Forge a path to success

As the year draws to a close, major shrimp farming bases have set annual targets, leading to a surge in "shrimp spore" production to 1.5 to 2 times the usual amount, directly causing this risk. The center has attempted speech therapy, but with limited success. The audio recordings of the seals during the treatment process are as follows:

"After finishing these 3 forms... damn it, how come there are 5 more forms now?"

"Damn it, why are all these people going on business trips at the end of the year? I can't take it anymore! I'm canceling my diet meal tonight."

"Team leader, you motherfucker—what team leader? You worked overtime until midnight last night? Oh, it's nothing, sorry to bother you. I was just about to say that you work hard and wish your mother good health."

"Quack, there's another report. I definitely need to order some milk tea."

"I haven't been to the gym all week...it's killing me..."

... (After being weighed, he remained silent for about five minutes without saying a word)

"Hehe, hehehe, I can still write, I can still write! Hehehehehehehahahahahahaha, yay!!!"

After evaluation by experts at the center, the Wang-2326 terrestrial spotted seal requires emergency repairs. The current plan is to return it to the Sea of ​​Illusions for a three-day complete shutdown and maintenance. Whether this will be implemented awaits a response from the Cyber ​​Shrimp Farming Base.

Updated with a new post:

"Approved. Unit 2326 has already completed its annual leave." — Excerpt from the Cyber ​​Shrimp Farming Base's reply, "Approval of the Base's Application for Suspension of Work and Repair for Unit 2326"

Based on the maintenance schedule and actual conditions, the Wang-2326 terrestrial spotted seal was scheduled for emergency maintenance under working conditions. The maintenance is expected to last 5 days. After the maintenance, the seal is expected to be able to produce normal text, but whether the quality of the text will improve remains to be seen.

Maintenance precautions during and after maintenance:

1、王-2326号陆行种斑海豹自11月30日（本周六）至12月4日（下周三）期间暂停更新，预计于12月5日恢复更新。

2. Improve the diet of the terrestrial spotted seal Wang-2326, encourage it to exercise more, and weigh it weekly to assess its weight.

3. During the weighing process, readers may hear the seal screaming or complain of being abused. Please be careful to distinguish false alarms, as this is a necessary treatment step.

4. If you have any comments or suggestions, please send them to the center for feedback. Conch Shell: Quacking Quacking... Ah Quacking.

5. If you are dissatisfied, you can pat the seal's belly, pat pat pat pat pat pat.

Chapter 155 Desperate Wilderness

In the beginning of the Realm of Submersion, there was no concept of time.

The three Primal Spirits were free and eternal, unaffected by changes in the material world. In an era without time, the world was like a pot of colorful porridge, and the Primal Spirits counted the bubbles rising to the top, discussing the "new things" happening in the world.

In those days, matter did not decay, spirit did not age, ancient life never left, and new life was constantly being born, so there were more and more "new things," so many that even the giant spirit sometimes couldn't count them all. Finally, one day, the top of the porridge was covered with bubbles, and as the giant spirit counted them, he became confused.

He asked the shadow: Of all these new things, which are truly new?

This time, Shadow didn't play any pranks; it was unusually confused. The two of them huddled together and quickly counted them, finally able to confidently declare: these are new, and these are even newer. But just then, the newest bubbles appeared again. Shadow scratched its head, deciding to pull Light over and count them again.

Light always finds a way. He had prepared a long list, clearly outlining the order in which everything had occurred since the creation of the Realm of Stillness. With this list, things had a "first" and a "last," and the new and the old could be clearly distinguished. The giant spirit greatly praised him, saying that Light had done a meaningful and good deed.

But the shadow looked through the list and had an opinion. He claimed that some things on the list were in the wrong order, and that he had simply misremembered them. The giant looked it over and also found a problem. He said that some things had never happened because he had never seen them.

Light remembered everything clearly. He pointed out that the shadow was playing with the little creatures in the porridge, so it didn't see the whole picture. The giant was sleeping at the time and, of course, didn't know what had happened.

"That's the problem," Shadow said. "You think we're careless and missed things, but who can guarantee you never make a mistake? If everything is based on your opinion, wouldn't the past be something you can fabricate at will?"

Light insisted on keeping his record word for word, while Shadow remained skeptical. They argued about the list repeatedly, during which the giant took a nap, then another. Seeing that the argument was endless, the giant suggested starting a new list, to be recorded by them and the little creatures of the Submerged Realm, with multiple witnesses to verify it, so that there would be no mistakes in the past.

This brilliant idea was unanimously agreed upon, and Light made a new list, with Shadow responsible for recording it line by line. Only then did the Realm of Submersion finally have time; the list that records time is called history.

