Evolution had changed Max in ways that felt subtle at first, but the differences grew clearer with each passing cycle. His body hadn't transformed into anything impressive—he was still a stone, still buried beneath layers of soil—but he no longer existed in the same helpless stillness that had defined his early days. The new skill, Micro-Shift, pulsed quietly in the back of his awareness like a muscle he had never used before, waiting for him to test it.
The first attempt was embarrassingly clumsy. He gathered Qi, aimed his focus inward, and tried to move. His body vibrated awkwardly, a faint hum rolling through him, and then he managed a tiny twitch—so small it felt like failing to wiggle a toe after months in a cast. The soil barely noticed. Max wasn't sure he had even moved at all until the effort drained a sliver of his reserves.
But the second attempt went smoother. And the third. The hum grew steadier, the vibration more controlled. He learned that instead of trying to force motion, he needed to coax the earth aside, letting his energy guide the shift rather than brute-forcing it. The soil around him loosened grain by grain, creating the slightest space for his body to slide into.
Every inch felt like victory.
Over the next cycles—measured only by alternating warmth and coolness in the soil—Max fell into a rhythm. He let Idle Qi Absorption refill his energy, practiced Micro-Shift until fatigue crept in, then let the Idle System work while he observed the world above through patterns of vibration. In the quiet intervals, his Idle Tempering refined the new Qi he gathered, increasing the density and smoothness of his mineral structure. Idle Insight sharpened constantly, turning every tremor he sensed into something he could understand rather than simply interpret.
Time, whether days or weeks, moved forward with a patience he had never been allowed in life.
Eventually, Max realized he had traveled several feet from the spot where he'd awakened. The change wasn't dramatic—he hadn't tunneled a cavern or carved a path—but he was mobile. Slowly, steadily, undeniably mobile. If he continued at this rate, he would eventually be able to reposition himself freely beneath the earth.
That knowledge made the world feel less suffocating.
His awareness grew sharper too. The footsteps above became easier to distinguish. The tiny scampering things—small spirit beasts or harmless animals—moved in frantic, skittering lines. Larger predators pressed deeper into the soil with weight that radiated confidence. Even the giant beast whose steps had once shaken him to near panic became recognizable. Its gait carried a resonance all its own, a heavy, rolling rhythm that made the earth bend in acknowledgment.
Max also learned when the forest slept. During long stretches of quiet, the tension in the soil eased, roots relaxed, and distant wind replaced the usual chorus of movement. These calm periods were when Max practiced the most, pushing his Micro-Shift skill further while letting Idle Insight record every detail of stillness.
The system rewarded him regularly.
> Micro-Shift – Level Up
Movement efficiency increased.
Internal Qi expenditure reduced.
The changes weren't dramatic, but they accumulated. His motion smoothed out. Moving a few inches, once something that left him mentally exhausted, now felt manageable. If he concentrated, he could glide slowly through patches of soft soil, adjusting his position until he found areas with better Qi flow.
Some places felt warm, rich, nourishing. Others felt dry or stagnant. Max quietly mapped them out in his mind, learning the terrain beneath the forest without ever seeing it.
Days—or perhaps weeks—passed in this new routine. Progress bars climbed. The forest shifted. Predators fought. Prey scattered. Even the spirit beast he'd saved returned occasionally, its distinctive jittery footfalls tapping in a pattern Max could recognize instantly. The small creature often paused near him as if reassuring itself that the strange stone who'd helped it still existed. Max responded with a faint, friendly hum of resonance that the creature seemed to appreciate; it lingered longer each time before darting away again.
In a world where everything was dangerous, the presence of that little beast felt quietly comforting.
But calm never lasted long.
One cycle, the forest overhead erupted into chaos. The ground trembled in a stampede of frantic footsteps—dozens, maybe hundreds of creatures running together in one direction. Something enormous chased them, a predator so powerful that its steps compressed the soil hard enough to send cracks whispering through Max's stone body. The pressure alone nearly shattered him.
