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墨書 Inktalez
The massive iron gate finally swung open with a piercing sound. As it did, I felt a shift in the entire Wreck. I couldn't quite put my finger on what was wrong, but something felt off, and unease settled in my heart.
The Underwater Light flickered briefly before everything returned to normal. The seven of us stood outside the great iron door, our Underwater Lights aimed inside. We held our Spears close to our chests, each of us highly alert. The surrounding area was eerily silent; I could even hear my heart pounding wildly in my chest. The words "Forbidden Zone" were inscribed above us for a reason, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something sinister lurked within.
During our wait, I thought I heard that beast-like breathing echoing in my ears, lingering like a haunting melody. I felt a shiver run down my spine as I scanned the area with my Spear. My mind drifted back to the creature known as Sting Horse Colt, the Black Fish—something that had clearly been dead yet had vanished without a trace. Could it be hiding in this so-called Forbidden Zone?
My heightened anxiety seemed to have startled the others around me.
Jiao Ba nudged me and gestured, asking, "What's wrong?"
I breathed heavily and glanced at him, gesturing back, "Did you not hear that sound?"
Jiao Ba shook his head. Mai Lao, standing nearby, signaled for me to calm down. "Relax; you're too tense."
Could it really be that my nerves were playing tricks on me? I listened intently again; the beastly breathing seemed to have faded away. Yet everything that had just happened felt so real—it didn't seem like a mere illusion. I admitted I was a bit on edge, but not to this extent.
After waiting for two or three minutes without any sign of dangerous creatures emerging from the Forbidden Zone, everything appeared normal. The lights illuminating the area failed to penetrate the darkness within; as soon as the light reached inside, it was swallowed up instantly. The size of this entrance and its pitch-blackness reminded me of an endless abyss—far larger than any ship's hold I'd encountered before.
I had a nagging suspicion that even if Sting Horse Colt wasn't in this Forbidden Zone, it must be lurking nearby. I refused to believe that my anxiety could conjure up those beastly gasps. Time was running out; we had to go in.
At that moment, Mai Lao urged everyone to hurry inside. He was the first to step through, and we followed closely behind him. Once we entered this Forbidden Zone, it felt like stepping into a refrigerated storage unit—the temperature hovered around freezing point, almost cold enough to freeze solid. The temperature of normal seawater was far warmer than this; this was the coldest water I'd ever encountered.
We shivered uncontrollably; even Shandong Giant, usually the strongest among us, was now trembling all over. I rubbed my arms vigorously and dared not stop for even a moment because I knew that if we ceased moving, we might freeze to death in an instant.
Mai Lao reminded us once again not to stop moving, for in such harsh conditions, the only way to maintain our existence was to take care of ourselves; others could offer little help.
The Underwater Light spread out, and the surrounding environment gradually became clearer. When I saw the situation inside, I was once again stunned by the sight before me. The excitement coursed through me so intensely that I barely felt the coldness of the seawater; my blood felt like it was about to flow backward. This place was simply a treasure trove.
I glanced at Jiao Ba, who wore the same expression as I did. He turned to look at me and nodded vigorously. Mai Lao held the Underwater Light, spinning it around to observe everything here. Although he tried hard to conceal his expression, I could still see the glint of greed in his brightened eyes.
Shunzi and Li Xin were utterly dumbfounded, likely on the verge of shouting with excitement. They kept gesturing wildly, indicating that we had finally found the legendary treasure. The others were no different; they joyfully high-fived each other.
Indeed, our purpose here was to seek treasure. We had lost several people in pursuit of this Ming Dynasty treasure, but now it seemed worth it. All the hardships and sweat we had endured over these days had not been in vain. Perhaps it was the spirits of our fallen brothers watching over us.
In my heart, I silently prayed for them. A long-time atheist, I had now become somewhat of an idealist. Though I was excited, I hadn’t let joy cloud my judgment. I hoped this time we could unravel all the mysteries and uncover the mastermind behind it all.
Time was running short. Mai Lao urged us to quickly spread out and see what else was here. Shunzi and I began our exploration from the right side. On the right side of this forbidden area were rows of porcelain items arranged neatly from large to small. Each porcelain bottle was beautifully crafted, and their intricate patterns indicated they were valuable treasures.
However, among the neatly arranged porcelain bottles, there were occasional empty spots where bottles should have been placed but were now missing. In these vacant spaces lay some darkened objects that at first glance I couldn’t identify.
As I approached and caught sight of these objects, I was startled; a shiver ran through me because those darkened items were human bones.
Shunzi and I quickly stopped and carefully examined the area. Almost every empty spot contained human bones; it seemed many had perished here. Each set of bones appeared strange because they all shared a common trait: their skeletons were blackened as if they were made of coal, which looked quite eerie.
Before me lay several sets of bones—some were merely halves, while others were missing limbs. In short, not a single complete skeleton remained. Due to severe decomposition and damage, it was impossible to discern their gender or even what era they belonged to.
Yet deep down, I felt that among these bones there must be modern divers as well. But how had they died? Why did they meet such a tragic end that even their bones turned black? It was utterly bizarre; what had they encountered? My unease resurfaced, and the earlier thrill had vanished along with these bones.
I exchanged glances with Shunzi; he shook his head at me, whether genuinely confused or pretending ignorance I couldn’t tell. There was no time to dwell on such matters now; I gestured for him to continue moving forward as we made our way deeper into the right side of the area.
At the very back of this forbidden area, there were boxes upon boxes of Jade Agate, each one opened. I was so mesmerized that I almost lost myself in the sight. These red and green treasures shimmered lightly, captivating anyone who dared to look, making it hard to tear one's gaze away.
I found myself drawn to these objects; they were simply too beautiful and enchanting. I had seen many fine things in my life, but I had never encountered such a collection of rare jewels. My mind was spinning, and I had completely forgotten about everything else.
Shunzi seemed equally entranced. He looked at me with shining eyes, clearly impressed by our haul. If we could take just a few of these treasures back, it would be enough to sustain us for the rest of our lives. It seemed that this so-called forbidden area was merely a treasure trove.
At that moment, illuminated by the lights, I inadvertently spotted several bones nearby. These bones were charred black and incomplete, their horrific state sending chills down my spine. They lay scattered around the treasure boxes, each in a strange position. I couldn't imagine what had happened here, but my sense of foreboding deepened.
I glanced at the oxygen tank; time was running out. We needed to hurry. I signaled to Shunzi to continue moving forward. We turned a corner, and on the other side of the forbidden area were some silks—gold threads, colorful threads—high-quality satin in abundance, all remarkably well-preserved.
However, in the silk display area, I saw more charred bones, still in bizarre postures and terrifying forms. This was starting to feel wrong; why were there strange bones everywhere? A sudden realization hit me—something was definitely off, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was.
This forbidden area felt eerie. Ever since we entered, an unsettling feeling had settled in my heart because it had been too easy to get in without any obstacles. How could an underground chamber labeled as forbidden allow us to enter so effortlessly? But at that moment, captivated by the jewels, I had pushed those thoughts aside.
Jewels? Yes, it was these jewels! A light bulb went off in my head; clearly, the problem lay with these treasures. We were at the bottom of a wreck—a ship that had sunk to the ocean floor hundreds of years ago—but these jewels were preserved so well without any signs of seawater corrosion. They sparkled brightly, and even the silks showed no signs of damage; this was simply impossible.
Normally, these silks should have rotted away long ago, and the jewels should have been corroded by seawater; they absolutely shouldn't look like this now. Coupled with the surrounding charred bones, a critical thought struck me: something terrible might happen…
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