"Speaking of which, 8051."

[Hmm?]

"I feel like I've been in this world for nearly a hundred years now, although you guys say in real time it’s probably been billions of years. But my mindset hasn’t really changed much."

[Are you referring to your occasional childish behavior?] 8051 interjected suddenly.

"It's kind of nice, feeling eternally youthful. Ahem... what childish behavior, so frustrating."

"I just miss my time on Earth."

[Isn’t now good enough?]

"It’s not bad; the time on Earth was my past and can't be negated, and it wasn't a painful time anyway. So, occasionally reminiscing about the past, the cities and countryside of those times, the people around me back then."

"Ah, reminiscing makes me feel a bit old."

"Never mind, let's continue, maybe there will be a chance to go back and take a look in the future, hehe."

[Well then, start editing, cultivate your species well.] 8051 encouraged with a fist pump.

"Of course." Can I really go back and take a peek?

"Finally, I can start developing legs and a terrestrial respiratory system." After sorting through the components collected over time, Gal mused, "First, the lungs."

To be safe, the gills were not removed, allowing for amphibious breathing. With slight adjustments, the body elongated slightly to form a neck, enabling head movement without needing to turn the entire body.

Of course, some human memory influenced Gal, but it didn’t matter much.

He extended and tapered the tail, letting the broad fish tail spread with the lengthened body. It roughly resembled a legless lizard.

He added four legs from the spotted crocodile, which, after adjustments to the bone and skin by the system, merged seamlessly with the body, the silver-white scales extending to the feet.

The electric fins weren’t removed either, even though he planned more land activity. The tail and body balance allowed for swift movement in water. Since there was no shortage of evolution points, Gal distributed three pairs of electric fins across the limbs and tail.

...

What does a beach remind you of?

Sunshine, sand, a humid sea breeze, an endless ocean, and... bikini babes.

Well, all that was in Gal's past now.

"All of the past is but a fleeting cloud."

Not to mention bikini babes—this place doesn’t even count as a beach.

Time: It's been quite a while since Gal entered the Biological Editing Space, though who really knows. (8051 raises its hand.)

Place: As Gal’s external environment changes, it transforms into a riverbank not far from the sea within the Biological Editing Space, on a sunlit rock by a river.

Character—or rather, creature: A body entirely silver-white, covered in scales, crowned with a single silver horn—a unicorn... lizard? Crocodile?

Using his new ears, he listened to the wind's whispers and the watery ripples, the rustling trees in the forest behind him. Gal lounged leisurely on a rock in the Biological Editing Space, sunbathing. As for where the sun in this space comes from?

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Ah, such a deep question is beyond Gal's comprehension right now, so he ignored it.

Moving slightly to shake off the stiffness from remaining still for too long, Gal controlled his limbs, crawling forward to cast his shadow upon the river below.

"Damn, looking more and more handsome..."

[...]

"Well, what can I say, this is my first time seeing myself since arriving in this world."

He shook his horned head, the water’s reflection shaking and reflecting a few rays of light.

Narrowing his eyes a bit, "Majestic, robust, mighty, elegant, dazzling. Hehe, isn’t that a bit narcissistic?"

Flicking his tail a few times, a burst of electricity sparked from the fins at the tip.

"But, I forgot that on land, unlike in water, the power of electric attacks is greatly reduced."

Reflecting on the previous confrontation with the piranhas, Gal realized that his strength should be comparable to theirs. The piranha had sustained, moderate power attacks; the lone horn fish had short bursts with strong power, but weak regular attacks.

It's hard to say which is better, but the lone horn fish ultimately won that slightly more numerous piranha battle, though barely.

However, problems became serious on land; electricity could spread over water but not in the air, meaning Gal could only attack in contact or through conductive materials.

In simple terms, because terrestrial electric attacks require contact or indirect contact, the former ability of lone horn fish to chain electric attacks as a group was essentially nullified on land. Facing terrestrial creatures became more dangerous.

