Octopus Unlocks the Gene Lock

033

The moment the Mutated Beast appeared, an alarm blared across the area around the supermarket.

The nearest city Patrol Martial Artist rushed toward the supermarket at top speed.

In cities where humans lived, biological mutation into Mutated Beasts wasn't unheard of.

But the probability was tiny—roughly the same as an ordinary person finding an Abyss Fruit inside the city and using it to unlock a Sequence.

About as likely as winning the lottery.

The city's Patrol Martial Artists were there to handle all kinds of emergencies.

Cases of living creatures mutating into Mutated Beasts were rare.

But examples of Mutated Beasts invading the city through some route were everywhere.

Inside the supermarket, Jiang Fu quickly reached the edge of the seafood section.

He hid behind a shelf, in a blind spot of the surveillance cameras.

In this world, the ocean was full of Mutated Beasts.

Even farmed seafood counted as a luxury item.

So the seafood section wasn't very crowded. By now, everyone had already fled elsewhere.

The Blue Abyss Emperor Crab was enormous.

Counting its eight legs, its diameter exceeded five meters.

But since it had just mutated, it hadn't yet adapted to its suddenly enlarged and strengthened body.

Its eight legs thrashed wildly against the floor.

Jiang Fu's eyes gleamed faintly.

Blue Abyss Emperor Crab legs... should taste pretty good.

A palm-sized blade floated out from Jiang Fu's pants pocket.

This was a piece he'd cut from another Battle Knife using the one that contained Shi Jiu's Blade Intent.

Then, after a series of Multiply by Ten processes, the blade no longer held Shi Jiu's Blade Intent.

But its advantage lay in its small size and ease of concealment.

It was more than enough for self-defense within the city.

The next instant, Jiang Fu's Spirit Power stirred gently.

A dark blade-light flashed, instantly vanishing into the Blue Abyss Emperor Crab's mouth.

In that moment, the once-menacing giant crab lay motionless on the ground.

Jiang Fu swept it with his Spirit Power.

This big a crab, and after piercing its weak point, it died immediately?

Just like the Silver Moon Wolf before—Jiang Fu had cut it in half with his blade, and it hadn't even struggled before dying outright.

Could it be that as long as I strike the weak point shown by the system panel and break through its defense, I can kill it in one blow?

...Mm, I'll assume that for now.

I'll test it out more later.

All kinds of thoughts flashed through Jiang Fu's mind.

But his movements were anything but slow.

A blade-shadow streaked past.

The eight legs of the Blue Abyss Emperor Crab were immediately severed.

Then, wrapped in Jiang Fu's Spirit Power.

They were whisked away to a hidden corner outside the supermarket.

...These were his spoils of war, no harm in taking them, right?

After finishing all this.

Jiang Fu pushed his shopping cart, strolling leisurely toward the checkout.

Not long after he left.

Three figures crashed through the window into the supermarket.

They were three burly young martial artists in matching dark blue-black Combat Suits.

They reached the seafood section.

And immediately spotted the Blue Abyss Emperor Crab on the floor, legs gone and life snuffed out.

"Good thing there's another martial artist nearby."

"No casualties."

Seeing this, the three let out a long sigh of relief.

One of them joked, "That guy's strong—killed the Blue Abyss Emperor Crab in just over ten seconds."

"Judging by the style, he's probably a foodie who's been out to sea, knows the legs taste best..."

But before he could finish.

Rumble—

The whole supermarket shuddered.

The floor tiles cracked open.

Three dark red octopus tentacles, covered in blue ringed patterns.

Burst up from below.

Whipping toward the three Patrol Martial Artists.

"More Mutated Beasts!"

The three martial artists' faces changed.

They were fast.

Dodging in an instant.

Jiang Fu was pushing his cart, ambling toward the checkout.

At the sight, he paused slightly.

His Spirit Power locked onto the underground garage beneath the supermarket.

In that garage, a massive octopus had appeared from nowhere.

Those flailing tentacles were easily over twenty meters long!

Its body was covered in blue ringed patterns, glowing with a faint blue light.

Species: Blue Ringed Octopus

Level: 2

Weakness: As shown

Most Valuable Part: Venom Gland

Note: The octopus has not mutated—the octopus has unlocked its genetic lock!

And at the bottom of the light screen.

A 3D image of the Blue Ringed Octopus appeared.

A tiny red dot marked a spot on its body.

That was its weakness.

But the red dot in the image wasn't fixed.

It kept shifting inside the octopus's body.

Jiang Fu was a bit stunned.

The octopus hasn't mutated—it's unlocked its genetic lock?!

What does that mean?

In a daze.

His mind couldn't help but surface information about octopuses.

Octopuses are a truly peculiar creature.

With nine brains, they are exceptionally intelligent, sharp, and possess remarkably high IQ.

They have a strong capacity for learning and imitation.

But there seems to be some kind of genetic lock on this creature.

Once reproduction is complete, life heads toward its end.

Newborn octopuses cannot inherit cognition or experience from the previous generation.

Everything must be figured out from scratch.

Thus, octopuses have always been switching back and forth between predator and prey.

So then.

That Blue Ringed Octopus in the underground garage—was it not a mutation, but a complete form that had unlocked its genetic lock?

The system interface showed.

This was still a Tier 2 Blue Ringed Octopus!

Without mutating into a Mutated Beast, it could reach Tier 2.

Didn't that mean.

Octopuses could also level up like humans, through cultivation or other means?

Jiang Fu couldn't help but suck in a cold breath.

