Chapter 81: Deep Sea Confinement 06

Chapter 81: Deep Sea Confinement 06

Following Pei Yi's breakthrough, the live broadcast room exploded with activity.

"First one! Incredible! How did he even think of that!"

"My God! Four ghosts, meaning there's a ghost in every corner, and he still managed to break the game."

Following closely behind Pei Yi was Lu Zai Chuan.

One after the other, they met at the cave entrance, only a few meters apart. Lu Zai Chuan’s method of breaking the game was similar to Pei Yi's, as if they were telepathically connected. They exchanged a knowing smile, sharing a sense of camaraderie through adversity.

Pei Yi said, "Once we're out, I need to take a long drag of a cigarette, and you should tap both my shoulders again. Who would've thought...” he trailed off, implying that everyone else was a ghost.

Lu Zai Chuan replied, "I guess these people were cave diving enthusiasts who came here for an adventure, trapped in the game both in life and death. For them, cave diving was the perfect game, one they couldn't stop."

Hearing the system announce 'Heart of the Ocean 3/8', they returned to the empty deep-sea plaza. The circular archway still stood silently, surrounded by countless upright coffins. Pei Yi observed for a while, then slowly said:

"Chuan Zi, do you notice any changes?"

"Changes?" Lu Zai Chuan turned back, "What kind of changes?"

Pei Yi explained, "It wasn't arranged like this before. The movement is subtle, but it definitely shifted."

Hearing this, Lu Zai Chuan also looked carefully and seemed to agree...

The two discreetly took note of this and together entered the fourth level. Upon entering, they saw a mini-submarine quietly floating at the cave entrance. It appeared to be real high-tech, something Pei Yi had never seen before.

The submarine was small, probably only big enough for two people. It was spherical with 360-degree, no-blind-spot windows, offering an unobstructed view of the sea.

[Please explore this submarine.]

They entered the submarine, finding its interior relatively simple, equipped with a dashboard and seats, and some miscellaneous items behind the seats. Since standing was not an option due to their height, they sat down in separate seats.

Among the clutter was a nautical logbook. Pei Yi opened it but couldn't understand the language, so he handed it over to Lu Zai Chuan. Lu Zai Chuan took a look and translated:

[Today was fruitless. This is our first time piloting this two-person submarine into the depths of the ocean, to realms where no man has ever set foot, below five thousand meters, into pitch darkness where not even a hand is visible, a godforsaken place unreachable by light.

The submarine can operate for seven days at a time, a testament to the latest high-tech advancements in the world today. The large glass sphere offers a 360° view of the ocean's beauty beneath.

This area, known as "Hell," has claimed the lives of thousands over the past century. In the 1990s, hundreds of ships sank to the ocean floor. It is said that at the heart of this sea lies a place called the Devil's Eye, resembling a whirlwind that sucks passing ships into its grasp.

None have survived. Fortunately, the Devil's Eye has mysteriously closed, which is for the better, as it would have claimed even more lives.

Some have also reported seeing a colossal octopus near the deadly vortex, with tentacles tens of meters long (a meter being over three feet), as tall as a building. The truth of this, however, remains unknown.

I suspect it might be true. The immense pressure in the deep sea is beyond human comprehension (several hundred to a thousand atmospheres), and a creature that can withstand such pressure must be terrifyingly large.

According to local annals, due to frequent accidents, a custom of human sacrifices emerged over time. Reportedly, hundreds were offered as tributes and sunk to the ocean floor, ranging in age from ten to sixteen, both male and female, with females being more common.

Why more females? The local custom favors males over females. In this ancient land, it is believed that only men can carry on the family lineage, and women are deemed less significant.

When I shared this with my companion Harry, he too found it unbelievable.

Perhaps as a man, I find it even harder to understand such practices.

I hope our exploration goes smoothly, and we can quickly uncover the secrets of this maritime area.

Pei Yi said, "Dr. Alaric is both brave and intelligent, with both courage and knowledge."

Lu Zai Chuan had never seen him praise someone so highly and couldn't help asking, "How do you know he possesses both courage and knowledge?"

"From his diary," Pei Yi pointed out, "keep reading, there's more."

Lu Zai Chuan pursed his lips and continued to turn the pages,

"We have been exploring this area for nearly a year with no findings, which is utterly disheartening.

My companions have given up, but I refuse to. For this man-eating sea, I have explored for nearly thirty years. But after my companions left, I have become increasingly anxious."

Against everyone's advice, I descended alone to a depth of nearly 6,800 meters in the deep sea, a taboo venture (as the principle of deep diving dictates: never dive alone).

But I could not concern myself with that; I am over seventy years old now, and I feared I wouldn't live to see the day I'd meet my treasure.

I was determined to uncover the truth of this maritime area, to discover the secret of their disappearance.

Lu Zai Chuan continued turning the pages,

"It's hard to describe my feelings; lost at nearly 7,000 meters under the sea, I was utterly adrift in this vast oceanic abyss. My submarine's power was depleted, I had food, but no water.

