The Legend of the Fishermen of Sicily

Chapter 146 Underwater Supercar

Natale shared with Rio the underwater conditions 10 kilometers east of Marzamemi.

There are two important platforms here.

Each time a platform is crossed, the water depth changes significantly. After crossing the second platform at 10 kilometers, the water will leave the near-shore continental shelf.

The so-called "platform" he mentioned is called a nearshore terrace in geography.

Simply put, they are like giant staircases beneath the sea surface, with almost vertical fault cliffs at the edges, connecting to the next, deeper platform.

Sponges prefer to live in two places—narrow underground caves, crevices, or the edges of complex rock walls.

Leo couldn't enter the underground caves and narrow crevices, so the steep rock walls along the edges of those platforms were his main targets this time.

The waters below the second platform, located 10 kilometers away, are 400 meters deep and extremely dangerous.

Leo's chosen expedition target was the first terrace, located 5 kilometers east of Marzamemi.

But this grand staircase is just too wide.

According to Natale, the horizontal span is more than 20 kilometers, fan-shaped, and each section has jagged fault cliffs.

Even if Leo moves freely in the water, it would still take several months to thoroughly investigate them all.

Leo wouldn't waste so much time looking for a sponge...

At this point, the books I've been reading recently came in handy.

Thanks to the erudite Andrei, his study had such a comprehensive collection of books!

These books cannot pinpoint the exact coordinates of the treasure, but they can help Leo devise an efficient search method.

Leo once came across a passage in a book about the Mediterranean sea conditions that said the biodiversity in the Mediterranean shows a decreasing trend from northwest to southeast.

Because the surface water of the Mediterranean Sea comes from the Atlantic Ocean.

These nutrient-rich bodies of water are like a conveyor belt, entering from the Strait of Gibraltar in the west and flowing eastward. During their journey of thousands of kilometers, marine life along the way continuously consumes the nutrients in the water, and the further east one goes, the scarcer the phytoplankton at the bottom of the food web becomes.

Sponges do not eat phytoplankton.

However, the bacteria and microplankton that filter-feed on sponges need phytoplankton to provide a growth environment.

Based on the above, Leo decided to search from northwest to southeast.

Determining the starting point is not enough; it's still a waste of time.

The next step is to determine the specific search plan.

This step requires analyzing the characteristics of the sponge.

Many people, upon hearing the word "sponge," assume it's a plant because it doesn't move, just like seaweed.

Actually, that's not the case. Sponges are actually marine organisms with an immune system.

This analysis makes SpongeBob SquarePants much more reasonable.

Their bodies are covered with water inlets, and they have a complete internal circulation system. Seawater passes through their bodies, leaving valuable nutrients to promote the growth of their flesh and bones.

The "meat" will turn into soft tissue cells like a sponge. The more "meat" there is, the more pores they have, allowing them to draw in more seawater for filtration within their bodies.

The morphology of the "skeleton" is the basis for identifying the type of sponge.

Most sponges quickly convert nutrients into body fat, growing quite fast, but their structure is loose, which is like being bloated in a human sense.

Some sponges are very clever; they absorb all the nutrients from the food and then grow them on their "bones." They grow slowly, but their structure is tight and they are very elastic. To use a human analogy, they develop a muscular physique.

The latter are those expensive sponges!

"This clever sponge is trying its best to grow bones, but it grows slowly. If it is small, it will be eaten by predators. If the external environment is even slightly harsh, it will be the first to die. So it can only survive and develop."

Leo's current challenge is figuring out where these little creatures have gone.

To guess where they hide, you first need to know who the sponges' natural enemies are.

First and foremost, there are marine creatures like fish, starfish, and shellfish, who love to eat crunchy, bouncy sponges.

To avoid these predators, some sponges hide in tiny cracks and crevices.

The second major enemy of sponges is seaweed.

Algae grow quickly, and their abundance can cover and kill sponges. Since seaweed cannot live without the sun, in order to avoid these natural enemies, those crunchy and bouncy sponges hide in the shade, and even when growing on cliffs, they have to choose shaded slopes that never see the light.

However, this part of the sponge grows too slowly, and its small size means it is fragile.

They are so fragile that they can be knocked down by even a slightly strong current, so there are some screens to block the water flow. Rock walls, embankments, depressions, pits... the more chaotic the environment, the more they like it.

In conclusion, the search plan has largely taken shape.

From northwest to southeast, the main targets are the shaded sides of fault cliffs that never see the sun. The more complex the rock texture, the better; the kind that triggers trypophobia at first glance is the best.

The plan was ambitious, but the reality was harsh.

Around 9 a.m. the next day.

After searching the vicinity for more than two hours, Leo sheepishly climbed onto the wooden boat.

Although the search target has been narrowed down to an extreme degree and a very clear plan has been formulated, the fault cliffs in this area are so long that it may take several dives to see the entire wall.

I've seen a ton of random seafood, but two days have passed and I still can't find that crunchy SpongeBob SquarePants...

Leo was somewhat disappointed, which reminded him of what Enzo and Bianchi had warned him about many times: the precious sponges of the Mediterranean had been almost entirely harvested hundreds of years ago.

As it turns out, the "treasure hunt" was far too inefficient. If it weren't for the 50 experience [power] quest issued by the system, Leo would have definitely given up on finding SpongeBob.

The feeling of loss was quickly overwhelmed by an inexplicable anger.

His heart ached as he looked at the empty deck.

Normally, by this time the deck would be covered with sea urchins, and if you're lucky, you might even have a side catch... But today, there's nothing at all.

"That won't do." Leo squinted at the sun overhead.

This place is quite far from Marzamemi; after another half hour of diving, we'll head back to escape the heat.

