nycdaug Chapter 36 Throwing Oneself into Darkness, Embracing the Abyss
Chapter 36 Throwing Oneself into Darkness, Embracing the Abyss
Yu Wang suddenly looked up, glanced around, and his heart pounded wildly.
Before anyone knew it, a thick, milky-white fog had silently enveloped the entire sea area.
With limited visibility, even with the illumination of the fish oil lamp, one could only barely see an area of less than ten meters around the "Little Yellow Duck".
The fog is too thick.
The world seemed to have been stripped of its color, leaving only a deathly gray.
In this vast expanse, Yu Wang's gaze suddenly caught sight of a spherical shadow flashing past in the thick fog, about seven or eight meters ahead of the starboard side of the ship! The speed was astonishing!
It doesn't look like a real object, but rather like an illusion created by moonlight shining through a dense fog of uneven density.
But Yu Wangke wouldn't simply assume that he was just seeing things.
"What is that thing?!"
You inadvertently glimpsed the presence of someone, and the unknown danger stirred up your deepest fears.
[The "If you can't beat them, join them" talent effect activated... Detection failed!]
[Rationality - 13]
The game prompts flashed before his eyes, and a slight dizziness and nausea from the sharp drop in sanity surged up, but Yu Wang had almost no time to pay attention to them.
His muscles were tense, he gripped the harpoon tightly, and all his senses were activated to the extreme!
They locked their gaze firmly on the area of thick fog where the shadows had vanished!
-
[Ding! Survivor detected encountering 'Projection of Abyssal Corruption', newbie protection mechanism forcibly intervened! Temporary protective field generating... (Don't be afraid! I'm coming!)]
-
Fortunately, the game's protection mechanism was triggered. Almost simultaneously, a thin, pale golden light film spread out from the "Little Yellow Duck" center, forming a weak force field with a diameter of about fifty meters.
The thick fog seemed to be slightly dispersed by this force, and the visibility became a little clearer.
The fog arrived strangely and disappeared just as suddenly. Apart from that fleeting spherical shadow, no further unusual phenomena occurred.
By midnight, the fog had completely dissipated, and the moonlight shone down once more.
Everything seemed so normal, like a common natural phenomenon, as if the shadow that had suddenly appeared was just a nightmare.
But Yu Wang knew that he was being targeted by a monster.
He no longer felt any sense of relief that he had escaped unscathed; instead, the chill in his heart deepened.
After tonight, it will be the fourth day of the game, and the newbie safe period is already halfway over.
Once the newbie protection ends, that monster will definitely come back! Just being seen deducts 13 sanity points; if you were to encounter it head-on…
Yu Wang stopped thinking about it: "That monster requires at least extraordinary strength to deal with! How could such a powerful being exist in the Primordial Sea?"
Humans, based on the limitations of their mortal bodies, have a ceiling of 10 points.
The process of breaking through this limit and stepping into a wider realm is called "transcendence," which grants the ability to fight against the increasingly terrifying ocean.
However, all paths to "extraordinary" achievement are neither easy nor gifts.
Survivors who want to achieve extraordinary abilities have two main paths to choose from.
The first rule: "Throw yourself into darkness, embrace the abyss."
Whether actively or passively, they accept the erosion of the power of indescribable beings such as the abyss and monsters, thus transforming their body and mind.
The power may come swiftly, but the cost is equally terrifying.
The gradual erosion of humanity, the uncontrollable distortion of the body, and reason constantly teetering on the edge of madness... these are the norm on this path.
Survivors who take this path are generally stronger, but the backlash is also the most intense.
To dance with the abyss is to walk on a knife's edge.
In his previous life, Yu Wang was forced to embark on this treacherous path.
The other, seemingly milder approach, is to "seek faith and serve the gods."
To devoutly serve certain deities, spirits of nature, and ancient heroes who exist in the world.
They seek blessings and power from the gods through prayer, offerings, and other means.
The path to advancement is usually slow and steady. As long as one's faith is not in a disguised evil god, there's a high probability of maintaining basic human form and self-will.
This road may seem safe, but you are not in control of your own destiny and are restricted at every turn.
The strength and potential for development of one's power are largely determined by the status of the object of one's faith, the degree of favor shown to one, and the purity and steadfastness of one's faith.
Even if you manage to deceive yourself and dedicate yourself wholeheartedly, the final outcome may still be that you get caught up in a war of faith and become cannon fodder.
In addition, there are some niche routes.
For example, merging with monsters, body modification, bloodline mutation, etc.
These paths each have their own unique features, but they are generally difficult to reach extremely high levels, and very few strong individuals make a name for themselves in them.
Three paths, each fraught with thorns, and none of them lead to a bright future.
The pressure came like a landslide and a tsunami.
He must become stronger, and stronger even faster!
……
After confirming that the surrounding environment was safe, I settled down.
Yu Wang rubbed his throbbing temples, feeling his eyelids as heavy as if they were weighed down with lead.
