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墨書 Inktalez
A chill swept over me, and I groggily woke up. It was so cold that it felt like I had fallen into an ice hole. Everything around me was pitch black, and all I could hear was the sound of waves. A frown crossed my mind; could I have turned into a ghost? Was this place the Yellow Springs? Was the sound of the waves the legendary tide of hell?
It is said that the Underworld is built beneath the Ninefold Spring Water, surrounded by layers of Spider Lilies. A Naihe River flows through the Other Shore Flower Sea, leading to the Naihe Bridge, which takes one into the Underworld Realm. According to legend, the top of the Hall of Shadows is the Primordial Abyssal Sea, and when looking up from the Underworld, one sees the bottom of the ocean.
Thus, it is possible to hear the sound of tides in hell, a sound akin to the bells and drums of the mortal realm.
In a sense, the Underworld is also a world of its own. There are no so-called Eighteen Layers of Hell; it resembles another realm with mountains, rivers, vegetation, and fields.
According to Tao Yuanming's Peach Blossom Spring from the Eastern Jin dynasty, it is an alternate space belonging to the forgotten lands of the underworld. This group of people died during the turmoil at the end of the Qin dynasty but remained unaware of their deaths. Outsiders who traverse mountains and valleys to enter this paradise see only a graveyard. Once the Otherworldly Gate opens—specifically that Initial Narrow within Peach Blossom Spring—only then can people enter and interact with these otherworldly beings.
Soon, a wave of hunger dispelled my doubts as my stomach growled... In that moment, I realized I had been saved. However, an ominous feeling washed over me again: what had happened to my bowl and Xiao Xiao? Could I really be this lucky?
I tried to stand up and walked several steps through the waves.
When my feet touched the soft mud of the shallow sea, a rush of joy and triumph filled my heart once more. I stumbled toward the shore; I was certain I had arrived on an island. Despite being surrounded by darkness with no discernible day or night, I ran unhesitatingly toward the beach.
The feeling of solid ground beneath my feet was incredibly comforting. In this lifetime, I never wanted to go back to sea or live these ghostly days again.
Perhaps out of excitement and exhaustion, I suddenly slipped on my feet; everything went dark as I fainted again. Damn it! This fainting spell saved me from disaster, but when I woke up again and looked around, I broke into a cold sweat. To my left was a triangular sharp rock; if it had fallen directly on me, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
I don’t know when it happened, but a burning sensation scorched my skin. Through my eyelids, I could see a bright red glow. When I finally woke up and adjusted to my surroundings, I could see clearly that I was lying on a sandy beach. The water was crystal clear, and coral reefs surrounded the island. The distant sea met the sky in an endless horizon.
I scanned my surroundings; there were many tall Coconut Trees near the beach, and further away lay dense Thickets. This area seemed relatively open; it appeared we had encountered a shipwreck near this island last night due to strong winds and waves that swept us onto this shore instead of being attacked by fish. If all went well, my bowl and Xiao Xiao should also be nearby!
A multitude of unsettling thoughts arose in my mind, and I couldn't yet determine whether anyone lived on this island. Therefore, the immediate priority was to find them.
The Azure Dark Sword strapped to my back was still with me, along with a dagger at my waist. However, my backpack was nowhere to be found. I attempted to stand up, feeling a sharp pain from below; damn it, I had no idea when my foot had been cut. I tore off a piece of ragged cloth to wrap around my foot and found a stick to support myself.
I planned to search for them along the beach. The sand here was fine and soft, leaving clear footprints with each step. Numerous crabs scuttled about, along with a group of unknown creatures that dashed around chaotically, as if they had gone mad.
After walking for about ten minutes, I found myself several hundred meters away from the beach. On a massive rock, I spotted two figures lying on top, seemingly unconscious. I hurried down and took a closer look; indeed, it was them. I shouted in excitement, overwhelmed with emotion.
