Endless Ocean: Escape Starting from a Canoe

Chapter 219 Arrival at Mount Fuji! A Warning from the Eye of the Mortal World!
The young man in this photo is his older brother.

The elder brother, named Shangwu, perished in the endless ocean while searching for the whereabouts of the powerful sea beast "Xuanwu".

The mentor at the Xirang Research Institute was named Chongwen. Just like their names suggest, the two chose different paths at a crossroads in their lives. More than 20 years ago, Shangwu left the Dragon Kingdom alone, piloting the gold-class drifting ship numbered 360, and has not been heard from since. At first, Chongwen still held onto a glimmer of hope, but then the death feedback from the Skynet chip terminal poured cold water on his hopes.

[Chip deactivated.]

[Feedback: Deceased.]

At that time, human strength was far from being able to contend with the sea creatures.

Death was an inescapable fate for many pioneers, and also the underlying tone of the era.

In the blink of an eye, so many years have passed.

Chongwen, now middle-aged, looked at the old photos before him, and memories flashed through his mind like a slideshow. Time may smooth out strong emotions, but distant memories remain fresh and vivid, making one feel even more lost when recalling them, like swallowing a mouthful of aged vinegar.

"teacher?"

"Ok?"

The student saw his mentor staring intently at the photo frame in his hand, and knew that his teacher was reminiscing about the past.

“Teacher, I’ve thought of a possibility. Research in petri dishes and under a dialysis microscope is ultimately just theoretical. This root of the Sea Rising Cherry looks extremely similar to Snow-capped Greenery. If we could slice off a small portion of this rare substance and have an Awakened person ingest it and observe the changes in their body, wouldn’t we be able to understand its properties more quickly?”

Upon hearing this, Chongwen's expression turned serious.

"Rule No. 721 of the Laboratory states that unverified marine artifacts may not be used for human experimentation."

"Moreover, the root of the Sea Rising Cherry is extremely repulsive to biological tissues, and it will cause unpredictable dangers if an awakened person swallows it."

"We are not from the Kingdom of Wo".

Upon hearing the reply, the young researcher did not give up, his eyes burning with determination.

"What if there are volunteer candidates? Our experiment has hit a bottleneck, and we have no clue how to proceed. If we continue like this, we don't know how much time we'll waste. Teacher, I'd like to volunteer to be the experimental subject!"

"Your physical fitness is only grade B, so the result of your attempt is very likely to be extremely bad."

"No time!"

"The research has only just begun, and I will look for other methods."

The young researcher lowered his head in disappointment.

Scientific research requires not only a spirit of sacrifice, but also the courage to burn one's bridges, the resilience to take a gamble, and the determination to hit a wall.

His mentor, however, wanted too much.

Instead, they became hesitant and timid.

……

……

……

The Xirang Research Institute is intensifying its research on the Root of the Sea Rising Cherry Blossom to provide scientific and technological support for its awakened members, while [Renhuang] is also making close preparations to guard against any possible accidents in the near future.

Anyone could see the storm brewing on Mount Pukyong.

Before the lighthouse arrives, it will be the speculators' last chance. There are many restless people in this world, some shadowy organizations, and fearless lone soldiers who will do anything for the treasure.

Even though the treasure was only mentioned in a single sentence in the intelligence report.

Unbeknownst to them, Shi Ming had already arrived at this strangely familiar sea area.

During the voyage, he made no further delays and headed straight for his destination. Time was extremely limited, and every minute saved was a minute more crucial. Although the current Renhuang and the Black Society were nothing more than two roadside entities to him, there were also the Lighthouse Awakeners hidden above Renhuang, who were said to be extremely powerful.

According to the intelligence revealed by the Secretary-General of the Twelve Stars, this person is one of the Lighthouse's top combatants.

His status is above Miss Yan's.

Shi Ming had read the S-level skill information found on Miss Yan. The Lighthouse now possessed information on 10 skills, and there were 6 skills with complete information on the corresponding sea beasts. The highest level was "Abyss of Devouring" from the deep-sea Leviathan, ranked 25th.

Shi Ming had witnessed the Devouring Abyss being suppressed to A-level by Edward, who possessed the "Naked Eye Roulette," and it was already quite terrifying.

However, by closing off one's senses, one can mitigate risks to some extent and avoid falling into the abyss.

In addition to the six complete skills and sea monster names, the Lighthouse also possesses information on four other skills whose origins are not yet clearly stated, making it impossible to speculate on their source. These skills are:
The 7th ranked "black hole"
The Infinite Mother, ranked 19th.
The heat death without light, ranked 34th.
Ranked 99th, it is a desperate situation.

