[But before taming it…]Yu Zi Yu paused, a thought forming in his mind. One of his branches slowly lifted and bent downward.
Snap.
The tip broke off, and a drop of faintly glowing green liquid seeped out. It was his essence—pure vitality circulating within his body.
What it would do to other creatures… Yu Zi Yu had absolutely no idea.
Still, he couldn't suppress the curiosity rising within him. He glanced at the injured Red Fox, his mind drifting into dangerous speculation.
If it was beneficial, perhaps it would make the fox easier to tame.If it was poisonous… then Yu Zi Yu could only sigh at the fox's unfortunate fate.
[In the end, this is all for understanding myself. Everything is for my own growth.]
…
Drip.
The bead of glowing liquid fell directly onto the Red Fox's head.
The reaction was immediate.
Right before Yu Zi Yu's stunned gaze, the Red Fox trembled violently. Then its legs buckled as if struck by lightning, and it collapsed onto its belly.
"Ka—!"A sharp, duck-like cry tore from its throat as its claws raked at the ground.
Kicck— Kicck—!Deep trenches were carved into the soil with each frantic strike.
Only then did Yu Zi Yu notice that its claws had grown—thicker, sharper, and far more terrifying.
But that wasn't the most shocking part.
The Red Fox was… growing.
In mere seconds, the one-meter-long fox stretched to one and a half meters, its body now comparable to a cheetah—yet far more elegant. Its crimson fur rippled like living flames, and its fiery eyes burned even brighter, breathtaking in their beauty.
"…Is this evolution?"Yu Zi Yu whispered, half in awe, half in disbelief.
His gaze shifted to the broken branch.
His heart tightened.
The once-healthy branch had already withered into a sickly yellow, its vitality drained. He could barely move it.
[Shit.]
[No way… does extracting my essence actually damage my body!?]
Thankfully, it was only one branch.If several had withered, Yu Zi Yu would have cried on the spot.
Still, this discovery sparked a new realization in his mind.
Perhaps the essence flowing through him… was the true form of Evolution Points.
Evolution Points gave him complete control over his body. And now, after losing some essence, his control over this branch had drastically weakened—its strength plummeted. It could no longer shatter rock with a single lash.
"Maybe… time will replenish the essence," Yu Zi Yu murmured, thinking aloud.
…
After a while, the Red Fox had grown to the size of a small calf. At the moment, it was affectionately licking the branch Yu Zi Yu extended toward it.
Instinct.Pure instinct.
Animals were simple—they lacked the complexity of human thought.If you helped them, they became attached.
The fox's behavior was clear: Yu Zi Yu's essence had benefited it immensely.This Red Fox wasn't ordinary. Its flame-like fur shimmered brilliantly, radiating both strength and beauty.
Its eyes shone brighter and brighter—like flames rising in the depths.
Just then, Yu Zi Yu's gaze froze.
A translucent status window had appeared above the Red Fox, identical to the one he possessed.
Race: Mutant Red Fox Life: 3/20 Years Rank: Tier-0, Level 4 Unique Ability:Enchanting Eyes — Gorgeous, mystical eyes capable of bewitching.
"Rank…? Tier-0…?"Yu Zi Yu muttered in confusion.
A brand-new term.
He immediately focused on his own body.
Race: Mutant Weeping Willow Life: 0.4/100 Years Evolution Points: 0.2
(Can be obtained by absorbing unknown energy, refining sunlight, or preying on creatures—animals or plants—and extracting from them.)
Rank: Tier-0, Level 9 Unique Abilities:
• Mutated Branches (50): Flexible as arms, swift as wind• Mutated Roots (9): Terrifying python-like roots capable of strangling anything
So he had gained a rank evaluation at some point.
And he was… only Entry Level 9.
Still, considering how easily he suppressed the Red Fox, it made sense he was four levels higher.
[Tier-0…? Does that mean future ranks will be Tier-1, Tier-2…?]
He found himself in partial agreement.If so, the power system would be clear and organized.
…
[Wait… something's off.]
Yu Zi Yu's heart skipped.
[Doesn't this mean… I'm actually climbing toward transcendence?]
The thought made his branches tremble.
This world was different—clearly at the dawn of a Spiritual Energy resurgence. Everything was evolving into something supernatural.
This Red Fox…His own tree-body…
And above all—
[Not to mention that Golden Eagle in the sky… watching me from time to time.]