Volume 1, Chapter 30: Red Ocean 1: Prehistoric Creatures

A deafening, overwhelming roar erupted. Even though their movement slowed significantly upon entering the crimson seawater, they remained fixated on Chen Fan, refusing to let go.

Glancing back, Chen Fan saw them swimming like dolphins, rhythmically breaching the surface and diving deep as they surged toward him.

He broke the surface, swimming at full speed. His gaze was sharp as a blade; he refused to believe these creatures would pursue him indefinitely. The marine environment was simply not suited for their sustained activity.

Sure enough, three hours later, Chen Fan finally shook them off. Corroded by the salt, their physiological functions had been severely compromised, leaving them unable to navigate or even survive.

Chen Fan let out a long breath, though his expression remained grim. Beneath the underground space, he had successfully broken the deadlock using the Fire Source Stone, but the shock had cracked his skull and left his back severely burned.

After three hours of continuous immersion in the red seawater, he felt as though his back had been thoroughly pickled. If he were to slice it off and roast it, it would surely taste like sea-salt-marinated meat.

The excruciating pain caused his body to twitch uncontrollably.

His gaze grew cold, revealing a flicker of barely perceptible panic. He scanned his surroundings; his immediate priority was to find shelter. He could not remain submerged in the seawater any longer.

Stretching out before him, the water was littered with layers of skeletal remains, but they were almost exclusively from small creatures, far too fragile to support his weight.

He submerged once more and swam forward.

Fifteen minutes later, a colossal white object emerged in his field of vision. He exhaled a breath of stale air and kicked his legs, propelling himself rapidly toward it.

When he was within six or seven hundred meters, Chen Fan finally realized what it was.

It was a skull, fifty meters tall, floating silently on the surface like a white hill. It bore a striking resemblance to the skull of a giant ape, but its mouth was filled with razor-sharp fangs.

As he approached the giant skull, he was startled to see it covered in countless primitive barnacles.

There were so many of them, stacked layer upon layer, enough to trigger the most severe trypophobia. Their shells were a dark, grayish hue, marked with irregular patterns. They secreted a permanent adhesive, anchoring themselves so tightly to the bone that, over the vast expanse of time, they had begun to bore through it.

"That is..." When he was only ten meters away, he was even more shocked. Tucked within the gaps of the giant fangs were large numbers of trilobites and ancient sea lice.

Their carapaces, which looked as if they were forged from metal, gave them a heavy, formidable appearance. Beneath their shells, rows upon rows of dense, twitching legs made his scalp crawl.

"These ancient creatures—weren't they long extinct? Why are they here? What connection does this world have to Earth?" He did not believe the Black Rock organization was capable of resurrecting these ancient beings; they likely lacked such power.

"What exactly is going on? Are these creatures not exclusive to Earth?"

Chen Fan furrowed his brow, but this was no time for deeper inquiry. He drew his rugged pistol and fired three shots into the gaps between the fangs.

The thunderous roar startled them, and they scuttled away on their myriad legs, diving into the water.

Once they had cleared out, Chen Fan reached out, gripped the bone surface, and hauled himself up.

Reaching the top, he pulled out his military knife, pried off the primitive barnacles, and kicked them away. Only then did he exhale and sit down, finally allowing himself a moment of respite.

He looked around, feeling a sense of bewilderment.

His long swim had brought him deep into the heart of this crimson ocean, and he had lost all sense of direction. Everywhere he looked, there was only the boundless, red sea.

The storm clouds hung low, threatening to press down upon his head, signaling that a torrential downpour was imminent.

Encountering a severe storm in the middle of a vast ocean was a terrifying prospect. If his luck failed him, a super typhoon could follow in its wake.

He forced himself to calm down and inspected his body. With the help of the Vibration Technique and the Longevity Serum, his injuries, while severe, were being managed by his body’s natural recovery processes.

He didn't need to worry; he simply had to wait. In time, he would heal.

He pulled out the large black iron box and opened it.

A kaleidoscope of precious, radiant light erupted from the box, blinding Chen Fan for a moment.

As the light faded, he looked inside. Upon seeing the contents, he was instantly overcome with ecstasy. He stood up involuntarily, his pupils dilating.

