Chapter 6: Broadcast Again

In the Pacific waters, near the southern edge of an uninhabited island, a thirty-meter-long orca lay half-buried in the sandy shallows by the beach. Its enormous eyes pierced the crystalline surface, fixing intently on the shore.

Nearby, a crocodile over ten meters long lurked beneath the water, its snout just breaking the surface. Its gaze, too, was riveted on the beach.

On the sand, a group of leopards moved in packs—some bent to drink, others stood watch, alert to every movement around them.

“It’s been a month since my rebirth, and I’m sick of the bland taste in my mouth. Time to try something different,” the orca murmured inwardly, its massive eyes drifting from the leopards to the crocodile lurking a dozen meters ahead.

“Should I eat the crocodile, or the leopards?” it wondered. “Leopards are land creatures, their flavor must be exquisite; crocodiles are amphibious, but still count as fish, right?!”

This orca was Lin Qiu, reborn, now pondering his dilemma. In a month, he had consumed his fair share of marine creatures, honing his Water Concealment skill to perfection. Now, he could remain invisible for twenty-four hours without cooldown, masking all biological signals, able to lurk undetected.

As he mulled over his options, he sensed something unusual above. Activating his oceanic radar, he detected the reflection of a small drone circling overhead. Expanding the radar’s range, he spotted a three-hundred-meter-long cruise ship two kilometers away.

Curious, he swam closer and discovered Xu Bing, the military enthusiast.

“That brainless woman again,” Lin Qiu grumbled under his breath. If he had a face, it would be twisted in a scowl. He once thought well of her, but after the incident with the 255 submarine’s attack, his opinion soured. Her reckless livestream nearly got the sons of China killed by American soldiers.

Lost in thought, Lin Qiu’s pupils dilated. Just then, the water churned and grew murky. The lurking crocodile bared its fangs, launched from the water, and clamped onto a leopard’s neck in a vicious bite.

With a powerful tail sweep, it dragged the struggling leopard into the turbid depths. After a few waves, the leopard vanished completely underwater.

The remaining leopards on shore scattered in panic, growling anxiously at the sea as it returned to calm.

“Ha! Two birds with one stone!” Lin Qiu’s gaze sharpened, and in his Water Concealment state, he issued a command.

“System, activate targeting ability!”

“Targeting ability activated!”

“Targets: crocodile and leopard!”

As the system’s voice sounded, two glowing rings appeared in Lin Qiu’s eyes. Crosshairs expanded and contracted, automatically locking onto the crocodile and the dead leopard in its jaws.

This was his new power. After consuming the US 731 submarine, its weapon targeting system had become his own. Now, with targeting active, the crocodile could run anywhere in the Pacific, but it would never escape his lock.

The thirty-meter orca sliced through the water like a phantom shadow, leaping swiftly into the air, then plunging toward its prey. Under Water Concealment, waves surged, and in the sunlight, a transparent orca silhouette appeared.

This scene was captured by the drone’s camera.

The translucent orca opened its maw and bit into the water. Instantly, that patch of sea became a vacuum, vanishing as if it had never existed.

“What the hell is happening…” In Xu Bing’s livestream, over a hundred thousand viewers gaped at the sight.

“That silhouette looks like a fish.”

“Are you seeing things? A fish? A transparent fish? You must be out of your mind.”

Comments scrolled furiously through the stream, swallowed in a flood of words.

Xu Bing stared at the footage, eyes wide. The moment the silhouette struck the water, the camera caught it, triggering a familiar feeling. She hurriedly opened her phone album, pulling up a photo.

A giant tail in the image matched perfectly with the tail captured by the drone—no deviation, not a single detail off.

“It’s the same one?!” Xu Bing’s eyes sparkled with excitement. Amidst the vast ocean, she had encountered this mysterious orca twice. It was her first time realizing how enormous orcas could be.

Her interest ignited, she called out excitedly, “Everyone, look! Isn’t this the same mysterious orca as last time?”

She placed the photo of the orca’s tail on the screen, and instantly, a barrage of comments erupted.

“It’s exactly the same.”

“How could there be such a coincidence in the world?!”

Messages flickered and were quickly lost in the tide.

Meanwhile, beneath the sea, Lin Qiu activated his Refinement skill, digesting the crocodile and leopard until not a trace remained.

“The taste is superb!” he praised, but then grumbled, “System, Water Concealment blends perfectly with seawater, leaving no trace, but in the air above the surface, I’m exposed.”

Earlier, his excitement had made him leap out, revealing his transparent body above the water, visible in the open air.

“As the host is a marine creature, leaving the sea naturally diminishes Water Concealment’s effectiveness,” the system replied. “Once the host’s abilities advance and you venture onto land, consuming other creatures, Water Concealment will mutate.”

“Then you’ll be amphibious, just like the crocodile.”

Lin Qiu’s eyes lit up. “How long until I can leave the ocean?”

“Insufficient energy, host. You need to consume more creatures,” said the system.

Lin Qiu was stunned. In a month, he had devoured countless beings and unlocked several skills, but according to the system, he still lacked energy.

As he reeled from this revelation, the system panel appeared before him.

It displayed his information:

Orca, subadult.

Skills: Water Concealment, Electromagnetic Wave, Night Vision, Shark Teeth, Linear Swimming + 70% Bite Force, Sonic Scream.

This Sonic Scream was extracted from dolphins—their high-pitched, penetrating calls, beautiful and mesmerizing. As his skill, it became a sharp sonic shriek, capable of killing a creature underwater with sheer force.

Besides these, there was a progress bar.

At the head, Level 1, marking his current rank.

At the end, a total progress of 93.5%.

After a month of feeding, he was just a fraction away from reaching Level 2.