, Depth 3.9

Chapter 155, Depth 3.9

In the Upper City, the attitude towards mysterious forces is not as ambiguous as it is down below. As factions also intimidated by the Foundation, even giant corporations with mysterious weapons dare not use secret arts or similar things in any public place.

But Ai did it without hesitation or concern: no black-clad men suddenly emerged from behind the curtain to arrest him, nor did he bypass his authority and send an accountability notice directly to the think tank.

The Foundation must have detected this arcane release, but they took no action.

After an eerie silence, the Turing Organization chose to retreat—after sending a few more people to move the colleague who was slumped in his seat and grinning foolishly, they remained silent.

—If the other party did not face any repercussions after breaking the rules, it can only mean that their privileges supersede the rules.

Previously, this was an authority possessed only by the Foundation, but now there is another authority whose existence can only be verified through firsthand observation. For the Turing Organization, they need to change their fixed mindset and perspective and adopt a new attitude to measure everything that is about to undergo upheaval.

—Of course, before that, they will have to taste the bitter fruit of their own disrespect.

Ai waited idly for a while, watching the little snake slowly finish the last plate of dessert. Confirming that no new fools would come, she left her seat in a secluded corner.

Beneath this magnificent golden ceiling, countless conversations and transactions involving immense wealth take place, but no one knows that the greatest "opportunity" has already lost interest in all of this.

Time begins to flow.

Mid-February of the year 2078 in the Divine Age.

Lolanda, Hallownest, Golden Dawn.

The first week since my trip to Uptown.

Three days earlier, Ai and Mia had already returned to the outskirts and did not stay in the central courtyard for long. That night, the Golden Manor banquet, apart from the new friends they made at the beginning, did not offer any more surprises.

The following days of the trip were quite enjoyable. With Tea and Coffee, a local, as our guide, Fox and his group visited several famous places along the Third Ring Road, such as the Golden Hall of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center and the Central Historical Exhibition Hall. They also saw a movie.

The performance by the girl band — it must be said that, in terms of entertainment that caters to the trends of the times, Uptown is indeed a great place to have fun and let loose.

However, due to the short stay and the approaching farewell, Ai estimated that he had explored less than 5% of that country. This was mainly because he was afraid that if he stayed any longer, he might drive the foundation, which had been paying close attention to him, crazy. After all, having a humanoid nuclear bomb strolling around in one's own backyard would inevitably cause one's blood pressure to spike.

So I made an appointment with the coffee shop to come and play again next time.

—You didn't expect that, did you? They really just came here to have fun.—

The middleman arranged by the foundation must be racking her brains trying to figure out what she's been doing these past few days. But there's good news too: at least during this time together, this outgoing guy has successfully raised his presence to a new level in front of the shy Mia, transforming her from a "stranger" into an "acquaintance."

Ai Yi was quite supportive of the idea that Mia could make more friends and not become a complete pet.

Of course, there's also the part about "serious business":

After observing for the past few days, Ai discovered that the incubation process of the beast was still hidden beneath the deep pool, separated by countless layers of red liquid. Even the ripples that surfaced into the mortal world were extremely slight. Just as Agares had said, His arrival was an unpredictable turning point for the Nest City—in the calm prelude to the "Great Depression," the breaking of the value chain would only happen in an instant before anyone could react.

During this time, in order to increase her leverage, Ai Yi has also devoted herself entirely to the "second deep dive".

Get ready————

Mercury, salt, sulfur —

In the evening, in the basement of Grey Court, Ai was preparing materials for her upcoming deep-sea dive.

Previously, I always used the Foundation's access channels for dungeons, so safety during the dives wasn't a concern. However, now that I'm working independently, trying to continue using their resources is a bit shameless.

Of course, if you really want to use it, that's perfectly fine. It's just a set of beacon positioning grids and soul preservation sequences. As long as Ai asks for it personally, the Foundation will definitely be willing to give it to her. But in that case, it would be a bit beneath her dignity.

It's better to make it by hand.

