Chapter 45: The Underwater World Dungeon

Chapter 45: The Underwater World Dungeon

Seascape unfolded before her, with the rhythmic sounds of waves and flocks of seagulls soaring across the endless sky.

In the monotonous scene, Tang Fei found herself involuntarily drawn to the movement of the seagulls.

As she gazed at them, she suddenly felt a grip on the back of her neck, pulling her down into the depths of the sea. Panic-stricken, she flapped her fish fins and tail frantically, struggling for survival.

Help!

I'm drowning!

Someone's trying to harm me!

Tang Fei's face turned pale as she sank beneath the surface. To her surprise, the underwater world was not blurry and dark as expected. She could see far and clearly, even in areas where sunlight didn't reach. Vivid schools of fish swam about, and smaller ones circled around her affectionately.

The warm and comforting waters embraced her, instilling a sense of safety and relaxation.

Descending deeper, she watched curiously as fierce-looking big fish passed by from afar. One of them suddenly turned its head, offering a 'friendly' smile that revealed its razor-sharp teeth. Tang Fei waved stiffly, forcing a smile while maintaining a blend of awkwardness and fear. "Hi," she said.

Tang Fei allowed herself to be gently pulled by this force, slowly descending to the ocean floor.

"A beautiful lady, you've stepped on me." A sea star clutched at one of its corners, which was being pressed by Tang Fei's fish tail.

Tang Fei quickly moved her tail away, feeling the softness of the sea star against her: "I'm sorry, I didn't see you."

In the vast expanse of the ocean floor, clusters of mermaids were gathered. Some had green tails and white hair, others had bicolor tails and purple tresses. Some lounged on beds of seaweed, swishing their tails, while others sprawled on large seashells, propping up their tails to tease small fish. Still, others frolicked with octopuses in their arms.

Everything Tang Fei saw was incredibly vivid. Was this really a game?

"It's the Decennial Gift Baptism today. Let's sing a song for some fun?" suggested a plump mermaid. Without waiting for consent, she began singing: "Ah—beautiful ocean, my dear mother..."

The initially idle mermaids stood up, placing their hands over their hearts and closing their eyes as they sang in unison, "I love your blue~ love your depth~ love all that you give~"

A question mark flashed through Tang Fei's mind about how sound waves could propagate in water, but why could she hear them?

And she had just spoken to a sea star...

A warmth within her seemed to ignite with the singing, and she joined in, her voice echoing throughout the ocean: "Ah—I deeply love the deep sea, my home~~"

Fish swam gracefully in the depths of the ocean, synchronizing their movements with the rhythm of the song. Jellyfish lit up in a kaleidoscope of colors, spinning in unison, while seagrasses swayed rhythmically. Seashells opened and closed in tune.

It was a grand underwater chorus performance!

Tang Fei, participating firsthand, excitedly contributed her energy, seamlessly blending into the mermaid ensemble. Her cool blood warmed, pulsing warmly around her throat in concentric circles.

...

As the song gradually faded into silence, it came to an end. The solemn atmosphere that had persisted for only three seconds dissipated. The mermaids returned to their leisurely ways, sprawled out or lying down, chasing after shells, pestering jellyfish, riding electric eels, and playing with seahorses.

"Dear Mermaid Ladies, are you ready? The Ocean Mother's gift and baptism is about to begin—"

An announcement echoed in Tang Fei's ears, followed by a whistle. A large "3" appeared before her eyes, then transformed into a "2", then a "1"!

GO!

Now this feels like a game!

She had even forgotten who she was just now!

Tang Fei focused and scanned her surroundings, fixating on where the glowing bubbles might appear.

The mermaids scattered like a school of fish being chased by sharks.

Different colored bubbles emerged from all directions: white ones floated leisurely, blue ones darted forward, green ones circled around so quickly that they soon disappeared from sight, yellow ones blinked in and out of existence, red ones shifted directions and sizes erratically, golden ones moved so swiftly they left afterimages, and purple ones were like lightning bolts, appearing far away by the time you could register their presence.

The mermaids chased after the lights, causing a commotion in the water. The schools of fish and other creatures that had initially gathered here hurriedly retreated. Only the seaweed and corals, hindered by their immobility, struggled to maintain their balance amidst the churning waters.

