Witch, I'm really not an ancient god of the deep sea!

Chapter 175 This crack is about to explode
Near the edge of the sea, in Storm Gorge, at night.

Beneath the slightly reddish moon, the wind howled, thunder roared, and giant waves surged.

Chen Qi stood on the control panel in the captain's cabin, carefully navigating the ship through the pitch-black Storm Canyon.

"A sign of the onset of the Laughing Moon Period..."

Chen Qi looked up, his gaze passing through the glass.

The moon in the sky, as if stained with blood, hung in the heavens, casting a faint reddish hue on the sea.

The swaying boat, like a lonely fallen leaf, struggled to move forward amidst the raging waves.

At that moment, a knight in a triangular helmet walked up behind him and tapped him on the back with his iron hand studded with spikes:

"Captain, how much longer until we reach our destination?"

"Two hours, and also, don't get near my back..."

Chen Qi felt an unprecedented spicy sensation coming from his back.

According to the little crow, he would be ascending to heaven in about an hour.

However, last night, he felt as if he had ascended to heaven once.

Chen Qi carefully recalled his vague memories from last night.

The little crow, under the pretext of examining him, had him lie on the bed. Calmly, it took a bunch of hemostats and some jars and began a thorough examination, as well as some minor surgeries.

Logically speaking, after many days of practice, he should have been able to endure the pain, even if a steel needle were inserted directly into his armpit, he could grit his teeth and bear it.

The difference between slaughter and surgery lies in the degree of precision.

What happened last night was less like surgery and more like slaughter! Yeah... the kind of slaughter you do when you kill a pig!

Last night, Chen Qi only remembered that the little crow applied some strange medicine to his back, and then his body's pain level increased dramatically, followed by a sudden onslaught.

They used everything—cupping, hammers, you name it…

Later, the little crow got more and more excited and even rode on top of it to conduct some terrifying, iron-forging-like inspections!
The pain in my thighs, back, and arms is still not over.

Chen Qi turned around, looked at the little crow standing in the corner, and glared at it.

The little crow helplessly spread its hands, raised an eyebrow, and gave a mischievous smile, as if to say:

As a patient, you only need to lie in bed, but as a doctor, I have many more things to consider.

Was I played by her? Chen Qi stretched his limbs.

The little crow truly lives up to its reputation as a professional unlicensed doctor; it's ruthless enough.

Now that he's come to his senses, the little crow, a deep-sea enthusiast, inexplicably wanted him to lie down, perhaps simply because it wanted to see the sea monster pattern on his back.

"We got ripped off..." Chen Qi concluded.

But you know what, this test seems to actually work!

After the surgery, he felt much better.

Although it hurt a lot, it felt like tearing off a scar from the body, or like a massage, and inexplicably gave me an urge to do it again...

But now is not the time to discuss these things, and there is no second chance... Chen Qi turned around and placed his hand on the helm:
"In another hour, everyone, we will reach the marked point on the map, but the storm here is very strong, and we are very likely to encounter sea monsters."

The white cloak was stuck to the glass:
"Little captain, you just need to keep going, I'll take care of everything for you."

The man in the white cloak smiled coldly, the enormous storm before him appearing to him like a drizzle.

"Row."

Chen Qi pulled down the railing and increased the boat's speed to the maximum.

He activated his spiritual senses to the maximum and concealed the Touch of Ember in his sleeve so that he could activate it at any time.

According to the message in a bottle that the deep-sea spirit retrieved from the sea.

It contains information about the Little Raven, the Sirens, and the White Cloak.

The white-cloaked man's resume was even more impressive than his. He was a veteran among the Sea God Pirate Crew's officers, a master of the techniques, and only one step away from becoming one of the Sea God Pirate Crew's four apostles.

In its early years, it hunted the Black Ship Sea Dragon, which was the juvenile form of the near-sea overlord.

At the same time, he has experience clearing thirty-one D-level rifts and three C-level rifts.

In the C-rank rift 'Night Without Light', I obtained a legendary relic, the Sun Lantern, which can repel many monsters, especially those with shadows.

Moreover, and most importantly, he possesses a technique for releasing illusions.

Because he specializes in illusory appearances, his reputation is not great, but in terms of strength, he is definitely one of the top fish-exploding bosses in the near sea.

According to Little Raven's estimate, White Cloak could take on five, or even more, Black-Eyed Captains by himself!
Chen Qi wasn't quite sure how strong Captain Black Eye was, but he estimated that with his current strength, even if he activated the Touch of Ember, he might be able to fight Captain Black Eye to a draw.

An extremely troublesome old man... Chen Qi mustered his fighting spirit to the maximum.

This old fellow might attack him the moment the ship reaches the entrance to the rift!
The man in the white cloak patted Chen Qi on the shoulder:

"My child, you've worked so hard. After this mission is over, I will apply to the higher-ups to let you join our deep-sea pirate crew and bathe in the holy water of the sea goddess."

