Douluo: Transforming Xiao Wu into a Zerg Queen Was Just the Beginning-Chapter 3: The Hatchery Awakens — Extracting the First Gene

Lin Fan stared in disbelief at the white ring of light floating above the lizard's corpse.

This scene... it was exactly like the descriptions from Douluo Dalu!

And combined with the strange appearance of the lizard, there was no doubt about it—this couldn't just be a coincidence!

If he remembered correctly, white spirit rings were the lowest grade... a ten-year spirit ring?

Lin Fan sighed in realization. That explained why he was able to sneak up and kill the lizard so easily—it was just a low-level ten-year spirit beast.

Now that he'd confirmed he was in the world of Douluo Dalu, Lin Fan turned to survey the towering trees around him. Where exactly am I?

Star Dou Forest? Soul Hunting Forest? Sunset Forest?

As for the Ice Crystal Forest, the one known for its abundance of ice-type soul beasts, he ruled that out immediately. The vibrant greenery and the warm, flower-filled breeze here were a far cry from the frozen wastelands of the north.

Towering trees over a hundred meters tall...

A chill crept into Lin Fan's heart. In the soul beast forests of Douluo Dalu, the deeper you went, the more dense and ancient the vegetation became.

And the deeper you ventured, the more dangerous it got!

Ten-thousand-year soul beasts ruled their territories. Thousand-year beasts roamed and hunted at will. And every forest had its own apex predator—a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.

Right now, Lin Fan was just a powerless human with no cultivation. If he really was in the heart of a soul beast forest, there was no telling how he'd die—only that it'd happen fast.

He glanced toward the Hatchery, still in the middle of incubation. For now, all he could do was wait. Once the Hatchery was complete, it would become his greatest support.

Visions of his dream returned—standing tall as the ruler of the Zerg, commanding legions to sweep across the universe. A trace of anticipation flickered in Lin Fan's eyes.

The sun dipped lower on the horizon. The forest, shrouded by massive trees, grew dark and cold as dusk fell. Night was coming.

Lin Fan sat curled on the ground, arms wrapped tightly around himself, shivering. The eerie atmosphere was hard to bear.

Even in a normal forest, nighttime was full of danger—let alone in the heart of a soul beast forest on Douluo Dalu.

Howls of wolves and strange cries echoed faintly from the outskirts, sending chills down Lin Fan's spine. The only comfort was that this place was likely so deep into the forest that weaker beasts didn't dare venture here.

But still... if a starving soul beast threw caution to the wind and charged in, what could he do?

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He glanced again at the still-hatching Hatchery, anxiety rising.

How long is this going to take?!

As if in response to his frustration—

The massive spore began to rapidly expand, growing to the height of a two or three-story building. Veins and ridges across its surface pulsed wider and deeper. Then, with a thunderous crack, the entire spore exploded open—revealing a grotesque and towering Zerg Hatchery!

The structure resembled a bio-organic pyramid, its cone-shaped form embedded in the earth. Jagged spikes protruded from its surface, along with numerous orifices that emitted faint steam—as though something inside was actively processing matter.

Upon closer inspection, the building breathed—rising and falling subtly like a living creature. A large, gaping entrance at the front pulsated rhythmically, ready for entry.

From its base, a mass of Creep surged outward, spreading across dozens of meters. Everything it touched withered in seconds, life drained and broken down into nutrients to be absorbed.

Lin Fan stared blankly at the monstrous structure before him, horrified yet in awe. The Hatchery squatted like a sleeping beast—lethal and terrifying. If any ordinary person saw this, they'd probably be too scared to walk another step.

He had to admit: the Zerg aesthetic was unique... and disgusting.

If he hadn't known this was his golden finger, he might've lost his sanity on the spot.

Suppressing his discomfort, Lin Fan cautiously stepped through the gaping maw that was the Hatchery's front entrance. The fleshy, writhing "door" quivered as he passed through, strands of mucus stretching with every movement.

But inside...

It was completely different.

The interior was soft and clean—surprisingly comfortable to walk on. The air was warm, the texture underfoot pliant and inviting. Lin Fan immediately felt more at ease.

In the center of the chamber were three small spores, each about the size of a piglet.

Could these be...?

He closed his eyes and focused, linking his mind to the Hatchery. Instantly, a torrent of information poured into his brain.

This was the Zerg Overmind's unique ability—every Zerg unit shared a psychic connection with the Overmind. Through it, Lin Fan could exercise complete control.

Even better, every unit under his command would also feed back their spiritual energy, enhancing his own. The more Zerg he controlled, the stronger his mind became. And since he could redirect psychic attacks across the entire swarm, the mental resilience of a Zerg Overmind was unmatched.

Opening his eyes again, Lin Fan examined the three spores.

Just as he'd guessed—they were Drone spores.

After successfully hatching, the Hatchery would automatically use any leftover energy to create Drones and reserve Zerg eggs for future spawning.

However, with only one patch of Creep and one initial Drone, Lin Fan didn't have much energy left.

He could only afford to hatch three Drones for now—to gather resources and defend the base.

Lin Fan gave a mental command: Hatch!

The three spores began to swell and squirm. After about five minutes, they burst open—revealing three identical Drones.

The Zerg's unique biology meant they didn't tire. As long as they had energy, they could function indefinitely—unaffected by day or night, heat or cold. Even lava or frozen terrain could be adapted to through genetic evolution.

After some thought, Lin Fan decided to leave one Drone to guard him, while the other two ventured out to harvest materials and expand the Creep.

After all, he had just arrived in this world—his top priority was survival and building up his strength.

The two Drones skittered out, mandibles clicking as they searched for biomass. The third Drone remained motionless beside Lin Fan like a silent statue—yet it would respond instantly to any threat, those massive claws ready to give any enemy a proper Zerg greeting.

Lin Fan found a soft corner of the Hatchery and laid down. He needed rest. Too much had happened in a single day, and fatigue was finally catching up.

But just as he closed his eyes, a notification flashed in his mind:

[Fire Lizard gene absorbed – Extraction in progress]

Lin Fan immediately sat up. Fire Lizard gene?

Then it hit him. Earlier that day, he had killed a lizard-like soul beast. One of the Drones must've dragged it back to the Creep for processing.

Wait... Soul beasts can be absorbed for gene extraction?!

His mind froze for a second—then exploded with realization.

It was like a door to a whole new world had opened before him.

His thoughts raced.

In Douluo Dalu, there were millions of types of soul beasts—each with unique traits and abilities. And the longer they lived, the more powerful they became: thousand-year soul beasts, ten-thousand-year, even hundred-thousand-year...

Lin Fan's heartbeat accelerated, his mind buzzing with possibilities.

Holy sht... I think I just transmigrated to the perfect world for this!

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