Deep-sea diving requires three conditions: a beacon (i.e., a secret history), a stable field, and a waterway.

Among them, when facing low-level dungeons, the latter two conditions are not essential. After all, most of the secret history of the old news level are distributed in pools of liquid with a depth of 0-1, and there is no screening requirement for mysterious power. Even ordinary people can hold their breath and live for a long time if they dive in.

However, when facing slightly more advanced "deep-diving landing points," the safety environment during the dive, the basic life support in the Red Pool Kingdom, and protection against "secret decompression sickness" during the surfacing phase all become crucial.

If something unexpected happens during a deep dive, the "mysterious pressure" brought by the depth alone can dissolve the unlucky soul back into the red pool.

Just thinking about it gives me a headache —

Moreover, the place I am going to is an invisible kingdom that has already been completed and is buried deep near the bottom of the pool: the "Noon" that buried an entire era. It is unknown how many secrets it holds that are beyond the comprehension of humankind. Mother, the sun, the white dove—multiple supreme deities were confirmed to have perished in that era, and to this day only one has won the resurrection.

No matter how you look at it—that's never a safe place.

"Red wax mixed with mithril powder, and sapphire of sufficient purity—seriously, is industrial-grade acceptable? It seems like only this kind is available—"

Because the fox disliked the clumsy Lin, it specifically asked the little snake to help. Originally, the gray fog might have been more precise in the ritual setup, but as a "safety measure," the active desire of the person setting it up, combined with the spirituality of the person carrying blessings, often resulted in a better effect.

Ritual studies, whether classical or modern, are disciplines that place the utmost emphasis on "sincerity brings results." After all, even apprentices in the logistics and manufacturing processes have to kowtow a few times to the machine before opening the furnace for ritual implements, to appease the machine's spirit. The mystical realm is something no one can truly explain—

"Benton incense, sage essential oil - Mimi Xiang, purple cabbage - this one doesn't seem very fresh, but it should be fine, right?"

Why do you need soy sauce too?

Chasing away the wilted leaves of the purple cabbage in his hand, the little snake looked at the list the fox had given him with a headache. Although he only needed to arrange the items in specific locations, the list of materials looked abstract to anyone. The fox coughed a few times guiltily, "Small problem. I used up a lot of mysterious items recently, and I even used the special ritual ink to write manuscripts—I accidentally ran out of supplies, so I'll just find something to substitute—"

"Will this be alright?"

The little snake looked worried, but Ai Yi didn't care at all. He waved his hand behind him and said, "It's okay!"

"I'm a professional. Hui told me everything. When he was really broke, he used soy sauce instead of ritual ink. This stuff's secret energy load is usually enough. It's just a stabilizer, not some grand ritual—but you have to be careful when you walk. This stuff doesn't dry easily, so don't accidentally rub off a piece."

"oh----"

The little snake carefully raised the tip of its tail into the air and nimbly slithered through the cracks in the soy sauce-filled ground. Since returning from the city, although she had a human form with two legs, she still preferred her snake tail. In Miya's own words, "Without a tail, I don't know how you humans walk steadily."

Even a two-legged fox would wholeheartedly agree with this.

Soon, the simple ritual, which was designed to create a "red tide environment stabilization field," was set up. In an instant, the entire basement was filled with the pungent aroma of industrial soy sauce, almost making the foxes marinate themselves.

"Are you sure everything's okay?"

Miya asked again weakly, while Ai Yi, bursting with energy, had somehow brought over a recliner and sat in the concentric ring at the very center of the circular ritual array.

"No problem—after all, this is just a basic protective ritual. I didn't expect that this thing would only be used to quell the spillover effects when diving into a pool at least at a depth of 3. As for the construction of the deep-sea channel, I have other ways."

A second before he closed his eyes completely, he silently glanced at Miya, who was standing not far away, waving gently.

Actually, at the beginning, the intention of this deep dive was to bring her along. After all, in the distant Noon Calendar, the Uso tribe should not have been invaded and persecuted by the worms. In that era, her relatives who also had snake-like bodies could still live in the sunlight.

