NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2: Chapter 2: The System
Fang Chang's mood soared as he focused his consciousness closer to the glowing screen. The screen's contents gradually came into focus, confirming his guess—it was indeed a System! The System interface was divided into three main sections.
Section 1: Attribute Panel
The first section displayed his current attributes:
Name: Fang Chang
Species: Man-Faced Demon Spider
Spirit Power: 2000 years
Evolution Points: 0
HP: 23/425
Strength: 105
Attack: 122
Defense: 99
Speed: 143
Fang Chang wasn't yet sure about the exact implications of these numbers, but at least it was obvious he was in a critical HP state.
As for his Spirit Power, his knowledge of the Douluo Continent series provided some clues. According to the lore, spirit beasts are categorized based on the number of years they've cultivated:
10-year Spirit Beasts, 100-year Spirit Beasts, 1000-year Spirit Beasts, 10,000-year Spirit Beasts, 100,000-year Spirit Beasts, Legendary Beasts like Divine Beasts or Mythical Beasts that surpass 100,000 years.
A spirit beast's strength is roughly proportional to its cultivation age. For example:
A 10-year Spirit Beast is comparable to a Spirit Master with one spirit ring. A 100-Year Spirit Beast matches two-ring Spirit Masters. A 1000-year Spirit Beast rivals those with three or four spirit rings.
The disparity in power grows with stronger spirit beasts. High-bloodline spirit beasts with cultivation close to 100,000 years could even threaten Titled Douluos.
Judging by his current power level, Fang Chang deduced that he was roughly on par with a powerful three-ring Spirit Master, similar to the Shrek Seven Devils.
Section 2: Skill Panel
The Skill Panel was divided into three categories.
Racial Skills:
Currently, three skills have been unlocked:
Poison Web: Deploy a highly toxic spider web to ensnare opponents. Inflicts poison damage. Usage Limit: 0/3 per day.
Venom Spear: Attack using venomous spider legs with high penetration power.
Stealth: Temporarily blend into the environment in dark settings. Loses effect upon attacking or moving.
These racial skills seemed analogous to the spirit skills of Spirit Masters. Unlike Spirit Masters, who need to acquire spirit rings, spirit beasts naturally develop skills as their spirit power grows.
Innate Skills:
Two innate skills have been unlocked:
Poison Resistance: Grants significant resistance to poison damage, reducing its impact.
Devour: Absorb other spirit beasts to enhance personal strength, gain evolution points, and potentially acquire additional skills.
Extra Skills:
This category was empty for now, so Fang Chang paid little attention.
Section 3: Evolution Path
The Evolution Path section had two sub-options:
Standard Path: Man-Faced Demon Spider → Man-Faced Demon Spider King → Man-Faced Demon Spider Emperor.
This straightforward evolution route allowed two upgrades, culminating in the form of a Man-Faced Demon Spider Emperor.
Evolution Conditions: Reach 10,000 years of spirit power to evolve into a Man-Faced Demon Spider King.
Reach 100,000 years to evolve into a Man-Faced Demon Spider Emperor. Evolution Rewards: Slight attribute boosts.
Man-Faced Demon Spiders were considered nightmare-inducing creatures among smaller spirit beasts. A thousand-year Man-Faced Demon Spider could already contend with some 10,000-year spirit beasts. As for the Man-Faced Demon Spider Emperor, it was even more formidable.
However, compared to the legendary beings of the Douluo world—such as Titan Giant Apes and Sky Azure Bull Pythons—even the Man-Faced Demon Spider Emperor paled in strength. Furthermore, surviving the 100,000-year Heavenly Tribulation to evolve into an emperor was far from guaranteed.
Hidden Path:
This sub-option revealed an intricate tree diagram with numerous evolution routes. Some routes allowed more than ten evolutions!
The strongest final forms in this category included:
Immortal Evil Spider Emperor (Enforcer God Tier)
Evolution Conditions: Spirit power of over 100,000 years. Consume 300,000 evolution points.
Evolution Rewards: Massive attribute boost. Self-created divine position. Full restoration. Racial skill transformation. Gain the exclusive innate skill "Immortal Undying."
A god-tier enforcer?! Fang Chang's eyes lit up. This was leagues above standard first- and second-class gods in the Douluo Continent. The "Immortal Undying" skill alone was overwhelmingly enticing.
Another equally powerful option was:
God-Devouring Evil Spider Emperor (Enforcer God Tier)
Evolution Conditions: Spirit power of over 100,000 years. Consume 300,000 evolution points.
Evolution Rewards: Massive attribute boost. Self-created divine position. Full restoration. Racial skill transformation. Gain the exclusive innate skill "Devour Gods."
Other Final Forms:
Less impressive but still formidable options included:
Mother of the Earth (Second-Class God): Grants abilities like "Egg Laying" and "Offspring Control." Fang Chang shuddered at this idea—not an option!
