Chapter 81

Chapter 81

The tentacle probed around the small depression, a hesitant desire to bore into it. Its tip curled into a circle along the pit's curve, each inch sensing the unevenness of the edges.

Instinct told the tentacle this was likely a small waterhole. Just being near it, it could almost feel the dampness emanating from its depths, like a breath. However, the surrounding ground was soft, seemingly prone to collapse, making the tentacle increasingly cautious.

The wriggling tentacle slowly paused, placing a suction cup over the pit. Soon, water began to condense within the suction cup—its stored water, now dripped bit by bit into the pit.

Like priming a pump before drawing water, this introduction of water would eventually unleash a torrent, allowing the octopus to fully immerse itself in its favorite element.

Crucially, it would also soften the dry ground around the pit, preventing damage or collapse when the tentacle entered, ensuring it wouldn't be trapped or crushed.

This was a clever and patient octopus, meticulous about the den it had finally found after a long search. After all, this would be its lifelong abode, and the octopus wished no harm to befall it.

After patiently dampening the pit with water, the dryness subsided. The tentacle began to move, while four or five others waited their turn. The octopus couldn't let all its tentacles squeeze in at once; it had to proceed slowly, one tentacle at a time.

The soft tip of the first tentacle wriggled toward the pit amidst great anticipation, following the path inward. The way ahead was dark, but the tentacle pressed forward fearlessly.

The tip of the tentacle gradually disappeared.

For now, the pit showed no signs of trouble.

The tentacle continued its inward exploration, soon reaching the position of its first suction cup. Here, the tentacle had thickened, now roughly the size of the pit. But it didn't give up, pushing further inward. Octopuses are adept at squeezing into spaces; a slightly smaller pit was no issue. In fact, it preferred tighter spaces, where its body could compress, making the octopus feel more comfortable.

The suction cup crossed the pit's edge and entered fully. The moment it reached the inside, the octopus knew it had found the right place. Unlike the outside, the environment within was moist and warm—exactly what an octopus loved. It yearned to bring its entire body inside immediately.

But for now, that wasn't possible.

The suction cup moved forward with an exploratory touch, sensing for dangers and assessing the specific conditions inside. The pit's inner walls weren't smooth, but the texture felt good to the octopus, which still enjoyed gripping surfaces.

It continued forward, wanting to confirm whether there was truly a water source ahead, as this would determine its suitability for survival here.

The tentacle advanced slowly through the dark passage. Suddenly, the passage trembled, forcing the tentacle to stop. There seemed to be a risk of collapse, as the surrounding walls began to squeeze the tentacle.

The tentacle tried to retreat but was momentarily pinned by the pressure, the danger having come too suddenly.

Yet, the octopus remained relatively calm. The tentacle stayed still to avoid exacerbating the collapse. As time passed, the tentacle felt water seeping through the walls that squeezed it. Though it wasn't yet a full flow—just a bit damp—it seemed there was indeed a water source here. It hadn't come to the wrong place.

The octopus was thrilled by this discovery. In its excitement, the tentacle suddenly surged forward, causing a tremor in the surroundings.

---

The rain outside the window grew heavier, as if the sky raged, intent on washing away the world's impurities with its downpour.

The baby octopus in the basin had already fallen asleep. It wasn't leaning against the edge but floating, occasionally twitching its tiny tentacles, stirring the water and causing its miniature body to spin around.

A clap of thunder roared, and the baby octopus shuddered as if startled. The next second, it sank to the bottom, wrapping all its tentacles around its round little head, transforming into a springy, spherical ball.

It was asleep.

Two people, however, were still awake. Noticing something odd, Ren Feng grabbed Chen Zui’s arm. He was somewhat angry because of the man’s sly trick, which still hadn't stopped.

He couldn't articulate the feeling—it was strange but not entirely unpleasant. The most noticeable sensation was the suction cups still pulsing rhythmically, as if they were about to suck the soul right out of him.