There, the little snake might see her kin again—those she lost in the nest era.

However, in the end, Ai abandoned this idea: during the Hive Era, in Hive City, he had indeed wielded a power that no one could ignore, which was why the fox dared to swagger around, even in front of the Foundation, to tour the Upper City.

Under the dome, he can now try to decide his own destiny.

But at noon—on that stage where gods coexist, no one knows what the most obvious danger he will face is the Moth, the one confirmed to have participated in the death of Mi Mu. Just Him alone is a terrifying existence that Ai cannot avoid.

In Sichen's eyes, history is not as "stable" as it is in the perception of ordinary people.

The moth has already tried to hunt it.

If He is a follower of radiance, then He will not forget this yearning for light, even in times that have passed.

—Tsk—

The fox sighed. At least, before exploring the environment of their destination, Ai didn't have the confidence to take the little snake back to visit its family—he had even prepared for failure on this deep dive—but as long as he could touch a trace of the secrets of that era, it would be within his acceptable range.

The era of noon has passed, but my era has not yet fully arrived; all the unknowns are possibilities that only I can uncover.

"Let's go."

With a soft murmur, the familiar pure white light screen appeared before Ai Yi. Unlike any other time before, it was so dazzling that it was almost blinding. Perhaps only the azure eyes that contained the radiance could make out the scrawled gold lettering on it amidst the maddeningly bright white.

"The road sign has been found."

The secret history of the "Sacred Tree" paves a path to the land of the pond, and the art of deep-sea diving guides your course: You are about to arrive at the midday landing point, which has been anchored: [The White Ash Tree that Supports the World - Nine-Layered Crown].

"Current Mystic Level: Forbidden. You will encounter complete mystical power: the magnificent deities of this world, and even the supreme ruler of the laws. Whether they will welcome you is a question—but at the very least, it certainly will."

A stage of unparalleled splendor.

"The glow is guiding your descent!"

The subtitles slowly faded, and at that moment, an even more boundless light took over the role of the door, enveloping everything in that magnificent pillar of light.

From a spiritual perspective, the beacon of the way, piercing through heaven and earth, rises horizontally from the depths of the Red Pool like a towering tree: "The beacon is lit, the navigation channel is cleared!"

The next instant, a pure white booklet appeared beside Ai Yi. Washed by the ocean of light, it appeared infinitely sacred, yet exuded an unparalleled presence. The next second, an intense, terrifying sense of weightlessness enveloped his consciousness. Dragged almost frantically towards the red pool, his light soul seemed to be facing an endless descent—

In an instant, the familiar, material world around me was swept aside by a radiant spirituality.

"Depth 0 - Tidal flats are now passable."

Dive to "Depth 1 - Shallow Bay"

Inspiration was rising, and the world became increasingly blurry in the rising field of vision—Ai felt as if her red fluid had been ignited, and her parched throat was extremely dehydrated and hoarse, as if it was about to spew fire, tearing out a ripping pain.

The mysterious gravitational pull from the excessive diving frequency was squeezing his mind, but the pure white radiance still tightly enveloped the vessel, transforming it into a shell supported by light.

He strained to open his eyes wide, his pupils, brimming with radiance, frantically swallowing everything around him—knowledge beyond the senses, knowledge that could never be touched in ordinary deep dives, knowledge about the nature of the "Red Pool" and the phenomena represented by "depth."

Shallow Bay, separated from the real world by only one "pond surface" in depth, is not so clearly separated from the mysterious and the natural. At least there are some traces of mutual integration, like "ink marks" spreading in layers.

Next, we descended to "Depth 2 - Shenzhen-Hong Kong".

A wave of hypothermia washed over him, as if he were immersed in icy water. Ai felt his perspective increasingly distorted; the kaleidoscopic, bizarre scenes outside were beyond the comprehension of a mortal—he relied on the mystical tentacles forming around him to comprehend everything under the raging water pressure.