When the submarine lost all power, it entered a protective mode, drifting in the deep sea with minimal energy. No life, no sunlight, just the sea water, and my ship.

I felt as if the whole world had abandoned me.

I didn’t know how long I had been drifting, nor how much longer I could endure. I felt this was not the sea area I sought; it lay beyond all known regions, a place unknown.

—I called it the 'Third Sea Area.' Beyond my comprehension, all I could see was the deep sea, endless night, a silence so profound.

My companion often expressed a desire to go to space. I now wish to tell him, my dear, come to the deep sea; the deep sea is another universe. Here, time and space cease to exist. In a sense, time is but an illusion; I do not exist, nor does time."

As Lu Zai Chuan read this, Pei Yi commented, "It's truly wondrous, what this old doctor experienced, a moment of profound enlightenment."

Lu Zai Chuan said, "It's normal to ponder philosophical questions in such an isolated environment. Time is relative; it's merely an illusion. He's begun to doubt his own existence."

"On the brink of madness..." Pei Yi observed, "It feels complex. Keep reading."

"Why do I feel like time doesn't exist? Because there's no sunlight in the deep sea, and the speed of light is the measure of time and space. All I see is darkness.

Today, the submarine's standard power has reached zero, and I am about to bid farewell to this world,

To the starry sky above me, the azure ocean beneath me, and my most cherished treasure.

A salute to the great void. —The final entry of Dr. Alaric, March 2nd, 1954."

"That's it."

Both listeners were lost in thought, imagining the predicament the old doctor faced in his final moments, dying alone in silence.

"If it's just about reading the navigation diary, this task would be too easy."

Pei Yi muttered to himself, "Who was this 'treasure' to the doctor? His wife?"

Lu Zai Chuan didn’t respond; he put down the diary and peered outside through the light of the overhead lamp, noticing the water currents moving.

"Brother Pei."

Pei Yi hummed in acknowledgment.

"—The submarine is moving."

Pei Yi also leaned toward the window. Their submarine was indeed slowly drifting forward.

"It seems reading all those diaries was a trap. We've walked right into it." Pei Yi looked around and said, "Dr. Alaric, are you trying to pull us down with you?"

But there was no response. Looking at the submarine's dashboard, only 5% of the power remained.

If they couldn’t break the predicament before the power ran out, their fate might mirror Dr. Alaric's—trapped to death inside this submarine.

While they spoke, the power dropped another notch.

Pei Yi said, "Chuan Zi, read the diary again, look for clues. We might die here!"

Lu Zai Chuan frowned, "I am looking." He repeatedly read through the diary, hoping to find a breakthrough.

Pei Yi tried to force the door open with physical strength, but the submarine's door was firmly sealed.

All of this was a test from the ghostly Dr. Alaric.

Only 3% of the power remained.

The submarine's dashboard emitted a series of beeps, the red light flashing frantically.

Just then, Pei Yi had an epiphany, exclaiming aloud.

At the same moment, Lu Zai Chuan suddenly said, “The Void!”

Both spoke simultaneously, “You go first.”

“No, you first.”

Both of them: “……”

Pei Yi took the lead: “The real Dr. Alaric was the one conversing with us at the beginning of the CG simulation.”

“There are two Dr. Alarics?”

“No,” Pei Yi explained, “Our memories became displaced the moment we entered the submarine.

You understand relativity, right? What is relativity? If my speed exceeds that of light, I can travel back in time; if it's just a bit faster, I can cross into the future.

Our conversation with Dr. Alaric took place in the past. He asked us to find his daughter, and after we failed to meet our promise, Dr. Alaric descended into the deep sea himself to search for her.

If our identities now are indeed those deep diving experts, the answer to unlocking this submarine becomes quite clear.”

Pei Yi glanced at the dashboard, where a simple switch underneath controlled whether the submarine was on or off. Meanwhile, the power level dropped to 2%.

“This submarine is essentially a time travel machine now; it can take us through the past, back to the future. For us, now is Dr. Alaric's future. If we want to return to when the battery was fully charged, we need to slow down the speed.

But slowing down is difficult, almost impossible; so the only option is to stop the time travel.”

He twisted the switch on the dashboard, turning the power from 3 to 0. Pei Yi shut down the submarine. It stopped moving, but they didn't die.

After a moment, the submarine's power level returned to full, indicated by a green light.

They had returned to the past, back to when Dr. Alaric had just descended into the deep sea.

The system announced, [Heart of the Ocean collected: 4/8, Exploration at 65%].

[Player Pei Yi, you have successfully deciphered the code of this submarine, earning the affection of Dr. Alaric. Reward: a pearl necklace and 10 points. Congratulations.]

Pei Yi smiled, turning back to Lu Zai Chuan with a slight shrug. Lu Zai Chuan smiled back, unable to help thinking how dazzling Pei Yi truly was.