Reborn One Week Before the Apocalypse

Chapter 250: Chapter 240: Negotiation

Although Tang Mo had built a livable platform above, she had no intention of making it her permanent residence.

This was the stomach of a mutant beast. Setting aside how disgusting that was, if the beast suddenly dove deep into the sea and didn’t surface for air, the oxygen in this vast space would eventually be depleted.

Besides, in a sealed space like this, who knew what kind of unexpected changes could occur? It was no place to linger.

’I wonder what attribute this undersea mutant beast has...’

An idea occurred to Tang Mo.

She returned to the platform she’d built and tried to release her spiritual power, sending it straight up through the enormous space until it broke through the barrier and continued upward.

Her spiritual power passed through so many things. It was only then that Tang Mo truly realized just how colossal this mutant beast was.

Every blood vessel was as thick as a road.

Clearly, the mutant beast’s anatomy was beyond Tang Mo’s comprehension, but she still tried to locate its sea of consciousness.

It was like searching for treasure in a maze.

Before long, her spiritual power did indeed encounter a barrier. It was an impenetrable shield, like a door barring her way.

’Success!’

Only spiritual power could block spiritual power. It seemed Tang Mo’s guess was correct—this was a Spirit Attribute mutant beast, and its own spiritual power was far stronger than hers.

Tang Mo knew that many creatures in the ocean use sound waves to communicate and hunt, so she decided to give it a try.

She was pondering a question: if beasts like Xingxing and Jingjing could communicate with humans, could this overlord of the deep sea do the same if she found the right way to communicate?

Tang Mo didn’t act rashly with her spiritual power. Instead, she shaped it into a gentle breeze and softly knocked on the barrier.

”Who are you?”

A moment later, a message came from the spiritual power within the barrier.

The voice was deep and powerful.

”Hello. I’m a human you accidentally swallowed. I mean you no harm. I was wondering if there’s any way you can let us out?”

Tang Mo hadn’t said this on a whim. From her long observation, she had a good idea that the creatures in this ocean bore no ill will toward humans.

”We won’t be easy for you to digest, and we might disturb your peace and cause you some minor trouble. It would be better to let us leave early and restore your tranquility.”

She wasn’t wrong. To this mutant beast, the few tiny humans in its stomach were really no different from bacteria.

”In my stomach? You’re still alive? You’re clever ones.”

The giant beast clearly had no idea there were humans in its stomach. It inhaled so much food at once that accidentally sucking in other things was normal.

But to be eaten by it and still be alive... that took some skill.

”But since you’re already in my stomach, I have no way of getting you out. If you want to escape, you’ll have to rely on yourselves.”

The giant beast felt helpless too. Who would want creatures living in their stomach? But there was nothing it could do. It couldn’t very well cut itself open to get them out.

”I’ll be cheering for you.”

The giant beast even ended with a word of encouragement, and a very sincere one at that.

Tang Mo facepalmed. ’Why do I get the feeling it’s gloating a little?’ she thought. Though it was probably true that it couldn’t help them.

But it made sense. The giant beast’s stomach alone was so massive that a few tiny people jumping around inside wouldn’t affect it at all.

Never mind just jumping around—even if they were to hack away with weapons, the beast probably wouldn’t feel a thing. Naturally, it didn’t really care.

Although she hadn’t found a way out, the exchange hadn’t been a complete loss. At least she now knew this giant beast was favorably disposed toward humans.

”If I may be so bold,” Tang Mo continued, ”are you not hostile toward humans? It seems like none of the creatures in this ocean are.”

Tang Mo decided to strike while the iron was hot and ask the question on her mind.

”When I was just a small whale, I got stranded near a small fishing village while playing.”

”The humans there didn’t harm me. Instead, they returned me to the sea. So, as for hostility, I truly have none toward your kind.”

”In this part of the ocean, everything listens to me. Naturally, my will is their will.”

’So it’s a mutated whale. Not surprising.’

”But now I’m too big to go up to the surface to play anymore. It’s a real shame.”

The giant beast had never spoken with a human before, and all the creatures of the sea were afraid of it. Its perpetual loneliness made it actually enjoy conversing with this human.

Tang Mo was starting to understand the giant beast’s nature. Even though it had become an overlord after the apocalypse, its inherently playful and mischievous spirit was something it could never change.

And because it had been saved once, it was grateful to humans. It was a kind-hearted whale, after all.

”My name is Tang Mo. Do you have a name?”

”A name? Da Jing.”

Tang Mo was speechless. ’It obviously just made that name up on the spot. Oh, well.’

”It would be great if all the leaders of the sea were as kind to humans as you are. The world would have a lot fewer problems.”

Tang Mo sighed with genuine emotion.

In fact, she had chosen to come to Donglin City first precisely to check on the current state of the oceans.

She wanted to know if the sea creatures had mutated and how aggressive they were.

Now she had a rough idea of the situation in the waters off Donglin City, but Huaxia had vast coastlines, and the situation would surely be different elsewhere.

”If that’s what you’re worried about, you don’t need to be.”

Da Jing had been listening intently to Tang Mo’s words.

”A Domain Master evolves in every sea region. The intelligence of ocean Domain Masters is extremely high.”

As it said this, Da Jing’s tone was a bit sheepish.

But the intelligence of whales was indeed very high, and mutation would only enhance it further.

Tang Mo was beginning to understand what the mutant beasts meant by ”evolution.”

’Perhaps for humans,’ she mused, ’when a hidden Talent is developed to its full potential, allowing one to become an expert in their field... isn’t that a form of evolution, too?’

”We live in the ocean. No matter how much Strength we have or how numerous we are, we ultimately can’t go ashore.”

”Meanwhile, you humans not only live on land but can also use special methods to enter the sea. You can even create countless weapons. From land, you could deal with us easily.”

”So, any fish with half a brain wouldn’t make an enemy of you.”

The fish in the ocean now have more than a seven-second memory. While most of them can’t speak, they do have some capacity for thought.

”But I’m not a fish, you know,” Da Jing added.