Volume 1, Chapter 34: Red Ocean 5: The Devouring Demon

"You actually killed her! Do you have any idea who she was?" Within the crowd, Yun Yi pointed a finger at Chen Fan, his raised right hand trembling uncontrollably.

As for the others, they were in an even worse state, their faces drained of all color, turned a ghastly, deathly pale.

"I didn't do it!" Chen Fan retorted firmly, his expression dark and somber.

But not a single person was willing to believe him.

Chen Fan turned his gaze toward Ye Feng. "You are the one most qualified to speak on this. Tell them! Didn't you tell everyone about the secrets of this red ocean?"

"What secrets?" They froze, then looked toward Ye Feng, their composure crumbling. "Captain, before we boarded, you gave us your word repeatedly that while there might be risks on this voyage, there would certainly be no loss of life. How do you explain this now? And this secret he mentioned—what exactly is it? You owe us the truth! We have a right to know!"

"Yes, we have a right to know! Tell us this so-called secret immediately!" They began to clamor, unable to suppress the anxiety and unease gnawing at them any longer. They loathed this suffocating sense of dread.

Ye Feng frowned deeply. The current situation was completely beyond his expectations, and a feeling of unease suddenly filled his heart, refusing to dissipate.

He waved his hand, and a team of security officers, who had been waiting outside, quickly dispersed, rushing into the cabin toward the various artillery turrets. Another five hundred guards, armed with rifles, spread out in three-man squads to patrol every corner of the cruise ship.

He pulled his gaze back and looked at the surging, restless crowd. Once they had quieted down, he said, "Listen, from this moment on, no matter what happens, you are safe. Nothing can threaten your lives."

"Please, trust me one more time." He forced down the unease in his heart and bowed ninety degrees to the crowd.

They believed him for the moment and stopped shouting, but they were absolutely unwilling to return to their cabins. It seemed that only by staying close to Ye Feng could they feel secure.

More and more people were being awakened, rushing toward the scene. A hundred guards immediately rushed forward, linking arms to form a defensive line to keep them back. But the crowd was already in a state of riot; this fragile line would not hold for long. The sounds of clamor echoed in every corner of the cruise ship; there was not a single quiet place left.

"Captain, we can't hold them back much longer!" one guard shouted, rushing toward Ye Feng, his face streaming with sweat.

Ye Feng looked at the passengers on the corridor, pulled the guard aside, and whispered, "Keep them contained. They must not leave this area!"

After issuing the order, he walked through the corridor toward the police cordon.

"Captain, what exactly is happening? Please tell us the truth! We have a right to know!"

A middle-aged man with jet-black hair roared at Ye Feng. A heavy sense of unease pressed down on his heart, so suffocating that he could barely breathe. Around his neck hung a thick gold chain. Though he was over sixty, he took such good care of himself and loved life so much that he appeared remarkably young. He had come here to enjoy life, not to risk it, and he had to know what was going on.

Ye Feng looked at the man and clearly recognized him. He offered a gentle smile. "Uncle Wang Kun, please calm down. Don't be so nervous." He then looked at the others and said loudly, "Everyone, don't be anxious. Quiet down and listen to me!"

Once the surging crowd had settled, Ye Feng straightened his collar, his expression turning grave. "It is just as you suspect: someone has died. But this was a revenge killing, a common enough occurrence, and I have already apprehended the murderer."

"Now that you know the truth, are there any other questions?" He shifted his gaze to Wang Kun. "Uncle Wang Kun, do you still have any doubts?"

"Is that the truth?" Wang Kun’s furrowed brow began to relax.

"Of course! Would I have any reason to lie to you?" He looked at the others. "Everyone, go back to your rooms. The matter has been resolved."

The crowd looked at one another, eventually choosing to believe Ye Feng, turning around and heading back to their rooms. Wang Kun sighed in relief, nodded at Ye Feng, and turned to walk back to his own cabin.

Inside the room, Chen Fan crouched on the floor, examining Song Ling’er’s remains, his expression grim and his eyes narrowing.

"Have you found the cause of death?" Ye Feng’s voice sounded from behind. He closed the door and walked toward Chen Fan.

Chen Fan didn't speak. He put on a pair of white plastic gloves and gripped the skull. With a sharp crack, the red skull split open, exposing its interior to Chen Fan’s sight.

Chen Fan’s heart jolted; he stood up quickly and took a few steps back.

A rapidly writhing red, malformed tumor lay within. It was only the size of an infant's fist, its surface covered in rows of pores, from which grew dense, sharp teeth. The surface of the tumor was constantly secreting a viscous liquid, remarkably similar to yellow, thick human phlegm. Under the lights, the secretions caught the gleam, appearing almost alive as they slowly crawled along the skull bone.

"What is that thing?" Ye Feng saw it too, his heart filled with horror as he looked at Chen Fan.

Chen Fan didn't recognize it, so he asked Catherine in his mind.

A moment later, Catherine’s voice resonated, carrying a note of terror. "There is a very high probability that this is a 'Devourer Seed' from a Devourer."

