Chapter 9: Food and a New Species
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The lively Ancestral Fish wriggled in the hands of Redlichia's sons, while Redlichia stood before the palace, maintaining his regal bearing.
However, his sons couldn't wait to announce to the people of the God-Given City, standing on high and shouting with all their might.
"Behold! This is the food bestowed upon us by God's grace!"
"Ancestral Fish!"
Redlichia's eldest son held up an Ancestral Fish, bending down and gazing at everyone with inspiring eyes, uttering words of immense impact.
"God has also taught the great King of Wisdom the method to create food. From now on, we will have an endless supply of sustenance."
"Starting today…"
"No one in the God-Given City will starve to death, and we will no longer need to risk venturing into the deep sea."
After speaking, he held the Ancestral Fish high and knelt towards the pyramid.
His hands raised high, he kissed the ground.
His demeanor and gestures bordered on madness.
Redlichia's second son rushed down from the platform. "God created the King of Wisdom, created us, and now has created food that only the King of Wisdom's lineage can partake in."
"God is the supreme ruler who created all things in the world, and the King of Wisdom is the unparalleled king of all sapient beings."
"We are the species destined by heaven to govern the land and sea, the firstborn of God."
"Only God and the King of Wisdom can guide us, can bring us light."
They roared, raising their arms, their voices deafening.
Some had recently begun to question the King of Wisdom's authority and God's power. A small number wanted to leave the God-Given City to seek a way out, threatening their positions.
Although Redlichia, the King of Wisdom, possessed the power to control all Trilobite Men with a single thought, he was clearly unwilling to directly enslave all Trilobite Men, just as God had not forcibly imposed His will upon him.
Redlichia's sons were eager to announce such shocking news, letting everyone know of God's majestic power to create all things, and the King of Wisdom's status as God's representative.
They were also asserting their own rights and positions.
They were the sons of the King of Wisdom, born to rule the masses on behalf of God and the King of Wisdom.
Outside the crude, simple buildings constructed from boulders, Trilobite Men filled the square. The palace of the King of Wisdom was crowded with people. Their carapaces varied in color and height, with men and women standing in separate groups on either side.
All the Trilobite Men gazed up at the King of Wisdom and the God-given object.
In the sunlight, the Ancestral Fish refracted and radiated light.
At this moment, Redlichia finally spoke. He appeared much more composed and steady than his sons.
In some aspects, he had always been imitating his creator, as if those on high should speak in this manner, their words more convincing.
"We are a species beloved by God!"
"In this world, whether on land or in the sea, no difficulty can stump us."
"We are destined to become the most glorious civilization, forever shining beneath the stars."
An explosive cheer erupted from the crowd, the clamorous voices overturning the entire God-Given City, even reaching the temple atop the pyramid.
"Yinsai God!"
"King of Wisdom."
"Nothing can defeat us."
"We will eventually dispel all darkness and conquer the sea…"
This time, all Trilobite Men felt the greatness of God.
Hope surged on every face.
Large areas of the island were marshlands, with plants growing in the swamps and moss covering the edges.
Some of these marshes were directly connected to the sea, while others were independent, changing with the tides.
The Trilobite Men of the God-Given City gathered around these marshes, carrying large stone basins filled with Ancestral Fish of various sizes, flipping and splashing, spraying water.
"Splash, splash!"
The Trilobite Men poured the Ancestral Fish into a swamp, drenching many present, yet everyone laughed heartily, completely unlike the previous deathly silence.
"Hurry, hurry!"
"Over there too."
Then they blocked the tidal connections with stones, enclosing the area.
"They'll multiply just by pouring them in?"
"That's what the King of Wisdom said."
"This is something bestowed by God's grace, along with the method granted by God."
When Redlichia, the King of Wisdom, approached, everyone knelt to welcome him, lining up in a row before the swamp and shore.
Redlichia's gaze fell upon his several sons. Their eyes shone with anticipation, hoping to be chosen by Redlichia.
This position held more power than any other, for controlling the God-given Ancestral Fish meant controlling the food of the entire God-Given City.
However, the King of Wisdom's gaze finally settled on his eldest daughter. She possessed a white exoskeleton like the queen, with the same slender and graceful figure.
"From this day forth," Redlichia declared, his voice resonating with authority, "you are responsible for guarding, caring for, and protecting the Ancestral Fish. They are our food and the future of the God-Given Land."
She looked at the King of Wisdom with surprise and joy, then knelt.
"Great King of Wisdom!"
"I will surely safeguard these Ancestral Fish and fulfill the duties you have entrusted to me."
Thus…
The female group of Trilobite Men also began to wield power.
A large number of female Trilobite Men followed the King of Wisdom's eldest daughter, raising and farming the Ancestral Fish in the marshes. Most of the time, they would dive into the water, observing the fish shoals beneath the surface.
Like shepherds tending their flocks.
The female Trilobite Men first farmed these Ancestral Fish in the island's marshes. They fed the Ancestral Fish according to the methods taught by Yin Shen, caring for them based on their habits.
They watched as the Ancestral Fish began to reproduce, growing in number.
As if they could multiply, constantly increasing.
In the eyes of the Trilobite Men, this method of farming Ancestral Fish contained boundless secrets, embodying the supreme power of God.
They mastered the knowledge imparted by God, grasping the power to propagate and control life.
God had changed their long-standing method of fishing for survival. From then on, they truly controlled the way they existed in the world.
Redlichia's eldest daughter stood by the stone-enclosed swamp, watching as one Ancestral Fish after another was caught, radiating the vitality of life.
All the Trilobite Men cheered and leaped for the bountiful harvest, the shore beside the swamp a scene of jubilation.
The white female Trilobite Man sighed with emotion. "Life is truly full of miracles!"
"Yet God can easily create and bestow such miracles. What an incredible power."
With this, they had finally overcome the troubles of food.
They lived in the God-Given City, relying on farming and fishing for sustenance, worshipping Redlichia.
This place was, as the King of Wisdom had said, a true God-Given Land, a site sheltered by God.
——————-
In the marshes…
Several Ancestral Fish swam freely, foraging for tiny creatures in the silt as food.