Especially since pure energy electric shocks consume a lot of food. Without discovering methods or components to further develop electric attack capabilities, Gal had no choice but to enhance the previously supplementary physical strength.

Thus, the newly evolved amphibious form boasts stronger muscles, supported by electric-stone skeletons matching the size of spotted crocodiles, with fortified scales and skin, and more lethal teeth and jaws.

Gal felt confident he could now bite into skin once penetrable only with a full-speed charge and deliver electric shocks through his teeth.

"So, it seems like electric attacks are still the mainstay."

"Well, that's not bad."

Turning his body, Gal moved towards the riverbank, his silver scales dazzling under the sunlight.

"Isn't this too conspicuous?" Gal was slightly dissatisfied. His silver-white, semi-transparent body, which had a certain invisibility underwater, seemed to draw plenty of attention on land. Since his species favored ambush attacks, "I need to change the color."

During a previous electric display, he accidentally killed a brightly colored little fish, and though concerned about poisoning, he didn't eat it, nor did any of his species. However, from that fish, Gal gained the Biological Editor’s pigment adjustment functionality.

So, after a moment, a menacing form clad in dark scales materialized on the riverbank.

Gah... Gah... Gahhh...

"Darn, having a voice box is nice, but the sound is ridiculous." Closing his toothy mouth, Gal shook his head helplessly. "Oh well, I'll settle for now and replace it later with a better component."

[That's quite an adorable sound,] 8051 genuinely praised.

"......"

"Thanks for the compliment."

"Hmm?" Gal paused, glancing around curiously.

[What’s wrong?]

"Nothing." No wind, so why did I feel like a breeze brushed my skin? "Nothing." Probably a hallucination, or maybe a breeze from moving.

[Hmm, so the editing is mostly complete?]

"Yeah, now for the naming. Hehe, what should it be this time?"

[That's up to you. 8051 once again dismissed the principal consciousness’s attempt to have 8051 do the naming.]

"Heh, I was just about to ask, no need to cut me off."

"Let's see, black armor, scales, horn, crocodile, lizard..."

Gah...

"......" Still not used to the call, he chuckled, "Alright, let’s call it Gah-Gah Beast. That’s what its call is like, hehe."

[...]

[Gah-Gah Beast

Amphibious Creature

Evolution Points: 120

Life: 150/150

Attack: Electric Horn (40), Electric Fins (10) ×6, Fanged Crocodile Jaws (70), Focused Electric Attack (220)

Defense: Reinforced Hard Skin (35) (Enhanced Electric Defense), Black Scales (100) (Enhanced Electric Defense)

Speed: 23—37 (Water), 10—21 (Land)

Perception: Touch, Vision, Taste, Smell, Hearing

Reproduction: Amphibious Oviparous

Species Evaluation: Carnivore

Population Evaluation: Military Force

With further evolution, your species has taken its first steps onto land. But don't think that just being able to walk on land makes it a land species; there's more ground to cover to complete this stage.]

"Even knowing it couldn’t be that simple to evolve terrestrial from aquatic with just four limbs, it’s a bit disappointing to see."

[You’ve come this far, a little more isn’t insurmountable,] 8051 encouraged kindly.

"True, hehe, enduring billions of years of aquatic existence, I can't stop by the riverbank."

"But the list has changed quite a lot; isn’t the stage incomplete?"

[Land and ocean are different. While not yet fully terrestrial, certain aspects have adapted to land. That’s why the Biological Editing Space changes; your animal evaluation replacing individual evaluation and perception appearing are similar changes.]

"Got it, I suppose. Ah, land, it’s been a while."

"So, any hints on finishing this stage?"

[Shall I repeat those five words?]

"......I thought so, never mind."

"Let’s complete this stage quickly and move toward civilization."

[Then, editing complete. Work hard.]

"Okay, see you, 8051."

[Species editing complete, exiting Biological Editing Space.]