Chapter 42: A Bountiful Harvest (Please Vote and Keep Reading)

Whoosh——

The giant octopus, which had previously lost all signs of life, suddenly lashed out with a tentacle, its momentum suggesting a gradual recovery of its strength.

However, it was far weaker than when it first appeared. Aside from half of its tentacles being roasted black, at least half of the remaining ones hung limply and softly against the ground.

Strictly speaking, only eight tentacles were still capable of movement!

Seeing this, Luo Ke fell into a thoughtful silence.

Fortunately, in his past life, he had traveled all over the world and was well-read and knowledgeable, which was why he remembered this special trait of octopuses—creatures akin to alien lifeforms, possessing nine brains and three hearts!

Aside from the main brain, the remaining eight sub-brains were all located within the eight tentacles.

Viewed in this light, the creature could only be truly destroyed if it was thoroughly and completely severed into multiple pieces.

Yet, the giant octopus no longer had the courage to face Luo Ke. Possessing a long lifespan and a high level of intelligence no less than that of an adult human, try as it might, it could not comprehend for the life of it when a mantis shrimp in the ocean had evolved to such an infuriating and insane degree!

Even more baffling to it was the fact that a mantis shrimp could actually transform into a human shape! Weren't they supposed to be walking the path of biological evolution together? Why was there a shrimp secretly practicing cultivation behind its back?

The tentacle strike was merely a feint, a false move. It finally understood: to Luo Ke, it was at best a troublesome nuisance, posing not the slightest real threat. What was the point of continuing to fight? Besides, it had a lingering feeling that this shrimp spirit harbored malicious intentions toward its physical body.

If not running now, then when?

Luo Ke leaped into the air, stepping onto the incoming tentacle, and used the recoil of the Dancing Wings to propel himself forward at high speed. Simultaneously, his bone blade pierced straight into the tentacle, slicing through it as he moved.

Barely a dozen meters forward, the tentacle was split cleanly into two open halves, exposing the undigested skeletons inside.

The giant octopus dived into the tunnel it had previously carved out, desperate to return to the deep sea at maximum speed. That was its home turf; even if it couldn't win, it could escape.

Yet Luo Ke was far too agile, closing the distance between them with every second. With no other choice, the giant octopus resorted to cutting off its own arm to survive, its wound contracting tightly to stem the loss of bodily fluids.

Thud!

With a muffled sound, the tentacle Luo Ke was standing on detached entirely from the main body, and the giant octopus fled with a loud splash toward the other decks.

The severed tentacle continued to thrash around like a stranded fish, its violent twitching nearly striking Luo Ke across the face.

"Trying to run?"

How could food that had already reached his mouth be allowed to fly away? Luo Ke swooped downward, his Dancing Wings blooming with a brilliant, dark, eerie light. Like a falling meteor, he used his bone blade as a spear, slamming heavily down onto the giant octopus's half-necrotic head.

Bang——

A deafening roar erupted like a bomb detonating within a closed room.

Luo Ke's descent from the heavens inflicted unprecedented damage and devastation upon the giant octopus.

Half of its head was directly blasted apart, splashing viscous fluids in every direction.

Even so, the giant octopus stubbornly kept its remaining half-head as it struggled to escape. This moving spirit of perseverance filled Luo Ke with profound emotions.

Of course, Luo Ke was even more greedy for its astonishing vitality and self-healing capabilities.

"Your spirit shall be carried on by me. Consumed by me, your will shall forever shine brightly within my body," Luo Ke shamelessly flattered himself.

He twisted his neck and walked toward the increasingly sluggish giant octopus.

The giant octopus retreated into a narrow corner. Lacking the energy to even tear through the metal walls just to sustain its life, it huddled all seven tentacles tightly together like a terrified young girl about to be bullied, shivering uncontrollably all over.

Just an hour ago, it had been an arrogant, ferocious, and merciless man-eating sea monster, yet at this very moment, it was displaying such a pitiful sight before a "human."

It possessed a rather contrasting cuteness!

