[Main consciousness choosing to reproduce, enter the species reproduction phase?]
“Yes.”
[Entering species reproduction phase. Species organisms begin to accumulate nutritional values for reproduction.]
Feeling the nutrients in her body gather to a particular point, Gar was still quite conflicted about giving birth, even though this wasn't her first time. Fortunately, the stored food supply met the demands of the lightning bugs, and no creatures that fancied spore jelly came by to cause trouble.
"Indeed, finding a good place for reproduction is crucial."
Carefully gathering plants within a short distance from her hiding place to satisfy the basic nutritional needs, after some time, all lightning bugs successfully laid a pile of spores.
Without Lightning's leadership, the lightning bugs, due to their physical constitution, were just ordinary soft-bodied creatures with strong attack capabilities and would not actively attack other creatures. Therefore, Lightning didn't let the lightning bugs hunt on their own but rather instructed them to spread out to a certain distance from the nest to forage, while also guarding against predators encountered during Lightning times.
Feeling that the remaining food supply, along with the surrounding plankton and plants, could suffice for the spores and the lightning bugs for the time being, Lightning instructed the bugs to crush the reserve food to facilitate the feeding of the newborn lightning bugs. Lightning then selected a healthy spore and re-entered the biological editing space.
...
[Entering biological editing space, original consciousness generated, main consciousness transferred.]
“I’m back.”
A weak voice echoed in the bright space.
[Welcome back.]
“Ah, 8051, hi. Let me rest for a bit, I’m truly exhausted.”
...
“Now, let’s first check out my component harvest this time.”
[Snail:
Provides components: soft-bodied organism's visceral system, bubble eye]
[Fish:
Provides components: lens eye]
[Light beetle:
Provides components: button eye, jointed limb, hermaphroditic oviparity]
...
“8051, the system doesn’t show all the components a creature can provide, does it?”
[Ah, you finally noticed.]
“What do you mean 'finally noticed'? Even though snails don’t have a skeleton, I've hunted plenty of creatures with skeletons, like the light beetle, which should have one.”
[Yes. There are indeed skeletal components, but since you haven't completed this stage, you cannot equip them yet. Plus, they have other components you lack, so the system offers other options.]
“Ah, so I need to evolve a skeleton myself.”
[Correct. To complete a stage, a species must naturally evolve to a certain extent, reaching the phenomenon of stage completion—a critical evolution point.]
“Oh well, let’s set that aside. Is there any rule to what components a creature provides? Clearly, many things are not listed.”
[Indeed, the number of components a creature provides depends not only on the differences with your species but also on its level. Civilian level creatures provide one or two components, no matter how different they are from you; soldier level creatures provide two to four components, though if they differ little, they may offer only one or none; leader level creatures provide four to six components, differing by two levels each.]
“How troublesome. Is there any principle for selecting these components?” Gar asked, while her consciousness wavered like cotton candy.
[Generally, the system randomly selects components you do not possess. Known special cases include being unable to obtain components related to key evolution points. Other possible special situations remain for you to explore.]
“Tch, same as always.”
“By the way, can I make suggestions on selection? This isn’t restricted by the system, right?”
[It’s not restricted, but generally, the main consciousness makes choices independently to avoid influence. Independent consciousness has its own likes and dislikes, so suggestions may lead to dissatisfaction, regardless of the outcome. 8051 finds the self-awareness of intelligent beings quite tiresome.]
“In simple terms, whether good or bad, it's the main consciousness' issue; you don’t participate so you bear no responsibility.” Gar sneered.
[Exactly. 8051 replied calmly.]
[Although, I can give you some advice: when a particular system appears among your selectable components, unless a better system of the same type exists or it's extremely unsuitable, it’s best to equip it. This is system advice, not directly from us. 8051 hopes the main consciousness doesn’t associate it with 8051.]
“Ah, I see.”
“Given this, with the fish’s lens eye and the snail’s visceral system, many components provided by other creatures appear repetitive or outdated, and regarding the light beetle...”
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“Ah, you’re messing with me.”
[Didn’t you want a sexual reproduction method? Here it is now. 8051 remarked gleefully.]
“Tch, you’re deliberately mocking me, aren’t you? That’s what you’re doing, right?”
“Hermaphroditic? I might as well stick to asexual reproduction, after all…”
[After all... After having given birth a few times, it shouldn't matter to add more. 8051 teased, covering its non-existent mouth.]
“Shut up, and what’s with covering your mouth? You don’t even have hands.”
[Just because you can’t see doesn’t mean I don’t have them.]
“...”
[Don’t bother asking anything, I won’t reveal anything about that. 8051 promptly blocked the main consciousness’s questions.]
“Uh... oh well.”
“Moving on, I’ll choose the jointed limb from the light beetle.”
[Soft-bodied organism's visceral system:
Provides a comprehensive visceral system for soft-bodied organisms, including the heart, etc.
Cost: 200 evolution points]
[Lens eye:
A complete visual system component, provides excellent vision
Cost: 50 evolution points]
[Jointed limb:
A mobility component made of an exoskeleton, paired on each side of the body.
Speed: +5
Cost: 50 evolution points, exoskeleton required (unmet)]
“Getting more expensive! Wait, 8051, why does the jointed limb require an exoskeleton? Doesn’t it mean it’s useless to me now?”
[You don't have it now, but once you evolve more, you will. 8051 looked down contemptuously.]
“...”
“In any case, it’s clear the key evolution is the skeleton. But now that I think about it, how did skeletons even come about? I’ve only seen exoskeletal beetles, no endoskeletal vertebrates yet.”
“I remember reading that the earliest skeletons were like snails accumulating minerals on their backs. Am I supposed to do the same?”
