Bearing the blue sky

Chapter 333 A Pine Tree

Zhu Ge closed her eyes and sank her mind into that familiar space of consciousness.

The simulator's interface appeared in his perception, its edges shimmering with faint light.

He noticed that the remaining simulation attempts had decreased from sixteen to fifteen, while the six new traits in the trait inventory remained, waiting for him to make a choice at the appropriate time.

He didn't rush to make a choice, but instead sat quietly in his mind for a moment, letting the lingering charm of the previous banyan tree completely settle down.

"Second simulation."

"Activate!"

[Survival of the Fittest Simulator is now enabled.]

The theme of this strengths and weaknesses simulation is: Tribulation Transcending.

[Number of simulation attempts remaining: 15.]

[Would you like to begin this simulation?]

Yes or No

"yes.

"6

Consciousness immersion simulation.

You became a pine seed, waiting to take root on a bare rock.

Your shell is hard, dark brown, and covered with fine, deep patterns, tight and strong, like a meticulously woven suit of armor.

Your seed coat is covered with a very thin oily film that protects it from dryness and microbial attack. Your embryo is dormant, waiting for the right conditions of moisture, temperature, and light to awaken it and convert the nutrients stored in the cotyledons into the driving force for growth.

A thin layer of moss and dead leaves surrounds you, forming a protective cover on the side closest to the ground. You are situated in a crevice between the rock surface and the moss layer, with gaps above and slowly seeping moisture below.

Your choice is—

[First, concentrate energy at the root tip, digging deeper below the rock surface to find a more stable soil layer.]

Second, concentrate energy at the tip of the germinal bud, pushing upwards through the moss layer and gravel to be the first to receive sunlight.

[Third, maintain the current position and continue to absorb the slowly seeping water and nutrients from the moss layer, waiting for conditions to become more favorable before deciding on a new direction.]

Banyan trees take root and sprout in moist soil, while pine seeds grow on a bare rock surface, surrounded only by a thin layer of moss and dead leaves, providing fragile and limited initial support and protection.

This time, the starting point is different from that of the banyan tree—Zhu Ge senses the state of that seed.

The first one was a banyan tree, and the second one was a pine tree.

Zhu Ge pondered the commonalities among them.

What exactly is this so-called tribulation?

The outer shell is hard, and the oil film on the surface is slowly preventing moisture loss. The embryo is in a dormant state, waiting for a definite signal to determine when it should wake up.

These seeds are not large, but they are sturdy, and the stored nutrients should be enough to support them through the initial growth stage.

However, its location is rather unique; if it chooses to take root downwards, it may need to find enough cracks on the rock surface to penetrate deeper.

If it chooses to grow upwards, it may be able to get sunlight more quickly, but if the root system is not deep enough, it may face the risk of insufficient water when the dry season arrives.

He felt the temperature and humidity of the rock surface. The rock on this side was fine-textured with a few shallow lines on the surface, but there were not enough cracks to accommodate the roots.

The moss layer is thin, but it is indeed permeable to water, which means that some rainwater and dew can pass through the moss layer to reach the area around the seeds.

He needs to make a choice.

"Maintain the current position." Zhu Ge chose the safe approach: "Absorb the moisture and nutrients from the moss layer first, and then decide on the direction when conditions are right."

You choose to remain in your current position and continue absorbing the moisture and nutrients seeping from the moss layer.

The plumule inside the seed coat begins to slowly awaken. The starch in the cotyledons is gradually being converted into sugars that the plumule can utilize, and the tip of the radicle begins to advance towards the edge of the seed coat.

On the twelfth day, a rain fell on the rock surface. The rainwater seeped through the moss layer, creating a temporary moist environment around you. You absorbed a large amount of moisture, and the activity of the germinal buds increased significantly.

You sense a very fine crack forming at the edge of the seed coat, as if the radicle is pushing against the surface of the seed coat from the inside out.

The radicle is breaking through the seed coat.

You sense the cracks in the seed coat are widening, and the root tip is about to come into contact with air and moisture from the moss layer.

