Sauron did not worry too much about it. Although Polylegs were timid and changed their minds easily, Tatamu had been with Sauron for several decades. It was diligent and very loyal. There had never been any mishaps when he entrusted it with something.
After Sauron left, Tatamu immediately sealed the door of the laboratory. The door was thick and heavy. It would take some time for anyone to break through the door. Tatamu would have more than enough time to activate the arcane array.
It rubbed the suction cups on its limbs, and pride appeared on its face. Although it had not yet activated the array, it could sense the great and boundless energy from the arcane array. It was now able to control such energy! Although he would only take care of this place for a short two to three hours, this was enough for Tatamu to be proud. Tatamu did not conduct any experiments on Wang Zhong as the experiments they had conducted over the past few days were enough. It puffed out its chest and patrolled its territory like a king. He was drunk with happiness, giving Wang Zhong a chance.
"I am the pride of the Polylegs." It could not help being emotional as it reveled in joy. "It's a pity that no one can share this glory with me. It would be great if someone could pop out and talk to me."
"What do you want to talk about?"
"Of course, the historical step that Tatamu has taken in the history of the Polylegs. I am able to control such powerful energy and obtain the trust of my master. Tatamu… Hm? Who is talking to me?" Tatamu was dumbfounded. Nobody else was supposed to be in the room.
Was he hallucinating? Was he hearing things?
But before it could react, it saw the human on the experiment table moving. Soon after, his soul returned to his body, and his body emitted a gold ray of light!
Everything in this world followed a pattern. It had been very dangerous for Wang Zhong to disperse his soul, and it should be just as risky when his soul returned to his body. But the Fate Stone was constantly transforming, causing the cells in his body and his soul to be very different from before. Even his Soul Core had gotten much stronger. Its ability to summon his soul was now hundreds of times stronger! The Fate Stone had managed to build a path between his Soul Core and his dispersed soul.
As a result, his soul did not face any danger when it returned to his body. In fact, it immediately returned to his body when his Soul Core summoned it!
The dispersed pieces of his soul were reorganized as his consciousness combined with his body. Wang Zhong had never felt such an intriguing sensation. It felt like this unfamiliar body was not his as this wave of energy was too powerful. The cells in his body were not the only things transforming.
When his consciousness integrated with his body and his dispersed soul was drawn out from every single cell in his body, it was as if countless paths had been opened up, allowing all the cells in Wang Zhong's body to connect to one another. Internal nuclear energy was released, forming divine cells!
Boundless energy surged from every part of his body in an endless stream. Wang Zhong could not even imagine how much energy had been released. Every inch of his skin and muscles dazzled with a gold shine. Even his pores flared as they glowed with a gold shine. At the same time, some form of steam or black liquid residue was flushed out of his pores as if he was casting away his old body. His powerful consciousness instantly shrouded the entire laboratory and filled the air with a terrifying aura. The eight-clawed Tatamu did not even have the chance to gulp in fear. It was so scared that it crawled on the floor. There was an unusual smell as a pitch-black liquid flowed out from Tatamu's eight limp legs.
It was going crazy! Even its master could not summon the soul of this human using his Soul Separation Technique. The half-dead person, who only produced one microgram of consciousness every ten minutes, was now awake?! Furthermore, he just had to wake up when its master was not around!
When it thought about its master, it found a solution amidst great fear. It trembled and tried to activate the defensive array in the laboratory, just as its owner had asked it to do. But before it could start to activate the array, the human started to speak in rather fluent Mizobudapi language.
"If I were you, I would not do something so foolish. This laboratory belongs to someone else, but this life is yours," said Wang Zhong as he laughed. He did not even seize the control symbol from Tatamu's hands. He had to determine the personality of this eight-clawed monster. Of course, this was also because he had enough confidence that he could take the control symbol away from it before it could activate the array.
"You—you can actually speak?!" Tatamu was bewildered. Its entire body trembled and stopped activating the arcane array. Wang Zhong's aura was far too terrifying. Tatamu was smart. Although the array was within reach, it would be very difficult for it to do anything while Wang Zhong was looking at it. Even if it was very lucky and succeeded, it would trap Wang Zhong in the laboratory… It would have done what its owner asked it to do, but it would definitely die! No! Tatamu did not want to be trapped with this terrifying human.
"Weren't you saying something just now?" Wang Zhong stretched his arms. The solid steel handcuffs and leg shackles on the experiment table were easily broken apart like tofu.
Tatamu gulped vigorously. Tonight was definitely the most eventful and exciting night of its peaceful life.
