C16 Parade Flying Insects!
The evening air was crisp and cool.
Lin Yi stepped out with Tiny and the stone for some fun.
"Woof! Woof!"
Tiny was ecstatic, bounding about energetically, darting ahead and then playfully hiding behind.
"Hiss! Hiss!"
The stone, perched quietly on Lin Yi's shoulder, surveyed the surroundings with curious eyes.
Their destination was the park.
The park, with its serene beauty and the evening's cool, moist air, was the perfect spot for a post-dinner walk.
"Yo! It's Yi!"
From the pavilion at the center of the park, an elderly man with a flowing white beard called out to Lin Yi.
"Hey! Mr. Lee, sneaking out for another chess match with Old Man Qiu today?" Lin Yi, who was walking his dog by the lake, called back.
"That's right! I completely outplayed Old Man Qiu yesterday. He couldn't stand the defeat and insisted on a rematch today..."
Lee exclaimed with a gleam of excitement.
Before Lin Yi could respond, Old Man Qiu got riled up.
"What are you bragging about? Who would believe that tall tale? Keep it up, and even your Sweet will be blown away by your hot air."
Sweet was a particularly plump orange cat.
Lee bristled, feeling that Old Man Qiu had embarrassed him in front of the younger man.
"Are you challenging me?"
"Of course not... What? I've never lost!" Old Man Qiu retorted, his beard bristling with indignation.
You old rascal, trying to pull a fast one on me!
"How about a full game?"
"Let's do it!"
On the other side of the lake, Lin Yi shook his head, accustomed to their antics.
The two elders were passionate about their chess and bickered daily. Their playful jibes weren't just verbal; they extended to their strategic chess battles.
Despite their daily spats, they shared a deep bond. Reportedly, they had been comrades in their youth. After retiring from military service due to injuries, they settled in this community, where they've been good-naturedly arguing for over twenty years.
The neighbors had grown quite fond of them, too. If a day passed without hearing their familiar squabbles, it would leave a strange unease in the air.
"Yi, going for a stroll?"
"Yes!"
"Yi, do you have a girlfriend yet?"
"No... not yet..."
"Is there a girl you fancy? I was thinking about my relative's daughter..."
Lin Yi broke out in a cold sweat as he was bombarded with questions by a group of chatty older women during their walk. Seizing the first chance he got, he made a quick escape.
The park was at its coolest in the evening, which also happened to be when the local elders were most active.
On the rare occasion that they spotted a young man like Lin Yi, the grandmothers would eagerly discuss setting him up with one of their beautiful granddaughters.
But Lin Yi, the epitome of a straight-laced guy, would politely agree in the moment, while having no intention of following through.
He had his own plans, after all. He was determined to tackle the top-level dungeons solo. To him, women would only distract him from training his Familiars!
Eventually, Lin Yi made his way to the secluded woods deep within the park.
"Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!"
The grassland in the small woods teemed with life, home to numerous insects.
They sang and leaped to their heart's content, their chirping adding a touch of vibrancy to the tranquil park.
"Chirp! Chirp..."
The chirping came from a plump mole cricket.
It was robust, about five centimeters long and two centimeters wide, with a yellowish-brown and green body.
Its head sported yellowish-brown, slender antennae, serving as one of its sensory organs. Its broad, saddle-shaped thorax was edged with white.
The mole cricket's hind legs were powerful, well-suited for jumping, and it thrived in small woods, bushes, and grasslands. It typically concealed itself in the grass or climbed along plant stems to rest and forage.
Its loud and rhythmic chirping made it a beloved plaything for many children.
Lin Yi's reason for venturing here was clear...
"Stone, Spunlace!"
The snake, Stone, lay coiled quietly on the grass. Upon hearing Lin Yi's command, it hesitated for a moment before opening its mouth, and a trickle of water began to emerge.
"Puff!" "Smack!"
A stream resembling a water sword hit the grass beside the locust with little force.
"Chirp!"
The locust, unscathed, let out a scream and hopped away.
"Bark! Bark!"
Watching the locust leap away, Tiny excitedly gave chase...
Meanwhile, Lin Yi, seated on the grass, furrowed his brow, noting several issues with the stone's first use of its innate ability.
First, there was hesitation before the stone successfully executed the spunlace, possibly due to its first-time use of the innate ability.
Second, the stone's youth might have contributed to the spunlace's slow, weak release and poor accuracy.
Thankfully, these shortcomings would be overcome as the stone grew and trained.
With this in mind, Lin Yi's frown eased.
The following days would be dedicated to rigorous training...
...
Three days later.
Lin Yi perched on a low-hanging branch.
"Stone! Focus on the tree trunk to the left! Concentrate the spunlace!"
"Hiss!"
Upon Lin Yi's command, the stone, coiled around the branch, lifted its upper body. Water swiftly gathered in its open mouth.
"Fire!"
"Puff!"
At the command, the spunlace burst forth from the stone's mouth.
"Smack!"
The powerful water jet struck a black cicada, which had been contentedly sipping sap from the tree, with force.
Caught off guard by the sudden assault, the black cicada had no chance to resist and was promptly knocked unconscious.
Limp, it lost its grip on the tree trunk and tumbled to the ground.
"Smack!"
The black cicada lay on the ground, belly up, its limbs twitching feebly.
It had never imagined that a cicada climbing a tree could be ambushed from below by a jet of water...
As the black cicada hit the ground, Lin Yi and the stone made a steady descent onto the grass.
Gazing at the damp black cicada below, Lin Yi silently commanded, "Scan!"
[Beep! Scanning...]
Name: Black Cicada (unconscious)
Species: Reptilia
Attribute: Wood
Level: Bronze Three Early Period
Status: Healthy, Confused
Quality: Common
Potential: One Star
Skills: Roar, Topspeed
Evolution Route: One, Common Evolution: Iron Wood Cicada, ... (Requirements not met) Two, Reversion Evolution: Giant Wood Cicada, ... (Requirements not met) Three, Mutated Evolution: Dusk Cicada, ... (Requirements not met)
Introduction: A very common reptilian species. With ordinary quality, it is not recommended for cultivation. It is the favorite delicacy of the Teeth Wood Bird and is essential for its common evolution.
"Alright, that's perfect!"
Lin Yi nodded in satisfaction. After three days of training, the stone had mastered the technique of its innate ability.
Moreover, the intensity and power of the spunlace had significantly improved since the first day.