They suddenly darted towards the depths, amazed to discover a passage leading to the ocean.
"Gloop!"
Bubbles rose as the lead fish squeezed into the opening.
The Ancestral Fish left the marshes, venturing into the vast sea.
From this moment, a new species emerged in the ocean.
Chapter 10: Writing and Mythology
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With the food problem resolved, the God-Given City thoroughly stabilized and once again began to flourish and develop.
A population of a few thousand was not their limit. Redlichia wanted to build a city-state of tens of thousands, even a hundred thousand.
As for more…
Redlichia couldn't imagine what a city-state with an even larger population would look like.
He stood on the high walls of the royal palace, gazing at the buildings in the God-Given City.
In addition to residential houses, the city had areas for drying salt, workshops for drying food, warehouses for storing food, and massive wells connecting to the sea, among other structures.
In the distance, he saw swamps enclosed by stone embankments, resembling farmland. Female Trilobite Men leaped into the water, herding and catching fish shoals.
He had created many things, bringing vitality to this place.
"I once made a vow to God to create a great civilization that would never fade."
"To have everyone here guard and worship God."
"For ten thousand years, a hundred thousand years, a million years."
"Until…"
"Eternity."
He turned to look at his queen. "Do you think I can do it?"
The queen gazed at Redlichia with adoration, her eyes filled with affection and admiration.
"You are the King of Wisdom, the firstborn of God, the source of all sapient beings."
"You will surely be able to accomplish it."
Redlichia smiled, grasping his queen's hand and looking towards the sea and the setting sun.
"Yes!"
"I will definitely be able to do it, and I will certainly do it."
"Because this is the vow I made to God, the oath I swore to the supreme Yinsai."
In the light of the setting sun, the city was bustling with activity.
Redlichia's eldest daughter and other female Trilobite Men, returning from fishing, held up their catch high amidst the cheering crowd, earning applause. The king and queen's eyes shone with approval.
At this moment, Redlichia's eldest and second sons came running over.
Having experienced the previous crisis, Redlichia's sons felt a sense of unease. They decided to record the mythical power of God's creation of life and the legend of the King of Wisdom.
This was to highlight the greatness of God and the power of Redlichia, the King of Wisdom.
By doing so, they would tell everyone of the nobility of their bloodline, that they were the chosen people of God.
They carved the stories of God and the King of Wisdom on the front of a massive stone, and the story of the King of Wisdom guiding the Trilobite Men to establish a civilization on the back. They planned to erect this stele at the entrance of the God-Given City.
Redlichia looked at this towering white stone, gazing at the scenes carved upon it. There were images of God descending upon the land and sea, of God guiding them to find this blessed place—each scene was something Redlichia had personally experienced.
However, he felt that something was missing.
Perhaps…
It lacked the aura of a civilization created by an intelligent species.
Rather than an epic mythology, it seemed more like a group of savages living in the wilderness, carving incomprehensible miraculous chapters on cave walls.
"That's right."
"There's no writing yet."
Redlichia recalled the words God had spoken to him when creating the Trilobite Man race.
"A true civilization should possess its own writing system, its own art and philosophy, and the power to transform and understand the world."
Redlichia went to seek Yin Shen's guidance once more. What should the writing of God be like?
God was gazing at the Fusion Monster's spiral shell embedded in the temple wall, as if looking at a massive transparent fish tank. He watched the creatures swimming inside while slowly walking along the stone wall.
"You haven't created your own writing system yet?" Yin Shen asked.
Redlichia followed behind Yin Shen. "God!"
"You haven't taught Redlichia the divine script!"
Redlichia had learned from Yin Shen how to speak, but had never learned from him how to write.
Yin Shen shook his head. "My writing belongs to me. It is my memory and my joy."
"It doesn't belong to you, nor to the Trilobite Men."
He looked at Redlichia. "Redlichia."
"Writing is the most important thing that carries a civilization. Since you want to create a civilization belonging to the Trilobite Men, you should create a writing system unique to you."
Yin Shen didn't directly teach him his own writing system. In his view, it belonged to humans, not Trilobite Men.
Redlichia was somewhat at a loss. He didn't know where to start.
Before today, he hadn't even had a clear understanding of whether they should have a writing system.
Yin Shen tapped the Fusion Monster's spiral shell, and the transparent shell instantly became opaque, but glowing lines crisscrossed its surface.
His finger drew a circle on it, simultaneously drawing out a beam of light.
"This is the sun!"
Redlichia had a vague understanding.
Below it, Yin Shen drew a simple crescent and told Redlichia, "This is the moon!"
Redlichia understood. In his view, writing was simplified pictograms.
He drew a wavy line on the shell.
"This is water," he said.
Then he drew three wavy lines and exclaimed with excitement, "This is the sea!"
Under God's guidance and teaching, one initial character after another was created.
Looking at the strange symbols filling the spiral shell, Redlichia's eyes shone as he clenched his hands.
Writing.
Something originating from pictures, yet more powerful than pictures.
He felt that these symbols were filled with a miraculous power, capable of expressing all the mysteries and secrets of the world and passing them down for a long time.
Life and species seemed to become extraordinary by possessing writing.
Lifeforms and species without writing and those with writing were two entirely different existences.
And they…
Had taken this step.
—————-
For the Trilobite Men's writing, they didn't need to know about beasts and plants.
They only needed to know about the sun, moon, and stars.
They didn't need to know about machinery and technology; they only needed to know about wind, fire, thunder, and lightning.
The scope and angle of their understanding of the world were not broad, and there wasn't much they needed to know and understand. Therefore, creating a writing system unique to them was not too difficult.
Redlichia was skilled in carving. In his palace, he carved stone tablets recording all the characters he had created.
Then he summoned his sons and ministers and announced that they finally had a writing system.
His sons and ministers were puzzled. They didn't quite understand the significance of writing.
Redlichia demonstrated the use of writing to the world for the first time. The first thing they recorded was mythology.
On the stele erected in front of the God-Given City, there were not only pictograms but also carved characters.
God created all beings and created his firstborn, Redlichia, the King of Wisdom. He then created his servant, Shelly, the Mother of Life.