The little crow glanced at its watch and said coldly:

"White Cloak, don't forget the purpose of our operation. Our Black Whale Gang will provide the materials, and you must complete the ritual. In addition, everything obtained from the rift must be shared equally with our Black Whale Gang."

If any items related to the Deep Sea Hunter or the Witch are found in this rift, ownership will be determined by the older woman.

The white-cloaked figure spoke softly:
"Isn't it too early to talk about the profits now, Dr. Raven? Didn't Auntie tell you that we should wait until the rift ends before discussing profits?"

The little crow fell silent. In terms of seniority, she was just a newly promoted cadre.

"..."

The man in the white cloak walked to Chen Qi's side and looked towards the distant sea:

"Young man, whether we will return alive from this quest through the Rift is still unknown. Let's talk about everything after it's over."

boom!
Suddenly, a deafening clap of thunder resounded through the sky, illuminating the heavens!

The ship lurched violently!
"Damn..."

Chen Qi struggled to stand firm.

As a forbidden place, if he hadn't upgraded the ship, the small houseboat would have collapsed in an instant.

At that moment, accompanied by a tremendous roar of thunder, he sensed a powerful, extraordinary aura!

But the next second, something unexpected happened.

As the ship continued to move forward, the entire sky gradually lost its color, like black ink.

The man in the white cloak couldn't help but burst into wild laughter:

"Finally, finally, we've arrived!"

Amidst the howling of the storm, a special notification appeared before Chen Qi's eyes.

You have reached the edge of the crack!

[Inspiration assessment in progress...]

[Identification successful! (Minor information obtained)]

[Rift Name: Lost Sea Lantern Island]

Grade: C
Nature/Appearance: Lamp, Flower
Crack distortion: 87% (Extremely high distortion rate; collapse, happening in an instant!)

Rift level restriction: This rift can only be entered by second- or third-tier transcendent beings.

The number of players allowed in the Rift is limited to 15.

Description: More than four hundred years ago, this was a peaceful village with a rich fissure, producing lighting items called sea lanterns, which were once the best-selling ship lights at sea.

Campfire Energy Company also took note of this and went to Sea Lantern Island in an attempt to adopt this technology.

However, when they set off, famine and madness had already swept through the village due to the flashes of daylight.

The entire island of Hai Deng is on the verge of destruction. In order to survive and for food, the villagers begin to yearn for a more ancient sanctuary, attempting to summon the most beautiful creation of the legendary sea goddess.

And you, as a research vessel, braved the storms of the sea, ready to stop all of this before the ceremony!
Completion condition: Survive until the event ends. (Once you reach Sea Lantern Island, the entire ocean will be surrounded by whirlpools until the event ends.)

Special condition for clearing the level: Stop the crazy villagers' ritual.

Inspiration: Atop those mountains, you see wings bursting forth from the mountains, a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, heading towards you. [Snap!]
Feeling the buzzing in his head, the man in the white cloak slammed his hand on the control panel:
"Sea Lantern Island! The legendary island where the Raven Witch was born, the training ground of the Ice Witch, the battlefield of the legendary investigator's first battle, the place where the Deep Sea Hunter was wounded! The place where the Sea Lantern Fox descended, the place where the Ember was discovered!"

Finally, finally… the man in the white cloak exclaimed excitedly, as if he had seen tons of gold:

"Little captain! Forward, keep forward! Keep going against the storm!!"

At this moment, in stark contrast to the white-cloaked man's excited mood, was the indifferent little crow.

She stared at the crack in front of her and unconsciously bit her nails.

Until they reached the rift, they did not encounter the navy, the Belgian weather bureau, or the Black Hunters.

She had already informed the navy of today's actions, but the navy still hadn't appeared on their flight path!

Damn it, what is the Navy doing? Why haven't they responded at all after I gave them a message?
If this crack malfunctions, the entire coastal archipelago will be reduced to ashes, and at least tens of thousands of people will die.

With a snap... the little crow bit its little fingernail.

Chen Qi looked at the inspiration and was slightly excited.

what's the situation!
87% distortion!?
Is this crack about to burst open any second?

Chen Qi tried hard to suppress the excitement in his heart.

Generally speaking, the difficulty of a crack is composed of many factors.

However, there is no doubt that, apart from the grade, the degree of crack distortion is the most important evaluation criterion.

An 87% distortion rate means that a crack is about to undergo a dramatic change.

High distortion usually has two outcomes: either advancement or collapse.

In simple terms, collapse is the appearance of cracks in the world, turning the land into irreparable ruins.

Today, beyond the new world lies a world composed of countless layers of bad soil.

An 87% distortion rate means that with just a little time and a little opportunity, the rift could quickly collapse and manifest itself in the real world.

C-order rifts are already considered extremely terrifying by many.

