At the edge of the nearshore, Storm Gorge, night.
Under the faintly reddened red moon, fierce winds howled, thunder roared, and towering waves surged.
Chen Qi stood at the helm in the captain’s cabin, carefully steering the ship through the pitch-black Storm Gorge.
“A precursor to the Smiling Moon phase…”
Chen Qi lifted his head, his gaze piercing through the glass.
The moon in the sky looked as if it was soaked in blood, hanging on the horizon, casting a faint red glow over the sea surface.
The swaying ship was like a lonely fallen leaf, struggling forward amidst the raging waves.
At this mont, a Triangle Helt Knight approached from behind and tapped Chen Qi’s back with his iron hand, which was studded with spikes:
“Captain, how much longer until we reach our destination?”
“Two hours. Also, don’t just randomly touch my back…”
Chen Qi felt an unprecedented sharp sting radiate from his back.
According to Doctor Crow, he had about an hour left before ascending to heaven.
However, last night, he felt like he had already ascended once.
Chen Qi carefully recalled the hazy mories of last night.
Doctor Crow, under the pretext of checking his body, made him lie in bed calmly while wielding a pile of hemostatic forceps and jars, conducting a thorough internal and external examination as well as so minor surgeries.
Logically, after days of training, he could endure pain—even when steel needles were pushed directly into his armpits, he could grit his teeth and bear it.
The difference between slaughter and surgery lay in precision.
Last night, what was perford was less surgery and more slaughter! Yeah... the kind of slaughter used for pigs!
Last night, Chen Qi only rembered Doctor Crow saring so strange dicine on his back, then his body’s pain sensation skyrocketed, followed by a sudden intense treatnt.
Cupping therapy, hamring, everything was applied...
Later, Doctor Crow got increasingly enthusiastic, even riding on top of him to conduct terrifying, blacksmith-like examinations!
The pain in his thighs, back, and arms still hadn’t subsided.
Chen Qi turned to glare at Doctor Crow standing in the corner.
Doctor Crow helplessly shrugged, raising an eyebrow with a mischievous smile, as if to say:
“As the patient, you just need to lie in bed, but as the doctor, I have many things to consider.”
Did she toy with ? Chen Qi stretched his muscles.
Doctor Crow was truly a professional unlicensed doctor—brutal indeed.
Now coming back to his senses, the deep-sea-obsessed Doctor Crow’s sudden insistence on him lying down was probably just a simple desire to see the sea beast pattern on his back.
Got slaughtered... Chen Qi sumd up.
But seriously, that examination actually seed to work!
After the surgery, he felt much more relaxed overall.
Though painful, it was like tearing off a scar on his body, similar to a massage, oddly leaving him with the urge to do it again...
But now wasn’t the ti to discuss that, nor was there a chance for a second round... Chen Qi turned back and placed his hands on the helm:
“One hour left, everyone. We’ll reach the marked spot on the map soon. But this place has a huge storm, and we’re likely to encounter sea beasts.”
White Cloak pressed himself against the glass:
“Little captain, just keep steering forward. I’ll take all the blows for you.”
White Cloak smiled coldly, the massive storm before him was like a light drizzle in his eyes.
“Alright.”
Chen Qi pulled down the railing and pushed the ship’s speed to the maximum.
He expanded his spiritual energy perception to the fullest and hid Ember’s Touch in his sleeve, ready to unleash it at any mont.
According to the drifting bottle retrieved by the Deepsea Water Spirits at sea, there was intelligence about Doctor Crow, Siren, and White Cloak.
This White Cloak’s resu was even more astonishing than Chen Qi’s: Phantom Blade Affinity, an elder cadre in the Sea God Pirates, mastering release techniques, just one step away from the Four Apostles of the Sea God Pirates.
In his early years, he had hunted the Blackship Sea Dragon, the juvenile form of the Coastal Apex Predators.
He also had experience clearing thirty-one D-tier dinsional rifts and three C-tier rifts.
During the C-tier rift ‘Night Without Light,’ he obtained a legendary relic called the Solar Lantern, which could repel many monsters, especially those with Shadow affinity.
Most importantly, he mastered a release technique of the Phantom Affinity.
Because his main affinity was Phantom, his fa wasn’t great, but his strength was undoubtedly one of the top fish-busting bosses nearshore.
According to Doctor Crow’s estimate, White Cloak could take on five or more Captain Blackeyes alone!
Chen Qi wasn’t sure how strong Captain Blackeye really was, but he guessed that with his current strength, even with Ember’s Touch activated, he might only be able to hold a draw against one Captain Blackeye.
One extrely troubleso old guy... Chen Qi tightened his fighting spirit to the highest level.
Such an old guy might attack him the mont the ship reached the rift entrance!
