Survival on the Internet: A Bizarre Start at Sea

She leaned forward, her green eyes narrowing to slits: "Do you know why he disappeared for eight hundred and fifty years?"

Su Zhisu remained silent, and the cracks in the gray-blue mark widened.

"Because he fantasizes about rebelling against me."

The green-haired little girl's voice suddenly became low, and the temperature of the seawater in the room plummeted.

"His soul resides in the deep-sea Titan, vainly attempting to contend with me."

"It's laughable. If I didn't need a vessel to live, the headmaster of Atlantis would have disappeared long ago!"

Her fingertips traced the surface of the amber. "Tell me, my little assistant, you don't have any little secrets up your sleeve, do you?"

The alchemical notebook was slightly warm, and Oberyn's handwriting flickered in his mind: "When Cthulhu questions you, answer as naturally as the tide."

"I'm just a survivor."

Su Zhisu raised his head, his eyes fixed on the green-haired little girl, his gaze unwavering.

"I'm just a survivor. I just want to live and become stronger until I find true freedom!"

The green-haired little girl stared at Su Zhisu for a long time, then suddenly burst into laughter.

Amidst the laughter, the green mist outside the window condensed into the outline of R'lyeh, its spires seemingly piercing the sky through the cracks of memory.

"I'm growing to like you more and more, little messenger. No wonder Yoghurt thinks so highly of you~"

"Come with me to the Tide Altar the day after tomorrow. We need a clever assistant for the preparations for the Sea Moon Festival."

She handed over a scale-shaped token.

"Remember, loyalty is the only way to survive. Traitors... will only become my nourishment."

As Su Zhisu left Star Dream Academy, she looked at the runes engraved on the scale token, which was Cthulhu's warning: Be good~.

As night fell, the fungal carpet in the Life Nest Institute glowed eerily under the moonlight.

Su Zhisu unfolded his alchemy notebook, which contained Oberon's research on the white mist.

"The white mist is a natural phenomenon that occurs on the strange sea due to the distortion of strange forces. But use it with caution, for it will attract the attention of strange followers or disciples."

In the center of the three stars atop the distant temple, Cthulhu's green eyes opened amidst the stars, gazing down upon the entirety of Atlantis.

In the unseen depths of the trench, a massive anchor lies submerged, and deep within the eye socket of a deep-sea titan, a flickering flame of soul energy lingers.

"We need to awaken Nautilus as soon as possible," Su Zhisu murmured, his fingertips tracing the trench coordinates left by Oberon on the alchemy notebook.

As the night deepened, white mist rose from beneath his feet, enveloping his entire body.

[White Mist Navigation] was activated, and Su Zhisu's figure disappeared. The glow on the Life Nest Institute's carpet suddenly dimmed.

Deep in the trench, white mist spread out like a thin veil.

Su Zhisu walked through the fog, her senses extending with the white mist.

The sight before them was chilling: more than thirty jellyfish-like humanoids floated around Titan's body, their whiskers adorned with star-like threads, forming a monitoring network covering the entire trench.

At the core of each humanoid figure, there are green vertical pupils that open and close rhythmically; those are Cthulhu's eyes.

Deeper still, hundreds of Deep Ones rest in the crevices of the rock walls, their scales oozing with threads of Cthulhu's Starlight runes, clearly indicating they have been manipulated.

The Titan Nautilus's massive body lay half-buried in the seabed, the flickering flame of his soul in his left eye socket as faint as a candle in the wind, while his right eye had long been sealed away.

The white mist quietly receded, and Su Zhisu returned to the Life Nest Courtyard.

Before dawn, Lilia arrived, the brand on the back of her hand glowing with a dreamy purple light.

"My lord, I have awakened a new talent: [Dream-filled Branches]."

She opened her palm, and tiny dreamlike dust swirled between her fingertips. "Now I can scatter dream dust, causing those affected by it to fall into drowsiness."

