The Scythe Beetle Monarch lay collapsed just a meter before Li Jiayu, its massive mandibles gnashing wildly in his direction, as if yearning to sever him at the waist. Yet, such a fate was now impossible—its six legs, wings, and even its entire body were ensnared by a dense web of sinuous tentacles, leaving it utterly immobilized.
"Dark Octopus!"
Only then did Li Jiayu, his composure barely restored, turn his gaze toward the shadowy figure perched upon the beetle's head. It was a octopus, strikingly pink in hue and bulkier than even a Red-Crowned Beetle.
Its grotesque head was bald, with eyes as large as bronze bells. The creature's body glistened slickly, coated in a layer of briny, sticky fluid that emitted soft, squelching sounds.
Most arresting were its horrifyingly elongated tentacles, each as thick as a human thigh and stretching two meters long. They were covered in deep crimson suckers, each the size of a steamed bun, twitching incessantly.
(How could I have summoned something as rare and obscure as the Dark Octopus…)
Li Jiayu paused only for a moment before his senses sharpened. A flash of intense killing intent crossed his eyes as he swiftly rose to his feet. In one fluid motion, he stepped forward, seized the fire axe embedded in the beetle's compound eye, wrenched it free, and raised it high before bringing it down with brutal force upon the already wounded eye.
The Scythe Beetle Monarch's body was fortified like brass and iron, far tougher than its common black counterparts. Conventional attacks could scarcely breach its defenses; its only vulnerability lay in its relatively fragile eyes. Destroy them, and access to its brain would be exposed—the surest path to a swift kill.
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
Li Jiayu hacked madly at the beetle's eye. Fragments flew, and foul-smelling green viscous fluid splattered across the ground. The tightly bound beetle writhed in excruciating agony, thrashing violently until two of its legs broke free from the tentacles. Using them like oars, it lunged toward Li Jiayu, who stood perilously close.
A cold smirk touched Li Jiayu's lips. Had the beetle charged at full strength, evasion would have been difficult. But now, with only two legs functional and weighed down by the Dark Octopus—which must have massed at least four hundred kilograms—how fast could it possibly be? With a nimble sidestep, he easily avoided the oncoming mandibles and delivered another axe blow in return.
As if realizing the futility of killing the human who persistently targeted its eyes, the beetle mustered its remaining strength, lifted its head, and released a piercing, deafening shriek—"Wuuu—" The sound was so terrifying it paled the faces of every student present, leaving them dazed and disoriented. Even Li Jiayu felt his eardrums throb in pain, his assault momentarily disrupted.
Desperate, the beetle twisted its body toward the window, its intent clear: it would leap, fleeing the classroom and the relentless axe-wielding foe. To stay meant certain death—its eyes pulverized, its brain reduced to pulp.
"B*st*rd! After putting me through such misery, you think you can escape alive? Impossible! Now die!"
In an instant, Li Jiayu closed the distance like a phantom. His axe moves—"Mountain-Cleaver," "Horizontal Sweep," and "Wild Goose Descends upon Sand"—flowed seamlessly into a triple combo, each strike landing squarely on the beetle's eye. The cumulative force, combined with the beetle's already unstable posture, sent it crashing heavily to the ground.
The moment it fell, a cold gleam flashed in Li Jiayu's eyes. Pivoting with a spin, he channeled power from his waist, shoulders, wrist, and the axe itself—all moving as one—unleashing a breathtaking surge of strength.
*Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Five consecutive 360-degree spinning axe strikes, executed with shocking momentum, finally obliterated the beetle's left eye. The socket collapsed deeply, revealing pale, soft tissue beneath.
"Ha! Eye destroyed!"
Battle fervor, brewing in Li Jiayu's chest, now coursed through his entire being. It was a euphoric sensation, as invigorating as a tonic or a sauna—indescribably satisfying.
In that moment, the Dark Octopus, still astride the beetle, stirred. As if detecting a delectable aroma, its bell-like eyes widened, and it shifted forward slightly. Then, having confirmed something, it abruptly thrust one tentacle deep into the beetle's ruptured eye socket.
