"Is that really the only use for it?" Rhett frowned.
"Isn't that enough? What more could you want?" The Merman King was visibly surprised. Rhett's reaction left him somewhat confused.
"For example... devouring other creatures to strengthen your own kind," Rhett said seriously. "Haven't you Mermen occupied such vast human sea territories for this very purpose?"
"Of course not! We only want to live more comfortably," the Merman King exclaimed in shock. "Where did you hear that shells have such a function? Is that why you've come to trouble me?!"
As he finished speaking, the Merman King's face darkened.
His mind automatically filled with a conspiracy—the idea that Rhett had been misled into thinking the shell was something evil, harmful to humanity, and had come to eliminate the potential threat.
Suddenly, a spark of realization flashed through the Merman King's mind, and he shouted, "I know! Was it that Beast King?! I've always been suspicious of him. I can't believe that muscle-brained fool, who looks so straightforward, is playing dirty tricks behind my back. Hmph, what a despicable scoundrel!"
Rhett was taken aback. Could it really be that the shell didn't have the ability to devour creatures and enhance its bearer, as the Merman King claimed?
Unconvinced, Rhett insisted that the Merman King personally demonstrate the shell's abilities.
The results were exactly as the Merman King had said.
Even when a corpse was placed next to it, the shell remained indifferent, showing no signs of absorption.
Rhett was perplexed, unable to make sense of it for the moment.
After a brief silence, Rhett decided to put the topic aside and sighed. "Yes, it was the Beast King who spread that rumor. Seems like I wrongly accused you…"
"Hmph!"
The Merman King, fuming with rage, ground his teeth. "Beast King, you despicable fool, just you wait!"
With that, the Merman King took the opportunity to flee, vanishing in an instant.
Rhett opened his mouth to speak but found himself at a loss for words. He sighed and gave up on chasing after him.
He had already experienced the Merman King's tricks firsthand, so that was one matter settled. The only remaining issue was to investigate the mysterious remnant body.
If possible, he wanted to personally study the colorful shell again.
But judging by the Merman King's protective attitude toward it, unless he killed him, it seemed impossible to get his hands on the shell.
Moreover, the Merman King was not so weak that Rhett could easily overpower him. Although in a direct confrontation, the Merman King was no match for Rhett, once he decided to run, Rhett had no way of stopping him.
If he had pushed too hard earlier, not only would he have failed to achieve his goal, but the peace in this simulated world would have been broken.
He still hadn't consulted Heisenberg about the next steps in alchemical fusion. Over the last century, Heisenberg's knowledge must have deepened, especially concerning the construction of soul passages.
Rhett needed to have a good conversation with him to make the most of this simulation.
Looking out at the sea, Rhett silently pondered his next steps. After organizing his thoughts, he began to stroll along the beach.
He walked to the center of the island, where a patch of dense, unnamed weeds grew. Aside from that, there were venomous insects and snakes, all cowering in their nests, too terrified of Rhett's presence to move.
With a thought, several leopard-like creatures suddenly floated toward him, trembling in fear and letting out whimpering growls.
Their eyes were filled with terror, and they cried out in panic, while foul-smelling liquid dripped from their bodies.
Rhett smiled faintly. "Don't be afraid, it's just a small experiment..."
However, the leopards couldn't understand Rhett's words. They frantically flailed their limbs, crying out in despair.
Rhett's purpose was simple: to test the new "Creation" function in his simulated space.
Of course, the name "Creation" was one he had assigned himself, as the master of this domain, he had the authority to rename functions.
With a wave of his hand, he evaporated the yellow liquid from the ground and dispersed the smell.
Then, Rhett pressed one of the leopard-like creatures, with sharper claws and a stronger physique than the rest, to the ground.
This beast, having always lived in isolation on the island, had never faced such overwhelming pressure. Its limbs went limp, and it fainted immediately.
Rhett chuckled. "That's good—it'll save me from having to deal with its struggles during the experiment."
Just then, as if remembering something, Rhett gestured toward the sky.
