Douluo: Transforming Xiao Wu into a Zerg Queen Was Just the Beginning-Chapter 26: Three War Machines

"ROAR!!"

Two deafening howls thundered through the forest as two fierce-looking soul beasts tore through their spore pods and emerged, breaking free like monsters hatching from cocoons, howling at the sky.

Waves of raw power radiated from their bodies, their sheer presence enough to shake the air. Yet, in front of them stood rows of emotionless Zerg units—unfazed, unmoving, like statues forged from flesh and steel.

Lin Fan's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he examined the transformed soul beasts before him.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

The Devouring Gold Rat, once covered in soft, golden fur, was now encased in heavy, obsidian-black armor.

Its entire body was reinforced with jagged plating, and its hind legs had become thick and muscular.

Its original short, weak forelimbs were replaced with two drill-like blades—each composed of four curved, scythe-like segments. When deployed, they formed spinning fan-shaped saws that gleamed with a chilling light, capable of shredding anything in their path.

Its head was the stuff of nightmares. Beady red eyes radiated bloodlust, and a pair of crescent-shaped fangs curved out from the sides of its jaw. Two sharpened front incisors hung menacingly from the upper lip, and its bizarre maw was surrounded by constantly writhing flesh and smaller fangs.

A single bite from this creature could reduce a target to unrecognizable pulp.

Its body, already stocky before, now stretched to nearly four meters long, packed with bulging muscle. Standing over two meters tall, the mere sight of it would send shivers down any soul beast's spine.

Calling this monster a mere "millennium soul beast" now felt like an insult.

Standing beside it was the fully transformed Thousand-Jin Ant, now just as massive as the Devouring Gold Rat.

Its six previously thin legs had become jet-black lances tipped with barbed spikes. Every step it took drove them deep into the ground with ease.

The redesigned limbs allowed it to ignore all terrain—its feet could cling to any surface, or pierce directly into an enemy's flesh with terrifying penetration power.

On its back, a pair of purple-black wings flared open—gruesome and otherworldly.

Its tiny head now bore six pairs of eyes, arranged in a hive-like pattern and glowing with a bloodthirsty crimson gleam.

Astonishingly, this millennium-level ant had developed the wings normally only seen on a Thousand-Jin Queen!

Lin Fan's eyes lit up like torches.

These two soul beasts radiated overwhelming pressure just by standing there, exuding constant, crushing power.

They were like walking engines of slaughter.

"Overmind," Lin Fan asked, "how many energy points were spent on modifying these two?"

[Devouring Gold Rat: 50,000 points.

Thousand-Jin Ant: 60,000 points.

Earth King Beetle: 70,000 points.]

"Holy—!!"

Lin Fan nearly choked.

So much for building an army of modified soul beasts...

Capturing a millennium soul beast alive was already hard enough. Most of them had developed intelligence and wild instincts. Even if they couldn't win, they'd fight back with terrifying desperation—biting, clawing, doing everything they could to take someone down with them.

And those who were timid or cautious would flee as far as possible. If escape was impossible, they'd choose to die fighting rather than be captured.

Until the Zerg produced specialized capture units, live capture of high-level soul beasts would remain a nightmare.

And the energy cost alone to modify them?

Absolutely insane.

Just modifying a few thousand-year beasts already cost over 180,000 energy points.

What would it take to modify ten-thousand-year soul beasts? He didn't even want to imagine it.

Suddenly, Lin Fan remembered something—the first test subject that received the Titanium Body gene... the Earth King Beetle. It had succeeded, hadn't it?

Closing his eyes, Lin Fan tapped into the Zerg psychic network and located the mutated Earth King Beetle's mental signature. He ordered it to surface from the underground hive.

The creature, previously lying dormant, instantly activated. Its body emitted a deep purple glow, and its thick tail curled over its back, aligning with its massive claws.

KRSSHH!

The sound of grinding rock echoed as the Earth King Beetle drilled upward from the underground, like a living purple jackhammer.

BOOM!

The ground exploded as a massive pit opened, soil flying everywhere.

A massive, purple-black silhouette leapt out of the hole, twisted midair, and slammed into the ground with a thunderous crash.

"SKREEEEE!!"

It let out a piercing screech, its triangular eyes glowing blood-red.

Ferocious. Dominating. Magnificent.

Those were the only words Lin Fan could use to describe the sight. His heart trembled as the Earth King Beetle emerged.

Its heavy, flat body resembled an armored mech, radiating a sense of silent, lethal danger.

Every inch of it gleamed with power. If you asked any man—who would say no to a sentient mecha-like beast like this?

Three living war machines now stood before Lin Fan.

Powerful bodies. Terrifying appearances. Unmatched combat strength.

They were the perfect blend of Zerg flesh and cold, calculating minds, fused with the finest genes harvested from powerful soul beasts.

Aside from the Queen of Blades herself, these were now the strongest Zerg combat units in existence.

"Overmind," Lin Fan asked, "what's their current combat capability?"

[Based on available gene data and incomplete Zerg evolution,

estimated combat level equals that of a ten-thousand-year soul beast.]

Lin Fan's eyes widened in disbelief.

From just barely reaching the millennium stage...

to straight-up skipping 8,000–9,000 years of cultivation...

and jumping straight to ten-thousand-year class?!

It was a blatant violation of the natural path for soul beast growth!

If the soul beasts of the Douluo Continent found out their kind could reach this level through Zerg evolution... they'd go absolutely mad.

Especially the hundred-thousand-year beasts—they would never stop hunting him until they learned how to obtain this power.

Once a soul beast reached 100,000 years, breaking through again became nearly impossible.

They had only two options:

Break the shackles of their lifespan and ascend to one-million-year class—a feat nearly no beast could achieve.

Take human form, risking their lives to cultivate and try to reach Titled Douluo level.

Both paths were filled with despair.

But the Zerg's evolution system shattered all of that.

It transcended time. Levels. Even race.

The sheer potential of the Zerg was now clearer than ever.

Lin Fan trembled slightly, scalp tingling.

Until I grow truly powerful... the Zerg must continue to develop in the shadows.

This path of patient survival... will be long and difficult.

****

If you want to support me or read advanced Chapters (8+), consider checking out my pat.

patr*on.com/Salsita2k