Tonight's experiences, from fighting the sea bugs to the sudden close encounter with the monster, had taken a heavy toll on his mind and energy.
My mental state is now filled with extreme exhaustion after being brutally crushed and ravaged.
Forcing himself to stay alert, Yu Wang did the final work.
As usual, he skillfully divided the pre-made pastes into portions and listed them on the trading platform.
A prominent title and detailed explanation have been set.
It is important to note that different pastes will only take effect the first time you consume them.
First, 420 portions of fish paste were prepared, divided into four parts, with 105 portions in each part.
Some were exchanged for only 100 pearl coins.
Some only exchange for 800 wood.
Some only replace 800 plastic.
The last part is more flexible, allowing for 850 units of any combination of food, water, and basic materials. If the amount of materials such as metal parts and gears is large, the quantity can be increased appropriately.
Yu Wang discovered that although he had enough to eat and drink, his food and water were not abundant enough to be readily available for trade.
After turning the compressed biscuits into a paste, the only available food items are 2 thin noodles, 5 chocolates, 4 self-heating rice, and 7 Master Kong instant noodles.
Regarding freshwater, the 500ml desalination unit has run out today, and only 9.1 bottles (500ml) of bottled water remain.
Even if they stop using fresh water for trading, at their current consumption rate of two bottles a day, it won't be long before they run out.
Based on observations of the trading platform's transaction records,
Yu Wang knew that at this stage, food and water remained unshakable hard currencies, especially fresh water, which could be exchanged for almost any basic resource, making it a veritable universal currency.
Pearl coins are mostly hoarded by hardcore gamers who are not short of food and drink at the moment, or by far-sighted individuals, as an investment product.
Very few people actually use it for daily transactions.
If something can be obtained directly through food and water, try to avoid using basic materials.
However, this situation will likely change in about a month.
At that time, people generally possessed "Level 1 Sacred Flame" and buildings similar to "Water Cannons".
As pearl coins became an important form of fuel, their price rose accordingly, eventually becoming like gold, serving as both a commodity and a general equivalent.
Yu Wang snapped out of his daze and continued editing the link. Next, he made the shrimp paste and divided it into 5 portions.
Only trade blueprints, strange and unusual items with unclear functions or effects, special cards, and dungeon entry tickets.
When adding new product links, Yu Wang casually removed all the links for medicines whose prices he had previously mentioned. Even though the prices had increased once, the medicines were still priced like charity.
And he has already sold enough; if he sells the rest later, the price will be even higher.
Before a large number of humans become extraordinary and shed their fragile bodies, this stuff will be a real bargaining chip, so it's best to keep some as a backup.
As he had predicted, shortly after the link was posted,
The focus of the chat in section 444 quickly shifted from panic and flame wars over the 5-nautical-mile target to these "magical mud balls" that could permanently boost attributes.
Just as the system announced that tomorrow's sailing mileage would surge to 5 nautical miles.
The value of "physical constitution" has been redefined:
Physical fitness = higher physical strength = more sustained rowing power = hope of survival.
Yu Wang's move can be seen as taking advantage of the game broadcast to accurately strike at the most pressing nerves of all the survivors.
Players who were already frantically searching for any items that could improve their sailing efficiency almost went crazy when they saw the words "permanently increases physique".
But this doesn't change the fact that my pockets are empty.
Iced Coke (no sugar): "Holy crap! The 'Big Boss' has released something new! 'Special Energy Paste'? It can slightly boost your physique?! And so much of it!"
Yuanshang Baiyun Hei: "Truly worthy of being a top-tier player in the entire server, every move he makes refreshes the limits of my understanding."
AAA Timber Wholesaler: "Who cares! Anything that adds attributes is good! My constitution is only a little over 3 points, and I'm really worried about that! I have some timber! I'll try getting another batch!"
……
After sending the link, Yu Wang didn't care about the feedback.
He did one last check on the fuel for the campfire on the roof, and then glanced at his own control panel.
I felt a little more at ease after confirming that my sanity level was stable at around 63/100.
With everything settled, Yu Wang gave Ya A a few final instructions, then lay down on the prepared floor mat. As soon as he relaxed, the fatigue that had accumulated throughout the day overwhelmed him like a flood bursting its banks.
Consciousness sank into darkness almost instantly.
Outside the ship, the blood moon silently glided across the sky, casting its dark red glow onto the calm sea.
The fish oil lamp burned quietly inside the lampshade, occasionally emitting a crackling or popping sound.
Duck A tirelessly processed the scattered information, occasionally adjusting its course.
Among the numerous disorganized and invalid private messages in the background chat, it captured a private message with keywords.
Crazy Shark: "I have a tamarind tree. I'll exchange blueprints, or two kinds of paste."
【Sour chrysanthemum tree】
[Type: Plant]
[Description: Fruit trees in their fruiting period can produce 15-20 fruits per day for 10 days, after which they wither. (Very sour, it can easily make your face turn sore, but it is rich in vitamins A, B, C, D, etc.)]