Her Tentacles 50

Chapter 50: The Octopus

In today’s world, where monsters have crawled ashore from the bottom of the sea and are in the midst of a full-scale invasion of the human world, humans, who have dominated the top of this planet’s food chain for so many years, naturally have countermeasures. They quickly discovered the advantages of these mutated marine creatures—

For example, the general bureaus of the special departments in various regions had a dedicated research and development bureau. In addition to regular standard weapons, they also developed special weapons that could be used by ordinary humans, based on the extraordinary mutated characteristics of captured monsters and parasites.

Some monsters had thick skin and tough hides, and their bones and skins could be used to make special armor. Some monsters had sharp teeth and were highly poisonous, and could be used to make military sabers and daggers. These were the things that the special department’s general bureau had been vigorously promoting recently.

The red umbrella that Shu Yao had gotten from Lin Ran before, they had also been very interested in at first, even though Shu Yao had not said where it came from.

However, after repeated tests, they found that.

This umbrella, because the materials used in its making had been separated from the main body for a long time, and only had the shed skin tissue and cartilage, did not carry any special characteristics, which meant its ornamental value was greater than its combat value. They finally returned it to Shu Yao.

It also became the thing that Shu Yao would occasionally use as a brick to hit monsters with when her ordinary weapons ran out, when she first faced those monsters.

Of course.

Only the flower fish who was by Shu Yao’s side knew that the basic function of this umbrella when it was first made was:

To have a deterrent effect on all monsters below the level of a [Monarch Slayer].

It was also during this period when he was with Shu Yao that he had learned from the monsters that the [Monarch Slayer] was most likely dead, and after repeatedly confirming that the patterns on this umbrella would not come to life, that he dared to touch it a little.

Mmm, only limited to using it to shield his boss from the rain when it rained.

…

In short.

From Situ Jin’s description, it could be known that this group of upper-class, rich people who could obtain more information through various special channels had long since set their sights on monster materials.

In addition to the materials obtained and handed over by the capable people raised by the special department on the battlefield, they would also privately issue some special bounties, thus forming this special auction where materials from the underground trading market flowed out.

Even if the apocalypse came.

As long as humanity was not destroyed, there would always be business opportunities.

Tonight’s monster auction was the largest and most comprehensive auction in terms of transaction categories in these few months.

That was why Situ Jin’s blind date had wanted to bring her along to have a look, to determine the future development direction of his family.

“It is my honor to be able to invite Teacher Shu to escort this auction for us.”

At seven-forty in the evening.

Sitting in an antique, sandalwood-furnished classical private room, the young man opposite gestured for the person next to him to first hand the poured tea to Shu Yao.

The tea in the semi-transparent, glossy official kiln white porcelain teacup was also made from ancient tree tea buds that cost a thousand gold per gram.

Shu Yao was the least comfortable in this kind of situation, and was not good at dealing with these powerful people. Hearing this, she immediately glanced at Situ Jin secretly.

Situ Jin was much more at ease than her. She smiled and interrupted, “She’s timid. You’ll scare her if you talk like that. Alright, didn’t you say you had something you were interested in and wanted her to help you with? Where’s the booklet?”

The young man, surnamed Ye, who looked extremely young and was indeed only in his early twenties, had someone hand over the booklet. His probing gaze fell on Shu Yao:

“Indeed.”

“I heard that the ‘Monster Encyclopedia’ circulated within the special department, most of the popular science about the abyss in it, was compiled with Teacher Shu’s participation. In terms of understanding them, none of us here can compare to Teacher Shu.”

Shu Yao was at a loss for words.

She didn’t know how to respond to this, because if she could, she didn’t want to have this kind of knowledge. And the last person who had asked this was a newcomer at the special department’s new recruitment training base. The other person’s next question was:

“I heard that the monster ranked eighteenth among the [Martyrs], codenamed [Styx], the human it descended upon was your ex-girlfriend?”

Before her.

This Young Master Ye had also followed up with the first half of the sentence, but he had not succeeded in finishing his question before he was interrupted by Situ Jin:

“Why are you only asking her, a social phobic? Ask me. I also know a lot about that [Styx]. Why don’t I tell you about it?”

Sensing the unfriendliness in Situ Jin’s tone, Young Master Ye chuckled and turned to coax her. “Miss, can’t I even ask about some light gossip? Then next time, you can write me a list of what we can and can’t talk about.”

Thinking of his family background, Situ Jin’s tone was sarcastic. “How would I dare to make a list for the crown prince? Wouldn’t that be overstepping?”

