Chapter 116: Chapter 110: Tree Womb and Companion Beast
After the fusion was successful, a powerful energy surged back from the Ancient Worm Tree, completely dispersing the fatigue in Su Han's body, and his physique was rapidly strengthening.
At that moment, the flow of energy in his body, the changes in muscle tissue... numerous rules suddenly flooded into his mind, and instinctively, Su Han perceived the metamorphosis of self-healing.
[Perception successful, skill 'Self-Healing·Intermediate' synchronized]
With double happiness, the originally primary self-healing skill took a step further, making his physique even more formidable and his vitality even stronger.
The Ancient Worm Tree became even larger, its stature elongating, and its branches thickening, having reached a height of forty meters, towering next to high-rise buildings like a giant creature.
Though it hadn't advanced yet, it undeniably approached the limits of Second-order Superior, its aura growing even more formidable.
However, compared to the changes in its size, Su Han's gaze focused on the canopy of the Ancient Worm Tree, on a greenish-transparent Tree Womb, resembling emerald jade.
The Tree Womb was supported by branches, and four blood-red vines clung tightly to its greenish exterior walls, resembling blood vessels wrapping around a heart, tight and pulsating with it.
Concentrating his mind, Su Han soon broke into a smile, "Devour monsters, hatch guardian beasts, this is what it truly means to be a leading monster."
The function of the Tree Womb became clear to him, similar yet fundamentally different to the Skeletal Corpse Nest, but the focus was precisely opposite.
If the Skeletal Corpse Nest's dependent serviles relied on numbers, spawning countless skeletal corpses as its minions,
Then, the Tree Womb was to incubate its own guardian beasts for the Ancient Worm Tree, possessing relatively formidable combatants.
The Tree Womb in front of him was just at its initial stage, capable of nurturing only one guardian beast, but the strength of this guardian beast was at least Second Order.
"Guardian beast plus tree-born worms, this makes the Ancient Worm Tree a self-sustaining ecology."
Its own strength, the wrapping vines, the encompassing tree-born worms, and the guardian beast as a leader, if the Ancient Worm Tree wasn't his own Angel Envoy, it would certainly be a terrifying lord monster.
His gaze swept over the few dozen monster corpses left on the ground, not many and mostly lower-grade creatures with broken limbs.
In order to increase the Fusion Degree quickly earlier, First-level Intermediate and First Order Upper Grade monsters had been prioritized for absorption, now there lacked materials for nurturing in the Tree Womb.
"Why not produce and consume ourselves?"
A thought crossed his mind, and he suddenly considered the tree-born worms, though only First Order Inferior, they were still his own creation, it seemed worth trying.
Tree Womb!
Thinking this, he activated the Tree Womb's skills, and then the blood-red vines on the Tree Womb immediately danced, quickly spreading toward one of the tree-born worms that responded to the call.
The vines wrapped around it instantly and then pulled it up to the canopy, bit by bit pulling the whole tree-born worm into the emerald-like Tree Womb.
The green liquid stirred, and after entering the Tree Womb, the tree-born worm ceased moving, as if it had sunk into a womb-like slumber, with only slight body fluctuations.
Fine vines like blood vessels interconnected its body with the Tree Womb, continuously supplying it with nutrients.
"One month?"
With a quick sense of perception, Su Han frowned unwittingly. If he did nothing, it would take at least a month to incubate it, and he couldn't possibly wait that long.
Thus, his gaze fell on the few dozen broken monster corpses on the ground, "How about using these as nutrients first, treating it as an experiment?"
The nurturing of a Tree Womb wasn't just about nutrients, but about extracting traits of monsters to incubate the affection beasts within, meaning the type of monsters absorbed could likely determine the type of creature created.
The monsters on the ground were mostly flesh corpses now, and it was uncertain what changes would occur.
The red vines spread towards the ground, quickly gathering those corpses together and, like blood vessels, continuously digested and absorbed the essence of this flesh.
As the absorption began, the green Tree Womb started to show hints of red, gradually absorbed by the worms inside.
The body of the tree-born worms slightly bulged, undergoing changes, becoming more solid, a shell gradually forming, and arms beginning to take shape.
Su Han felt the changes, the incubation time shortening as resources were injected, but it would still take at least ten days, which was the shortest time possible.
"Ten days, not too long."
One month was too long, but ten days were bearable.
When Su Han returned to the camp, the sky had gradually brightened. Although it appeared very dim under the dense fog, everyone in the camp had already started their work routines.
When he arrived back at villa number 9, Yan Qiumei had already delivered breakfast there, fresh Green Scale Carp soup, and also fish porridge.
There were two portions, one for Bai Qilan and one for Su Han.
Evolved kinds of fish reproduced and grew quickly, so, when controlled properly, some of the excessively large evolved kinds of fish had been caught and placed in swimming pools, serving as one source of meat.
However, as evolved kinds, they required a significant amount of Contribution Value to exchange, currently only available to core figures like Su Han, Bai Qilan, Yan Meiyu, and Zhu Xiong.