That feeling truly surpassed the "game to reduce swelling" Chen Zui had played with him, sending shivers down his spine and even stirring a flicker of panic. This panic stemmed from his fear that he might become addicted.

Because even now, the areas not touched by the suction cups already felt somewhat empty. His mind began to uncontrollably imagine what it would be like if suction cups were attached to every spot, all working together...

Would he break?

Or would he die?

"You’ve gone too far," Ren Feng said through clenched teeth, afraid that if he didn’t, he might make some embarrassing sound.

Chen Zui looked innocent. His good looks made the expression even more excessive, making it impossible to stay angry at him. "Sorry, I don’t know what’s happening either."

His tone even carried a hint of complaint: "There’s a lot about my body in this state that I don’t understand. Who knew that if I wasn’t careful, it would..."

Even as he spoke, the suction cups continued to pulse vigorously.

His attitude, however, did confuse Ren Feng. But Ren Feng didn’t want to argue about right or wrong at the moment. He grabbed Chen Zui’s arm, trying to pull him away.

The arm lifted under his tug, but that was all.

Chen Zui looked troubled. Glancing at Ren Feng, who was sweating with anxiety, he whispered sheepishly, "It’s squeezed too tight. I can’t move."

Ren Feng’s head spun.

What did that mean? Was it his fault?

Chen Zui seemed to read his thoughts: "I’m not saying it’s your fault. After all, neither of us has experience with this kind of thing."

The words soothed Ren Feng’s rising anger. Moreover, Ren Feng’s temper was relatively stable, and the feeling of being understood was still comforting.

At this moment, Chen Zui seemed truly innocent in his eyes—an ally on the same side, not an enemy.

Chen Zui watched as Ren Feng’s prickly demeanor softened again. After staring at him for a moment, Ren Feng asked hesitantly, "Then what should we do now?"

Chen Zui’s pupils narrowed faintly, revealing a subtle hint of danger—a reaction to his prey’s naive response.

It was as if the prey he had caught was innocently negotiating how it should be devoured.

Wasn’t that adorable?

He thought seriously for a moment, then tentatively suggested, "Just relax."

Ren Feng: ...

How was he supposed to relax?!

Seeing his difficulty, Chen Zui considerately offered another suggestion: "How about you try to ignore it first? I’ll help you with—"

He glanced at Ren Feng’s still-swollen area.

"Maybe you’ll relax by then."

It seemed like a possible solution. Ren Feng had no other options for now and could only follow Chen Zui’s suggestion. The handsome man felt somewhat awkward, his firm gaze avoiding Chen Zui’s stare as he grumbled, "Thanks."

Chen Zui smirked. "You’re welcome."

996: Foolish straight man.

Whatever. Such a clueless straight man was meant to be bottomed. Why even try to be the top protagonist?

It had no desire to keep watching. It needed to start thinking about its loans. Though the future was uncertain, it felt a sense of relief—no more battling against the Dark Transmigration Bureau. Recently, dealing with the bureau had worn it out.

There was no support from superiors, only punishments whenever it failed to stop the Dark Transmigration Bureau.

According to the loan requirements, I was supposed to go to Small Worlds to play the roles of abused characters.

After being influenced by Chen Zui these days, a bold idea emerged in 996's mind: since Chen Zui could break the rules and dominate the protagonist, why should I strictly follow the rules?

Abused?

Whoever wants to be abused can go ahead!

It'll just slack off and raise hell!

Is there any real meaning in succeeding in tasks through suffering? If the tasks aren’t completed, so be it—I’ll just move to another world and act freely!

Thinking this, 996 even felt a bit impatient. The foolish system bound to Chen Zui didn’t know when it would break through the firewall and come online. His original system must be inferior to mine—a defeated opponent.

However, the firewall was set by the upper levels, and it couldn’t remove it. Now that it had formed a strong bond of friendship with Chen Zui, it couldn’t just leave him stranded in this apocalyptic world.

