For a long, long moment, Lin Ke could only stare, his mind quiet. He was a scientist standing in a geological temple, a perfect, self-contained miracle that had been quietly creating treasure for centuries, hidden from the world. The warm, humid Jamaican night he'd left behind felt like a different planet entirely.
The awe was a physical thing, a pressure in his chest, but the practical researcher in him quickly took over. This is an incredible, undocumented ecosystem. And I need to secure samples before something else finds this place.
He unslung his pack and carefully took out the sterile, padded containers. He approached the nearest cluster of Earthheart Crystals, the gentle warmth and pure, earthy energy they radiated washing over him like a clean tide. Each one was a perfect, glowing amber prism. He wasn't a miner plundering a cave; he was a biologist taking a biopsy from a living wonder. With practiced care, he pried a dozen of the finest crystals loose from the damp, mossy earth. Don't kill the golden goose, he thought. Just take a few eggs.
With the harvest secured, his scientific curiosity took the wheel. He sat on the edge of the crystal-clear pool, the ethereal green glow of the moss illuminating his face, and took out one of the crystals. He looked at his Rock Vole, who was curiously sniffing at the strange, glowing rocks, its small body practically vibrating in tune with the pure energy. What does this mean for you, little guy?
Editor, he commanded in his mind, deep-level analysis on this crystal. Cross-reference its energy signature with the Rock Vole's base genetic code. Show me what's possible.
The blue light of the interface flared to life. The analysis took several long, agonizing minutes, a testament to the sheer density of pure genetic data packed into the amber crystal. In his mind's eye, he watched as the crystal's stable, foundational energy was mapped against his pet's complex genome. He saw it resonate with a dormant, tightly-coiled gene sequence deep within the Rock Vole's code, a sequence that flared into brilliant, golden life under the virtual stimulus.
Then, a new notification bloomed in his vision, and the words on it made his brain short-circuit. A new, catalyzed evolution path for 'Rock Vole' has been unlocked.
His mind raced to the Rock Vole's profile page. The familiar paths were still there—the dull, dead-end 'Boulder Vole', the secret, tempting 'Obsidian Ruin Overlord'. But now, a third option was blazing below them, a radiant, golden branch splitting off from the main tree, pulsing with a power that felt as ancient and solid as the mountain itself. He didn't just read the description; an intuitive understanding of this new potential flooded his mind. It was a path of absolute defense, of foundational earth manipulation, of becoming a living fortress.
Catalyzed Hidden Evolution Path: 'Terran Titan Vole'.
Estimated Potential: A-Rank.
A-Rank.
The words echoed in the silent grotto of his mind. A-Rank? My Rock Vole? The pet everyone in the world called F-rank trash? The freebie from the adoption center? This was no less significant than the Mythical egg in his pack. His loyal, humble partner, the one who'd been with him from the very beginning, had the potential to become a true titan, a walking bastion that could shake the very ground it stood on.
He looked over at his pet, and a slow, wide, fiercely proud grin spread across his face. His future had just split into two grand, parallel projects. One, to awaken a god from the stars, currently nestled in his backpack. The other, to raise a titan from the earth, who was at this moment happily nibbling on a piece of glowing moss. His life was no longer a straight line; it was a dizzying, terrifying, exhilarating tree of impossible, branching futures.
A deep, profound sense of purpose filled him. He had the corrupted egg. He had the Earthheart Crystals. He had the plan. He had everything he needed.
Drip.
A single drop of water fell from a high stalactite and landed in the serene pool with a soft plink that echoed in the quiet grotto, bringing him crashing back to reality.
He was still deep underground. He was still in a hidden cave with no obvious exit. And there was still a very angry, very large Alpha predator waiting for him somewhere up above.
He'd found the treasure. Now for the hard part: getting out of the dungeon alive.