American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 368 The Underwater World (November monthly ticket lottery has begun, see the book review section!)

His figure had become a small yellow dot beside the distant coral reef, and the deck had become a private world for Lin Yu'an and Ruiwen.

With only the two of them and the live stream camera remaining, the air was less stiff with the presence of elders and more relaxed and... ambiguous in their solitude.

“Alright,” Raven cleared her throat, regaining her coaching authority, “put it on and get ready for your first ‘underwater adventure’.”

Lin Yu'an and Ruiwen put on all their diving gear. The heavy air tanks and weight belts weighing dozens of kilograms made him somewhat clumsy when moving on land.

The two performed a final "buddy check" on each other, meticulously checking everything from the BCD's inflation and deflation valves to the weight belt's security and the cylinder valve's full opening.

“Your air pressure is 210 Bar, full. Mine is too.” After Raven confirmed, the two sat on the spacious swimming platform at the stern of the boat and put on their masks.

"Are you ready?" Raven helped Lin Yu'an do a final check on the regulator and the location of the backup gas source.

"Remember, you might feel a little uncomfortable the first time you go into the water."

"The most important thing is to relax, and never hold your breath. Breathe continuously and slowly, just like you would in yoga meditation."

"Understood." Lin Yu'an nodded and bit down on the regulator's mouthpiece.

“Very good. We’ll use the ‘back-in’ entry method.” Raven gave a demonstration.

"One hand holds the mask and regulator to prevent them from being washed away by the force of the water. The other hand holds the counterweight strap behind the head to prevent the gas cylinder from hitting the head."

Then, lean back and completely surrender yourself to the sea.

After saying that, she gracefully leaned back like a mermaid, and with a "plop," disappeared into the turquoise seawater amidst a churning sea of ​​white bubbles.

Lin Yu'an took a deep breath and, imitating her, leaned backward.

In an instant, the world spun around! The icy seawater enveloped my entire body, and the world before my eyes transformed from blinding sunlight into a sea of ​​boiling, blue-green bubbles.

All sounds disappeared, replaced by a strange hum, like water being filtered in a bathtub.

He instinctively took a breath.

"Hush-huh-"

A dry, slightly rubbery smell filled my lungs, accompanied by the clear, rhythmic click of the valve.

He heard his own breathing, a life rhythm amplified infinitely, unlike anything he had ever heard on land, as if the entire universe consisted of only this one breath.

As the bubbles dissipated, a whole new world slowly unfolded before his eyes.

The world on the water's surface transformed into a swaying, shimmering, enormous ceiling, upon which the white hull of the Polaris floated, like a tranquil floating island.

Raven's figure was not far in front of him, like an astronaut floating in zero gravity, every movement of hers slow and graceful.

Her webbed feet swayed gently like the tentacles of a sea anemone, and sunlight filtered through the water, casting dappled, shimmering shadows on her like a stage spotlight.

She gave him an "OK" sign, her eyes behind the mirror filled with a smile and encouragement.

Lin Yu'an also raised his hand and awkwardly replied.

This strange feeling of weightlessness and the huge visual changes gave even a man who had conquered countless treacherous peaks a sense of novelty and excitement.

Raven swam over and gestured for them to dive down to the sandy bottom and begin the first technique—clearing water with their masks.

She first gave a complete demonstration, kneeling on the white sand, slightly lifting the top edge of the mask, letting the cool seawater slowly fill the mask, and her vision instantly became blurred.

Then, she tilted her head slightly and exhaled a long, steady stream of air through her nose while pressing her fingers against the top edge of the mirror.

The water was easily and completely expelled by the air from below, and vision instantly returned to clear.

When it was Lin Yu'an's turn, he followed the steps and filled his mask with the icy seawater. His nasal cavity was instantly stimulated by the seawater, and a strong sensation of choking rushed straight to his brain.

I forced myself to breathe through my nose, enduring the discomfort. But because of nervousness, my first exhale was too forceful and too short, and I only expelled half the water; my vision remained blurry.

Raven patiently stood before him, like an elegant pantomime actress, gesturing a "slow, long, gentle exhale."

Lin Yu'an nodded, emptied the water from the mirror, and made a second attempt.

This time, he relaxed and precisely controlled the strength and rhythm of his exhalation. With just one long breath, he completely drained the seawater from his mask.

Next is regulator retrieval, whether it's taking the level 2 head out of your mouth, watching your lifeline drift away, or elegantly sweeping your arm back from back to front to find it.

Lean to the side and let the yellow spare secondary head slide naturally down the tubing to your chest.

Lin Yu'an was able to succeed on the first try after Ruiwen demonstrated it once, his movements were as standard as those of the protagonist in a tutorial video who had practiced countless times.

“Okay, now comes the most difficult and crucial part of today's task—neutral buoyancy,” Raven wrote on her diving whiteboard, drawing a small figure floating in the water.

This is the foundation of all diving skills and the ultimate standard that distinguishes beginners from experienced divers.

Raven began teaching him how to make coarse adjustments using the inflation/deflation valve on the left shoulder of his BCD, and how to make fine adjustments using the rise and fall of his lungs during breathing.

