With just a single frame, Lin Xian and KIKI immediately felt an overwhelming sense of oppression from the monstrous creature, its giant eye covering the entire screen from beneath the abyss.

Seeing this scene, KIKI couldn’t help but hold her breath; the giant pupil seemed to be aimed directly at the surveillance system’s energy outlet, or perhaps ’staring’ at the silhouette of the triangular-headed monster.

However, this frame only lasted for half a second before the surveillance screen completely froze and lost its signal.

At this moment, KIKI’s mobile device screen still displayed a pupil like a dim sea lantern, radiating a chilling sense of pressure just from this single image.

Lin Xian and KIKI exchanged a glance, and the tremors around them as well as the sounds of battles from the upper passage fell silent simultaneously.

"Lin Xian, the passages to the upper laboratory and living quarters have collapsed extensively. We’ve dealt with one monster and temporarily suppressed the mark, but... we can’t get out of here," Chen Sixuan’s voice came through the earpiece.

The upper levels of the base, a swath of buildings became ruins, dust swirling within the passages, and the half-hung lamps sparking electric arcs. The main passage to the lower base was blocked fully by corpses of Abnormal Bodies enveloped in black smoke. Chen Sixuan and Qian Deli, along with the members who came to block up, stared intently at the clogged passage, all holding their breath.

"That black bug retreated again, should we pursue it?" Shu Qin said worriedly, "This thing seems not simple, and hiding in the flood relief passage poses a definite threat to us."

"Can’t pursue." Qian Deli shook his head, solemnly surveying the battlefield, "It’s already difficult enough not to be discovered; we can’t afford to provoke those monsters. If we’re marked again, we’ll be utterly defenseless."

"Sorry."

At this point, Ryan from Hawk Sea Group stepped forward and kicked a piece of the Abnormal Body away, turning to Chen Sixuan and the others: "We can’t activate the Crystal Grid Power; our combat capability will be greatly diminished."

"Activating it means nothing," Monica said calmly, "Our current problem isn’t combat strength, but how to hide."

"Right." Chen Sixuan nodded, preparing to clean up the aftermath, and once more asked Lin Xian in the communication channel:

"Lin Xian, how’s it on your side?"

"No issue for now," Lin Xian’s voice came through, "Teacher Chen, gather everyone and seal the upper passages, then transfer everyone to the lower level."

"Okay."

Having finished talking with Chen Sixuan, Lin Xian immediately contacted Viola again.

[Recon drones detected a large number of Abnormal Bodies entering the Island radar range.]

Above, the Sea Rock Prison was filled with many unspeakable Abnormal Bodies on a search, and a large number of flying drones had ceased attacks under Viola’s control. Viola hid behind a ruin wall, manipulating the high-altitude drones to scan the island in all directions.

Though not yet dark, the entire Island already felt apocalyptic; storm clouds were heavy and polluted, tightly clasping the island. The sunlight seemed entirely consumed by a massive entity, leaving none behind, the sea beneath dark as a stirred ink pool—thick, sluggish, tossing up huge waves and ripples. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Torrential rain poured down, amidst a veil of rain, countless black shadows emerged from the sea, tearing through its surface—giant limbs covered with slippery mucus, the gaps between joints embedded with constantly opening and closing, pupil-less swollen eyeballs, were large tentacle masses writhing, full of suckers and fangs, like viscera converged from deep-sea tombs.

These Abnormal Bodies, unimaginable to humans, seemed to blend features of deep-sea creatures—fabricated, stitched, mutated, and diverged.

By now, the entire island trembled, the beaches sunk and stirred by massive creatures, covered in thick, fishy silt. The forest trees and mountains on the island were overturned and torn, in the drone footage, only indistinctly visible were countless huge black shadows in the rain curtain closing in from all sides.

"Viola."

[I’m here.]

"Retreat underground entirely, abandon resistance."

[Viola understands.]

In the passage, Lin Xian observed the scenes at the energy outlet and the prison, along with the battles at Chen Sixuan’s side, deducing that the Giant Ocean God had appeared in the Southeast Sea Area. The monsters in all surrounding seas acted unusually in the storm, further illustrating the critical urgency of the situation.

Perhaps, the hunt was about to begin!

Under these circumstances, all resistance became meaningless, and all they could do was brace themselves and wait in this underground submarine shelter.

In the mid-levels of the underground base, over six hundred members of the Hawk Sea Group and Infinity were gathered; most were from the Hawk Sea Group.

Various office areas and original rest zones were packed with people, and a large number of supplies and devices, transported by a mechanical team led by Azir of the Hawk Sea Group, nearly filled every laboratory.

The basement was crammed with the sound of heavy breathing; these Sea Group members were more organized than ordinary survivor groups. Clear divisions were made for armaments, logistics, medical, engineering, and even information reconnaissance teams, maintaining order despite their numbers, with no chaos after Ryan’s order.

In the surveillance hall, core members including Infinity’s members and Hawk Sea Group’s Ryan, Vanessa, Gedi, and Erica were discussing strategies. All plans had fallen apart, and the current situation seemed to leave no other retreat for everyone.