AITAMITB Chapter 95

From the high altitude, looking down at the boundless and profound sea, it’s hard not to feel a sense of awe in one’s heart. The military transport plane carried Zhao Xiaokui and supplies to the nearest aircraft carrier to the relic. Since the revelation of relics in this area, Huaxia boldly brought its aircraft carrier nearby.

“The first relic discovered by our country was in the sea, found by a fisherman. Unfortunately, back then, we weren’t strong enough, and the number of supernaturals wasn’t sufficient. Although the relic was found in our own waters, it was forcibly divided, and more than half went elsewhere. Fortunately, now we have our own aircraft carrier and our own organization of supernaturals, finally standing firm internationally.”

Speaking was a man around forty, dressed in a navy blue combat suit.

He walked over with big strides, extended his hand to Zhao Xiaokui, and said, “Comrade Zhao Xiaokui, hello. Thank you for your support.”

Zhao Xiaokui looked at the man and smiled, “Hello, Captain. Just call me Xiaokui.”

The person is the leader of this relic exploration activity, the third-level water supernatural, Zhu Wei.

With a handshake, they gained a rough understanding of each other’s abilities.

Having met Shi Ning before, Zhao Xiaokui had a general idea of a third-level supernatural. The energy in Zhu Wei’s body was more surging than Shi Ning’s, and there was even a feeling of long-suppressed power about to erupt. It seemed he was not far from advancing to the fourth level; perhaps all he needed was an opportunity.

Zhu Wei, on the other hand, was slightly shocked.

Third-level supernaturals were not common, and they were quite familiar with each other. He had heard from Shi Ning about a formidable water supernatural in S City who exhibited exceptional talents when dealing with the evil gods. He had always wanted to meet this person out of curiosity and also because they were both water supernaturals. He wanted to see if there was room for exchange and learning between them.

Unexpectedly, upon their first meeting, he felt the uniqueness emanating from Zhao Xiaokui.

Perhaps other supernaturals nearby couldn’t sense it, but as a water-based supernatural, he could vaguely feel that when Zhao Xiaokui appeared in this sea area, it was as if all the water in the entire world was subtly responding to her.

Clearly, he was a higher-level supernatural, logically having more access to supernatural abilities and a stronger affinity for water. Yet, he couldn’t shake off this strange feeling that if both he and Zhao Xiaokui were to manipulate the water in this world simultaneously, he might not surpass the young girl in her early twenties standing before him.

The moment she stood in this place, it made people feel like she should be the master of this ocean.

“Now that Comrade Zhao Xiaokui has arrived, we can start executing our mission. This is the plan. Take a look first, and if there are any modifications needed, please point them out promptly. When it comes time for execution, we must follow the orders.”

“Yes, I understand!” Zhao Xiaokui responded, taking the documents and quickly flipping through them.

The tasks for discovering a relic mainly involve three aspects: entering, exploring, and establishing a base.

Although relics and their locations differ, there are generally few relics discovered in the sea, and those found are rarely in extremely hot or dry environments.

Their team mainly has two major tasks: entering and exploring.

Entering is the most dangerous task, like opening a door where no one knows what dangers lurk inside. Relics turning into killing grounds are not uncommon, and supernaturals worldwide have suffered losses in this regard.

Moreover, the relic they are about to enter was discovered by cultists. Who knows what risks might be concealed inside.

“Let’s not talk about the cultists hiding in the relic for now. As long as we keep an eye on them, they won’t show themselves, unless we really enter the relic, and that’s a matter for later. The main difficulties we face now are two,” Zhu Wei said when he saw her quickly put down the documents without asking if she had truly finished reading. “First is the supernatural energy leaked from the relic, causing strange mutations in the sea. Many marine creatures have become more dangerous than before. And underwater…”

Speaking of this, he paused and glanced at Zhao Xiaokui, “It’s not our usual battlefield.”

“The second issue is the entrance to the relic,” he continued. “The entrance of this relic opens irregularly, usually around two in the afternoon, and stays open for about fifteen minutes. If we miss it, we’ll have to wait until the next day.”

In the end, they scheduled the operation for the next day at two o’clock in the afternoon.

Before the operation, Zhao Xiaokui went underwater with her teammates.

Except for the team leader Zhu Wei, who was getting older, the other members participating in the operation were relatively young. Due to the extended lifespan of supernaturals, they appeared to be in their twenties or thirties. Perhaps because of the simple living environment, there was hardly any generation gap when chatting with Zhao Xiaokui. Two of them even found out about Zhao Xiaokui’s EP¹I don’t know what this means. It was already in the English alphabet and hoped to get an idol’s autograph.