The latter two were obtained by Shi Ming. Based on the uniqueness of S-level skills, it can be inferred that the Lighthouse will not have awakeners with the corresponding skills.

Therefore, its so-called top combat power is most likely the Awakened One ranked 25th, "Abyss of Devouring," with a small portion possibly being Awakened Ones possessing "Black Hole" and "Infinite Mother." Of course, it cannot be ruled out that they are dual S-rank Awakened Ones, or that there are other hidden combat forces that even Miss Yan is unaware of.

In short, be cautious.

Today, Mount Fuji is shrouded in mystery and unpredictable changes.
But it will also be the most peaceful period in the coming period.

The bigger ones are yet to come.

drop.

The message of a "conspiracy" is conveyed in "Let There Be Light".

With the expedition imminent, this channel has been quite busy lately.

[Lighthouse: The expedition time has been confirmed by the "Royal Ship Council" and will officially begin in five days. During the expedition, "Divine Comedy" will temporarily take over as the Lighthouse and be stationed in the Columbia Sea. "Michael" will serve as the vanguard and depart within 48 hours. "Gold Mountain" and other Gold-class drifting ships will maintain mobility and no specific arrangements will be made for the time being, but they must be on standby at any time.]

[Lighthouse: This operation is classified as "Beyond S-level," and its priority has been raised to the highest level.]

【……:receive.】

Having control of the Huangshi communicator was tantamount to infiltrating the enemy and gaining access to a vital source of intelligence.

Trindon had no idea that there was a pair of eyes watching his every move from behind the scenes. While he was relaying orders to the other members, he was also reporting to Shi Ming.

The news gradually subsided.

Shi Ming put away the communicator.

"There are five days left."

"The general-class drifting ship Michael leads the way... Are all expeditions by king-class drifting ships this grand? The Twelve Stars are like this, and so is the Lighthouse. They've mobilized more than half of their forces. It seems that Trindon is determined to get what's at the foot of Mount Fuji."

"However, you were a step too slow."

"I've already arrived."

"Fujingshan..."

Thirty nautical miles ahead lies the former territory of the Kingdom of Wo.

"Activate stealth mode, slow down, and upon reaching the target location, remain stationary and await further orders." "Yes, sir!"

Now, it's time to take action!
As a mercenary of the Twelve Stars, someone who earns three rewards for a single mission, Shi Ming never hesitated. He stepped onto the Sun-Shooting Ship, leaped into the deep sea, and left the Great Fortune Ship. The information about the Great Black Dragon had been compiled during the voyage. Now, no human in the world knew more about that nine-headed dragon than him.

Submersible mode activated!
Incognito mode activated!
Stealth mode activated!
set off!

The Da Yun ship will remain stationed in its original location as a reserve force, ready to provide support at any time. It will also offer the Black Society and Emperor Nioh an unexpected surprise.

Of course, those are all things for later.

In the shallow waters, the light was very dim, and the sun seemed like a ghost in the ocean. After traveling thirty nautical miles, we entered the martial law waters of the Whirlpool Kingdom. After sailing for about twenty more minutes, we could finally see in the distance two huge general-class drifting ships, standing like gatekeepers on the solemn sea.

The Emperor Nioh is 713 meters long.

Black Society, slightly shorter.
But it is also more than 600 meters long.

They are all standard, unremarkable general-class drifting ships. If we were to assess their level, and let the Creator Brain rank them, they would probably be at least level one or two, even lower than the current Sunshot.

In addition to the two admiral-class ships, there are about seven ordinary patrol vessels constantly navigating the surface of the sea. Their underwater radars can detect biological fluctuations at a depth of 3000 meters.

However, the current Sun Shooting mode can completely shield Shi Ming's biological aura. With the combination of the Traceless mode and the Stealth mode, it can isolate all sonar, radar, and biological detection, as if entering and leaving an uninhabited place without leaving a trace.

Dimensionality reduction strike.

True invisibility, complete stealth.

He sailed and dived into deeper areas.

Until a cone-shaped, submerged volcano came into his view.

A familiar outline.

The iconic snow on Mount Bukyo has long since disappeared. Now it stands as a dark tomb on the seabed, deep and silent, with a sense of deathly stillness. It embodies the kind of "mono no aware" aesthetics that the people of Uzushima love. If this were a time of great artistic development, who knows how many haiku would be born to commemorate its silence.

