Bearing the blue sky

Chapter 335 The Target Appears!

Zhu Ge felt the changes brought about by that choice.

His body is continuously absorbing nutrients from the food, and his fur is becoming thicker and denser.

But he also noticed the differences between himself and his father and mother.

He is a squirrel, and they are three squirrels and two squirrels respectively.

He was just a squirrel.

The organisms here are able to split their bodies into multiple individuals in some way while maintaining a unified connection.

The goal of the simulation is to "find another squirrel and evolve into two squirrels".

This means that he needs to go from being a single squirrel to somehow combining or merging with another squirrel to become two squirrels.

He observed his father and mother.

Three squirrels and two squirrels mated and gave birth to him—a squirrel.

This means that reproduction in this world follows certain quantifiable rules.

Perhaps he needs to find another squirrel, then live with it, eat with it, grow with it, and eventually evolve into two squirrels?

"First, observe the behavior patterns of the father and mother." He Zhu Ge's heart stirred: "Understand how they coordinate the movements between multiple bodies."

You choose to observe your father's and mother's behavioral patterns.

You lift your head from the nest and notice that your father's three squirrel heads are facing three different directions. The head on the left front is responsible for monitoring the area to the left of the nest entrance, the head on the right rear is responsible for monitoring the area to the right of the nest entrance, and the middle head maintains a view of the inside of the nest and directly in front of the nest entrance.

Their movements were highly coordinated, as if a complete information exchange system was continuously operating between the three heads.

The mother's two squirrels moved differently from the father's. Their heads faced the same direction side-by-side, and their movements were almost perfectly synchronized, as if their two consciousnesses had merged into one, no longer needing to make individual decisions.

You notice that your father's three squirrels pause slightly when moving, as if the three heads are exchanging information, while your mother's two squirrels move more smoothly, as if they no longer need extra communication time.

You observed them for a considerable period of time and gradually came to understand the differences between them.

[The father's three squirrels are more like a small group, with three independent consciousnesses that coordinate their actions through continuous information exchange.]

The mother's two squirrels are more like a merged whole, their two consciousnesses having merged into a more unified existence.

You are beginning to understand the possibilities of evolution in this world.

[You've noticed the direction of the sunlight at the entrance of the nest is changing; it's already afternoon.]

The father's three squirrels are returning from their burrow, each carrying a different kind of fruit and seed on its head, which it is placing one by one at the pile at the burrow entrance.

Your choice is—

[First, they crawled towards the entrance of the burrow and followed their father—the three squirrels—out to forage for food, attempting to join him.]

[Second, they remain in the nest, eating with their mother—the two squirrels—and continue to observe and absorb the behavioral patterns of their parents.]

Third, try to crawl out of the nest entrance independently and explore the area around the nest on your own.

Zhu Ge felt the state of her body.

His fur was thicker than before, his stomach was rapidly digesting and absorbing the food, and his growth rate was accelerating.

However, he has not yet fully mastered how to control his body as a squirrel, and there is still room for improvement in the coordination of his limbs.

He hesitated for a moment, then chose to stay in the nest.

You chose to stay in the nest, eating with your mother—one of the two squirrels—and continue to observe and learn from your parents' behavior.

[The mother—two squirrels lower their heads simultaneously, pushing a cracked nut in front of you.]

The aroma of the nuts is very rich, with a heavier, oily quality than that of wild berries.

As you lower your head to eat that nut, the fats and proteins are quickly broken down in your stomach, converted into energy needed for your body's growth.

You can feel your bones and muscles growing at a faster rate than before.

The mother squirrels took turns lowering their heads to either side of your body, using their body heat to keep you warm.

Your body is growing steadily, your fur is noticeably thicker, and your limb coordination is gradually improving.

You are growing into an individual capable of independent action.

During that long period of growth, Zhu Ge felt that she was gradually growing from a cub that needed her mother's care into an individual capable of independent action.

His fur had fully grown, displaying a glossy, fiery red color that shimmered with a fine sheen in the sunlight.

His limb coordination is already good enough that he can move freely inside the nest, try to crawl to the nest entrance, and linger briefly at the edge of the nest entrance to sense the breath and light of the outside world.

He noticed that his father and mother were taking turns going out to forage for food, and each time they would bring back different fruits, seeds and nuts.

Their movements are becoming more and more skillful, as if they have already established a stable foraging route in this area and are continuously increasing the food stored in their nests.

You have grown to the point where you can act independently.

Your choice is—

[First, follow the father—the Three Squirrels—out on foraging trips to learn its routes and foraging techniques.]

Second, follow the mother squirrel out to forage and learn her behavior patterns.

Third, it ventures out alone to forage for food, explores the vicinity of its nest, and establishes its own route.

Zhu Ge felt the state of her body.

He was strong enough, with thick fur and coordinated limbs, to move independently.

Going out to find food alone!

Maybe they've struck it lucky and encountered a tribulation?

You choose to venture out alone to forage for food, exploring the vicinity of your burrow and establishing your own route.

You crawled out of the nest and experienced the outside world for the first time.

It's a richer presence than inside the den. The sunlight shines on your fur, carrying a warm feeling, brighter than what you'd feel at the edge of the den.

The wind whispers past your ears, carrying the scents of leaves and earth, along with the faint sound of flowing water in the distance.

You stand at the edge of the nest, your front paws resting on a protruding piece of bark, experiencing this new world.

You begin to climb upwards towards the treetop. Your claws grip tightly onto the crevices and protrusions of the bark, each step steady and precise. Your tail keeps you balanced behind you, constantly adjusting your center of gravity as you climb.

You've arrived at the branching point of the tree canopy, where the sunlight is brighter than you expected, and several branches are laden with ripe fruit and seeds.