"Devourers are adept at using their voices to implant Devourer Seeds into the skulls of their prey, thereby consuming them. They scatter these seeds across the world as coordinates. Now, this coordinate has been activated, which means... it is coming."

"If it truly is a Devourer, you are doomed. You are absolutely no match for it as you are now."

"While all are Tier-1 mutated organisms, they vary in strength, categorized into five levels: Common, Elite, Peak, Lord, and Titan. This Devourer is a Titan-level Tier-1 mutated organism!"

"What is the origin of this monster?" Chen Fan’s brow furrowed, his heart filled with trepidation.

"I can't recall the specifics; this is fragmented information collected by my sub-system in the Eastern District. Based on my analysis, it might be related to the Black Rock Organization."

"Why would the Black Rock Organization create such a terrifying monster? What is their ultimate goal? Wasn't their primary objective the creation of the immortality serum? Could they have other hidden, evil motives?"

Chen Fan’s face turned leaden. He drew his long blade, preparing to shred the seed.

*Pfft!*

Chen Fan’s expression changed drastically. The seed possessed high intelligence; it twisted violently and shot outward, shattering the room's glass window before plummeting into the sea.

Ye Feng said nothing, but his expression was equally grim.

***

After a moment of hesitation, Chen Fan sighed and relayed Catherine’s words to him.

Upon hearing them, Ye Feng’s face turned ghastly. He ordered the first mate to turn the ship around and return to the Southern District immediately.

A massive sense of dread filled his heart, impossible to shake. After a long while, he laughed and looked at Chen Fan. "Back on Earth, you must have seen the movie *Titanic*, right?"

Chen Fan nodded, meeting his gaze.

He sighed. "In the film, the *Titanic* hits an iceberg and sinks. It was her maiden voyage, and her final one."

"This mega-cruise ship is also making its first voyage into this red ocean..." He didn't finish his sentence, but his tone was filled with pessimism.

"Don't be so negative. The tragedy of the *Titanic* might not repeat itself here. We still have a chance..."

Chen Fan didn't finish either, for he knew he was only deceiving himself. If even Catherine said there was no way to defeat a Devourer, then they were surely outmatched.

Ten minutes later, just as the tension in the passengers' spirits had slightly eased, another scream echoed throughout the ship.

This time... it could no longer be hidden.

The sound had come from the promenade deck. And the victim was... an armed guard!

More than twenty guards quickly surrounded the scene, forbidding anyone from approaching.

"Clear the way!" Ye Feng reached the scene and looked at the ground. It was another skeleton. After opening the skull, another red, malformed tumor lay inside.

Clearly, this was the same tumor that had escaped earlier. It acted like a living coordinate, consuming an innocent victim every so often, converting their life force into a signal transmitted to an unknown source.

That source was—the Devourer!

"What is going on?" Wang Kun was the first to arrive. When he saw the red tumor inside the skull, his expression turned one of extreme terror. He stared intensely at Ye Feng, desperate for a satisfying explanation.

The crowd broke through the cordon and surged forward. They were both terrified and incensed, glaring at Ye Feng with uncontrollable rage.

Ye Feng bowed his head, the feeling of unease in his heart growing ever more intense.

*Rumble!*

Fifty minutes later, the red seawater began to churn violently, as if it had been brought to a boil, bubbling and hissing. Massive ancient creatures emerged from the depths, fleeing in every direction.

*Roar!*

A giant megalodon leapt dozens of meters into the air, charging toward the cruise ship. Amidst the screams of the crowd, the megalodon was about to slam into the massive vessel.

"Something's not right!" Chen Fan stood by the railing, gripping it as he looked down at the shark. In its eyes, he saw a glimmer of... fear!

*Boom!*

A sudden, catastrophic change occurred. A red tentacle erupted from the sea, shooting toward the megalodon.

*Squelch!*

The tentacle pierced the shark’s massive body. As the red tentacle writhed violently, the megalodon instantly withered into a skeleton, falling back down into the sea. Looking closely, one could see that the red tentacle was actually composed of countless red, malformed tumors!

"What is that thing?"

At that moment, the tens of thousands of people on the cruise ship panicked. Their eyes bulged, their faces turned pale, and their fear reached its absolute peak.

No one could answer their questions, nor did they need to. The sea churned even more violently, giant waves twisting into bizarre arcs; something beneath the abyss seemed to be tearing at the water itself.

Amidst the extreme terror of the tens of thousands, a massive red monstrosity slowly rose from the sea. It was immense, at least seven or eight hundred meters long and six or seven hundred meters wide—only slightly smaller than the giant cruise ship beneath their feet!

Red seawater cascaded down its body like a waterfall onto the deck. At this moment, only the sound of the roaring waterfall filled the world; no other sound could be heard. The waterfall was so massive it felt like a localized, super-heavy rainstorm was descending upon the ship.

In an instant, tens of thousands of people were drenched. The rain was so heavy that many lost their footing and were pinned to the deck!

Through the thick, red curtain of rain, one could see its body was shaped like a giant gas tank, with six massive legs and four pairs of red, fleshy wings. The wings, similar to those of a bat, covered most of its body. It had no eyes, ears, or nose; in the head region, there was only a massive red vortex filled with sharp, yellow-white fangs!

