Bearing the blue sky

Chapter 334 Three Squirrels

[First, continue growing upwards, allowing your canopy to reach the same height as that pine tree, thus gaining more sunlight.]

Second, extend the root system along the hillside, gradually approaching the root coverage of the pine tree, and establish a stable connection and a mutually beneficial coexistence.

Third, within the existing height limit, expand the coverage area of ​​branches, leaves, and roots laterally to establish a stable growth pattern over a wider area.

The presence of that pine tree was clear and constant.

Its canopy covers an area above the hillside, with few gaps between the branches and leaves, but it doesn't completely block out all the light below.

Its root system is still some distance away from the root system of Zhuge, and they have not yet come into contact.

Could the tribulation be related to this tree?

"Limited to the existing height, expand the coverage area of ​​branches, leaves and roots to the sides to establish a stable growth pattern over a wider area," Zhu Ge made her choice.

You have chosen to extend the coverage area of ​​your branches, leaves, and root system to the sides, limited by the existing height.

While maintaining its original depth, your main root begins to send out more lateral roots, gradually extending along the fissures and interlayers beneath the rock surface.

The number of lateral roots you send out continues to increase, gradually covering a larger area.

At the same time, you begin to adjust the structure of the tree canopy.

The branches branch off from the main trunk, extending in different directions, maintaining an even distribution in open space so that each area receives sufficient sunlight.

You are establishing a well-structured and evenly distributed growth system on this hillside. The downward-extending root system and the upward-spreading branches and leaves form a close correspondence.

Your growth rate has slowed slightly.

[Gained Trait: Balance.]

Balance?

Zhu Ge sensed that this trait was adjusting his growth pattern.

The relationship between the root system and the canopy is becoming more orderly, as if the upper and lower parts are expanding together in a more coordinated rhythm.

He continued to maintain this growth rhythm, with his roots slowly advancing along the slope, and his canopy forming a more even distribution under the combined influence of wind and light.

[On day 250, your canopy has covered a stable area, with evenly distributed branches and leaves, and no obvious areas of sparseness or over-density.]

Your root system continues to extend along the hillside, gradually covering an area that approaches the root system boundary of the pine tree above.

There was an extremely thin gap between the two root systems, and you could sense that the pine tree's roots were slowly adjusting their direction of extension.

You sense the pine tree's presence remains constant, but it no longer feels like a towering tree you look up at from the hillside. It's more like a companion that has grown alongside you, adapting to the hillside environment at its own pace, maintaining a comfortable distance.

You've found your place on this hillside, and are gradually becoming a part of it.

The simulation continues.

The days flowed forward at a gentle, steady pace. His canopy continued to expand, its branches and leaves covering a wider area than before, allowing it to receive more sunlight and wind. His root system continued to extend into the crevices of the rocks, reaching more layers and fissures at varying depths.

The pine tree above him maintained a suitable distance, and a mutually adaptable boundary had formed between their root systems.

[On the 310th day, you sense a new presence approaching from below the hillside. This presence is different from that of the pine trees; it possesses a softer, more delicate texture, like a sapling extending its senses towards you.]

[You extend your perception along the direction of that aura. It's a small pine tree, shorter than you, with a thin, straight trunk and a crown that hasn't fully unfurled. Its roots are extending towards you, as if searching for a point where they can intersect with the boundary of your root system.]

Your choice is—

[First, extend a root system in the direction of that aura and establish a connection with the small pine tree.]

Second, maintain the existing boundaries and let the little pine tree adapt to its environment.

Third, adjust the direction of your root system to make more room for the small pine tree to grow.

Zhu Ge sensed the new presence; the roots of the small pine tree were slowly approaching him. It was growing faster than expected, as if trying to find its place on the hillside.

He thought for a moment and did not immediately respond to the aura. He first kept his root system within its current distribution range, maintaining a stable boundary in the direction in which the aura was approaching, neither actively extending forward nor obviously retreating.

The roots of the small pine tree slightly adjusted their direction of extension after approaching his boundary. Instead of directly contacting him, they continued to advance a distance along the edge of his boundary before beginning to extend deeper into the interlayer below.

On the 320th day, the roots of the small pine tree had adjusted their direction of extension and were now pushing deeper into the ground.

It chooses to keep its distance from your boundaries, finding its own growth path along the edge of your root system.

You sense that the root system of that small pine tree is gradually becoming more stable, as if it has found a suitable interlayer and fissure system.

You sense a new order forming at the edge of your root system, and the presence of the small pine tree is not significantly disturbing it.

You have been accepted by the sapling; you are becoming part of this hillside, coexisting with the other life around you.

The simulation continued to move forward. His canopy and root system maintained a steady growth rate, gradually integrating into the ecosystem of this hillside.

On the 1200th day, you sensed a change in the presence of the pine tree on the hillside, becoming more expansive than before.

Its root system and your root system have already established a stable coexistence, forming a mutually recognized boundary that doesn't require deliberate maintenance.

Your canopy has already covered a fairly large area, and your root system has established a stable support network in the crevices of the rocks.

A moderate order of growth has formed between you and the other pine trees around you; each tree continues to grow within its own area, maintaining a suitable distance from each other.

You have taken root on this hillside and have become a part of it.

The simulation slowed down here, entering a long period of steady growth.

[On the 1500th day, your height and canopy have reached a fairly stable state.]

Your trunk is straight and thick, and the scaly texture of your bark has become finer, allowing it to better withstand the winds on the hillside.

