Chapter 103: Rowing, Abnormal (First Update!)

"Can you swim?"

Super Xiao He asked.

Qin Shi nodded. He had grown up in the countryside since childhood; leaving home meant a reservoir within less than a kilometer.

Every summer vacation, he followed his friends into the water to catch fish and shrimp, having no idea how joyful it was.

Thinking of this, he stepped on the sand of the shallow beach and walked straight toward deeper waters beyond sea level.

Before he had gone two steps, he immediately ran back.

"So cold! Like the kind of cold that freezes into ice at minus ten-something degrees!"

Qin Shi felt that soul-deep tremor and nearly shivered uncontrollably.

"Your spiritual power is too weak to support your roaming of the Netherworld. You should find a boat first."

Super Xiao He seemed to have expected it long ago.

"Next time, this kind of reminder could come a bit earlier."

Qin Shi frowned, as if facing a very serious problem.

"How am I supposed to get a boat?"

Super Xiao He explained:

"All external things in the Netherworld can be condensed and projected through spiritual power. Knives, swords, spears, cannons, including boats.

As long as your spiritual power is strong enough, even producing a cruise ship is not impossible."

Qin Shi fell into thought and asked uncertainly:

"Because my spiritual power isn't enough, I can't leave the island. To leave the island, I must increase my spiritual power?"

What a classic dilemma of "fresh university graduates need four years of work experience to get hired"!

The ultimate dead cycle of "Kara Zhan hasn't graduated, how to clock in at Kara Zhan"!

And it actually happened to me!

"You don't cultivate? The only Chosen One of the Four Pillars, spiritual power breaking through thirty points, and you've even entered the 'Xu Kong Meditation Method'—you simply don't know how good your foundation is."

Super Xiao He chose a relatively clean patch of sand and sat cross-legged silently.

"Start practicing. The Netherworld is every Esper's paradise; the spirit returning to the Virtual Number Ocean is like an infant returning to the womb, of immense benefit. The only drawback is that it easily attracts unclean evil things.

But you don't need to be afraid; the Symbolic Emblem of the Four Pillars is enough to disperse those prying gazes."

Hearing this, Qin Shi's heart was greatly settled; practicing and upgrading was what he was best at.

Moreover, he had the Legendary Talent 【Heart of Steel】.

Who is the prey? Hard to say.

"Across the Xu Kong, mountains, rivers, and earth—nothing to rely on, only myself can be relied upon; through endless kalpas, ancient past and present—nothing to depend on, only the present moment can be depended upon……"

Golden text like dragons and snakes leaped out one after another, like bolts of lightning and thunder, shaking apart chaotic mist, cleaving the dark and gloomy Netherworld.

Tremendous movement and stillness like boulders falling one after another into a calm lake, stirring up circle after circle of ripples.

Even the airflow dissipated, leaving only the deathly silence of the Netherworld.

Today, it rarely became lively.

……

……

In the vast darkness, amidst the thick fog, it was as if illuminated.

Strand after strand of deep and secluded breath suddenly spread out, revealing an even broader space.

On the pitch-black water surface, a black coffin floated quietly; a strange old man covered head to toe in red hair was fishing with a rod.

His entire face was shrouded in shadow, only his eyes shone like golden lamps:

"Such pure spiritual waves……"

The red-haired old man pulled up his fishing rod; the soul nature from who knows how far away was hooked.

"A small white strip—better than nothing."

It caught that "fish" emitting white light, bright and crystal clear, opened its mouth, and swallowed it in one gulp.

Crack, crack, quite crisp.

The red-haired old man, having put away his fishing rod, gazed toward the direction where golden light flashed and thunder rumbled.

The black coffin seemed to be pushed, drifting away slowly.

On the other side, a pair of blood-dripping embroidered shoes also stepped on the Netherworld Ocean; it seemed to sense the commotion, tap tap tap, stepping on the pitch-black water surface, walking leisurely.

All the various creatures around, without exception, were like shark schools smelling blood, all rushing toward Qin Shi's spiritual island.

If concretized, it was probably like when the class bell rang, students shouting "Time to eat!" and rushing madly toward the cafeteria.

As for Qin Shi, he was precisely the most delicious snack!

……

……

Netherworld Research Institute.

Ma Kezhang's heart hadn't been put back down yet, and it started rising again.

"Boss, YC-877! Death Angler! Approaching!"

"YC-975! Red Embroidered Shoes are also fluctuating!"

"YC499! Mother Snake's Eye is moving very fast……"

Various pieces of news flew incessantly through the monitoring screens to Ma Kezhang's workbench.