"This isn't a Mutated Beast—this is practically a demon!"

Bin City was a coastal city.

And on the other end of the city.

The safe passages from District One to District Six led to that boundless sea.

The city walls and safe passages in those six districts.

Were constantly under assault from Mutated Beasts emerging from the ocean.

It could be said.

Bin City was a fortress standing on the coastline.

A checkpoint against the Mutated Beasts of the sea.

Now.

The Blue Ringed Octopus in the underground garage had likely crawled up from the sea...

And!

It was just as sneaky as that Blood-Eyed Golden Tiger Jiang Fu had seen before.

Using a Mutated Beast as bait to lure in human Martial Artists.

...Wait!

No!

Suddenly.

Jiang Fu's heart tightened again.

"The Blue Abyss Emperor Crab just mutated into a Mutated Beast!"

"How did that Blue Ringed Octopus know the Emperor Crab was about to mutate?!"

"Coincidence? Or... was the Emperor Crab's mutation connected to the Blue Ringed Octopus?"

Thinking this.

Jiang Fu narrowed his eyes.

A thought of another Mutated Beast suddenly crossed his mind.

That black Giant Python with a crown on its head.

"Whatever's going on, I'll find out by catching it."

With that thought.

Jiang Fu moved the shopping cart in his hands to a place unaffected by the chaos.

Then he retrieved a cap still with its tag and a pair of black masks from other areas of the supermarket.

After a simple disguise.

Jiang Fu hunched down.

Following the fallen shelves.

He silently shifted to another spot.

At the same time.

The three Patrol Martial Artists finally saw clearly the tentacles shimmering with blue ring patterns.

Their faces changed instantly.

"Not good! It's a Tier 2 Blue Ring Octopus!"

"Call for backup, now!"

The Blue Ring Octopus wasn't a Mutated Beast, but it was even more terrifying than one.

Its body carried a horrific neurotoxin.

If even a trace touched you.

Even an Advanced Martial Artist with over ten thousand points of blood and qi would die quickly.

"Protect yourselves—don't let its tentacles grab you!"

"And hold it back! We can't let this beast get anywhere else!"

The three Patrol Martial Artists gritted their teeth.

Shouting furiously.

At the same time, they kept making noise to draw the Blue Ring Octopus's attention.

If it reached a residential area.

Even if an Advanced Martial Artist came to kill it.

There would be heavy casualties.

Right now.

A police cordon had already been set up near the supermarket, completely sealed off.

Forming a battlefield.

Jiang Fu crouched in a corner.

That sharp blade slipped silently through a crack in the floor into the underground parking lot.

"Good chance!"

Suddenly.

Jiang Fu's mind stirred.

Shhh!

The dark blade turned into a blur.

Shooting toward the Blue Ring Octopus in the underground garage.

The Blue Ring Octopus's massive eyeball suddenly swiveled.

On its amber eye, the blade's image reflected.

Slap!

But the next moment.

A tentacle blurred past.

Striking the blade heavily.

Sending it flying.

At the same time.

The Blue Ring Octopus's amber eye, with a horizontal slit like an abyss in its center.

Locked instantly onto Jiang Fu's position.

Then.

Two tentacles quivered slightly.

Piercing straight through the reinforced concrete, lashing toward Jiang Fu.

"So fast!"

Jiang Fu's expression shifted. "It can see me!"

In the next instant.

His figure flickered.

And he was gone from that corner.

Boom!

A loud crash.

The shelves in that area were completely overturned.

By now.

The three Patrol Martial Artists had fully spread out.

From three directions, they kept drawing the attention of those tentacles.

When they saw someone suddenly pop out of the supermarket, their eyes lit up.

But when they got a clear look at Jiang Fu's attire.

They couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed.

Just a passerby, not reinforcements from headquarters.

And.

Judging by the blood energy on him, he wasn't that strong either—barely scraping the threshold of a Quasi-Martial Artist.

One of them dodged a tentacle strike.

At the same time, he shouted, "Friend, get out of here, it's dangerous!"

Against a Tier 2 Blue Ringed Octopus.

A mere Quasi-Martial Artist wasn't even cannon fodder.

Jiang Fu pressed down the brim of his cap.

His body swayed, evading two tentacles' entangling grasp.

His voice was hoarse. "Do your best to draw its attention. I'll kill it."

The three Patrol Martial Artists were stunned for a moment.

They were about to speak.

When they saw a shelf beside Jiang Fu suddenly lift into the air.

It blocked two tentacles attacking from left and right.

Then spun rapidly midair.

Using the massive inertia, it twisted both tentacles into a pretzel.

"Holy shit, a Psychic Master!!"

The three exchanged glances, all seeing the delight in each other's eyes.

A Blue Ringed Octopus—especially one that had unlocked its gene lock.

Was venomous from head to tail.

Ordinary martial artists wouldn't dare get close.

But a Psychic Master who could control objects from a distance—that was a different story!

"Good!"

"Leave it to us!"

The three exchanged looks.

Their originally scattered positions instantly converged.

At the same time, their Battle Knives slashed out, heavily chopping at one tentacle.

Thud!

Three strikes landed.

Blue blood splattered.

The Blue Ringed Octopus's eight tentacles twitched slightly.

And in that instant.

The blade that had been knocked flying by the octopus moved.

"This strike—Speed multiplied by ten!"

"Damage dealt multiplied by ten!"

Whoosh—

Thump!

One strike.

Pierced straight through the Blue Ringed Octopus's body.