Bearing the blue sky

Chapter 336 The Group

That period lasted for several days.

Zhuge gathers food along its own foraging route every day, then returns to its nest to rest.

He would go to the edge of the tree canopy every morning and evening to check if the scent mark was still there, replenish the traces of the scent mark, and then return.

When he returned to the edge of the canopy on the morning of the fourth day, he confirmed that a new scent mark had appeared next to the scent marker.

The texture of that aura was the same as that of the squirrel he had briefly identified in the treetop, with a slightly heavier, oily feel.

You confirmed that the squirrel had detected your scent mark and left its own scent trail next to it.

You sense that the squirrel's presence is becoming clearer. It has crossed the gap in the tree canopy and is approaching the tree where you are.

Your choice is—

[First, actively move towards the direction of that aura and encounter the squirrel in the middle of the tree canopy.]

Second, remain in your current position and wait for the squirrel to completely enter your territory.

Third, return to your burrow and wait for the squirrel to find you by following your scent trail.

He decided to move towards the direction of that aura and meet the squirrel before it completely entered his territory.

You choose to move towards the direction of that aura and encounter the squirrel in the middle of the treetop.

You move along the branches towards the middle of the canopy, stopping at a fork in the canopy. Not far away, a fiery red figure leaps from an adjacent branch, landing about three feet in front of you.

That was a squirrel. It was about your size, and its fur was a slightly lighter shade of fiery red, shimmering with a warm sheen in the sunlight.

Its tail swayed gently in front of you, its posture relaxed, showing no obvious signs of alertness or defensiveness.

You met in the middle of the tree canopy.

It sat perched on the branch, its front paws resting on the bark, its gaze fixed on you, its nostrils twitching slightly, as if trying to identify your scent.

Its posture remained relaxed.

You responded, maintaining a relaxed posture, and took a step closer to it.

You established an initial connection during your first encounter. No words were spoken between you; you simply confirmed each other's presence.

Zhu Ge squatted on that branch, sensing the presence of the squirrel.

It did not rush to leave, nor did it show any signs of tension or defensiveness.

It just sat there quietly, its tail occasionally swaying, as if maintaining its balance or conveying some faint signal.

He observed its movements—its ears were slowly turning, trying to catch sounds in its surroundings.

Its gaze swept over his fur and tail, assessing his size and condition. It was also observing him, scrutinizing his presence.

Its fur was a slightly lighter color than his, and it shimmered with a warm sheen in the sunlight.

At the tip of its tail is a small tuft of darker hair, forming a faint mark, as if it were a trace on its body that could distinguish individual differences.

He noticed that its posture was different from its previous tension, as if it was gradually adapting to his presence, confirming a possible way of contact from the brief encounter.

You notice that the squirrel's tail is wagging less frequently, as if it's shifting from an initial cautious state to a more relaxed one.

Its gaze lingered on you for a longer period, assessing you and confirming your presence.

You made a response.

You slightly tilt your head, revealing a patch of fur on the side of your neck—a gesture indicating that you are not threatening, that you have lowered your guard, and are willing to make contact with it.

It responded similarly, lowering its head slightly and touching the surface of the branch in front of it with the tip of its nose, as if responding to your trust.

Your contact is becoming more frequent.

The squirrel took a step closer to you along the branch, closing the distance to about two feet. Its tail swayed gently in front of you, the tip slightly upturned.

It's asserting its presence to you in the manner of a squirrel, because it wants to build a deeper connection with you.

Zhu Ge sensed that the aura was gradually stabilizing.

The squirrel had stopped in front of him, no longer appearing ready to leave at any moment as it had initially done.

His body was slowly, instinctively approaching another squirrel. The series of movements were not something he was actively controlling, but rather a behavioral pattern that his body had developed over a long period of evolution as a squirrel.

He could feel himself being guided closer to it, as if two parts were slowly adjusting their positions to each other.

You've established a stable symbiotic relationship with that squirrel; you've begun sharing foraging routes and storage locations, traversing the canopy together.

You two are gradually becoming a couple.

You feel your sense of existence as a squirrel is changing; you are transitioning from a state of being one squirrel to a state of being two squirrels.

The transition wasn't drastic or sudden; it seemed to be happening slowly and gradually.

You've developed a good understanding with that squirrel; you both sit on the same branch, your tails intertwined.

You feel a faint connection forming between your tails, like a slow, continuous establishment of a shared space of consciousness.

You are gradually becoming "two squirrels," acquiring the trait: symbiosis.

The moment that connection formed at the tip of the tail, Zhu Ge felt his range of perception expanding in a strange way.

He could not only sense his own physical condition, but also the emotions that the squirrel was experiencing.

Its slight tension is being replaced by a slow adaptation.

He could sense its breathing rhythm, which was gradually synchronizing with his own, as if two streams of air were slowly approaching the same frequency.

He could feel its heartbeat, which gradually calmed down from its initial slight acceleration, forming a faint, continuous resonance with his own heartbeat.

They are becoming two squirrels.

A connection is forming between them, gradually becoming a shared way of being, like two consciousnesses merging into the same body, a bridge being built.

[You have successfully connected; you are now two squirrels.]

