ALL NOVEL Chapter 2: Survival
During his slumber, Luo Chen digested all the food he had consumed and absorbed a significant amount of biological energy from the fragments of the giant squid. His body underwent changes, subtle at first, but undeniably transformative.
Time passed slowly, indistinguishable in the eternal darkness of the deep ocean.
Luo Chen was eventually awakened by violent disturbances around him. Opening his newly developed eyes, he was met with a chilling sight: the terrifying beast of the trench, its head glowing with an eerie blue light, was attacking a massive sperm whale. The crack beast's sheer power was horrifying. It tore into the whale's body with ruthless efficiency, ripping it into pieces before dragging it down toward the abyss.
Luo Chen's instinct screamed at him to flee, but something held him back. He glanced around and noticed something strange—his stone crevice shelter had seemingly shrunk. Confused, he glanced down and realized the truth: it wasn't the crevice that had grown smaller. It was him—he had grown larger.
His body, once no larger than a tadpole, now spanned nearly a meter in length. He resembled a giant salamander of the deep sea, complete with sharp, saw-like teeth, fins, and newly formed eyeballs. No longer a fragile, low-level creature, Luo Chen now carried the traits of a predator.
Overcome with surprise, Luo Chen tested his newfound strength. He moved the sand beneath him, pulling his larger body free from the crevice. Above him, pieces of the whale's head fell from the beast's feeding frenzy. Despite his fear, Luo Chen seized the opportunity. He quickly grabbed a piece of flesh and fled to safety near the trench's edge, avoiding the wrath of the trench monster.
Time passed—months, years, perhaps longer. Luo Chen adapted to his harsh environment. He learned to scavenge from the kills of the trench beast, growing steadily larger and stronger. By now, he had grown to over ten meters in length, rivaling some of the deep sea's fiercest predators.
While Luo Chen evolved, the surface world moved on. In 1949, S.H.I.E.L.D. was founded, and the world began its slow recovery from World War II. Industrial advancements surged forward. Howard Stark, a brilliant arms dealer and innovator, laid the groundwork for technological revolutions that would shape the future. Meanwhile, projects like Hydra's Winter Soldier program began to take shape, heralding an age of covert superhuman warfare.
By 1957, a Soviet research ship arrived at the Mariana Trench, marking a historical milestone. This vessel recorded a depth of 10,990 meters, though it failed to uncover the true horrors lurking in the abyss. Despite their technological limitations, the ship emitted signals that reached Luo Chen, drawing his attention.
This signal would change everything.
Now over ten meters long and weighing dozens of tons, Luo Chen had outgrown his original territory. The trench beast had begun to notice him. What once might have been dismissed as a harmless scavenger was now considered a potential rival—or prey.
Realizing the danger, Luo Chen decided to leave. He swam through the deep ocean, his sleek, evolving body cutting through the water with terrifying speed. His current form was a monstrous hybrid, resembling a cross between a plesiosaur and a mosasaur. His long, slender body and sharp features made him a nightmarish predator of the deep.
Despite his growing power, Luo Chen knew he was far from invincible. He still had to grow, to evolve, to become the apex predator he dreamed of being. The mysterious signal from the Soviet ship promised new opportunities. Perhaps it would lead him to the radioactive energy he instinctively craved.
As he swam toward the signal, Luo Chen couldn't help but imagine his future. Would he grow large enough to rival the trench beast? Could he one day leave the ocean and dominate the surface world? The possibilities were as vast and endless as the ocean itself.
For now, his focus was survival and growth. The journey ahead would be perilous, but Luo Chen felt a surge of determination. The deep sea was a realm of monsters, but he was no ordinary creature. In time, he would prove that to the world.