Others with Contribution Values could also exchange them, but compared to the long-term consumption of evolved kinds of fish, Zhao Yimin and his group were more inclined to wait to exchange for injections.
Su Han finished breakfast, and Bai Qilan was still holed up in the laboratory, grappling with the challenging task of purifying the Scorpion Spider Demon blood into a potion.
He did not go to inquire but decided first to find Zhu Xiong, who was overseeing the construction of a warehouse.
"Old Zhu, take some people and clear out the area near the Nanshan Residential District, and gather the materials."
Zhu Xiong was momentarily stunned. Su Han explained, "I went there last night."
Realizing the implications, Zhu Xiong said, "I'll take people there right away."
Since Su Han had been there, it meant that the monsters might have been cleared out, and the area was temporarily safe. If they didn't move quickly to clear the area, someone else might get there first.
After quickly organizing a team, Zhu Xiong left. When Su Han reached Villa No. 9, he found Bai Qilan had come out and was eating in the living room.
Upon seeing Su Han enter, she looked up, smiled, and said, "It's ready."
"Let's try after finishing the meal, there's no rush."
Bai Qilan paused for a moment, then nodded and continued eating.
Though Su Han said there was no hurry, she finished her breakfast in a few bites, evidently more curious about the effects of the injection she had prepared herself.
After eating, she immediately went into the laboratory, retrieved the Scorpion Spider Demon injection, and they both went out into the yard, where Bai Qilan summoned her envoy.
Bai Qilan's flesh corpse still stood over three meters tall, of a pale blue color, its body covered in scales, resembling a combination of a fish monster leader and a flesh corpse.
It was a solid First Order Upper Grade, but because it hadn't been exposed to many injections before, the mutations were relatively few.
After summoning the envoy, she plunged the syringe containing the purified Scorpion Spider Demon potion directly into the envoy's heart and injected the medicine.
As soon as the Scorpion Spider Demon injection entered, fine scales began to ooze blood, and the muscles all over the body rapidly writhed.
The blood didn't fall to the ground but quickly formed a crusty scab shell. The entire envoy's flesh writhed and gradually shrunk into the huge scab.
The thumping sound of a heartbeat came, and subtle changes could be heard through the scab.
Bai Qilan looked serious. She closed her eyes to sense it, then slowly opened them, somewhat helplessly, "It seems it will take some time."
Su Han was startled. The previous mutation, like that of Zhu Xiong's envoy, had concluded in just over half an hour. He hadn't expected that after purification, it would take even longer.
Bai Qilan explained, "After purification, the enhancement is much greater than before, and your Scorpion Spider Demon is a Second-order Superior, both its genetic structure and the content of its spiritual energy are incomparable to those held captive."
They waited for several hours until finally, a cracking sound occurred. The huge blood scab started to split.
Su Han and Bai Qilan watched breathlessly, and before long, a monster about three meters tall broke through the blood scab and stood before them.
The creature was half human, half spider, strikingly similar to the Scorpion Spider Demon, though slightly smaller in size, with clearer lines and covered in fine scales.
The human part was a long-haired female demon in appearance, sinister in looks, with a fierce face adorned with three eyes. The vertical eye was particularly large and located on the forehead, emitting a dark red glow.
The arms were slender with sharp claws. Along the inside of the wrists were shell-like bone spurs, similar to wrist blades.
Its spider half was pitch black, with eight slender spider legs standing like long spears on the ground, sharp as blades, moving very swiftly.
Bai Qilan held the Book of Blood Spirit in her hand, which emitted a red glow, a strong power nourishing her body, rapidly enhancing her physique.
Her eyes lit up in surprise as she exclaimed, "Demon Eye Spider Woman, Second Order Low Grade, it broke through?!"
Su Han was startled by her words, carefully sensing it. Indeed, the subtle oppressiveness of this Demon Eye Spider Woman was not inferior to that of a Glutton.
He hadn't expected that the injection's mutation effect could also mimic the Divine Initiation Ritual.
However, thinking about it, it seemed natural as it was intended to induce mutations in monsters. Apart from the increase in strength, further advancement wasn't out of the question.
The red glow from the Book of Blood Spirit receded as the strengthening phase ended, and Bai Qilan gradually came back to her senses.
She sensed carefully, her mouth curling in a smile as she said, "There are two skills, one Demon Eye, and one Spider Thorn."
Su Han asked, "What do they do?"
"Spider Thorn is what she has under her wrists, the bone spurs that can shoot out and grow rapidly. Its range and power should be significant. Compared to that, the Demon Eye seems to be a psychic attack."
Su Han was taken aback, "Psychic attack?"
"Yes," Bai Qilan didn't hide it, nodding, "It can bewilder and impact units with lower spiritual power, though it can't completely control them."
"Let's head to Old Zhu's place, and try it out on some monsters on the way."
Su Han was interested since it had broken through, it was a good time to test this Demon Eye Spider Woman, especially considering it was a Second-grade Monster that had metamorphosed using the Scorpion Spider Demon injection.