Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Zhang Yu picked himself up from the ground, dusting off his clothes.

The bullies had been remarkably precise, their blows landing only on parts of his body covered by clothing. This ensured the injuries would remain hidden from others; aside from a few faint footprints on his uniform, there was no visible evidence of the assault.

Though their intentions were far from benevolent, it actually worked in Zhang Yu's favor—he wouldn't have to feign any wounds.

The school uniform was dark, and the subtle scuff marks were barely noticeable. Zhang Yu gave himself a perfunctory pat-down and then dismissed them. He pushed the door open and stepped out into the deserted sports field.

It was late September, and the sun still blazed fiercely, casting a blinding white glare across everything.

The moment the harsh sunlight hit him, Zhang Yu's face crumpled in dismay.

So hot, so dry, so desperate for water.

His head drooped like a parched cabbage, utterly drained of moisture, as he shuffled listlessly off the field.

Half of the lunch break was already gone, making it too late to go home. Zhang Yu dragged his feet, wandering aimlessly, hoping to find even a small puddle—just enough to dip a few suckers in!

As he walked, he suddenly caught a whiff of moisture. His dark eyes instantly lit up, like a donkey with a carrot dangling before its nose. His gaze fixed, and he sped off, feet barely touching the ground.

The trees grew denser, and the air grew increasingly humid until, finally, a shimmering expanse of water appeared—an artificial lake.

Water!

The marine creature, on the verge of becoming an "octopus jerky," let out a silent cheer. He was about to plunge in headfirst when he suddenly remembered something. After glancing around to confirm no one was watching, he gleefully belly-flopped into the water with a loud splash.

The moment he entered the water, Zhang Yu's body underwent a rapid transformation. His fair skin rippled with shifting colors, gradually settling into a deep black. His long, slender limbs swelled, then split apart, becoming eight thick tentacles. His upper body collapsed inward, forming a rounded, bulging mantle, as the rest of his tentacles burst free from his human form.

The water churned for a brief instant, sending ripples fanning outwards.

In just a flash, the curly-haired, baby-faced youth had transformed into a pitch-black giant octopus with six eyes, sixteen tentacles, and a body adorned with intricate, iridescent patterns.

Woo-hoo~

The giant octopus performed a joyous barrel roll, its sixteen tentacles unfurling and retracting like an umbrella as it swam gleefully beneath the surface.

The artificial lake wasn't very deep, but it was wide. It took Zhang Yu two or three minutes to swim from one end to the other.

Using his suckers to grip the lake's edge, he tensed his muscles and propelled himself forward like a javelin, darting through the water at breakneck speed, causing multiple "fish-asters."

The lake's native inhabitants suffered greatly. Any unfortunate fish caught in his path were sent spinning, their eyes swirling like mosquito coils as they floated belly-up.

Having had his fill of play, the giant octopus leisurely swam back from the other end, using eight tentacles to paddle and the other eight to scoop up dazed fish and shrimp, all of which were promptly devoured.

A while later, thoroughly satisfied from both play and food, the giant octopus found a comfortable spot, splayed himself out, and idly blew bubbles, his mind blissfully blank.

Unbeknownst to the now-tranquil Zhang Yu, on the western shore of the lake, not far from the water's edge, stood a modest gazebo. Though partially obscured by shrubs, it still offered a clear view of the lake.

And at that very moment, someone was in that gazebo, having witnessed the entire aquatic spectacle.

He Xu leaned against the gazebo's railing, one foot propped on the rail, an elbow resting on his knee, and the other leg dangling. He stared blankly at the lake as it gradually calmed, until the cigarette in his hand burned down, the ember scorching his fingers. Only then did he snap back to reality and stub out the cigarette.

"..."

He couldn't help but glance at the nearby lake again.

It was perfectly still, with only a few ripples stirred by the gentle breeze.

...This was truly bizarre.

He'd been in a foul mood all day, ever since waking up. Even after venting his frustration earlier, he still felt unsettled.

So, after leaving the sports field, he'd parted ways with his buddies and come to the lake to smoke—only to witness something incredible.

First, there was a loud splash. He hadn't paid much attention then; he knew the artificial lake was stocked with fish, some of which he'd even caught and released himself out of boredom.

Some of those fish were large, easily an arm's length, so a big splash wasn't unusual. But what followed was truly strange.

The water suddenly churned violently, sharp ripples forming on the surface as if something was darting back and forth underwater at incredible speed—like a miniature torpedo.

His first thought was, who was so reckless as to throw a marlin into the artificial lake?

Then he reconsidered—marlin were saltwater fish; they wouldn't survive in freshwater.

While he was still puzzling over it, a bunch of fish suddenly floated to the surface, a colorful assortment, forming several distinct lines that precisely traced the path of whatever was zipping around below.

Then, moments later, those fish vanished just as quickly, as if a black hole beneath the water was rapidly sucking them down one by one.

