Chapter 1103: The Opportunity for Super Evolution
The heavy rain outside wouldn't stop anytime soon. During that time, Zhou Yuanzhu went out to check, only to return with a protective suit dirtied by the rain. She said, "I doubt even an umbrella could hold up out there. And look, these thread-like things in the rain are getting more and more numerous."
Xu Huo took a look. The fine threads in the light rain could be easily broken apart by rubbing them with his fingers, but the ones Zhou Yuanzhu held in her hand could be stretched continuously, looking more alive than before.
"Are these fungal hyphae?" Zhou Yuanzhu asked. "I also went to check the underground nest earlier and found a lot of fungi growing down there. If these fungi can induce a gluttonous craving in people, then if someone were to get a batch out..."
Xu Huo glanced at her. "Unless they're mass-produced, it would be difficult to achieve that effect. Besides, as you've seen, these hyphae should all be dead, different from the fungi growing on the ground and in the underground caves."
Zhou Yuanzhu thought of the low mountain he had mentioned earlier and understood. "Maybe this type of fungi grows deep underground."
"But I really never imagined there was a fungus like this in the world, one that could make players experience the same gluttonous craving as before their initial trial."
"The world is vast, and there are wonders beyond imagination."
Hearing her words, Xu Huo thought of something else—was the gluttonous craving at the beginning of a player's evolution truly inevitable?
Of course, looking at the players in Xiaohe City, even prolonged exposure to the black rain didn't turn them into cannibalistic maniacs or xenomorphs. So what was the difference between them and the earliest evolvers?
Pulling his thoughts back, he looked at Zhou Yuanzhu, who was sitting nearby with slightly rapid breathing. "If you're really that hungry, you can drink some nutrient supplement."
Zhou Yuanzhu quickly waved her hand. "Forget it. I still want to live a bit longer. Eating that stuff is like drinking poison to quench thirst—who knows when it might cause problems."
"After finally getting a super-strong physique, of course I want to pursue a longer lifespan. And I don't want to end up in a miserable state in my old age. You haven't seen those players who slowly degenerate—each one has their own tragic story..."
Xu Huo handed her some more food, which Zhou Yuanzhu accepted with some embarrassment. "I'm really causing you trouble."
"You're a Super Evolver," he said, pointing at her hand. "Super Evolvers should be less prone to degeneration."
"That's true." Zhou Yuanzhu demonstrated on the spot. As she raised her hand, her neatly trimmed nails grew rapidly, and unlike normal nails that would curl when too long, they stayed straight and exceptionally hard even at over ten centimeters.
"How do you do that?" Xu Huo couldn't help asking.
"I can't really describe the feeling." Zhou Yuanzhu thought for a moment. "It's like part of my hands can be freely rearranged according to my will. But aside from slightly hardening the skin, it only works on my nails."
As she spoke, she even made the grown nails twist in mid-air on their own, playing with them in various ways for a while before saying, "That's all I can do."
"Mr. Xu, you're also a Super Evolver, right? I heard from Uncle Guan that you've undergone Super Evolution in more than one aspect. Any tips?"
"By chance, I happened to encounter the right environment and evolved that way," Xu Huo said. "Unlike you, I can't control my body."
"Isn't that better?" Zhou Yuanzhu immediately said. "Self-control isn't as great as others think. Not everyone who starts Super Evolution can change their face at will, grow armor at will, let alone self-repair. I'd say this type of Super Evolution is as useless in the early stages as Mental Evolution—completely a chicken rib."
Xu Huo agreed with that. "Isn't there any senior in the Holy Sword Society who can guide you?"
"Like you said, how evolution happens is all by chance. Most people are the same. In fact, at the beginning of evolution, how it happens, the person themselves has no clue—they can only chalk it up to luck." Zhou Yuanzhu said this very casually. "But I was pretty happy when I first evolved, because many talented people in the Holy Sword Society didn't manage to achieve Super Evolution. That's also why Uncle Guan personally took me under his wing."
"What was the trigger for your Super Evolution?" Xu Huo asked further.
Temporal and Spatial Super Evolution can both be categorized as "Object Control"—manipulating objects outside the body. "Self-Control," on the other hand, involves changes to one's own body, like altering appearance, healing wounds, or having super-strong toxin resistance. It's a form of "Self-Control," richer in content than "Object Control," with many different development paths. At least before meeting Zhou Yuanzhu, Xu Huo had never thought of someone specializing in nail evolution.
Mental Evolution, logically, should also be a form of "Self-Control," being an advanced evolution of the brain. However, Mental Evolution affects others, so it can be considered somewhere in between.
Whether it's Temporal, Spatial, or Mental Evolution, they can all occur in special environments. For example, Xu Huo's two instances were triggered by special external environmental stimuli, and they were relatively singular and traceable. In contrast, the triggers for "Self-Control" type Super Evolution can be diverse.
Of the few people with physical Super Evolution that Xu Huo had encountered so far, none had the same evolutionary direction.
Mentioning this, Zhou Yuanzhu's expression clearly darkened. But before he could speak, she said first, "Didn't Uncle Guan mention that I was once bought and sold?"
"To tame me, the human traffickers pulled out my nails."
The air went still for a moment. Zhou Yuanzhu continued, "Human trafficking is human trafficking. Calling it slavery is just to make us victims feel inferior and afraid to resist. No matter what they say, I never accepted it."
"When I finally escaped, one day I suddenly underwent Super Evolution."
"I was originally just a very weak player. I couldn't even resist when caught by ordinary people, and I was unlucky enough to be sold back and forth. But after Super Evolution, taking Evolution Agents became more effective than before. So my Evolution Rate increased faster, and my strength gradually caught up... Although players rely more on items, if you're at a disadvantage physically, you might not have the energy to use items either."
"But as you can see, my Super Evolution doesn't have much practical use. I really suffered for nothing..."
"Did you get your revenge?" Xu Huo asked.
"Of course." Zhou Yuanzhu gave a sinister smile. "I specifically bought a ticket to go there. Using my evolved nails, I clawed the perpetrators to death. Every single one of their lackeys—not one escaped. It's just a pity that the buyers had too much power and were protected by players, so I couldn't get to them."
"But one day, I'll make them regret it. I'll make them taste what it's like to kneel on the ground, crying and begging for mercy!"
After venting a couple of satisfying lines, she added, "But not everyone is as unlucky as me. Uncle Guan is also a Super Evolver. He was born with hearing impairment, but he started Super Evolution when he became an evolver. As long as he wants, he can hear sounds from any corner of an entire building!"
(Chapter End)