Chapter 260

Chapter 260: The Pig Teammate Was Actually Me!?

Trilobite had originally planned to strengthen Angna further. After all, she was already a young lady Cliff Lizard; becoming slightly stronger—even evolving into something like a small Platecarpus or Canglong—could let her dominate the entire swamp, right?

But after checking the Cliff Lizard’s enhancement options and their prices…

"Growing larger was pricey enough already."

"Yet…"

[Streamlined Body Refinement: 30,000]

[Fat Layer Construction: 40,000]

[Limb-to-Fin Transformation: 10,000]

[Enhanced Olfactory Organs (Stage One): 20,000]

…

Way too expensive!

Goodbye to that!

Though Trilobite didn’t mind spending on symbiotic creature young ladies, he wasn’t made of money. Dropping cash for a paper young lady during an event was one thing, but shelling out tens of thousands…

Trilobite remained mostly sensible.

Besides, he currently lacked the Chaos Energy to instantly upgrade "Cliff Lizard" into a small Canglong-type creature.

So he shifted focus to "Symbiotic Creature No. 2"—the Spiny Shark.

That red-haired young lady.

"Ah, the Spiny Shark’s evolution path? I know this cold!"

He knew shark evolution inside out, not just from his "past life" research, but because he’d once been a Carcharocles himself!

Even now, the Olfactory Membranes and Lorenz Jar in this air-sac crocodile’s head were inherited from the Carcharocles!

Naturally, beyond his shark expertise, another reason stood out—"Huh, seems I’ve barely spent anything on this second symbiotic creature young lady since the beginning."

"Didn’t she appeal to me?"

…

Trilobite scrutinized the illustration.

Hair fiery as crimson, a face both lovely and fierce, those long yet voluptuous curves, and that proud, full bust!

What stunned him more: this young lady wore Liyue’s "traditional female attire"—a one-piece resembling a black gymnastic suit…

Her already ample hips strained tightly against the fabric, while those long legs appeared even more shapely and endless.

"Whoa!"

"Such long legs!"

"Totally my type!"

"How’d I miss this before?!"

"And…"

Trilobite had apparently set rules in the System allowing spawn and symbiotic creatures to keep half the Chaos Energy gained through predation.

This created something akin to a "personal account."

Previously, he’d upgraded the "first symbiotic creature" sister, evolving her directly from a Trilobite into a Trilobite Mantis—with roughly forty percent of the Chaos Energy drawn from her personal account.

The fourth symbiotic creature Cliff Lizard’s personal account had nearly run dry, now holding just a few hundred Chaos Energy points. If Trilobite wanted to enhance her again, he’d have to spend his own reserves entirely.

Yet the personal account of the second symbiotic creature Spiny Shark sister held over thirty thousand Chaos Energy points!

Perfect timing!

"Deal!"

"I’ll add twenty thousand points! Combined with your thirty thousand, that’s a fifty-thousand budget!"

Fifty thousand Chaos Energy could accomplish plenty!

Such as…

"Lorentz Jar! Olfactory Membranes! Fluid Dynamics Enhancement! Dorsal Fin Spines!"

"Get me all of them!"

"And then—"

"Grow larger!"

"Grow larger!"

"Grow larger!"

"Grow larger!"

…

After a flurry of adjustments, Trilobite spent over forty-eight thousand of the budgeted fifty thousand points. At last, the most basal, primitive cartilaginous fish evolved into…

"Hmm…"

"This is a Chondrichthyan Shark."

Though differing by just one word from Spiny Shark, Chondrichthyan Sharks were worlds apart.

One represented the most foundational form of cartilaginous fish; the other dominated Devonian seas as an apex predator, second only to Duncker’s fish!

This shark bore some resemblance to modern sharks, though its head appeared stubbier. A sharp spine jutted beside its dorsal fin for self-defense, making its "face" less menacing than contemporary sharks.

