The salty sea wind slammed fiercely against the dark armor of the "President."
After half a day of full-speed sailing, the color of the surrounding seawater had changed.
It was no longer a clear azure blue but had taken on a heart-palpitating ink-black hue.
Like a pool of thick, unmixed ink.
"We're here."
Li Ruobing stood on the deck, her face slightly pale.
She pointed at the seemingly calm sea ahead, her fingers trembling slightly.
"It's right below here."
"That fissure, like a mouth, swallowed so many of our people."
Qin Yu stood before the floor-to-ceiling window of the command tower, holding a cup of freshly brewed coffee.
He glanced down at the abyss beneath his feet.
Not a single ripple.
Qin Yu: "Activate the [Sky Eye] system."
Diving deep into the ocean.
One hundred meters.
Two hundred meters.
Five hundred meters.
Deep on the ocean floor, a massive crustal fissure stretched across the seabed.
Like an ugly scar.
And around that fissure, dense clusters of red light dots squirmed.
Thousands upon thousands.
Some were as large as trucks, others swarmed like piranhas.
This was the "Underwater Ruins" Li Ruobing had spoken of.
Also the nest of the sea beasts.
"No wonder so many of your people died."
Qin Yu took a sip of coffee, his tone indifferent.
"With this density, even conventional submarines would just be delivering takeout to them, let alone your broken rafts."
Hearing this, Li Ruobing's face turned even paler.
"Then... what should we do?"
"Are we still going down?"
"Going down? Of course we're going down."
Qin Yu put down his cup, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
"But before we go down, we need to clear the area first."
"Activate [Deep Sea Specter]."
Qin Yu lightly tapped the control panel.
"Target: All red-marked units around the underwater fissure."
"Execute annihilation strike."
"Command confirmed."
As the mechanical voice faded.
Below the waterline of the "President," two heavy armor plates silently slid open.
There was no earth-shattering launch sound.
Only the faintest disturbances in the water currents.
Specialized in dealing with all kinds of deep-sea defiance.
Li Ruobing leaned over the railing to look down.
She couldn't see anything.
Not even a single splash.
"Is that... it?"
She found it hard to believe.
Was this what the man called "clearing the area"?
However.
The next second.
"Thump!"
A dull sound came from the depths of the ocean.
Followed by a second, a third...
They were muffled explosions, suppressed by hundreds of meters of seawater, sounding like the heartbeat of a giant beast.
The sea surface began to boil.
The originally ink-black seawater suddenly churned violently.
Large clusters of bubbles surged to the surface.
Then.
Blood.
Crimson blood water gushed up from the ocean floor like a fountain.
Instantly dyeing the waters for several nautical miles around red.
Countless dismembered limbs and body parts floated up.
There were massive tentacles, fish heads full of fangs, and various bizarre organs she couldn't name.
Li Ruobing covered her mouth, her stomach churning violently.
She saw clearly.
Many of the floating corpses were terrifying monsters she had seen before.
Back then, their entire team would have to risk their lives just to kill one.
And now.
Qin Yu merely stood by the window and twitched his fingers.
These deep-sea overlords turned into rotting flesh floating on the ocean surface.
"This... this is slaughter..."
Li Ruobing murmured to herself.
"No."
Qin Yu turned around and adjusted his tactical suit.
"This is housekeeping."
He glanced at the data on the control panel.
Eighty percent of the red dots had disappeared.
The remaining ones were either hiding deep within the ruins or smaller escapees.
Nothing to worry about.
"Time to get to work."
Qin Yu strode out of the command room.
On the deck.
Yao Xue was wiping her scalpel, while Yao Qian looked eager and ready for action.
As for the two laborers, Tattooed Arm Man and Glasses Man, they were huddled in a corner trembling.
The vibrations from the seabed had frightened them badly.
"Yao Xue."
Qin Yu walked up to Yao Xue.
"You stay."
Yao Xue paused her movements, looked up, a flicker of confusion in her eyes.
"I'm not going down?"
"No need for so many people for this dirty, exhausting work."
Qin Yu glanced at the two laborers pretending to be dead.
"I don't trust these two good-for-nothings."
"And Li Ruobing—she's smart, but smart people tend to overthink."
"The ship is our foundation."
"We need someone clear-headed and ruthless enough to keep watch."
Qin Yu pulled out a gun from behind.
It was the S686 double-barreled shotgun he always carried with him.