White Cloak patted Chen Qi’s shoulder:
“Boy, you’ve worked hard. After this mission, I’ll apply to let you join our pirate crew and bathe in the sacred waters of the Sea Goddess.”
Doctor Crow glanced at the watch and said coldly:
“White Cloak, don’t forget our mission’s purpose. Our Blackfin Crew provides the materials, but you must complete the ritual. Also, everything obtained from the rift must be split evenly with the Blackfin Crew.
If there are items related to the Deep Sea Hunters or the Flower Witch in the rift, ownership will be negotiated by Big Mom.”
White Cloak replied softly:
“Isn’t it too early to talk about dividing spoils now, Doctor Crow? Didn’t Big Mom tell you that sharing cos after the rift is cleared?”
Doctor Crow was silent. By seniority, she was only a newly promoted cadre now.
“...”
White Cloak walked to Chen Qi’s side and gazed out toward the distant sea:
“Young man, whether we return alive from this rift mission is unknown. Let’s leave everything else until after.”
Boom!
Suddenly, a trendous thunderclap echoed through the sky, illuminating it!
The ship jolted violently!
“Damn it...”
Chen Qi struggled to stay steady.
As a forbidden zone, if he hadn’t upgraded the ship, with the durability of a small houseboat, it would have collapsed instantly.
At this mont, accompanied by the thunder, he sensed a powerful transcendent aura!
But the next second, sothing unexpected happened.
As the ship surged forward, the entire sky faded from ink-black into a washed-out color.
White Cloak couldn’t help but burst into wild laughter:
“Finally, finally, we’re here!”
Amid the roaring storm, a special prompt appeared before Chen Qi’s eyes.
[You have reached the edge of the rift!]
[Spiritual inspiration scanning...]
[Scan successful! (Received minor information notification)]
[Rift Na: Lost Sea Lantern Island
Tier: C
Affinity: Lamp, Flower
Rift Mutation Rate: 87% (Extrely high mutation rate, about to collapse at any mont!)
Rift Tier Limit: Second and third-tier supernaturals allowed.
Rift Population Limit: Maximum fifteen people.
Description: Over four hundred years ago, this was a peaceful village with a rich rift producing an illuminating item called the Sea Lantern, once the most popular ship lamp in these waters.
The Bonfire Energy Company noticed this and ventured to Sea Lantern Island, hoping to acquire this technology.
However, as they set out, daylight flickering signaled famine and madness sweeping the village.
The entire island was on the brink of destruction. For survival and food, villagers sought ancient protection, attempting to summon the Sea Goddess’s most exquisite creation of beauty.
You, as an investigation ship, have crossed the stormy sea to reach here before the ritual begins, aiming to stop everything!
Clearance Condition: Survive until the event ends. (Once arriving at Sea Lantern Island, the whole sea will be surrounded by whirlpools until the event concludes.)
Special Clearance Condition: Stop the ritual of the maddened villagers.
Spiritual Inspiration: On the mountain peak, you saw wings break open from the mountain, erging from the cocoon into a butterfly, flying toward you.]
Snap!
Feeling a buzzing in his head, White Cloak suddenly struck the control panel hard:
“Sea Lantern Island! The legendary birthplace of the Crow Witch, training ground of the Ice Witch, the site of the legendary investigator’s first battle, the place where the Deep Sea Hunters were wounded! The arrival place of the Sea Lantern Fox, and the discovery site of Ember’s Touch!”
Finally, finally... White Cloak was excited as if seeing tons of gold:
“Little captain! Forward, keep moving forward! Brave the storm and push ahead!!”
At this mont, contrasting White Cloak’s excitent was the indifferent Doctor Crow.
She stared at the rift prompt and nervously bit her nails.
Until they reached the rift, they hadn’t encountered the navy, the Beiguo teorological Bureau, or the Black Hunter.
She had already inford the navy about today’s mission, but they still hadn’t appeared on their route!
Damn it, what the navy was doing? Why no response after giving them the ssage?
If this rift mutates, the entire coastal archipelago will turn to ashes, with at least tens of thousands dying.
Snap... Doctor Crow bit through her pinky nail.
Chen Qi looked at the spiritual inspiration and felt slightly excited.
What the hell!
An 87% mutation rate!?
This rift might explode any second now?
Chen Qi struggled to suppress his excitent.
Generally, a rift’s difficulty is composed of many factors.
But undoubtedly, besides the tier, the mutation rate is the most important evaluation criterion.
An 87% mutation rate ans the rift is about to undergo a cataclysmic change.
High mutation rates usually lead to two results: the first is tier advancent, the second is collapse.
Collapse, simply put, ans the rift manifests in the world, turning the land into irreparable wasteland.