“Imagine your lungs as a miniature BCD,” she wrote on the whiteboard. “Take a deep breath, and your body will float up slightly like a balloon.”

"Slowly exhale all the air from your lungs, and your body will sink like a stone. Find that perfect balance, and you'll be able to float in water like a feather."

This was a challenge tailor-made for Lin Yu'an. His superhuman body control and perception were on full display at this moment.

After just a few tries, he got the hang of it.

Close your eyes, stop thinking about the operation of BCD, and focus all your attention on your breathing and the subtle ups and downs of your body in the water.

He could clearly sense how many centimeters his body would rise when he inhaled half a breath and how much he would sink when he exhaled a third of a breath.

Five minutes later, when Raven looked at him again, she saw a scene that she would never forget, and even found somewhat unbelievable.

Lin Yu'an, like a monk who has entered a state of underwater meditation, floated quietly about half a meter above the seabed in a perfect posture.

He sat cross-legged, motionless, as if time had stood still for him.

Only the strings of silver bubbles he exhaled, like an inverted pearl necklace, rising rhythmically and slowly, proved that he was still alive and breathing.

Raven slowly swam up to him and circled him in disbelief.

She reached out and gently pushed his shoulder. His body swayed like a roly-poly toy, but quickly returned to absolute stillness after a breath.

Lin Yu'an slowly opened his eyes, gave her a smile behind the mirror, and playfully made an "OK" sign.

Raven was completely convinced. Any step-by-step teaching was a constraint and a waste of time for this man.

She swam up to him, took his hand, and wrote on the whiteboard: "Congratulations, Mr. Monster. You've graduated."

She crossed out the words "graduated" and rewrote: "The adventure begins now!"

The lesson ended at this moment.

Raven led Lin Yu'an, like two free tropical fish, and began their underwater ballet.

She led him, gliding through the water in an elegant and effortless manner.

They walked through a small "forest" of staghorn corals, startling a group of blue parrotfish that were foraging for food.

Then we saw a shy green sea turtle peeking out from the seaweed bed, giving them a curious look before slowly paddling its "wings" away.

The underwater world is tranquil; there is no language, and all communication is done through eye contact and gestures.

When Raven points to a clownfish hiding in a sea anemone, Lin Yu-an nods in response.

When Lin Yu-an discovers a flounder perfectly disguised as sand, Raven's eyes widen in surprise, and she gives him a thumbs up.

This silent, pure communication elevated the relationship between the two to a whole new level.

Without their identities, backgrounds, and complicated pasts on land, they are now simply two partners exploring another blue planet, equal and intimate.

About an hour later, Lin Yu'an glanced at the pressure displayed on his Shearwater Teric monitor – 55 Bar.

He made a "low air reserve" gesture to Raven (bringing his five fingers together and tracing them horizontally across his throat). Raven glanced at her own pressure gauge; it was also nearly empty.

She nodded, then made a slow, clear "thumbs up" gesture—ascending, ending her pleasant underwater stroll.

The two maintained a buddy system, ascending slowly together.

At a depth of three meters, they made a standard three-minute safety stop to allow more time for the dissolved nitrogen in their bodies to be expelled.

"puff--"

With two almost simultaneous splashes of water, they returned to the bright, sunny world.

Lin Yu'an took off his Level 2 helmet, took a deep breath of the salty sea breeze, and felt as if he had returned to Earth from another planet.

The tranquility of the underwater world contrasts sharply with the vitality of the surface world.

"Welcome back, Earthling." Raven wiped the water droplets from her face, took off her glasses, and her blue eyes shone brightly in the sunlight, a genuine and radiant smile on her face.

"How did it feel? Was your first 'space walk' successful?"

“It’s amazing,” Lin Yu’an said sincerely, looking down at the crystal-clear turquoise seawater.

"It was a... completely different physical world. Sound, light, gravity... all the rules you take for granted were rewritten. It was fascinating."

“Charming? Ha!” Raven laughed. “I guarantee that when you see that shipwreck that’s been lying on the seabed for decades this afternoon, you’ll find a more fitting word than charming.”

The two helped each other remove their heavy BCDs and air tanks and climbed back to the Polaris's spacious swimming platform.

Captain Mike has already paddled back in his kayak. "Oh ho! The two astronauts are back!"

"How was it, Raven? Did our captain cause you any trouble? Did he get so nervous underwater that he spat out the regulator?"

“Quite the opposite, Dad.” Raven picked up a large towel and dried her wet hair, her face showing a complex expression of both helplessness and admiration.

"I almost thought I had taken a diving expert disguised as a novice into the water, whose neutral buoyancy... was better than some of my old friends."

She turned to Lin Yu'an, raising an eyebrow: "Seriously, Lin, did you secretly learn something behind my back? Or is this another one of your amazing talents?"

Lin Yu'an shrugged and smiled, "Perhaps... I was a fish in my past life?"

"Come on, you're kidding me." Raven was amused by his reply.

