Chapter 520.1: Yiwuuuu~

... Little Feather?

Inside the warehouse on Shelter B3 level, Falling Feather froze in place as he stared at the Little Feather before him, now visibly bloated in size.

What... was going on?!

“Fuck!”

Upon spotting Falling Feather, Little Feather let out an excited cry. Though still weak, Chu Guang could clearly sense that the little guy had regained some of its spirit.

"I told you not to learn that! What's going on with you?" Falling Feather stepped forward, ignoring the floating tendrils nearby, and gently stroked the smooth, delicate surface on Little Feather's head.

Hiss...

It’s so hot!

The temperature had to be at least 60 or 70 degrees.

𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Yiwu..." Little Feather whimpered weakly, looking pitiful enough to break hearts.

Chu Guang turned to Hyrja.

"Explain the situation to him."

Hyrja nodded, turned to the anxious Falling Feather, and repeated what she had just told Chu Guang. Especially the part about the two options.

“... There are only two choices now. Let it evolve on its own, or have it devour the Hive on level B6. The first has a higher success rate but is more random, and if it succeeds, it will likely lose its current memories. The second carries the risk of it being devoured instead, but if it evolves successfully, the result is more controllable, and it’s more likely to retain its current self.”

After hearing Hyrja's explanation, Falling Feather fell into silence. After a moment, he spoke. "... Does it have to evolve?"

He suddenly felt...

Perhaps there was no need to become that powerful.

To him, Little Feather was already a companion. It had even saved him on the battlefield.

If becoming stronger meant sacrificing irreplaceable memories, he would rather it stay silly like before.

Looking at him, Hyrja nodded seriously. "Yes. Just like humans age, get sick, and die, this is an inevitable part of its life cycle... Even if you leave it alone, it'll eventually reach that stage."

Falling Feather lowered his head, slightly guilty. "Is it because I took it hunting?"

“Yes, but also no.”

Falling Feather raised his head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Hyrja explained, "Mutant Slime Molds... They are very special creatures. And your Little Feather is the most special kind among them. It doesn’t rely on spores to transmit information, it uses vocal cords like humans to communicate. Genetic material plays only a small part in its evolution. More importantly... I believe it’s because of its memory.”

“Memory?”

“

Mhm

.” Hyrja nodded, “Its habits, experiences, knowledge, everything together forms its understanding of evolution and the next stage of its life. When those memories accumulate to a certain point, an instinct from deep within tells it the time has come... and it naturally steps into the next phase of life.”

“That’s its destiny.”

Falling Feather was silent for a while, then looked at Chu Guang. "I want to talk to Little Feather."

Hyrja also turned to Chu Guang. "My suggestion is also to have its caregiver talk to it directly... But we should make a decision within an hour. I’m not sure how long its self-awareness will hold."

Chu Guang nodded and looked at Falling Feather. "You heard her. You have one hour."

Falling Feather nodded. "I won’t need that long... Ten minutes, no, five will be enough."

Chu Guang waved his hand toward the soldiers around them, then led Hyrja and the others out of the warehouse to the outer area of level B3.

He thought it best to give Little Feather and Falling Feather some time alone.

After all, Little Seven could monitor every corner of the shelter. Even if something went wrong, he could control the situation immediately.

While they waited, Hyrja looked at Chu Guang and asked, "Are you sure leaving the choice to him is okay?"

"No problem. I trust his judgment," Chu Guang answered simply.

There was no perfect choice in their world, especially for a a situation unprecedented as Little Feather's existence.

Since it was a gamble either way, it was better to let those directly involved make the call.

The New Alliance had come this far not because of one person making all the decisions.

Not long after, shorter than Chu Guang had expected, only three minutes had passed before Falling Feather emerged from the room. "I’ve made my decision." He stared intently at Chu Guang and said seriously, "We’ll go with the second option... Let it devour the Hive on level B6."

Chu Guang looked at him and calmly reminded, "You sure about this? Asking a newborn who just learned to walk to defeat an ancient monster over a century old... It won’t be easy, even if it’s already weakened."

“

Mhm...

” Falling Feather nodded and glanced at Little Feather behind him. “It’s not just my decision... It’s what Little Feather chose too.”

Rather than lose all memories and become an entirely new being, better to take the risk and use a new body to carry on those memories.

Just as he said, it wasn’t a decision he made alone.

After hearing everything, Little Feather had chosen the second option on its own... It too didn’t want to give up those precious memories.

Chu Guang nodded. "I respect your choice."

With Falling Feather’s final decision made, the operation to transfer Little Feather to level B6 began quickly, carried out by the same team from last time.

A squad of fully armed players, led by Old White, took the elevator down to level B6, quickly forming ranks outside the airlock room.

“Team A, with me! Team B, lay down suppressing fire!”

“Our target is the server room! Move!”

“Awooo!”

With synchronized clicking sounds, LD-47 rifles and LD-47j light machine guns were loaded, and the 20-man squad quickly charged into the corridor.

The dozen or so Crunchers killed previously had already been reabsorbed by the Hive, their organic matter recombined into new creatures.

Of course, ordinary Mutant Slime Mold were no match for the players. In a flash of gunfire, they were cleared out swiftly and efficiently.

Under Old White’s lead, the elite monsters of the Burning Corps quickly reached the server room entrance and secured it.

There was no reactor on level B6.

The Hive was hosted on the server system in the bio-lab, with tendrils replacing the cables and coolant lines inside the chassis.

“Pass the inhibitor.”

“Roger.” Quit Smoking pulled a canister the size of a soda can from his pack and tossed it to Old White, who was clearing the path in his exoframe.

Catching the canister, Old White deftly removed the safety pin and, as the server room’s door swung open, hurled it inside.

The moment the metal cylinder touched the squirming Hive, it was instantly devoured. But moments later, the Hive seemed to realize it had eaten something it shouldn’t have. It convulsed violently as if electrocuted and spat it out reflexively.

Shame it was too late.

White mist sprayed from the metal tube, and the instant it touched the Hive, the trembling began to slow visibly.

The concentrated pheromone was like an anesthetic to Mutant Slime Mold.

Still, the Hive wasn’t a typical creature, the anesthetic effect probably wouldn’t last long.

Tapping his index finger against his helmet, Old White spoke calmly. “The Hive is under control... Falling Feather, how’s it looking on your end?”

"... Just got off the elevator. I’m almost there."

“Good, you better hurry.”

The sound of elevator doors came through the communications channel. Maybe it was his imagination, but the moment Little Feather arrived at level B6, Old White could clearly feel the Hive become more agitated.

Very soon, Little Feather appeared before them, taking up half the corridor. The tendrils behind its head writhed like giant pythons.

Staring at the creature, Night Ten couldn’t help but mutter quietly, “God damn... This thing’s looking more and more like Tail’s tentacle monster.”

Falling Feather ignored the comment. His attention was wholly focused on the Hive in the server room.

Judging by size alone, Little Feather was clearly much smaller.

A trace of worry flashed in Falling Feather’s eyes. But just then, a tendril gently fell on his shoulder.

“Yiwu.”

Startled slightly, he looked to Little Feather beside him, watching him quietly.

“You’re trying to say... I shouldn’t worry, right?”

“Yiwu!” Little Feather nodded.

Though its abstract form made it hard to see expressions, Falling Feather could sense its unwavering confidence.

Not wanting to betray that courage, he took a deep breath and returned the look with equal determination. “Go get ’em!”