Everyone looked up at the pictograms and symbols. Some clever Trilobite Men guessed the meaning of the characters based on the reliefs.
"So this is what God is like."
For the first time, they truly felt the existence of God and understood the miracles He had performed.
With the emergence of writing, the civilization of the Trilobite Men began to develop further. They began to shed their savagery and ignorance, truly deserving the title of a civilization.
Chapter 11: Do You See?
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A large crowd gathered before the massive well connecting the God-Given City to the sea, as if attending a grand ceremony.
Watched by thousands of Trilobite Men, a short, wobbling Trilobite Man emerged from the underwater city at the bottom of the well. Step by step, he passed through the submerged stone steps and set foot on the sunlit land.
It was his first time seeing sunlight and the magnificent God-Given City.
The scorching light above made him dizzy, and the cheers of thousands excited and flustered him.
He saw a figure surrounded by countless people, a tall Trilobite Man wearing a stone crown.
The figure reached out to him from above.
"Come here!"
The young Trilobite Man approached the figure with the stone crown and knelt before him. The crowd fell silent, witnessing this moment of great miracle.
The King of Wisdom placed his hand on the young Trilobite Man's head.
"My child."
"I bestow upon you wisdom and knowledge."
"You, who inherit my bloodline, shall become part of the God-Given City from this day forward."
Every Trilobite Man in the crowd stared intently. Even though it was not their first time witnessing this, and many had personally experienced it, they couldn't ignore the wonder of this power.
It made them revere and yearn for what it meant to be the King of Wisdom, to possess mythical power.
Redlichia transferred the language, writing, and some of his knowledge into the young Trilobite Man's mind. This was his innate power as the King of Wisdom, a gift from the divine.
He not only let his direct bloodline possess knowledge and heritage this way but also quickly taught many in the God-Given City how to speak.
The young Trilobite Man opened his mouth and finally uttered words after a long pause.
"Father."
Redlichia: "I am your father, but more importantly, I am the King of Wisdom of the God-Given City and your king."
"In the presence of others, you should address me as king."
Inside the palace.
The King of Wisdom's family gathered around a long stone table with processed Ancestral Fish laid out upon it.
This large family had grown to include many members. Redlichia already had grandchildren and even great-grandchildren, but today's focus was on his youngest son.
The King of Wisdom celebrated his youngest son entering adolescence, transforming from a larval form in the sea to a humanoid shape.
Sitting to Redlichia's left, the eldest brother looked at him warmly: "Welcome to our family, my brother."
Another elder brother patted his shoulder: "In a few days, come find me at the warehouse. I'll show you some good things."
The sister across from him gazed at him tenderly: "Tomorrow, I'll take you to see the Ancestral Fish in the water."
"You haven't seen it before, right? The sunlight penetrating the water, thousands of fish passing beneath – indescribably beautiful."
As dinner concluded, night fell.
The moonlight was beautiful tonight, illuminating the entire palace with its glow.
Redlichia: "You've grown up and should have your own name now."
The King of Wisdom and Queen smiled at each other, planning to have his mother personally tell him the name she had chosen.
But before the Queen could speak, the young Trilobite Man said it himself.
"Yesael!"
"My name is Yesael? Meaning moonlight?"
Yesael indeed meant moonlight, a beautiful name.
The Trilobite language originated from Yin Shen and Redlichia's communication. To Yin Shen, although he could understand Redlichia's accent, it was still grating to the ears.
This accent and unique writing system formed a language structure that even Yin Shen couldn't quite explain.
But now was clearly not the time to dwell on literal meanings. The Queen looked at her youngest son in amazement.
"How did you know? I haven't told anyone except your father."
The young Trilobite Man simply said: "You told me! I heard your body calling my name."
Yesael also looked at his brothers, smiling.
"The warehouse is big. I must go see it tomorrow."
He then nodded to his sister across from him: "The scene of the fish swimming by is indeed beautiful. I've already seen it."
Redlichia looked at his son: "You can directly see others' consciousness and thoughts."
The whole family stared at Yesael in shock. This power belonged only to the King of Wisdom.
The young Trilobite Man clearly didn't understand the significance. He thought it was an unremarkable ability that others should also possess.
But he didn't know that this mythical power had only been inherited by him from the King of Wisdom.
Redlichia sat at the head of the stone table, looking at his youngest son, joy flashing in his eyes.
"Yesael."
"You are good."
"Very good!"
"Hahahahaha!"
"Truly very good!"
Redlichia rarely displayed such strong emotions in front of other Trilobite Men, even his own family.
But today, he was genuinely happy beyond measure.
All along, he had been the only one among the Trilobite Men to possess mythical power. He received divine revelation from Yinsai and aspired to build a great civilization.
But no one could understand him, truly walk alongside him, or inherit his power and ideals.
He was the King of Wisdom, king of the Trilobite Men, with thousands of kinsmen.
Yet he felt the same loneliness as a god.
Now, it was different. He seemed to see someone who could inherit his will and aspirations.
————–
Yesael followed his father up the seemingly endless stairs, crossing the pyramid-like peak, heading toward the temple at the highest point.
This path up the steps filled him with a sacred emotion.
Since Redlichia had brought his eldest son here only to return disappointed, he had never brought anyone else up.
Even his sons, those without mythical power, were unworthy of coming to meet the divine.
In Redlichia's view, those lacking the power to see God and receive divine revelation would only profane the divine will and defile the sacred temple.
Before the temple, the tall and short Trilobite Men knelt.
The King of Wisdom Redlichia looked at Yesael with excitement and boundless anticipation.
"Yesael!"
"Do you see?"
Yesael knelt and looked into the temple, carefully raising his head, letting his gaze extend along the floor into the depths.
He saw the spiral shell emanating mythical light, the supreme instrument for creating life.
Beneath the altar sat a girl, the Fusion Monster Shelly, surging with terrifying power.
The instant he saw the girl, a mountainous beast appeared before his eyes. Countless hands and hundreds of horrifying eyes stared at him, making him feel as if he had fallen into an abyss.
Finally.
He saw God.
The divine being who transcended the ages and controlled the laws of time radiated a starry brilliance. The light engulfed him, and everything in his sight turned a blazing white.