[Your field of vision has changed; you can now see two directions simultaneously: the tree canopy to your left and the tree canopy to your right. These two directions appear in your perception at the same time, creating a broader picture than a single field of vision.]

You can simultaneously feel the tactile sensation of your two pairs of front paws contacting the branches, the supporting force of your two pairs of hind legs, and your two tails maintaining balance behind you.

The two tactile sensations coexist without appearing chaotic, as if they were different parts of the same body.

You perceive that your consciousness is undergoing adaptive changes, as if it is adjusting to accommodate more information.

You and that squirrel have completed your connection; a symbiotic relationship has been established, and you are sharing the same sensory system and the same mobility capabilities.

You evolved into two squirrels.

The simulation is ongoing.

His range has expanded to neighboring trees, and his foraging routes have extended to a wider area.

Two squirrels have a wider field of vision than one squirrel, and can monitor two directions at the same time, which significantly improves their efficiency in gathering food and sensing danger.

You are working together with your companion. You are moving simultaneously on two adjacent branches, gathering food together, storing food together, and returning to your nest together.

The cooperation between you is becoming increasingly close and smooth.

The connection between you and your partner is becoming more stable; your movements are gradually synchronizing, and your breathing rhythms are approaching harmony.

You are becoming a complete, fully functional pair of squirrels.

Your choice is—

First, continue to work together with your partners to strengthen your bonds and develop a closer relationship of coexistence.

Second, begin searching for the third squirrel, attempting to expand the search from two squirrels to three.

Third, based on the condition of the two squirrels, explore a wider area to find new food sources and living space.

He was contemplating the different possibilities that the three choices presented.

The connection between him and his companions is becoming more stable. They have developed a set of efficient cooperative behaviors, and their foraging and perception efficiency has been significantly improved compared to a single squirrel.

"Continue to act together with our partners." He chose the safest approach: "Strengthen ties and develop closer coexistence relationships."

You choose to continue working with your companions, strengthening your bond.

You began to move together in closer proximity. You were on the same branch, less than a body length apart, and your movements became increasingly synchronized.

You all simultaneously bent down to eat the same fruit, simultaneously looked up in the same direction, and simultaneously turned back along the same branch.

The connection between you is becoming increasingly strong, the channels of communication are gradually widening, and the speed of information transmission is accelerating, as if a more efficient information exchange system is being established.

[Your perception range continues to expand, covering increasingly farther areas. Your movements are now synchronized enough to coordinate your direction and speed without making a sound.]

You have completed the transition from a single squirrel to two squirrels, and are now firmly established in this canopy, becoming a part of this forest.

In the simulation, the tree canopy changed with the changing seasons.

The color of the leaves gradually changed from dark green to a deeper shade, and some had already begun to turn yellow and fall.

The number of fruits was less than before, but more fallen leaves and dead branches began to appear under the tree.

You are sensing the passing of the seasons. You perceive the changing colors of the leaves, the shifting temperatures, and the changing wind directions. You have already spent several seasons in this canopy, preparing to embrace new changes.

The connection between you and your companion has stabilized. You share the same sensory system, your actions are becoming increasingly synchronized, and you are forming a closer way of being.

You have successfully transitioned from a single squirrel to two squirrels, gaining the trait: Symbiosis.

Symbiosis, coexistence.

Zhu Ge felt that he was about to touch upon the true truth of "transcending tribulation".

Perhaps he won't even need to wait for the final simulation before he can trigger the unique trait!

Two squirrels have become the backbone of the Three Squirrels population; you can sense their need for more food and more territory.

Therefore, your collective will decides to expand your territory beyond the domains of the other two squirrels and one squirrel, thus gaining a larger hunting range.

Predation range?

territory?

Zhu Ge frowned slightly.

Combined with the previous simulations, it seems that the concept of "competition" has been mentioned in a vague way.

Growth, reproduction, competition.

It seems that all three themes have been covered.

But—"Tribulation Transcending"?

How do we get through this? What exactly is a "calamity"?

Zhu Ge remained skeptical.

"Never mind, let's keep going and see, hopefully we can figure it out soon."

Simulation continues!

As two squirrels, Zhu Ge sensed the aura emanating from the edge of the tree canopy.

The scents were distributed at different depths in the gaps between branches and leaves, separated by a certain distance from each other, but the texture of the scents was similar, as if they were traces left by the same group in different locations.

Zhu Ge has entered the outer area of ​​this canopy.

He could sense the squirrels' movement patterns.

They move at a steady pace through the canopy, advancing layer by layer along a regular path.

The path wasn't random; it left scent marks on the branches at intervals.

They are expanding their territory.

You sense a group of squirrels approaching your territory from the outer edge of the tree canopy. There are approximately four to six of them, maintaining a stable distance and cooperative pattern.

They advance layer by layer along the branches at the edge of the tree canopy, leaving scent marks at each location they pass through, gradually shrinking the area of ​​your current activity space.

Your choice is—

[First, actively approach the group of squirrels. Encounter them at the edge of your territory, using scent and posture to indicate the boundaries of your territory and prepare for battle.]

Second, remain within your territory, strengthen your bonds with your companions, and prepare for potential contact and combat.

Third, move along the edge of the tree canopy, keeping a parallel distance from the group of squirrels, and observe their behavior and cooperative patterns.

coming!

A new option!