Imagining himself with a heavy snail shell amidst exoskeletal arthropods in the shallow sea, Gar lost all interest in a snail shell.
“Oh, whatever. I’ll try this method next time. If it doesn’t work, I’ll think of something else. Let’s see if I have enough evolution points to equip the first two components.”
[Lightning Bug:
Soft-bodied organism, early-stage species in biological evolution.
Evolution points: 282
Health: 25/25
Attack: Electric Beak (15) (Biting), Electric Appendages (5) (Contact) ×3, Electric Burst (35) (Area)
Defense: Bristle Skin (10) (Enhanced Electrical Defense)
Movement: 2—7
Vision: Eye Cluster
Reproduction: Asexual Spores
Body Information: Digestive System, Brain and Nerve System, Nutritional Cycle
Species Rating: Leader
Extended hunting in the deep sea combined with main consciousness control gives your species a significant advantage in shallow seas at night. But evolution is like paddling upstream; resting on your laurels will lead to your species being culled. Daytime presents more opportunities, so keep striving.]
“282, looks like quite a bit, but equipping the soft-bodied organism's visceral system leaves little left, and I wanted to add muscle fiber too.”
[Equipping the soft-bodied visceral system allows you to remove the stomach sac and intestines since they’re redundant. 8051 couldn’t help but remind.]
“Huh, is that so? Thanks, 8051.”
“With the removed 100 points, that gives 382 points total. Seems my harvest was decent; just enough to install the visceral system, muscle fibers, and lens eyes.”
“Wait, though, I can only fit in one eye.”
First, Gar removed the stomach sac and intestines from the holographic image, gaining a 100-point return, then equipped the visceral system, leaving 82 points.
“Am I supposed to see the world with one eye?”
Having been blind for so long, finally getting an eye, only to start with one made Gar unusually frustrated.
“Never mind adapting, with one eye the perspective is limited and can’t fully utilize the eye for long-range scouting.”
Focusing on the holographic image, Gar considered how to equip the components. Regarding the suitability of the visceral system, system assistance—no, 8051—isn’t needed to remind him. “Tch, you’re just system assistance,” Gar grumbled internally. The system’s advice aside, the improved heart within the visceral system could enhance endurance significantly compared to when he didn’t have a decent heart. Considering the previous exertion leading to frequent stops, which was hard for speed-and-endurance-believer Gar to accept, equipping the system seemed beneficial.
“Ah, such a fool I am. I only thought of removing the stomach sac and intestines after installing the visceral system. Can’t removing the outdated eye cluster after installing the lens eyes free up more points?”
“Removing the two eye clusters frees up 40 points, allowing both lens eyes to be equipped with 22 points remaining.”
Checking the component display box again revealed only flagella and unwanted eye clusters available for 22 points.
“Let’s attach a flagellum for now, then replace it next visit. It’s useful for a slight boost in control.”
Living by the principle of maximizing resources, Gar selected the flagellum for enhanced control.
With the setups confirmed, Gar installed the two lens eyes on the front sides. The shape covered a roughly 160-degree field within the lens eyes' range.
He then moved the new flagellum beside the existing one at the rear, adjusting them symmetrically along the body’s midline. Stretching them wide while slightly flattening them made them resemble an airplane's tail fin, allowing the flagella to function more effectively as a rear rudder.
Making fine adjustments to body proportions based on aquatic movement experience, Gar refined the body shape to be more streamlined, unable to improve further without skeletal support.
“This should just about complete the editing process.”
“Time to head back to that place again.”
[What, are you scared?]
“No. Though it’s dangerous and exhausting, it feels fulfilling.” This was Gar's genuine sentiment. “In the past, I lived aimlessly, even avoiding tasks, seemingly with no sense of presence. Now, constantly alert with my life hanging by a thread, it may be tiring, but it gives life purpose.”
[M.]
“What?”
[What, nothing. I didn’t say anything.]
Confused...
“Well, even with consciousness transfer upon death, disregarding your point about mental exhaustion, facing death repeatedly is unpleasant, and I’m not someone used to dying repeatedly.”
“In summary, I’m just afraid of death and a lazy thinker.”
“But as long as life feels full, and seeing the gradual evolution of my species under my control, isn’t there a thrill as if leveling up? Hahaha.”
[……]
[Then, keep up the good work.]
“Yeah.”
[Now, name the new species.]
“Uh, can’t I savor this moment longer?”
Staring at the naming box with exasperation, ‘Thunder Bug’ gradually appeared.
[Thunder Bug:
Soft-bodied organism, early-stage species in biological evolution.
Evolution points: 2
Health: 35/35
Attack: Electric Beak (15) (Biting), Electric Appendages (5) (Contact) ×3, Electric Burst (35) (Area)
Defense: Bristle Skin (10) (Enhanced Electrical Defense)
Movement: 3—7
Vision: Lens Eyes ×2
Reproduction: Asexual Spores
Body Information: Soft-bodied Visceral System, Brain and Nervous System, Muscle Fibers
Species Rating: Leader
Through continued evolution, you finally possess a relatively complete bodily system, laying a solid foundation for further evolution. Daytime is fraught with danger, strive to survive.]
[Your naming remains as ordinary as ever.]
“Who asked you? Your evaluation is just as predictable.”
[I'm not the one doing the evaluation; 8051 is just an uninformed spectator.]
“Hmph, I’m bad at names. But it’s representative, right?”
“Still considered a leader.”
[As you evolve, so do your enemies. Consider it fortunate not to downgrade. Confirm completion?]
“Yeah…”
“That’ll do. On my next outing, I’ll attempt skeleton evolution.”
“Then, see you later.”
[Species editing completed, exiting biological editing space.]
[To support more complex bodily systems, the brain evolves once more.]