You've found some food that can be gathered; it's hanging on a tree branch.

You begin gathering the food, picking it off one by one, putting it in your mouth, and then carrying it back to the nest entrance along the branches, piling it up in the storage area near the entrance.

You are establishing your own foraging route.

Zhu Ge climbed upwards along the thick branch, its claws firmly gripping the gaps and protrusions in the bark, its tail maintaining a delicate balance behind it.

However, although he is a martial arts master, he cannot use any of his external powers in the simulation.

"But such insights are rare."

His gaze swept quickly through the branches and leaves of the tree canopy, searching for traces of ripe fruit and seeds.

The tree's canopy was denser than he had initially thought.

The branches intertwine overhead to form a complex network, and sunlight filters through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the tree trunk.

He could smell the scent of ripe fruit emanating from several nearby places and moved in the direction of the scent.

At the intersection of two intersecting branches, a nut was found hidden under the leaves. Its shell had turned dark brown and had a small crack on its surface, as if it was ripening naturally.

He carefully placed his front paws on either side of the nut and used his incisors to bite down hard along the edge of the crack.

The shell cracked slightly as he bit down, splitting in two along the crack to reveal the plump kernel inside.

He lowered his head, put the kernel in his mouth, returned to the entrance of the nest along the way he came, piled it in the storage location, and then climbed up the same branch again to find the next fruit.

He made several trips back and forth, and the food in the storage location gradually increased.

You are establishing your own foraging route. Your movements are becoming more skilled, and your familiarity with the branches is increasing, as if you are gradually transforming this canopy into your territory.

You have found enough food to sustain your life in this area.

You've established your own foraging route within this canopy and gradually expanded your range, extending to the outer branches of the canopy to search for more diverse food sources.

Life moved forward at a more independent pace than before.

He wakes up from his nest every morning and climbs along the route he has built to different areas of the canopy to collect fruit and seeds.

Then they are taken back to the storage location and go out again, repeating the cycle to form a stable daily rhythm.

He could feel himself becoming more agile, with the precision and speed of his movements continuously improving.

His tail is now able to make most of the balance adjustments without him even thinking, and his claws can grasp those small bark protrusions and crevices more accurately.

You notice a neighboring tree beneath the canopy, its branches extending a distance in your direction, separated from the canopy of the tree you are currently standing on by a gap.

The gap wasn't wide, but it wasn't narrow enough to jump across directly. You could see some fruits and seeds on the tree's canopy that resembled your current location.

You sensed the presence of another squirrel in the canopy of that tree; its scent briefly appeared at the edge of your perception range before disappearing.

Your choice is—

[First, try jumping over the gap between the tree canopies to explore the tree and find more food sources and potential conversation partners.]

Second, remain in your current tree and reinforce the foraging routes and storage systems you have already established.

Third, first observe the squirrels at the edge of the gaps between the tree canopies to determine their movement patterns and activity range before making a decision.

He thought about it. He hadn't fully confirmed the squirrel's movement patterns and activity range in that tree, but jumping over the gap rashly might expose him to another possible danger.

"First, observe the squirrels at the edge of the gaps between the tree canopies," he decided. "Confirm the squirrels' movement patterns and activity range in that tree before making a decision."

To be on the safe side, it's best to stick to the old ways.

You choose to first observe from the edge of the gap between the tree canopies.

You move along the branches towards the edge of the canopy, stopping on the outermost branch. That branch is slightly thinner than your weight can support; you feel it bend slightly under your weight, but not quite snapping.

You perched on that branch, your front paws resting on the tip, your gaze passing over the gap to the canopy of the neighboring tree.

You can see the outline of that tree's branches in the sunlight; its canopy is denser than the tree you're on, with fewer gaps between the branches and leaves.

You see a fiery red figure moving swiftly through the middle of the tree canopy, leaping from one branch to another with fluid and rapid movements, as if it were already accustomed to the environment of that area.

You've confirmed that it's "a squirrel."

[After observing for a while, you noticed that the squirrel's movement followed a certain pattern, as if it were moving along a fixed path through the tree canopy.]

Its movements have a steady rhythm, its steps are smooth and precise, and the swing of its tail is different from your usual pattern, with a slightly faster frequency.

You notice that it isn't actively moving towards your direction.

The squirrel was also observing you from the edge—its movements subtly shifted its direction.

Zhu Ge observed that the squirrel was indeed observing him.

Its body paused briefly at the edge of the tree canopy, in a posture very similar to his, as if confirming whether the presence on the other side was worth further contact.

After lingering for a while, the squirrel turned and returned along the path it had come from into the depths of the canopy, never to reappear in Zhu Ge's sight.

You observed that the squirrel had returned to the depths of the tree canopy and had not reappeared in your sight.

Your choice is—

First, jump over the gap and go to the tree to find the squirrel. Try to establish a connection with it.

Second, return to your own territory, continue to consolidate your current domain, and await the next encounter.

Third, leave scent markers at the edge of the tree canopy to let the squirrel know you're there, and wait for it to come to you.

Another squirrel—Zhu Ge thought for a moment and decided to leave a scent mark at the edge of the tree canopy.

You choose to leave a scent mark at the edge of the tree canopy to let the squirrel know you're there, and wait for it to come to you.

You moved along the branches towards the edge of the canopy, stopping on the outermost branch. You gently rubbed the branch's surface a few times with the glands on the side of your cheek, leaving a trace of your scent.

The scent wasn't strong, but it lingered in the air for a while, enough for any squirrel passing through the area to sense your presence.

You returned to your burrow along the same path you came from.

A potential connection has formed between you and that squirrel.