She took two chilled energy drinks from the refrigerator and tossed one to Lin Yu'an. "Okay, enough joking around."

Her expression turned serious, as if she were giving a post-lesson summary. "Overall, your performance this morning was perfect. Full marks. You've mastered all the techniques."

“So, congratulations, Captain,” she said, raising her drink bottle to him, “you have successfully unlocked the afternoon’s shipwreck exploration mission.”

"Thank you very much, Coach Raven." Lin Yu'an also raised the bottle and gently touched it with hers.

“However,” Raven’s tone shifted, a sly glint in her eyes, “before we delve into history, how about we play a little game to warm up?”

Instead of revealing the contents directly, she turned and went into the cabin, quickly taking out a completely different set of equipment.

Two small, futuristic low-volume mirrors, and two pairs of long, elegant carbon fiber flippers that shimmer like obsidian.

"Freediving?" A glint flashed in Lin Yu'an's eyes.

“Yeah!” Raven smiled smugly and handed him one of the sets of equipment.

"This body of water is only 5 meters deep. For freediving, it's like taking a walk in the pool in your backyard. Carrying an air tank makes you look like a clumsy robot. It's such a waste of this paradise."

"Do you dare to try exploring like a dolphin, relying solely on your breath?"

"Why not?" Lin Yu'an took the equipment, eager to try it out.

"Very good!" Raven switched back into coach mode, but this time her teaching style became noticeably more free-flowing and emotional.

“In freediving, the most important thing is not technique, but state of mind—relaxation.” She sat cross-legged on the swimming platform and began to guide Lin Yu’an in preparing his breathing.

“Close your eyes,” her voice became soft and rhythmic, “and breathe deeply and slowly with your abdomen, not your chest.”

"Inhale for four seconds, feeling the air fill your body... Then, over eight seconds, slowly exhale all the stale air..."

"Imagine yourself as a piece of seaweed, swaying gently with the current..."

Following her guidance, Lin Yu'an quickly entered a semi-meditative state.

He could feel his heart rate dropping significantly, and every muscle in his body was completely relaxed.

"One last time, fill every corner of your lungs with all your might, from your abdomen to your chest, and then to your collarbone..."

"Then, bite down on the snorkel, lean forward, immerse your face in the water, and relax... until you feel the first twitch of your diaphragm, which is your body reminding you, 'Hey, friend, I need oxygen.' Feel it, but don't fight it immediately."

After a few minutes of breathing preparation and breath-holding practice, Lin Yu-an was able to easily hold his breath on the surface of the water for more than two minutes.

“Your cardiovascular system is even stronger than I thought,” Raven praised. “Alright, now for the last technique—the duck descent.”

She put on a mask and long flippers, floating on the water like an otter. "Watch closely, the key is... don't use brute force."

Her body was bent at a 90-degree angle on the water's surface, with her upper body vertically submerged in the water.

Then, her two long, slender legs were gracefully and straightened into the air. Using the weight of her legs, she pressed her entire body vertically and silently into the depths with almost no splash.

"Your turn." A few seconds later, she surfaced from the water not far away and said to Lin Yu'an.

Lin Yu'an took a deep breath and began to imitate. He seized the opportunity precisely. Bending over, lifting his leg, and pressing down! Like an arrow released from a bow, he plunged vertically into that blue-green world!

“Perfect!” Raven gave him a thumbs up from the water.

She took another deep breath and followed suit, diving down.

This time, the underwater world was completely different. Without the sound of bubbles from the air tank, the whole world was deathly silent, with only the faint sound of water flowing past one's ears.

They were no longer like clumsy astronauts, but had become two true marine creatures, light and agile, blending into their surroundings.

Raven, like a mermaid, demonstrated beside him, her long carbon fiber fins moving with powerful propulsion and unparalleled beauty with every swing.

With his strong physical coordination, Lin Yu-an quickly mastered the energy-saving and efficient way of kicking with his thighs and ankles.

The two began a real chase and play in the world five meters underwater.

Together they traversed small coral reefs, chased each other around giant sea fans, and even stood upside down on the sand, watching the shimmering net of light overhead.

When they surfaced again, Lin Yu'an's face was filled with shock.

“This is a completely different feeling from scuba diving,” he remarked. “If scuba diving is like visiting the ocean, then freediving is more like becoming a part of the ocean!”

“Welcome to the real blue world, Captain.” Raven smiled smugly.

She swam back to the side of the boat and took the two yellow underwater metal detectors from Mike, who was already waiting there.

“Alright,” she handed one of the machines to Lin Yu’an, “The lesson is over, the treasure hunt is about to begin! The rules are simple: whoever finds the item first wins.”

"The winner gets to decide who will lead the way on the afternoon's shipwreck expedition!"

This was clearly a joke with little stakes, more of an adventurer's pleasure.

Like children, the two of them, armed with detectors, began their underwater hunt.

They repeatedly ducked down from the water's surface, gliding slowly across the pristine white sand in an almost gliding motion.

Then return to the surface to catch your breath before starting the next exploration. This process is faster-paced, more physically demanding, and more visually appealing than scuba diving.

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