Chapter 1: The Great Whale Reborn, The Slaughter Begins!

The vast, mysterious expanse of the Pacific Ocean! Sixteen great white sharks, each nearly seven meters long, were in ruthless pursuit of a juvenile orca, tearing at it with savage bites. Their speed was astonishing, darting through the sapphire waters like arrows loosed into the sky. Each tooth was the size of a human palm, and their fearsome bite could shred steel to ribbons.

The young orca being hunted wasn’t moving like an ordinary sea creature. Its swimming was agile, almost uncanny, its every turn betraying a logic foreign to the ocean’s denizens.

“System! Why are these great whites acting insane? Why are they all after me?!” Lin Qiu gritted his teeth, his consciousness occupying the orca’s mind.

Just five minutes ago, Lin Qiu had been visiting an aquarium when a sudden collapse swept him into disaster. When he opened his eyes, he found himself submerged in the ocean, his mind merged with that of a juvenile killer whale.

At the same time, a golden finger known as the “Infinite Devour and Evolution System” awakened within him, informing him that to return to land, he must devour and evolve without end.

But before he could even catch his breath, every creature in the sea had gone mad! They turned on each other, attacking indiscriminately, gnawing at their own kind in agony and frenzy.

The sixteen great whites defied all hunting instincts, joining forces to attack Lin Qiu.

“Ding!”

“Host, submarine sonar waves have appeared in the ocean. All marine life within a range of three kilometers is instinctively driven to attack under their influence!”

“Why am I unaffected?” Lin Qiu asked in surprise.

“As the host of the Infinite Devour and Evolution System, you have gained resistance to human technology.”

Well… that explained it. But even so, Lin Qiu was gravely wounded—his abdomen had been bitten by a stealthy great white. The pain grew sharper, and he was running out of strength to evade his pursuers.

“System, you said before that I can devour the abilities of marine life or human technology. Does that mean I can devour a submarine’s abilities?” Lin Qiu asked, anxiety mounting.

“You can.”

Hearing the system’s reply, a glimmer of hope ignited within him. He swam with all his might. “System, lock onto that submarine for me!”

“Ding!”

“Host, the Infinite Devour and Evolution System is now locking onto the target!”

“Target: United States Navy Submarine 731!”

“Distance: 1,600 meters!”

An American submarine?

Meanwhile, inside the submarine, 1,600 meters away, a group of American sailors raised their wine glasses in celebration.

“Gentlemen, our technology has finally succeeded!” the commander announced with a grin. “We’re just 2,000 meters from the Chinese submarine. Their radar hasn’t detected us, and they can’t even pick up our sonar waves.”

“Chinese technology is hopelessly outdated!” The crew burst into laughter. One lieutenant, gazing out at the chaos beyond the porthole, remarked, “But our sonar is inciting a marine frenzy.”

“Marine life?” The commander doubled over with laughter. “Who cares about a few fish?”

“And once this technology is implemented, we’ll be fifty years ahead of the Chinese navy!”

“Then we’ll sail our subs into their waters, smuggle, steal secrets, slip in agents… China will become our backyard!”

“To victory!”

Glasses clinked. The lieutenant sighed, but the Chinese submarine 2,000 meters away was still a concern. “Commander, should we withdraw?”

“Withdraw?!” The commander’s face darkened. “Now that we have this technology, we must teach those foolish Chinese a lesson!”

“Prepare to fire two electromagnetic pulses. Cripple their submarine!”

The order left the lieutenant pale. If the Chinese submarine was disabled, its officers would be left helpless, lost in the dark currents waiting for rescue.

The commander pressed the button. Electromagnetic pulses launched!

At that moment, outside the American submarine, a tiger whale raced through the water.

“Yes! System, devour the submarine now!” Lin Qiu was desperate. The great whites were nearly upon him, his strength spent, his life hanging by a thread.

“Ding!”

“Host, devouring the submarine now!”

A brilliant golden radiance erupted. Watching from the window, the lieutenant shuddered in disbelief.

He saw a two-meter orca, its body bathed in golden light. The brilliance solidified, forming a beam that lanced toward the submarine.

“Warning! Warning!”

“We’re under attack!”

Moments ago, the submarine had rung with laughter. Now, crimson emergency lights flashed.

“What’s happening?!” the commander shouted, panic-stricken.

The lieutenant’s eyes shone with awe, as if witnessing a miracle of nature. “Nature is furious!”

“Furious?!” The commander’s face turned ashen. “Damn it! Why is our energy draining? Has the Chinese navy discovered us?!”

Impossible. This technology had been developed in secret for fifty years. The Chinese navy couldn’t know about it.

A deep hum reverberated outside the hull.

When the beam struck the submarine, it became a golden line. Lin Qiu opened his jaws wide, greedily absorbing that golden thread representing the sub’s energy, channeling it throughout his body.

“Ding!”

“Host, devouring complete!”

“Congratulations, you have gained the skill: Aqua Veil!”

“Aqua Veil: The host becomes invisible, erasing all biological signals! (Cooldown: one hour)”

“Congratulations, you have gained the skill: Electromagnetic Pulse!”

“Electromagnetic Pulse: Causes confusion among all life within three kilometers; disables human technology! (Cooldown: three hours)”

“Activate Aqua Veil!”

Without hesitation, Lin Qiu used his new skill. His body merged seamlessly with the water. The lieutenant, witnessing it all, pressed his palm to the glass, marveling at nature’s wonders.

“It’s vanished!”

“Lieutenant, what are you talking about? Vanished? Our submarine’s crippled—scan for the Chinese sub’s position!” the commander raged.

But the electromagnetic pulse had already been devoured.

Soon, the Chinese submarine would come under attack.

“Whew!” In the ocean currents, watching as the sixteen great whites behind him crashed about in confusion, Lin Qiu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“You dumb fish!” Lin Qiu crowed in triumph.

But he soon noticed his body hadn’t grown. Wasn’t this supposed to be devour and evolve?

“System, why am I still a juvenile? And my wounds haven’t healed!”

“Host must consume marine life to evolve physically and unlock greater abilities!”

So that was it.

At the system’s response, a vengeful idea surged in Lin Qiu’s mind.

If he had to eat prey, weren’t these sixteen great whites the perfect breakfast?

Chase me, will you?

In a flash, Lin Qiu bared his teeth and lunged at the pack.

Orcas were natural rulers of the sea, masters of the hunt. Lin Qiu instantly spotted the sharks’ weaknesses and went straight for their livers!