Chapter 40: Little White's Evolution

In the end, the materials provided by Tang Yingying only yielded two talismans—one for each of them, serving as life-saving tools.

The Yin Talismans were slightly more powerful than the ones Zhao Kuo had obtained in the game, making them quite useful items.

However, the process of creating them was… well, Zhao Kuo could produce ten Yin Talismans a day. He had initially considered purchasing raw materials to make more but ultimately decided against it.

He would think about it again when he was truly short on money.

After stashing the talismans, Zhao Kuo didn't idle around.

The night before, he had used iron ore to craft five portions of basic pet feed.

**[Basic Feed (Iron)]**​

**[Made from iron ore, this basic feed has a singular effect: it slightly boosts a pet's growth progress.]**​

The skill for crafting pet feed could only be used once a day, and currently, he could only produce five portions of basic feed at a time.

Originally, Zhao Kuo had planned to make chicken feed to encourage his two roosters to mate and produce chicks sooner. But after some thought, he decided it was more important to focus on nurturing Little White to enhance their combat strength.

After all, chicken meat wasn't a necessity, but combat power was an urgent priority.

Yor had mentioned that others also controlled electricity now, and those who could harness electrical power were likely no weaker than him.

The road ahead wasn't going to be easy.

So, Zhao Kuo took out five units of iron ore from the storage and placed them on the workbench. Just as he was about to start crafting, a sudden idea struck him, and he fetched one unit of silver ore from the storage as well.

Silver ore was quite valuable. On the trading market, one unit of silver ore cost as much as 50 subway coins.

After all, silver ore was often used in the creation of rare items.

Zhao Kuo decided to combine one unit of iron ore with one unit of silver ore to create a special feed for Little White, hoping it would have an extraordinary effect.

Besides, one unit of silver ore wasn't a big deal for him.

As his pet, Little White couldn't just eat iron every day. It was time to improve his diet.

Without further delay, Zhao Kuo got to work. Soon, five portions of basic feed were ready, with one portion noticeably different from the others—its surface displayed a mesmerizing silver pattern.

"Little White, it's mealtime," Zhao Kuo said as he released the white snake.

The awakened snake twisted its slender body and landed on the workbench, its white eyes scanning the surroundings.

Almost immediately, it was drawn to the special feed and swiftly slithered over.

It smelled amazing, absolutely irresistible!

Little White quickly coiled around the feed made from the combination of iron and silver ore, radiating a sense of joy.

"Do you like it, Little White? This is all for you," Zhao Kuo chuckled, gently tapping the snake's head.

However, after a moment of hesitation, Little White released the special feed and began devouring the other basic feeds made from iron ore instead.

At first, Zhao Kuo was puzzled, but he soon understood.

It was like a child saving the best part of their meal for last—Little White was probably doing the same.

In some ways, Little White's intelligence wasn't far off from that of a clever child. Among animals, this level of intelligence was quite impressive.

Soon, Little White had gobbled up the nine portions of regular feed. After letting out a satisfied burp, it cautiously approached the special feed containing silver ore.

From a young age, Little White had only tasted iron ore. Now, the scent of silver ore had a unique allure for the snake.

Little White opened its mouth and began nibbling on the feed, savoring it as if it were the most delicious food in the world.

Zhao Kuo couldn't help but laugh. He wondered how excited Little White would be if it ever got to eat feed made from gold ore or even rarer minerals.

Zhao Kuo did have one unit of gold ore—his only one—but he wasn't ready to use it yet. He didn't want to spend 500 subway coins to buy another one later.

Yes, you heard that right. On the trading platform, one unit of gold ore cost a whopping 500 subway coins!

He could've just robbed someone, but instead, he was kind enough to offer a unit of gold ore. Truly heartwarming.

Soon, Little White finished the special feed, smacking its lips as if craving more. It turned to Zhao Kuo with a hopeful look.

Zhao Kuo laughed. "You greedy little thing. One unit of silver ore costs 50 subway coins. Even your old man here can't afford to feed you that every day, haha."

Little White seemed a bit downcast. It had truly fallen in love with that exquisite flavor. Now that it was gone, it felt like the first half of its life had been wasted.

But soon, it noticed something unusual about its body…

Streaks of white light burst from its body, forming a bright cocoon that enveloped the snake.

The transformation happened in an instant. By the time Zhao Kuo realized what was happening, the cocoon had already formed.

Zhao Kuo was first startled, then overjoyed.

If he wasn't mistaken, Little White was about to evolve!

Was it really going to evolve after just eating ten portions of feed? Were the effects of the feed that good?

No, that couldn't be it. Little White's rank was already quite high, and it was on the verge of evolution. The few portions of basic feed, especially the one with silver ore, had merely acted as a catalyst.

No wonder Little White had been so resilient when Zhao Kuo first tamed it—it had been on the brink of evolution.

Thankfully, it hadn't evolved naturally. Otherwise, facing a third-tier intelligent snake, Zhao Kuo wasn't sure he could've escaped unscathed.

At that moment, Tang Yingying emerged from the back of the train car, carrying a small bucket. As she walked, she said, "I've finished feeding the chickens. I checked the bathroom, and there's enough water for a shower. Should we buy a filter… Oh, is that Little White? Is it evolving?"

Seeing the cocoon on the workbench, Tang Yingying exclaimed in surprise.

Zhao Kuo glanced at her, his expression thoughtful.

He had only been speculating, yet Tang Yingying, who hadn't witnessed the entire process, was certain this was an evolution. This girl seemed to know too much about the subway world. He'd have to find a chance to talk to her about it later.

For now, Zhao Kuo didn't press the issue. Instead, he nodded. "Probably. After evolving, it should become even stronger."

"Nice, nice. A third-tier snake? That's going to be a game-changer. In terms of combat, the two of us could probably take on ten enemies now!" Tang Yingying laughed, brimming with confidence.

Zhao Kuo didn't respond, his attention fixed on the cocoon.

He wasn't sure how long the evolution would take, but he hoped it would be quick. Once completed, his own strength would receive a significant boost.

Everything was now on track. When they reached the next station, he might be able to buy more supplies.

Just then, Zhao Kuo felt a slight tremor from the badge in his pocket.