It had to wait until Chen Zui’s system came online so it could mock that foolish system thoroughly before leaving.

——

Between two semicircular hills, a black octopus tentacle appeared. The actual size of the tentacle was larger than the two semicircular valleys, though its tip was slender.

The black tentacle slowly moved toward the space between the hills and vanished mysteriously.

The suckers on the tentacle suddenly sucked violently, causing the two hills to shake intensely, to the point where it seemed they might collapse. Sensing danger, the tentacle struggled for a long time before finally managing to escape from between the hills at a certain moment.

The tip of the tentacle glistened, as if soaked with water. When the tentacle swung out, it even splashed a few droplets onto the barren hills.

The tentacle hovered mid-air, in no hurry to leave.

In the spot where the tip of the tentacle had just disappeared, a trickling stream suddenly appeared, flowing slowly along the uneven grooves and winding its way down the hills.

*Plop!*

A droplet fell from the tip of the tentacle, and the hills seemed almost unable to bear the weight of that single drop. It was clear that the tentacle had exerted considerable force here earlier. The tentacle had come to this spot in search of water, as an octopus cannot survive without it.

The tentacle lowered, dipping into the water of the stream.

From then on, this place belonged to it.

——

Raindrops falling in the storm carried something strange, like some kind of organism. These raindrops did not slide down the windowpane upon impact. Upon closer inspection, one could see through the transparent film that insect eggs were inside, wriggling their tails as they tried to break free.

A flock of strange birds circled in the sky—these things were dropped by them.

In the darkness, two people appeared near the small wooden cabin. They were gaunt and emaciated, mere skin and bones, hiding from monsters on this rainy night while searching for a place to take shelter.

Raindrops pelted them noisily. Normal raindrops slid off, but the abnormal ones stuck to their bodies. The insect eggs inside tried to break out, yet the two men, dazed from the drenching rain, did not notice the anomaly.

They spotted the cabin, and a glimmer of light broke through their weariness as they looked at each other.

However, when they reached the door, they noticed two vehicles parked in the yard and the locked gate. Their intuition told them that someone was inside the cabin.

It wouldn’t be wise to barge in since someone was there, but they desperately needed shelter from the rain. Their thin, malnourished bodies couldn’t withstand the heavy storm—they were on the verge of freezing from the rain.

A hot drop fell on Chen Zui, and the hand gripping his arm tightened before loosening, leaving conspicuous scratches on his arm.

As for the man who left the scratches, he was still dazed. Despite his rugged appearance, he inexplicably carried an alluring demeanor at that moment, and his well-built body quivered slightly with each breath.

Chen Zui stared at Ren Feng, no longer holding back.

He truly adored the sight of his white fluid on Ren Feng’s bronze skin. He scooped up what had landed on Ren Feng and brought it to Ren Feng’s lips, taking advantage of his dazed state to feed it to him.

The bewildered man instinctively sucked on what was fed to him, then… his eyes widened in confusion, meeting a pair of mischievously triumphant eyes—so vivid that one couldn’t bear to blame him.

"Ah!"

A scream from outside the room interrupted the moment, robbing Ren Feng of the chance to confront Chen Zui.

The two instantly snapped out of their intimate, heated atmosphere. Moving in sync, they looked out the window while getting dressed. Baby Octopus leaped out of the water basin, *splat*, colliding with Ren Feng’s chest.

It felt like running into a soft pillow.

Ren Feng, used to it, paid no mind to Baby Octopus.

It was a man’s scream, not Gao Qiang’s, coming from outside the house, growing increasingly agonized.

As they left the room, they encountered Gao Qiang. Soon, Hu Xue and Hu Yue also appeared. Exchanging glances, the group didn’t rush outside but instead gathered by the living room window, all pressing their faces against the glass to peer out.

Gao Qiang held a flashlight but dared not shine it recklessly to avoid attracting monsters.

