Thinking it over, in this damned world, how could only Megalodon be lurking around?
So Megalodon was merely the vanguard. The real boss had yet to appear.
Luke wanted to confirm the origins of the Argo and pulled the display onto Jax's computer, bringing it up on the 3D visualization map.
Although he saw Simon, the owner of the passenger ship, Luke couldn't recall its background from memory.
It was at that moment..
"Damn it, what is that?!"
Jonas's panicked voice came through the signal.
"My god, you wouldn't believe what I just saw. A giant 'octopus'! It's at least eighty meters long!"
"And it's preying on a giant… shark? Oh shit, that's a Megalodon!"
"Get out! It's seen us!!"
"Damn bastard!"
The technology of the research station couldn't maintain flawless communication with the seabed ten thousand meters below.
They had no clear idea what Jonas was seeing.
But judging from the fragmented description he'd managed to send, he seemed to have encountered a giant octopus and a Megalodon at the same time.
Damn... Didn't that thing go extinct?
Among everyone present, only Luke remained calm.
However, after hearing Jonas's rough description, a name surfaced in his mind: Deep Rising.
Deep Rising was a B-movie that, despite its poor box office performance due to competing with Titanic at the time, still held a place among biological horror films.
In particular, the deep-sea monster in it, modeled after the ancient worm-like creature Octalus, left a deep impression on audiences.
The Octalus was a cephalopod hybrid, primarily resembling an octopus. Although its tentacles lacked suckers, its head possessed an anemone-like mouth that could instantly suck in and digest prey, spitting out the bones only after draining all bodily fluids.
Its head featured a massive, sharp-toothed maw that could easily open several meters wide, either swallowing targets whole or chewing them into pieces.
When Luke was young, he had watched the uncut version of Deep Rising on his balcony.
The visuals and scenes were so intense that they left people wary of toilets and water afterward.
Countless skeletons piled up like mountains, and the sticky, disgusting mucus made one's scalp tingle.
Each tentacle functioned as an independent entity, capable of moving nimbly throughout the cruise ship, with even the smallest openings hiding a lurking threat.
Just when you relaxed, a tentacle would suddenly shoot out and drag you into its grasp.
Out of nearly a thousand people aboard the cruise ship, almost all of them became food for Octalus.
"Interesting," Luke murmured. "I'd really like to see how many strange things this little Mariana Trench is hiding."
Zhang Suyin, who was standing beside Jax and deep in thought, suddenly noticed Luke's contemplative gaze.
A bold idea immediately sprang to her mind.
"Mr. Luke, do you know what that thing is?"
Luke nodded and said, "It's Octalus. I suggest you leave this place as soon as possible. Trust me, you really don't want to see it."
"Octalus?"
Zhang Suyin frowned, lost in thought.
Dr. Zhang seemed to recall something and spoke up. "Are you referring to the ancient worm that lived in the deep-sea canyon of the South Sea during the Cambrian period? Haven't they already gone extinct? And if I remember correctly, Octalus was only a few centimeters long."
"You're right. A typical Octalus is only about the size of a golf ball, and its tentacles are no thicker than a pencil."
"But the one I'm talking about isn't ordinary."
As Luke spoke, his gaze never left the 3D visualization map.
Although the Mariana Trench was over eleven thousand meters deep, Luke's current field of vision extended up to twenty thousand meters.
Even though visibility in the deep sea was limited, it was still far better than underground, amounting to roughly a quarter of surface visibility, with a radius of five thousand meters.
He still hadn't seen any sign of Octalus, but there was no doubt about it.
That thing had already been lured out of the thermocline by Jonas.
Moreover, there was a cruise ship on the surface carrying thousands of fresh bodies, and because the ship's master had sabotaged it by destroying the operating system and the emergency distress system, it could no longer sail normally.
Just imagine it. Who could possibly refuse such a meal delivered straight to their doorstep?
"This thing is a branch variant of Octalus. It mutates and evolves into a larger form depending on depth."
"At twenty thousand feet, or about six thousand meters deep, it can swallow an adult shark whole."
"Now think about it. The Mariana Trench is well over ten thousand meters deep."
"So how large do you think Octalus can evolve to be?"
Luke swept his gaze meaningfully across the room.
Everyone's hearts tightened as fragments of Jonas's frantic transmission flashed through their minds.
Oh no....
The Octalus in the Mariana Trench had grown large enough to easily devour a Megalodon?
Morris's expression changed drastically. "Quick, send a distress signal to the Argo. We need their help!"
Jax immediately carried out the order.
Seeing this, Morris finally let out a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, there was a cruise ship nearby. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for so many of them to evacuate.
But—
"Are you trying to die faster?"
Luke shook his head in exasperation. "There are at least a thousand perfectly edible meals on that cruise ship, and only a few dozen people here. If you were the monster, which side would you choose to eat?"
Morris froze, his mind going completely blank.
So making contact with the Argo had been the most dangerous move all along.
"Jax, stop right now!"
Jax had already halted and looked up at him innocently.
Morris swallowed hard. "Quick, tell me you haven't sent it yet."
"Boss, please don't doubt the speed and professional skill I've honed from being single for many years…"
Jax forced an awkward smile.
Morris was speechless.
But then another thought struck him. Wait. I still have a helicopter.
As long as I can escape, isn't that enough?
Suyin's expression changed drastically. "Jax, warn the Argo immediately. Tell them to leave this area at once!"
"No!"
Morris objected without thinking. If they left, wouldn't that put them in danger?
The cruise ship could leave, but the research station couldn't.
However, Morris quickly realized what he had just said.
Facing the suspicious looks from everyone around him, he forced an awkward laugh. "We haven't confirmed the existence of Octalus yet, have we? If this turns out to be a false alarm, we'll end up offending another billionaire. No, a ship full of billionaires!"
"That's the largest luxury passenger ship in the world, the Argo!"
"They're coming."
Luke spoke abruptly.
Zhang Suyin froze for a moment, then hurriedly looked back at the large screen.
Jax also began operating frantically.
"Jonas and his team are coming back!"
"Wait, there are two unknown creatures directly beneath them… no, there's another huge one?"
"They're four thousand meters away from us!"
"Three thousand five hundred meters!"
"Three thousand meters!"
"Two thousand five hundred meters…"
As Jax called out the distances, a sheen of sweat broke out on everyone's foreheads in the control room.
As authoritative experts, Dr. Zhang and Zhang Suyin, at that moment, even began to doubt whether everything they had learned in their lives was real.
They were internationally renowned specialists, yet so many bizarre deep-sea creatures were suddenly appearing.
This was unscientific.
Could it be that their perception of the world had always been concealed and distorted by some unknown power?
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