It was common knowledge that there were twenty-seven types of exotic stones in the world, and in this massive iron box, there were at least fifteen.

Gold Source Stones, Wood Source Stones, Wind Source Stones, Thunder Source Stones, Fire Source Stones—the list went on. It was a veritable treasure trove.

***

In addition to those, there was a pile of Alien Demon Stones—at least two hundred of them.

He was shocked. Utterly, beyond measure, shocked.

The collection held by this Tapeworm Keeper was simply too vast. Upon reflection, it made sense; it had committed boundless atrocities, and the number of humans and mutated creatures that had died at its hands was uncountable. It would have been stranger if it hadn't possessed such a hoard.

Each exotic stone had a different color, and the light they emitted painted the void above the giant skull in brilliant, shimmering hues.

"My goodness, your luck is truly incredible!" Catherine’s voice rang out. She materialized beside Chen Fan, her beautiful eyes wide with astonishment.

"Beyond my expectations..." Chen Fan sighed; he had truly made a killing.

After a quick count, he had acquired thirty-nine exotic stones.

Catherine flicked her small hand, and two Thunder Source Stones, three Fire Source Stones, and three Wood Source Stones drifted out of the box and hovered before him. "Put these away," she commanded.

Chen Fan nodded and tucked the eight stones into his backpack. "Everything else, except for the Alien Demon Stones, is yours. Refine them quickly; you must keep that woman in the red corpse firmly suppressed!"

"Leave it to me!" She tapped her full chest with a fair hand and then lowered her head to look at the black iron box.

She opened her mouth and took a gentle breath. The thirty-one exotic stones inside the box shattered instantly, turning into a colorful, viscous mist that flowed into her mouth.

Whether it was the boost in power or sheer excitement, her delicate face flushed a deep pink, like a ripened apple, tempting enough to take a bite.

Chen Fan did not remain idle. He spent ten minutes refining and absorbing the two hundred-plus Alien Demon Stones.

He was overjoyed. If he could refine another two hundred or so, he would be able to advance to a Level 1 Mutated Human.

Having mastered the Vibration Technique, his strength was already equivalent to that of a Level 1 Mutated Human. If he personally achieved that level, his overall combat power would surge once more.

At that point, he would easily rank among the top 30% of Level 1 Mutated Humans. Unless he encountered something truly monstrous, he would be practically invincible.

He glanced at the darkening sky, a hint of worry in his eyes, and turned to Catherine. "After refining these, how long can you keep her suppressed?"

"For the next few years, she won't be able to stir up any trouble. You can rest easy!" Catherine said truthfully, her face glowing. Clearly, being able to suppress the red-clad female corpse for such a long time was a great boon for her as well.

"That's good!" Chen Fan finally let out a sigh of relief.

She glanced at his body, pouted, and said, "A complete Fire Source Stone is a super weapon of mass destruction. Its power is unimaginable, so keep them safe! Do not use them lightly; in a life-or-death situation, they could save your life."

"The destructive power of the Thunder Source Stone actually exceeds that of the Fire Source Stone, but it's best not to use them as mere bombs—that would be too wasteful."

"Once you get ashore, find a place to refine them. Your body will become more attuned to the thunder element. Not only will the duration of your Vibration Technique increase, but its destructive power will also explode."

Chen Fan nodded vigorously; he understood the gravity of her advice.

Catherine murmured an acknowledgement and transformed into a golden-red beam of light, shooting back into his head.

Taking a deep breath, he looked out at this bizarre world, his expression growing increasingly grave.

The sky grew darker. Pitch black.

*Rumble!*

Suddenly, thunder exploded overhead. The sound was so massive that the very space seemed to vibrate, causing Chen Fan to stumble; he felt as if his skull were about to shatter.

Thick, cyan lightning snaked across the sky for thousands of meters, tearing through the endless darkness and illuminating the entire world in a ghastly white.

Chen Fan’s pupils contracted in tension, but he forced himself to stay calm. What was meant to come would come; there was no escaping it.

As the rumbling continued and the clouds churned, raindrops the size of fists plummeted from the sky, slamming into him with brutal force.

