Chapter 176 175: The Third Evolution
Deep in the Atlantic Ocean, all was dark and lightless.
Lilith moved through the icy seawater like a white ghost, traveling at high Speeds.
The surrounding water pressure rose sharply as the depth increased, but for her body, which had undergone multiple enhancements, this pressure was nothing more than a tickle.
Her Spirit and Ultrasound continued to spread out like radar, scanning every inch of the seabed's terrain.
Near the deep-sea hydrothermal vents, temperatures soared, and sulfides permeated the area.
Environments that would seem like hell to ordinary people were natural navigation markers for her.
Found it.
Lilith halted her movement, her crimson vertical pupils looking down at the strange landscape below.
An underwater volcano.
Billowing hydrothermal fluid gushed from the earth, forming plumes of churning smoke in the icy seawater.
Around the hydrothermal vents, a large number of strange deep-sea creatures gathered—Tube Worms, White Blind Shrimp, and...
Densely packed Scaly-foot Snails.
Those snails varied in size; the largest were comparable to a fist, while the smallest were only the size of a fingernail.
Their shells were covered in a layer of peculiar metallic scales, and they crawled slowly near the hydrothermal vents, grazing on the microorganisms on the rocks.
The corners of Lilith's mouth curled up slightly.
This time, as long as she devoured all these Scaly-foot Snails, she could perfect this gene.
She moved.
Her massive figure was like a bolt of white lightning, instantly charging into the area where the snails gathered!
Her sharp claws extended, prying open rocks, and then she performed a sudden, explosive suction, sending all the nearby Scaly-foot Snails into her mouth!
"Crunch!"
The metallic shells, said to be as hard as diamonds, shattered in her mouth like fragile crackers!
[Scaly-foot Snail Gene Fragment +1%... Current Progress: 93%]
Lilith did not pause, continuing her frantic devouring!
Her Speed was pushed to the limit; with every strike, she precisely inhaled a group of Scaly-foot Snails, sent them into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed!
System notification sounds rang out repeatedly in her mind, and the progress bar climbed rapidly!
[94%... 95%... 96%... 97%... 98%... 99%...]
Finally—
[100%!]
[Scaly-foot Snail gene fragment collection complete!]
Lilith stopped her movements, hovering in the dark seawater.
The surrounding area, which had been densely packed with snails, had been cleared out by her.
Only a few scattered individuals remained, hiding deep within the rock crevices, shivering.
But she didn't bother with those few.
Enough.
It was already enough.
The next moment, the voice prompt sounded again.
[Complete Scaly-foot Snail gene sequence detected. Mutation can be initiated.]
[Mutation Part Option: Biological Composite Armor]
[Proceed with Mutation?]
Lilith took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
"Yes."
The moment the word left her mouth—
An indescribable, sharp pain suddenly exploded from every inch of bone and every piece of muscle in her body!
It wasn't ordinary pain; it felt as if countless tiny hands were tearing her exoskeleton from the inside, then layering, reinforcing, and restructuring it layer by layer!
Lilith remained expressionless, not making a sound.
She had long since grown accustomed to this kind of pain.
The exoskeleton was thickening.
The already hard, silver-white bone armor was now expanding at a rate visible to the naked eye.
New layers of bone grew frantically from within, merging tightly with the original exoskeleton to form an even thicker composite structure.
The density was increasing exponentially.
If her previous exoskeleton was steel, then what was forming now was an alloy.
It was Biological Composite Armor that incorporated the metallic scale properties of the Scaly-foot Snail.
Lilith could clearly feel her body weight increasing sharply.
That increase wasn't just in mass, but in defensive power and endurance; it was the foundation of her confidence when facing stronger enemies.
At the same time, her body size was also increasing.
Her body length, which had grown to nearly forty meters through devouring Blue Whales, began to slowly stretch and expand.
Muscles proliferated wildly under the protection of the exoskeleton, her bones became sturdier, and the protective bone spurs at her joints became more ferocious.
Ultimately, Lilith's body length expanded to 43 meters, and her wingspan reached 58 meters.
The increase in size was limited, but the increase in mass far exceeded the proportions of her size.
Time passed minute by minute.
After an unknown amount of time, the sharp pain slowly receded.
Lilith opened her eyes, her four crimson vertical pupils flashing with a bright light in the dark seawater.
She raised a front claw to observe it closely.
The exoskeleton still maintained its silver-white base color, but the surface texture was completely different.
That sense of smoothness with a faint metallic luster was heavier and more indestructible than before.
Furthermore, with this upgrade, her constitution directly broke through three hundred, reaching three hundred and seven.
A hint of joy that was hard to conceal flashed in Lilith's eyes.
Three hundred and seven.
A direct increase of over fifty points.
The effects of this Mutation far exceeded her expectations.
The Scaly-foot Snail, that tiny creature living near deep-sea volcanic vents, could actually bring about such a terrifying defensive boost.
If she had possessed this armor when facing Ghost Prison in Tokyo, the attacks of that Myriad Skeleton Mad Dragon probably wouldn't have even been able to leave a white mark on her body.
The three Mutations were now all complete.
The Electric Eel gave her the power of lightning.
The Blue-Ringed Octopus gave her a venomous body.
The Scaly-foot Snail gave her indestructible armor.
So next—
It was the third life evolution.
Lilith took a deep breath, her thoughts shifting slightly.
[Detected that current life evolution conditions are met!]
The notification sounded in her mind, carrying a hint of solemnity.
[Beginning gene sequence integration...]
[Base Template: Class Mammalia, Order Chiroptera, Vampire Bat, Albino Mutant, Twice-Evolved Form]
[Fused Gene Sequences: Electric Eel Gene, Blue-Ringed Octopus Gene, Scaly-foot Snail Gene]
[Integrating...]
[Integration complete!]
[Beginning life level evolution!]
[Estimated evolution time: 72 hours]
[Confirm entry into evolution state?]
A smile slowly curled onto Lilith's lips.
Seventy-two hours.
Three days and three nights.
In the darkness of the deep sea, no one would come to disturb her.
The extremely harsh environment was enough to block any explorers.
This was her safe house, the cradle of her evolution.
"Yes."
She spoke softly.
The moment the word fell, a strange power gushed from the deepest part of her body, enveloping her entire being.
That power was warm and soft, completely different from the sharp pain of Mutation; it felt like returning to a mother's womb, wrapped in the gentlest amniotic fluid.
Lilith slowly closed her eyes.
Her consciousness gradually sank into darkness.
Her body began to undergo earth-shattering changes.
The exoskeleton was softening, then restructuring.
Muscles were dissolving, then being reborn.
Gene chains were breaking, then reconnecting at a higher level.
Every break was a transformation.
Every restructuring was an elevation.
And she, in the embrace of the deep sea, slept quietly.
Waiting—
For the day she would emerge from the cocoon like a butterfly.