Survival on the Internet: A Bizarre Start at Sea

The Strange Sea, Stormy Waters, Unnamed Route, Seventh Day of Sailing After the Marine Iguana Incident.

[Current Area]: Stormy Sea Area - Outer Waters (Near the Hidalgo Route)

[Time]: Day 33 (the third day of the second month), early morning.

[Environmental conditions]: Light fog, light breeze, moderate visibility.

[Regional Oddity Value]: 18 → 22 (fluctuation)

[World's Weirdest Value]: 25 (Stable)

Su Zhisu stood at the bow of the Redemption. The morning mist, carrying a salty and damp scent, shrouded the sea as far as the eye could see, like a light veil.

The wind was light, and the sails only billowed lazily in a slight arc. The Salvation drifted slowly northwestward with the ocean current at a steady pace.

The compass needle in his hand pointed in the direction of Hydeland as always.

The daily routine of sensing and status checks has just been completed.

After several days of sailing, his body had basically recovered, his strange power had been fully restored, and the fatigue deep in his mind had also faded considerably.

The pulse of the "unhatched ancient marine iguana egg" in the corner of the cabin was steady and weak, maintaining a continuous warm connection with the pocket watch.

"The area's weirdness level is rising... from 18 to 22."

This clear change caught his attention.

In relatively calm open seas, such slow and continuous fluctuations often indicate the presence of "something" nearby.

He became more alert, but did not panic.

After several days of sailing, he had encountered similar minor fluctuations, and as long as it wasn't the kind of dramatic change that occurred before a storm, he was confident in his ability to handle it.

"Let's see what's causing the disturbance."

He maneuvered the Redemption, slightly adjusting its course, veering slightly towards the direction where the fluctuations of his strange power were more pronounced.

Active exploration is better than passively and tediously waiting on the vast ocean.

After sailing for about an hour, the fog on the sea surface became noticeably thicker.

No longer a uniform veil, but clumps and sheets, slowly rolling and flowing on the sea surface as if they were alive.

Visibility dropped to 100 meters.

[Area Oddity Value]: 25.

"The regional oddity value is still rising, but it has caught up with the world's oddity value, so it should be stable now."

Su Zhisu stopped the boat and closed her eyes.

Instead of relying solely on vision, he focused his perception into the core of the Redemption beneath his feet, quietly triggering its talent—[Blessed by the White Mist].

It's not to activate the "White Fog Voyage," but to establish a more intimate sensory channel with the surrounding "fog."

A faint, resonant vibration emanated from the ramming bow of the Redemption, a vibration that only he could perceive.

In an instant, his perception changed.

The seemingly chaotic natural sea fog that permeated the surroundings presented a clearer "pattern" in his conscious "vision".

He could vaguely perceive the concentration gradient and flow direction of the fog, and even vaguely distinguish which areas of fog were more "natural" and which areas of fog seemed to be pulled or "polluted" by some weak external force.

"The white mist has blessed me... giving me a sense of 'home advantage' compared to others within the mist."

He "looked" toward the source of the strange value fluctuations.

The mist there flowed with a subtle, almost imperceptible stagnation, as if it were mixed with something else, something "heavier".

It didn't feel violent; rather, it was more like a stable "existence" or "area" that continuously emitted a faint pollution.

"No strong hostility... Is it some kind of strange object, or is it slightly eroded terrain?"

After a moment's thought, he decided to approach.

The Redemption started up again, slowing down even more, like a fish swimming into the fog, cautiously venturing deeper into the sluggish flow.

Gradually, the thick fog completely engulfed the ship.

All around was a vast expanse of white, with only the dark blue sea beneath my feet and the clear outline of the Salvation ship.

With sound cut off, the only sounds in the world were the faint creak of the ship breaking through the fog and the beating of one's own breath.

But Su Zhisu did not lose her way.

Through the faint connection established by the [White Mist Blessing], Su Zhisu clearly perceived the relative position and movement trajectory of the Redemption in the fog, and could even "sense" subtle changes in the fog density ahead in advance, avoiding possible undercurrents or obstacles.

"The ability to maintain a sense of direction and environmental awareness in dense fog is quite useful."

After traveling a distance, just as he was about to explore further, the fog ahead suddenly thinned.

A scene suddenly appeared.

It was a small island.

It is very small, only two or three hundred meters in diameter, and tens of meters above the sea surface.

The island is grayish-black and covered with low, dark green vegetation.

Surrounded by thick fog, it appeared lonely and eerie.

What truly caught Su Zhisu's eye was an area near the beach on the edge of the island.

The seawater there had an abnormal, viscous, dark green color, clearly contrasting with the surrounding inky blue.

In the center of the dark green sea, a few "flowers" floated quietly.

It has no roots or stems, as if it grows out of thin air on the water's surface.

The flower is a translucent, low-quality jade color, with overlapping petals and edges that have a dark red phosphorescence that looks like it is burning slowly.

At the heart of the flower, a faint blue light flickers constantly, like a miniature will-o'-the-wisp.

The flowers swayed and rippled with the water's surface, releasing a sweet floral fragrance mixed with a unique aroma.

It is this aura and the flowers themselves that continuously emit radiation that causes the strangeness value to rise.

【The Bizarre Phosphorescent Flower】

[Type]: Bizarre Plants/Source of Pollution

[Status]: Growing, continuously emitting low-intensity mental pollution and strange radiation.

[Information]: A mutated plant that grows in waters stagnant with a specific concentration of strange and powerful energy. Its pollen and sap have mild hallucinogenic and psychotropic effects and can be used in certain unorthodox alchemical recipes. Its core, "phosphorescence," is a highly condensed crystallization of polluted energy.

"So this is what it is..."

Su Zhisu suddenly realized that this plant had been mentioned in Oberon's Alchemy Notes.

These strange plants, born from the contamination of bizarre forces, pose little threat, but act like a small source of pollution, slowly altering the surrounding environment.

He was considering whether to go around it or clean it up when suddenly, he caught a glimpse of something unusual out of the corner of his eye!

In the shallow waters near the beach, in that dark green expanse, something seemed to be half-buried in the sand, reflecting a metallic sheen.

"Um?"

He stared intently at it.

That looks like a...box?

A corner of the rusty but rectangular metal box was mostly covered by waves and sand.

"Are they relics from a shipwreck? Or something else?"

In this waterway polluted by phosphorescent flowers, the sudden appearance of man-made objects seems particularly jarring.

Su Zhisu decided to go closer and take a look.

Navigating the Redemption, he carefully avoided the phosphorescent flowers and slowly approached the edge of the island, dropping a temporary anchor a dozen meters from the dark green waters.

He didn't disembark, but instead took out the [Strange Fishing Rod].

Using a fishing rod to "hook" the box is impractical, but it has other uses.

Adjust the fishing hook so that it hangs above the phosphorescent flower closest to the box.

Then, a faint, strange power was separated, mixed with a wisp of the Night Watcher's Heart Flame's properties, and passed down along the fishing line, like a gentle touch, brushing against the phosphorescent flower.

"Buzz..."