Chapter 106: The Raising Game of the Little Fawn (Second Update)

Unlike the Oak, which had undergone massive changes, the Little Deer had not changed much over the past week. If there was any change to speak of, it was the massive ring-shaped forest, thirty kilometers in diameter; the Little Deer had successfully created the second ring.

At the same time, the Little Deer had begun its journey as a foster father. Throughout the process of reshaping the forest, two infants had remained constantly atop its massive deer head. Secured by the fur on its crown, the two infants never cried or made a fuss; instead, they spent most of their time laughing and cooing under the playful coaxing of the Little Sprite. The arrival of these two babies had added a delightful joy to the Little Deer’s life.

Nurtured constantly by the Essence of Life, the infants were growing at a rapid pace. The babies, who were only two months old, looked nearly six months old within just a week. Their eyes were bright and intelligent, and they radiated a sense of natural purity seldom seen in ordinary human children. Each day, the Little Deer was content, spending its daylight hours crafting the forest and its evenings playing with the children. With the help of the Little Sprite, the two children were adapting to the forest environment, beginning to display a faint, sprite-like ability to manipulate plants. Although they could only use this power to make plants sway their branches slightly, it was nonetheless a rare and miraculous development.

Raising the two children had pushed the Little Deer and the Little Sprite into a state of tireless devotion. As for Ji Yu, while he found it novel and amusing each time he descended, he did not intervene. In Ji Yu’s view, the harmony between humanity and nature was something perhaps only this new generation, like these two infants, could achieve. It was a good beginning, and Ji Yu certainly had no intention of interfering.

Far from interfering, Ji Yu even took the time to purchase some primers. He read them, memorized everything, and then transmitted the knowledge to the Little Deer through their close spiritual connection. These books would certainly aid in the children's growth, though this help was limited to literacy and fostering positive development. As for more complex, profound, or modern human knowledge, Ji Yu had no plans to teach them that for the time being. He wanted to see a new generation of humans living purely in the forest, not the restless, self-interested humans of the modern world. At the very least, he did not want these two children tainted by such things. Under this guidance, the two children would surely become a new generation that revered nature and cherished life. That was enough; for now, that was quite good.

As for higher expectations? There were none. After all, Ji Yu did not believe these two children could provide any significant combat assistance to him or the Little Deer before they grew up. Thus, it was enough for them to remain pure and bring joy to the Little Deer. That was all.

Both the Oak and the Little Deer were moving in a better direction, which brought comfort to Ji Yu. With no immediate need to attend to them, Ji Yu shifted most of his focus to the Olm. Today, after a week of Ji Yu’s care, the Olm had successfully reached the limit of a Level 1 lifeform. Upon reaching this limit, it manifested a new trait.

[Trait: Hydro-Manipulation (Intermediate)] (Capable of effectively controlling the water surrounding it and inducing desired external changes; the intensity of these changes is proportional to its own life force.)

Having acquired this trait, the Olm was even more at home in the water. When Ji Yu checked the Olm’s status panel, everything was clearly revealed:

[Avatar: Olm (Female)]
[Olm Status] (Expanded)
[Excellent]
[Life Level: 1]
[Vitality: 4.99 (Cap: 5)] (x100)
[Body Length: 49.99 (Cap: 50 meters)] (x100)
[Age: 2 years (Cap: 15 years)]
[Trait 1: Environmental Adaptation (Low)]
[Trait 2: Aqueous Mimicry (Intermediate)]
[Trait 3: Hydro-Manipulation (Intermediate)]
[Trait 4: Absolute Zero (Special)] (Mastery 3%)

By now, the Olm had reached a state of considerable strength. Its spiritual intellect was approaching the level the Little Deer had possessed when Ji Yu first descended to control it. Ji Yu surmised that once the Olm reached Level 2, it might immediately achieve mental resonance with the Little Deer and the Oak, allowing for communication. With the guidance of the other two, Ji Yu believed the Olm would soon develop clear logical thinking. Once that happened, he could make arrangements that the creature would clearly understand.

However, before that, Ji Yu needed to guide the Olm through its breakthrough. The guidance task for this stage was somewhat daunting.

[Guidance Task (Stage 2): Enter a river, lake, or ocean. Meditate on the image of absorbing and compressing water to form a virtual diamond-shaped crystal. Meditative effects are amplified 1,000 times during this task. Current progress: 0%.]
(Note: A minimum of 10 million tons of water must be absorbed, capped at 100 million tons. Meditation must not be interrupted; if interrupted, progress resets to zero.)

"Absorb at least 10 million tons, but up to 100 million? And it cannot be interrupted?"

Ji Yu’s expression was quite vivid when he first saw this task. The total water volume on Earth is approximately 1.4 billion billion tons, and for the Olm to break through to Level 2, it needed to absorb 100 million tons. This proportion seemed small, but 100 million tons was more than any ordinary river could supply. If Ji Yu were to absorb water at a thousand times the normal rate in an ordinary river, it would cause a temporary drought, which would inevitably lead to massive problems. The small river where the Olm currently resided was less than ten meters deep and twenty meters wide; at that rate, the riverbed would dry up instantly, and water from further away would not arrive in time.

Therefore, the only remaining choice was the ocean. Even then, Ji Yu felt the scene of the Olm absorbing 100 million tons of water would be quite dramatic. It reminded him of the exaggerated "Black Domain" phenomenon the Oak had triggered during its own Level 2 breakthrough. Such a spectacle would effectively expose the Olm’s existence to the entire world. Consequently, Ji Yu hesitated, pondering how to minimize the impact.