??Chapter 161: 160. Sunken City 1
Chapter 161: 160. Sunken City 1
After watching the video repeatedly, Lu Ban was quite certain that there indeed were so structures on The Island.
However, the design of these buildings was extrely unique, unlike ordinary buildings, they resembled so kind of obelisks, or twisted towers.
Normally, architects would not construct buildings like this, let alone in the stormy seas, where such houses would face greater wind resistance. When a typhoon approached, they might shake or even collapse.
Yet, amidst the wind and rain, The Island stood firm, unaffected by the wind and waves, and only appeared intermittently through the torrents of rain.
At the end of the video, as the waves surged, the ship left the vicinity of The Island, which disappeared below the sea level, unknown to all what it actually was.
Lu Ban looked at the comnts.
[Is there a house on this island? Could soone be living there?]
[Impossible, if there really were people living there, there should be a harbor or sothing, and the captain should know what island this is.]
[It’s quite normal, there are many islands in the ocean that are not marked on maps, and this is probably one of them.]
[I’ve heard a theory that so islands are normally underwater, and only surface due to tidal changes at certain tis.]
[Could it be that The Island was once inhabited, but sank due to geological movents, only to resurface recently?]
[I saw experts say that this is caused by underwater volcanic activity. The volcano erupted, and the lava flowed out to the surface, forming an island!]
[Could it be that there are rn up there, is Atlantis possibly here???]
[Atlantis is in the Atlantic Ocean, this is the Pacific!]
The number of people who noticed the abnormality of The Island was clearly not just him. Opinions varied wildly, so even involving esoteric matters like the Mayan civilization and the Crystal Skull, and the discussion quickly deviated from the main topic.
Lu Ban wasn’t too interested in islands in the sea; his main concern with paying attention was that the “buildings” on The Island gave him a peculiarly unsettling feeling. It was reminiscent of the flesh-and-blood tower he had seen in Dried Water Town in Night Country. It was as though so malevolent yet grand will was projecting itself on this planet, full of indifference, grandeur, and a cold touch.
“If there’s a chance, I could search for The Island in the Pacific, maybe I could gain so inspiration,” he thought.
Lu Ban knew very well that even if supernatural entities might attract each other, staying in Jiangcheng, he could encounter all sorts of strange things. But the world is vast, and to understand more secrets about it, he must leave ho and touch the broader world; he couldn’t rely on cloud guesses at ho.
After checking his phone for a while longer, Lu Ban put it down, closed his eyes, and quickly fell asleep to the lodious tunes of the Spring Festival gala playlist.
…
South Pacific, Pohnpei Island, “Star Cluster” cruise ship, captain’s quarters.
Captain Johnson Gustav looked in front of him at the nautical chart, deep worry in his eyes.
“Although we’ve received supplies now, the storms along the route are still raging. Trying to get through the storm is unrealistic, and waiting for the storm to pass will add several more days to our travel ti…”
Autumn in the South Pacific is prone to storms; without any land around, these low-pressure cyclones will draw in vast amounts of seawater, reducing their temperature and forming one superstorm after another that is rarely seen on land.
And this year’s storms were exceptionally strong. According to the weather forecast Johnson had received, the cloud temperatures at the center of the typhoon were close to minus sixty degrees Celsius, indicating that this storm would be unprecedentedly powerful.
Presently, Pohnpei Island was still beyond the reach of the storm, but one could easily see the pitch-black clouds in the distance and the deep purple lightning lurking within them; any ship daring to enter that storm at this ti was courting death.
Not to ntion, Captain Johnson had also seen that.
“I didn’t expect to actually co across that island; Lili was right this ti, it was not a good ti to set out,” he said.
He rembered the calendar his eastern wife consulted before the trip, which had the words “not suitable for travel” on it. He had scoffed at the ti, yet now the prediction had eerily co true.
If the “Star Cluster” had been just a cargo ship, Captain Johnson would only have to worry about unwelco pirates; but this was a cruise ship carrying four thousand passengers, who all required resources for their everyday needs.
Now, only halfway through the journey, if the consumption continued this way, Captain Johnson estimated he would have to return ho early.
Moreover, amidst the storm, he had encountered that “ominous island.”
This was a legend passed among the sailors traversing the Pacific Ocean. Sowhere in the Pacific lay an island left by a prehistoric civilization, usually subrged by the waves and located below sea level, but at certain tis, during colossal storms, the island would erge from the sea. Without exception, any ship that saw that island encountered hardship, even sinking.
Johnson did not believe such tales; he preferred to think that the islands originally underwater were actually much larger than they appeared and that the seabed in that area was littered with similar reefs, leading ships that saw the island to hit rocks and malfunction, thus giving rise to the legend.
“It’s just…”
Perhaps due to the ntal strain of the long voyage, several people on board, including sailors, had begun to show signs of ntal instability, with mood swings and hallucinations. Johnson acted decisively to isolate these individuals and had the ship’s doctor administer sedatives to them.
There were whispers among the crew that these individuals had fallen prey to misfortune after sighting the island, causing widespread panic.
Right now, what Captain Johnson wished for was the storm to subside quickly, so they could reach their destination.
“I hope there are no more troubles ahead,” he said as he watched the intensifying storm and sighed.
…
In the morning, Lu Ban opened his eyes and checked the ti: eight o’clock sharp.
The tune of “Let’s Row the Boat” was still echoing in his ears. Surprisingly, Lu Ban did not feel any chest tightness or shortness of breath. He looked down at himself and the fog was nowhere to be found.
Getting up and drawing back the curtains, Lu Ban saw golden sunlight bathing the Earth, leaving dazzling brilliance behind. He went to the living room and soon found out why this morning felt so fresh.
The two clumps of fog were resting on top of Qin Tiantian, like two slumbering kittens, while Qin Tiantian, lying on the couch, had long since kicked away the blanket Lu Ban had kindly covered her with. The hem of her Shark Ho Wear had flipped up, revealing her flat belly and navel.
Her expression seed pained; she was probably having a nightmare.
Lu Ban called out to her.
“It’s so heavy…”
Qin Tiantian muttered in her sleep.
The two clumps of fog, however, remained motionless, still perched atop Qin Tiantian’s “flight deck.”
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