Before the birth of time, though there were witnesses, only light recorded it alone. No one can say for sure whether that list was right or wrong, and no one dares to guarantee how long that era truly lasted. Time flowed quietly long, long ago, like an inscrutable mist—that is the unverifiable "eternal time."

—Excerpt from "A Long Song of the Mortal World", a century-old experimental textbook for compulsory education published by Longjiao Education, edited by Zhulong.

·

"...Therefore, only history witnessed by all living beings is time itself; history unwitting is merely a fog..."

Thump. Thump. The heartbeat was especially intense in the silence, and the mist drifted in the thick darkness. Qingye leaned against the cold tree bark, racking his brain for the lessons he had learned in school long ago.

A historical fog, a past no one records, a forgotten history. The present and the past are thus separated, and no one can say how long this fog has shrouded us. But since the Candlelight Era, only one period has been shrouded in this fog: the battlefield of the great war that once swept across the entire Realm of Submerged Movement… the Battle of Heavenly Prison…!

(Qingye, calm down! Remember the teachings of our elders, don't scare yourself!) Qingye muttered to herself, (The thick fog might just be bad weather! Not being able to reach the edge of the forest could be because I've awakened a rare talent for getting lost within the family! The strong aura of the heretics might mean I've wandered into their lair! In short, I can't judge my situation based on limited information; I need to gather more intelligence and make a careful assessment!)

When she came to her senses, she found herself lying in a misty forest. The good news was that she was still alive and well; the bad news was that everyone who had entered with her was nowhere to be found. Going alone in such a ghostly place was suicidal from every angle. Her immediate priority was to determine her location and then rejoin the others…

Qingye looked up and stared at the dark moon in the sky for three seconds.

(Forgetting that the cradle is right above my head, what's the point of all this? I should just write a suicide note and end it all! I don't want to become one of the fallen, Light and Night! Ahhhhh!!)

As Qingye silently wailed, she moved forward. No matter how devastated she felt, she would always try to struggle before she died.

For a long time, no thunder fell from the sky, and the fog was so thick that one couldn't see their own hand in front of their face; without any light source, it was impossible to discern directions. Having fallen to this state, Qingye felt no psychological pressure. With a "what's the use" attitude, she stretched out her finger, and a faint light shone from its tip.

The light illuminated the pale face.

The face had no eyes, its pupils empty, just black holes. Its skin was bloodless, and its bluish lips curled up in a joyful smile. The ghostly face was as large as a wall, floating silently before Qingye. Qingye stiffly turned her head, meeting the gaze of yet another pair of empty eye sockets.

The light was filled with smiles, and ghostly faces were everywhere; the space was already filled with illusory, bloodless faces. They clung tightly to the only living creature in the forest, watching her ever since she awoke. The ghostly faces' smiles grew wider and wider, and Qingye's expression twisted in sync with them.

She quietly extinguished the light at her fingertips, nodded with a forced smile, and then mustered all her strength to flee for her life!

The grotesque figures followed closely behind, whistling as they came, their teeth snapping like guillotines. "A brave one has been found! A brave one has been found!" "Give the brave one a trial!" "Brave one, halt!"

"Only an idiot would stop!!" Qingye screamed without turning her head.

The ghost faces turned serious. "The new hero is not cooperating with the trial." "Report to Lord Vansalal!" "Report to the Nightmare King."

"Please don't bother important people with such a trivial matter!!!"

Loud laughter echoed from the depths of the forest, as towering, thin shadows, as large as buildings, leaped and chased after Qingye through the mist. Running blindly in the dark was pointless now, so Qingye lit a torch, its dim light illuminating the true forms of the trees. Each trunk was etched with the faces of the dead, its hollow interiors filled with skeletons. The ghostly trees' roots detached from the earth, and they roared, waving their branches and leaves in the chase.

She finally understood why this place was devoid of light. Any "hero" who dared to light a fire would be hunted down by monsters until death!

The light streaked through the forest, soon transforming into an icy slash that swept across the woods. The slash extended to the forest's edge, struck a majestic cliff, and dissipated into the darkness as a chilling current.

Following the sword intent, I traversed the mountains and arrived at the desolate other side. The endless land was covered in sand and dust, the fine, grayish-white sand resembling ashes from burnt-out bones. A colossal creature rose from the sand, its roar sweeping across the dunes in layers. Cries for mercy mingled with the sandstorm, as small and helpless as the sand itself.

"Help! Help!!"

Gulibo rolled and crawled between the sand dunes on its short legs. Because it was so slow, it was slower than it could run. Compared to Miss Qingye, who was just across the mountain, Gulibo was even more unlucky. It couldn't even produce light or fire. When it woke up, it just stared blankly in the sand and made a "poof" sound.