Yesael's gaze went blank, his consciousness erased.
Like his father, he cried out the same words uttered upon first seeing God.
"God!"
Chapter 12: Mythical Blood
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A ethereal and desolate voice emanated from within the temple, devoid of emotion, like time itself.
"Come in!"
Yesael stepped into the great hall with trepidation. He felt his body trembling, both from fear of the powerful mythical being and the pressure from the source of his own power.
He looked at the brown-haired, green-eyed girl in terror, only to find that she paid him no attention. Her green eyes remained fixed on the sky outside the temple, like a mighty mantis shrimp in the ocean disregarding the trilobites beneath its feet.
He gazed at the divine being on the altar with reverence, lowering his head after a single glance.
The light was too dazzling to behold directly.
"Redlichia."
"Is this also your son?"
Redlichia knelt before the altar. Even Yin Shen could sense his pride and joy.
"Yes, God."
"He has inherited my bloodline and mythical power, possessing the glory to see God and receive divine revelation."
"Great Yinsai! Redlichia has finally found my successor!"
"He will surely inherit my power and lead the God-Given City to a greater and more distant future."
"He will also inherit my will, serving and guarding the divine."
Yesael had witnessed the loftiness of his father, the King of Wisdom. He had seen all the Trilobite Men eagerly and reverently surrounding his father, each proclaiming the King of Wisdom's greatness.
Now, he also saw the humility of his wise king.
At the feet of God.
Yin Shen looked at Yesael, sensing that this young Trilobite Man was different.
Unlike Redlichia and Shelly, who were mythical beings directly born from him, Yesael was a life that had developed mythical power after birth.
"What is your name?"
God asked him.
Yesael remained silent for a long time until he realized that God was asking him.
He answered in a fluster, his mind so blank that he didn't even know what he was saying.
"Yesael!"
"Great God, great Yinsai."
"My name is Yesael, son of Redlichia, the King of Wisdom."
Yin Shen beckoned him to approach and placed a finger on his forehead.
He could touch him, indicating that he had gained another anchor point in this world.
"Interesting. So mythical power can be inherited."
"But!"
"Why is that?"
The moment Yin Shen touched him, every scene of Yesael's birth, growth, and transformation into human form flooded into his consciousness. He instantly knew everything about Yesael.
At the beginning of his life, he was just an egg.
But this egg was clearly different from other Trilobite Men. It contained an inherited power, possessing the mythical might that made Redlichia transcend the mundane.
Yin Shen watched as it gradually awaited the birth of life in the warm seawater until it hatched from the underwater city.
From that moment on, he possessed a power completely different from ordinary life. Yin Shen observed Yesael slowly growing up, finally emerging from the underwater city along the massive well, arriving under the sun to receive the infusion of wisdom and knowledge.
Yesael didn't have Redlichia's power as the ancestral king to control all Trilobite Men, nor could he pass on his knowledge as heritage. However, he possessed Redlichia's ability to read minds, able to see what other Trilobite Men were thinking.
He had only inherited the weakest part of Redlichia's power.
But even so, it was still the power of a mythical being.
Yin Shen discovered an anomaly in Yesael's birth, further proving something he had always speculated but couldn't confirm.
Although mythical power originated from him, it wasn't entirely like his own form that transcended the universe and matter, existing in the interstices of time and space, elusive and intangible.
Instead, it was a substance that actually existed and could be observed.
"Mythical substance?"
"So this is the secret of anchor points, and it's hidden within the body."
"Mythical power also stems from this. It can be replicated and inherited."
A smile bloomed on Yin Shen's face, a rare sight since he had arrived in this primeval era billions of years ago.
He finally understood the difference between Redlichia and Shelly as mythical beings, why they could see him while other Trilobite Men couldn't.
Those cells irradiated and mutated by him were the source of their power and the reason for the birth of anchor points.
Such scarce mythical substance, completely negligible when incorporated into the entire body, was why Yin Shen had previously struggled to find the source of mythical power in Redlichia and Shelly.
Searching without a target was like finding a needle in the ocean.
But after seeing the key from Yesael, it was entirely different.
Knowing how mythical power was born and that this power was hidden within the bloodline, he naturally had a way to extract and manufacture it.
Yin Shen withdrew his finger, lost in thought.
Yesael also awakened from his blankness.
"Huff, huff~"
He kept panting. When the divine being had placed a finger on his forehead, he had seemed to directly gaze upon the concept of time itself.
He saw exploding and destructing stars, saw years reversing and flowing backward, and saw the horror of being imprisoned by years and time.
It was an ineffable deadness and despair, a bone-chilling terror he dared not recall.
Yin Shen glanced at Yesael: "His power is too weak. He can't stay in the temple for long."
After letting Yesael meet the divine being, Redlichia had him wait outside the temple.
Yesael also felt relieved.
His mythical power wasn't as strong as his father's. Even the mythical monster Fusion Monster beside him had already made him feel so pressured that he couldn't breathe.
Only Yin Shen and Redlichia remained inside the temple.
Yin Shen looked at Redlichia and asked: "Why are you in such a hurry to find a successor for yourself?"
Redlichia raised his hand. His once lustrous exoskeleton began to turn rough.
Like rock.
For Trilobite Men, this was a sign of aging.
Although he was still strong, he wasn't immortal after all. He could feel himself slowly slipping from the peak of life, reaching a turning point.
"God!"
"I will grow old and eventually vanish!"
"There are things I can accomplish, but there are also things I can no longer do and can only leave to the next generation."
Yin Shen suddenly understood. He felt that in the blink of an eye, the Trilobite Men had already grown for several generations. Life was so fragile in the face of time.
"I plan to have Yesael inherit the position of King of Wisdom in the future, letting him replace me to do what I can't."
Yin Shen looked at Redlichia without speaking for a long time.
Finally, he spoke.
"Do as you see fit!"
Chapter 13: The Fusion Monster Race
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Yin Shen didn't care who became the next King of Wisdom. He only paid attention to the Trilobite Men because of Redlichia himself, simply because Redlichia was their king.
