Chapter 222

Before Xiao Huasheng could even turn around completely, several cold, strong tentacles with suckers suddenly wrapped around her body, arms, and neck from behind.

The tentacles possessed astonishing strength, which, combined with the terrifying pressure of the seawater, instantly generated a terrifying binding force, enough to break the bones of an ordinary person.

Immediately afterwards, a heavy impact struck the back of her head.

Clang!

A crisp, metallic clang, like metal striking rock, echoed dully through the viscous seawater.

The attacker seemed to pause for a moment.

The tentacles that were wrapped around Xiao Huasheng tightened instantly, trying to hold her in place more firmly, and then stabbed her several times in quick succession.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sound grew clearer with each passing moment, carrying an air of disbelief.

Xiao Huasheng slowly turned his head, bound by the powerful tentacles.

"Have you made enough of a scene?" Xiao Huasheng asked the uninvited guest.

Before her was a drifting humanoid creature, clearly the Slug People Kongo had mentioned.

What he held in his hand was clearly a spear with an obsidian tip.

At the same time, after discovering that Xiao Huasheng was as stiff as a stone, the other party realized their mistake and quickly released Xiao Huasheng.

"I'm sorry... I thought you were Lunarians. The Lunarians have already taken too many of our people. I apologize."

The Slug People expressed his apology, then looked somewhat enviously at the bottle of black mud in Xiao Huasheng's hand.

All she could see was the desire for food.

Chapter Twelve: Can We Be Husband and Wife for Life? [2 Updates]

Xiao Huasheng noticed her gaze, so he held up the bottle and asked, "Do you want it?"

"Thank you, but I was really starving. The exercise I just did used up a lot of energy."

She quickly took the bottle from Xiao Huasheng, poured out the black mud inside, and wolfed it down.

When Xiao Huasheng looked at her genitals covered in tentacles, he was surprised to discover that she might be one of the few creatures in the world with a gender.

"Can you tell me your name?" Xiao Huasheng asked, trying to get some information.

"Sirius, my name is Sirius."

"My name is Xiao Huasheng... I've actually been wondering, can this kind of ocean really support someone your size?"

Xiao Huasheng looked at Sirius in front of him and began to speak.

In the sea, even Sirius the same size as her would be considered a very rare large creature for Xiao Huasheng.

At least in this sea, there is no being greater than her.

Her question was not unfounded.

In the deep sea, where even microorganisms are almost extinct and organic matter is so scarce that ancient black mud needs to be scraped out, the energy and material basis required to maintain the metabolism of a complex multicellular metazoan like Sirius, which is about two meters long, seems like a paradox.

Her very existence is abnormal.

Sirius fell silent.

"We weren't just alone." Her voice was soft, but exceptionally clear in the still sea.

"My memory is hazy. The stories passed down through generations say that long ago, during the long dark age after the impact, our ancestors found these cracks and survived by relying on geothermal heat and the occasional sparse nutrients. We were a small tribe, a dozen or so people... keeping warm with each other and searching for food."

But everything is getting worse.

Her wrists and feet hung limply at her sides.

"First came the Lunarians, those immortal ghosts who live on the moon. From some unknown time, they would ride strange seashells into the deep sea, hunting us with glowing nets and sharp poles. Those who were captured never returned."

"Then, food becomes increasingly scarce. The kind you found takes a very long time to form, but it can devour an entire area in a very short time. The area around the crack has been almost completely scraped away. Deeper down, there are more active geothermal areas and possibly newer deposits, but the pressure is much greater, the water temperature fluctuates extremely, and there is a terrifying amount of toxic water... Every time you go deep into the area, you may not be able to come back."

"Finally, even the sea itself has changed." Sirius shook his head. "The seawater has become more acidic, and it's slowly killing all flesh and blood that tries to live. Our skin becomes harder to heal once it's injured, and newborns can hardly survive."

She lifted one of her wrists, where there was indeed a wound that had just scabbed over.

"One after another," Sirius said helplessly. "They were taken away by the Lunarians, disappeared during deep dives in search of food, died from weakness caused by the sea, or simply gave up on sinking to the deepest trenches and never resurfacing."

"Last year, my last kinsman... grew cold in my arms. He allowed me to rejoin his kind, and then I ate him."

Now, it's just me.

She looked at Xiao Huasheng, her amber eyes devoid of tears, but the hollow despair was more impactful than any weeping.

"I know I'm dying soon," she said calmly. "The food I've caught lately... like that little bit of black mud just now, isn't even enough to sustain basic activities. The burning sensation of the seawater is getting stronger, and inside my body... some places are starting to hurt; that's a sign of decay."

"Perhaps next time the Lunarians come, I won't even have the strength to resist, or perhaps one day I'll decide to stop struggling to swim and just let myself sink... until I sink to a place where even the earth's fire can't reach."

She gently wiggled her wrists and feet, allowing herself to slowly rotate half a circle in the heavy water.

