[Evolution completed!]
[Evolved from 'Spore' → 'Duplicator']
A Duplicator!
A magical microorganism unique to Primordius, with the miraculous cell-like ability to split into two individual yet connected entities!
Before Vlad could fully understand the new creature he had become, another couple system notifications explained the source of the power coursing through him as well as his sudden vision zoom-out.
[Energy tripled!]
[Size tripled!]
Just like that, Vlad's total Energy value exceeded 30! And his Size increased to nearly 300 Nanometers!
And as if to add to the pleasant surprises, dozens of varying-sized microorganisms appeared from the sewage sludge. Most were smaller than he was, some even looking like specks to him; however, there were also quite a few larger than he was.
But with their speeds being as pitiful as they were, Vlad barely had to put any effort into picking off the smaller ones, increasing his size, then going for the bigger ones.
After ten minutes of speeding around the sewage sludge, things finally calmed down. Vlad retracted a blade-like black tendril from a monstrous worm-like creature over ten millimeters in size – the last of the attacking Microorganisms.
Then came the rapidly flashing system notifications:
[Absorbed Low-level Microorganism * Energy +0.95 * Size +86 Nanometers]
[Absorbed Mid-level Microorganism * Energy +1.82 * Size +161 Nanometers]
[Absorbed Mid-level Microorganism * Energy +2.63 * Size +239 Nanometers]
[Absorbed High-level Microorganism * Energy +11.04 * Size +1.06 Micrometers]
[Absorbed…]
Hundreds – thousands – of System Notifications blasted for Vlad. In those ten minutes, the original few dozen microorganisms quickly received back-up, with their numbers seemingly endless. However, with how fast Vlad increased in size, no matter how many attacked, he effortlessly absorbed them all. It had even reached a point where he was just spawn-camping them, slurping them up as soon as they appeared.
While casually slaughtering tens of thousands of weirdly-shaped microscopic living beings, Vlad opened up his System Interface:
[Name: Vlad Noname]
[Race: Spore (1) → Duplicator (2)]
[Bound Talent: Blackhole]
[Energy Meter: 198.03 (1.98%)]
[Size: 16.6 Micrometers]
[Realm: None]
[Combat Power: Peak-level Microorganism]
Satisfied with his rate of progress, Vlad smirked. He looked up at the boundless world above, noticing a few colossal robed figures in the distance. His confidence overflowed as he internally declared, 'You may not know I exist right now, but that won't last for long – I guarantee it.'
[Half an hour later]
"Blurp…"
Finishing off a Bacteria that looked like a freakish alien, Vlad heard a ringing in his ears. It was oddly similar to what he heard when he reached his first Energy Milestone.
And just as expected…
[10000\10000 Energy] – [Evolve?]
Naturally, Vlad answered yes.
He then experienced a qualitative metamorphosis that felt even more transformative than his first Evolution. His body rapidly expanded, his control improved, and the strength contained within his gelatin was rapidly refined and condensed.
Eventually, the effects of the Evolution died down, giving Vlad the opportunity to check his gains.
[Evolution completed!]
[Evolved from 'Duplicator' → 'Fusion Mass']
[Your Innate Ability 'Duplication' has evolved into the Superior Ability 'Fusion Split']
[Size quadrupled!]
[Energy quadrupled!]
Vlad not only became much stronger, his highly useful Innate Ability also received a major upgrade!
Now, instead of being limited to a split of just two, he could now replicate himself over ten times!
Furthermore, each of his clone-selfs gained improved versatility, control, and smoothness of functionality.
'What an amazingly unusual feeling,' Vlad grinned as he surveyed his surroundings from eleven different positions. 'Considering that each copy of myself is equal in size to my main body, my efficiency in farming those aggressive little guys will become much better.'
Speaking of the devil, the tiny squeakers were grouping up again and charging at him without care for their lives – their numbers being in the millions.
'These things act like I've eaten their grandma or something. It's so weird.'
But no matter the reason for their excessive hostility, when Vlad glanced at his Energy Meter and saw it at 0.001%, he knew their deaths were necessary.
Thus he killed…
And he didn't stop killing.
[Two hours later]
After absorbing everything that entered his sphere of influence, Vlad realized that no matter how many millions of Microorganisms he consumed, he was unlikely to reach 100% for his Energy Meter. They simply weren't big enough to satisfy him anymore.
Fortunately, when he neared his one hundred millionth Microorganism kill and had a size over 10 Centimeters, he finally glimpsed something other than Microorganisms in the sewage sludge.
Multi-legged. Hairy. Hideous to the extreme. Jumpy. Over fifteen centimeters in size.
'Wait, is this thing a Flea or a Rat…?'
It was a little too small to be a flea, no? But it definitely had the appearance of one!
'Hmm… Maybe fleas are just abnormally large in this world. It is a world of cultivation, after all.'
Everyone knows that nothing ever makes sense in a cultivation world!