Chapter 19: The Sea of the Subconscious

In truth, one reason Zhou Mo sought to acquire the power of the Deep Diver was because the Brain-Eating Demon might actually come looking for him.

Although he believed that upon hearing news of Zhou Mo still being alive, the Brain-Eating Demon would be utterly baffled at first.

Any sane killer, after murdering someone and taking a crucial organ, would have their mindset shattered upon seeing the victim alive and well, cooperating with the city guards. Their worldview would likely be in ruins.

Yet Zhou Mo understood clearly that the Brain-Eating Demon took others’ brains for some kind of mad experiment. Such a crazed scientist, who dared to kill, could commit any atrocity without surprise.

To be safe, Zhou Mo thought it best to quickly gain the ability to protect himself.

If the Brain-Eating Demon really came knocking, Zhou Mo’s fists were hardly tougher than the eyeballs in a brain.

Moreover, under the city guards’ watchful eyes, he certainly couldn’t just lift his skull and let his brain jump out to pummel someone.

On the table lay a half-eaten strawberry cake, while Zhou Mo sat cross-legged on the bed, having already implanted Liao Feng’s brain.

“It’s not that I’m picky; it’s just that having an empty head feels insecure. Besides, with so many brains at home, why not make use of them?” Zhou Mo closed the top of his own skull and quickly explained to the brain in front of him, which looked rather annoyed.

The brain scornfully regarded Zhou Mo, then rolled its eyeballs up, preparing to slam them into Zhou Mo’s forehead.

Seeing the brain’s fierce expression, Zhou Mo hesitated slightly and asked, “Are you sure this is the right way? Shouldn’t you at least explain what to do next?”

“You can type, right? I think you can…” Before Zhou Mo finished, the hard eyeball had already crashed down. Blackness overwhelmed Zhou Mo’s vision, and he lost consciousness. The only thought left in his mind was:

“Well, I’ll have to figure it out myself.”

……………………………………

Meanwhile, within the city guard’s barracks, Xia An paced beside Zhang Huai’an, a cigarette dangling from his lips. “We’re likely to face the Brain-Eating Demon soon. To be safe, it’s best to make you a Deep Diver as quickly as possible.”

Zhang Huai’an, sporting yellow hair, nodded seriously. “Understood. I won’t let the organization down.”

Xia An rolled his eyes. “It’s not like you’re heading to the execution ground; why so serious?”

“If it weren’t for the possibility that the Brain-Eating Demon has found a way to control subconscious monsters, I wouldn’t want to give you this chance so soon,” Zhang Huai’an chuckled, scratching the back of his head. “I guess that just means I’m lucky.”

Xia An gave him a stern look. “Cut the jokes. Calm yourself quickly, or if you get stuck down there, don’t blame me for not warning you.”

……………………………………

“All right, close your eyes.”

Zhang Huai’an obediently shut his eyes. Xia An then lightly hopped, tracing a beautiful arc in the air on one leg before delivering a kick to the back of Zhang Huai’an’s head.

*Bang!*

Zhang Huai’an lost consciousness.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a space composed of white and blue hues.

Beneath his feet was a massive white iceberg, standing at the edge where the iceberg met the sea surface. Above him was a gray sky, and below a deep blue ocean.

As Zhang Huai’an looked around, confused, Xia An’s voice came from the ocean’s surface.

“This is your Sea of Consciousness. You can stand on the ice and carefully look beneath the sea surface to see how far you can see.”

Cautiously, Zhang Huai’an approached the edge of the ice. Through the crystal-clear water, he saw nothing but an endless abyss and the ten or so meters of ice submerged underwater.

The rest was beyond the reach of light penetrating the surface.

“The distance you can clearly see represents how deep you can dive.”

“At first entry, the more resolute your consciousness, the farther you can see. Ordinary people can only dive about five meters; those trained by the system can reach ten meters. Usually, fifteen meters is the limit for novices.”

Zhang Huai’an scratched his head and smiled at the ten-meter mark.

Looks like I’m a genius.

Yet a question arose: has no one ever exceeded fifteen meters?

As if guessing his thoughts, Xia An chuckled coldly.

“Of course, if someone tells you they can dive beyond fifteen meters, you should raise your gun and shoot them without hesitation.”

“Any novice who dives deeper than twenty meters will turn into a subconscious monster.”

“If you don’t want to die young, don’t go into the dark zones when you dive.”

“All right, you can go down now.”

Without hesitation, Zhang Huai’an pinched his nose and sank into the water.

The once-clear sea suddenly became lively as he entered. Opening his eyes underwater, he saw blurred human figures lying in the water!

Dad?

Second Uncle?

Mom!

Each figure floated at different depths, almost every one or two meters, familiar faces drifting in the water. In the dark zone, a few shadowy forms appeared.

“I suppose by now you’ve seen those figures, right?”

“Pick any familiar one. Your family is all skilled fighters; you can’t go wrong with whoever you choose.”

Soon, Zhang Huai’an swam toward his second uncle. The moment his fingers touched him, Zhang Huai’an awoke from the Sea of Consciousness.

Still dazed, he looked at his hands, feeling the influx of experience pouring into his mind and body instincts. With joy, he looked at Xia An, who sat smoking on a chair.

“Captain! I made it!”

Just as Zhang Huai’an tried to stand and test his skills, a sharp pain suddenly struck the back of his head.

“Ah... why does my head hurt so much?”

Xia An blew a smoke ring awkwardly. “It’s normal. Without that kick, I can’t guarantee you won’t encounter subconscious monsters within ten meters.”

……………………………………

When Zhou Mo slowly opened his eyes, he found himself atop an iceberg surrounded by an endless sea. Beneath the deep ocean, something stirred, creating waves.

‘Is this my subconscious?’

Curious, Zhou Mo walked to the shore and peered down. His vision penetrated through hundreds of meters of water, revealing a vibrant underwater world teeming with fish.

The sound of waves surged as Zhou Mo lifted his gaze along the glacier, whose towering peak pierced the clouds and connected with white clouds above. Around the clouds stretched a deep blue sky.

No.

That wasn’t clouds, nor was that sky blue.

It was another glacier.

And another ocean.