I can see experience bars after being transported to another world.

After the church members had all left, Alice let out a cold laugh:

"That Marcus arrangement is indeed interesting... Direct exploration is the most dangerous, yet the Ascendants are vying for it. Either the Judge is stronger than we thought, or they know something we don't."

"The church too," Lu Yuan said in a low voice, "Was Philip testing you with what he just said?"

"Who knows?" Alice sneered. "Whatever they're plotting behind the scenes, if they dare to interfere, we'll chop them off."

She gripped the warhammer at her waist, her gaze darkening slightly.

"But it doesn't matter. Once a real fight breaks out, it won't be up to Marcus to decide."

Lu Yuan didn't respond, because he realized that Alice did indeed know something.

But old Morgan didn't tell him, so Lu Yuan didn't plan to ask again.

After the meeting, everyone dispersed.

Lu Yuan inspected the equipment on the deck and took the opportunity to confirm the accuracy of the nautical charts provided by the Ascension Association.

Just as Lu Yuan was comparing the nautical chart, Gray came over and handed him a water bottle.

The two didn't say much, but Gray did leave a good impression on Lu Yuan; he was a reliable firepower provider.

Lu Yuan took the water bottle, took a sip, and glanced across the deck.

The sea remained calm, but the salty smell in the air was stronger than in the morning.

[Environmental Awareness: High concentration of anaerobic substances detected in the sea area; avoidance is recommended.]

Lu Yuan glanced at reason again.

[Rationality: 50/71]

It didn't decrease.

Lu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed there was no need to worry too much; the source of pollution on the seabed did not appear to be on the route of their voyage.

As darkness fell, the Abyss Hunter began to slow down.

The vibrations from the ship gradually changed from a roar to a low hum, and the speed gradually decreased until it almost came to a standstill on the sea surface, with only slight undulations remaining.

Marcus's voice came from the cabin, with a metallic quality: "Activate night protection mode."

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of machinery running came from below deck.

Lu Yuan felt a slight tremor beneath his feet, and the metal plates on both sides of the ship began to slowly unfold, revealing the alchemical runes embedded inside.

The runes lit up in the darkness, initially as faint specks of light, then grew brighter and brighter, forming a complex array.

hum-

A deep, trembling sound spread through the air.

Pale golden light surged from the runes, spreading along the hull like water, and finally gathered at the top of the ship, forming a semi-transparent light shield that enveloped the entire Abyss Hunter.

[Large-scale alchemical artifact activated]

[Analysis in progress...]

[Abyss Hunter Protective Array: A mid-tier alchemical artifact created by the Ascension Council, combining inscription and sealing techniques. It can isolate mutated pollution and low-level mental erosion within a certain range, but its effect on high-level pollution sources is limited.]

Current status: Operating at full power

[Weakness: Alchemy energy supply system.]

Lu Yuan silently memorized this information.

As the golden light enveloped the area, night fell completely.

The Abyss Hunter began to sail towards its destination at an extremely slow speed.

The newborn began to take turns on duty, their mechanical eyes gleaming coldly in the darkness, like a row of silent sentinels.

On the Night's Watch side, Gray volunteered to take the first half of the night's shift, while Leonard took over the second half.

The church deacons gathered in a corner of the cabin, chanting prayers in a low, monotonous voice.

Lu Yuan lay in the cabin, but couldn't fall asleep for a long time.

The sea outside the window was pitch black, with only the edge of the light shield gleaming faintly with gold.

Occasionally, a faint blue light would rise from the depths and then quickly sink back down, as if something on the seabed was looking at a target on the surface.

[Environmental Awareness: Marine life activity detected... distance too far, no immediate threat]

Lu Yuan stared at the eerie blue lights and knew that they were things lurking on the seabed.

They were watching the ship, but the presence of protection made them choose to give up.

Lu Yuan turned over, closed his eyes, and forced himself to fall asleep.

The real danger lies ahead; you need to take good care of yourself.

Some time passed, the sea rose and fell silently, and Lu Yuan returned to that dream, but this time nothing happened; he could only watch the tides rise and fall before him...

[Rationality III: +3, 5/70]

"So the experience gained from the alternate dream really did decrease?" Lu Yuan muttered to himself, looking at his sanity, which had been reduced by another point.

The Abyss Hunter restarted the following morning.

The light shield slowly retracted, the light of the rune array gradually dimmed, and the ship once again emitted a deep rumble as it began to head towards the target sea area.

During this time, Marcus did nothing, and the church members simply gathered together, seemingly discussing something.

Around noon, the sea conditions began to change drastically.

The once calm sea had begun to surge, the waves gradually intensifying and pounding against the hull with a dull thud.

The temperature around us plummeted.

Lu Yuan exhaled a breath, which actually condensed into white mist.

The damp air, carrying the stench of decay, pressed heavily on my chest, making it difficult to breathe.

[Warning: The concentration of alienated substances is rising sharply]

[WARNING: High-level pollution source ahead]

[Environmental Sensing: Signs of large-scale life activity detected...]

The warnings that kept popping up at the edge of his vision made Lu Yuan's expression hard.

He looked up at the distant horizon.

A dark outline is faintly visible.

That was their destination—that unnamed island.

A thick, dark cloud hovered over the island, occasionally flashing with an eerie blue light, just like the light spots that had risen from the seabed the previous night.

The alchemical rune array on the Abyss Hunter began to activate automatically, emitting a buzzing vibration.

The ship's hull was enveloped in a faint light, as if resisting some invisible erosion.

The atmosphere on deck suddenly became tense.

Marcus walked onto the deck, looking at the distant island, his expression on his half-mechanical face unreadable.

Alice gripped the warhammer tightly, Gray silently inspected the weapon, and the church deacons stopped their prayers and began drawing holy symbols on their chests.

Lu Yuan felt a familiar wave of dizziness.

That was the aura I had sensed in my dream.

The feeling of being stared at by the deep sea, the suffocating sensation of being enveloped in darkness, was now slowly spreading towards him from the direction of that small island.

At noon, the Abyss Hunter finally entered the waters surrounding the small island.

The sea conditions also began to deteriorate rapidly at this time.

The waves, which had been just gently undulating, became violent as they approached the island, with huge waves crashing against the ship and making a deep, rumbling sound.

The ship rocked violently, and Lu Yuan had to hold on to the gunwale to keep his balance.

Some waves were so high they were almost level with the gunwale, and seawater splashed onto the deck, carrying a chilling sensation.

[WARNING: Large-scale mutated biological activity detected]

Lu Yuan squinted at the churning sea.

In the inky black sea, one can occasionally see huge shadows flitting by—something is swimming underwater.

They didn't attack; they just hovered under the ship, as if watching and waiting for their chance.