"I see them," Hu Yue said, pointing to the left side of the yard. "There are two people over there."

A flash of lightning illuminated the two figures in the yard—rolling on the ground. They saw nothing on them and no monsters nearby, yet the two appeared to be in extreme pain, both in their movements and their cries.

Everyone was puzzled.

Raindrops slid down the window, leaving trails.

Chen Zui’s pupils shifted as he withdrew his gaze to examine the raindrops on the window. Several droplets remained motionless. His brow furrowed gradually as he spotted the larvae inside.

Hu Xue exclaimed, "There are insects in the rain! Look at the raindrops that aren’t moving on the window."

The others scrutinized more closely. Gao Qiang cursed, "Holy shit," stepping back and rubbing his arms. "So disgusting."

Upon closer inspection, there were at least a hundred such raindrops on the window. The situation outside could be imagined. The cause of the two men’s screams was likely related to the insects in the raindrops. The group looked back at the two men, who were scratching themselves frantically, their exposed skin torn and bloody.

Their expressions grew increasingly grim.

But having grown accustomed to such scenes in this world, no one suggested risking themselves for two strangers.

The two had practically scratched themselves into bloody messes, a horrific sight.

Ren Feng suddenly spoke calmly, "How about we put them out of their misery?"

The others looked at him, but no one immediately supported the idea. Letting them die was one thing; killing them was another. Although they had all killed before, and although the reason this time was to alleviate their suffering...

It wasn’t an easy decision.

Hu Xue said, "Even in pain, they might not want to die."

If they appeared before these two men, the men would surely beg for help.

The value of life in this world was both light and heavy.

Gradually, one of the men collapsed to the ground, unable to get up, his body twitching intermittently. Hu Yue couldn’t bear to watch and turned away from the window, her eyes tearing up. In this world, one often felt a sense of sorrow, as if mourning others foreshadowed their own fate.

Hu Xue also left the window and went to Hu Yue's side, putting an arm around her shoulders and giving them a reassuring pat.

Outside, the rain poured heavily, while inside the house, the atmosphere was oppressive. As time passed, the screams of the two infected men grew fainter. The rain stopped at daybreak, and the two men fell silent just before dawn.

Chen Zui watched the last raindrops on the window. The moment insects broke through their pupae and emerged, they died under the sunlight.

By noon, the accumulated water had almost dried up under the sun, and the group finally stepped out of the house. Their eyes fell on the two corpses, now unrecognizable.

Pale, millet-colored maggots could be seen wriggling in the torn flesh—at least several dozen on each body.

A wind blew by.

It carried the scent of death and decay.

The group continued their journey in a somber mood.

Ren Feng drove the car, while Chen Zui stretched his hand out the window, catching the sunlight and the wind.

"Death isn’t as scary as one might think," he said.

The wind tousled his dark hair, and his pale skin glowed under the sunlight, occasionally dappled with the shadows of passing leaves. "What’s truly frightening is there being no future—all the things you never got to do. It feels more like regret."

Ren Feng asked, "Aren’t you afraid of the unknown?"

The question wasn't right for Chen Zui. He'd always lived with uncertainty ahead. He might have once feared the unknown, but eventually, he forgot that fear, leaving only anticipation and excitement.

Ren Feng continued, "Even before the world turned out like this, you must have seen plenty of life and death as a mercenary, right?"

He could sense Chen Zui’s indifference toward death.

He looked at Chen Zui and asked, "Is this apocalyptic world just a playground to you?"

He not only sensed Chen Zui’s detachment from death but also a hidden playfulness that bordered on cynicism beneath his normal human exterior.

Chen Zui lacked the same anxiety that plagued other survivors.

Their eyes met, and Chen Zui felt he had underestimated Ren Feng. Those eyes saw right through him.

He tilted his head and said, "You’ll have to help make me more human."

For some reason, Ren Feng’s heart skipped a beat at those words.

He averted his gaze and focused on driving. "Actually, the way you are is just fine as you are."