On the altar, he seemed to have truly turned into a stone statue, lost in thought.
A pause in consciousness, a dazed nap.
Outside the temple, the sun rose and set several times. Time and years no longer held any power over him, like a gentle breeze slipping through his fingers.
Once, he had thought a hundred years was an extremely long time, but now he felt it was merely the blink of an eye.
He had lost his sensitivity to time and finally truly realized that he was no longer a short-lived creature with a lifespan of less than a century.
He was a being who could trace the flow of time and transcend the river of years.
"So I haven't been human for a long time."
"What exactly am I?"
There was no answer.
He looked at the Fusion Monster Shelly sitting beside him. Even after so long, Shelly remained exactly the same as before.
Yin Shen could sense that she wouldn't age, or rather, the length of time needed for her to experience the feeling of aging was beyond imagination.
He placed his hand on Shelly's face, lifting her chin.
Yin Shen gazed into her green eyes.
"Why don't you age?"
Shelly wouldn't respond to him. He could only ask and answer himself.
"Is it because your power is life?"
"Or is it because the location of your mythical blood is different, or perhaps it stems from another reason?"
Since mythical blood could give him an additional anchor point, it could create even more anchor points.
He even wondered.
If a few mythical cells could grant someone extraordinary power, and a few drops of mythical blood could turn someone into a mythical being.
If there was enough of this mythical substance, could he create a body capable of containing himself, allowing him to descend into this world once more?
With a direction in mind, Yin Shen conducted further experiments inside the temple using the power of the Fusion Monster's spiral shell.
This time, instead of creating ordinary life, he manufactured mythical beings with extraordinary power.
The mythical spiral shell was filled with warm seawater, like a giant womb nurturing life after life. Yin Shen removed the grotesque creatures he had previously created, allowing new life to begin gestating within.
Failure was the norm; success was one in a million.
But as he created new life, he also discovered some secrets of mythical blood.
The power and abilities of Redlichia and Shelly's mythical blood were vastly different, but there were also some similarities.
Mythical blood couldn't be destroyed. It was a nearly eternal substance, like Yin Shen himself.
Apart from being inherited by the next generation, even after death, it would remain in the corpse. As the corpse decayed and decomposed, it would scatter into the earth, sea, and air.
The power and abilities of Redlichia and Shelly could be inherited through bloodline, and mythical blood would divide and expand with the successful birth of life. However, this division only occurred in small amounts at the beginning of life. Once life was born, it would stop and stabilize.
But so far, he hadn't successfully created a life that inherited mythical power. The difficulty of naturally giving birth to such a being was presumably even higher.
Finally, one day.
Yin Shen completed his experiment.
Through the transparent, glowing spiral shell, several hard, brown, stone-like spheres could be seen floating in the water.
Shelly stood beside him, bending down to stare into the spiral shell.
"Gurgle gurgle!"
She seemed to be able to see that the power of these brown embryos originated from her. With a single thought, she could control them.
She was their ancestor.
The Fusion Monster Queen.
Yin Shen stood in front, carefully observing these mythical lives about to be born.
"Success?"
He shook his head again: "Only half successful."
He had created new Fusion Monsters, but he couldn't make the new Fusion Monsters inherit the full power of Shelly, the source of their power. They only obtained a small, weak portion of Shelly's ability called fusion, but not the power to create life.
The new Fusion Monsters could fuse and steal the organs and talents of other lives, possessing nearly indestructible power. It was very difficult to kill them.
But they didn't seem to have what could be called immortality.
Because every few hundred years, they would undergo a cycle of reincarnation.
Erasing all ordinary cells, leaving only mythical cells, they would molt and revert to an embryonic state, then grow once more.
First, they died, then were reborn.
But after growing again, they were completely different Fusion Monsters, with almost no connection to their previous selves.
Only the Fusion Monster Queen beside him possessed truly immortal power and authority, just like Redlichia's power as the King of Wisdom. Within this mythical bloodline and authority, such power could only exist uniquely.
Yin Shen raised his hand, and these embryos left the spiral shell, flying out of the temple.
"Swoosh~"
Objects rubbing against the air produced a piercing sound.
The stones tore through the wind and plunged into the sea.
Hatching, birth, growth.
Everything happened in an instant.
One by one, horrifying giant beasts resembling worms emerged from the ocean, roaring at the sun in the sky.
After the Trilobite Men had their own race, the Fusion Monsters also became a race.
———-
On the shore.
A white female Trilobite Man flipped in the water like a fish, turning her head to look at the shore: "Yesael! Jump in quickly!"
"Sister!"
"I'm coming!"
Yesael stood on a huge rock, cheering as he leaped into the swamp.
His sister led him deep underwater, chasing after a school of fish.
When they surfaced, they had each caught an Ancestral Fish.
"Look!"
"It's so big!"
Yesael was thrilled to have caught such a large fish, but he was even happier that his sister had taken him fishing.
His sister told him: "There are even bigger ones in the sea. Father once caught something in the ocean larger than this rock, with pincers longer than you."
"According to God," she continued, "it's called a mantis shrimp."
Yesael's eyes gleamed with yearning. He longed for the unexplored and unreached depths of the vast ocean.
The sea was so mysterious and dangerous, yet incredibly alluring.
He wanted to see the distance, to conquer the deep sea that all Trilobite Men feared.
At the endless horizon of the sea, was there land a thousand or ten thousand times larger than the God-Given Land?
The midday sun was dazzlingly bright.
From the corner of his eye, several blurry black shadows flashed beneath the sun, plunging into the sea.
It immediately caught the attention of many Trilobite Men on the shore, including Yesael and his sister.
"What was that?"
"Boom!" A giant object burst through the surface of the sea, causing the water to explode.
The terrifying monster roared on the surface of the sea, its horrifying appearance and immense power etched into Yesael's eyes.
While other Trilobite Men were anxiously crying out and fleeing from the shore, Yesael stared unblinkingly at the monster.
A thought crossed his mind: if he possessed such tremendous power, he could surely conquer the sea.
He could go to the end of the ocean and search for the legendary continent!
Chapter 14: The Priest of God
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Outside the God-Given City, more and more Trilobite Men gathered.