Some Chondrichthyan Sharks measured just one to two meters long. Yet the tower-type variant could reach six meters—outstripping even Great White Sharks!

In Devonian oceans, likely only Duncker’s fish threatened them.

This shark rapidly climbed the ranks upon emergence, a truly prestigious debut!

Naturally, Trilobite hadn’t invested enough in growing larger for the second symbiotic creature sister. She fell far short of the tower-type Chondrichthyan Shark’s length, settling as an average—even slightly small—specimen.

At 1.5 meters long, her build lacked the robust, three-dimensional profile of later species. Instead, her slender form echoed wobbegong sharks like the leopard shark.

This elongation proved unsuited for swift ocean pursuit or hunting speed-focused prey: lobe-finned fish, small Canglong, compact ichthyosaurs, petite whales, or seals.

Instead, this form was more suitable for darting around coral reefs, ambushing passing fish.

But it was enough to deal with a Mist Dragon under two meters long!

"Haha!"

"Go get it!"

"Kill…"

Trilobite cheered excitedly, nearly shouting "I choose you, Chondrichthyan Shark!"

But then…

"Eh…"

His excitement died abruptly, replaced by an awkward sigh.

He saw the second symbiotic creature young lady suddenly trembling, half-kneeling on the ground with flushed face and rapid breathing.

Her full legs rubbed and twisted against each other.

Eyes rolling upward…

Meanwhile, her Chondrichthyan Shark body also rolled its eyes, slowly sinking toward the lake bottom…

【Ding——!】

【Significant body modifications require one hour of rest for the spawn.】

"Smack…"

If not for air sac crocodile’s short arms, Trilobite would’ve facepalmed.

"Damn!"

"How’d I forget this?"

After all that, the real clown turned out to be me!

A careless moment had screwed over the paper young lady…

"Still… we just need to last this hour, right?"

"Hmm…"

He checked the system panel again.

His Chaos Energy had dipped below ten thousand points.

No time left to strengthen the Cliff Lizard now.

Turning the battle around with just ten thousand Chaos Energy seemed…

"Wait!"

"I’ve still got this move!"

He reopened the "Evolution STEAM" shop and started buying "attachments" for the spawn.

—-

"Hahahaha…"

Agareth’s subordinate official practically snorted with laughter.

"I thought you had some clever plan."

"Turns out it’s just two against one!"

"But the backup you called is way too weak!"

"I knocked it out with a single tail swipe!"

"I hadn’t even exerted myself!"

Indeed, the subordinate official had initially been wary of that small yet sharp-toothed, exceptionally agile "fish-shaped False Deity."

When the "False Deity" suddenly charged at him from behind, the subordinate official instinctively lashed his tail.

He even doubted whether he’d made contact.

Yet the fierce creature that had been charging now twitched, rolled its eyes, and sank slowly toward the seabed!

Though bewildering, the enemy’s sudden removal from the fight was welcome!

"Now, you’re next!"

"Whoosh—!"

The subordinate official lunged at Angna, who immediately employed tactics honed in the arena—when outmatched, keep moving, circle around, and scout the terrain.

Use the environment to create openings, spot weaknesses mid-motion, then strike decisively when the moment comes!

"But this is the ocean floor!"

"That brute seems more adapted here than I am…"

"If only there were dense woods to hide in!"

"Too bad it’s the seabed—where could…"

Just as Angna despaired…

"Boom—! Boom—! Boom—!"

The seabed suddenly trembled!

The vibrations came from beneath the island where the "Holy Tree" grew!

"Whoosh—!"

A massive sludge eruption plunged the waters into near-total darkness!

"My chance!"

Angna writhed her long body and dove straight into the surging muck.

"Hah!"

"You won’t escape!"

The subordinate official roared, surging after her!

His far bulkier form plunged into the sludge!

But then…

"Thud—!"

"Craaack—!"

A chaotic tangle of rope-like things snagged and dragged him.

"What’s this…?"

"Tree roots?!"