You sense that everything on this hillside is flowing at its own rhythm: sunlight, wind, rain, temperature, humidity—all operating according to their own laws.

You reached your limit, your branches were lush and verdant, and then you fell and turned into humus.

[Simulation ended.]

[Gain the following traits: Seek Out, Root, Break Through, Balance.]

Please select one trait, or proceed to the next simulation. If you proceed to the next simulation, this trait will be retained for the next simulation.

Zhu Ge's perception was detached from the root system of the pine tree.

He opened his eyes; the morning light outside the window was already higher than before.

The clouds at the edge of the terrace were still slowly drifting, and several monsters were lazily lying down.

He looked down at his hands, feeling those new qualities slowly integrating into his sensory system.

Four traits, six traits—he weighed the differences and connections between them in his mind.

In the end, I still couldn't figure it out.

Tribulation.

Tribulation.

He needs to know the true meaning of this topic in order to potentially trigger the choice of the unique trait.

"call----"

Zhu Ge let out a breath.

Anyway, you have more than ten chances, let's continue.

The third simulation was of a dandelion.

The fourth simulation was a vine.

The fifth simulation was a beetle.

The sixth simulation was of a crocodile.

Seventh simulation —

Fourteen simulations were conducted, and the simulated organisms were all different!

Unlike his previous simulations, which only had one biological form, this one was completely different.

In this simulation, Zhu Ge also had some unexpected surprises.

For example, his martial arts origin was formed by learning the behaviors and skills of various animals and monsters.

Simulating these new animals offers a completely new experience.

It's important to know that observing animals and becoming an animal are two different experiences.

Therefore, Zhu Ge felt that the power of his Dawn Force had greatly increased.

Even if there is no unique trait in the end, it will not have any impact.

The gains from these sixteen realistic simulations have been quite considerable for Zhu Ge.

In this penultimate simulation, Zhu Ge was very relaxed.

Anyway, he already has a lot of these qualities, enough for him to choose from at his own pace.

"Start simulation!"

You've become a squirrel, and your goal is to find another squirrel and evolve into two squirrels.

Zhu Ge was taken aback upon seeing this sentence.

Evolved into two squirrels?

The next moment, in his perception, he was born.

You woke up in your nest and were eating. Your father was three squirrels, and your mother was two squirrels. They had gathered some fruit.

Upon seeing this sentence, Zhu Ge realized that "three squirrels," "two squirrels," and "one squirrel" were all nouns.

In terms of appearance, a single squirrel is a bright red squirrel, while two squirrels are two squirrels that look exactly alike and are connected by their tails.

In other words, he has now become a squirrel, while his father is a squirrel with three tails connected together, and his mother is a squirrel with two tails connected together.

This squirrel nest, including his, clearly contains six squirrels, six brains, and six sets of internal organs—

However, there are only three life forms.

This is a truly wondrous creature, and a truly wondrous experience.

You feel your body is eager to grow, so you eat a lot, but you're still not satisfied; you want to eat more.

That longing rose from the depths of my stomach, with an almost burning urgency.

For the first time, he experienced the sensation of hunger as a squirrel.

It wasn't the kind of hunger that humans can temporarily suppress, but a continuous, instinctive urge that drove him to find more food.

He held a wild fruit in his little paws and nibbled on it.

The pulp is ground up by the incisors, and the juice spreads on the tip of the tongue, carrying a slightly sweet and sour taste.

His stomach was rapidly receiving the debris, as if an invisible hand was constantly filling it, and the container seemed never to be truly filled.

You feel your body is eager to grow, so you eat a lot, but you're still not satisfied; you want to eat more.

[Your mother—two squirrels, one of its two heads turned to you and touched your back with its nose. The movement was very light, as if to confirm that you were still breathing, or as if to convey some kind of silent signal.]

Zhu Ge could feel the warmth from that touch seeping into the fur on her back and traveling down her spine, carrying a continuous and stable presence.

He is gradually adapting to the way he perceives things as a squirrel. His field of vision is narrower than that of a human, but his sense of smell and touch are more sensitive.

He could smell the scent of the hay and fallen leaves in the nest, mixed with the faint fragrance of his mother's fur.

There were also traces of the father's three squirrels' scent left near the entrance to their nest.

The squirrel with three tails connected together was squatting on the edge of its nest, its three heads facing three different directions.

Its movements were coordinated in a way that was less like a single consciousness controlling three bodies at the same time, and more like three consciousnesses sharing the same body, each responsible for a different direction, coordinating their vision and movements in a highly efficient manner.

What kind of heaven-defying species is this? — Zhu Ge noticed this.

His father was the Three Squirrels, with three heads, three pairs of eyes, and three independent internal organ systems, yet they shared the same abdomen and the same tail connection point.

When one head turns to the upper left, another head will simultaneously turn to the lower right, while the third head maintains a stable forward view.

They made no sound, but their movements were perfectly coordinated.

His mother was a squirrel with two heads facing the same direction side by side, and her movements were more synchronized than his father's, as if the two consciousnesses had learned to act together.

It lowered its head and touched Zhu Ge's side with its nose in turn, as if checking his body temperature and condition.

You've received confirmation from your mother that you're growing healthily. Your weight is increasing, and your fur is becoming thicker.

Your choice is—

[First, stay in the nest, eat a lot, and prioritize rapid physical growth.]

[Second, the dog begins to crawl out of the nest and explore the vicinity, familiarizing itself with the surrounding environment.]

Third, observe the behavioral patterns of the father and mother, and learn how they coordinate movements between multiple body parts.

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