Super Mothership
Aboard the Sea Wolf, within the core chamber of the Immortal, white mist filled the air…
“Gurgle~ gurgle~”
A steaming hot spring had become the newest “scenic attraction” of the area.
Such an abrupt transformation in the Immortal’s most vital zone could only be the handiwork of a certain captain.
“Mmm~”
A soft moan of comfort echoed. Through the hazy steam, a perfectly sculpted body—like one carved from marble—stretched lazily in the spring before lying back, covering its face with a towel.
“Pff~”
Beside him, a little octopus spread out all eight tentacles in near-perfect synchrony, its expression under the hot towel radiating sheer bliss.
Naturally, this was the triumphant Ne Yun and his companion, Eight Tentacles. And what could possibly bring them such pleasure was no ordinary hot spring.
If one looked closely, they’d notice that the water shimmered with tiny, luminous specks, bathing the whole spring in an ethereal glow—like a piece of heaven itself.
A segment of silver bamboo had been inserted into the Immortal’s core incubation pool, releasing a faint stream of Water of Life, which trickled into the spring…
To use Water of Life for a bath—such extravagance!—was something perhaps only the ancestors of the Karra people had ever experienced.
Even though it had been diluted, Ne Yun could still feel every cell in his body singing with joy. His very genes were subtly being refined, evolving imperceptibly toward perfection…
The human body, after all, is like a supremely intricate machine. If the fusion with mechanical bugs had transformed the materials of that machine, then the Water of Life was optimizing its design and structure!
At the same time, the dense life energy continuously nourished Ne Yun’s spiritual power. The growing pressure around him became so intense that even the Immortal—highly sensitive to such fluctuations—felt a twinge of fear.
Its instincts screamed that even without those strange silver metals, the “weak” human before it was no being it could easily face.
It couldn’t comprehend it—why did Ne Yun, who appeared to be just an ordinary human, possess a spiritual power far beyond what his small body should contain? It was as if he had installed a cheat module!
Even more unsettling, the surrounding silver metals pulsed in perfect synchronization with Ne Yun’s own mental waves, forming a strange, seamless harmony between the two.
To the Immortal, it looked almost like some form of psychic magic capable of controlling matter itself!
But how could that even be possible?
Had aliens advanced their technology to the point where even it couldn’t understand anymore?
…
Shortly after Ne Yun returned to the Sea Wolf, countless mechanical bugs flooded into the Immortal’s core region, completely occupying it—like an honor guard heralding the return of their king.
And then… its home base was simply commandeered.
After a series of renovations that made the Immortal’s teeth ache in despair, the grand “Evolution Hot Spring” was born!
Even though the Immortal felt heartbroken beyond words, what could it do?
The Water of Life was its very source of evolution—and now someone was literally bathing in it right under its nose! How could it possibly tolerate that?
Of course, under the “persuasive” threat of countless mechanical bug mouths, the wise Immortal ultimately chose to endure.
But as time went on, it found itself reaching the very edge of that endurance…
“Ahem!”
Just as the man and the octopus were basking in the bliss of evolution, an aged cough suddenly echoed in their minds.
The pair’s ears twitched in the hot spring… and they pretended not to hear a thing.
The Immortal: “…”
“Um… Boss? You two have been soaking for three days now! Maybe it’s time to stop? I mean, staying in a hot spring too long… isn’t exactly great for the skin…”
The Immortal’s weak, trembling voice even carried a hint of tears.
At first, it thought this would just be a one-time indulgence.
But to its horror, Ne Yun and the little octopus looked completely determined—as if they intended to soak until the end of time—refusing to leave at all.
Its reserves of Water of Life had already been nearly exhausted during the last great escape, and now, before it had even had a few days to recover, those two greedy creatures had set their sights on it again.
If this went on any longer, the Immortal feared it might literally die of dehydration!
Even the most patient elder has their limits, and as it watched its last drops of liquid essence being drained away, the Immortal finally couldn’t hold back a desperate, polite plea for mercy.
“Pupu!” Before Ne Yun could answer, the little octopus pointed at its own smooth, glossy, almost reflective head and let out a disgruntled hum.
The meaning was obvious—“Look! My skin is this smooth and tight. No such thing as too much soaking!”
The Immortal nearly burst into tears. You’re a water-dwelling creature, for crying out loud! Why would you even worry about your skin?!
“Hoo~”
Ne Yun’s chest rose and fell as he exhaled a long, white breath. Finally, he pulled the towel from his face, cracked open one eye, and glanced at the Immortal’s main body—its shriveled form in the nutrient pool now small enough for mice to run laps in.
For a brief moment, he weighed his options between killing the chicken for its eggs and sustainable exploitation.
After a reluctant sigh, he finally splashed the water, stood up, and stepped out of the spring.
That ever-growing, addictive sense of “upgrading” had nearly ensnared even Ne Yun himself.
Indeed, the desire to evolve is etched into the very genes of all living beings—none can resist it.
“Sigh… Still not enough production…” Ne Yun murmured in disappointment.
The Water of Life had a remarkable effect on strengthening his spiritual power—directly tied to how many mechanical bugs he could control, which in turn determined his overall strength ceiling.
Right now, Ne Yun had been forced to slow down the rate of mechanical bug reproduction. But if he could secure a steady supply of Water of Life, perhaps he could even reopen the “second generation policy.”
Lowering his head, he examined his now even stronger body, feeling the surging spiritual energy within. Then he lifted his hand and made a light grasping motion.
“Bang!”
A burst of invisible psychic force rippled outward from him like a shockwave.
In an instant, every droplet of water on Ne Yun’s body shot away like bullets, leaving him perfectly dry.
The little octopus beside him was caught in the blast, skipped across the surface of the water several times, and was flung straight onto the shore.
Lying there, the little octopus cast a pitiful glance at Ne Yun. Realizing that its bath-time privileges had officially ended, it could only shake itself like a wet puppy before its body slowly began to float upward.
Though still unsteady in the air, the little creature had clearly begun to grasp the use of psychic power—its first steps into telekinesis.
It wobbled through the air and finally landed on Ne Yun’s shoulder, who was now fully dressed.
Indeed, even the freeloading octopus had reaped quite a few benefits from basking near Ne Yun.
Seeing that the two finally seemed ready to leave, the nearly-drained Immortal let out a sigh of immense relief.
“Pupu!”
“When should we come back? A place this good—we’ve got to visit often!”
“Pupu? Pupu-pupu!”
Ne Yun strolled leisurely out of the “hot spring sanctuary,” his conversation with the octopus echoing clearly behind him.
The Immortal’s sapling-like body trembled violently as Ne Yun’s final words echoed in its ears:
“Visit often…”
“Often…”
“…Come back…”
TL Note- Medicinal Bath at cosmic level...
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