Regressed with Omnipotent AI on Zombie Apocalypse-Chapter 162: Testing The Octopus

The Apex relied heavily on micro-missiles for firepower. While effective for clearing out lesser threats, it was becoming insufficient against the increasingly formidable types of zombies and mutated creatures. The suit's firepower could only manage basic enemies; it lacked the lethality required for true challenges. "It's time to build the Apex Mk-2," Zack said, his tone solemn.

"Sir, the mechanical octopus prototype has been completed. Would you like it delivered?" Ego's voice chimed in suddenly.

"Already? That's fast," Zack said, glancing at the time. Three hours, exactly as promised.

"Send it over on a Avalon," Zack instructed. Soon, a Avalon arrived, switching to hover mode as it approached Zack's location. The hatch opened, revealing the cargo hold, where the mechanical octopus sat dormant, waiting to be activated.

The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.

Zack stepped inside, his gaze immediately drawn to the prototype. The mechanical octopus was compact, standing less than a meter tall, but its tentacles were strikingly long—each extending up to five meters and as thick as a human arm. The tentacles were coiled together, resembling a cluster of roots. "Activate it," Zack ordered after a quick inspection.

"System is activating..." The moment Ego confirmed activation, the mechanical octopus came to life. Its tentacles, which had been tangled and knotted, untwisted effortlessly and began moving with an eerie fluidity. The machine lifted itself upright, using its tentacles as support, and scanned its surroundings with its cluster of mechanical eyes.

As if to show deference, the octopus bent forward slightly in a gesture resembling a bow and emitted a series of high-frequency chirps. "Not bad," Zack said, watching the machine's performance. While primarily a patrol drone, the mechanical octopus was equipped with high AI capabilities, similar to the Titan. However, Zack had deliberately omitted a voice module, reasoning that communication wasn't necessary for an underwater machine. Signals were enough.

"How strong is it?" Zack mused, his curiosity piqued. Underwater combat posed unique challenges. Most conventional weapons lost their effectiveness or were significantly weakened. The mechanical octopus's primary attack method relied on close combat: strangling enemies with its tentacles or stabbing them with claw-like appendages. Both required immense physical strength.

"Let's test it," Zack said, extending his arm toward the octopus. As if understanding his command, several of the mechanical tentacles lashed out, wrapping tightly around his left arm like metallic pythons.

"Begin," Zack instructed. The tentacles began to constrict, their internal mechanisms locking into place and rotating like interlocking gears. The pressure increased steadily, becoming more intense with each passing second.

Sparks flew from the joints of Zack's Apex armor as the force bent the metal inward. "Alright, that's enough," Zack said calmly.

The mechanical octopus immediately released him, its tentacles retracting with precision. "Strength assessment complete," Ego reported. "The strangulation power of a single tentacle is approximately 1.5 tons. With additional tentacles, the total force multiplies exponentially, reaching 8-10 times the initial strength."

"Impressive," Zack said, nodding in satisfaction.

"Now for the real test—deploy it into the water," he ordered. At his command, the mechanical octopus moved toward the open hatch. With a fluid motion, it leapt into the river below, diving headfirst like a spear. The entry was seamless, barely creating a ripple.

"Sir, you can view the mechanical octopus's perspective through your armor's UI or control it remotely using neuro-sensing glasses," Ego explained.

"Let's try the glasses," Zack said, removing the Apex armor and stepping out. He sat down nearby, donned a pair of transparent glasses, and activated the system.

A faint hum accompanied the startup sequence. The glasses' display flickered to life, showing a murky underwater view. The mechanical octopus's sensors captured the environment in real-time, displaying it directly to Zack. "This is its vision?" Zack muttered, noticing the slightly turbid quality of the image.

As he thought about turning, the view shifted accordingly. It felt intuitive, like controlling a remote-controlled toy via neural feedback. Zack could hear the faint sounds of the water and see everything clearly, but it didn't feel like he was physically present. "Interesting," he said, adjusting to the controls.

Zack controlled the mechanical octopus as it maneuvered through the murky waters of the River. Its sensors picked up a school of tiger shrimp fish, swimming lazily past the metal intruder. The fish showed no interest in the unappetizing chunk of iron, focusing instead on their natural behaviors. "Attack," Zack commanded.

The mechanical octopus, which had been moving fluidly moments before, transformed into a deadly weapon. Its dozen mechanical tentacles lashed out, their sharp claw tips piercing the unsuspecting fish one by one.

The water quickly turned crimson with blood, but the tiger shrimp fish didn't retaliate. Instead, the surviving fish turned on their injured companions, tearing into their flesh with razor-sharp teeth. Even the unharmed fish began attacking each other in a frenzy, driven by some primal instinct. "Savages," Zack muttered, shaking his head as he watched the chaos unfold. He controlled the octopus to disengage and surface.

After testing the octopus's maximum underwater speed of 220 km/h and assigning it a patrol route from the River to the coastline, Zack removed the neuro-sensing glasses. "Ego, the remote-control armor system works flawlessly," Zack said, satisfied.

Ego's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Sir, we have a situation. The LSI satellite has detected a launch vehicle taking off—suspected to be a satellite launch."

"A launch vehicle?" Zack frowned. Before he could ask for more details, Ego updated the feed. Several more launches had been detected. In total, three rockets were now heading into space—two originating from the eastern Hemisphere and one from the northwestern part of the Eastern Hemisphere.

"Can they be intercepted?" Zack's tone was cold.

"Unfortunately, no, Sir. All three rockets have reached near-first cosmic speed and are out of range," Ego replied.

"Then we'll wait. Ready the Annie satellite to intercept as soon as those rockets enter the northern hemisphere," Zack ordered.

This was the advantage of having the first operational space-based satellite. The Annie satellite, stationed in geostationary orbit, provided unparalleled control over the northern hemisphere. Any satellites launched by rival factions had to pass through its area of influence, giving Zack the upper hand.

However, geostationary orbit had its limitations. The Annie satellite remained fixed relative to the northern hemisphere, unable to adjust its position like the LSI reconnaissance satellite. This limitation meant Zack couldn't strike targets in the southern hemisphere unless additional satellites were deployed. "We'll need to launch more satellites for true global coverage and strike capability," Zack remarked as he studied the holographic Earth orbit map.