Industrial Cthulhu doesn't believe in the end times.

Chapter 241 News of the Zombie King
Clearly, this is a mimicry octopus.

Su Xun had heard of the other party in his previous life, but he had never had any contact with him.

At that time, there were rumors that an individual resembling the legendary 'Yamata no Orochi' had appeared in Izumo Province, which led people to suspect that another 10th-order natural disaster had occurred.

Later, people learned that the so-called giant snake was actually a mimicry octopus. It used its tentacles to imitate the head and tail of the giant snake and had the strength of a ninth-level creature. Although it was not a natural disaster, it was still a local overlord.

Moreover, people at the time had a fairly clear background investigation on it—this species, which originated in tropical waters, was not native to the Izumo Islands. Before the Great Cataclysm, it was transported to Izumo as an 'ornamental species,' and it has lived there ever since, never leaving the Izumo Islands.

What happened that led them to bring so many high-level mutated beasts here in such a grand manner?
Su Xun's question was accompanied by a fluctuation of spiritual energy, which transcended the boundaries of language, and this top-tier fifth-order mutated beast quickly understood what he meant.

It struggled again, its strangely shaped pupils revealing fear.

"Occupied? Izumo Province?"

Su Xun was slightly puzzled and carefully tried to understand the meaning behind what the other party was saying.

"You mean, a more powerful entity has emerged in Izumo? That it has become dangerous and uninhabitable?"

The mimicry octopus in front of us is already considered a top-tier powerhouse in this time period. Even if other beings are stronger than it, it would be difficult to drive it out of its habitat or even threaten its life.

The fear revealed in the eyes of the octopus before them seemed entirely genuine.

Could it be that the seeds of some kind of natural disaster have been sown?
Su Xun racked his brains but couldn't recall any other top-tier experts in that region.

But soon, a blurry figure appeared in his mind.

"not……"

Communicating with this octopus was somewhat difficult. At this moment, Su Xun missed the smooth conversation he had with the Peach Tree Spirit. He tried his best to describe the abilities and characteristics of the zombie king in Haizhou. Finally, after some hesitation, the octopus gave a confirmed answer.

It really is it...

Su Xun subconsciously glanced back at Xue Hui. Although Xue Hui was standing on the shore, Su Xun hadn't tried to hide it. With the perception of a superhuman, he had obviously already learned the news, and his expression had changed.

As a native of Haizhou, what the Zombie King meant to him is self-evident.

The other two fifth-tier beings present also noticed this. Xiao Zhenru stepped over to Xue Hui's side, wanting to say a few words of comfort, but didn't know how to start, and in the end just patted him on the shoulder.

"Stay calm, keep it a secret for now."

Su Xun transformed his voice into a gust of wind and sent it to the other party's ear. Seeing the other party nod, he turned his head to look at the mimic octopus.

The other party brought unexpected news. This should be a coincidence, but the mimic octopus is not a deep-sea creature. It naturally prefers to live in shallow seas. After leaving Izumo, it crossed the ocean and came into contact with the continent with the strength of a high-level mutated beast. This is not a low-probability event.

Su Xun will receive news whenever the coastal troops make contact with him. Will the zombie king anticipate this?

Having fought it once, Su Xun had a deep understanding of its methods. In order to achieve its goals, it was even willing to use the army to destroy the entire zombie horde, and its corresponding plans and preparations were endless. Could it be that this octopus, like Chi Xiaoyun before, was another 'letter' that it deliberately exposed?
After carefully observing the octopus for a while, Su Xun did not find any trace of it being mentally parasitized. In fact, as a mutated beast that had reached the top level in the fifth rank, the octopus's mental power was quite strong, even approaching that of some superhumans in related fields. With its strength, it would be virtually impossible for the zombie king to control it.

Perhaps this really is just a coincidence?

After all, if it weren't for the powerful methods of the Peach Capital Divine Tree that captured it alive, and Su Xun, who knew its origins, personally coming to communicate with it, this octopus would more likely have fought a great battle with the local army and then been killed on the spot, and this secret would have remained unknown to anyone.

No matter how powerful the zombie king was, the appearance of the peach tree was something it could not have foreseen.

Moreover, it no longer has any reason to actively expose itself—it can't possibly be that it was accidentally chosen by the will of the zombie horde in Izumo again, became the leader of the zombie horde, and then used the same trick to wipe out the zombie horde in Izumo, can it?
If that's the case, it's somewhat ironic that a perfectly good zombie king has been turned into an anti-zombie fighter. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to give it an award.

After much thought, Su Xun still couldn't figure out what to do with the octopus in front of him.

He looked the creature up and down, thinking that perhaps after Yin Danyi finished her business, he could come over and make it into a teppanyaki? With its size, it was big enough to reward the entire army.

Perhaps sensing Su Xun's thoughts, the octopus's color changed several times. Unable to escape, it seemed as if every sucker on its body was releasing a pleading spiritual energy signal.

"Ugh, that's really noisy."

The octopus fell silent.

Su Xun sighed, pondered for a moment, and finally decided to leave it behind.

The benefits of properly utilizing a mutated beast with the potential to become a hegemon far outweigh those of killing it directly.

Humanity in the future will not remain confined to the land forever; one day it will return to the ocean, just as it did in the civilized era. Judging from the current situation, that day is not far off.

Faced with a large number of mutated beasts in the sea, using the sea to control the sea might be a good strategy.

After a brief consideration, he ordered the octopus to take its subordinates to the bay of Binhai City, which was large enough for them to survive. In exchange, the other party had to suppress the mutated beasts in the bay and maintain local transportation.

The coastal safety zone had previously been reported to have been subject to considerable disturbances due to the presence of the bay. Su Xun had dispatched personnel to provide support multiple times, but due to the long coastline and vast area, the results had been limited.

If we let this guy get past us, things should be much better.

Explaining to the other party would naturally take some time. Su Xun thought to himself that he would have to give the mutated beasts compulsory education sooner or later. Fortunately, as long as it didn't kill him, the octopus in front of him was willing to agree to anything.

Here, Su Xun was in direct contact with the roots of Taodu, and the other party could receive the signals he sent, but it seemed unable to condense a complete human form like the one inside the tree trunk. After communicating with the octopus, Su Xun placed his hand on the roots that were binding it, preparing to release it.

(End of this chapter)