Time passed second by second. Around the Shadow Seed resting on the Ghost-Rot Soil, an incredibly faint black mist seemed to swirl slowly, as weak as a rhythmic breath.
At the very moment the countdown hit zero, the seed finally underwent a drastic change!
The shell, originally as hard as obsidian, cracked silently, and a sliver of faint, eerie light leaked through the fissures.
Immediately after, a near-transparent black sprout, emitting a weak phosphorescent glow, broke through the soil at a speed visible to the naked eye. It meandered upward, not like a plant growing, but more like some living creature stretching its own body.
The sprout quickly lengthened and branched out, growing several black leaves as thin as cicada wings with irregular, serrated edges.
The leaves swayed gently, and then, at the tip of the plant, a closed flower bud resembling a black tulip condensed into shape and slowly bloomed, revealing a deep darkness rotating and condensing at its center.
Cheng Shuili held her breath involuntarily, waiting patiently.
The mass of darkness soon stabilized, condensing into an irregular, jet-black crystal about the size of a thumbprint. It floated quietly at the tip of the plant, connected to the receptacle by a few extremely fine black threads.
【Shadow Essence has matured and can be harvested!】
【Note: After harvesting, the shadow plant will wither rapidly, and the Ghost-Rot Soil will enter a 12-hour cooldown period before it can be seeded again.】
There was actually a cooldown time; there were just too many restrictions.
But that was fine, too. Her other seeds hadn't been identified yet, so she couldn't plant them anyway.
Cheng Shuili carefully removed the Shadow Essence and took out the Special Equipment Evolution Card and the Abyss Stone.
With this... the materials were finally enough!
After she chose to use the card, the upgrade panel popped up.
【Detected target equipment: Abyss Ring】
【Evolution requirements: First, Special Equipment Evolution Card (satisfied); Second, Abyss Stone ×3 (satisfied); Third, Shadow Essence ×1 (satisfied)】
【Do you wish to evolve the special equipment "Abyss Ring"?】
Evolve!
The moment Cheng Shuili pressed "Yes," the card dissolved into stardust and vanished, while the Abyss Ring on her finger turned searing hot!
Cheng Shuili hurriedly pulled the ring off. She couldn't bear to drop it directly on the floor, so she endured the heat and gently placed it on the ground.
Give a warning beforehand, at least!
Did it have to burn her?
The evolution was not interrupted by this minor episode. The Shadow Essence and Abyss Stone floating to the side seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, turning into streams of light that were sucked into the ring.
The temperature of the ring rose sharply, turning the color of red-hot molten metal.
Cheng Shuili silently stepped back, thankful that she had taken the ring off early; otherwise, she feared her finger would not have survived.
The light grew increasingly brilliant, illuminating the entire underground storage room in a surreal, kaleidoscopic glow, while the air filled with a strange scent of sulfur and decay.
The shape of the ring began to change. From the simple band structure, more complex and bizarre patterns spread out like tentacles, intertwining until they condensed into a slowly rotating dark vortex pattern on the face of the ring.
Finally, all the light retracted and calmed down.
Cheng Shuili raised her hand and quickly touched the Abyss Ring to confirm it was no longer hot before putting it back on her finger.
She was just about to check the details of the evolved ring when she suddenly heard a laugh.
"You're actually quite cute."
It was a woman's voice.
Cheng Shuili did not turn her head to check the surroundings; this was her territory, and she was the only one here.
After ruling everything else out, she quickly locked onto the source of the sound—the Abyss Ring!
Cheng Shuili: "..."
Was the so-called upgrade in this hellish place just adding an artificial intelligence to her equipment?
The vehicle was like this, and now the ring was too?
Seeming to perceive her emotions, the voice teased: "What's wrong? Too surprised? Or do you think I'm some piece of trash like 001?"
She had guessed right.
But Cheng Shuili felt no shame; instead, she asked as a matter of course: "What other differences are there between you and it?"
The question was meant as a challenge, but the voice only laughed and did not answer.
Cheng Shuili raised her eyebrows; she didn't want to say anything more to her and began checking the new description of the Abyss Ring herself.
【Abyss Ring (Unique)】
【Description: An amazing piece of equipment after evolution. It is no longer a simple tool, but a symbiotic touch connected to your bloodline. This ring has awakened initial sentience, can provide warnings in times of crisis, and grants the wearer the "Abyss Insight" ability. There is no limit to the number of uses; wherever the gaze reaches, the truth hidden beneath the surface of all things can be glimpsed, whether it is the fatal weakness of a monster, the disguise of an illusion, or the method of using a mysterious item—nothing can remain hidden. Includes an 8-cubic-meter dimensional storage space. The Ring Spirit is well-informed and can be described as knowing everything under the sun.】
Wait, what was that?
Ring Spirit?!
Cheng Shuili's gaze remained fixed on the words "Ring Spirit," and alarm bells rang in her heart.
This was not the preset program logic like the 001 that came with the vehicle upgrade, but a true spirit body with wisdom and an unpredictable personality.
If not handled well, it might not be a helper, but a hidden danger that could backfire at any moment.
"Don't worry."
The Ring Spirit's voice echoed directly in her mind again, carrying a trace of laziness and playfulness, "We are now symbiotic; if you die, there's no benefit for me. No... wait..."
She softly negated her own statement and said earnestly: "'Symbiotic' is not accurate enough. More precisely, I pledge allegiance to you as my master."
"Pledge allegiance to me as your master?"
Cheng Shuili repeated these words; she had never seen such a frivolous subordinate.
"Is it strange for me to pledge allegiance to you?"
The Ring Spirit's voice carried a hint of an elusive smile, "The laws of the abyss are simple: the law of the jungle, but it also values contracts above all else. You fulfilled the evolution conditions and awakened me; this is the foundation upon which the contract is established. I exist by attaching myself to you; naturally, I pledge allegiance to you as my master."
Cheng Shuili did not easily believe this rhetoric. The description said this Ring Spirit was well-informed—did this mean she had effectively gained an alternative encyclopedia?
With a flicker of thought, she took out the two unidentified Shadow Seeds and asked: "You're well-informed, do you recognize what these are?"
"This question... is this a test for me?"
That entity laughed softly again and said as a matter of course: "Things like this are everywhere in the abyss; they could be considered a specialty of my hometown. However, here, they seem to have been changed by something and cannot take root or sprout directly on Ghost-Rot Soil. If you want to plant them, you'll probably have to find an old gardener to wake them up."
The information was clear enough, but that wasn't all. Although the Ring Spirit couldn't speak before, she seemed to have been able to observe things in the outside world.
"Go ask that human in your territory; I remember her name is... Zhou Zhuxing? Didn't her seeds come from the hands of an old gardener?"
Rate on N.U.