Shenzhen-Hong Kong: Truly detached from the material world, Ai Yi has lost her five senses. Only the medium composed of secret matter can touch everything here without any obstruction. The noisy noise is no longer a "sound" but a vibrating medium. Everywhere here are waves of red liquid vibrating, endlessly washing over the pool walls that may or may not exist, and then surging towards the "upper" level.

Then—

下潜

"Depth 3: The Old Capital"

—A few seconds ago—or perhaps a few days ago—the suffocating feeling suddenly vanished. Ai Yi could no longer perceive the passage of time. Apart from her mysterious limbs, her "physical body" had been abandoned by her "spirit," leaving her completely unresponsive. This was a realm entirely ruled by the spiritual. Consciousness, like some kind of spore or a primitive multicellular organism, spread and condensed in the boundless red liquid.

In a hazy, dreamlike state of consciousness, Ai felt a strange palpitation, as if there were invisible eyes watching from all directions: naked greed, the resentment and yearning of forgotten and lost things—indescribable things roamed between every crimson tide, growing, lying dormant, hiding, exuding a surging and crude appetite and malice.

The old capital: surrounded by fragmented mountains and ruins, collapsed towers and abandoned kingdoms—all forgotten things washed pale by time. Primitive and powerful mysterious life forms are often born here. They are far less great than the gods of the world, but rely on the "savage instinct" to survive in the red pool, revealing the purest primal desires without any disguise.

Appetite, destructive urges, lust, desire for control —

The Great Mythic of Permanence from Hallownest, the Whale Whistle, is always pointed here, and thus these beasts both yearn for and fear the "worldly realm" floating above the pool, and the unguarded, weak souls that dwell within it.

At that moment, the radiance, with its cold and merciless scorching light, dispelled them—vast swaths of shadow and spirits vanished and dissolved in the light's impenetrability as they approached. Those enormous beings, capable of reaching the third or even fourth energy level through instinct alone, harboring their pursuit of the deepest level of light, vanished like bubbles in the brief illumination of the radiance.

The secret substance of disorder.

Next is ————

Go down, dive?

—Shall we dive further?

Ai stood there, frozen in place.

The guiding light had already entered his spiritual realm; this was his destination. The radiant light had escorted him here; now, all he had to do was sink into this complete treetop kingdom—

Just then, Ai felt a strange sense of loss.

—It's right below.

He faced that direction, resolute.

One is right below, just a little bit.

Just a little bit more —

An almost unbearable longing enveloped everything; even the strongest will seemed as insignificant as a speck of dust before this "desire."

A thousand layers of curtains, countless starlight, and things that flowed upwards from that level—those almost negligible small parts that were peeled off from a "vast and incomprehensible" main body—occupied his entire mind.

Like sparks bursting from burning firewood, wanting to return to the world just an inch below the "origin" that deconstructed everything about itself, the level beneath that infinite veil of radiance—there, the source of radiance, the flowing divine current, the blooming sparks, everything knowable and unknowable, the end of divinity and existence, the "obsession" that entwines every point of spirituality like a long-cherished wish.

It is as if what is presented at the bottom of that inverted pool, at the top of the overturned tower of light, is a call, a call that encompasses all paternal and maternal instincts.

His primal instincts almost brought him to tears.

—Flowing from the side of the light, a surging longing for home—

This is an instinct called "return" and "completion" that no spirituality can resist.

-glow----

Ai stretched out her arms, like an infant using an almost instinctive and resistant force to peel away the arms that were blocking her way, and flowed back into the womb where she was born.

Depth 4 —

And at the very end of the next moment, a soft, indiscernible, almost indulgent chuckle lingered around him.

The surrounding radiance extended its gentle touch, pulling this nascent spirit back from the gap in the curtain.

Then, in the next second, she gently put the beacon back in the direction it pointed to.

Xiao Bai: "Where are you looking?"

The feeling of weightlessness returned, followed by the return of senses from the void: touch, hearing, smell, and the long-lost sight—

Under a blinding flash of light, Ai opened her eyes in a daze.

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