Your choice is—

[First, allow the radicle to extend downwards, penetrating the moss layer and searching for crevices on the rock surface.]

Second, prioritize allowing the embryo to grow upwards, emerge from the seed coat, and be exposed to sunlight.

[Third, continue to absorb water and nutrients, allowing the radicle and plumule to advance slowly simultaneously, but prioritizing the advancement of the root system.]

This choice is more nuanced than the last one.

The radicle breaking through the seed coat is a crucial step.

He can choose to let the roots grow downwards first, or he can choose to let the buds grow upwards first, or he can choose to promote both at the same time but with priority given to the roots.

If the root system can quickly find cracks in the rock surface, it can obtain a more stable water supply.

However, if the bud can access sunlight more quickly, photosynthesis can provide it with an additional source of energy.

However, his current location is on the rock surface, and if his roots cannot find a crack, they may get trapped in the moss layer and be unable to penetrate deeper.

"Prioritize letting the radicle extend downwards." He made a different choice than before: "Through the moss layer, look for crevices on the rock surface."

You chose to prioritize allowing the radicle to extend downwards.

The radicle emerges from the seed coat, penetrates the moss layer, and contacts the rock surface. Your root tip extends laterally along the rock surface for a distance, finding an extremely fine crevice between the moss and rock surfaces, just wide enough for the root tip to pass through.

[Your roots push deeper along that fissure, the resistance from the rock is less than expected, as if the fissure has been soaked in water for many years, and its edges have become relatively smooth.]

You've found a crevice in the rock surface.

The root tip continued deeper along the crevice, reaching a more moist, sandy layer.

The layer between rock and soil has a texture that allows it to retain moisture and provide support for the roots.

Your roots found their initial foothold in the cracks of the rocks.

[Gained Trait: Gap Finder.]

Zhu Ge sensed a growth rhythm completely different from that of the banyan tree simulation.

Pine trees grow more slowly and cautiously. The banyan tree expands its roots in moist soil with a sense of expansiveness, like water flowing through a wide river.

The texture of pine roots traveling through rock crevices is completely different. Each step requires precise alignment with the direction of the crevic, and they cannot freely expand their lateral roots as they do in soil.

However, the nutrient concentration in the rock crevices is not low.

Those fine sandy interlayers contain abundant minerals, which are thinner than the surface soil but not less concentrated. They are like residues deposited after being repeatedly soaked by water, and are being slowly absorbed by the root tips.

On the sixtieth day, your roots have penetrated deep into the crevices of the rock, exceeding the length of the seed.

You have established a stable foothold in this fissure, and the underlying layer continuously provides moisture and nutrients, enough to support your further growth.

Your choice is—

[First, continue pushing deeper along the same fissure, seeking a more stable and deeper space for growth.]

Second, the roots begin to extend laterally, seeking more crevices in the rocks and sources of nutrients.

Third, initiate the growth of the bud tip, allowing the embryo to begin extending upwards and striving to expose it to sunlight as early as possible.

This time, the choice is different from that of the banyan tree.

Banyan trees do not need to worry about water supply in moist soil, while pine trees grow in rock crevices. Although they have found a water source, their nutrient sources are still limited.

If we continue to push deeper, we can obtain more stable water, but the source of nutrients may become more singular.

Expanding to the side may allow access to more different gaps and layers, but may also lead to the risk of narrowing gaps or becoming impassable.

If you want to start bud growth, you can expose the plant to light as early as possible, but the root system needs to be deep enough to support the energy consumption of subsequent growth.

After considering it for a moment, Zhu Ge decided to complete the initial expansion first.

"Expand the root system to the side." He made his choice: "After establishing sufficient support points at the current depth, then consider growing upwards."

You have chosen to begin expanding your root system laterally.

Your taproot remains within the underlying layer, while several thinner lateral roots emerge from its middle and distal sections, extending laterally along transverse fissures in the rock surface.