Occasionally, a wisp of geothermal heat escapes from the cracks in the mountain. When it meets the cold seawater, it forms a string of pale bubbles that rise to the surface of the sea, carrying the color of cherry blossoms. This is known as "Sea Rising Cherry Blossoms," which is now the spiritual sustenance of the Black Society and Nioh.

The land city at the foot of the mountain has been eroded by the sea and is no longer what it used to be.

The shrine's torii gate, the ruins of the communication tower, the skeleton of the city... are occupied by all kinds of sea fish, forming a silent but bizarre deep-sea graveyard. However, because a general-class ship has been guarding this place for many years, or because the destructive aura emanating from the Great Black Dragon is frightening, no sea beasts appear here.

There aren't even any Class D ones.

Looking up and sensing the shadowy bases of the two giant ships, Shi Ming did not pause for a moment. He steered the Sun-Shooting Ship straight in, crouching down and, like a probe, stealthily entered the mountain through the crater at the top of Mount Fujin.

This is a large volcano.

The cramped space inside the mountain, with its icy seawater, was filled with a sense of destruction.

It was pitch black all around, and there was no sign of any living creature. The crater was only about 250 meters deep, and the magma inside had all cooled in the seawater, with layers of hard obsidian and basalt piled up, which was quite peculiar.

Shi Ming blinked.

He was about to activate the Eye of the Mortal World when it flickered to warn him.

Where there's a will, there's a way; and where there's a way, there's... an excavator?

[The Eye of the Mortal Realm has discovered that this is a true treasure trove, a cradle for Saint-level sea beasts, untouched for thousands of years! Greedy bandits and assassins guard this gold mine in the sea, completely unaware of how to utilize it.]

[40 meters ahead, there is a research tunnel dug by the Black Society. By shielding the detection instruments installed on it, one can follow the tunnel into the interior of the mountain.]

[Continue descending to 1230 meters, and you'll reach a lava cavity.]

One drop of ambergris can be extracted from every 300 tons of seabed magma, but you lack the means to extract it and the container to collect the magma. We'll have to deal with that another time!

Deep within the obsidian, a scale of a black dragon lies lost.

In a very, very secluded corner, lies a small fragment of the black dragon's dream remains.

Finally, the Great Black Dragon slumbers 2134 meters beneath the volcanic cavity. After passing through another 2000-meter-deep magma layer, you will find its lair! By the way, there used to be a peculiar plant growing from the magma there, called the Root of the Sea-Rising Cherry Blossom. Unfortunately, the Eye of the Mortal World detected that not long ago, it was picked by people from the Dragon Kingdom like yourself, leaving only some inconspicuous roots.

The eyes of the world have selflessly told you all this.

[It's because it desperately craves the dragon's flesh and blood; even just 1000 grams would be enough. Would you grant this small wish?]

Shi Ming smiled.

"of course."

Who wouldn't yearn for that?

He blinked twice more, and a new prompt appeared again.

This time it's glowing red?

[By the way! Never let the red markings on your right arm touch any wounds on the Great Black Dragon's body!]

……

……

……

More than 3000 meters above Shi Ming's head is the general-class drifting ship [Renhuang].

At this moment, in an inconspicuous corridor inside the large ship, a woman with cold eyes met with an ordinary-looking man dressed in naval combat uniform, their lips slightly parted.

During their brief encounter, the intelligence exchange was completed.

S-class Awakened! Codename: Virus.

S-rank Awakened! Codename: Abyss.

Those who awaken from the Lighthouse all have a code name, such as Miss Yan, Shadow, Virus, Abyss...

With a flick of her fingers, the woman codenamed "Virus" retrieved a small, sturdy bottle from between the fingers of the man codenamed "Abyss." Inside the bottle was half of the molted skin of an unknown creature.

"The optimized remains of the Undying Evil Eye have developed good compatibility with your cells. Feed them to it when necessary. You will be the first human to unleash a Sanctuary-level skill."

"I understand, I'm looking forward to it."

The woman's face was cold and expressionless.

Unseen by sight, seven terrifying eyes darted about on the left and right mounds, just like Edward had once appeared to Shi Ming.

A-level skill: Naked-eye roulette.

This is the result of a PhD from the "Sanctuary Institute".

A "pseudo-Seven-Eyed Aviator" was cloned, and the cells of the Undying Evil Eye were optimized. The cost was enormous, and the resources used included, but were not limited to: the Seven-Eyed Aviator's flesh and blood records, dozens of navigation crystals, tens of thousands of pure crystals, 3 living A-class sea beasts, and the flesh and blood of 5 kinds of S-class sea beasts.
And Jafang, returning home from the Pharaoh...

(End of this chapter)