Chapter 81: The Tost Giant Squid

Qin Fei ultimately refrained from eating the broad-finned horseshoe crab. Though hunger gnawed at him, he was acutely aware that the underwater cavern offered little space. If he were to light a fire here... the oxygen would be swiftly consumed by the flames, and both he and Xie Nainai would perish from asphyxiation. He therefore placed the entire horseshoe crab carefully into his backpack.

Afterward, he swam to the mouth of the cave for a look. The three megalodons seemed to have moved on. Qin Fei prepared to call Xie Nainai out so they could leave together.

But suddenly, a massive black tentacle swept toward him. It belonged to the very same Tost giant squid he had seen earlier. He had only just shaken off the relentless pursuit of the megalodons, only to find himself targeted by this monstrous squid.

Thanks to his fins, Qin Fei could move through the water at a decent speed. His physical abilities, enhanced by the “Basic Constitution Boost” skill, enabled him to narrowly evade the incoming attack. Reacting swiftly, he darted back into the underwater cavern the moment the tentacle struck.

Once inside the mine, Qin Fei glanced back to the entrance. A deep yellow eye, about a meter in diameter, blocked the opening, staring directly at him and Xie Nainai. He swallowed hard. It was the eye of the Tost giant squid, whose sheer size was staggering—just one eye was almost as large as half a person.

After peering in for a moment, the squid inserted one of its tentacles into the cavern. Damn it, Qin Fei cursed inwardly. Clearly, the creature intended to wrench him and Xie Nainai out from their refuge.

As the tentacle reached inside, both Qin Fei and Xie Nainai retreated several paces. Having failed to catch them at first, the squid didn’t give up, continuing to thrash its tentacle throughout the confined space. The cavern was not large, and at this rate, it was only a matter of time before the squid’s tentacles found them.

Left with no alternative, Qin Fei drew his shotgun and took aim at the tentacle weaving through the cave. With a resounding bang, he fired. Yet the squid’s tentacle showed no sign of injury—the pellets failed even to break the skin.

Qin Fei was stunned. Such defense! His shotgun was utterly useless against the squid. The tentacle crept ever closer.

In desperation, Qin Fei pulled two black pearls from his backpack and hurled them at the tentacle. These pearls, each nearly the size of a fist and rather heavy, had come from a treasure chest in the toxic gas mine. The thrown pearls struck the squid’s tentacle nearby, and the creature seemed to register the impact, feeling around the ground with its appendage.

It found the two black pearls, and with a casual curl, rolled them out of the cave. If Qin Fei judged correctly, the Tost giant squid had just eaten them. While carnivorous, these squids also had a particular fondness for black pearls from the deep sea.

A few seconds later, having finished the pearls, the squid’s tentacle once more reached into the cave. This time, however, it did not thrash about; instead, it simply rested on the ground and swayed gently. Qin Fei was speechless. The gesture was almost human, as if the squid were beseeching him for another pearl.

Relieved that the squid was merely begging for more pearls and not attacking, Qin Fei relaxed a little. This cavern was not deep; if the squid were truly determined to drag him out, he would have few options besides a token resistance with his shotgun. Not wanting to antagonize the creature, he placed a few more black pearls from his backpack on its tentacle.

Moments later, a gurgling, rumbling sound issued from outside. The squid clearly relished its feast of pearls. Emboldened, Qin Fei cautiously swam out, holding more black pearls in both hands and offered them to the squid. As he expected, the Tost giant squid ignored him and focused entirely on the pearls, whisking them up with its tentacle and tossing them all into its mouth. Another contented rumble sounded from its gills on either side of its head as it circled Qin Fei in the water, seeming quite delighted.

After that, Qin Fei gradually fed all the black pearls from his backpack to the squid. The creatures within the Ark were all products of genetic modification; not only were they highly intelligent, but their affinity for humans was remarkable, making domestication a simple matter.

With he and Xie Nainai feeding it continuously, the squid soon became quite friendly toward them. It demonstrated intelligence on par with humans and could easily comprehend Qin Fei’s gestures and respond appropriately.

Once the Tost giant squid was tamed, Qin Fei and Xie Nainai climbed onto its head. The squid moved swiftly through the water, and with its help, they soon reached the entrance to the Devouring Relic Cave on Devil’s Island.

Inside, they walked less than half a minute before reaching the end of the passage. There, the path stopped, replaced by a pool not especially deep but icy cold. Any survivor unfamiliar with the game would likely turn back at this point, but Qin Fei knew the secret hidden within.

He and Xie Nainai plunged into the water and dove to the bottom. The pool was, in fact, a U-shaped underwater tunnel, with an entrance at the base over two meters wide. It was through this passage that one reached the true heart of the mine where the Devouring Relic was kept.

The Devouring Mine was a gorge over a hundred meters deep, its walls lined with spiraling natural passages that wound downward, infested with bats, spiders, and other venomous vermin. Qin Fei was not afraid; his pack contained firearms and insect repellent. As long as they proceeded with caution, the dangers in the Devouring Mine were not insurmountable.

Armed with the shotgun, Qin Fei and Xie Nainai fought their way to the bottom of the gorge and successfully retrieved the Devouring Relic.

[Ancient Relic of Devouring: Devour to fuse, fuse to evolve.]

The relic itself was purple in hue and somewhat resembled a flattened skull.