You discover that the texture of this rock layer is not uniform; it contains multiple layers of fine cracks and interlayers, resembling an irregular structure formed during geological activity, interconnected by tiny channels.

Your lateral roots gradually extend along those channels, eventually covering a larger area of ​​the interlayer and fracture system.

You noticed slight differences in temperature and humidity between the different sections, but the overall environment was relatively uniform, with no obvious water shortage.

As the lateral roots expand, your taproot also slowly thickens and forms a tighter connection with the edge of the rock crevice.

[You've built a support network of taproots and lateral roots beneath the surface of this rock. Your height hasn't increased significantly, but your root system has firmly penetrated the cracks in the rock.]

[Gain the trait: Rooted.]

entangled roots?

Zhu Ge's heart stirred.

This trait sounds different from the rooting and branching in the banyan tree simulation; it's more like a way to establish a stable support network in a confined space.

His roots really need to find their place in this environment.

The space in the rock crevices is limited and cannot expand freely like soil, but there are more fissures and interlayers in the rock than expected, which are together forming a solid foundation that can support its subsequent growth.

[On the 90th day, your root system has covered a considerable area.]

[You perceive that the connection between the main stem and lateral roots of the root system has become largely stable, and the tips of the lateral roots have reached the interface of new water and nutrient sources.]

After this adaptation period, your growth begins to shift to a new phase; you choose to initiate the growth of the embryo, allowing it to extend upwards.

The shoot you pulled from the seed coat is breaking through the moss-covered rock surface, its tip bearing two tiny cotyledons.

It pierced through the cracks in the moss and gravel, encountering a new kind of light, with a bright and warm presence, completely different from the stable dampness in the underground crevices.

[Your first set of true leaves is unfolding, touching the first ray of light since you arrived in this manor.]

[Gained Trait: Breakthrough.]

Light?

How heartwarming.

Zhu Ge could feel that warmth flowing into his senses from the surface of the leaf.

The leaves of pine trees differ from those of banyan trees; they are longer, more rigid, and possess a texture that adapts to both dryness and light.

It is slowly expanding the area that can receive sunlight, allowing more sunlight to be converted into energy for growth, and each new leaf is expanding the range of light it can receive.

He was able to sense his surroundings; he was in the middle of a hillside, with exposed rocks and sparse vegetation.

His roots were planted in a crevice in a rock, where soil was scarce, but enough nutrients accumulated in the crevice to sustain his growth.

Its height has reached a certain level, gradually transitioning from a low, budding state to the form of a small animal.

Although it is far from being tall, its roots are deep enough to keep it stable on windy hillsides.

[On the 180th day, you have reached a considerable level of understanding.]

Your trunk has completely detached from the moss layer and is growing straight upwards. The surface of the trunk is covered with a layer of silvery-gray hide, with fine, scaly texture that reflects some sunlight and reduces moisture evaporation.

You have established a firm foothold on this hillside.

Zhu Ge felt the touch of sunlight reflecting off the silvery-gray animal hide.

The scale-like patterns are dense and orderly, like carefully arranged tiles.

Each piece is slightly upturned, allowing rainwater to slide down the lining and the wind to flow more quickly over the surface of the hide.

He felt himself gradually adapting to the climate of this hillside.

When the wind blows from above the hillside, its trunk bends slightly to relieve some of the pressure, instead of being blown around as it does when it is a low-lying bud.

His roots continue to extend in the crevices of the rocks, and the main root and lateral roots have formed a support network that covers an area of ​​about the size of a house.

The minerals in those fine sandy interlayers are slowly absorbed by his root tips, transforming into cell wall growth and thickening of the hide.

[On the 197th day, your height continues to increase. Your crest is forming a more complete layered structure, with branches branching off from the main trunk and extending in different directions, forming a symmetrical and stable crest outline.]

You sense a much taller pine tree above the hillside, its crown wider and its trunk thicker than yours.

The roots of that pine tree extend along the hillside, covering a large area, but are some distance away from yours and do not directly contact it.

Your choice is—

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