A few moments later, a fiery red speck of light descended like a raindrop, landing beside Rhett and condensing into a human figure.
Manu looked around and sighed, "Ah, the blue ocean. It's been a long time since I've seen it with my own eyes..."
Rhett smiled softly. "How does this sea compare to the one from your world?"
"Based on my memories, they seem about the same..." Manu stared at the ocean, lost in thought.
After a few seconds, Manu turned his attention to the leopard on the ground. "Is this your test subject?"
"Yes, that's right. It's been two days since I established this simulated world, but I haven't yet tested the new Creation function. It feels like a waste of time," Rhett muttered. "By the way, where's Ming? Didn't he come with you?"
Manu slapped his forehead. "I nearly forgot! Since Ming's power has grown, his control over his body has also reached a new level. I invited him to explore the core of my body. Although we didn't succeed, it turned out to be a happy accident—he can now hide within me, undetected by others."
As Manu finished speaking, a faint white mist began to rise from his body, gradually coalescing into Ming's form.
"Phew, I'm finally out. Manu, your body is way too hot! If I stayed any longer, I would've been roasted alive!"
As soon as he appeared, Ming couldn't help but shout, but upon seeing Rhett, he immediately fell silent, his expression turning respectful. "Master, you're here too!"
Rhett looked at Ming's half-transparent body and teased, "How did it feel inside Manu? Are you really that afraid of heat?"
Ming scratched his head awkwardly. "Heh, you've found out, Master. For some reason, fire seems to restrain me. I have a natural fear of heat. But as long as it's not an extreme flame, I can endure it. As for staying inside Manu, well, let's just say it's unbearably hot. I can't perceive anything from the outside either because I'm in a near-decomposed state with very little sensory ability."
"Mm..." Rhett nodded and didn't probe further. Instead, he turned and squatted beside the leopard, examining it for a while before focusing his mind and activating the power of Creation.
[Please select the amount of Fate Points to invest in Creation.]
This was the first time a light screen had appeared in the simulated world. Rhett paused for a moment and decided to start small.
[1 point]
It wasn't that Rhett was stingy, but he wasn't sure how much Creation power an ordinary creature could withstand.
It was his first time, after all, and it was best to be cautious. Using too much might just be a waste.
A faint green glow flashed, almost imperceptible, but Rhett caught it with precision. It was the size of a grain of rice and entered the unconscious leopard's body.
The leopard began to tremble violently as if struck by lightning, murmuring incoherently.
In no time, the once-unconscious leopard opened its eyes, feeling surprisingly strong, its limbs even more powerful and agile.
But when it saw Rhett again, it howled like it had seen a ghost and fainted once more...
The scene made all three of them burst into laughter.
Rhett stroked his chin. "No matter how strong a beast becomes, it's still just a mortal creature..."
The purpose of this experiment wasn't to make the leopard stronger but to measure how much power 1 point of Fate invested into Creation actually was.
Now that he had a rough idea, he could proceed with a series of further experiments.
He turned to Manu. "How's the process of refining the Frost Sunflower going? What stage are you at?"
Manu tore his gaze away from the leopard and quickly replied, "We're only one step away from enhancing the Frost Sunflower's cold control. Once we achieve that, we can try using it in Bloodstone refinement. But so far, we haven't found a good method. If the Creation function could help, perhaps by observing its evolution through experimental instruments, I might be able to analyze and replicate it…"
That was the true purpose of the Creation function that Rhett and Manu had envisioned!
Since the power of Creation could only be used in the simulated world and not in the real one, it wasn't feasible to rely on Fate Points to directly increase their strength.
But from a different perspective, the results from the simulated world could still indirectly impact reality.
Their first thought was to apply it to alchemical experiments, and the refinement of magical plants was a key research area.
With his wealth of experience, Manu quickly came up with a plan.
By using the Creation function to strengthen various magical plants and observing their development, they could work backward to recreate the process.
"Hmm… There's no lab here. We'll need to find a suitable environment for research." Rhett slowly mused, a smile gradually forming on his lips. "Looks like… we'll need to trouble Heisenberg after all for this simulation..."