Everyone trembled as they watched the giant beasts in the ocean. The gaping maws of those monsters seemed poised to devour the sun in the sky.
Some even collapsed to the ground, their legs weakening from fright. They retreated by crawling on the sand, fleeing to the back of the crowd.
"What are these?"
"How can there be such enormous monsters?"
"What do these monsters want? They won't crawl ashore, will they?"
The King of Wisdom, Redlichia, also arrived at the shore, surrounded by his people. He became the backbone of the crowd.
As soon as he saw those terrifying giant creatures roaring at the sky, he immediately looked back at the highest point of the pyramid temple.
He knew these monsters must be mythical lives created by Yinsai. Although their forms were somewhat different, he recognized at a glance that these monsters possessed the power of the Fusion Monster Shelly.
The King of Wisdom raised his hand high, drawing the attention of all.
The people looked at this strong Trilobite Man wearing a crown. His every move could influence all Trilobite Men.
"Do not fear!"
"These monsters are God's servants."
As soon as Redlichia spoke, his voice resonated in everyone's minds. A strange power instantly quieted the restless and panicked crowd.
Hearing that these monsters were divine servants, they were no longer afraid. They looked at these Fusion Monsters from afar, marveling at the divine power.
Redlichia had his sons reassure all the subjects and forbid them from approaching those giant beasts.
Meanwhile, Redlichia hurriedly ran to the top of the pyramid temple and saw the divine being admiring his handiwork in front of the temple.
Yin Shen lowered his head, watching Redlichia ascend step by step.
Until he stopped and knelt before him.
"How is it?"
"Do you like it?"
Redlichia was stunned for a moment, not understanding the meaning of God's words.
Yin Shen continued, "This is the gift I bestow upon you!"
"With them, neither the deep sea nor land can obstruct your path."
"You want to establish a great civilization, don't you? Being trapped on this island can hardly be considered great."
Redlichia stared at God blankly. He hadn't expected God to bestow such a gift upon him.
God asked him, "You don't like it?"
Redlichia shook his head, tears streaming down his face.
"God!"
"Your firstborn will never forget this day."
But after considering for a moment, he added, "God!"
"May I give this opportunity to my son?"
Yin Shen's voice carried no emotion, "Only those with the power of wisdom can communicate with and control these Fusion Monsters. Mortals cannot command these mythical species."
Redlichia quickly said, "My son Yesael surely can. He has inherited my bloodline and talent."
The love Redlichia had for his son was evident.
"Bring him to see me tomorrow. I will bestow upon him the brand to command the Fusion Monsters."
Yin Shen had no objections. He granted these Fusion Monsters not only to help Redlichia fulfill his ideals but also to have the Trilobite Men raise these Fusion Monsters for him.
In the repeated cycles of death and rebirth, the transformation between embryos and life.
These Fusion Monsters would accumulate more and more mythical substance. One day, enough mythical substance would be born from them.
If not for the fact that creating Fusion Monsters required extracting and consuming Shelly's mythical blood, Yin Shen would have wanted to create a few more to achieve this goal sooner.
Yesael was still watching the spectacle of those monsters by the sea when he was called back to the palace of the King of Wisdom.
He saw the irrepressible joy in the eyes of his majestic father. Upon seeing him, his father couldn't wait to descend from the throne and place his hand on Yesael's shoulder.
His father looked at him with anticipation, a gaze that made him feel both burdened and joyful.
"Yesael!"
"Are you ready?"
"From tomorrow onward, you will become the priest of God!"
It was the first time Yesael heard this term. He looked puzzled.
"Priest?"
"What is that?"
Redlichia: "One who serves and attends to the divine, the agent of God on earth, the promulgator of the divine will."
"You will receive God's permission to select a Fusion Monster as your companion, becoming an extension of God's will in this world."
Yesael's eyes lit up upon hearing about the existence called Fusion Monsters.
"I am willing."
—————–
Yesael was too excited to sleep that night. He walked out of the palace and strolled along the high walls in exhilaration.
Under the moonlight, the entire God-Given City came into view. He gazed at the boundless horizon of the sea.
Clenching his fists.
"The sea and the land."
"I will conquer you."
He stood in front of the palace, looking at the ocean until dawn. Under his father's guidance, he ascended the temple.
This was his second time meeting God.
Like before, he didn't dare to look directly at that towering existence that transcended time and years. He humbly lowered his head below the altar, just as his father did.
The divine voice descended from above, asking him, "If you possess a Fusion Monster, what do you want to do?"
Yesael's excitement from yesterday, when he learned the news, had not dissipated. He kept his head lowered, displaying a pious attitude while speaking in a powerful and passionate tone.
"Great Yinsai!"
"If I may be granted the power of divine servants, I wish to explore the ocean on behalf of my father."
"I not only want to establish a new city in the depths of the sea, making it a new God-Given City, extending the glory of Yinsai into the ocean."
"I also want to find the legendary land at the end of the sea, letting the subjects of the God-Given City open up a new paradise there."
"As my wise father has said, we are the firstborn of God, the chosen rulers of land and sea."
"We will surely conquer the sea and eventually rule the land."
Yesael spoke with fervor, trembling uncontrollably. He felt his blood boiling.
He was different from Redlichia. Redlichia was conservative and humble at his core, while Yesael was full of adventure and impulse.
Redlichia listened to his son's words, his eyes brimming with pride.
"Yesael!"
"Do not disappoint your father's expectations."
The divine being placed a finger on Yesael's forehead. Light overflowed from the fingertip, forming an eye symbol on Yesael's forehead.
"From this day forward."
"It is yours."
Another voice echoed in Yesael's mind, a chaotic and frenzied consciousness connecting with him.
He sensed that on the other side of the ocean, a Fusion Monster's fate was now linked with his own.
In the Trilobite mythical text "Hymn of the King of Wisdom," it is recorded.
On this day, God established the second King of Wisdom, the inheritor of his will.
Yesael, the great son of Redlichia, became the first priest of the God-Given City, the spokesman of the divine.
The divine servant known as the priest appeared in this world.
They could control and nurture Fusion Monsters, these mythical species, allowing them to fuse with different species and possess various abilities.