Its body was made up of trillions of red, malformed tumors!

*Boom!*

It hovered in mid-air, flapping its wings casually. It was like a Category 12 hurricane descending upon them; no one could stand, and amidst screams, everyone fell to the deck! Those who were thin and frail were simply swept away by the hurricane, falling into the sea with desperate cries!

The sea raged with towering waves! They were instantly swallowed by waves over ten meters high!

***

Unsurpassable terror gripped the tens of thousands; they had never been so afraid!

Fear to the point of collapse!

"What in the world is that?" Wang Kun lay on the ground, staring straight at the Devourer, his body spasming uncontrollably.

A smell of urine rose into the air! He had been scared to the point of wetting himself! In reality, he was far from the only one!

"Form ranks! Fire!" At the critical moment, Ye Feng waved his hand. More than five hundred guards stood up, raised their rifles, and fired directly at the Devourer in the sky.

At the same time, hundreds of super-artillery cannons aimed at the terrifying giant. Amidst earth-shaking roars and blinding flashes of fire tearing through the endless darkness, shell after shell whistled toward the monster!

The thunderous sound echoed in all directions; it seemed as if people's eardrums were being ruptured.

The tens of thousands stared fixedly at the Devourer in the sky, watching as its body was engulfed in thick fire and smoke. They prayed fervently in their hearts, hoping that the giant monster had been destroyed.

*Aaaaaaah!*

Screams rang out, joining together into a single, continuous wail!

Whether it was the hundred gunners or the five hundred riflemen, they all began to scream at the exact same moment. In agony, they clutched their own heads.

A wet, sickening sound followed, and amidst the screams of the masses, they rapidly turned into red-and-white skeletons, collapsing straight to the deck!

Viscous blood mixed with shredded flesh flowed slowly, and a stench of rot filled the air!

The fire and smoke dissipated, and the monster appeared in their sight once more.

This time, complete chaos erupted. The tens of thousands rushed toward the cabin in a frenzy of screams and shouts. The scene was so chaotic that hundreds were trampled to death on the deck instantly.

*Roar!*

It opened its colossal, gaping maw, and a deafening sound wave engulfed the entire world.

The next second, the tens of thousands on the cruise ship felt a sharp, stabbing pain in their heads—the Devourer Seeds had been implanted into their skulls!

Not a single person escaped this fate!

"No!!"

In the crowd, Wang Kun’s eyes burst, his hands clutched his head, and with a painful roar, he instantly withered into a bloody, foul-smelling skeleton! The thick gold chain still hung around his blood-drenched cervical vertebrae.

*Aaaaah!*

Yun Yi’s head swelled with pain, his internal organs melting instantly. As he tried to run forward, he turned into a skeleton and collapsed to the deck.

It was a one-sided slaughter. In slow motion, their flesh peeled away and melted, turning into blood-soaked skeletons that fell straight to the floor!

In the crowd, Ye Feng’s eyes bled as he stared at the terrifying giant. He smiled. If only things could be done over...

But there were no "ifs." With a sigh, he became a skeleton, collapsing on the deck. His bones scattered, and his grim skull rolled toward where Chen Fan was.

Chen Fan’s eyes bled as he forced himself to circulate the "Zhen" technique, attempting to shred the Devourer Seed within his skull while rushing toward the cabin.

He entered a room, took out a safe, and hid inside.

The Devourer Seed was too powerful; it struggled desperately, trying to devour Chen Fan’s brain. But almost as soon as it entered his skull, Chen Fan used the power of lightning to control it. It was now only the size of a sesame seed, and while it caused Chen Fan some distress, it was not yet lethal!

Fearing he would damage his own brain structure, he only dared to use a small dose of lightning energy.

In the blink of an eye, Chen Fan had used the "Zhen" technique for about twenty seconds, which had completely exceeded his body's capacity. If he didn't stop, his blood would be... burned dry! He would be... incinerated!

"Speed it up! Die!" Veins bulged on his forehead and neck, and his eye sockets had become two twisted, red lightning pools!

A scream resonated inside his head—the Devourer Seed had finally been shredded by the lightning!

"I have installed a 'Body Condition Monitoring Program' for you. Until you achieve a substantial breakthrough, you must keep your 'Body Load Index' below 2%. If it exceeds this, the 'Zhen' technique will cook you into a dried corpse! Do you hear me?"

Catherine’s voice sounded, full of worry. Chen Fan was her only hope; she would not allow him to die by accident!

Chen Fan gave a grunt, leaning against the wall of the safe. His face was pale, his heart thumping wildly as he prayed for the Devourer to leave as soon as possible!

He looked inward at his own body and saw the gold-red panel inside his skull, where the words "Body Load Index" floated in gilded text, followed by the number: 1.95%. He felt a lingering fear; had he been even one second later, the "Zhen" technique would have burned him to death on the spot!

The Devourer was worthy of being a Titan-level Tier-1 mutated organism; it was powerful beyond imagination! A single Devourer Seed was enough to make him suffer for a long time!

And the Devourer itself possessed trillions of such seeds...

If this isn't a nerf, how is this even playable?