But this lively performance, no matter how you look at it, is just finding joy in hardship.

"I'm sorry..." Xiao Huasheng apologized instead for the slug girl's miserable state.

I never imagined that the Slug People in the sea could live such a miserable life.

At least the Gem People don't need to eat, but the Gemstones have to fight tooth and nail to survive every day.

Even if it is necessary to reproduce during this period, it will require a huge amount of energy.

"Actually... I don't think there's anything wrong with it, it's just that my body can't belong to my own kind... that's a bit of a regret for me."

"And... I've heard a legend about Gem People living on land. You must be one of those Gem People! Wow, I've seen a living gem!"

Sirius then brought up Xiao Huasheng again.

"No, that's not it," Xiao Huasheng shook his head in denial.

"Hey, you're so hard."

This piqued Sirius's curiosity, and she clung softly to Xiao Huasheng, touching him all over.

"How come your body has become so soft? It's amazing, and you smell so good." She said happily, but she quickly regained her composure and said with her pure eyes, "But at least you're not our enemy, and that's enough."

"Looks like there's no food left in the sea, right?"

Xiao Huasheng began to speak, clearly indicating that she had lost all hope for this world.

"You need to eat too?" Sirius asked in surprise.

"Yes," Xiao Huasheng nodded.

They need to eat.

What does that mean?

In this hellish abyss, food may be a more precious currency than life itself.

Every calorie is stained with the blood and tears of its kind, and every bite of organic food signifies the utter desolation of another corner.

Sharing food?

Only the closest person can do that.

For the last bit of black mud, comrades would fight to the death.

To survive, she would swallow the cold corpses of her own kind.

This was also the final funeral for the Slug Clan.

But the red-haired Angel before me...

This strange and incredibly solid entity.

Upon their first encounter, and even after he had attacked her, he only noticed her hungry gaze before she raised the bottle and offered him the food.

So natural, so ordinary.

Sirius stared intently at Xiao Huasheng with his amber eyes.

She slowly slid a little distance away from Xiao Huasheng, but her wrists and feet still gently rested on Xiao Huasheng's arms and waist.

In the ancient and sparsely inherited memories of their Slug Clan, sharing the most precious resources for survival, especially when they themselves are also lacking, is a form of the highest level of acceptance and commitment.

This means that the two parties have become husband and wife.

Couple!

Chapter Thirteen: Hero-class Must Be Here Too [1 Update]

The word struck Sirius like a burning meteorite, crashing into his chaotic and fervent mind.

She knew they were different.

Xiao Huasheng is not Slug People, and may not even be flesh and blood in the conventional sense.

Having children? That's an even more distant and unattainable dream.

Her body was already empty; even if she had a spouse, she could no longer conceive a new life.

But...

But...

"If you don't mind... if you're willing..."

His amber eyes stared straight into Xiao Huasheng's eyes, carrying the humble expectation of a dying person offering everything.

I want to be your spouse.

Even though I cannot have children, even though my days are numbered... at least in my final moments, I don't want to be alone anymore.

"I want to remember this warmth... this selflessness you gave me."

"I want... to belong to you."

As the words fell, the deep sea returned to silence.

Only the subterranean fire churned below, its red light elongating the two embracing figures and casting them onto the jagged rock face.

"Wait?!" Xiao Huasheng was shocked by what the octopus girl in front of him said.

"If I die soon, you can eat me."

Sirius smiled gently, her face full of sweetness, but her words were so cruel.

In this desolate deep sea, everything is so strange and unpredictable.

Unfortunately, this heart-wrenching confession didn't last long.

Just then, a hole suddenly appeared in the sea, and one after Lunarians appeared in seashell boats.

A figure appeared behind the two, carrying a net and a spear.

Sirius and Xiao Huasheng's expressions changed simultaneously.

On each shell-shaped boat, there were two or three figures standing.

Lunarians.

One of them held a jeweled spear, while the other carried a glowing net woven from some unknown material.

As soon as they appeared, without any exchange, they simultaneously locked their gaze on the two figures illuminated by the red light below.

The hunt has begun.

Sirius's body trembled violently; all tenderness and affection were instantly replaced by fear etched into his very being.

Her amber eyes were filled with panic; she never expected the Lunarians to appear at this time.

"Go!" She shoved Xiao Huasheng away abruptly, wildly flailing her arms and legs, stirring up a cloud of sediment in an attempt to create chaos!

She was determined to die, hoping to buy Xiao Huasheng even a moment to escape.

"Come back!" Xiao Huasheng shouted, his arm swiftly reaching out to grab one of Sirius's retreating wrists and feet, pulling her back forcefully.

But Sirius is very strong in the water; an ordinary person's strength is absolutely insufficient to catch him.

But this delay allowed Xiao Huasheng to stand in front of the poor octopus girl.

The Lunarians also got into position and charged towards the two.

The Lunarians swooped down silently, its spear tip slicing through the seawater.