At that moment, sharp, high-pitched screeches suddenly pulled Yu Zi Yu out of his thoughts.
As he looked over, he noticed that the drop of essence on the broken branch had split into eight tiny droplets—each one already swallowed by a different Peregrine Falcon.
Chirp… chirp… chirp!Amid their shrill cries, the eight fledglings began trembling uncontrollably.
Immediately after, their bodies started growing at an astonishing speed. They had been no larger than a clenched fist, yet now they had already grown to the size of pigeons.
What stood out most, however, were their beaks. They had curved into the shape of hawk beaks—sharp, cold, and metallic, like the edge of a forged blade.
Their talons had become bigger and sharper as well.
Snap!With just the slightest movement, their talons tore the entire nest apart.
But Yu Zi Yu hardly paid attention to the ruined nest. At this moment, the eight Peregrine Falcons had already spread their wings.
Whoosh!With a slight shake of their long, pointed wings, a burst of fierce wind swept across the tree.
Then—much to Yu Zi Yu's shock—the eight Peregrine Falcons vanished.
"Holy shit… that fast!?"Yu Zi Yu stared in disbelief at the rapidly shrinking black dots shooting across the sky like bullets.
Fast! They're really fast!
A normal Peregrine Falcon flew around 60–100 km/h.
Only during a high-angle dive could they reach 386 km/h.
But these Mutant Peregrine Falcons were already flying at 100–200 km/h on level flight alone.
This… is insane. If they're this fast going upward… then their dive speed…Yu Zi Yu felt his heart tighten at the thought.
Just then—
Screech! Screech!Ear-splitting cries like those of a true eagle echoed across the night sky, so sharp they could rupture eardrums.
And the moment those cries rang out—
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Eight streaks of light shot in from the horizon.
Too fast!
Even with Yu Zi Yu's enhanced vision, all he saw were faint shadows.
Then—
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A massive boulder not far away suddenly shuddered. Under Yu Zi Yu's stunned gaze, eight fist-sized holes appeared clean through the rock.
Through those holes, he could see the night sky beyond.
They pierced it!
A three-meter-wide rock had been completely perforated. Such force was enough to punch through a ten-centimeter steel plate.
Screech! Screech!The eight Peregrine Falcons burst out from behind the rock, wobbling mid-air. Every now and then, they shook their heads, flinging off dust.
By the looks of it, they hadn't had an easy time either.
"These little troublemakers…"Even as he sighed, Yu Zi Yu's gaze held affection. He extended eight branches toward them.
The Peregrine Falcons chirped excitedly and landed on the branches with practiced familiarity, enjoying Yu Zi Yu's gentle strokes.
At that moment, a status screen appeared above their heads.
Race: Mutant Peregrine Falcon
Life: 0.2 / 20 yearsRank: Tier-0 Level 3
Innate Skill – Bullet DiveThey can dive at a speed surpassing all limits, granting terrifying penetration capable of tearing through any defense.(Caution: Dangerous side-effects. If they fail to withstand the sudden acceleration, their own bodies may be torn apart before their enemies.)
Unique Abilities: None.
Damn… how terrifying. That skill alone is basically a life-and-death trump card.Yu Zi Yu narrowed his eyes.
The mere fact that these fledglings awakened an innate skill made them extremely valuable—perhaps even more precious than the Mutant Red Fox beside him.
Maybe this is linked to my Life Essence… or maybe Peregrine Falcons naturally possess this potential.
Either way, the status of these birds in Yu Zi Yu's heart rose again—now even higher than the Red Fox.
In this new era, where transcendents appeared everywhere and every creature evolved toward higher life…
These Peregrine Falcons—and the Mutant Red Fox—were fully qualified to become his future right-hand companions.
Having come to that conclusion, Yu Zi Yu's branches moved once more.
Within moments, dozens of branches wove together, forming a basin-sized nest at the upper canopy, under the shade of the highest leaves.
This was the new home Yu Zi Yu had built for the eight Peregrine Falcons.
Birds built nests.
Yu Zi Yu believed this would deepen the bond between him and the young falcons.
As for the Red Fox…Yu Zi Yu's black, python-like roots began writhing.
Rumble…The ground shook as a dark hole formed near his roots.
"Go on," Yu Zi Yu nudged the Red Fox with a branch, smiling warmly.
Foxes lived in dens—and this one wasn't bad at all. Several of Yu Zi Yu's small roots extended inside, providing warmth.
Furthermore, Yu Zi Yu sensed that the mysterious energy in the air was slightly denser near his roots.
His roots must have absorbed and concentrated that unknown substance.
The wild animals were certainly absorbing this strange energy too—that was how they continued evolving.
In that case, the den he created was practically a spiritual cave. It would greatly benefit the Red Fox.
And indeed—just as Yu Zi Yu expected—the Red Fox immediately sensed the advantage. Before long, it curled up happily inside the den… and did not come out again.