A month wasn't very long.
The finals were now fast approaching.
Everyone knew the championship match was the real highlight, so they were doing everything they could to strengthen their creatures.
Well…
Everyone except Qiqi.
At this point, her dragon no longer looked like a dragon.
It lay sprawled on the ground, barely able to move.
She had started with the highest possible ten-point creature, giving her the best starting position of anyone.
Unfortunately…
She had absolutely no idea which genes were useful and which weren't.
As long as a gene appeared…
She stuffed it into the dragon without a second thought.
The once-majestic dragon was now an enormously obese creature wrapped in layers of thick armor.
Its four tiny legs couldn't even reach the ground anymore.
The wings on its back had become purely decorative, only managing a symbolic flap every now and then.
"Huh?"
"Why aren't you moving anymore?"
Qiqi blinked in confusion.
"You were fine before."
"Why won't you move now?"
"If you're like this…"
"…aren't you just a target?"
Hu Tao: "Hahaha! Qiqi is amazing!"
"How did you even raise it to become this fat?"
Zhu Yuan: "Hmm…"
"It reminds me of pets raised by elderly people."
Lucy: "There's a kind of hunger called…"
"'Grandma thinks you're still hungry.'"
Beidou: "Is Qiqi planning to make the enemy burst from overeating?"
March 7th: "I can already predict the ending."
"Ms. Ruan Mei has this in the bag."
Everyone else's creatures had become increasingly bizarre.
Only Ruan Mei's continued evolving in a stable, logical direction.
March 7th felt everyone else was doomed.
She'd seen Ruan Mei's creature with her own eyes.
One swing of those enormous mantis shrimp claws…
And creatures the size of hills were launched dozens of meters away.
There was practically no way to resist it.
Jing Yuan: "Not necessarily."
"Sushang still has a chance."
Initially…
Jing Yuan had no confidence in Sushang whatsoever.
But she'd somehow managed to create something…
A grotesque mountain of flesh covered in tentacles.
Just looking at it made his scalp tingle.
Albedo: "Not necessarily."
"Sucrose focused mainly on primates."
"She still has an advantage."
Lisa: "Exactly."
"Our creature has hands."
"That's a huge advantage."
Candace: "Tighnari also has biochemical weapons."
Raiden Ei: "Forget about that thing."
Ei looked down on Tighnari's creation.
Not only was it ugly…
It fought dirty.
Everyone else faced their opponents head-on.
Meanwhile…
He'd resorted to chemical weapons.
Valerius: "We'll soon find out."
"Let's wait and see."
Closing the livestream…
Valerius glanced at the time.
It was about right.
He walked behind the front counter.
"Wife."
"I'm off to host the finals."
"Mhm."
Bronya didn't even look up.
She was sitting beside Shenhe, both of them staring intently at the computer screen.
"What do you think of this outfit?"
"I don't like it."
"Why not?"
"Master said…"
"This is Ping-style fashion."
"I want Crane-style fashion."
"…What?"
Bronya looked completely lost.
What exactly was…
Ping-style fashion?
"Then you pick."
Among countless clothing images…
Shenhe selected several.
"This one."
Only then did Bronya finally understand.
Bare legs…
Were Ping-style.
Tightly wrapped clothing…
Was Crane-style.
…
Valerius arrived at a large arena.
At its center sat a massive sandbox.
Mountains, rivers, forests…
Almost every type of terrain imaginable had been recreated inside.
"Time's up."
"System, bring the contestants back."
[Confirmed.]
Seven pillars of light descended.
The contestants reappeared before Valerius.
"Oh come on!"
"You couldn't wait just a little longer?"
"I was this close to getting the most important gene!"
The moment she appeared…
Sushang immediately started complaining.
"…Honestly."
"That Cthulhu thing of yours…"
"…let's just forget it."
Valerius really didn't want to discourage her.
Sure…
It looked terrifying.
But its actual combat ability wasn't all that impressive.
Against Sucrose's creature…
It'd probably end up being slurped like a spicy noodle.
"Alright."
"You may now place your creatures into the sandbox."
"They'll automatically battle each other."
"You aren't allowed to interfere."
"Oh."
"And their sizes will be scaled down proportionally."
No one found that strange.
After all…
Most of their creatures had grown enormous.
If they fought at full size…
The arena wouldn't even be big enough.
One after another…
Everyone placed their creatures into suitable positions.
Herta: "It's starting!"
Sampo: "Sampo's taking bets!"
"Anyone joining?"
Aventurine: "I'm betting on Ms. Ruan Mei."
Jade: "Ruan Mei."
Silver Wolf: "Ruan Mei."
Yelan: "Ruan Mei."
Sampo: "…Well…"
"…How about we bet on second place instead?"
There wasn't even a point anymore.
It was completely one-sided.
Valerius: "Have a little confidence."
"Sucrose's creature has fused genes from chimpanzees, baboons, snakes, octopuses, dolphins, and more."
Valerius: "Tighnari fused octopus, stink bug, mantis, stinging nettle, hummingbird, electric eel, and others."
Valerius: "Sushang fused octopus, squid, coral, jellyfish, killer whale…"
Valerius: "Ruan Mei fused octopus, mantis shrimp, Cerbera manghas, chameleon, mosquito, and domestic goose."
As Valerius revealed everyone's genetic combinations…
Many players wore strange expressions.
Why had Ruan Mei fused…
those?
The mantis shrimp made sense.
Everyone already knew how terrifying it was.
But…
Mosquito?
And…
A domestic goose?
What exactly was useful about a goose?
Tighnari: "Ms. Ruan Mei…"
"Using Cerbera manghas is a bit much, isn't it?"
The moment the contestants returned to the arena, livestream chat became available again.
Seeing Ruan Mei's genetic list…
Tighnari immediately developed a headache.
That was going too far.
Ruan Mei: "Hehe."
"I don't think someone who fused stinging nettle is in any position to criticize me."
Sucrose: "Oh no…"
"I completely forgot plants could also be fused…"
Now Sucrose was genuinely worried.
She'd focused entirely on animals…
Completely forgetting that plants were valid targets too.
Against those two…
Her creature was probably going to have a rough time.
Stelle: "Wait."
"I understand using plants…"
"But what's with the goose?"
She genuinely couldn't understand.
Why was goose DNA on Ruan Mei's fusion list?
And…
Ruan Mei had even removed the crab shell gene she'd fused earlier.
She'd completely abandoned defense?
Dr. Ratio: "She most likely fused the goose's visual nerves."
Nahida: "That seems likely."
March 7th: "What's special about a goose's eyes?"
Valerius: "A goose's eyesight is unique."
"It perceives everything as being smaller than it actually is."
Bronya: "Wow…"
"Valerius, you know so much!"
Shenhe: "As expected of you."
Serval: "You two, enough already."
She was speechless.
It wasn't as if Valerius was the only one who knew.
Nahida and Dr. Ratio figured it out too.
Why didn't anyone praise them?
Yunli: "So what?"
"What's the point of seeing everything smaller?"
Valerius: "It means…"
"It thinks everything is weaker than itself."
"So it'll charge at absolutely anything."
Yae Miko: "I see."
"So this gene increases aggression."
Raiden Ei: "Tch."
"Still not as good as…"
"…that…"
"…honey badger."
Herta: "The goose isn't reckless."
"It's fearless."
"The previous creature that fused the honey badger gene…"
"…is already sitting in the elimination area."
Kujou Sara: "…"
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