Fyralithor

Kraynnor quickly opened a small compartment next to his seat. There lay the Biomass Energy Sword, the Basic Creature Identifier, and the Evolutionary Worktable.

By having the cube next to him, he had four items at his disposal to face this chaotic world that made him feel as if he had been transported to the Cenozoic Era when the oceans harbored massive and terrifying sea creatures.

Clank! Clank!

He held onto his seat tightly as a myriad of objects inside the submarine crashed to the floor, creating a cacophony of noises.

Zzrruuuumm!

Despite the intense vibration and the clamor, his robust body allowed him to remain free from vertigo or dizziness in the face of the powerful rotation.

"Illuminate that damn creature by turning on the lower lights!" Kraynnor ordered with his face reflecting anger. It deeply infuriated him that another cursed creature had appeared, and he wondered even more how it had managed to evade the anti-detection systems designed to prevent any creature or technology from detecting the submarine.

Furthermore, he was over a thousand meters deep, deliberately keeping himself at this immense distance to avoid any foolishness!

The situation grew increasingly terrifying as the whirlpool dragged him to even greater depths. For the time being, the X-11 submarine, notably superior to its predecessor, maintained its integrity at a depth of three thousand meters. However, the concern continued to mount as surpassing that limit would mean facing potentially lethal pressure.

Fortunately, his lifelong companion illuminated the lower lights of the submarine, allowing Kraynnor, who had already activated the Creature Identifier, to thoroughly examine the information about this alien creature.

[Creature Identified: Fyralithor (One Star).

A harmless creature, passionate about collecting objects it deems beautiful in its nest, feeds on minerals, and tends to live in packs. Despite its need to breathe underwater, it has a penchant for creating underground caves. Native to the oceanic planet Lithos, located in the Orinix planetary system.

Observation: While its nature is harmless, be aware that, if they ever consider you a beautiful object, prepare to be taken to their nest.

Advantages:

Aquatic Spinner: The ability to spin at high speeds to create underwater passages is a distinctive skill of the Fyralithor. This unique method allows them to move valuable objects with ease.

Excavation Ability: The Fyralithor has thousands of legs, enabling it to quickly dig in the seabed. This ability is crucial for building their underground caves and securing their treasures.

Elastic and Slippery Body: The Fyralithor's body is very special, making it highly elastic and slippery. This feature protects it from physical attacks as it is difficult to grasp or damage.

Special Sensitivity: The Fyralithor possesses a unique sensitivity that allows it to accurately detect anything in its proximity. This makes it an expert at finding valuable objects and potential threats in its aquatic environment.

Weaknesses:

Vulnerability to Energy or Elemental Attacks: Despite its ability to withstand physical attacks, the Fyralithor is notably vulnerable to attacks involving energy, such as fire, electricity, and other elements.

Recommendation: If you ever venture to visit an oceanic planet, it is wise to avoid displaying a flashy appearance, even if you desire to look exceptional. Sometimes, discretion can be the wiser choice.]

Kraynnor quickly devoured all the information, but he was paralyzed by the reality: his chances of escape were almost nonexistent. Furthermore, the submarine's thrusters lacked the necessary power to force an exit.

Despite his newly acquired knowledge of the Fyralithor's vulnerability to energy and elements, he found himself in a desperate situation, with no means to act.

He reluctantly resigned himself and waited to be carried by the current; at least now he knew he would be taken to its nest.

Kraynnor just hoped this nest wasn't too deep...

His only consolation lay in his understanding of why this alien creature had detected his submarine. How could it not with such racial skill? It was as if everything had a life hack!

[Alert! Another hostile creature approaching.]

Listening to the words of Cognitron X-12, Kraynnor watched as another Fyralithor appeared in the distance and began to spin, creating another whirlpool in the water.

After about an hour of traveling from one vortex to another, as if he were following a train route with a transfer at each stop, Kraynnor finally reached a colossal rock formation, situated at a depth of two thousand meters.

Before his eyes, an astonishing sight unfolded: thousands of holes, some dozens of meters in diameter, covered the entire expanse of the rock structure.

"Damn..." Kraynnor muttered in frustration as he entered one of these holes.

Inside, he found several Fyralithors tirelessly digging more holes or placing beautiful-looking objects, such as precious rocks, exquisite shells, and strange crystal relics from the seafloor. Each of these objects shone with the beauty of the ocean, attracting the attention of these collector creatures.

In addition, through the rock, strange roots with small flowers extended and filled most of these tunnels with light.

