Volume 3: Deep Blue Sea
Shu Xun, who had already successfully landed, was completely unaware that an unexpected incident had occurred during the teleportation process in the game. The little dumpling flapped his little wings. Aside from feeling that the time it took to land was a bit long, everything else seemed normal.
The audience had almost the same thoughts. Although this might be the longest landing process they had ever witnessed, they all breathed a sigh of relief after the little dumpling safely touched down, ready to follow along and explore this deep blue sea with the little dumpling.
Shu Xun also landed above a vast ocean, but the location was quite favorable. Before descending, Shu Xun carefully observed the surroundings. There were islands of various sizes distributed around the landing point, not too far apart. Calculating his speed and considering the sun’s position, Shu Xun felt confident that he could reach the nearest island before nightfall.
Sweeping low over the sea surface, under the bright sunlight, Shu Xun could see the deep depths beneath the seawater and the various fish swimming in the deep blue sea. Shu Xun’s bright eyes followed a giant fish’s slow movement, and he licked his lips.
In amazement, the little figure stopped in mid-air. He lowered his head to earnestly observe the colorful world beneath the sea. The vibrant colors, fish of various sizes, schools of fish swimming together, solitary sea turtles, fierce large predatory fish in pursuit, and a growing dense shadow?!
Shadow? Shu Xun was startled. It suddenly dawned on him that an immensely huge fish was emerging from the sea. The little figure immediately flapped his wings rapidly, escaping the shadow’s coverage. Just as Shu Xun flew to the edge of the shadow on the sea surface, the water behind him suddenly burst open. The calm and waveless sea instantly surged with several meters of high waves. At the same time, a massive blue-gray shadow leaped out of the sea, spewing a high column of water. Soon, the disturbed turbulent sea by the colossal creature returned to its calm state as the giant ripples slowly spread across the deep blue sea. It resembles a white flower suddenly blooming in the deep blue sea, stretching, spreading, and then withering.
Though avoiding the central area, Shu Xun was still dampened by the splashing water. He shook his head until the sea gradually calmed down. It was only then that Shu Xun came back to his senses. The little figure witnessed such an enormous creature for the first time. In Shu Xun’s eye, the over twenty-meter-long body could no longer be adequately described as simply massive. When the whale leaped out of the water, an immense pressure akin to Mount Tai pressing down instantly enveloped Shu Xun even though there was a considerable distance between them.
Shu Xun tugged at his hair, calming his rapidly beating heart. He gazed at the now tranquil sea, then turned towards the direction where the islands were located in his memory. According to Shu Xun’s plan, he could easily reach the nearest island within two hours. Then, taking advantage of the remaining daylight, he could inspect the island. If it proved to be safe, it would serve as tonight’s resting place.
However, Shu Xun had flown for less than an hour when the sea once again presented him with a scene of rapid changes.
Deep Blue Sea is composed almost entirely of liquid water. It holds abundant water resources. This implied that precipitation was not scarce in this world. In the blink of an eye, the previously cloudless sky became covered in dense, dark clouds.
A purple-red lightning bolt tore through the clouds, descending from the sky like the first signal of an impending storm. Fierce winds quickly followed, and the sea surface instantly churned with towering waves, appearing as if they had an unstoppable momentum, determined to roll over the sea.
Between heaven and earth, after a sudden burst of a musical note, an instantly heart-pounding concerto echoed, and the tightly woven melody struck directly at the heart, causing an almost instinctive urge to curl up, seeking a bit of safety and solace.
At the first thunderclap, Shu Xun covered his little head in terror and rapidly flapped his tiny wings. But the effect was not very effective. The chaotic storm had already disrupted the surrounding air, making it nearly impossible for Shu Xun to stabilize his form. Shu Xun flapped his wings even faster. The little figure struggling in the turbulent air currents persistently advanced difficultly in mid-air heading towards the island in his memory.
The raging wind made Shu Xun’s movements extremely difficult, and the purple-red lightning sporadically illuminating the pitch-black, surging sea below could no longer reveal the world beneath the water. Following closely, the torrential rain poured down, smashing onto the sea surface accelerated by the wind. Shu Xun was instantly bewildered by the “gigantic” raindrops and then progressively hit lower by the continuously falling raindrops.
Unlike ordinary butterflies, the wings of the blue butterfly were not afraid of rain, and they wouldn’t get wet. However, the rainwater, combined with the resistance from the fierce wind, evidently weighed Shu Xun down. Thus, in the vast expanse of the intermittently bright and dark world, the small dumpling was occasionally lifted high by the wind, sometimes hovering just above the water surface, occasionally propelled forward by the wind, and sometimes desperately flapping his wings to resist the chaotic storm.
Even more horrifying was that in such extreme weather, fierce predatory fish were hunting in the sea. The turbulent waters affected the fish near the surface, providing an opportunity for predators. Due to flying at a low altitude and the brief illumination from a lightning flash, Shu Xun didn’t notice it until a row of sharp teeth glinting with a cold light appeared directly beneath him. It was only then that Shu Xun realized the danger. He frantically flapped his wings with all his might to lift his body and watched the sharp teeth leap out of the water. Shu Xun almost flapped his wings at the speed of light, barely maintaining himself at a safe height.