Once all the floating fish were gone, the lake fell silent again.

In his three-plus years at this school, he'd never seen anything so peculiar. He Xu couldn't help but wonder—what on earth was that thing?

It was midday, the sun was scorching, and the gazebo's reflective surfaces made it impossible to see anything underwater. He stepped down from the railing, about to move closer to the water's edge for a better look, when his phone buzzed twice in his pocket.

He Xu paused, pulled out his phone, and frowned as he unlocked the screen.

It was a friend request notification. The message box contained only two emojis—a cake and a smiling face.

His frown instantly deepened with irritation. Without a word, He Xu turned off the screen.

Another disturbance rippled through the lake—a series of bubbling sounds—but he didn't spare it a single glance. Instead, he kicked over the stone table in the gazebo and stomped off in a huff.

Only after he had departed did a large, dark head emerge from the center of the lake.

"?" Zhang Yu tilted his head curiously, all six eyes scanning his surroundings.

Had he heard something?

...Never mind. Probably just his imagination.

With a few bubbly gurgles, the giant octopus sank back underwater, happily drifting along with the currents.

---

During afternoon classes, Zhang Yu noticed the protagonist had become much quieter.

In the morning, the protagonist had actively chatted with him, explaining the school's layout, the teachers' personalities, and the lesson progress. But now, he kept his head down, either reading or doing exercises. If Zhang Yu asked him anything, he'd reply with just a few short words, barely even glancing his way.

Zhang Yu found it odd but quickly dismissed it. Humans, after all, were creatures who could even find joy in studying—wasn't it perfectly normal for him not to understand? Normal, totally normal.

Without the protagonist's reminders, he dozed off multiple times during class, only waking up when the system nudged him.

But he didn't have the energy to dwell on that right now. He had something far more important on his mind.

"System," Zhang Yu said, his tone deadly serious, "how old is the villain this year?"

System 9527: "Nineteen."

"Humans are considered adults at eighteen, right?"

"Yes."

"That's good." Zhang Yu sighed in relief. As long as he was an adult, it was fine—he couldn't bring himself to extend his "transfer limb" on a juvenile.

System 9527 asked, "Is the host planning to go find him now?"

"Yes!" Zhang Yu mentally flexed his tentacles. "I want to impregnate him as soon as possible!"

"What's with the sudden motivation? Weren't you happily enjoying the performances earlier?"

"Performing is fun, but..." Zhang Yu suddenly slumped his shoulders and let out a dramatic sigh. "Ugh—"

9527: ?

The curly-haired boy pressed his face against the book and rolled around. "Days without water bubbles are just absolutely unbearable for a fish. I'd rather finish the task early and return to my ocean space."

Being able to lounge and move freely in an isolated space without any fish disturbing him—that was his ultimate dream!

Besides, getting the villain pregnant wouldn't stop him from performing. Having other fish circle around me in the ocean every day and never experiencing what it's like to be bullied—it sounds pretty interesting~

With the host so proactively motivated, 9527 naturally didn't want to dampen his spirits. Its mechanical voice encouraged, "You got this, host! The Fertility System will serve you wholeheartedly! May you succeed immediately, conquer on first try, score a direct hit, and multiply your lineage!"

Zhang Yu: What banner, what steed, what, what...? So... so dizzy...

9527: ...

Forgot the host is illiterate.

"Anyway, host, give it your all. I'll try my best to assist you."

Zhang Yu's eyes lit up. "Then send me back to the ocean?"

9527: "...That's not possible."

Zhang Yu: Staring—

The gaze was silent and intangible, but the meaning was crystal clear.

9527: "..."

The mechanical voice paused for a moment before pretending to reset, acting as if nothing had just happened, and repeated in the exact same tone, "Anyway, host, give it your all. I'll try my best to assist you within my authorized limits."

It emphasized the words "within my authorized limits."

Patching things up.jpg

Zhang Yu squinted. "So you're completely useless?"

9527: ...

Though it hated to admit it... that was pretty much the case.

But it was just a Fertility System!

Not some Doraemon system—why was it being tested like this?

"Then do you at least know where the villain is? Surely that's within your authorized limits?" Zhang Yu asked skeptically.

"That much I can do. As the target, the villain has a dedicated tracking system." Finally, something within its authority. 9527 breathed a sigh of relief.

"Where is he now?"

He Xu hadn't shown up for afternoon classes either. The homeroom teacher came by again, failed to find him, and stormed off once more, face blacker than charcoal.

9527 conducted a search. "He's at an abandoned construction site."

"What's he doing there?"

"Unclear." The tracking system could only display his location on a map, not provide a live view.

Zhang Yu thought for a moment. "Then let's go take a look later."

Just one more class to go before dismissal anyway.

After school let out, he'd go find the villain, breed with him, and impregnate him!