With disgust, he watched as one of these creatures extended its hairy legs and trapped him, sticking him to one of the walls as if he were a beautiful work of art...

Kraynnor patiently waited for the Fyralithor to move away. However, every time the creature distanced itself, it would stop and look back, as if it were contemplating every inch of the submarine. It wasn't difficult to notice that this creature had developed a deep affection for the submarine's distinctive white exterior and viewing window.

Chaas!

Finally, realizing there was no one around, he attempted to maneuver the submarine to free himself.

Small rocks fell around him, but he paid them no mind.

"Analyze everything on the outside, especially those strange roots; I've never seen anything like it," Kraynnor said.

[Taking samples for analysis.]

Cognitron X-12 extended delicate white robotic arms from the front of the submarine and, with ease, used a small laser to cut a piece of the root. This fragment was immediately introduced into the interior of the submarine, where it underwent a thorough analysis by a compact, rectangular device. This device had a variety of sensors, lenses, and technical components meticulously integrated into its design.

A blue scanner ran over the root fragment, and in no time, the results were displayed on the submarine's screen.

[It's a plant not registered in humanity's database, suggesting a possible alien origin. Its most notable feature is its transparent, high-strength material that houses bio-photonic energy currents, emitting pure and sustainable light.]

"Interesting..." Kraynnor didn't expect to find something like this in this place he had stumbled upon by chance.

For a moment, his researcher's spark ignited, desiring to explore the possibilities that this plant might offer. However, he quickly composed himself and chose to leave this place.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, in his mind, he felt something strange; it was as if he could see scattered images of minerals and rocks hidden beneath the layers of underwater earth and rock.

"Am I hallucinating? No, wait, I had that minor ability that only detects common minerals," he reflected. Nevertheless, being aware of what was happening, he focused and noticed, about five meters behind a wall of gray rocks, the presence of a small polymetallic nodule deposit with a half-meter diameter.

Kraynnor felt that they were covered in mud, which astonished him because he was experiencing the tactile sensation of that mud, a phenomenon that marveled him with his minor talent.

"Excavate in this place," he ordered, pointing to the wall where he had sensed those minerals.

[Understood, beginning excavation.]

At the submarine's bow, a rotating drill emerged, which quickly began to drill into the wall until it stopped upon hitting a mound of mud.

"Take some samples of those polymetallic nodules," Kraynnor said with a strange expression.

Cognitron X-12 collected five round rocks, of varying sizes, all in a dark shade. Kraynnor took one in his hand and, surprisingly, he could feel the minerals they contained inside, including manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, and other valuable metals.

"If I didn't know this is the result of advanced neuroscience, I'd think it's magic..." he mused as he explored the place using his Basic Mineral Sense.

After completing the collection of numerous minerals that could be useful for future creations, he hurriedly left this intricate network of tunnels.

Chasch-chasch-chasch!

[Seismic emergency detected! Possible tunnel collapse!]

Suddenly, as he approached the exit after a fifteen-minute journey, encountering only the occasional Fyralithor that was distracted digging, he was taken by an abrupt jolt that shook everything around him. The tunnels seemed on the brink of collapse due to the intense vibrations.

"...?"

Upon finally emerging, he noticed that the surroundings were intensely illuminated. Upon closer inspection, he beheld hundreds of these luminous roots floating everywhere, as if they had been uprooted or torn asunder.

In the distance, he witnessed a scene in which a group of Fyralithors confronted a colossal creature.

This colossal monster had iridescent scales covering its skin that gleamed in shades of green and purple, resembling a chimeric fusion between a Western dragon and a giant manta ray.

Kraynnor, amazed by the growing presence of alien creatures that seemed to come from a science fiction movie, clearly perceived that the Fyralithors were deploying a coordinated defense, forming a living wall that prevented the colossal creature from advancing.

It was evident that they were protecting something of incalculable value, willing to sacrifice everything, despite the marked inequality between the two sides, like worms surrounding a giant hen.

He stealthily approached what they were guarding so desperately and was amazed to discover thousands of blue eggs, all gathered in one place. However, a large part of them were crushed under enormous rocks, leaving behind a viscous green liquid. This unfortunate situation was undoubtedly due to the fact that the eggs had remained hidden in the tunnels, and the colossal creature searching for them had not hesitated to rampage through everything in its path, causing hundreds of eggs to be destroyed.

Kraynnor was intrigued by the situation, considering the possibility of using it to eliminate all these extraterrestrials without getting his hands dirty...

With a spark of cunning in his eyes, he put his glasses back on and observed the colossal monster.