After reading through Wei Wei's messages, Feng Qi couldn't help but recall the promise between Mu Qing and her—to dedicate their lives to humanity's rise.
Wei Wei had indeed lived up to her end of the bargain.
Her messages appeared cheerful and playful, but Feng Qi could imagine the heaviness and unwillingness in her heart as her life came to an end.
Closing the inbox, he sighed deeply.
However, he didn't linger in sentimentality for long. Instead, he prepared to continue browsing through the rest of the database.
As for Wei Wei's "Spicy Lobster," he decided to set it aside for the moment.
In truth, he was quite curious about what kind of talent ability he might gain after killing the lobster.
But with Suction Cup by his side, if the lobster in Room 203 had any aggressive tendencies, Suction Cup might punch it to death before he even had a chance.
He might get the lobster meat to eat, but the talent ability? That wasn't guaranteed.
[Are you even sure you'd get to eat it?]
Hearing the narrator's slightly mocking tone, Feng Qi glanced down at his undead body.
He immediately recalled the time he consumed the green rune crystal, only for the fragments to scatter from his body, carried away by the wind.
"At least I could try tasting it," he retorted, rolling his eyes. Then, as if suddenly reminded, he asked, "Narrator, where is Little Black now?"
[The system is scanning… please wait… Target entity 'Life-Taker Little Black' has entered your current vicinity. Ready, little buddy?]
The narrator's response didn't surprise Feng Qi.
Although he had left Star City Shelter early this time, he hadn't managed to find a "delayer" along the way.
Judging by the timeline, Little Black was indeed closing in on his location.
Looking down at the slumbering Suction Cup, then turning toward the dim-witted Goat-Headed Demons standing nearby, he sighed.
Knowing Little Black's overwhelming strength, Feng Qi no longer entertained any hope of defeating it.
According to the last director of the Scarlet Research Institute, Zhu Baichang, Little Black not only had its materialized and mist forms but also a third form that had yet to be unlocked.
The Scarlet Research Institute's analysis of the spirit energy nanobot tests suggested that Little Black's third form was its complete state, the most terrifying version.
Given that, defeating Little Black with a heavily injured Suction Cup and a group of Goat-Headed Demons was clearly impossible.
Making up his mind, Feng Qi turned and headed toward the elevator.
Before Little Black arrived, he decided to wait on the first floor of the underground base.
If the battle took place on the second floor, the resulting shockwaves could kill him by accident.
At the elevator, he pressed the button to ascend. A green light scanned his entire body.
After a few seconds, the elevator doors opened, and he stepped inside.
The Goat-Headed Demons quickly followed him into the elevator.
When the custom metal door opened again, he had arrived on the first floor of the underground base.
Sweeping his gaze toward the base entrance, he began to wait for Little Black's appearance.
Roughly five minutes later, Little Black's figure emerged from the passageway.
Its body was still shrouded in swirling black mist, faintly revealing a distorted rune crystal glowing faintly within.
This was Little Black's first form—its materialized state.
Feng Qi still vividly remembered the experience of being devoured by Little Black in this form. The sound of his bones being chewed haunted him.
As for the black mist particles surrounding Little Black, he now knew they were composed of countless microscopic spirit energy nanobots.
Watching Little Black steadily approach, a thought suddenly struck him.
If he could somehow control Little Black, would he not become invincible in the future dream realms?
He could kill whoever he wanted, claim any talent ability he desired.
[Ding! Super special hidden quest triggered: Control Little Black. Quest reward: One combat-ready Little Black… Ding! Detecting host's weak strength. The system has automatically forfeited the quest and would like to say: Know your limits. He~tui!]
Feng Qi: …
The narrator's merciless sarcasm no longer surprised him.
Every time he drifted into a fantasy, the narrator would promptly show up to shatter his illusions and remind him of the harsh reality.
At this moment, Little Black was less than 30 meters away.
Feng Qi immediately picked up the sleeping Suction Cup and hurled her at Little Black. At the same time, the narrator's voice chimed in:
"Next time, for sure!"
Suction Cup spun mid-air, her eyes suddenly snapping open.
Sensing the imminent danger, her gray-white pupils lit up with pinpricks of starlight. In an instant, her gaze erupted into a dazzling, galaxy-like brilliance.
As her body twisted and adjusted mid-air, she clenched her tiny fist tightly before launching a punch directly at Little Black.
The miracle didn't happen. Little Black instantly shifted into its mist form, the fog rapidly expanding to envelop Suction Cup.
The battle began instantly.