Crimson Lotus Hellfire Spider
Emperor Dragon Armored Spider
Gentleman Spider
These final forms offered distinct advantages. While not as powerful as the top-tier evolutions, they required far fewer resources, making them viable backup plans.
To evolve or not to evolve—that is the question.
But all this is still too far off for me.
Fang Chang shifted his attention to the very top of the hidden evolution paths, where the next possible stages of evolution were displayed. These options were much more accessible, with only two immediate branches available:
Dark Scythe Demon Spider (Evolvable, but lacking evolution points)
Evolution Conditions: Spirit Power: 1,000 years or more. Evolution Points: 1,000.
Evolution Rewards: Physical transformation. Significant boost to attack attributes. Minor boosts to other attributes. Full recovery of status.
Gains innate skill: "Reaper's Scythe."
Dark Armor Demon Spider (Evolvable, but lacking evolution points)
Evolution Conditions: Spirit Power: 1,000 years or more. Evolution Points: 1,000.
Evolution Rewards: Physical transformation. Significant boost to defense attributes. Minor boosts to other attributes. Full recovery of status.
Gains innate skill: "Harden."
One thousand years of spirit power? Fang Chang's thoughts quickened.
He was confident he had already met this requirement. Now, he only needed 1,000 evolution points to evolve. This was excellent news—especially the reward of a full recovery of status, a crucial lifeline for his current predicament.
As for the evolution points... it seemed likely they could be obtained through Devouring.
Suppressing the surge of excitement, Fang Chang activated his Stealth skill. His body appeared to turn semi-transparent, blending seamlessly into the canopy. His aura grew faint, merging with the surroundings.
Time passed—about half an hour—and the Shrek Seven Devils had yet to give up. They expanded their search range and began exploring higher into the treetops. It was only a matter of time before they discovered Fang Chang.
Fang Chang grew increasingly anxious. While his strength was comparable to any of them individually, they were seven, and he was just one—and severely injured.
More importantly, they're the protagonist group! Am I going to die just after crossing over?
If he died... could he transmigrate again?
Sigh... At least let me be human in my next life.
The more he thought about it, the more unsettled he became, until he avoided even looking at the Shrek group below. Instead, he focused on the canopy, trying to calm himself.
Suddenly, a small shadow landed beside him. Fang Chang instinctively turned to look and saw a tiny creature.
Its attributes instantly appeared on a glowing interface, a feature likely tied to the system's activation:
Species: Spotted Cat (Devourable)
Spirit Power: 200 years
HP: 40/40
Strength: 7
Attack: 5
Defense: 6
Speed: 11
Fang Chang hesitated briefly.
I can't just sit here and wait to die. I have to find a way to escape!
This spotted cat... was perfect for testing Devour.
As if fate agreed with his plan, the spotted cat crept closer, entirely unaware of the danger nearby.
Fang Chang raised his sharp front legs silently. When the cat was within reach, he activated the Venom Spear skill.
Two razor-sharp spider legs pierced the spotted cat's back with a terrifying whooshing sound, skewering it completely before bursting out of its belly.
The cat let out a pitiful, drawn-out screech—"Miao... Ow!"—before Fang Chang lifted it with his legs.
Staring at the little creature, Fang Chang felt a primal hunger swell within him. He opened his massive jaws and devoured it whole in one swift motion.
Crunching sounds filled the air as the spotted cat was reduced to energy, absorbed by Fang Chang's body.
A wave of unparalleled satisfaction coursed through him, sending shivers down his body. He almost moaned in relief.
Checking his interface, he noticed several changes:
Name: Fang Chang
Species: Man-Faced Demon Spider
Spirit Power: 2020 years
HP: 24/426
Evolution Points: 200
One glance was enough for Fang Chang to grasp the mechanics of Devour:
Spirit Power Gain: Devouring a spirit beast grants spirit power equivalent to one-tenth of its cultivation years. Example: Devouring a 200-year-old spotted cat gave him 20 years of spirit power.
Evolution Points Gain: Equivalent to the spirit beast's cultivation years. Example: The 200-year-old spotted cat provided 200 evolution points. Attribute Adjustments: Spirit power increases lead to subtle attribute improvements.
What a dominant skill!
However, there was no time to marvel. The spotted cat's dying cry had drawn the attention of the Shrek Seven Devils. From their various positions, they all turned to face Fang Chang's hiding spot.
Particularly Tang San, who, with the help of his Purple Demon Eyes, immediately noticed something unusual in the treetops.
With a simple wave of his hand, the scattered group converged on him, surrounding the tree canopy where Fang Chang was hiding.
Oscar, ever the resourceful one, summoned and distributed several Flying Sausages, which everyone promptly consumed.
Dai Mubai led the charge, leaping into the air toward the canopy. The others followed closely behind, maintaining a tight formation as they advanced toward Fang Chang's position.