The whole nation: You're put to survive on a desolate planet, you'll be running an alien b

The air in the studio seemed to freeze, with only the low-frequency hum of the server racks, like the breathing of a sleeping beast.

On the desktop, the email from "Divine Grace Trust" had stopped flashing, replaced by a black card that had just been transmitted via quantum encryption and synthesized on-site by a desktop 3D printer. This ancient and complex method of invitation, in this era of ubiquitous holographic projection, exuded a suffocating solemnity and arrogance.

Li Haotian reached out and picked up the card. It felt icy cold, like some kind of unknown black metal, its edges sharpened to an extreme degree, seemingly capable of slicing through skin with the slightest pressure. The card's surface lacked any ostentatious shine, instead possessing a pure matte black finish, except for a complex emblem outlined in the very center with liquid gold threads.

It was a pattern of scales crossed with a sword, entwined by an ouroboros.

"Three days later." Qin Yue's voice broke the silence. She stared at the detailed information that had just been decrypted on the screen, her brows furrowed. "The location is in international waters, specifically in an area of ​​anarchic jurisdiction where ocean currents converge. There is a giant cruise ship that has been sailing there year-round, named 'Olympus'."

Li Haotian flipped the black card in his hand, his gaze falling on the small gold lettering on the back.

The note was only a short line, but the handwriting was extremely wild and cursive, revealing the writer's arrogant disdain: "I sincerely invite you to appreciate the 'true divine object'."

"A true divine object?" Li Haotian's lips curled into a cold smile as he gently traced the raised characters with his fingers. "It seems that those half-finished 'gods' in the Apocalypse Biological Laboratory are not enough to satisfy them."

"This is not just an invitation, it's a death warrant." Qin Yue turned around, crossed her arms, leaned against the control panel, and said grimly, "I conducted a background check on the 'Olympus.' This ship nominally belongs to an international gambling syndicate, but in the deep web, it's known as a 'mobile lawless zone.' Countless people disappear on it every year. As long as you have enough money or enough power, you can buy anything there—including nuclear warheads or living people."

She paused, looked directly at Li Haotian, and said urgently, "Li Haotian, this is clearly a trap. They just suffered such a huge loss at Tianqi Biotechnology, so they can't possibly be sincerely inviting you to be their guest. They want to lure you to international waters, to that lawless wasteland, to either force you to comply or send you and this ship to the bottom of the sea."

"Not only that," Qin Yue tapped her finger, projecting a nautical chart into the air, "they are also using this method to probe the Alien Guild's strength. If you don't go, it means the guild is afraid, or that you, Li Haotian, are a coward, and this kind of trouble will follow one after another; if you go, they will lay a trap on that ship, and may even directly use you as the grand prize of this auction—to hunt down the monster that destroyed the Apocalypse Creatures."

Qin Yue's analysis was calm and objective; every single one of the paths she suggested was a dead end.

Li Haotian listened quietly, without immediately refuting. He walked to the French windows and looked out at the still raging wind and rain. Rainwater gathered into winding streams on the glass, reflecting the dim yellow light of the city streetlights.

"I know this is a trap," Li Haotian said in a low voice, as calm as if he were discussing the weather that night, "but what I care more about is that 'divine object'."

He turned around, held up the black card in his hand, and let the light shine on its surface at a specific angle. In an instant, the originally inconspicuous patterns underwent a subtle change. Beneath the hollowed-out metal patterns, there seemed to be a deeper layer of engravings.

The engravings are so fine that they are virtually invisible unless observed under specific lighting conditions.

"Qin Yue, bring me the handheld spectrometer," Li Haotian suddenly said.

Although Qin Yue was puzzled, she quickly picked up the instrument from the lab table and handed it over.

Li Haotian took the instrument and scanned the emblem on the card. As the spectral analysis progressed, a series of complex data streams appeared on the instrument screen, eventually constructing a three-dimensional microscopic image.

Looking at the reconstructed patterns on the screen, Qin Yue's pupils suddenly contracted: "This is... ancient runes?"

"Not entirely." Li Haotian put down the instrument, his eyes becoming more serious than ever before, even with a hint of barely perceptible fanaticism. "Look at this spiral structure, and the way it ends. Although it has been disguised and transformed by modern technology, its core structure and the runes on the 'dragon bone' we saw in the imperial mausoleum are from the same source."

Qin Yue was stunned. She clearly remembered that the contents recorded on that "dragon bone" had almost caused the entire archaeological team to perish underground. It was a technology from a distant ancient time that did not belong to modern civilization, or some kind of power that transcended "humanity".

"Divine grace and trust... they really did dig something up." Li Haotian's fingers tapped lightly on the edge of the card, making a crisp sound. "That 'true divine object' is probably not one of those deformed monsters created by Apocalypse Bio using biological agents, but a genuine ancient relic."

That's why he had to go.

This was not merely a game of hunting and counter-hunting, but also an exchange of clues. The other side clearly believed that this ancient secret would be enough to lure out this deep-sea giant. They underestimated a hunter's instinct for his prey, and they underestimated Li Haotian's unwavering pursuit of the truth.

"If that's true, besides money, there will be even more lunatics on this ship." Qin Yue clearly realized the seriousness of the situation. She bit her lip. "If the things in the imperial tomb were to come to light, the chaos they would cause could be worse than a nuclear war. Are you sure you want to jump into this certain death trap for uncertain information?"

"If I don't go, this secret will fall into the hands of some uncontrollable people, and one day in the future, it will become a sword hanging over our heads." Li Haotian held the invitation tightly in his palm, the black metal edge digging into his palm lines, bringing a real stinging sensation.

He looked at Qin Yue, his eyes flashing with that unique gambler's coldness and warrior's determination.

"Qin Yue, help me check the internal structure diagram of the 'Olympus' and the movements of all ships that have entered international waters in the last three days. Since they've set up a trap, we can't go empty-handed."

Looking into Li Haotian's resolute eyes, Qin Yue knew his decision was irreversible. She sighed helplessly, turned around to face the huge screen array again, and began to type rapidly on the keyboard.

"You're always like this, swallowing the most dangerous hooks into your own mouth." Qin Yue's voice trembled slightly, but she quickly regained her composure. "The passage has been opened for you. But I'm warning you, if you encounter a 'divine object' of that level this time, Xiao Hei might not be able to protect you."

Xiao Hei was lying on the corner of the sofa. It seemed to sense the murderous aura emanating from its master. It raised its head, its eerie green eyes fixed on Li Haotian, and made a low growling sound.

Li Haotian walked over and rubbed Xiao Hei's head; its black fur was as smooth as water.

"It's alright, old buddy. We're going to cause trouble, not deliver gifts."

Li Haotian looked at the invitation in his hand again. The golden emblem on it seemed to come alive in the dim light; the ouroboros seemed to be slowly writhing, devouring its own tail, symbolizing some kind of eternal cycle of death.

"Three days later," Li Haotian muttered to himself.

Three days is enough for him to hone his knife, and also enough for this seemingly calm undercurrent to completely turn into a raging storm.

"Since you want to see the real divine object," Li Haotian casually stuffed the invitation into his pocket, his voice as cold as iron, "then I'll let you see for yourself who will judge the gods."

The rain outside the window seemed to intensify, and thunder rumbled past, like the war drums sounding in advance for the life-or-death struggle that was about to unfold on the high seas. Inside this cramped safe house, all the data streams, all the weapons, and all the plans began to operate frantically at this moment, weaving a vast net called "revenge" and "exploration" around that black card.

This night is destined to be sleepless.