Endless Ocean: Survival Begins with a Dugout Canoe

Shi Ming couldn’t understand the gibberish this alien race spoke, but he could sense fear and submission from the wise one’s Spiritual Power and actions. ’Since I’m new here, having a local guide might be a good idea,’ he thought. This was despite the fact that these creatures had shown blatant malice, and their bodies and appearances were a far cry from what humans would consider beautiful.

The Infestation ceased.

But Shi Ming’s aura grew even more imposing. His vast Spiritual Power, as immense as a mountain and deep as an abyss, enveloped the surviving members of the Seven-Eyed Race, crushing them to the point they could barely breathe.

His Spiritual Power forcefully invaded the mind of the wise one, initiating a mental conversation.

"My lord, my name is Chahar. I am a... Commander of the Seven-Eyed Race."

Chahar was filled with terror.

Based on how the stranger’s abilities manifested, he understood that the Seven-Eyed Race had picked a fight with the wrong person. He had thought that by occupying these wormhole ruins, treasures and prey would occasionally fall right into their laps. But this time, someone they couldn’t afford to provoke had shown up.

’He’s most likely a powerhouse from the Holy Hall, or even a Nirvana-rank expert.’

’Nirvana-rank experts are exceedingly rare in the Star Sea! The odds of running into one are lower than a meteor wiping out our entire race! How could we be so unlucky today?!’

’Could the "universe-shaking super treasure" foretold by the Dream of Revelation really be appearing like this?’

’I can’t give up on the treasure.’

’I need to lie low for now,’

’...and figure out a plan later.’

"What Star Domain is this?" Shi Ming asked.

He could have used the Eye of Destiny to learn basic information like the Star Domain and his location, but it wasn’t worth wasting one of its uses on such trivial matters.

Chahar was trembling with fear.

Through their psychic exchange, he intuitively understood Shi Ming’s intent. He realized this expert, whom he suspected was Nirvana-rank, was asking for information about their location.

"My lord, this is the Unfastened Boat Star Realm."

’Unfastened Boat Star Realm?’

Shi Ming searched his memory for the intelligence he had recovered from the Nirvana, Rui Liang of the Dark Star Race’s ship, but found no mention of this star realm.

The Star Sea was endless, and the places Rui Liang had visited were just a drop in the ocean. It wasn’t surprising that there was no information about it.

"Why did you all gather here to attack me?"

"This..."

Chahar looked conflicted.

"Speak the truth!"

Shi Ming’s Spiritual Power was monitoring Chahar.

Under his watch, any attempt at concealment would be utterly exposed. Even the emotional fluctuations that came with telling a lie could not escape his detection.

"My lord, it was my skill, the Dream of Revelation, that foresaw your arrival."

’Dream of Revelation?’

’It foresaw my arrival?’

Shi Ming sensed from Chahar’s emotional fluctuations that he was lying. ’Besides, if the Dream of Revelation could truly predict the arrival of a Nirvana-rank expert, would this wise man of the Seven-Eyed Race really lead his entire people here to commit collective suicide?’

’Dishonest.’

Once again, rot-worms bored their way out of his eyes.

"M-My lord..."

"The Dream of Revelation... it foresaw a super treasure, one that would shake the cosmos, emerging from the Holy Pot of my Seven-Eyed Race—this very damaged wormhole. To welcome the treasure, I brought a million of my kin here to perform a ritual and witness this great opportunity for our people..."

"I never thought..."

Chahar squeezed his eyes shut.

This time, he was speaking the truth.

’A universe-shaking super treasure?’

’Is he talking about me?’

’Or is it the Dayun? Or maybe one of the artifacts on board?’

’This Dream of Revelation has really mastered the clickbait style. "Universe-shaking"... He sure knows how to grab people’s attention and get a reaction. The guy has a knack for media. He’d probably be a great features editor for a newspaper on the Twelve Stars.’

"How exactly does your [Dream of Revelation] skill work?"

"The Dream of Revelation is a Destiny-aspected skill. It’s deeply bound to my race’s Holy Pot and can predict what treasures might appear from it in the near future."

’The Holy Pot...’

Shi Ming glanced back at where the Holy Pot used to be. It had already been turned to dust by the corrosion of his [Infestation], completely ceasing to exist.

