Chapter 105: Tentacles

Qin Fei’s consciousness began to grow increasingly hazy. It was as if he were diving into the deep sea, chasing after that elusive sound...

Accompanied by this strange thought, Qin Fei found his body rising involuntarily. He was crawling toward the escape pod’s exit.

His body was slipping beyond his control, and his consciousness seemed to be overridden by some unknown presence.

Panic surged within Qin Fei.

No, this can’t be.

If this continued, he might lose control of his thoughts to this entity, becoming a mindless husk without self-awareness.

By then, even suicide wouldn’t be possible!

The terrifying prospect caused his fading consciousness to rally, fueled by a desperate will to survive.

Qin Fei realized he could regain partial control over his body.

It was as if he were moving through thick mud—slow and laborious.

With great effort, he raised the pistol in his hand and aimed it at his own head...

Bang!

The gunshot echoed.

At the brink of losing consciousness, Qin Fei succeeded in ending his own life.

[Death Substitute Doll effect activated. Carrier is undergoing rebirth...]

After a moment of disorientation, Qin Fei opened his eyes inside the escape pod.

Daylight had already come.

Upon awakening, Qin Fei assessed his condition.

His mind was clear, his left foot wound fully healed, and his whole body surged with renewed strength, as if reborn.

The Death Substitute Doll’s power was truly formidable.

However, not long after his revival, an odd sensation erupted from his left foot.

???

Qin Fei’s heart tightened.

Could even suicide not negate this effect?

He felt something beginning to sprout from his left foot... soon, the sensation spread throughout his entire body.

But unlike before, this time Qin Fei remained fully conscious throughout.

The strange feeling intensified as several bright red tentacles burst from his body.

*Pfft.*

---

Once emerged, the tentacles grew rapidly until each reached about a meter in length before halting.

They sprouted mainly from his back and chest.

There were four tentacles in total.

Watching this bizarre transformation, Qin Fei felt a flicker of fear.

Yet, since his mind stayed clear the entire time, he managed to maintain composure.

After growing the four tentacles, his body’s mutation ceased.

He began to carefully examine his new state.

Qin Fei discovered the tentacles responded to his thoughts, moving under his control.

They functioned like hands, transmitting faint tactile sensations upon touching nearby objects.

He took out a dagger and sliced one tentacle—no blood flowed, and he felt no pain.

Moreover, the wound healed swiftly within seconds.

So, they had strong regenerative ability and tactile feedback but lacked pain receptors...

After testing, Qin Fei summarized his findings.

These tentacles were extremely agile, able to obey commands like extra limbs.

He could wield additional weapons or equipment with them or use them to restrain foes.

Since they felt no pain and bled not at all, damage in battle wouldn’t diminish his fighting capability.

Additionally, the tentacles could retract voluntarily back into his body.

Considering this, Qin Fei regarded his mutation as a form of enhancement...

Finishing his tests, he glanced at the diamond-shaped crystal on his wrist.

[Main Quest: Kill the Deep Sea Leviathan — Father of the Shark Swarm!]

[Main Quest 2 (Cancelled): Cure the internal Kara Virus within sixty days!]

[Due to unknown reasons, the Kara Virus in your body has fully erupted. Quest cancelled!]

The second main quest displayed a change.

Qin Fei speculated that after being bitten by the mutated death god Leviathan, the Kara Virus inside it had infected him through the wound.

Although he had been infected earlier, the viral load was minimal then.

But after the Leviathan’s bite, the virus rapidly multiplied and erupted last night.

Lifeforms infected with the Kara Virus face two outcomes post-eruption: disintegration and death, or bodily mutation.

---

Clearly, Qin Fei’s body mutated.

Normally, mutated lifeforms lose self-awareness entirely, but thanks to the Death Substitute Doll’s resurrection, he avoided this abnormal state.

His consciousness was restored successfully.

Furthermore, the Death Substitute Doll preserves the survivor’s physical enhancements, memories, and skills after revival.

Because of this, the tentacles born from the viral mutation remained intact after his rebirth.

Qin Fei couldn’t help but feel somewhat ironic.

Was this a blessing in disguise?

From this, he nearly deduced the Death Substitute Doll’s fundamental purpose as one of the “God Creation Project” carriers.

Tek Energy, in some respects, resembled the Kara Virus in effect.

In the Ark game lore, a scholar named Rockwell injected himself with raw Tek Energy—the Edmond Metal.

His combat power soared dramatically.

However, because the raw Tek contained a corrupting will, Rockwell’s mind was overtaken as well, turning him into a terrifying entity.

Similarly, the Titan minds and corrupted monsters of Ark Earth were born from Tek Energy’s influence.

Just like Qin Fei’s mutation this time.

The Death Substitute Doll, with its resurrection ability, restored self-awareness—suggesting it might be the nemesis of this corrupting will.

This likely explained why humanity in the Ark world created the Death Substitute Doll.

Since the cure-the-virus quest was cancelled, Qin Fei now only needed to complete the first mission—to defeat the Father of the Shark Swarm, Leviathan.

But with his current strength, even the mutated death god Leviathan would be difficult to handle.

Not to mention killing a colossal beast he hadn’t even seen.

Qin Fei needed to acquire more underwater gear and weaponry.

He reckoned he could find many useful high-tech weapons and devices aboard the Healer ship.

If he could secure those weapons, he’d have a fighting chance against the deep-sea monsters.

His plan was to first build a single-person underwater submersible—the Sea Moth—and then use its mobility to search for the crashed Healer ship.

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[End of pages 1-3]