If the C-order cracks are not dealt with, they could even lead to the complete catastrophe of the surrounding area, turning it into a disaster land where 'humans' can never survive.

It could even be said that the crack could be distorted the moment they enter it.

But the moment the rift collapses, they will face countless monsters.

Even without the collapse, the rift advancing to a higher level is an extremely terrifying thing.

Once it transforms into a B-rank rift, even a third-rank superhuman could instantly perish in the face of a B-rank rift with just a single breath.

This also means that he, a second-tier transcendent, might appear in a B-tier rift where the minimum threshold is third tier!

Neither outcome is good news...

Unless they can get into the crack and suppress its distortion as quickly as possible.

The first time I entered a C-order crack, I encountered such an incredible distortion rate!
As they entered the crevice, the sky gradually turned into a clear, dusty expanse, and a deathly silent island appeared before them.

"My first experience with a C-rank rift, and it's this brutal."

Chen Qi subconsciously grasped the embers beneath his clothes.

This is the first time he, as an assassin, has entered a C-rank rift!

As they drew closer to the island, the notification popped up again in front of him.

You have arrived at the crevice on Hai Deng Island.

[You are being randomly assigned an identity based on your gender.]

[Your identity is that of a brave and righteous investigator and employee of Campfire Energy Company.]

[Because you're an employee of the campfire company, the villagers would love to feed you to sharks, increasing your hatred by 100! You're more likely to be attacked by monsters!]

Your completion reward +20%

[You have obtained a special completion condition: Find the blueprint for the special item, the Sea Lantern (completing this task will grant you an extremely mysterious reward)]

[Note: The more successfully you portray the character, the higher your score will be.]

Villagers' hatred level increased by 100?

Chen Qi frowned slightly.

As a second-tier superhuman, it's already quite difficult for him to challenge high-difficulty dungeons. Now, he's also given an identity that generates maximum hatred.

However, it doesn't matter.

On the Witch's Sea, where random events are rampant, he would inevitably encounter a rift of this magnitude sooner or later.

Chen Qi turned his head to look at the little raven, the white cloak, and the other extraordinary beings in triangular helmets.

From what we can see now, this rift has a character, and certain characters will gain special enlightenment.

Although it's not a Werewolf game instance, certain key characters should be able to gain insights far exceeding those of others.

Moreover, he did not receive any special inspiration.

The difficulty of clearing the C-rank rift was more complicated than he had imagined.

Chen Qi looked out the window.

In the distance lies a vast, desolate island, devoid of any life, filled only with withered, dead trees.

In the middle of the island is a huge mountain, on which countless runes are carved.

The entire mountain range is shaped like a sprawling fossil, as if at any moment a colossal beast will descend and destroy all living things in its path!

Chen Qi spoke first:
"Everyone, how do you want to complete this game? My character has some special missions."

Without a doubt, these people will definitely not take the normal route to pass through the checkpoints.

At this moment, the little crow said:

"Our goal is one: to go to the heart of the village, to take the place of the ritual's destination, and replace them as the new ritual people."

My identity is that of a doctor, so I won't be attacked by the villagers and can move freely on this island using my medical skills. However, I'll most likely be monitored, so my idea is to analyze everyone's intelligence first..."

The white-cloaked figure raised his left hand and snapped his fingers, a faint black shadow appearing around him:

"No! We don't have time! Dr. Raven! An 87% aberration means the villagers are about to hold a ceremony. We have only one choice: to bare our fangs and wash away the past with blood. We need to use blood to complete our ceremony."

"The bloodshed of the past?"

The little crow's mouth twitched.

Are you kidding me?
This is a C-order rift! And it's a C-order rift that's about to explode!
If the bloodbath continues, then she and Chen Qi could both become cannon fodder!
"No, we need to be more cautious. 87% distortion—in fact, the higher the distortion, the harder it is to increase!"

Crack distortion... Chen Qi lowered his head in thought.

The little crow is right. Once the distortion becomes too high, a major event must occur to increase the distortion of the crack.

"The distortion rate isn't that easy to increase, which means we still have time to develop a plan!"

The little crow again solemnly denied it, saying she needed to buy time for the navy, Morning Start, and her own actions.

At that moment, suddenly, the massive mountain range in the distance twitched.

Amidst everyone's hallucinations, in the distance, the massive mountain range seemed to convulse suddenly, shifting for a moment!

Layer upon layer of waves crashed against our faces!

The silent, ancient whispers echo across this vast sea!

Everyone covered their ears, amidst the soul-searching whispers.

Everyone saw the special notification.

[Because 'it' sensed a special presence, the crack distortion increased by 3%, currently at 90%!]

The little crow raised its head blankly and tugged at her beak.

"?????"

I've combined the two chapters. Thank you all for subscribing. Sorry for the late update; I had a really bad writer's block. I started writing at 3 PM and only just got through. I need to go and work on the outline again X﹏X
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(End of this chapter)