Chapter 11

This secret steel mountain could rightly be called a treasure that makes everyone covetous.

If this secret steel mountain were discovered.

Your most likely fate would be an attack by a powerful lord.

This is no treasure a mere new cursed one could hope to enjoy.

If a new cursed one.

They would likely not even catch the eye of a Saint-Class lord.

But a secret steel mountain.

That would be different.

Without sufficient strength, you might perish outright.

The desire to grow stronger became increasingly urgent in Lu Cang's heart.

【Analyzing Secret Steel Stone genes…】

【Sufficient units of Secret Steel Stone consumed】

【Secret Steel Stone traits fully analyzed】

【You have unlocked the special gene—Secret Steel Tissue】

【Secret Steel Tissue: When tensed, flesh tissue hardens to match the durability of Secret Steel Stone and gains strong arcane and magical resistance.】

【Gene points required to unlock Secret Steel Tissue: 50,000】

【After unlocking, applicable to all units under your control with flesh tissue.】

During these thirty minutes.

【Root Flesh Nest】 has also been analyzing the Secret Steel Stone.

The 【Gene Module】's effect allows Lu Cang to analyze all materials and convert them into genes.

"This gene is too powerful, isn't it?"

Hardness comparable to Secret Steel Stone—and it applies to all troop types?

Doesn't this mean that ordinary beings below Saint-Class have almost no chance of breaking through your troops' defense?

Unless they strike at a weak spot unprotected by muscle.

Like the eyeballs or similar areas.

"So this is a top-tier nest."

Other domains only gradually reveal their strength as they evolve through stages.

At the start, everyone's initial power levels are roughly similar.

Especially since the actual strength of most lords' troops.

Is tied directly to their rank and tier.

But this Root Flesh Nest—just from the start—is already overpowered.

And this gene has no tier restriction for use?

Does that mean even my cannon-fodder troops can use Secret Steel Tissue?

"But it takes fifty thousand gene points to unlock."

"You must consume monster corpses to gain gene points."

Gene points cannot be obtained by consuming materials.

"Looks like I still have to kill monsters."

"But I don't need to rush."

There's still plenty of time before the invincibility ends.

Lu Cang planned to hoard 100,000 flesh first, then upgrade the nest again.

Lu Cang watched the flesh worms lying around the nest, pressing their bodies against the ground to assimilate Secret Steel Stone into flesh.

Once their bodies swelled, they slowly moved back near the Root Brain and released the flesh.

Lu Cang could sense the ground directly beneath the Root Brain.

The subterranean layer there had become entirely a vivid red mass of flesh.

And a heart was beating within it.

That heart was the nest's true core.

Even if the outer brain were destroyed, it would not deal a fatal blow to the nest.

All the flesh worms' flesh was channeled through vein-like 【Flesh Tubes】 into the heart for storage.

With the flesh worms, Lu Cang's flesh acquisition speed increased dramatically.

Soon, a prompt appeared.

【You have accumulated 100,000 flesh resources】

【Proceed to evolve Root Flesh Nest?】

【This evolution requires 12 hours】

【During evolution, flesh assimilation is impossible; external flesh cannot be absorbed】

【Root Brain neural network enters hibernation; all structures enter hibernation; all troops enter hibernation】

Lu Cang saw the flesh resource counter jump to 100,000.

Without hesitation.

He answered directly.

"Evolve."

As for the side effects.

Now is the safest time.

In the invincible state, not only is oneself invincible, even the territory is invincible.

If not evolving now, then when?

【Now evolving for you — Primordial Flesh Hive】.