Evidently, this human had not awoken by coincidence. There was no such coincidence! He had definitely predicted this timing. This was too frightening. Even its master had been tricked…
Wang Zhong moved his arms and legs. He only moved his wrists, but the sound of his joints rubbing against one another was like a bolt from the blue. It was loud and clear. Wang Zhong was in a good mood as he looked at the shocked eight-clawed monster. "Do you want to die, or do you want to live?"
Did he really have to ask this question? Master, gods, mommy, please bless and protect me! Tatamu does not want to die!
When it thought about death, Tatamu wet itself again. The aura of this human was too terrifying. It was sure that he could instantly kill it.
"Don't—don't kill Tatamu." It had a tearful face. "Tatamu is a good person! Tatamu does not want to die!"
Wang Zhong laughed cheerily. "Then let's see how you perform."
The clown mask had already disappeared from Wang Zhong's face. Simba appeared in the air.
When Tatamu saw the creature that transformed from the clown mask, it gasped in shock. Although the Octopus people were adept in biotechnology, it was its first time seeing a creature who could freely transform between an independent living body and an auxiliary living material.
Simba had held back for almost a month and wanted to breathe in the air of freedom. He looked at the laboratory, which had once scared him, with bitter hate. "Lao Wang, let's burn this place with fire!"
"You, you, you can't burn this place…" Tatamu's legs turned soft, and it crawled on the ground. If the laboratory that its owner had entrusted it with was burned down, Tatamu felt that its owner would definitely chop it into pieces.
"Why not!?" Simba fiercely glared at Tatamu. He was very unhappy towards this despicable fellow who fawned on Sauron.
"Be—because…" Typically, Tatamu had very quick reactions and was very intelligent. It was just a pity that it was too shocked to work out its thoughts. All it could do was panic.
Wang Zhong did not pay any attention to them. Without Simba, the language of the Octopus people was as unintelligible as the heavenly books. He seized the symbol that controlled the arcane array from its hands. Although he was sure that this coward would not dare to activate the array, it was still safer for him to control this symbol.
Tatamu did not fight back as there was no use in doing so. It had never thought about activating the arcane array, trapping this human here, and perishing along with this human. Not only was it difficult for Tatamu to do this, Tatamu was not even sure this human would die when the array was activated. After all, the array was to defend against external forces, not against internal ones. But Tatamu knew that it was done for. It would not be lucky this time.
It trembled in fear. Its clever brain was numbed from shock. Wang Zhong did not care about it as he was rushing for time. He saw that the space crystal which he had been carrying was not far from the experiment table. He walked over, opened the space crystal, and took a look inside. Most of the items inside were his loot from the one-eyed man's exploration team, for example, other space crystals. He realized that all his items were still there. This broken item had not caught Sauron's eye. However, Heinrich's Nebula Sacred Sword was different and was hanging on the laboratory wall. This was the most important item that proved his identity.
He had lost this treasure, but it had now returned to him. Wang Zhong went all the way and threw a few space crystals at Simba. "Simba, take as many things as you can. Pick up the valuable items!"
"Relax, I have been eying items over the past few days. Eight-clawed monster, come over and shift the items for me. If you don't listen, I will chop you up!" Simba was excited as he could finally fight back. Damn it, he had suffered from massive mental torture over the past few days. He would do whatever he could to make up for it.
After one of its eight claws was chopped off[a], this fellow did not dare to play around. It obediently shifted items and even helped to remove some seals. The Warlock Saint was rather lazy, especially in terms of trivial matters like this. He completely trusted Tatamu and did not think that this Polyleg would betray him. In reality, it was very easy for Tatamu to rebel against him. Once it took the first step, everything else would be very smooth. It even presented Simba with things that he did not know about.
The dozen space crystals were fully stuffed. They had wanted to take away the instruments in the laboratory, but it was a pity that these instruments had attributes of living creatures. Furthermore, they were connected to something else deep underground. If they tried to force them into the space crystals, Wang Zhong was worried that these instruments would spoil. Of course, more importantly, he was worried that it would cause a great common — for example an explosion or summoning a massive monster. This would attract the attention of the guards in the city. It was not worth taking the risk.
Suddenly, Wang Zhong thought of something and called Simba over. Simba turned into a clown mask that Wang Zhong wore. Wang Zhong looked at Tatamu with a serious expression on his face. "Where is my Golden Stone Slab!"
Tatamu was dumbfounded. "Lord, what slab are you talking about? I don't know. I've given you all the treasures in here!"
It raised its seven claws innocently, while its chopped-off claw nub was growing at the side. Polylegs had powerful regeneration abilities. Because of this, Tatamu earned various benefits from following Sauron.
[a]I looked back but couldn't find a mention of one of its claws being chopped off. ?