The mini-submarines were fully charged and ready, awaiting the entry of the hunters.
The Hunter Association’s standard issue diving gear, more akin to specialized diving exoskeletons than traditional diving suits, were painted in stark black and notably hefty. Each suit was equipped with four spare compressed oxygen tanks, hung in pairs on the outer sides of the mech’s legs. Despite being only as wide as three fingers, these small black boxes were exceptionally heavy, each capable of supporting a hunter’s intense underwater activity for up to an hour.
Adjacent to the spare oxygen tubes were ammunition pouches loaded with mini-grenades, illumination rounds, small underwater missiles, and specialized torpedoes for aquatic use.
Shen Zhaomu donned the exoskeleton and leapt into the submarine.
Sitting beside him was a young hunter who, after observing Shen Zhaomu for a while, hesitantly said, “Mr. Shen, when we get back on land, could I take a photo with you? I heard you took down that Veyrpan last time. You’re amazing, I’ve always admired you.”
“Sure,” Shen Zhaomu replied.
The young hunter’s excitement was palpable even through the diving mask.
Five minutes later, the submarine, lit by bright lights, headed towards the deep sea.
Through the small windows of the submarine, only the rippling water patterns and the fading light sources could be seen. Small bubbles rose around them, swiftly escaping towards the surface. Several large fish with colorful patterns, startled by their presence, swam away swiftly, their tails flicking.
Looking further down, the darkness became even more profound.
The average depth of the Bei’en Ocean far exceeded that of any known planet. Earth’s deepest trench is 11 kilometers deep, a realm of extreme cold and darkness where the pressure is enough to flatten anything. In Bei’en, such trenches were far from rare — to date, the Alliance’s scientific exploration vessels had identified seventeen trenches over 15 kilometers deep, with three even exceeding 25 kilometers.
Even the Bei’en, who lived in the seas, dared not venture into these depths.
There’s an innate fear in humans of the profoundly deep sea, especially under the possibility of exotic creatures lurking nearby. The young hunter grew increasingly restless, frequently peering out the window.
Shen Zhaomu said, “We have the submarine’s radar information synced to our terminals. It might be more insightful to look at that.”
The young hunter jumped, “Oh, oh, I know, it’s just a bit unsettling at first. I, I’ve just been transferred to Bei’en.”
“Why did you come to Bei’en?”
“It’s the closest outpost to my home. My family lives on the nearby planet of Gago, which you probably haven’t heard of.”
“I have,” Shen Zhaomu pondered for a moment, “I remember your planet is famous for its flower cakes.”
The young hunter’s eyes lit up, “Right, right, it’s rare to meet someone who knows about it. We don’t even have an outpost there, so I decided to start at Bei’en. Once I gain more experience, I plan to transfer to headquarters…”
Suddenly, the submarine shook violently, startling the young hunter before he realized it was an undercurrent.
He looked somewhat embarrassed, “I’m naturally a bit timid. Sometimes I doubt if I’m cut out for this job.”
“This is quite normal,” Shen Zhaomu said, pausing, “My first deep-sea dive was similar to yours, especially when I encountered a group of dragon whales looking right at me. My elders even said I lacked courage back then. After all, we’re born on land, and the fear of the ocean or heights is hard to eradicate.”
“Really?” The young hunter seemed surprised, “I thought you would never be afraid.”
“Mhm, it’s a secret, don’t tell anyone,” Shen Zhaomu smiled, “So I believe just being a hunter is brave enough.”
The young hunter immediately became more enthusiastic.
Shen Zhaomu quietly sighed in relief.
He was not adept at lying, even if it was just a small, well-intentioned lie.
At that time, dragon whales were wreaking havoc locally, occasionally breaching shark nets to attack swimmers, causing great distress and panic. The criticism he received during the dragon whale hunt wasn’t for being fearful, but for his slower-than-ideal spear thrust due to inexperience.
The Shens were tough characters who dared to fish in turbulent waters and row back to the island with just a small paddle. How could they be frightened by the deep sea?
Though the story was fabricated, his final words were heartfelt: Regardless of talent or personality, every hunter is brave enough.
Encouraged by his words, the young hunter was filled with newfound vigor.
The submarine continued its journey into the deep sea, stopping 150 meters below the surface.
The initial survey concluded here, and then they would gradually descend, deciding based on the situation whether to reach the depth of 500 meters.
Submarines formed a circle, and their powerful lights suddenly blazed on. These high-wattage lights were exceptionally bright and hot, warming the surrounding sea water by several degrees.
They illuminated a vast area of the sea, ensuring the hunters’ visibility.
As the hatch opened, the hunters exited the submarines one after another. The exoskeleton’s propulsion system automatically activated. Its powerful force and nimble direction changes allowed them to glide through the sea effortlessly.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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However, following the fish through the gaps in the corals led to a deeper and more secluded part of the sea.
His psychic power silently spread through the water, and soon he detected something unusual.
