In the dark seawater, Lilith's massive silver-white form moved like a drifting phantom, swiftly traversing the three known habitats of the Scaly-foot Snail.
First area, cleared.
Second area, cleared.
Third area, not a drop left.
The Scaly-foot Snails hidden in rock crevices and near hydrothermal vents were plucked out one by one with her claws and sucked into her mouth.
However, as the last snail was devoured, Lilith stopped moving, closed her eyes, and sensed the progress of the gene fragments within her body—
[Scaly-foot Snail Gene Fragments: 92%]
She opened her eyes, a faint, almost imperceptible flicker of regret passing through her four crimson vertical pupils.
92%.
Just 8% short.
But the population of these creatures was far too scarce.
The three sea areas she had explored were currently the only known habitats of the Scaly-foot Snail. Devouring them all had only pushed the progress to 92%.
"It seems I can only wait until I enter a dungeon and return to these seas to check again."
Lilith calculated silently in her mind.
Most dungeons in the Main God Game were constructed based on the blueprint of Blue Star.
The same geographical locations should logically host the same creatures.
As long as she found the habitats of the Scaly-foot Snail, she could complete the final 8%.
She raised her head, her gaze once again turning toward the distant, still-churning hydrothermal vent crater and the deeper, pitch-black abyss beyond.
There seemed to be something there.
Ever since a moment ago, a primal instinctual sense had been telling her.
In the darkness of this deep sea, something was watching her.
Not hostility.
Not killing intent.
Just the presence of another living being.
As if some equally massive creature was lurking in the deeper darkness, quietly observing this uninvited guest who had intruded upon its territory.
Lilith's four crimson eyes glinted with a cold red light.
"Interesting."
She did not seek out that gaze.
Not out of fear, but because she disliked this deep sea.
Too dark.
That all-consuming darkness felt suffocating.
Even with her thermal sensing and Ultrasonic Detection, allowing her to perceive her surroundings clearly, she still disliked this feeling.
Once, when she was just a weak Vampire Bat, she had loved the darkness.
Darkness meant safety, concealment; it meant creatures stronger than her couldn't find her.
But now.
It was no longer needed.
She didn't need to hide in the darkness to eke out a survival. She didn't need to rely on darkness to protect herself.
She was the darkness itself.
She was the predator, the Hunter!
She should stand in the sunlight, in a place visible to all, making every living being bow before her absolute power.
Not huddle in this pitch-black deep sea, playing hide-and-seek with unknown creatures.
Lilith turned and swam toward the Alien Queen.
Her massive silver-white form carved a smooth arc through the dark water, trailing a long stream of bubbles behind.
The Alien Queen followed closely, its dark golden vertical pupils scanning the surrounding darkness, yet its ferocious face showed no trace of fear.
Its master's will was its will.
Where its master went, it would go.
Where its master was, was safe.
...
Two hundred meters below the sea surface.
This was the depth Lilith had chosen.
Light penetrated the water from above, creating a perfect shade of deep blue here.
Not too bright, not too dark.
Schools of fish swam past; occasionally, larger marine life would glance from afar at the two massive figures before fleeing in panic.
Lilith liked this depth.
She looked up, through the water above, faintly able to see the dancing spots of sunlight on the sea's surface.
This was the environment she desired.
The Alien Queen hovered silently behind her, its massive body blending with the surrounding deep blue. Only its pair of dark golden vertical pupils continuously scanned the schools of fish swimming nearby.
Lilith withdrew her gaze and began planning her next steps in her mind.
If the Scaly-foot Snail couldn't be completed for now, she would focus on securing other genes first.
With a thought, she connected with William, far away at Apocalypse Base.
[Leader?]
William's message came quickly, carrying a hint of surprise.
[What do you need?]
[Coordinates for Blue Whales.]
[Send me the currently known gathering areas for Blue Whales.]
[Understood.]
In less than a minute, a series of coordinates and route maps were transmitted over.
Lilith glanced at them and gave a slight nod.
Blue Whales, the largest creatures on Earth.
An adult Blue Whale could reach thirty meters in length and weigh over a hundred tons.
Their genes held precious information about "gigantification."
And she already possessed the complete genes of the Megalodon and the Mosasaurus.
The Megalodon, the prehistoric ruler of the seas, far surpassed the size of the modern Great White Shark.
The Mosasaurus, the top predator of the late Cretaceous seas, could reach over twenty meters in length.
If she could obtain the Blue Whale's genes as well...
A flicker of intense light passed through Lilith's four vertical pupils.
By then, in her future evolution, her size would be at least twice what it was now, perhaps even more.
Her second form might even directly break through to a hundred meters in size.
That would be a truly sky-obscuring existence.
All those so-called giant beasts would become dwarves before her.
As for those rare, hard-to-find genes...
Lilith shook her head slightly.
Too troublesome.
To collect those scattered, rare genes, she would have to travel all over the world. Even having her subordinates collect them would require immense time and effort.
During that period, her strength would enter a phase of slow growth.
By then, she would likely be overtaken by other Hunters.
That was not what she wanted.
In this world, maintaining a consistent lead in strength was the true path to dominance.
She could wait.
Wait until she collected enough common genes, pushing her size and foundational strength to their peak, before slowly gathering those rare, special abilities.
By then, she would have plenty of time.
Lilith looked at the coordinates William had sent and made her decision.
"The Scaly-foot Snail is 8% short; I'll complete it during the next dungeon."
She murmured to herself, her voice echoing in the deep sea.
"This time, I'll secure the Blue Whale first."
She estimated the time.
At her and the Alien Queen's Speed, reaching the nearest Blue Whale gathering area would only take a few hours.
Then, hunt dozens, even hundreds of Blue Whales, obtain enough gene fragments, and return to Tianqi.
When the next dungeon opened, she could complete the Scaly-foot Snail gene and proceed with her fourth Mutation and second evolution.
By then, her strength would undergo a qualitative leap.
"I hope the enhancement from the Scaly-foot Snail meets my expectations by then."
Without further hesitation, her massive body abruptly accelerated, speeding toward the coordinate direction!
Behind her, the Alien Queen followed closely, its dark golden vertical pupils gleaming with the same light.
Two rulers of the deep sea, one after the other, tore through the deep blue water, vanishing into the darkness ahead.
And in that deeper darkness, the gaze that had been watching had, at some unknown time, quietly disappeared.
As if it had never existed.