Amidst Situ Jin’s back-and-forth with her blind date, Shu Yao opened the booklet that someone had handed her.

Even though she was mentally prepared, the first picture she saw when she opened it was still extremely shocking—

It was a mermaid that was very much in line with the setting of a fairy tale, as if it had swum out of a picture book. Not a mermaid like the flower fish, with the upper body of a fish and the lower body of two thick human legs.

But the other way around. A mermaid with long, golden seaweed-like hair, fair skin, and beautiful features, with a graceful upper body curve, and below the slender waist, there were green scales, and a beautiful goldfish-like fin and long tail.

The flower fish’s words unexpectedly entered her mind.

“Hehe, team leader, am I ugly?”

“But I really like how I look. Think about it, if I were to mutate, and my upper half was human and my lower half was a fish, I would be in a miserable state. How could I still be a salted fish under your command?”

“The bottom of our monster world is no different from the bottom of the human world. We’re all the ones who suffer when the gods fight. Look at me, when I was a fish, I had to sell my life for the [Martyrs]. Now that I want to be a human, I have to sell my life for the special department…”

At that time, Shu Yao could only listen to his chattering words.

Just like now, she could only watch as this mermaid, who was even more miserable than the flower fish, was put on such an auction. The description of her special abilities in the booklet was zero. She would not cry tears like pearls, nor did she have a beautiful singing voice.

But her starting price was five million.

Shu Yao closed the booklet again. In Young Master Ye’s timely questioning gaze, she unskillfully pulled at the corner of her lips and said:

“Actually, the most common type of monster that has appeared so far is the [Parasite]. And in terms of research on their own characteristics and mutation directions, the experts who are more familiar with marine life species have more say. I really can’t give too professional advice. I’m very sorry.”

Young Master Ye was still young after all. It was only because he was the only boy in the direct line of his family that he was particularly precious, and he was protected in every way when he went out. At this moment, hearing Shu Yao’s words, he just smiled and said:

“It’s okay. You’re Jin’s good friend. Since you’re here—”

“It’s also fine for everyone to sit down and watch the fun together.”

…

He said he would watch the fun, and he really did just watch and not buy.

Even after the auction began, as the curtain behind the host was drawn, revealing the huge water tank and the beautiful mermaid inside, he just asked Situ Jin next to him:

“Speaking of which, does your uncle like to keep fish? I have a few uncles who are quite fond of fishing. Now that they’ve heard there are monsters in the sea, they’re even more excited every time they go sea fishing.”

Situ Jin had a fake smile on her face. “He doesn’t like it.”

But Shu Yao read a curse in her expression: Crazy.

For some reason.

The frustration from flipping through that auction booklet just now had dissipated a little in her good friend’s expression.

She turned her head and couldn’t help but curve her lips slightly.

She was originally glad that neither of them had been changed by this absurd world, but after turning her head, she happened to be facing the host, and thus saw the mermaid in the fish tank behind him, opening her mouth and spitting out strings of bubbles in the water.

She was speaking.

Her palm was even hitting the fish tank.

But from beginning to end, Shu Yao did not receive a single word of her biological signal.

Could it be that she wasn’t a monster, nor a parasite?

Just an ordinary human who had been transformed into this gimmick?

Shu Yao’s face suddenly turned very ugly.

Situ Jin, who hadn’t wanted to bother with that young master in the first place, quickly noticed that her expression was not right. She took her hand and touched the fingertips exposed by her combat gloves, asking, “Why are your fingers so cold? Are you cold?”

“I… it’s a little stuffy in here. You guys watch first. I’ll go out for a walk and check the security situation.”

Shu Yao suddenly stood up, smiled at her, and turned to go out.

In the corridor outside.

Shu Yao heard that the mermaid was finally bought by buyer “1888.” She was about to walk out, but stopped, and after a moment of confusion, she turned and went back to the private room just now.

Situ Jin had just put down her auction paddle.

“Jin?”

She said, not understanding.

Situ Jin leaned back on the artificially embroidered silk soft chair and gestured for her to look at the big spender next to her. “From the moment that mermaid came out, you had this expression. I was thinking of just spending money to buy her and let her go. But this Young Master Ye said to use his card.”

Shu Yao was stunned.

But she saw Situ Jin walk up to her and poke her head. “You’re much better at pretending now than before. I almost didn’t notice. I can’t control what you do at work, but tonight, it just happens to be in my area of expertise—”

“Hurry up and be happy. I’m spending a fortune to buy you a smile, Princess Yaoyao.”

