Yan Hai Pier.
The largest port in Yan Hai City, this vital maritime hub connects numerous waterways, forming the economic lifeblood of the region. Much of the city's prosperity flows through this harbor.
But today—
Chaos reigned.
Cargo lay scattered across the ground, and workers fled in every direction, vanishing within seconds with astonishing speed—experts, it seemed, in the art of escape.
BOOM!
CRASH!
A deafening roar tore through the air.
In the distance, a monstrous creature—an octopus nearly four meters tall—thrashed its massive limbs against the earth. Each of its eight arms was lined with hundreds of suction cups, nearly four hundred apiece, each powerful enough to render escape impossible once ensnared.
"Heaven-bound flame, divine thunder's might,
Yin and Yang aligned, four corners bright,
Heaven and Earth, obey this rite—
Pursue and strike, as law decrees!"
"Inferno Thunder Curse!"
A middle-aged man in a sharply tailored suit stood resolute, gripping a long Daoist sword in both hands. As he recited the incantation, he called upon celestial might. A fiery orb flickered to life before him, burning with electricity coursing through its molten core.
"Go."
A graduate of the High Daoist Institute, he swung the blade with precision. The blazing flame shot forth with a hiss, enveloping the octopus in a searing inferno.
"Impressive!"
Three fellow cultivators who had struggled against the beast earlier beamed with relief. The creature had proven a formidable foe—its arms too numerous, its strikes too dense to easily evade.
Now, seeing their comrade unleash such a powerful technique, they exhaled in unison. Surely it cannot survive that.
The Daoist man, clearly fatigued, still couldn't help but boast:
"All your talk is nonsense. Of course it's powerful—this incantation is from Volume Four of the Divine Incantations of the Supreme Three Caverns. Even I find it taxing to perform."
"Soon, it shall be nothing more than a well-roasted squid."
Another man curled his lip. "Nothing special. We at Maoshan have similar spells."
"That's a pirated version," the Daoist snapped.
"Amitābha."
A Buddhist cultivator, calm and composed, watched the exchange. He was used to this dynamic. Among their quartet, his role was to draw the creature's attention—to be the bait—allowing his companions the window to strike.
Looking down at his reddened palms, he muttered another quiet Amitābha, filled with quiet regret for choosing the Buddhist path. He was always the one taking the beatings.
Suddenly—
The octopus let out a harrowing, soul-piercing scream. Its tentacles flailed madly, shattering concrete with each thunderous strike.
The onlookers winced.
Repaving roads costs a fortune—not to mention workers' wages. All that budget, gone. That's our tax money!
And then—
A change.
Dark fog spilled from the beast, thick and ominous. The air grew heavy. The four cultivators, who had moments ago been boasting, paled in horror.
"This is bad."
BOOM!
Its eyes glowed crimson. Its size surged. The injuries from the fire-thunder incantation rapidly healed. Tentacles grew thicker, more muscular.
With a furious sweep, it sent the flaming curse hurtling back in fragmented orbs—each one crashing into the chests of the four cultivators.
They were thrown back like rag dolls.
The Buddhist monk alone managed to stay upright, but even he staggered several steps.
Cough!
Blood spattered from their lips as they stared, aghast.
How could this be? The monster had been only four meters high—it was now over six!
"It's not a level four—it's a level five demonic entity!"
"A level five... and one so hard to kill. We can't defeat this thing."
The octopus thrashed about violently, its rage uncontrollable. It had once hidden peacefully in the river, driven only by curiosity about the taste of human flesh.
It had eaten just one.
And now it was being hunted like a criminal.
Humans are so stingy, it thought.
Just one. Was that so unforgivable? Fine then—I'll eat all of you.
Just then—
A figure descended from the sky, landing atop a crane.
"I'm in a very bad mood."
The voice rang out with steely calm.
The four cultivators looked up—and their eyes lit up with relief.
"Cyclops!"
Ordinarily, they'd never use that nickname aloud. But today, excitement got the better of them.
The look in his single visible eye, however, promised murder.
He had not always been this irritable. But ever since his encounters with two particular psychiatric patients, a darkness had lodged in his chest.
He couldn't vent his fury on his subordinates.
So he turned to monsters.
"Demonic Octopus," he said flatly, "I hope you're tough. I need to let off some steam."
On the Elevated Expressway.
An ambulance raced forward. Vice Director Li gripped the wheel in one hand and held a cigarette in the other. His eyes locked on the road.
Qingshan Mental Institution was just ahead.
Then—traffic.
A sea of vehicles lay dead still ahead of them.
Honk! Honk!
He slammed the horn, exasperated.
Don't you people know I have two mental patients in this ambulance? Want me to let them out and have them chop you up?
Of course, that was just his inner monologue.
Outwardly, he chuckled helplessly. "Looks like even the overpass is clogged today. Traffic's heavy."
The driver held a lighter, tense in the Vice Director's presence. Seeing the cigarette had gone out, he hurriedly leaned over.
"Sir, allow me."
Li glanced at the stub—indeed, extinguished. Smiling faintly, he leaned in and lit it, patting the driver's hand in thanks.
"Help! Please!"
"A monster! There's a monster!"
People were fleeing ahead, abandoning their cars in sheer panic.
"A monster?" Li chuckled, shaking his head. "You may not know this, but monsters aren't all that—"
SMASH!
A dark mass slammed into the window, shattering the glass. It was a man—clearly thrown by the monster. Bloodied and contorted with pain, he raised trembling fingers and scrawled letters on the glass.
S.O.S.
He couldn't speak—he was mute.
Vice Director Li and the driver exchanged a single glance.
In the blink of an eye, both flung their doors open and bolted without a word—no hesitation, just raw survival instinct.
Monsters are terrifying as hell.
In the Distance.
A smaller octopus-like creature—barely two meters tall—scurried along on its limbs. It could not speak, but its thoughts were loud and clear.
Papa, where are you?
Why can't I find you?
I'm hungry. I need food.
It flipped over a parked car with ease, making its way forward joyfully.
Inside the Ambulance.
"I'm starving."
Lin Fan awoke from his qigong meditation, his spirit calm. He had absorbed all the energy he could—but now his stomach roared. Every cell in his body screamed for nourishment.
Vice Director Li flung open the rear door. Seeing the two psychiatric patients discussing food, he cried:
"Get out! Now! The monster's coming!"
"If you don't want to get eaten—run!"
Lin Fan and Old Zhang climbed out.
Li tried dragging them both to safety—but they wouldn't budge. He was on the verge of collapse.
I'm about to be promoted to Director. Can't they just cooperate for once?
"Run with me, damn it!"
"Is it cute?" Lin Fan asked.
Old Zhang grinned. "Not bad."
They looked at each other, baring their teeth in joy.
Vice Director Li stared at them, eyes bulging in panic. Turning to his equally terrified driver, he sighed in bitter regret:
"You were right. I should've let you do this."
The driver froze in disbelief.
You shameless dog.
And yet…
"To serve you, sir, is my greatest honor," he replied instantly.
Even if a thousand monsters lay ahead—his rainbow-flavored compliments would always be reserved for the Director.
That's just who I am.
(End of Chapter)