He pushed himself deeper into a crevice, hiding in the shadows of the earth while the monstrous beast thundered overhead. Its roar rippled through the soil like a wave of physical force. Even without eyes, Max could imagine teeth, claws, and eyes glowing with malevolent spirit energy.
When the danger passed, he remained still for a long time, letting Idle Tempering repair the small fractures the pressure had caused. The encounter reminded him of the truth he'd already accepted: he wasn't strong, and the forest didn't care about his survival. If he wanted to live, Evolution 2 had to come sooner rather than later.
His bars reflected steady progress.
> Idle Qi Absorption (E): 74%
Idle Tempering (E): 68%
Idle Insight (E): 70%
He was close—painfully close.
Just a few more cycles.
Max continued practicing, shifting deeper beneath the surface to safer regions. He found a patch where the earth felt softer, a pocket of old roots decaying into fertile soil. The Qi here was richer, as though something had once died in this area and left traces of spiritual nourishment behind. He made this place his temporary home, carving out a small hollow using patient movements and soft vibrations.
As he worked, he sensed something strange: a distant hum buried far below him. The vibration was soft at first—almost unnoticeable—but it became more distinct as Idle Insight unraveled more of its pattern. Max focused all his awareness downward, letting the earth's quiet song come into sharper relief. The hum carried a deliberate structure. It wasn't the random shifting of soil or the breathing of some ancient beast. It felt constructed—precise, steady, repeating with the consistency of a heartbeat.
The deeper he listened, the more certainty settled into him.
This was no natural formation.
Whatever lay beneath him had been built. A structure. A formation. Maybe even the remnants of a ruin so old the forest had long forgotten it existed. He didn't know what kind of artifact could generate such a measured rhythm, but he'd read enough cultivation novels in life to know that ancient things buried underground were rarely simple—and never without danger.
Curiosity tugged at him, but he buried the impulse quickly. He wasn't strong enough to investigate, and he wasn't foolish enough to try. Not now. Not as a stone barely capable of crawling three feet without exhausting himself.
He returned to training.
Time slipped again, smooth and uninterrupted.
His skills neared their peak. Idle Qi Absorption filled him faster now, nourishing his inner channels with steady warmth. Idle Tempering hardened his body until even the soil felt softer against him. Idle Insight brought awareness so sharp he could feel creatures breathing above him if they slept close enough.
Another week passed—Max wasn't sure if the word "week" meant anything anymore, but the cycles felt that long.
And then the cultivators returned.
He sensed them well before they arrived, the distinctive rhythm of their footsteps cutting through the natural pulse of the forest. Three figures again—same pattern, same patience—but this time they walked with someone heavier, someone whose steps carried authority. Their energy radiated in soft waves that sent roots bending away from them.
Max suppressed his Qi immediately, hiding everything he could. When they reached his region, one of them crouched. A palm pressed to the earth.
Qi swept downward.
It brushed closer than ever before.
Max froze in absolute stillness.
After several tense seconds, the older voice spoke, calm but firm. "There's disturbance in the earth. Something is changing the pattern of this region."
A second cultivator followed with a quieter, more cautious tone. "…Do you think something is cultivating down there?"
The elder paused before answering. "If so, it is still weak. No artifact resonance. No monster formation. We search farther west."
Their footsteps retreated.
Only when they were completely out of range did Max dare to let his energy circulate again.
His bars had continued climbing even while he hid.
> Idle Qi Absorption (E): 94%
Idle Tempering (E): 82%
Idle Insight (E): 88%
He was nearly there.
One more cycle—two at most.
Evolution 2 would come.
And with it, the next step toward mobility, defense, and true survival.
Max settled himself into the hollow he'd carved, letting the Idle System work through the warm, steady flow of Qi that surrounded him. He wasn't strong yet, not even close, but the path forward was finally visible. He could feel momentum behind him, pushing him toward something larger than he had ever imagined.
Soon, he would evolve again.
And the world would take its next step toward noticing him.