As she said this, it made Shu Yao’s heart, which had been gradually numbing these past few months, become alive again.

Her eyes also became a little warm.

“Jin…”

Situ Jin thought for a moment and opened her arms to her. “It’s okay if you don’t smile. Come on, cry in my arms. I just like to see a cold beauty like you cry.”

Young Master Ye also timely coughed lightly. “Why don’t I go out? To make room for your friendship that is stronger than gold?”

Shu Yao, who couldn’t cry anymore: “…”

Her expression changed again and again. Coincidentally, at this time, the auction house asked them to go and confirm the condition of the goods. Shu Yao took the opportunity to leave and go to check the other’s physical condition.

…

The situation was as bad as she had thought. The mermaid had been completely transformed, and her physical condition was very bad. The only thing Shu Yao could do was to have her taken out of the water and sent to the hospital affiliated with the special department for treatment as much as possible, in her own name.

And after she went back and told them this, Young Master Ye, who knew that he had just spent a lot of money to buy an artificial monster, was obviously not in a good mood.

He promised Situ Jin that he would have someone investigate this matter.

Shu Yao did not hold out any hope for this and sat in the corner with a vacant expression.

When she came back to her senses, the auction was already coming to an end.

“Next is our most mysterious final auction item. It was not displayed in the auction booklet in advance. I believe everyone must be quite looking forward to it, right?”

Situ Jin saw that her friend was in a bad mood and asked Young Master Ye in advance what it was, thinking that if it was something unimportant, she would just leave this unlucky place.

“I don’t know, but I can probably guess,” the young man’s fingertips tapped silently on the armrest of the chair, and he said with a sneer, “It must be something that looks mysterious but is actually difficult to value. It’s probably just to trick people into paying an IQ tax.”

Situ Jin stood up. “Then forget it. Let’s go.”

Just as her voice fell.

The small fish tank on the stage in front of the host, which had been covered with a cloth, was also unveiled, revealing the creature inside—

Because it was too small, Situ Jin, who was on a high floor and too far away, couldn’t see it clearly without binoculars.

But Shu Yao could see it clearly.

It was an octopus.

It had a bright, warm orange color, at first glance like a small straw hat, with black pupils and two translucent, round ears that moved with the water flow. It was a small-bodied octopus.

It was only about ten centimeters wide, making one feel that it could be held in one’s palm.

Shu Yao recognized it at a glance. This was a Dumbo octopus that lived in the deep sea at a depth of four thousand meters, because she had almost worn out the pages of the octopod section of that “Monster Encyclopedia.”

The host’s tone was excited. “Everyone, please look at this Dumbo octopus. This is currently the only Dumbo octopus that has been able to survive in shallow water pressure after being salvaged. This is unique. This proves that it is very special.”

“As we all know, in the ‘Monster Encyclopedia’ circulated by the special department, there is a very mysterious, special existence that has not been recorded with any information, and that is the [Monarch Slayer].”

“The news has also been reporting recently that those monsters, out of fear of this mysterious existence, the [Monarch Slayer], are wantonly hunting deep-sea octopuses, so much so that all species of deep-sea octopuses are on the verge of extinction. Everyone, guess if there is a possibility—”

“You take it home, and it will bring you a miracle, directly growing into the next generation [Monarch Slayer]?”

“Action is better than words, distinguished guests.”

“And now, the starting price for this Dumbo octopus, which can create a miracle for you, is five hundred!”

After the host, who had painted a huge picture, finished speaking.

Shu Yao heard Situ Jin spit out a mouthful of tea. “Pfft, cough, cough, cough… what the hell? Did I hear that right? The great [Monarch Slayer]? Five hundred?”

Then, Situ Jin seemed to have thought of something, leaned into Shu Yao, and whispered in her ear, “Honey, as the saying goes, out with the old, in with the new. A mere five hundred, you won’t lose anything, you won’t be cheated. Do you want me to buy it for you to keep as a pet? Maybe you’ll have a new nurturing-type girlfriend later?”

If nothing else, this Dumbo octopus was so cute!

Shu Yao, who was listening to her, as whimsical as the host: “…”

She raised her palm expressionlessly, wanting to push Situ Jin’s head away.

However, at the same time as her friend was speaking—

The little octopus, which had been lying motionless in the water tank under everyone’s gaze, in a terrible state, suddenly moved its ears. Through the transparent glass wall, its round, obsidian-like eyes looked over here.

It’s looking at me.

Shu Yao thought.