The barrel gleamed, exuding a cold metallic sheen.
"This thing is just a useless stick underwater—too much resistance, no use."
"Keeping it for you."
Qin Yu tossed the gun to Yao Xue.
Yao Xue caught it steadily, expertly opened the chamber, and checked the bullets.
"Understood."
She didn't ask a single unnecessary question.
Turning around, she pointed the gun directly at Tattooed Arm Man in the corner.
"If they dare move even a little."
"I'll blow their heads off."
Tattooed Arm Man, who had been sneaking glances at the gun earlier, immediately buried his head between his knees in terror.
"We won't move! Absolutely won't move!"
"Please spare us, Boss!"
Qin Yu nodded with satisfaction.
Yao Xue, though originally a doctor, had a fierceness that suited his taste.
He felt assured leaving the ship in her hands.
"Yao Qian."
"Here!"
Yao Qian immediately stood straight, her twin tails swaying behind her.
"Come with me down."
"Taking you to see the underwater world."
"Yay!"
Yao Qian jumped excitedly.
"I've always wanted to play in the sea! I want to catch big crabs!"
Li Ruobing stood to the side, watching the assignments, and couldn't help speaking up:
"Captain... what about me?"
"You?"
Qin Yu glanced at her.
"Stay on the ship and assist Yao Xue with the radar."
"Also, teach those two good-for-nothings how to salvage the bodies floating up."
"They're all excellent fertilizer and ingredients."
"Don't waste them."
Li Ruobing's lips twitched.
Salvaging bodies...
Well, it was better than going down to die.
"One more thing."
Qin Yu walked to the ship's rail and looked back at Li Ruobing.
"Don't think about running."
"And don't think about pulling any tricks."
"The gun in Yao Xue's hands doesn't have eyes."
"And the sharks in this sea have even fewer."
After speaking.
Qin Yu focused his mind.
The S-Class Nano Suit on his body instantly transformed.
Black streams of light surged over him.
[Deep Sea Mode, activated.]
[Oxygen supply system engaged.]
[Pressure-resistant coating deployed.]
A transparent visor, thin as cicada wings yet indestructible, covered his face.
Faint blue streams of light shot from the joints of the battle suit.
Beside him.
Yao Qian swiftly slipped into her S-Rank Battle Suit, waddling like an awkward little penguin.
Without another word.
Qin Yu leaped.
Splash!
Water sprayed everywhere.
His entire body shot into the icy seawater like a black torpedo.
Yao Qian followed close behind.
The two instantly vanished into the ink-black sea surface.
...
Cold.
The bone-chilling cold was perfectly blocked by the S-Rank Battle Suit.
Qin Yu felt like a shark returning to the ocean.
Agile, free.
The built-in thrusters allowed him to dive at astonishing speeds without needing to exert effort swimming.
The surrounding light grew increasingly dim.
At two hundred meters deep, it was almost pitch black.
But this wasn't a problem for Qin Yu.
The visor automatically displayed clear thermal imaging and a topographic map.
"Wow... so many fish..."
Yao Qian's amazed voice came through the comm channel.
Qin Yu glanced back.
The young girl was trailing behind him, thrusters bubbling, still clutching that rifle that would be completely ruined if it weren't waterproof.
"Stop looking around."
Qin Yu's voice sounded slightly distorted over the channel.
"Stay alert."
"The earlier bombing was intense, but survivors are definitely still around."
No sooner had he spoken.
A dark shadow suddenly darted from the darkness to their left.
Extremely fast!
Like an arrow released from its bow, it shot straight toward Yao Qian.
It was a surviving Mutated Swordfish.
Half its body was blown apart, revealing stark white bones, but its ferocity remained undiminished.
Its long, sharp spine glowed with a sinister blue toxic light.
"Watch out!"
Qin Yu's eyes sharpened.
He twisted sharply in the water.
No need to draw a blade.
A high-frequency vibrating particle blade instantly extended from the arm of his S-Rank Battle Suit.
Zzzzt—!
The sound of seawater being sliced.
Qin Yu's figure passed by the swordfish.
Black blood gushed out.
The three-meter-long Mutated Swordfish was cleanly severed at the waist.
The two halves of its corpse continued forward from momentum.
Qin Yu reached out and grabbed.
Directly seizing the fierce fish head.
[Ding! Eliminated C-Rank Mutated Swordfish.]