Then the monster sprang out of the sand! Its body resembled a spiky worm, its head opened into a petal-like shape, and inside were rows of sharp teeth arranged in a roller pattern. Judging from its appearance, it seemed to be a level-three alien beast, the "Sand Worm"...

But the book never mentioned worms the size of mountains! This thing's head practically leaps into the clouds when it jumps up—it just doesn't look right!

Thump! Thump thump! Explosions resembling cannonballs rang out one after another, and more than twenty towering worms burst out of the sand and howled to the sky. Gulibo's nose turned as pale as its fur, and it covered its small eyes with its two paws, pretending to be dead. At this moment, a long rope shot out from the shadows, wrapped around it, and dragged it into a pitch-black cave.

Gulibo removed his claws, overjoyed: "Sniper brother, save me!"

Shakes glanced at it, silently pressuring it to shut up. He grabbed Gulibo and tossed it behind him. Gulibo had just breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that at least it had a powerful backer, when it opened its eyes to see a skull bigger than itself.

"~*&——!" (A scream that was desperately muffled by himself)

Shax pulled out a long-barreled sniper rifle, a Tier 3 relic called "Smoke," specializing in silent assassination. He fired, killing a worm. The loud thud as the worm hit the ground attracted its kind, and they began a frenzied battle, chasing the source of the sound and instantly whipping up a storm in the desert.

He casually conjured a silencer grenade as a safety measure, then held an unlit cigarette in his hand. Out of caution, Shax didn't attempt to use the light source, and Gulibo had just demonstrated the consequences of making noise. These powerful alien beasts alone would be enough to give an ordinary Ascendant a run for their money, not to mention the interference from outsiders…

Even if the rules of no light and no sound are followed, ascendants below particle level 3 cannot survive in this place. It is a true death trap.

Gulibo tugged hard at his trouser leg. Deep inside the cave, bones piled up into a small mountain, and everywhere were decaying weapons and useless equipment. Shakes could tell at a glance that they were junk that didn't even qualify as level 1 relics; only ordinary people who hadn't leveled up would use such things.

But there's no reason why ordinary people could survive... so there's a high possibility that there are shelters outside the danger zone.

This is getting more and more interesting. Shakes laughed silently as he grabbed Gulibo by the hand.

"Can you cook?"

"Ah, yes, I will."

Shakes pointed to the sandworm corpses outside.

"Do you want me to stew that?" Gulibo's fur was green. "Really... Bo!!"

Food is the foundation of survival; as long as one hasn't escaped the Second Abyss, they will always need to eat to replenish their energy. However, the Despair Wilderness is a veritable dead land, and the Shaks and Gulibo, who have strange beasts to eat, are relatively lucky. In another, even more desolate desert, not even the sandworms that come at the sound can be found. There is only darkness, silence, and figures moving forward in the wind and sand.

"Ah Kong, do you have any food left?" Ji Huaisu whispered. "I just finished a match and I'm a little hungry."

Chu Hengkong reached into his sleeve and felt around, then whispered, "Only Fan De is left."

"What do you mean I'm the only one left! Am I food?!" Vande protested.

“How could that be? You are our important grain reserves,” Ji Huaisu said.

Vande's eyelids drooped, and he looked listless: "Get lost. Didn't the cook give you some peace pills? Go take your medicine if you're hungry."

"The Immortal Machine emptied our chests and cupboards before, leaving only a few pills." Chu Hengkong took out a few pills, feeling slightly regretful.

Before setting off, to prevent food problems, he specifically asked Jie An for several boxes of "Three-Day Harmony Pills" to take with him. This stuff was a high-energy food developed by the chef himself; one pill could provide energy for three days and keep him from feeling hungry for seven hours.

Unfortunately, when the Immortal Machine went berserk, it first ate all sorts of bottles and jars, and after sweeping through everything, only a few dropped items remained. The two of them each ate one, swallowed it, and fell into an unspoken silence.

“I feel like I’m full, but I also feel like I’m not…” Vande said.

Ji Huaisu clutched her stomach: "I want to eat roast meat..."

"Can you bear with it for a moment? The gentleman in front is laughing." Chu Hengkong pressed his chest.

The bandaged man in the cave walked at the front, his shoulders twitching slightly, as if he were secretly laughing at their idiotic conversation. He stopped and squatted down in front of a small sand dune.

“Even by the standards of Discipline Knights, you guys are pretty optimistic,” he said. “Looks like you’ll live a long time.”

"You know about the Discipline Knights?" Ji Huaisu was taken aback. "You know about my path?!"

The bandaged man pressed a few times in the sand, seemingly triggering some mechanism. The sand beneath their feet suddenly sank, as if a mechanism beneath the white sand had activated, and a massive amount of sand fell into the hole due to gravity. The bandaged man jumped down on his own, and Chu Hengkong and Ji Huaisu exchanged a glance before following suit.

