Chapter 9

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

It was pitch dark.

Not a hint of light was able to stream in.

In such an environment, even breathing was difficult.

To guarantee his safety, Ye Bei had left a small hole the size of a thumb to enable air circulation.

And when the evolution began…

A powerful, unrestrained force of energy engulfed his body.

It was a kind of energy that made Ye Bei extremely excited…

He had originally thought that the dormant period the System spoke of referred to a period of hibernation. However, the current situation was completely different.

Ye Bei came to the realization that it was only his body that he was unable to move at will. His consciousness remained very clear. In fact, it was terrifyingly clear.

Obviously, the cave was exceptionally dark. But with his eyes wide open, he could see everything clearly.

The taupe soil.

The tiny rocks that were mixed in with the soil.

The decomposed leaves.

He could even detect a faint scent of rot.

Of course…

What struck Ye Bei the most was something else altogether.

The cave had undoubtedly been completely sealed off, but Ye Bei was able to see everything outside the cave very clearly.

For example, the unknown plant growing at the entrance of the cave and rustling in the wind.

The line of ants crawling on the leaves of a plant.

A huge gust of wind blew over, and the ants were scattered into the air…

Farther away, a small insect appeared.

It was only the size of a thumb, and it was gnawing away at a leaf. Its teeth, which were as small as needle tips, slid across the leaf, leaving cut marks on it.

And on that leaf, there was a cocoon woven from silk threads ten times finer than human hair.

Hiss hiss…

The cocoon was moving, and there was a slight rustling sound coming from within. Ye Bei could hear all of this very clearly.

Time was passing very quickly…

Ten minutes!

Half an hour…

Two hours!

The cocoon finally experienced a breakthrough change, and a butterfly emerged. First came the feelers, followed by the head and the wet body… When the whole body appeared, the butterfly stood outside the cocoon, its body shaking.

Soon, a pair of colorful, eye-catching wings appeared.

The butterfly flew. Initially an inconspicuous insect, it was now reborn.

However, the butterfly had barely flown a meter…

Whoosh…

When a bird charged down from the sky.

It opened its beak and swallowed the butterfly whole.

Indeed, this was just how miraculous and unpredictable nature could be! At the moment, Ye Bei’s sight of the outside world was limited to a radius of ten meters, but the things he saw in the outside world were like his deepest memories, embedded in the recesses of his mind. Not a single detail was overlooked.

“If only I had the body of a human. How powerful I would be!”

“What an unimaginable ability. If science academies in the human world knew of this, they would go crazy!”

“How unbelievable! But nature is still cruel after all!”

“I can feel my body transforming—a miraculous transformation, in fact. But this still isn’t enough. If I want to survive, I need to become stronger. This evolution is just the beginning. Even if I become a Titan Python, that still won’t be enough.”

As he felt his surroundings, many thoughts emerged in his mind.

Crack, crack…

He finally moved his attention away from the scene outside.

Although his body was still immobile, it seemed that his skin had petrified during the evolution process, and layers of white snakeskin had formed. The snakeskin was beginning to crack and tear open, revealing brand new snake flesh… Ye Bei could see the entire scene clearly.

The skin that emerged after the white snakeskin was shed glittered with metallic luster!

At the same time, it felt hard to Ye Bei… It seemed that even a sharp blade wouldn’t be able to cut through his skin.

In addition to the physical changes…

Ye Bei could tell that his eyes had transformed as well…

His originally red pupils gradually turned pitch black, resembling two deep abysses. The sharp gaze from those eyes could strike fear in all it fell on, even Ye Bei himself, if he could see it.

His two fangs, which he had gained from the treasure chest, had grown much longer.

And all the bloodstains on them had disappeared.

They were as sharp and keen as razors, hanging down all the way to his chin. In the middle of each of his fangs was a tiny venom tube.

…Time was still passing.

Seven hours. Eight hours.

He reckoned that his breath had become undetectable during the evolution process, and that many creatures had appeared outside the cave.

Finally…

Nine hours later, Ye Bei, who hadn’t felt anything throughout the process, suddenly felt sore. The feeling was similar to the numbness and soreness that comes after having sat for a long period of time!

However, right then, the pain made Ye Bei extremely excited.

Because at the very moment the sensation appeared, the System’s voice resounded in his mind.

“Congratulations, Host, on having completed the second stage of evolution!”

It was a very simple statement.

“What are my improved abilities now?” Ye Bei asked in anticipation as he slowly regained his sense of touch and sensitivity.

He had watched the entire evolution process… and he knew that every nook and cranny on his body had undergone a change. It was precisely because there were too many changes to keep track of that Ye Bei asked the System that question.

“Strengthening your body comprehensively was the main purpose of the second stage of evolution for the Blood Python.”

“As of now, your body is four and a half meters in length and 25 centimeters in diameter! Your weight is 120 kilograms, and your skin can easily withstand the scratches of sharp weapons. Your bite is now five times stronger. In other words, you can easily shatter rocks with your teeth! In addition, your range of sight has increased to 300 meters, and the limit of your awareness sensors have now increased to ten meters! Furthermore, you are now able to conceal your intention to kill…”

The System’s explanation was very quick.

The long monologue made Ye Bei very excited.

The awareness sensors were probably referring to his ability to comprehend his surroundings within ten meters without having to use his eyes.

Being able to conceal his intent to kill was even more remarkable! Previously, a large part of the reason why Ye Bei hadn’t been able to catch his prey was that his killing intent had been too obvious. Many of the creatures possessed an innate vigilance and had long escaped far away before Ye Bei could even appear.

With this ability, Ye Bei could now quietly approach his enemies without being discovered.

All in all… this evolution had truly enabled him to expand his abilities!!!!

Ye Bei was reveling in his excitement.

Hold on!

Just as he was indulging in the euphoria his newfound powers brought, a great change suddenly occurred outside the cave.

A pair of shiny red eyes were glaring at him.