*Gurgle, gurgle—*
A series of swallowing sounds ensued. The tentacle inserted into the socket pulsed rhythmically, clearly suctioning out the beetle's brain matter.
Li Jiayu watched, stunned. He had been pondering how to effectively destroy the brain through the eye socket, and now the Dark Octopus had taken the initiative. Though the brain-sucking appeared grotesque and the octopus's table manners were repulsive, overall, the creature was proving quite useful—a veritable nightmare for his enemies.
In less than three seconds, the once-domineering Scythe Beetle Monarch—which had dismembered two classmates and driven Li Jiayu to the brink—ceased its struggles. It went limp, motionless, undeniably dead. The Dark Octopus, having contentedly finished its "brain-nourishing soup," withdrew its tentacle. Clutched within one sucker was a crimson crystal.
The crystal, translucent and the size of a grape, shimmered with fiery radiance. Who could have imagined that such an ugly insect's brain would yield such a beautiful gem? Even world-renowned diamonds paled in comparison to its dazzling brilliance.
"An Insect Crystal! A Monarch-Grade one! And of such high purity…"
Li Jiayu exclaimed in disbelief. He never expected such luck—to obtain a Monarch-Grade crystal from a Scythe Beetle Monarch at the very dawn of the apocalypse. This was a treasure of the highest order!
Typically, only insects of high first-tier or above formed insect crystals within their bodies. Monarchs among them naturally produced Monarch-Grade crystals. However, such monarchs were exceedingly rare—perhaps one in thousands, or even tens of thousands. Hunting them was even more challenging, as they possessed intelligence far beyond ordinary insects, were protected by swarms of underlings, and knew to flee when threatened. In Li Jiayu's previous life, Monarch-Grade crystals were perpetually scarce, fiercely contested, their value exceeding that of ordinary crystals by tens of thousands of times.
As for their uses… they were incredibly versatile.
Essential for survival, combat, and even bodily purification! Though this was only a first-tier Monarch-Grade crystal, its value remained immense. For Li Jiayu at his current stage, its utility was tremendous.
Just as he began planning how best to utilize the crystal, a sudden weakness washed over him. Dizziness clouded his vision, and he barely steadied himself against the wall. Glancing at the still-bleeding wound on his left elbow, then at the Dark Octopus smugly waving its tentacles with a ferocious expression, he let out a wry laugh:
"Brother Octopus, you're too ruthless… You must have drained at least three hundred milliliters of my blood… Coupled with overexertion, I can barely stand now. But honestly, I must thank you. Had you not appeared in time, and had your attributes not countered the Scythe Beetle Monarch, I wouldn't have survived. I'd have been carved into hundreds of pieces…"
Li Jiayu wasn't exaggerating. Though the battle might have seemed straightforward, the Scythe Beetle Monarch was truly a terror. In open terrain, its lethality rivaled that of a mid-second-tier insect!
Unfortunately for it, the fight occurred in a confined classroom, negating its aerial advantages. Worse, the Dark Octopus had pinned it from the start, restraining it completely and preventing the use of its monarch-level killer techniques.
Otherwise, even ten Li Jiayus would have been forced into frantic retreat.
Unexpectedly, the Dark Octopus nodded in an almost human-like manner. Its ferocious eyes narrowed slightly, suddenly taking on a lecherous glint, reminiscent of a perverted voyeur. It shuffled over to the scattered stockings and underwear on the floor, its slippery tentacles deftly gathering them up as if they were priceless treasures.
Stockings…
Underwear…
Heavens—those were the items the female students had given Li Jiayu earlier to distract the beetle! And they were still soiled with urine… yet the octopus treated them like gems?
It even placed a single pair of panties on its head, emitting low, cheerful grunts of delight…
"Brother Octopus… are you some kind of pervert?"
Li Jiayu stared stiffly as the Dark Octopus waved the stockings, their suction cups gripping the fabric tightly. A foreboding realization dawned on him, and the words burst forth:
"Wait… you… you're not a Dark Octopus! You're a Tentacle Monster! A mutated Dark Octopus with tentacle lineage! No wonder summoning you cost so much blood—you're a variant summon!"