"To be honest, I don't think it's a good idea to wander around with strangers. Have you considered my opinion?" Van der said listlessly.

They fell through the darkness, crashing onto a small hill of white sand. A few breaths later, a cold, eerie blue light appeared, illuminating the steel structure beneath the ground. A group of strangely dressed men followed the light, and upon seeing the bandaged man, they were overjoyed: "Sir, Qingxia is back!"

"Wrong, it's a new person who's arrived!"

The bandaged man snapped his fingers with a sudden, powerful snap, his right arm pointing forward with a force that seemed capable of shattering the ceiling. His men swiftly lined up on either side of the aisle, one of them tossing out a cloak adorned with flame patterns! The bandaged man caught the cloak with a clenched fist and draped it over himself as he turned! His cloak was as large as a royal coronation cloak!

The bandaged man reached into his pocket... and pulled out a pair of red sunglasses with a sharp, dart-like design! He pointed the pointed end of the sunglasses at the new trio, then forcefully pulled them over his face! The way he wore the sunglasses made it seem as if they could destroy the world! His cloak fluttered violently in the still air!

"Listen up, newcomers!" the man shouted, his voice completely different from before. "This place is the battlefield of the Heavenly Prison War, a place where death is almost certain. And we are the organization that forges hope in this desolate wilderness, the brave warriors who have gathered here to seek the truth of history!"

"The place beneath your feet is called the Institute of Historical Truth. I am the leader of this organization, and the commander-in-chief of the resistance in the Desperate Wilderness." The man clenched his fist and punched the sky. "My name is Chongming!"

(feichangbaoqian, the scheduled update failed, and I was reminded by a group member to hurriedly re-upload it, so it's five minutes late (awkward and emotionless mechanical prompt))

Chapter 156 The True Assassin's Standard Weapon: The Blade of Mercy

The atmosphere inside the research institute was sharply polarized. The strange man who called himself Commander Chongming and his subordinates maintained an imposing masculine demeanor, seemingly needing a few shouts of "Good boy!" from passing children or animals before they would be satisfied. Meanwhile, the three newcomers who had just arrived in the wilderness had stiff expressions and indifferent attitudes, as if they were 40-year-old adults who had mistakenly wandered into a tokusatsu performance.

Ji Huaisu quietly turned around and made an ice ladder: "Fande is right, it's better if we don't run around with strangers..."

"Now you know I was right, huh?" Vande said. "But have you noticed how incredibly awkward the atmosphere is right now? Everyone's waiting for your response."

The men who called themselves the "Institute of Historical Truth" maintained their remarkably firm silence, just like Commander Chongming standing at the front! They seemed desperate to get someone to talk to them and defuse the situation, but were stuck in an awkward position where no one paid them any attention!

As a mature member of society, Chu Hengkong understood the torment of being misunderstood. He maintained a polite smile and nodded slightly: "Thank you for your hospitality, we'll be taking our leave now..."

Commander Chongming's expression stiffened: "Hey you three! You'd rather wander in the dark, fireless wilderness teeming with strange beasts than come to our research institute!"

"Compared to spending the night in your esteemed place, enduring a cold night is not a bad option," Chu Hengkong said sincerely.

"Damn it! How dare they look down on our research institute!" "How dare they disrespect Commander Chongming!" "How dare they despise our boss!"

The men behind Chongming stepped forward in unison and exclaimed, "These new recruits are really high-caliber!"

"What kind of image does Commander Chongming have in your hearts?" Fan De asked.

"I went through all the trouble of recruiting new people, and this is how you repay me?!" Chongming roared in anger.

Ji Huaisu was a little embarrassed: "To be honest, it's not that we're being disrespectful, it's just that Mr. Chongming's... image has changed quite a bit before..."

The Chongming I first encountered in the cave looked terrifyingly gloomy; it wouldn't be surprising if he suddenly drew his sword and started a killing spree. But after arriving at the research institute, Chongming transformed into a hot-blooded older brother from a super robot anime. The drastic change and abrupt turn of events would seem strange even to Guli Bo.

Chongming pushed up his sunglasses and said seriously, "This is because I lost my cloak when I went out earlier."

"Does this have anything to do with the cloak?"

"I'm not good at talking to people when I'm not wearing a cloak."

The subordinates all nodded in agreement, but Van Der was the first to break down: "It turns out they were just shy!"

“There are people whose personalities change with their appearance, and I’ve seen quite a few before.” Chu Hengkong smiled. “I was just joking. The three of us are new here, and we should thank Mr. Chongming for his help.”

Chongming pointed to himself with his thumb: "That's more like it, but you have to call me Commander Chongming."

"Okay, Mr. Chongming."

"You weren't even listening to me, you brat!"