It made surviving in this world easier.

Chen Zui chuckled. "Are you worried about me?"

Only then did Ren Feng realize that his earlier thought was indeed pity. Ren Feng fell silent, at a loss for words.

They headed north, and a week later, one of their cars broke down.

The vehicle was parked by the roadside, and Gao Qiang was seeing if it could be fixed. He was the expert among them—before the apocalypse, he had owned an auto repair shop.

Hu Xue was also checking the car. As a former race car driver, she had plenty of knowledge in this area.

Gao Qiang said, "Looks like it’s beyond repair."

Hu Xue picked up a broken wire and tossed it back. "Let’s find another car."

They set off again with only one remaining vehicle.

Hu Yue secretly pinched Baby Octopus’s tentacles and giggled, "Hehe, it's kind of nice all being in one car. More people, more fun."

Baby Octopus raised a tentacle and waved it at her.

Gao Qiang settled into his seat. "We could play a game. Let’s play cards. A pair of threes."

He jumped right in.

After a moment of silence, Hu Xue said, "A pair of twos."

Gao Qiang glanced at her in surprise. Hu Yue added, "Then I’ll play four kings."

Then all three of them looked at Chen Zui and Ren Feng.

Chen Zui said, "I pass."

Ren Feng thought for a moment and said, "A pair of jokers."

As soon as he spoke, Gao Qiang protested, "You’re cheating! I have one joker. You can’t have a pair."

Ren Feng: "...???"

Hu Xue said with a straight face, "The big joker is with me."

Hu Yue covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.

Ren Feng was surprised and glanced at Hu Xue in the rearview mirror. He hadn’t expected her to be so playful.

He smiled helplessly and was about to concede when Chen Zui spoke up, "We’re playing with two decks, so Ren Feng can have a pair of jokers."

Ren Feng shot him a grateful look.

The three in the back seat exchanged meaningful glances, like they'd caught a whiff of drama. They dragged out a long, teasing "Ooh..."

Gao Qiang’s eyes lit up. "Two decks? Then I’ll play five fours to top your pair of jokers!"

The game continued.

The group played merrily with imaginary cards, having a great time.

Baby Octopus lay against the car window, enjoying the breeze and wanting no part in such a childish game. Baby Octopus was too cool for that.

As they played, countless ice spears suddenly shot across the sky ahead, all shooting toward the same spot.

Ren Feng slowed down the car.

The scene was clearly the work of other Superhumans, likely fighting monsters.

The moment Gao Qiang saw the ice power, he glanced at Hu Xue.

The battle in the distance seemed intense. After the ice spears, lightning crackled across the cloudless sky.

Ren Feng said, "I wonder how many people have awakened their Superpowers."

Hu Yue: "The more, the better; that way humanity has hope."

They passed by that area and reached the city outskirts by evening, finding a nearby house.

Gao Qiang had been watching Hu Xue: "Xiao Xue, let's search for supplies together."

Hu Xue nodded, and the two of them left the group. Soon, Hu Xue sensed that Gao Qiang had something to say to her.

She stopped searching: "Just say it. I can't stand people who beat around the bush."

Gao Qiang hesitated for a moment, then went to her side and grabbed her hand: "Xiao Xue, don't feel pressured. Even if you haven’t developed a superpower, it’s okay—I’ll protect you."

So it was about this. Hu Xue gave a casual smile: "Who told you I have a psychological burden?"

She brushed her hair back, confident and bright: "What’s the big deal about not developing a superpower? Am I supposed to just stop living because of it? I’ve lived without one before and still do now—haven’t I been doing just fine?"

"Getting down on myself just because I don’t have a superpower isn’t my style, Hu Xue."

With a swift motion, she pulled out the gun tucked at her waist: "I have this. If not this, I have a knife. If not a knife, I have a stick. If not a stick, I have my hands, stones, and this brain of mine."

"I’m just as good as anyone with a superpower."