Propelling forward in his exoskeleton, he maneuvered around several pink corals and saw a corpse behind them.
A kneeling corpse, its arms stretched forward.
Due to prolonged immersion in the sea, its decomposition was more advanced than described by the old fishermen. Mostly skeletal, the black overcoat was open, with shreds of rotten flesh hanging from the ribs, slowly floating with the tide.
A special substance seemed to connect the bones, preventing them from scattering. Shen Zhaomu pressed the right side of his diving helmet, capturing and transmitting the dynamic image back to the submarine.
Soon, Lu Shanhuai responded from above, “The sampling team will reach you in three minutes.”
“Okay,” Shen Zhaomu replied, continuing to observe the corpse.
With his experience, he couldn’t immediately discern what exotic creature caused this, nor find the cause of death.
It only indicated that humanity knew very little about this type of exotic creature.
The sampling team arrived with heavy equipment, preparing to transport the body back intact to determine the cause and time of death. Other hunters soon reported finding more bodies on the sea floor.
Their postures were all identical.
After another half hour of searching, Shen Zhaomu said over the tactical channel, “Return to the submarines, we’ll continue to descend.”
Yang Zhiming in the combat ship’s engine room responded, “Okay. All teams, note that I’ve sent the descent data. Prepare to increase the load to level five in ten minutes and descend in a fan formation… Wait, hold on.”
Suddenly, the tide surged violently. If not for the exoskeleton’s automatic stabilization, the hunters might have been immediately scattered. Below them, a vast stream of bright colors swiftly flowed past.
“Damn it,” cursed Yang Zhiming, “Why does the dark tide come now? Such bad luck.”
Bei’en occasionally experienced these dark tides mixed with stardust, originating from the eternal night far out at sea—perpetually dark like the polar regions, yet teeming with starlight. Thus, the tides from there carried intense colors.
This was the most effective obstacle for submarines, not only limiting visibility but the special magnetic field in the stardust also interfered with radar.
Safe passage through would be ideal, but being ambushed or colliding in it was an unthinkable consequence. Unless absolutely necessary, the association would not allow hunters to take such risks.
Dark tides often lasted several hours. Shen Zhaomu said, “The submarines should go back first.”
But he himself swam towards the deeper depths.
On the monitor, Lu Shanhuai saw his marker descend and hesitated, “Aren’t you coming back?”
“I’ll return after I reach 300 meters,” Shen Zhaomu said, “It’s fine.”
If anyone else dared to say this, Lu Shanhuai would have scolded them for courting death. But this was Shen Zhaomu, so no one objected.
Under the sea, hunters with strong psychic powers always had the advantage. Moreover, there were emergency escape airbags that could pull the carrier back to the surface within two minutes.
Shen Zhaomu descended, passing through the dense colors, his propeller working furiously to maintain balance in the tide. Surrounding him were strands of dark green mixed with smoke blue, then rich peach red.
300 meters was a safe diving depth in Bei’en, reachable even by ordinary tourists with local guidance. Soon he passed through the dark tide, and his vision suddenly widened—
The dark tide was also a breathtaking natural phenomenon, much loved by tourists.
Now, stardust swirled above him, shimmering brightly and softly landing on him.
The water ripples glistened, resembling a splendid ribbon, like a colorful canopy appearing in the sea.
Amid this bright illumination, fish and corals became clear and distinct.
Alone, Shen Zhaomu swam against the light from the sky, descending into the unfathomable depths.
Coral forests swept past his eyes.
Everything seemed normal: pink coral fish, electric eels, bony water snakes… A few fierce-looking yet timid fish glanced at him and darted back into the corals in fright.
Further ahead, swaying seaweed and transparent jellyfish thrived. Orange sea anemones swayed ostentatiously, and devil rays flapped their wing-like fins. By their side, the bread dragon swam happily.
Shen Zhaomu: “…”
Shen Zhaomu: “???”
He thought he was hallucinating for a moment.
Long Shiyu saw Shen Zhaomu and frantically waved at him. He wore no diving gear, just a loose blue thermal suit.
Humans, without using psychic power, could only dive a little over a hundred meters. But the Dragon race couldn’t be measured by human standards; their lung capacity supported them underwater for extended periods.
Struggling through the water, Long Shiyu, finding the thermal suit cumbersome, took it off. Underneath was a regular thin garment, and a long silver dragon tail emerged behind him, propelling him forward with powerful, effortless flicks.
Reaching Shen Zhaomu, Long Shiyu saw his stunned expression and happily gestured—
Without underwater communication equipment, speaking would fill his mouth with seawater.
It took Shen Zhaomu a good half minute to calm down and remember to hand over a spare helmet to Long Shiyu.
Now able to speak, Long Shiyu said, “Ah, I finally found you! I was up there, afraid of being discovered, so I didn’t dare to swim with my tail.”
“…Didn’t I tell you not to wander off?”