Today, beyond the New Sun World, there are countless wastelands.
An 87% mutation rate ans that with just a little ti and a small opportunity, the rift could rapidly collapse and manifest into the real world.
C-tier rifts are already terrifying to many.
If untreated, a C-tier rift could cause a complete disaster in a hundred-mile radius, turning it into a wasteland uninhabitable by humans forever.
It could be said that the mont they enter the rift, mutation may occur.
When the rift collapses, they will face countless monsters.
If it doesn’t collapse but advances in tier, that’s also extrely terrifying.
Once mutated into a B-tier rift, even third-tier supernaturals could be killed instantly by a single breath.
This ans that a second-tier supernatural like Chen Qi might appear inside a B-tier rift that requires at least third-tier to enter!
Neither outco is good news...
Unless they can enter the rift and suppress its mutation as fast as possible.
This was his first ti entering a C-tier rift, and it already had such an explosive mutation rate!
As they entered the rift, the sky gradually cleared to a dusty sunny day, and a deathly silent island appeared before them.
“My first C-tier rift experience is this brutal.”
Chen Qi instinctively gripped Ember’s Touch beneath his clothes.
As an assassin, this was his first ti entering a C-tier rift!
As they approached the island, another prompt appeared.
[You have arrived at the Sea Lantern Island Rift.]
[Assigning you a random identity based on your affinity.]
[Your identity is a brave and righteous investigator and company professional from the Bonfire Energy Company.]
[Because you are a Bonfire Energy employee, the villagers want to feed you to the sharks; your hatred level 100! You are more likely to be attacked by monsters!]
[Your clearance reward 20%.]
[You have obtained a special clearance condition: find the special item Sea Lantern blueprint (completing this will grant a mysterious reward).]
[Note: The more successfully you play your role, the higher your score.]
Hatred level 100 from villagers?
Chen Qi frowned slightly.
He was already a second-tier supernatural; challenging a high-difficulty dungeon was tough enough. Now, they gave him a role with maxed hatred.
But no matter.
In the Witch Sea filled with random events, he would encounter this level of rift sooner or later.
Chen Qi glanced sideways at Doctor Crow, White Cloak, and the other Triangle Helt supernaturals.
From the current situation, the rift had roles, and so roles would gain special inspirations.
Although it wasn’t a Werewolf Killing dungeon, so key characters should gain inspirations far beyond others.
Moreover, even with his spiritual inspiration, he hadn’t received any special inspiration.
The clearance difficulty of a C-tier rift was even more troubleso than he had imagined.
Chen Qi looked out the window.
In the distance was a huge desolate island, completely lifeless and full of withered dead trees.
In the center stood a massive mountain covered in countless runes.
The entire mountain looked like a spreading fossilized creature, as if in the next mont, a giant beast that could swallow the sky would descend, destroying all living things they could see!
Chen Qi spoke first:
“Everyone, how do you want to clear this? My character has so special tasks.”
Undoubtedly, these people would never take the normal clearance route.
At this mont, Doctor Crow said:
“Our goal is singular—to reach the center of the village and replace the ritual’s target, becoming the new ritual subject.
My identity is a doctor, so villagers won’t attack . I can move freely on this island with my dical skills, but I’ll mostly be watched. So, my plan is to analyze everyone’s information first...”
White Cloak raised his left hand and snapped his fingers, dark shadows faintly flickering around him:
“No! We have no ti! Doctor Crow! An 87% mutation rate ans the villagers are about to conduct the ritual. We have only one choice—to bare our fangs and slaughter the past. We need blood to complete our ritual.”
“Slaughter the past?”
Doctor Crow’s mouth twitched.
What a joke!
This was a C-tier rift! An about-to-explode C-tier rift!
If they slaughtered the villagers, she and Chen Qi might beco cannon fodder!
“No, we need to be more cautious. An 87% mutation rate actually ans it’s harder for the mutation to increase further!”
Rift mutation rate... Chen Qi lowered his head to think.
Doctor Crow was right; once the mutation rate is too high, a major event must happen to push it higher.
“The mutation rate won’t rise so easily. That ans we still have ti to make a plan!”
Doctor Crow again shook her head seriously. She needed to buy ti for the navy, Chen Qi, and her mission.
At this mont, suddenly, the massive mountain in the distance twitched.
Amid everyone’s hallucinatory voices, the enormous mountain convulsed sharply for a mont, shifting slightly!
Layers of waves rushed toward them!
Silent ancient whispers echoed across the sea!
Everyone covered their ears, overwheld by the soul-piercing whispers.
All saw a special prompt.
[Because ‘it’ sensed a special presence, rift mutation rate 3%, current mutation rate 90%! ]
Doctor Crow blankly lifted her head and bit her lips.
“?????”
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