"I told you we should leave earlier. But you wanted to listen to them sing," a flipped-over coral groaned as it tried to right itself.

"You agreed too. Don't blame me now," another coral attempted to hook onto it for support.

"Let's go, let's go. No arguing," a slow-moving sea plant waved its fronds as it passed by them.

Countless glowing bubbles emerged, and the mermaids raced after them. Tang Fei managed to catch up with a few white ones. With a gentle nudge from her forehead, the bubbles burst above her head, sending a refreshing sensation coursing through her body.

"Speed +1, Points +1"

"Current Ranking: 999+"

A small circle of white light enveloped her.

Tang Fei swished her fish tail and lifted her head, her hair automatically adhering to her body as an air film formed on her skin in contact with the water, reducing underwater resistance.

The white bubble was easy to catch up to, but it offered too few points. At this rate, she wouldn't make it into the top hundred, and only those within the first hundred would receive ranking rewards.

She needed to pursue bubbles with higher point values.

Tang Fei didn't know what kind of rewards were in store, but she couldn't let any slip away!

Fixing her gaze, Tang Fei shot forward like an arrow loosed from its string, her hands pressed close together as she dove towards a red bubble trapped beneath a volcanic rock on the ocean floor!

Aside from Tang Fei, dozens of others dashed out instantly.

Tang Fei had spotted the bubble early, positioning herself at the forefront. Two mermaids were ahead of her, their bodies adorned with a blend of white, blue, and green lights, enhancing their state more than Tang Fei's.

It's now or never! The unobstructed red bubbles were out of reach; Tang Fei's tail thrashed furiously, exerting all her strength. The three fish charged forward in a triangular formation, displacing the surrounding water and leaving the others far behind.

So close! Almost there!

The two leading fish were almost upon the glowing sphere!

They were about to touch it!

They were...

Uh, the trapped bubble suddenly shrank?

It was like a mischievous child teasing them before dashing away!

It leaped from the crevice where it was stuck, and the two fish collided with the rock, disoriented and losing scales. The freed bubble oscillated mockingly, as if laughing at them. It spun around, resembling a playful taunt.

Oh!

What bad luck – the lead mermaid failed to capture it!

The revolving red orb was grazed by Tang Fei's forehead as she rushed towards it. A flash of red light later, it split apart.

"Speed +15, Dynamic Perception +5, Resistance -2, Points +15"

"Current Rank: 723"

...

Tang Fei gradually grasped the mechanics of the game. She kept her eyes locked on her target, pushing with all her might to the front row, and then waited for the aura of luck to envelop her. With each round, she saw her points climbing higher and her rank improving.

First game: "Final Rank: 565"

Second game: "Final Rank: 299"

Third game: "Final Rank: 147"

Fourth game: "Final Rank: 106"

Fifth game: "Final Rank: 93"

Tang Fei finally squeezed into the top 100 on her last chance!

Excitement seemed to be an instinctive rush in her veins. Reaching the top 100 appeared to be quite an impressive accomplishment.

She swam out of the depths of the ocean, breaching the surface with a flick of her tail. In mid-air, she arched it back and looked up, her golden hair shimmering in the sunlight like rays of light. The droplets of water she had brought up from the sea sparkled around her as they scattered in the air. A tiny glimmer escaped from the tip of her nose as she sang a melodious, ethereal, and resonant song.

The ecstatic mermaid plunged back into the sea from high above, creating a beautiful splash.

"Ouch, that hurts!"

Tang Fei sat up abruptly, hugging her pillow while rubbing her lower back. Looking around, she realized she was sitting on the floor – had she fallen out of bed?

Her entire body felt as if it had been subjected to a Thai massage by an elephant all night; it was sore and aching!

A line of text then appeared before her eyes:

"The Mermaid's Underwater World Exploration Dungeon has been completed."

Accompanying this were the visual effects of waves exploding and the sound of cheering ocean waves.

"Reward Settlement: Flexibility +10, Acquired Skill: Underwater Vision (Initial Proficiency 30%), Swimming Skill +10%, Treasure Chest on the Ocean Floor +1."

A grand treasure chest!

Tang Fei climbed back onto her bed, her eyes gleaming with the light of a money enthusiast.