However, as it was being destroyed, he had already discovered that the pot, several hundred meters long, was actually just a celestial body formed from energy leaking from the damaged wormhole. In essence, it was no different from a meteorite. As long as the damaged wormhole in the Deep Cosmos remained, the pot’s existence was irrelevant.

It was just that before, things seemed to appear from inside the pot.

Now, they would just appear out of open space.

"My lord..."

"My people gathered here because of the revelation, and we truly never expected to offend you, my lord. This whole conflict is just a misunderstanding. Please, be merciful. On behalf of my people, I am willing to offer you another treasure. It is called..."

Before Chahar could finish speaking,

both Shi Ming and he simultaneously sensed an unusual fluctuation descend upon the Dayun’s location. A three-meter-long crack appeared in the damaged wormhole in the Deep Cosmos, and a wondrous aura began to build and emanate from within.

Chahar’s pupils widened.

’Could it be...’

’...that this is the prophesied treasure?’

Right on cue, a new notification from the Eye of Destiny appeared before Shi Ming.

It was always eager when it came to matters like these.

[The Eye of the Divine’s transit after countless years has caused a fluctuation in the Deep Cosmos.]

[Therefore, it has attracted a treasure once lost in the wormhole to reappear in the world.]

[This sounds like a magnet passing through a tunnel, attracting lost coins that were left behind for various reasons.]

[What good luck!]

[...]

[Treasure - Bright Stone]

[When a bright star dies, its core energy condenses into a perpetually glowing stone. Hmm, it’s not as valuable as a stalk of Snow-Tipped Jade, to say nothing of the Creation Star Core on Earth! But hey, it’s better than nothing!]

Shi Ming stretched out his hand.

His Spiritual Power wrapped around the Bright Stone that had just left the wormhole and brought the treasure into his hand.

’Not bad.’

’Even if it’s just ’better than nothing,’ getting a haul like this on my first trip exploring the Star Sea is what you’d call a good start.’

Chahar stared wistfully at the Bright Stone in Shi Ming’s hand, his expression a mask of unconcealable envy and regret. Meanwhile, Shi Ming kept his Spiritual Power focused on the area around the damaged wormhole.

He sensed that there seemed to be something else inside the wormhole.

’According to the Eye of Destiny’s alert, the Eye of the Divine’s passage after all these years triggered some kind of collection effect in this damaged wormhole? Like a magnet attracting lost coins.’

’If that’s the case...’

’...will more treasures appear?’

’Could the "universe-shaking super treasure" that Chahar foresaw be one of them? Has its turn to be pulled out of the wormhole just not come yet? If I play the waiting game here, might I get an extra reward?’

Shi Ming unceremoniously put the Bright Stone away.

Before he could ask his next question, a loud CRACK echoed out. The damaged wormhole, which had begun to close, ripped open again, forming a new seven-meter-long fissure.

’Just as I thought!’

Only this time, a terrifying yet profound aura washed over the area, making this stretch of the Star Sea feel grim and deadly.

’Not good!’

With a single thought from Shi Ming, the [Dayun]—which had reached Star-Cluster class—activated its absolute defense mode. Ah Jian’s thousands of avatars instantly dissipated, their Spiritual Power taking refuge inside Shi Ming. Meanwhile, the Three-Eyed Golden Crow, still standing on the Dayun’s railing, was caught off guard and took a great tumble, finding itself safely inside the ship’s new protective barrier.

To be safe, he also activated the eighth-ranked curio from the Lighthouse, the Shield of Star Guardian, which enveloped the Dayun completely.

KRAAACK—

In the blink of an eye, violent energy erupted from the fissure in the damaged wormhole. The two Clan Elders of the Holy Hall rank, who were closest to the wormhole and had just broken free from the Eternal Life Law, took the full brunt of the first shockwave. Their physical bodies were torn to shreds, their seven eyes mercilessly severed and reduced to ichor.

The fate of the million members of the Seven-Eyed Race gathered here was even worse.

They had survived Ah Jian’s attack, only to now face a Celestial Calamity that even Holy Hall experts couldn’t withstand. A howling shockwave swept through their ranks, engulfing more than half of the Seven-Eyed Race.

Severed limbs and mangled bodies were swept up, dissolving into a crimson, gale-force wind.

The wormhole tore open into a gaping fissure!

[Whoa! A golden Legendary!]

[The wise one of the Seven-Eyed Race, Chahar, didn’t get his prophecy wrong after all! Now, the "universe-shaking super treasure" will make its grand entrance!]