“I didn’t wander,” Long Shiyu said. “How could I let you come down here alone? It’s dangerous.”
Shen Zhaomu: “…”
He was about to lose his mind.
Long Shiyu said, “Do you plan on swimming deeper? I don’t feel any exotic creature nearby, so it should be safe. If there is, no problem,” he clenched his fist symbolically and waved, “I’ll help you fight them off.”
“Go back to the ship now.”
“But I just managed to find you.”
“Go back. No more seafood for you.”
“Sob.”
“…You can have seafood, but go back.”
“Sob.”
Eventually, Long Shiyu cheerfully stayed by Shen Zhaomu’s side.
After triple-checking the personal radar of the exoskeleton and confirming no other exotic creatures nearby, Shen Zhaomu continued through the coral forest.
After a while, Long Shiyu said, “Can I catch some fish to eat on the way?”
“No.”
“Ah, why?”
“How do I explain to others that a person without psychic power dove 300 meters without any equipment and also caught fish on the way?”
“Alright,” Long Shiyu disappointedly agreed.
He quietly followed Shen Zhaomu.
Shen Zhaomu was still worried, occasionally looking back at him.
Long Shiyu looked around and asked, “What is that?”
He pointed to a cage in the sea.
The cage, big enough for just one person, resembled a bird cage, made of special metal, quietly floating in the water, anchored to the sturdy coral forest below by a rusty chain to prevent drifting with the tide.
Shen Zhaomu glanced at it: “That’s an artifact the Bei’en royalty used for holding corpses.”
“Corpses?”
“Yes. The royal family’s graveyards are all underwater. The burial artifacts are rare gems and unique decorative items not found on other planets. A long time ago, when the Alliance’s security system was still imperfect, many interstellar mercenaries came to Bei’en, bought diving equipment, and looted the underwater tombs, later selling the items on other planets. The locals were enraged, executing the looters and placing their bodies in these cages in the sea as a warning to other tomb raiders.”
Beneath the waves, the floating cages and iron chains formed a silent forest of bones.
Yet this did little to quell the frenzy for wealth. Stealing just a few artifacts could bring in a fortune. In the end, the Bei’en dynasty still failed to guard the tranquility of the tombs.
Long Shiyu: “I see.”
“There was some controversy over this practice back then. Later, as the system improved, such somewhat barbaric methods disappeared. However, even now, some bold mercenaries come here trying their luck…” Shen Zhaomu trailed off as he stopped.
Before them appeared another expanse of flat corals.
Hooks, like those special ones they had seen before, were attached to the corals, each linked to a cage.
Unlike the ones they saw earlier, these cages were full.
Inside each one, a person knelt, their body reduced to bones, but their hands stretched forward—
Across the vista, a dozen cages presented this eerie sight. It was a scene akin to the punishment of mercenaries years ago, turning the seabed into their silent graveyard.
Yet, there was also a sense of celebration, a fervor for this pilgrimage. The light of the dark tide above cast upon them, and their raised hands seemed to be holding the starlight.
Shen Zhaomu softly said, “Stay close to me.”
Long Shiyu stayed by his side as they approached the cages. Shen Zhaomu circled one, deploying several underwater drones to scan and upload multidimensional data back to the ship.
But this time, something was different.
After passing several cages, they both noticed inscriptions on the corals above:
In memory of Edgeworth Murphy.
The script appeared to be carved with either a blade or a claw.
This name was immediately transmitted to Lu Shanhuai, who, with his computer and terminal, started a rapid search through the annals of history to identify this name.
The drones continued their operation, bubbles rising in their wake.
The scan would take some time. Concerned that Long Shiyu might be frightened by the scene, Shen Zhaomu suggested, “Let’s go up a bit and wait.”
“Okay.”
They moved a little away from the area, waiting for the scan to complete.
Surrounded by bright light, the cages were completely out of sight. Bored while waiting, Long Shiyu said to Shen Zhaomu, “You know, I once thought about working at an aquarium. I didn’t get the job, but they still let me watch a show.”
“What kind of show?”
“You know, with dolphins, seals, and a few otters and a big orca. But I didn’t find those performances very impressive. I’m more agile in the water than they are. Watch, I’ll show you.”
With a flick of his tail, Long Shiyu began to somersault in the water, spinning in place at a steady speed, chasing his curled tail.
Like a vertical spinning top.
Shen Zhaomu: “…You didn’t try to perform for them, did you?”
“No, I didn’t get the chance,” Long Shiyu stopped and his tail relaxed, “And this might look a bit silly.”
Shen Zhaomu breathed a sigh of relief. The foolish dragon hadn’t reached the point of no return.
The author has something to say:
One cutesy sob a day: 2/1
Today’s chapter is about the battle between a swimsuit princess (?) and a spinning top dragon!
The bread dragon is so multi talented!
Indeed!
Thank you for the translation! ❤
Sobby spinning top shiyu sounds too adorable to be true ♥