was a thick layer of element absorbers, and on a single glance, it was a large white thorny pine cone.

[Evolution complete—random naming in accordance to essence: Calm Cocoon]