Each of them possessed mythical power and the eyes to see through the hearts of others.
Chapter 15: Setting Out to Sea
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The waves eroded the beach, foaming white as they crashed.
Yesael dove into the ocean and climbed onto a reef, surveying his surroundings.
"Hey!"
"Come out!"
From the tranquil sea, a giant beast tore through the surface. It aimed its maw, full of sharp fangs, at Yesael. That mouth could easily swallow not only Yesael but also grind the reef to dust.
But Yesael showed no fear. He could sense the feelings of the monster before him, their minds connected.
Although its appearance was fierce, it was as simple as a newborn life.
Like a blank slate.
Yesael reached out and touched its wrinkled, rock-like brown skin. "What's your name?"
"I'm Yesael."
"It means moonlight, the glow cast by the moon when night falls. It's my mother's favorite sight."
"She named me after the most beautiful scene in the world, hoping I would become a person who illuminates like the gentle moonlight, not as fierce and unbearable as the sun."
The Fusion Monster remained still, staring blankly at this Trilobite Man who was dancing with joy.
"You don't have a name?"
"Then I'll give you one!"
Yesael named his companion.
"Nini!"
"Haha! Your name is Nini!"
"Let's go into the sea together. You're so big and powerful, nothing in the ocean can stop you."
In the Cambrian sea, Fusion Monsters stood at the pinnacle.
Not to mention resistance, no life dared to look directly at it. Its colossal size alone represented invincibility. More importantly, it would never lose its way.
The temple of Yinsai and the location of Shelly, the Mother of Life, were always its coordinates.
No matter where it went, it could always find the way home.
Yesael had also heard from his father that Shelly, the Mother of Life, had easily built the miraculous pyramid and temple in just a few days. He hoped his Nini could inherit that part of Shelly's power, allowing him to construct a city surpassing the God-Given City.
Yesael knelt on Nini's head, his hands tightly grasping the folds of its brown skin. The Fusion Monster easily tore through the sea, galloping across the ocean like a gale.
He opened his eyes wide, feeling as if the entire ocean was under his command.
The shadow gradually disappeared above the horizon.
In the blink of an eye, several years passed.
With a loud roar and howl.
The Fusion Monster returned from the deep sea, dragging an unknown dark rock from the seabed onto the land.
The Fusion Monster called Nini had completely changed its appearance. From its original height of over ten meters, it had grown to a size of over twenty meters.
It had become a spiny-skinned creature resembling a sea urchin, covered in terrifying spikes. However, it could also transform these spikes into tentacles hundreds of meters long or various other biological organs. Some of its spikes had already turned into tentacles, dragging the giant rock it had found at the bottom of the sea.
Upon reaching the shore, the tentacles transformed into sharp metal chisels. Seven or eight spikes also turned into tentacles, with an eye growing at the tip of each tentacle, observing from various angles.
Dozens, nearly a hundred sharp chisels moved in a blur, constantly carving a humanoid outline from the giant rock. At a glance, it appeared to be a Trilobite Man wearing a crown.
This was the gift Yesael had prepared for his father, the King of Wisdom. He had spent a great deal of effort searching the deep sea for this rock, which was the same color as the King of Wisdom's exoskeleton, and carved it into a statue of the King of Wisdom.
The next day was Redlichia's birthday.
Yesael pushed the statue to the stone square in front of the Wisdom Palace, attracting the entire God-Given City to come and watch.
Seeing the statue towering over ten meters high, everyone cheered.
"Such a large statue was moved so easily."
"Prince Yesael is the priest of God, possessing the power bestowed by the divine."
"It's truly formidable."
"I heard Prince Yesael is coming of age and preparing to accept followers. I must go."
The King of Wisdom also walked out of the palace, surrounded by the crowd, and looked at the statue.
Yesael immediately strode forward and knelt before the King of Wisdom.
"Great King of Wisdom!"
"Your son Yesael presents this gift to you. May your majestic image forever stand tall in the God-Given City, like the stars in the sky, never fading."
Redlichia looked at his now fully grown son with satisfaction and patted his shoulder.
"Very good!"
"But I would prefer you place the statue at the base of the temple rather than here."
Yesael followed his father's command and had the Fusion Monster Nini move the statue to the base of the pyramid.
The originally majestic statue became small in comparison to the pyramid, looking like a guard watching over the stairs leading to the supreme temple.
Redlichia looked at this scene with satisfaction, then gazed at his son sternly.
"Yesael!"
"Never forget humility before God."
Yesael nodded. "Yinsai is always our master. Yesael will never forget."
Redlichia's gaze gradually softened. His eyes passed the edge of the pyramid and looked towards the sea.
"Yesael!"
"Haven't you always wanted to go to the deep sea?"
Yesael was startled at first, then his face showed ecstatic joy.
"You're allowing me to leave the God-Given City?"
Redlichia took Yesael's hand and came to the center of the street, ascending a high stone platform.
He announced to the public, "My son Yesael will represent me, leading those willing to venture into the deep sea and his followers."
"They will open up a new home and establish another city under God's blessing."
The God-Given City was overcrowded. Even with the God-Given Law of raising Ancestral Fish, it was gradually becoming saturated. To continue developing, they had to go elsewhere to establish new cities and homes.
Redlichia had long intended to open up a new underwater city in the deep sea. Many in the God-Given City knew of this news.
The person sent to open up this underwater city would become the master of this city, and the city would be named after him.
The mature Fusion Monster and Prince Yesael, who could skillfully control and command the power of Fusion Monsters, became the best candidates in Redlichia's eyes.
"Yesael!"
"Are you willing?"
Although Yesael had long anticipated this, he never thought he would truly be chosen.
In his view, his elder brothers far surpassed him in both prestige and experience. It was more likely for his father to choose them to venture into the deep sea and open up a new home.
He suppressed the wild joy rising to his face and knelt, forcefully knocking his head against the stone slab.
"I am willing."
"Under the watchful eye of God, Yesael will conquer the sea and open up a new blessed land."
Chapter 16: The Bestowing of Power
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The young Yesael was full of charisma. His heroic adventurous spirit and passion overflowed from his words without reservation, allowing everyone to feel it.