In the live broadcast room, the audience’s emotions fluctuated with the little dumpling’s unpredictable movements. Almost everyone was caught off guard by the rapidly changing weather of this world. One moment, it was a clear and peaceful picturesque scene, and the next, it was as if the heavens were collapsing, plunging into chaos. The ferocious fish lurking in the water added to the chilling atmosphere. Almost everyone nervously focused on Shu Xun’s wings, praying that the little dumpling could find a safe haven.
The dark clouds in the sky covered the sun, obscuring its position. With no sunlight piercing through the clouds, Shu Xun couldn’t determine the exact time. Amidst the chaos, Shu Xun remained steadfast in one direction, continuously flapping his wings. Eventually, Shu Xun’s blue butterfly ability was exhausted. The little dumpling flapped his wings twice in exhaustion and then plopped into the sea with a splash.
The cold seawater instantly woke the tired Shu Xun up a bit. The little dumpling struggled for a moment to float on the water’s surface. Through the storm, he saw the blurry silhouette of the nearby island. Shu Xun knew he was close to the island. Thinking about the sharp teeth just now, he suddenly became spirited again, kicking his short legs and paddling his little arms, swimming towards the island.
During the storm, the fish hunting in the sea seemed to only operate in the vast open areas and did not venture near the islands. Shu Xun finally safely reached the island. As his feet touched the soft, cool sand, Shu Xun felt an unprecedented sense of security. The waves repeatedly washed over his ankles, and the little dumpling happily headed towards the center of the island, leaving behind quickly fading footprints erased by the seawater.
In the live broadcast room, the audience finally breathed a sigh of relief, watching Shu Xun safely reach the island. He dug a small tree hole with his claws and crawled inside. The tension in the hearts of the viewers eased slightly. Soon after, the holographic image gradually darkened, and everyone knew that Shu Xun had fallen asleep, and the system automatically closed the live broadcast function.
Goodnight messages began appearing on the public screen of the live broadcast room. The intense and nerve-wracking experience, combined with mental exhaustion, left most viewers feeling tired. It was also late at night, so most of them chose to end the broadcast and rest, preparing to continue watching tomorrow morning. At this moment, those who believed that everything had settled for the day were unaware that a huge surprise or even shock awaited them when they woke up the next morning.
On the other hand, some viewers who hadn’t ended the broadcast turned to other live broadcast rooms and immediately noticed that something seemed amiss.
Although the landing locations were random, players were dropped on the same side of the planet. The latitude and longitude ranges did not cover the entire globe. At this moment, all the game players were in the darkness of night, and what struck the viewers as strange was that almost all players seemed to be moving slowly as if burdened with some weight. Upon asking the audience in the live broadcast room, they learned that after the disappearance of anti-gravity effects, players immediately felt a powerful gravitational force. This gravity far exceeded that of most life-bearing planets, making it difficult for everyone to adapt initially.
The super-strong gravity made even the evolved races of the interstellar age feel extremely uncomfortable. This discomfort was more pronounced for those who landed on land. Additionally, with synchronized senses activated, it was apparent that the oxygen concentration on this planet was exceptionally high. The air on most life-bearing planets typically had an oxygen concentration of around 20%, but here, based on feeling alone, it could be estimated to be at least 40% or higher. The exact value couldn’t be calculated, but this was already quite alarming.
High oxygen levels usually lead to a burst of life and rapid biological evolution or destruction, often accompanied by gigantism in organisms. Coupled with the intense gravity, one could imagine how ferocious the creatures living on this planet might be.
The speculations of both viewers and players were not wrong, especially for those unlucky ones who landed in the central ocean without nearby islands. Without a place to land, they would spend a long time immersed in the sea and might even die directly due to the low temperature. On the first day of the game, nearly ten million players chose to exit due to poor landing points. More than half of them fell victim to attacks from giant oceanic creatures. Here, “giant” no longer referred solely to large species like whales but also included many unheard-of and peculiar organisms. This suggested that the planet was undergoing a period of explosive growth in its biodiversity. This perplexed everyone because if there were indeed advanced intelligent life forms on this planet, it would mean the planet itself had undergone sufficient evolution and passed through periods of instability. So how could it suddenly plunge into a state of high oxygen concentration?
As the night gradually deepened, the initially picturesque planet unveiled its tranquil veil in the eyes of the onlookers. In almost an instant, the brief darkness slowly receded. Although there was no sunlight shining through, another kind of radiance emerged — the Deep Blue Sea.
The crystal-clear azure seawater, which appeared flawless during the day, seemed to emit a faint azure glow at a certain moment. Initially, the glow was very subtle, making people think it was just their imagination. However, slowly but surely, the faint azure glow gradually intensified, quickly illuminating the entire sea area. In an instant, the pitch-black and calm sea transformed into another expanse of azure sky. Due to its extraordinary clarity, the azure gradually transformed into a brilliant cerulean color. Even in the deep parts of the sea, it transitioned into an emerald green. For a moment, the planet covered by the sea truly became a cerulean pearl, exquisite and magnificent.
Such a peculiar scenery is unheard of, even for evolved races. Presently, many players are still swimming in the sea, searching for a place to land. The gradually brightening seawater is dazzling, and being immersed in it is truly breathtaking. Looking down, one can see various fish beneath the sea, and the visibility is even clearer than during the day, creating a more stunning and awe-inspiring scene. Every trace left by the swimming fish, every ripple spreading out, and every bubble floating up and breaking on the water’s surface depict graceful arcs, painting a magnificent river map. In this moment, the entire planet seems to have just awakened, the sky reversing, and the white night overturning!