They were clearly startled awake by my shout, filled with joy and sorrow, rising up in confusion. Fortunately, they were uninjured, which was a relief. I slowly climbed down and wrapped my arms around one of them, dragging her up onto the rock. When Xiao Xiao saw this, her face turned bright red with embarrassment, but the rock was too high for her to climb on her own. At that moment, survival instincts took precedence over any modesty.
I led them back to the soft beach. Suddenly, I felt a wave of soreness in my feet; my stomach churned violently as acid rose up my throat, and I vomited onto the sand. Although they bore no external injuries, after drifting for so long, their bodies were weak and exhausted. Without thinking much about it, they collapsed onto the sand, lacking even the strength to rise.
Despite the scorching sun overhead, we all felt an immense sense of relief in our hearts. None of us could muster the energy to express our joy at surviving; we simply lay on the soft sand without moving.
Our clothes were tattered and still damp; under the blazing sun, moisture evaporated rapidly. Though our clothes dried out somewhat, we felt dehydrated and needed to find some shade.
Regardless of whether this island was inhabited or not, there were currently no signs of human life.
In survival situations in the wilderness, four essential elements are crucial: Drinking Water, food, fire, and shelter. This order is significant.
A person can survive three to four days without water and seven days without food. The immediate priority now was to find Fresh Water. Fresh Water is not guaranteed on every island; it is something that can be sought but not easily found. At present, coconuts were the only viable alternative.
On this deserted island, food would not be an issue if one had excellent fishing skills; one could feast on Seafood daily. Additionally, lush green plants grew everywhere on this island; looking into the distance, dense bushes covered the gentle slopes like a sheep's green back freshly shorn of its wool.
Currently, we need to address the issue of dehydration. The first step is to gather coconuts. To the Ocean People, the Coconut Tree is equivalent to the Tree of Life, and coconuts are also known as Life Fruits. It is said that those who are stranded on a deserted island for thirty days survive on coconuts. This deserted island is rich in coconuts, and we soon arrived beneath a Coconut Tree.
The trunk of the Coconut Tree stood straight and tall, reaching over ten meters high, adorned with more than ten coconuts. "We need to pick the green coconuts; if they turn yellow, they lose their value!" Xiao Xiao exclaimed. Just as I was about to climb the tree, she hurriedly stopped me. "Don't underestimate this Coconut Tree; climbing it requires skill. With our current stamina, we clearly can't manage it. Let's find a stick and knock down some lower coconuts instead!"
Following her instructions, I indeed found a Coconut Tree that was about two people high and knocked down several coconuts. Using my dagger, I cracked open the Coconut Shell, and sweet, clear juice flowed out—this was undoubtedly the best coconut water I had ever tasted in my life. We not only drank all the coconut water but also devoured all the white coconut flesh.
With our stamina and dehydration alleviated, we excitedly ventured deeper into the island. The tropical plants around us shimmered with glossy leaves, brushing against our bodies as we walked. Red and yellow flowers bloomed above us, remarkably beautiful.
Xiao Xiao carefully observed our surroundings, her face filled with joy. "Now we don't have to worry; there must be plenty of wild fruits and tender plants on this island to satisfy our hunger. If we're lucky, we might even catch some animals for roasted meat."
Xiao Xiao was not just an ordinary fisher girl; several years ago, she had drifted to a deserted island with her elder brother and survived there for three whole months before being rescued by a passing vessel. Therefore, she possessed a wealth of wilderness knowledge.
Hearing this made me and Wan feel relieved as well. However, at that moment, Wan tightly grasped my arm, indicating that she could not walk any further and wanted me to carry her. Damn it, I was exhausted myself! But after her persistent pleas, I ended up carrying her on my back. Wan was about one meter sixty tall with long hair cascading down her waist. Although she had a slender waist, her chest and hips were quite ample; surprisingly, carrying her felt light and manageable.
On this deserted island, it was essential to gain a preliminary understanding of our surroundings, so we climbed a small mountain. As I gazed into the distance, I realized that this island was larger than I had imagined, filled with dense tropical vegetation…
(To be continued)
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