Surrounded by the black mist, Suction Cup's body radiated a jade-like luster as her tiny fists struck out in a flurry of aggressive punches.
However, the black mist proved indestructible, continuously contracting and dispersing.
The scene resembled a school of fish dodging a predator in the ocean. Wherever Suction Cup's fists struck, the black mist would swiftly scatter and retreat.
On the surface, Suction Cup seemed to dominate offensively, but in reality, Little Black remained completely unaffected.
The duration of this battle depended entirely on how long Suction Cup could hold out against Little Black's relentless entanglement.
Feng Qi turned to look at the Goat-Headed Demons standing dumbly behind him. Pointing at Little Black, he commanded:
"All of you… help her out!"
The Goat-Headed Demons seemed to understand his intentions but collectively took a step back.
Feng Qi: …
He had assumed that as their so-called deity of faith, he could command them freely. Yet, they were just as cowardly as before.
Previously, the Goat-Headed Demons only attacked Little Black because they were protecting their idol. Feng Qi suspected they wouldn't confront Little Black unless he himself were injured.
Unwilling to waste any more time, Feng Qi headed straight for the elevator and pressed the button.
Moments later, he found himself back on the second floor of the underground base.
Without Suction Cup by his side, he decided to check out Room 203, curious about whether the legendary "Spicy Lobster" Wei Wei had longed for was still alive.
If it was still alive, then this lobster had survived for centuries.
He could barely imagine how massive it must be now.
Room 203 was located on the far left of the second floor. Upon reaching the door, Feng Qi activated the scanner by pressing the detection device on the right side of the metal door.
A green light swept across him, and an electronic voice announced:
"Identity verified."
The metal door slowly retracted into the wall, revealing a space as large as a football field.
This massive room seemed specifically designed to hold experimental subjects. Transparent glass partitions divided the space into various sections, leaving a single pathway in the middle. Inside each partition were the remnants of various creatures, some reduced to skeletons.
The pungent stench of decay wafted through the air. Yet Feng Qi, unfazed, activated his injury immunity state automatically.
[Ah, the power of habit… it's truly terrifying.]
Ignoring the narrator's quip, Feng Qi's gaze was drawn to a creature within one of the partitions.
It was a massive, brown, hulking creature standing six or seven meters tall. Its two enormous iron pincers resembled guillotines, capable of cleaving any prey in half.
Scattered around it were piles of translucent energy blocks, their power clearly drained.
It was apparent that "Spicy Lobster" had survived thanks to these energy reserves.
As Feng Qi approached, he noticed an electronic screen mounted in front of the glass partition. Brushing off the layer of dust, the screen flickered to life, and a green light began scanning the creature in the partition.
Moments later, detailed information about "Spicy Lobster" appeared on the screen.
Spicy Lobster (Phylum Arthropoda, Class Malacostraca, Order Decapoda)
Data Characteristics (Real-time Updates):
Appearance Features: The head and thorax are robust, encased in a tough, vibrant exoskeleton. The abdomen is cylindrical and slightly flattened dorsoventrally. The carapace is developed, thick, and spiny, with a prominent pair of supraorbital spines at the anterior edge. The creature has a closed gill chamber and was originally distributed in tropical marine environments before modification.
Rune Modification Progress: A "Mighty Python" rune crystal is embedded in its forehead. Fusion compatibility: 73.765%. Physical augmentation: 876.23%. Rune compatibility rating: High.
Lifespan: 638 years.
Weight: 9.2 tons.
Looking at the stats, Feng Qi was awestruck.
This thing could probably feed him for several meals.
But what truly concerned him was how he could kill it.
The lobster had already evolved into a rune-enhanced biological creature, making it impossible to classify as just a "lobster." After living for centuries, its combat prowess must be terrifying.
Feng Qi suspected he wasn't its match at all.
With this realization, he turned to look at the Goat-Headed Demons behind him.
Having already exhausted his Blood Source abilities, he could only pin his hopes on this group.
He pressed a button on the electronic screen, causing the specialized glass partition to slowly rise, exposing an entrance.
Feng Qi cautiously stepped into the enclosure, keeping his eyes on the lobster.
However, the lobster remained motionless, lying there dumbly as if it had lost all will to attack.
[Scan complete. This thing might have gone dull from being confined for so long. Probably not a threat. Go for it!]
Feng Qi glanced at the Goat-Headed Demons behind him to confirm they were still there, feeling slightly more confident.
With a burst of telekinesis, he grabbed one of the Goat-Headed Demons and hurled it toward Spicy Lobster.
The Goat-Headed Demon collided with one of the lobster's antennae before tumbling to the ground.
