Since they hadn’t stepped out of the vehicle, none of the sea creatures showed any signs of aggression. It seemed these species weren’t inherently hostile to humans; they were simply invading the land to claim territory.

  As Qin Luo drove deeper into the low-lying areas, they saw more and more marine creatures encroaching on the city.

  The most terrifying sight was the starfish devouring buildings. They covered entire structures, densely packed, and the synchronized sound of their gnawing was chilling.

  *Creak... creak... creak...* The noise was incessant.

  Chen Xiaofei’s skin crawled. "This sound is unbearable!"

  Wang Weihu observed the streets outside, now submerged in water. The seawater had risen to cover two-thirds of the car windows. If it weren’t for their specially modified combat vehicle, the car would have been scrapped by now.

  "It’s all water out there, and the temperature is freezing. If anyone steps outside, they risk hypothermia."

  Even with seven layers of clothing, once submerged, it would be over. Not even an ability user could last long in such conditions.

  Bai Shu glanced at the temperature gauge. The temperature had clearly dropped, and it was now around minus five degrees Celsius in I City.

  This was shocking, considering that this was the southernmost part of the country—an area that typically never experienced winter.

  "Maybe we should stick to the border between the lowlands and higher ground? There aren’t as many sea creatures there."

  That way, they could slowly clear the area.

  One of the strengths of the 3A Special Operations Team was their collaborative decision-making. While Qin Luo was the captain, he didn’t dictate every move. He often listened to his team’s suggestions and adjusted plans accordingly.

  "Alright, I’ll turn around and head back to the earlier area," Qin Luo said, preparing to turn the vehicle around.

  But Xu Duoduo suddenly grew anxious. She patted the seat, gesturing for them to look at the starfish outside. She wanted to collect them.

  Chen Xiaofei, noticing her reaction, chimed in excitedly, "Hey, that’s right! Headquarters specifically said we can’t ignore these starfish. If we let them keep eating, they’ll eventually munch their way from I City to H City!"

  Bai Shu stood up, ready to open the car window. "Let me toss a few bombs at them and see what happens."

  He suddenly pulled out a handful of marble bombs. As soon as he opened the sunroof, a blast of icy wind rushed in, making everyone shiver. Then came the deafening *BOOM!* of the explosion. These marble bombs were designed for small-scale destruction.

  They wouldn’t collapse buildings but were effective at clearing out unwanted creatures.

  Sure enough, the starfish were blown off the walls, falling to the ground with a series of loud thuds. Suddenly, an incredibly rich, savory aroma wafted through the air.

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  It smelled like grilled fish.

  Chen Xiaofei and Xu Duoduo immediately started salivating, their mouths practically watering.

  "Oh my god, why does roasted starfish smell so good? Can we eat these? Qin-ge, let’s bring some back! If not, I’ll go out and grab them myself!" Chen Xiaofei stared at the charred starfish on the ground, the enticing aroma making him almost lose his mind.

  Wang Weihu and Bai Shu also caught a whiff of the scent. It was absurdly fragrant—an intense, mouthwatering seafood aroma.

  Even Qin Luo was stunned. "It really does smell amazing. Look at Xu Duoduo—she’s practically drooling! My god!"

  Through the rearview mirror, he saw the little zombie girl pressed against the backseat window, staring longingly at the starfish. She looked so pitiful in her hunger.

  "Alright, alright, go! Xiaofei, you and Duoduo go grab them. We’ll stay in the car and keep watch."

  Qin Luo sighed, defeated.

  Wang Weihu volunteered to take over driving. "Qin-ge, your aim is better. You go instead, and I’ll handle the car."

  Qin Luo didn’t argue. "Fine. Let’s start clearing out these invading marine creatures from here. Park the car for now."

  Bai Shu readied his gun, and everyone got into position to begin the operation.

  Chen Xiaofei was the first to jump out, followed by Xu Duoduo. The two had grown accustomed to working together. After using the diluted mutation core serum so many times, they had gradually mastered the art of mimicry and could shift forms at will.

  "Let’s go, let’s go! Little Squad Leader, we’re about to strike it rich! We’re finally achieving seafood freedom!" Chen Xiaofei laughed gleefully.

  Xu Duoduo responded with an enthusiastic "Mm!" Lately, she had been able to make simple sounds like "Mm," "Ah," and "Hm" to express her emotions.

  The team was happy for her, though they didn’t make a big deal out of it. To them, their little squad leader was still the same, whether she could speak or not.

  As long as they understood each other, that was all that mattered.

  There was a certain unspoken camaraderie between them.

  Chen Xiaofei grabbed the little zombie by the arm and dashed toward a building. A cluster of starfish shifted with a rustling sound, repositioning themselves to continue gnawing on the structure.

  "Eat, eat, eat! You think you can just eat up all the buildings? Not on my watch!" Chen Xiaofei grumbled as he pulled out a crowbar from his spatial storage and started prying the starfish off the walls. Thankfully, these creatures were brainless and easy to dislodge.

  Xu Duoduo opened a spatial portal for Chen Xiaofei. All he had to do was pry the starfish loose, and they would fall directly into the portal.

  The portal led to Xu Duoduo’s multi-dimensional cube space, where the starfish were automatically stored.

  Once the duo landed on the upper floors of the building, they began systematically clearing out the starfish.

  Bai Shu found the process oddly satisfying. "This is like therapy for OCD."

  As he spoke, he shot down a few mutated birds circling in the sky. Being near the coast meant there were always fish-eating birds around, and these ones were aggressive enough to attack humans.

  One shot, one kill.

  Unfortunately, none of them had mutation cores.

  Qin Luo also took out a few marine bugs. These black, insect-like creatures had started crawling toward the building as soon as Chen Xiaofei and Xu Duoduo set foot on it, drawn by the scent of flesh and blood.

  He eliminated them with precision.

  "These things are definitely carnivorous. The moment a human shows up, they go into a frenzy," Qin Luo remarked.

  Wang Weihu reviewed their mission objectives. "The biggest problem right now is these invasive marine creatures. The starfish are particularly troublesome because they devour buildings. If they reach the base and eat through the walls, I City’s defenses won’t hold. And the walls here are already weaker than those of larger bases."

  Being in a coastal danger zone, I City’s base was already at a disadvantage. If the walls were compromised, other mutated marine creatures could invade in no time.

  The residents of I City were understandably terrified. Their combat strength was limited, their ammunition was nearly depleted, and the endless waves of creatures from the ocean left them feeling hopeless. They had no choice but to call for help from headquarters.

  However, Chen Xiaofei and Xu Duoduo didn’t feel any despair. They were too busy enjoying their version of "tide-pooling." Only instead of combing a beach, they were scavenging in the middle of a city.

  It was absurd.

  Buildings had become reefs, streets had turned into beaches, and all the seafood had grown to monstrous sizes.

  The largest starfish was twice the size of the little zombie girl. Xu Duoduo casually raised her hand and stored it away, then followed Chen Xiaofei around, happily collecting more creatures. She waddled along, practically skipping as she gathered seafood.

  Occasionally, they encountered some bouncing shrimp or small octopuses. The octopuses were clever, often hiding in crevices, but they weren’t too large to capture.

  Watching their cube space fill up with seafood was immensely satisfying. It felt like they could feed the 3A team for a long, long time.

  As ability users leveled up, their appetites grew as well due to increased energy consumption. Stockpiling food was crucial.