The rain wasn't dense, but it severely hampered his vision. He was grateful for his night vision; otherwise, he would have been completely blinded.

*Crack!*

A strange sound emerged from beneath the giant skull. Chen Fan furrowed his brow, braced himself against the lashing rain, and took two steps forward to look down.

In the crimson seawater, ancient creatures had appeared—a dark, swarming mass that occupied a five-hundred-meter radius. All he could see were their hard, impenetrable shells.

They were emerging from the water—sea scorpions, sea cockroaches, and sea centipedes!

They should have gone extinct hundreds of millions of years ago, during the Devonian and Carboniferous periods. Yet here they were, brazenly crawling out of the red ocean and scaling the white skull, closing in on him rapidly.

Their shells were incredibly thick, clearly possessing formidable defensive capabilities.

Their forms were equally terrifying. The sea centipedes, in particular, were over two meters long, with rows of dense, twitching legs—a truly grotesque sight.

In the flashes of lightning, their dark-brown backs refracted the light, giving them an indestructible appearance.

"What is going on?" He gasped, stepping back and drawing his long blade, his nerves fraying.

"In this world, there are countless 'Game Rules,' and one of them is the 'Law of Time'! Under its influence, any extinct creature can manifest within this crimson ocean!"

Catherine’s voice returned, filled with worry and anxiety.

"Game Rules... are they real beings or just virtual models built from data?" Chen Fan asked quickly, his muscles coiled, already in combat mode.

"They are one hundred percent real! The Law of Time is one of the fundamental laws of the universe. It can change anything it wants, and it can preserve anything it chooses!"

"Don't ask so many questions. Be careful and find a way to survive this."

Chen Fan panted, his chest heaving, and nodded firmly. In this situation, he had no choice but to be careful; one misstep, and he would be torn apart and eaten!

The rain intensified until it felt like a heavy waterfall, descending with violent, unyielding force.

Now, aside from the thunderous roar of the rain, he could hear nothing. It seemed as if even his own shouts were being washed away by the deluge.

The curtain of rain blurred his vision, reducing his sight to less than ten meters.

But... it was enough.

They were swarming up from all sides!

Chen Fan’s eyes flashed with cold light. Gripping his blade, he began a new round of slaughter.

*Splat!*

His blade pierced the top of a sea centipede’s head. With a powerful twist, it collapsed into an empty shell.

As its flesh and blood splattered outward, the pressure on Chen Fan instantly diminished, as the other creatures were distracted by the scent of the remains.

Chen Fan’s eyes lit up; he had found the key to breaking the deadlock. He drove his blade repeatedly into the bodies of the ancient creatures, tearing their flesh out.

As more creatures were killed and more blood and gore filled the water, they finally stopped attacking Chen Fan, instead gathering in the red sea beneath the skull to feast on the hard-won meal.

Chen Fan finally exhaled, stepping back and gasping for breath.

The rainwater seemed to have filled his eye sockets, further impairing his vision. He rubbed his eyes vigorously with his hand.

His sight cleared. Confirming that the creatures would not be climbing up again for the time being, he slowly relaxed and looked into the distance.

When he saw what was out there, his pupils shrank to pinpricks—in the rolling red waves, a behemoth was watching him.

It looked like a small mountain.

A Megalodon!

Its massive, iconic jaws were unmistakable.

Chen Fan’s expression turned solemn. He let out a long breath and pulled his sniper rifle from his backpack. He stepped to the right, aiming at the creature's eye. If it showed any sign of attacking, he would pull the trigger instantly.

"Why is it targeting me?" Chen Fan wondered. Surely he wasn't worth the effort?

"After the tempering of the Vibration Technique and the Longevity Serum, your flesh is extraordinary—you are effectively a 'medicine' of blood and bone. This shark has a keen sense of smell; it naturally knows you are a rare 'delicacy'!"

"That giant leech from before attacked you for the same reason!" Catherine explained.

"I see!" Chen Fan took a deep breath, his gaze hardening. "Well, I’m not easy to pick off! If it wants to eat me, it’s going to have to work for it!"