His face was numb, he wanted to cry but had no tears:

"A whole year's workload…… how is this report supposed to be written!"

One of the Netherworld Research Institute's main tasks is to number Abnormal Events, and using Doctor Yan Tongxuan's Heart-Magnetic Theory, determine Mental Waves for detection.

To prevent these supernatural Creatures wandering and active in the Netherworld from appearing in Reality to harass others and create hazards.

"Boss, should we report to Headquarters? With this many Abnormals gathered together, the Depth Value will rise again! If they pass through the rift and erode Reality, even the Tai'an Urban Circle's dedicated professionals might not be able to handle it!"

The researchers were panic-stricken; they had never seen a scene like this.

Currently, almost all Abnormals that have appeared are B-grade or above, and there is no lack of A-grade ones.

In the Netherworld Research Institute, Abnormals that threaten or affect an individual have a Disturbance Level of "D".

If they threaten or affect over a hundred people, the Disturbance Level is "C".

If they can threaten or affect a City, they reach "B".

As for A-grade, those are terrifying Abnormals capable of threatening or affecting half an Administrative Star.

"Focus detection on the Mother Snake's Eye! Observe the other Abnormals first……"

Ma Kezhang's forehead beaded with cold sweat; the Netherworld, usually calm and quiet, not necessarily stirring up a shred of activity for several years, has recently been like an exploded pot, spewing out trouble one after another!

Not to mince words, that Chosen Son of Heaven of the Four Pillars really knows how to stir things up!

……

……

"Cultivating to upgrade is indeed not difficult for me."

Qin Shi practiced the Xu Kong Meditation Method with ease; his originally Weak spiritual radiance, as he seized, absorbed, and refined one Golden Text after another resembling dragons and snakes, grew increasingly condensed.

In a moment, it had become a bright "lampwick" two fingers long.

"That's about enough."

Qin Shi had copied roughly seven or eight Texts, felt a bit "stuffed," and reached his capacity Limit.

He opened his eyes, thoughts flashing like electric arcs jumping and crackling.

A wooden raft capable of carrying about two people appeared out of thin air, placed on the shallow bank.

"Set sail!"

Qin Shi pushed the raft into the water and set off together with Super Xiao He.

Input the destination, relying on Doggie's Mobile Phone's Defective Map Navigation to lead the way.

"Xiao He, don't you feel this boat is missing something?"

Qin Shi looked at the minimalist-style raft, a thought moved him, and he branded the Four Pillars' Symbolic Emblems respectively on the four corners.

This operation made Super Xiao He's Corner of Mouth twitch; he had a strong feeling of courting death.

Not Long After, Qin Shi, rowing hard, saw a red-haired old man sitting in a coffin with a bizarre Art Style, and a suspicion rose in his heart:

"Can you fish in the Netherworld too?"

The Death Angler, listed as a B-grade Abnormal by the Institute, glanced at Qin Shi with his pitifully Weak Spiritual Power, classified him as a small carp, and couldn't resist wanting to cast his line.

But before it could act, its gaze fell on the four extremely eye-catching Symbolic Emblems.

The Eternally Burning Furnace, the Giant Tree Dividing Heaven and Earth, the Gear Cracking from Within, the Dragon Eye Containing Sun and Moon.

Run!

The Death Angler's pair of eyes, like golden lamps, suddenly widened, then it used the fishing pole to paddle hard, turning the coffin around.

Offending four Pillar-level figures — being scattered to ash would be a relatively light outcome!

"Hey! Grandpa! Don't leave, I want to ask for directions……"

Qin Shi actively greeted him; he stared at the red Stamp emerging atop the red-haired old man's head, his heart burning hot.

Legendary Talent 【Heart of Steel】 automatically activated.

If I can steel this fishing guy once.

Spiritual Field Power will definitely increase a lot!

Sensing that the guy behind still wanted to approach, the Death Angler was terrified.

It directly snapped the fishing rod in two, split it into two sections, and paddled desperately.

【You have deviated from course; recalculate route?】

Listening to the Defective Map's Voice Chat prompt, Qin Shi helplessly gave up chasing the red-haired old man.

Next, he ran into a dripping blood embroidered shoe with an eerie Art Style, and was just about to reach out and scoop it up.

The latter, however, seemed scared out of its wits, *tap tap tap tap*, treading water rapidly.

In the blink of an eye it had fled far away!

"Shouldn't I be the one more afraid of you?"

Qin Shi scratched his head.

These Netherworld Creatures all seem rather timid.

(Chapter End)