Clearly startled, the demon scrambled to its feet. But as it prepared to take a step, Spicy Lobster opened its eyes, and its massive iron pincer descended toward the demon.
Sensing imminent danger, the Goat-Headed Demon ignited a blazing green flame around itself and retaliated with a fiery punch aimed at the pincer.
In an instant, the green flames engulfed the pincer, spreading rapidly across Spicy Lobster's entire body.
However, the pincer struck true, smashing the Goat-Headed Demon into a spray of blood and flesh. Feng Qi winced at the sight.
Yet, Spicy Lobster let out a shrill screech as the green flames burned it, its massive, flame-covered form charging toward him.
At last, the Goat-Headed Demons behind him decided to act. They began hurling fireballs at Spicy Lobster.
The battle erupted in chaos.
Seeing the perfect opportunity, Feng Qi quietly retreated from the enclosure and pressed the "Close" button on the electronic screen.
As the specialized glass wall lowered back into place, he activated spectator mode.
He held no sympathy for domain creatures and harbored no compassion in his heart.
Though the Goat-Headed Demons appeared to be protecting him, they were driven not by loyalty to him but by their reverence for the deity they mistakenly believed he represented. Their true concern was the idol, not him.
These demons had likely claimed countless human lives since descending into his world.
He intended to use them as disposable pawns in his battle against Spicy Lobster.
Inside the enclosure, the room became a raging inferno as the Goat-Headed Demons engaged in a brutal fight against Spicy Lobster. Occasionally, the transparent glass trembled under heavy impacts but displayed no signs of cracking, despite the repeated strikes.
Whatever material it was made of, it was incredibly durable.
The battle raged on, but Feng Qi's heart remained steady.
From what he observed, though Spicy Lobster was ablaze, it clearly had the upper hand. There was no need to worry about it being defeated by the demons.
Satisfied, Feng Qi left the room. After some searching, he found himself at a room marked with "Wei Wei's" name.
After the security system verified his identity, he entered the room.
The space was an utter mess, cluttered with disorganized items, nothing like what one might expect from a woman's private quarters.
Amid the chaos, he discovered a metallic chest connected to a power source. Opening it, a cold mist billowed out, revealing several large packets of lobster seasoning, including Spicy, Thirteen Spice Blend, Garlic, Five Spice, and Pickled Pepper.
Feng Qi: …
Inside the chest, he also found a metallic card.
Engraved on it were two lines of text:
"I'm afraid you won't be able to defeat Spicy Lobster, so I've installed high-temperature heating devices under the enclosure floor. You can activate them using the electronic screen. Once Spicy Lobster is weakened to the brink of death, enter and finish it off."
"As for seasoning, that's even simpler. Every specially designed enclosure is equipped with fire suppression sprinklers to release water in case of a fire. I've disabled this system... Head to Room 208, pour the seasoning into the designated inlet, then reactivate the sprinklers. The ceiling nozzles will distribute the seasoning perfectly. Genius, right?"
Feng Qi: …
He hadn't expected Wei Wei to be so thorough.
Not only had she considered the possibility that he might lose against a centuries-old lobster, but she'd also devised a plan to season it efficiently using the fire suppression system.
[She wasn't planning this for you. It's obvious she came up with this while fantasizing about eating Spicy Lobster. This is the terrifying mind of a foodie at work.]
Feng Qi: …
Following her instructions, Feng Qi went to Room 208 and poured the seasoning packets into the water reservoir. Then he returned to Room 203.
The battle had ended.
Every Goat-Headed Demon lay dead, not one spared. Spicy Lobster remained alive but was writhing in agony.
At the electronic screen, Feng Qi scrolled to the bottom and located the "High-Temperature Heating" button.
Clicking it, the floor of the enclosure began to glow red as the heating devices activated. The screen displayed the internal temperature readings.
Already fatigued and scorched, Spicy Lobster convulsed violently. Its tail repeatedly struck the transparent glass, causing it to shudder as if on the verge of shattering.
Feng Qi waited patiently. After some time, the lobster finally stopped moving. Its two greenish antennae drooped lifelessly.
Activating the scanner on the electronic screen, he watched as a green beam swept across the enclosure, analyzing Spicy Lobster's condition.
Seconds later, the results appeared:
[Critical state. Life signs: 3.5.]
The value continued to decline, decreasing by 0.1 with each passing second.
Realizing the creature was on the verge of death, Feng Qi quickly pressed the "Open" button. As the glass wall lifted, he stepped inside and raised his fist, preparing to deliver the final blow.
At that moment, the rich aroma of cooked meat filled the air.