Chapter 823 - 183: Curse and Truth
The "Gray Sparrow" and "Nightwalker" sailed into the Turtle’s mouth.
Behind them, the Turtle’s wide-open mouth slowly closed, along with the dim and gloomy lights of the Water Planet.
When darkness enveloped their surroundings, the two warships turned on their respective lights.
They moved forward quietly in the endless darkness, like two large fish with glowing eyes.
Soon, the deep darkness suddenly trembled a bit before quickly returning to calmness.
Han Zhan felt it sinking.
"The survivors you want me to see, are they underwater?"
"No." Jian Beifang looked ahead quietly, "You’ll see them soon."
"You mean... they live inside the Turtle?!" Han Zhan asked with surprise.
"It’s not strange. There are a large number of algae growing inside the Turtle, which can produce the oxygen necessary for breathing. Besides, various natural food supplies are readily available here."
"But how do they solve the problem of the Evil Curse?"
Upon hearing Han Zhan’s questioning, Jian Beifang fell silent again.
After a long pause, he continued, "Soon, you’ll find out."
As the two conversed, the "Gray Sparrow" and "Nightwalker" sailed through the endless darkness for an unknown length of time.
Then, suddenly, a point of light appeared not far ahead of them.
The light grew bigger in their eyes, gradually illuminating the ship’s hull, masts, portholes, and eventually the entire world.
"This is..." Han Zhan and the Contracted Spirit Girls widened their eyes at the sight before them.
No matter how many magnificent scenes they had witnessed before, this scene deeply shocked them.
This is the new world inside the Turtle!
"The glowing plants above us are called Celestial Bright Vine, and they feed on saprophytic organisms."
"Inside the Turtle, saprophytic organisms are abundant, allowing Celestial Bright Vine to absorb abundant nutrients and emit light similar to sunlight."
Under the Celestial Bright Vine’s illumination, their eyes gradually adapted, allowing them to clearly see the distant scene.
"Is the legend true?"
"Did the Turtle truly swallow the last piece of land on the Water Planet?!"
Indeed, before Han Zhan’s eyes appeared a vast expanse of land.
On the Water Planet, this was an almost unprecedented sight, scarcely describable even as rare, but truly unique.
"Let’s go."
Facing such a scene, Jian Beifang appeared very calm.
To be precise, he had once been as shocked by this sight as Han Zhan and the others were, but that was a very long time ago.
The commotion here quickly caught the attention of the creatures surviving on the land.
They soon gathered, standing at the shore.
When Han Zhan saw them, his pupils suddenly contracted.
If it weren’t for Jian Beifang beside him, entering an unknown land alone,
upon seeing these creatures for the first time, he likely would have chosen to fire rather than attempt negotiation.
Because they were all a writhing mass of black sludge!
Not only that.
Han Zhan saw the writhing black sludge suddenly raise a small section of black mud toward their ship, as if waving an arm.
More black mud dripped down from its "arm,"
yet a crisp voice of a boy rang in their ears:
"Uncle Beifang! It’s Uncle Jian Beifang! He’s come back to see us again!"
"Uncle... Beifang?" Upon hearing the voice and address, Han Zhan’s brows furrowed, as if he had thought of something.
Jian Beifang moored the "Nightwalker" on the water surface and walked onto land from the lowered plank.
He also raised his hand, waving to the black sludge, as if interacting.
Meanwhile, Jian Beifang’s explanatory voice reached Han Zhan’s ears:
"As you can see, this is the truth of the Water Planet."
"Are they people? The native inhabitants of the Water Planet?" Han Zhan asked uncertainly.
Jian Beifang nodded, affirming, "Yes, they are the native inhabitants of the Water Planet, they are human."
"This black sludge is the so-called Evil Curse, continuously produced from the bodies of the Water Planet inhabitants, endlessly."
"The true source of the Evil Curse is untraceable, perhaps it’s a destroyer of wills, or from beyond the stars."
"In the past secrets I know, from a certain day, the Water Planet inhabitants began continuously producing black sludge, which contained the Evil Curse, causing Mutated effects on the entire Water Planet."
"To minimize this impact, they decided to no longer appear on the Water Planet, but chose to live inside the Turtle."
"However, not all Water Planet inhabitants were willing to live forever in a sunless place, self-imprisoned underwater."
"During that time, the Water Planet inhabitants had a disagreement, and ultimately, aside from those living inside the Turtle, another group of native inhabitants Mutated into Fishmen."
Fishmen, presumably the group of NPC tribes Han Zhan encountered.
There was no visible black sludge on them, likely because they were constantly washed by the sea and rain, cleansing away the Curse.
Is this the truth about the Water Planet’s Evil Curse?
If given a choice, would one choose to Mutate into Fishmen and live at sea, or choose to be engulfed by the curse, silently living underwater... Han Zhan pondered silently.
"We can help them, purify the Curse."
Han Zhan thought of the "Gray Sparrow" effect which reduces the Evil Curse by 100%.
Jian Beifang shook his head, "It’s useless, the curses that can be purified are those that were absorbed externally, while the Curse inside the Water Planet inhabitants is emitted from inside out."
To purify the Curse within the Water Planet inhabitants, they would have to be purified together.
This is unrealistic.
After understanding the source of the Evil Curse, only the last mystery of the Water Planet remains.
Jian Beifang clearly knew that too, he kept moving forward, continuing:
"On the Water Planet, many people speculate that the creation of the virtual game world was through a special virtual authority."
"They only guessed half of it."
Jian Beifang arrived in front of the group of "black sludge," his smile no longer casual.
He nodded respectfully to the Water Planet inhabitants, then asked, "Is Ji Mu still in his room?"
"Yes, Lord Beifang." This time, the voice was elderly, all covered in black sludge, making real appearances indistinguishable.
"Since you left last time, Lord Ji Mu has always been thinking of you. He will be very happy you returned."
Ji Mu?
Who is Ji Mu?
Like Jian Beifang, he was respectfully addressed by the Water Planet inhabitants, could he be the truth behind the virtual gameification of the Water Planet?
Thoughts flashed through Han Zhan’s mind.
He and Jian Beifang had arrived at the entrance of an ordinary small house.
Upon pushing open the door and entering, the sight was the back of an eight or nine-year-old boy and a gaming console with flickering graphics!