Even though this fishpond belongs to him, he should at least take something back as a safety net, right?

Can Neptune hold off the air force for two consecutive days?

Having made up his mind, Leo decided that he wouldn't be looking for crunchy sponges this time; he would bring something back with him.

"I happened to see something hidden while I was looking for the sponge, so I decided to go find it this time."

Leo rested on the boat for a long time, allowing his body to recover to its best condition.

Unlike the way traces are displayed, "hidden objects" are like having X-ray vision in the real world. Going directly to them will only result in hitting a wall; you need to find a way to get there, which can sometimes be quite convoluted, so you have to adjust your state of mind.

Having done all this, Leo embarked on a new treasure hunt.

The target object is at the bottom of a vertical cliff.

.

The last time he passed by, Leo didn't go to check it out, but this time he went straight for his target.

Although I watched the "Underwater Grand Staircase" for more than two hours, every time I approached these almost vertical underwater cliffs that stretched into the endless darkness from the water's surface, I was awestruck.

Humans are truly insignificant in the vast ocean.

He descended endlessly down the steep wall, the surroundings growing darker and darker, and the visible area shrinking.

Even with a flashlight on, you can only see a few meters away.

Leo did not activate the [Microscopic Eyes], as the shallowest part of the water he was in was thirty to forty meters deep, and activating it too frequently would cause dizziness and pose a great risk.

He slowly descended, relying on his experience. Only after looking up and seeing the sunlight forming a halo did he briefly activate his "Microscopic Eyes" to search for the exact target of the "hidden object" he had just seen.

This time, the "hidden object" takes the form of stars, with many tiny points connected together, their shapes indistinguishable and their patterns unpredictable.

After glancing at the stars still beneath his feet, Leo deactivated his abilities and continued his descent.

After diving for a while, I turned on the location tracking again and then dived down again.

After repeating this twice, the eerie star trails were still under their feet.

Leo hesitated.

The water depth in the target area is a bit too high.

In the past, he would have definitely turned back, but having returned empty-handed for two days, he was reluctant to give up...

The experience of the past week or so has shown that "hidden things" are worth at least tens of thousands of lira.

After a brief hesitation, Leo dived again.

"I'll go home after I get this."

But new difficulties have emerged...

Leo arrived at the cliff face where the "star" was located and discovered that it was actually in a huge underwater cave, and not at the surface but in a relatively deep place.

The cave was pitch black, like a gaping maw of blood that could swallow anything that entered.

Leo has seen quite a few caves these days, but hasn't gone into any of them because there's no need to risk it.

No one knows how deep the hole is or where it leads.

He's not afraid of dangerous creatures; no matter how dangerous a creature is, it can't withstand two punches from Leo Bonbon.

If it runs out of air, we're doomed...

But there was something hidden in this cave, which gave Leo a reason to explore it.

Should we go in or not?

After another brief hesitation, Leo returned the way he came and went back to the surface of the water.

You think he gave up?

That's impossible...

Leo took deep breaths, and after completing a full sip, he dived down again.

Leo's underwater operations rely not only on his "Microscopic Vision," but also on his "Mastery of the Beginning."

With the blessing of "Start of Driving", Leo at full speed is like an underwater supercar.

The reason we didn't dare to speed up before was for safety reasons, and we needed to carefully search for the target or treasure.

This time he went all out, using his hands and feet, whipping his legs, twisting his waist, and using his arms to push, and in a few quick movements he reached the cave entrance.

If you're worried about not having enough air, then use it sparingly and spend all your time exploring the cave!

Upon arriving at the cave entrance, Leo stepped on the brakes and carefully entered the cave to investigate.

The cave is oval in shape and gets narrower as you go deeper. At its narrowest point, it is just wide enough for one adult to pass through, and you have to squeeze in occasionally.

The "Star" signpost sometimes appears above and sometimes below, indicating that there is still a long and rugged road ahead.

Upon discovering this, Leo became somewhat excited.

This cave is located very deep, at the very bottom of the fault cliff, and based on the water temperature, it is estimated to be more than 60 meters deep.

If someone has been there before, it certainly wasn't by freediving, because no one is an underwater supercar like Leo.

But carrying an oxygen tank makes it difficult to move around...

What does this tell us?

This suggests that it's highly likely no one has ever set foot inside the cave!

"A place where no one has been before has a chance to contain treasures."

But what kind of treasure it is remains unknown.

Leo swam forward for more than a minute, but still hadn't reached the end.

He dared not take the risk and returned the way he came to surface for air.

After another deep breath, the supercar stepped on the gas as it entered the water, but this time it didn't stop at the cave entrance, but drove back to where it had just left.

"Shorten the time each time, and if you still can't get there, then just give up."

There's no need for regrets if you've tried your best!

With this in mind, Leo continued to proceed cautiously.

Fortunately, the cave was just winding and had no forks in the road, and it hadn't even reached the coordinates of the "stars" yet. Leo discovered a big surprise first.

After passing through a narrow opening, the blue-gray underwater world suddenly opened up, revealing vibrant colors as colorful corals, anemones, and sponges appeared.

Leo immediately decided to stop, because reaching this point meant victory.

The book says that secluded caves can be formed in the karst fault cliffs of the Mediterranean, which are independent ecosystems maintained by chemical synthesis rather than photosynthesis.

One of the known enemies of sponges is seaweed. This secluded cave has no sunlight, which means there is no seaweed, so it fits the ecological environment for sponges to survive!

Afterwards, the supercar would occasionally go up to get some fresh air before driving back to look for SpongeBob.

After repeating this process several times, he finally discovered a cluster of golden sponges.

I've been looking for you for so long.

>