"After conducting a mental assessment, the affected person can fall into a deep sleep!"

"Good news!" Su Zhisu was pleasantly surprised. He thought of a game from another world.

"The jellyfish-like humanoids lack complete consciousness, but those deep-diving beings..."

"That person's manipulation has distorted their will," Lilia said firmly. "That's enough."

Even at noon deep in the trench, it was still pitch black. Su Zhisu and Lilia stepped into the white mist once again.

This time, Lilia's dream dust mingled with the white mist.

As the dreamy powder adhered to the jellyfish-shaped tentacles, the frequency of its green eyes opening and closing gradually slowed down.

The core of the first humanoid figure dimmed, followed by the second, the third...

The Deep Ones huddled in the crevices of the rocks, and the runes in the gaps between their scales turned gray.

Su Zhisu emerged from the white mist, the crystal bottle pressed tightly against Titan's left eye.

Golden liquid poured down, flowing along the coral-covered iron armor and into his eyes.

In an instant, the fire of the soul surged, as if illuminating the entire trench.

Nautilus was fully conscious, and the tiny figures of the two were reflected in the soul fire in his pupils.

"We've finally waited for you."

Titan's voice resounded directly in his consciousness, causing the white mist to surge.

It gazed at Lilia, a human tenderness flashing in its eyes, "My daughter, Lilia Nerga."

Lilia was startled: "What did you say?"

"Twenty-six years ago, I entrusted you to Hydra of the Nest of Life, so that you could grow up under her care."

Nautilus sighed, its voice like the tides of antiquity, "Even though I am no longer a physical being, Cthulhu's perception of bloodlines is far too acute..."

"Nerga, that's your mother's surname."

"Father..." Lilia's voice trembled.

As Nautilus sighed, Su Zhisu quickly stated the current situation:

Three days later, the Moon Festival, Kael'thas, Hydra, tomorrow's trip to the Tide Altar, and the amber crystal gifted by Cthulhu.

When the amber was suspended before the Titan, the fire of its soul blazed brightly in its eyes.

"This is R'lyeh's anchor point. She wants R'lyeh to descend upon Atlantis so that she can break through the world's hierarchical limitations and unleash greater power to better combat the corrupted faction."

"I am currently under suppression. If I were to release the suppression prematurely, it would only alert her."

Nautilus's massive steel hand gently touched the backs of their hands, and the cracks in the gray-blue brand healed completely.

"I will contact you through the brand."

"Before you go to the Tide Altar tomorrow, find Kael Crane. He will help you. I have spoken with him before, and he is trustworthy."

Titan's voice was deep: "As for Hydra... she cherishes her students, her children, but as a servant of Cthulhu, she has no choice in the matter."

"Finally, remember to avoid Dagon; he is Cthulhu's most loyal henchman."

"Kyle Crane is currently struggling with her corruption," Su Zhixu said. "He only has the power of a first-tier cultivator now."

"Go to my alchemy lab tonight, and I will teach you how to heal Kyle Crane."

At the moment of parting, the fire of the soul in Nautilus's eyes gradually subsided.

"Remember, on the night of the Sea Moon Festival, when her rituals begin and R'lyeh descends, that will be the time when I break free from oppression."

The soul fire of Nautilus vanished into the darkness.

"Let's go, before the guards wake up from their slumber."

"Finally, Su Zhisu, please take good care of my daughter. This is Oberon Serafim's last request as a player."

"Now I am just the deep-sea titan... Nautilus."

When the white mist dissipated, the two returned to the Nest of Life.

Lilia stared at the brand on the back of her hand, her voice heavy: "Your Excellency, Father...you knew my identity all along?"

"Oberyn's notes mention you."

Su Zhisu looked towards the direction of the temple, where Cthulhu's green eyes were faintly visible among the three stars.

"Nautilus has been waiting for you to grow up. From now on, call me Su Zhisu."