Chapter 399
Chapter 399
Sleek and sinuous like an eel, yet segmented like a larva, the primorph was no more than three inches long. Given the immense scale of the Behemoth Cavern, it was clear that the primorph could grow from a relatively small three-inch creature into a significantly larger beast.
With a thought, Jake summoned the development status of the small creature, and glowing text materialized before him.
Primorph (Development in Progress)
Current Status: 99% Complete
Estimated Time Remaining: 17 minutes 51 seconds
He was pleased to see the creature was almost ready to evolve into the next stage. What was also interesting was that the status menu now displayed the estimated remaining time, which hadn’t been the case before. He figured the System was showing him this because the primorph was nearing completion of the development of its current form so that he could keep track of the process and was prepared to make the necessary adjustments for the next stage.
Jake decided to stay in the Apex Hollow to wait for the development to complete. He usually didn’t like to stay idle for even a few minutes, but he figured that a little over fifteen minutes wasn’t too big of a deal, especially compared to the few days the primorph had been developing to reach this point.
So, he lingered in his lair, eyes following the primorph as it drifted lazily through a vast cavern brimming with a greenish liquid. With each passing moment, Jake became more certain that the creature’s transformation had reached its peak. If any changes still took place, they were so subtle he couldn’t detect them, even with his enhanced sense of sight. More likely, the last refinements unfolded deep within, hidden from view.
Finally, a system message popped up in his mind.
Your primorph has just finished developing its current form and is ready to start evolving to the next one.
Jake looked at the primorph again. No new prompts and no streams of new information appeared before his eyes. He sent a mental command to trigger its evolution to the next stage. As soon as he issued the command, a system message flashed through his mind.
Before your primorph can begin its evolution to the next stage, you must first design its next form. Once designed, your Kaiju’s final form will be locked and cannot be altered later. This is the most essential part of Kaiju creation. Do you want to enter Creation Mode to begin designing your Kaiju’s next form? Y/N
Jake thought, Yes, and Creation Mode flooded his consciousness like a tide. The world around him faded into nothingness until only the primorph remained, hovering vividly before his inner eye. He began transforming the primorph, giving mental commands to change the creature’s body according to his vision.
He spent the next thirty minutes working on the project. Since it was the first Kaiju he had ever developed, he decided to go for a classic Kaiju look: a towering saurian beast clad in armored scales, a long, whip-like tail coiled with power, muscular forearms tipped in razor-sharp talons, and a gaping snout bristling with rows of jagged, triangular teeth.
Once he was done, he gave a mental command for the Behemoth Cavern to use this form. Another system message popped up before his eyes.
This decision is permanent. Once saved, it will be memorized, and from this point onward, you will no longer be able to alter it. Your Kaiju will gradually undergo transformation, evolving from Rank I to Rank V, growing more powerful and gaining new abilities with each subsequent rank. However, even through these evolution cycles, its overall design will remain intact, just as you have created it.
If you wish to revisit and modify your Kaiju’s appearance, think “No”, and you will return to Creation Mode. If you are satisfied and ready to proceed, think “Yes,” and your Kaiju’s design will be memorized, while a new set of instructions for further development will be given to you.
Jake was pretty happy with the design he had created for his Kaiju, so he confirmed his decision with a Yes. As soon as he did, a new system message flashed into view.
Initiating your primorph’s evolution into a Stage I Kaiju will require a specific combination of the following basic and unique genetic materials:
10,500 units of Biomass;
17,500 units of Mana;
1,350 units of Brain Matter;
4,250 units of Rigidbone;
Chlorocore Strand ×1;
Toxishell Gene Cluster ×1;
Adamachitin Sequence ×1.
Biomass, mana, brain matter, and rigidbone were basic resources, and he had all of them in abundance in his ten-story lair. The last three, however, were rare unique genetic materials, obtainable only from powerful elite monsters.
Committing their names to memory, he severed his mental link with the Behemoth Cavern. He then opened a mental link with the Genome Fusion Lab located on the opposite side of the lair. This facility’s many functions included a specialized system that provided information about any unique genetic material he requested, even pinpointing the specific elite mutant from which it could be harvested.
One by one, he entered the three required materials, and the structure delivered all the necessary information.
- Chlorocore Strand: A rare genetic filament that accelerates cell division, enabling rapid tissue regrowth, plant cultivation, or boosted biological growth in hosts. Harvested from the Verdant Behemoth.
- Toxishell Gene Cluster: A genetic code with powerful alkaloid neutralizers, granting powerful immunity to venoms, acids, and biochemical hazards, along with increased tolerance to toxic environments. Harvested from the Venomancer Mantiscor.
- Adamachitin Sequence: A rare molecular structure producing an impossibly durable chitin that rivals forged steel while remaining light enough for agile movement. Harvested from the Obsidian Boreworm.
The Obsidian Boreworm lurked on the northwestern outskirts, burrowed deep beneath the earth beyond the city limits. The Verdant Behemoth roamed the vast city park, now a deep, sprawling forest born in the wake of the Collapse.
As for the whereabouts of the Venomancer Mantiscor, its territory lay within the downtown district, making it the closest location to Jake’s ten‑story lair compared to the other two. For that reason, he decided to hunt for the Venomancer Mantiscor first before pursuing the other two beasts.
With that plan in mind, he used the Fleshport to teleport to the ten‑story lair.