The steel rod was blunt and largely ineffective against the tentacles, so Li Ang stowed it and drew out the Virulent Poison Short Dagger. Aided by eight Spider Claws extending from his back, he leaped onto the ceiling, narrowly avoiding the attacking tentacles.

Li Ang pressed his back tightly against the ceiling. The Dagger in his hand swept downward, effortlessly severing the bucket-thick, resilient tentacles as if it were a hot knife through butter.

Blood plasma splattered and thick liquids spurted out. However, the Mutant Origin's regeneration was exponentially faster than the six-winged chickens from urban legends about the Golden Arches. The cut surfaces of the tentacles swiftly grew smaller ones that extended in seconds, quickly regenerating most of their length.

In this dire moment, Wanli Fengdao's face, which looked like that of a greasy middle-aged man who had lived twenty hard years too many, flashed with an indifferent acceptance of life and death.

"Buy me some time," he bellowed, shaking the blood from his body. He took half a step back and lightly touched his fingers to the hilt of his sword.

Facing the myriad tentacles, he actually closed his eyes as if he had given up resistance.

[Title Skill Name: Loulan Slay]

[Activation: Active]

[Special Effect: Produces Sword Qi, which, after a brief delay, sends forth an arc-shaped slash of air blades. Charge time and blade power are determined by the user's Strength, Agility, and Physical Attributes.]

[Consumption: 15% of total Stamina Points]

[Cooldown: 5 minutes]

[Note: The sword hung at my waist, dedicated solely to Slaying Loulan.]

Wanli Fengdao had obtained this Title Skill in a previous script mission set during the Battle of Hengros. It released tremendous power, but its only flaw was the several-second charge time required.

In life-and-death combat, half a second could determine victory or defeat, making it extremely difficult to find time for such a lengthy charge.

Wanli Fengdao chose to place his last hope on his two teammates.

Though they had never met before and had barely communicated after being assigned to the same script mission, the Dusk Knight still chose to trust this unremarkable-looking middle-aged man.

He stood by Wanli Fengdao's side, his long spear sweeping out to release bolts of lightning, accurately striking the raging tentacles that rushed in like a tide.

Li Ang also casually pulled out a string of fragmentation grenades and thermite Molotov cocktails. While tossing them towards the Mutant Origin, he extended his Spider Claws downward, drawing closer to swing the Virulent Poison Short Dagger and sever more tentacles.

The tentacles in the corridor ahead were constantly being severed, but this didn't affect the Mutant Origin in the slightest; it maintained its unhurried pace, as if certain of capturing Li Ang and the others.

The Stonemason, Zhuang Pengpai, and the Black Holy Son had all been swallowed by the Mutant Origin during the first wave of tentacle attacks. Inside it, the omnipresent Flesh Fungi Blanket filled all available space, restricting not only their breathing but also immobilizing their limbs. They could only feel the Mycelium Carpet corroding their protective suits and, even worse, starting to dissolve their skin...

BOOM! The grenades Li Ang threw exploded, blasting tentacles to shreds in the front and slicing open those in the rear with flying shrapnel.

The thermite Molotov cocktails also blazed fiercely. The extreme temperatures, capable of melting steel, proved insurmountable for flesh and blood, promptly grilling the surrounding tentacles. This added a second odor to the air besides the stench of blood—the scent of roasted meat.

These factors combined to slow the Mutant Origin's advance, its tentacles stalling in mid-air for less than half a second.

The Origin, acting purely on instinct, subconsciously felt 'anger' from the pain. For the first time, it wanted to tear the prey before it to pieces—a primal emotion unrelated to hunger.

It angrily quickened its pace. Its heavy body, comparable to an armored vehicle, crushed the still-burning thermite entirely into the alloy ground.

Just as it was about to charge out of the T-junction corridor, Wanli Fengdao finally completed his charge.

This man, who appeared middle-aged but was actually a young 'old-timer' born in the '90s, suddenly snapped open his eyes. His Chinese sword traced a semicircle in the air as he slashed diagonally.

A crescent moon blossomed in the corridor.

SHIIING—

The crescent-shaped Sword Qi flew forward unstoppably, tearing through any obstacle in its path and sending debris flying.

Dozens of tentacles were simultaneously severed into countless pieces. Even the Mutant Origin, with its extremely high pain tolerance, couldn't help but let out a long, piercing shriek.

At the same time, the unknown acute virus from the Virulent Poison Short Dagger began to take effect, corroding its body.

But this wasn't fatal. As long as the Life Blueprint and the Flesh Fungi Blanket existed, the Mutant Origin was invincible!

Wait, what's that thing with eight spider claws, slithering down from the ceiling like a burrowing rat...?

The not-so-intelligent Mutant Origin stared blankly as Li Ang, wielding his Short Dagger, chopped away the remaining lashing tentacles and slid rapidly towards it.

After Alphonsus activated the self-destruct sequence, the System registered Mission Objectives One and Two as complete. However, it didn't mark Mission Objective Three, 'Eliminate the Mutant Origin,' or Mission Objective Four, 'Destroy the Origin of Life,' as complete. This means the System has determined that a simple nuclear explosion can neither kill the Mutant Origin nor destroy the Origin of Life. Considering the Mutant Origin's foolish charge towards the main control room without any attempt to evade, it's unlikely it survived by escaping the blast radius. A creature that even a nuclear bomb can't entirely destroy... this must be the only way to deal with it... This chapter was made possible by the community at *.

As these thoughts raced through his mind, he had already slid directly above the Mutant Origin. The Spider Claws on his back sprang sharply, launching him towards the creature's back—the area where the Origin of Life was located.

THUD.

Li Ang's feet landed heavily on the Mutant Origin's hard, thick carapace. His eight Spider Claws, like ice axes, dug deep into the crevices of the shell, anchoring him firmly.

The Mutant Origin, as if sensing the danger, reared its upper body high. Its newly grown tentacles snapped shut like a Venus flytrap, bearing down on Li Ang.

Just as the tentacles were about to strike Li Ang, a violent boom suddenly erupted from its abdomen, and its entire centipede-like body momentarily froze.

This fleeting pause was all Li Ang needed. He gripped the handle of the Virulent Poison Dagger firmly with both hands and plunged it downward into the carapace protecting the Origin of Life.

The incredibly sharp blade met little resistance. Li Ang clenched his jaw, tightened his grip on the hilt, and with a fierce twist, gouged out the entire Origin of Life.

The instant the Origin of Life was severed, the Mutant Origin's previously raised head drooped as if all its strength had been drained. In contrast, the Flesh Fungi Blanket behind it began to writhe madly, surging forward.

[Mission Objective 2: Eliminate Mutant Origin – Complete. Current Team Score: +3 Points]

The System notification for eliminating the Mutant Origin chimed in his ears. Panting heavily, Li Ang used his gloved hands to stow the Origin of Life into his backpack. At that exact moment, Alphonsus, witnessing this through a camera in a wall crevice, his face contorted with a savage expression, slammed his hand down on the button on the main control panel, accelerating the nuclear detonation countdown.

The Origin of Life was no merciful goddess. She would, and only could, bring endless calamity.

No one should possess her!

Hundreds of nuclear warheads buried throughout the research facility detonated instantly. Alphonsus, long resigned to death, could not see that just before the engulfing light and flames consumed everything, the players had already vanished from their positions.