Chapter 894
Chapter 894 - 880 Mumu
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7 min read
Its tiny head appeared wooden and dull, but its seemingly slow movements were actually swift, betraying a hidden wisdom. Its square head might look a bit simple, but it was always gazing around with curious big eyes.
This was an overly adorable newborn that had exhibited lively vigor and mobility at odds with its appearance from the moment of birth, scampering about and inquisitively "mumu-ing" nonstop.
"..... It’s a shame it didn’t cry out ’Groot,’ which would have made naming it simple."
Even so, after giving it some thought, Lu Ping’an still felt it should be called "Mumu."
The name seemed to fit well, tinged with a playful nod, and considering her own response and that of others around her, the name seemed quite suitable.
The little one had just been born, and with its pleasing "Little Tree-man" appearance coupled with a lively and vivacious personality, it had already won everyone’s affection.
But despite its harmless exterior, she was likely the one with the highest starting point among all creatures Lu Ping’an had ever encountered.
[Mumu, a Quasi-rule level creature.]
The Life Encyclopedia assessed the Magic Pet according to its "species" level rather than its current strength.
Under normal circumstances, after its full development and without external influences, it was bound to reach a certain height... In fact, several of Lu Ping’an’s Magic Pets had surpassed their initial assessment levels after birth.
Little Flame was ranked Black Iron middle-rank, while Zhi Xi was Silver middle-rank... Little Flame’s inherent deficiencies were obvious, yet even so, it had risen to at least a Silver Mid-position creature’s strength by now.
Zhi Xi’s starting level was higher, but as a "Ghoul Body," a "Metal Phantom" creature without flesh, her potential for growth was predictably limited.
Zhi Xi now, overcoming her innate shortcomings through Abyss Transformation and supplementing her growth with "Career Abilities," had long ceased to be considered merely as a Magic Pet. She was more like a pure professional, and an innately strong one amongst the Exotic Species professionals at that.
Her current strength had also firmly reached the pinnacle of Silver, surpassing her initial assessment.
Ah Jiu, when newborn, was "Black Iron Lower Level"... But everyone knew that assessment couldn’t be accurate. On one hand, it was because of its incomplete juvenile form, but more importantly, because its true form wasn’t a physical entity at all; it required possession to achieve a complete form, and as a solitary entity, it couldn’t be properly evaluated.
But what they all had in common was that, with ongoing resource investment from Lu Ping’an, they had easily surpassed their own natural growth limits.
This meant...
"This child actually has the potential of a Rule-level strongman?!"
So when the Life Encyclopedia deemed Mumu a Quasi-rule creature, it meant that even if she did nothing and merely grew, she would be able to reach the Quasi-rule level... This was the level where Kun Ba used to be at (professionals of the same rank typically overwhelm same-rank creatures).
The focus actually wasn’t on this strength level but on the fact that "Quasi-rule" as a category was extraordinarily special.
It isn’t a formal rank because the disparity between it and Upper Silver was like night and day, and the next tier up, Lower Gold, was also beyond the reach of the Quasi-rule level.
"Quasi-rule level, neither Gold nor Silver, refers to certain individuals who have already stepped onto the threshold of Rule-level (Gold-level) strength and even possessed abilities of the Rule-level but, due to lacking something or being obstructed by something, they can’t really step into that phase. It’s an intermediary state."
The result indicated that Mumu, upon reaching adulthood and making up for her deficiencies, would be able to enter the Rule-level solidly... It was very likely that by the time she matured, Lu Ping’an himself might not have even reached the Rule-level.
And having taken a closer look at her extravagantly excessive list of abilities, Lu Ping’an had determined this was inevitable.
[Mumu, a Quasi-rule level creature.]
[Physique: Upper Silver, Reflex: Upper Black Iron, Spirit: Silver Lower.]
For a youngling, her Panel was truly outrageous, with her Upper Silver Physique meaning that even now, with her tiny frame, she could overpower most combat posts in the Team.
But compared to her core Talent Ability, these panels are nothing special.
[Energy Devourer (Lower Gold): She can plunder and devour energy from her surroundings and convert it for her own use.]
This ability itself is a bona fide Rule-level power, the core ability stripped from the Energy-devouring Evil Sunflower by the Life Encyclopedia, a Rule-Level item.
Below it, there are two sub-abilities.
[Energy-Stripping Field (Upper Silver (Activatable) Passive): Once activated, all energy lower than the level of her Abnormal Ability within the vicinity will be unconditionally plundered by her.]
It sounds a bit excessive, but this is actually just a constant ability of the Energy-devouring Evil Sunflower, though it depends on its level.
If the Energy-devouring Evil Sunflower grows to the scale of a Planet Giant Beast, just one falling casually can turn your cosmic civilization into a Stone Age one.
Lu Ping’an contemplated this ability thoughtfully, clearly recognizing its potential for growth; perhaps he needed to allocate resources to properly cultivate it.
[Energy-Devouring Skin (Lower Gold): Can absorb the target’s energy through skin contact. Note: The types of energy include most mechanical energy, kinetic energy, chemical energy, and biological energy.]
This ability is obviously more suited to close combat, and any target caught by her would probably struggle to escape.
Next, there’s a series of Talent Abilities that are very suited for close combat.
[Iron Bones and Steel Muscles (Upper Black Iron): Can convert absorbed energy into skin and bones for a short-term metalization. Its strength is approximately equal to that of an enchanted iron ingot of the same level. Note: This ability can grow continuously by devouring metal.]
This ability seems lackluster at first glance, given its limited origin... But imagine an adult Mumu’s physique, just the instant metalization turning a wooden stick into a metal stick inside--that alone would be formidable.
Its growth method is similar to Hua Xueyi’s source, except Hua senior sister worries about becoming a little golden person, so she’s been holding back... But for an adult Mumu, who would immediately be a Quasi-rule level creature, it seems there are no such concerns, she can fully handle it.
But when it comes to usage, there is a little problem... It can only reinforce the insides of her own body, meaning her flesh and bone strength can significantly increase and a layer of iron can cover her skin, but outermost parts can’t be metalized, and she can’t transform at will like Hua Xueyi.
"This is getting hindered by its own Energy-Devouring Skin..."
[Ancient Tree Bloodline (Silver Mid-position): Through continuously absorbing ’nutrients,’ she experiences growth in physique and bodily strength. When the absorbed energy exceeds the growth threshold, it can be converted into ’Crystal Leaves’ for external storage.]
At this point, she starts to take on a semblance of Tree-man.
She can grow in size and strength through constant absorption of nutrients, and any surplus she can’t digest in the short term will become "crystal leaves" on the big tree.
Lu Ping’an inquired further, and she could also use these "storage leaves" to get bonuses in regeneration, gigantification, and strength increase... Essentially, they are her reserve "fat."
However, the prerequisite for using them is still that she must swallow these leaves, allowing them to take effect internally.
Actually, just with this alone, she is already an unquestionable Quasi-rule creature.
Furthermore, the goals Lu Ping’an hoped for have been reached (Xia Qin’s ability inheritance failed).
But the abilities that followed were sourced from Chris’s design and Blessing... and could even be said to triple her upper limit.
After these last few abilities were confirmed, Lu Ping’an breathed a sigh of relief. It seems that his mission to save the "prince" was genuinely achievable.
"Let’s get started, and meet that unlucky prince."
— End of Chapter 894 —