Luo Ke stared expressionlessly at the giant octopus. With a slight twitch of his feet, his figure vanished into a blur, his bone blade ruthlessly slashing among the remaining tentacles.

He moved as if he had activated a zero-cooldown dash, leaving behind illusory afterimages in every direction with every brief pause.

The defense of the tentacles was weak and feeble, barely managing to block Luo Ke's slashes, which carried both armor-piercing and venom damage.

Slash!

One tentacle was pierced at its base, its sub-brain punctured and destroyed.

Then came the second, the third, the fourth...

When the giant octopus was left with only a single tentacle, it was utterly incapable of any further large-scale movement, slumping miserably into a lump of semi-solid liquid. Its dull, lifeless eyes looked up at Luo Ke in desperate entreaty.

"Know how to beg for mercy now? Weren't you trying to tear me to pieces earlier?"

Luo Ke chuckled. He raised his bone blade high and brought it down decisively, severing the very last tentacle from the main body.

Yet the giant octopus, despite having only half a head left, still did not die immediately. Its two branchial hearts and main heart were still struggling in vain, mechanically pumping blood to various parts of its body.

However, Luo Ke had no intention of waiting for it to completely perish before taking action. His devouring claws extended one after another, unleashing a torrent of engulfing power that dismantled the disgusting limbs into countless tiny points of light.

"Finally finished. This guy wasn't as tough as the Pincer Beast, but it was certainly slippery." Luo Ke let out a satisfied burp.

Just as he was about to check how many surprises the giant octopus had brought him, the entire cruise ship trembled violently, accompanied by a terrifying explosion drawing near as the ambient temperature rapidly rose.

Flames surged out from the corridor behind him, violently engulfing every single corner!

Boom—— Bang——

Earth-shattering explosions echoed across the heavens and earth. Under the hazy light of dawn, the massive vessel was completely destroyed, swallowed by a sea of fire and reduced to countless shattered pieces of iron before finally sinking into the ocean depths.

New grieving souls joined these waters, and faint, hair-raising whimpering moans could be vaguely heard echoing from the deep abysses of the sea.

In the distance, Finnegan and the other two survivors fled aboard a speedboat. Judging by their trajectory, they were heading toward the nearest island.

Finnegan's original boat had been rigged as a vehicle to carry torpedoes. After setting its course, it had rammed straight into the cruise ship just as the torpedo timer hit zero, triggering a massive detonation.

Amidst the churning flames, a tiny figure shot straight up into the sky, soaring directly into the sea of clouds.

Luo Ke wiped the ash from his face. Far from being angry, he was filled with immense joy.

He had never anticipated that this giant octopus would bring him so many unexpected gains.

+80

Evolution Value: [380/2000]

"Devoured Deep-Sea Mutant Octopus; self-healing and regeneration abilities enhanced. As long as it is not subjected to devastating annihilation, severed limbs can now regenerate."

"Awakened new ability—Deep-Sea Stealth: capable of breathing underwater and moving as freely as a fish."

"Awakened new ability—Sub-Brain: A spare brain has formed within the hardest breastplate of the Spinal Parasite's main body. It can be shifted in position at will when triggered. When the main brain is destroyed, the sub-brain activates automatically as a life-saving passive."

"Acquired Mutant Octopus Tentacle template; Dancing Wings have evolved—Ferocious Dancing Wings: the tips of all five tail fins can now split open into tooth-filled maws, achieving unexpected and catching opponents off guard in combat."

With a thought from Luo Ke, the five tail fins on his back began to wriggle, their tips gradually splitting and expanding like five blooming, sharp-toothed carnivorous flowers. If bitten by them, flesh and skin would likely be torn straight off the bone, and these maws also contained the power of devouring, capable of suppressing various different life forms and power systems.

The dark night faded, and daylight arrived.

Luo Ke looked far into the distance at the island a thousand meters away, suddenly recalling the foreshadowing-filled ending of the movie.

If he remembered correctly, there seemed to be monsters on that island, too?!