They were all water-based supernaturals, with varying levels of abilities, but the affinity for water was the same. After jumping into the water, they submerged, swimming freely and using it as a means of communication and understanding.

Watching them plunge into the water without any protective gear, no one was concerned about the risk of drowning. If a group of water-based supernaturals could drown, that would truly be a bizarre occurrence.

Once in the sea, Zhao Xiaokui observed several supernaturals showing various signs of transformation. Some had gill-like structures appearing around their necks, while others secreted a layer of mucus from their skin. Zhao Xiaokui also released part of her supernatural form, revealing a pair of long, pointed ears covered with a thin membrane.

Her appearance surprised the other supernaturals, and some even wanted to touch her ears. However, Zhao Xiaokui deftly avoided them. Someone tried to chase her, but in the water, she moved like a true fish—slick, agile, and swift. She exhausted the person, who gasped for breath, signaling a truce. Going up for air, she leisurely swam back, embodying the posture of a victor.

Young people tend to have a competitive spirit. After some playful competition in the water, Zhao Xiaokui figured out the abilities of each team member. Overall, this group had decent control over supernatural abilities, creating underwater currents effective against smaller marine life. However, when facing colossal creatures, the currents they generated were not as impactful as the swish of the opponent’s tail.

Their main advantage lies in their ability to breathe underwater and withstand pressures far beyond that of an ordinary person.

Even the ability to breathe underwater was not universal among them. For example, Chu Hui, who had just engaged in a chase with Zhao Xiaokui, was a water-based supernatural, but his body had not undergone related mutations. Although his supernatural ability allowed him to extract oxygen from the water, he couldn’t breathe directly underwater. If his stamina or supernatural abilities were depleted too quickly, he faced the risk of drowning.

Expressing her concern, Zhao Xiaokui was reassured by the casually dismissive Chu Hui. “It’s fine, tomorrow I’ll bring some oxygen pills. You know what oxygen pills are, right?”

“Know it. I heard that the Night Guards have developed a new kind of black technology. Supposedly, if you stick two thin discs inside your nose, it can provide a continuous supply of oxygen for about two hours.”

“Yeah, that’s the one.” Chu Hui magically pulled out a waterproof bag from his pocket, containing two small white discs. He shook it and said, “This thing isn’t cheap. If it weren’t for exploration and, well, Old Zhu couldn’t bear to approve it for me.”

“Is two pieces enough?” Zhao Xiaokui frowned.

“More than enough, more than enough. I probably won’t be fighting with you all the way to the end. I’ll likely lure the monsters away in the middle, two hours is completely sufficient.”

After some playful banter, the group quickly became acquainted and decided to go fishing together.

After this sea area was contaminated by supernatural forces, besides the core area where the relic opened, numerous mutated supernatural creatures were hovering around. Even in the peripheral areas, many creatures were affected by supernatural forces.

Whether it was lobsters, shells, or schools of fish, these creatures underwent the erosion of supernatural forces without dying. Without exception, their taste was much more delicious than ordinary creatures. Just listening to Wu Shuangyu’s descriptions made Zhao Xiaokui’s mouth water.

The evening dinner consisted of the seafood the group had caught.

Wu Shuangyu and the others, living at sea, were used to this, not finding it unusual. When the dishes were served, they urged Zhao Xiaokui to take the first bite.

In the past, when she was at home, Zhao Xiaokui preferred dishes with a heavier flavor. There was a reason for this – after becoming a supernatural being, her overly sensitive taste buds could easily detect any slight off-ness in food. If the seasoning was rich enough, it significantly increased her tolerance.

However, on the ship, even without much seasoning, just simply cooked seafood. Zhao Xiaokui took a bite with chopsticks, and the freshness almost seemed to swallow her tongue. In an instant, her eyes sparkled with brilliance.

It’s this flavor.

When she was in the deep sea, countless times, she had fantasized about the fish in the supernatural world. How incredibly delicious they would be if not eaten raw, but cooked before consumption.

Wu Shuangyu laughed heartily, saying, “Look at her. Zhao Xiaokui is almost crying from how delicious it is.”

Zhao Xiaokui nodded with a mouthful of fish.

“Poor thing, living on land, probably hasn’t eaten anything good.” Wu Shuangyu then picked up a large lobster and put it on her plate, saying, “S City has safe relics that haven’t been opened, but they don’t have as many good things as we do at sea. After this mission, why don’t you just stay with us? Come to our branch by the sea. We’ll take you to eat delicious food every day.”

Outside the window, night fell.

Gigantic creatures slowly floated up in the sea, revealing a huge and hazy shadow.

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