With a wave of his arm, a thousand people followed, making everyone's blood boil with excitement.
"Follow me!"
"Together, we will conquer the sea and become the masters of the ocean."
"We will establish a new city rivaling the God-Given City, a new paradise where we can freely pursue our ambitions and ideals."
"Under the watchful eye of God, we will forge the future!"
Crowds of young people cheered loudly, surrounding Prince Yesael as they headed to his residence.
These young people with a spirit of adventure and pioneering hoped to become Yesael's followers, accompanying him to the deep sea to open up a new home, conquer the ocean, gain power, and achieve far greater accomplishments than their forefathers.
At the same time, a person rushed to the palace of the King of Wisdom. Disregarding the obstruction of the guards at the palace entrance, he came before Redlichia.
He was Redlichia's eldest son, the one Redlichia had once excitedly held before God, declaring he had an heir.
He stood below the throne, looking at the tall male Trilobite Man standing with his back to him beside the throne, and furiously roared at him in hysteria.
"Father."
"Why is it Yesael? Why is it always him?"
"He became the priest, he possesses the Fusion Monster, and now he's even the one to venture out and establish a new city."
He clenched his teeth tightly, his pupils constricting and trembling violently.
"Father!"
"Do you know how long I have prepared to go to the deep sea and establish a new city?"
"Do you know I've been waiting for you to tell me that I'm the one you've chosen?"
"Do you know?"
"Ah!"
"Father!"
Redlichia slowly turned around. Unlike his anxious and angry eldest son, he appeared majestic and calm.
His gaze first fell upon his eldest son for a while before he slowly spoke.
"Silence!"
"I am first your king, and then your father."
"Is this how you speak to your king?"
This time, his eldest son was completely different from before. Upon hearing Redlichia telling him to be silent, it seemed to touch the most painful scar in his heart.
In an instant, he let out a somewhat unpleasant laugh, a laugh that seemed to be mocking himself.
"Silence?"
"Silence, silence, silence!"
"Can't you call my name? You're not like this when you face Yesael."
"My great King of Wisdom."
"I have a name, a name you gave me."
"My name is Ense!"
Ense actually meant grace.
To Redlichia, his eldest son was a gift bestowed upon him by the divine. Ense's birth was the most joyous event for Redlichia at that time.
Back then, Redlichia had high expectations for his eldest son, believing he would be his future successor, the companion of his will and ideals.
However.
The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.
Redlichia's eldest son looked up at his father: "Since my birth, you have never called my name. But ever since Yesael was born, you shower him with affection, constantly calling out 'Yesael, Yesael' in such a loving tone."
"I am also your son, your eldest son."
"Father! How biased and favoring are you and God? You've given everything to Yesael."
"You gave Yesael power, you gave him alone the authority and grace God bestowed upon you, and you even gave him the Fusion Monster gifted to you by God."
"Why can't we have these? Why can't I?"
When Redlichia heard his son mention God, his gaze instantly changed from calm to extremely sharp, falling upon Ense like a knife.
"Oh?"
"Are you questioning me, or are you questioning God?"
Ense shook his head: "I wouldn't dare."
He wouldn't dare, but that didn't mean he didn't think that way.
The air fell silent. Redlichia stared intently at his son Ense, and Ense also stood stubbornly in place without moving.
Faced with Ense's offense, Redlichia ultimately forgave him.
Maintaining his majesty as a king, he spoke to Ense in a condescending tone.
"I haven't been biased towards Yesael. I will give you all the same opportunity."
Ense looked at his father, his eyes full of distrust.
But in the end, he said nothing more and simply turned to leave.
————-
Redlichia had a fierce argument with his eldest son. His son's words made him both disappointed and heartbroken.
This prompted him to start his plan ahead of schedule.
Eldest son Ense's words also made him wonder if he had been too biased towards Yesael, not even giving his other sons a chance.
"It's about time to begin!"
Redlichia once again ascended to the temple. This time, he was no longer seeking God's guidance.
"God!"
"I beg for Your help to give my mythical blood to some of my children."
He requested Yin Shen to bestow his power upon his children, allowing them to also become priests of God with mythical power.
Although Redlichia verbally expressed looking down on his other children, he still cared for them in his heart and wanted them to become better.
The divine being on the altar looked at Redlichia, this King of Wisdom who had become less confident as he gradually aged.
"Redlichia."
"The chasm of desire will not be satisfied just because you give enough, and the mountain of resentment will not disappear just because you bestow grace."
Redlichia seemed to not understand the divine being's proverb and foreshadowing. He raised his head and looked at God with a smile.
"I believe in my children. They will surely become God's most faithful servants."
"They will become the talents who open up new God-given lands and lead the Trilobite Men to become the masters of the ocean and land."
Yin Shen let out a light laugh and didn't continue speaking.
"Your power is also constant. After separating a portion of your power, this part of your power will weaken and may even disappear."
"You must be prepared."
"Especially the power of the King of Wisdom. It is the supreme authority and unique divine right on your path. Once you let go, you won't be able to take it back."
Redlichia knelt on the ground: "Thank you, God, for allowing Redlichia's willfulness. I will bring my children to the temple tomorrow."
Yin Shen shook his head. He didn't want to see these people.
"No need!"
"This is your power and authority. You decide who to give it to."
God placed his hand on Redlichia's head, instantly seeing everything deep within Redlichia's consciousness.
All his memories, all the scenes of his life, the knowledge in his mind, and everything was fully revealed before Yin Shen. Yin Shen directly imparted the knowledge and methods he wanted to instill into Redlichia's consciousness.
Yin Shen, who could create the race of Fusion Monsters, naturally had a way to separate and transfer mythical blood.
But this method had little significance for Yin Shen.
Mythical blood could become more abundant through the nurturing of life. This was what Yin Shen needed.
This transfer merely divided three portions into three single portions, still remaining as three portions without any change.
White light burst from the eyes of the King of Wisdom: "Bestowing of Power!"
Redlichia obtained the divine technique God had taught him, the first divine technique in the world.
It was also the supreme secret art of the Trilobite royal family in the future.