[Acquired: Mutated Fishbone x1 (Extremely high sharpness).]
He casually stored it in his pack.
Without a second glance.
"Stay close."
"This is just the appetizer."
Yao Qian stuck out her tongue in fright, quickly speeding up to swim beside Qin Yu, grabbing the hem of his battle suit.
The two continued their descent.
Three hundred meters.
Four hundred meters.
Five hundred meters.
Finally.
A massive shadow appeared beneath them.
The great underwater fissure lay like a gateway to hell, silently gaping open.
At the edge of the fissure.
An ancient, crumbling, yet still majestic architectural ruin loomed faintly visible.
Though mostly covered in silt and seaweed.
The massive stone pillars and exquisite carvings still hinted at its former glory.
"So this is... the Underwater Ruins?"
Qin Yu hovered above the ruins.
A flash of greed crossed his eyes.
This wasn't just ruins.
It was a giant treasure chest, waiting for him to open it.
"Let's go."
"Time to collect the goods."
Qin Yu led Yao Qian, swimming toward the half-collapsed great door of the ruins.
However.
Just as they were about to enter the gate.
Qin Yu's visor flashed with intense red light!
[Warning! High-energy reaction detected!]
[An A-rank creature is awakening ahead!]
"Hmm?"
Qin Yu halted his movement.
In the shadows of the ruin gate.
Two yellow orbs, large as lanterns, suddenly lit up.
Those weren't lights.
They were eyes.
A pair of enormous eyes filled with brutality and killing intent.
Immediately after.
Eight thick, trunk-like tentacles slowly emerged from the sludge, churning the surrounding seawater.
It was a mutated giant octopus!
Clearly an Elite Monster that had survived the earlier bombing.
And it was furious.
"Quite the temper after waking up."
Instead of retreating, Qin Yu advanced.
He released Yao Qian's hand.
"You provide backup attacks from behind."
"This one."
"Is mine."
Qin Yu clenched his fists.
The S-Rank Battle Suit's power output instantly maxed out.
Blue exhaust flames traced a brilliant trail through the deep sea.
He didn't plan to use any fancy techniques.
Since he had this S-Rank Battle Suit.
He would use the most primitive, most violent method.
To smash it to pieces!
...
Meanwhile.
On the sea surface.
Aboard the "President" deck.
Yao Xue pulled up a chair and sat by the ship's railing.
Holding the S686, its muzzle pointed casually toward two men struggling to retrieve corpses nearby.
The sea breeze lifted her long hair, revealing an exquisitely cold and beautiful face.
"Work faster."
"If this batch of fish spoils."
"You'll skip dinner tonight."
Yao Xue's voice was soft.
But to Tattooed Arm Man and Glasses Man, it sounded more terrifying than the earlier explosions.
"Yes, yes! We're hauling them now! Right away!"
Tattooed Arm Man desperately dragged up a dead fish with a barbed pole.
While cursing inwardly.
Damn it.
That freak went underwater.
And this she-devil is still watching us up here.
When will this torment end!
He stole a glance at the gun in Yao Xue's hand.
Though just a shotgun.
At this close range, one shot could blast him to pieces.
"Stop looking."
Yao Xue suddenly turned her head, coldly staring at him.
"I don't like your gaze."
"One more look."
"And I'll dig your eyeballs out to feed these fish."
Tattooed Arm Man shuddered, nearly dropping the pole.
"I wouldn't dare! Boss, I really wouldn't!"
He quickly lowered his head and focused on his work.
The wicked thought that had just surfaced in his mind was instantly extinguished.
Everyone on this ship.
Was abnormal!
Complete lunatics!
Li Ruobing stood nearby, watching the two green dots representing Qin Yu and Yao Qian on the radar screen.
They had already reached five hundred meters deep.
And were still moving.
"He really went down..."
Li Ruobing's expression was complicated.
That place was a forbidden zone even she didn't dare enter lightly.
Just how powerful was this man?
If it was him...
Perhaps...
He might actually retrieve that legendary thing?
At this thought.
Li Ruobing felt a faint, inexplicable anticipation rise within her.
If Qin Yu grew stronger.
The ship would become safer.
And as a member of the crew.
Her chances of survival would increase.
"Good luck..."
Li Ruobing silently murmured while gazing at the dark sea surface.
Not just for Qin Yu.
But for herself as well.
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