I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

However, the thing wriggled more and more violently, and eventually it even extended several tentacles.

Soon, an octopus-like creature emerged from the leopard's palm. It had octopus tentacles and a soft head, but its lower body had eight legs and pincers like a crab. Two huge eyes were located on its head, displaying an intelligent gaze.

The creature writhed and twitched its tentacles, sending chills down one's spine.

But it moved slowly in the leopard's hand, and the image of its tentacles wrapping around the girl's fair wrist was rather grotesque.

What did you do?

Lu Ban glanced at A Xiang, who was still looking for other crabs to compare with and hadn't noticed them, and asked Leopard.

"It's just a slight boost."

The leopard and the creature stared at each other, the leopard letting it climb on her smooth arm. But when the creature's tentacles tried to reach inside her sleeve, the leopard grabbed the creature with her other hand and crushed it without mercy.

puff--

The dark green sap splashed onto the beach and was quickly washed away by the tide.

“Creating a creature is a rather boring thing most of the time, because if you want them to survive in this world, you have to take good care of them and help them solve a lot of problems.”

Leopard released her grip and threw the monster's corpse into the sea. Her hands remained clean and spotless.

"Just like you humans keep cats, you think cats are cute and can keep you company, but most of you ignore the fact that they are also living beings, they need to eat, drink and poop, and you need to take care of these cats. When you are woken up by the smell of cat poop at night, even the cutest creature seems so evil."

"You seem to know a lot about this."

Lu Ban didn't know that Leopard had ever owned a cat.

"So often, we just create some creatures randomly and don't care about what happens afterward. Of course, for me, the main thing is whether the process is interesting."

Leopard took off her shoes and socks, and her fair, bare feet stepped on the sand, leaving behind tiny footprints.

Those fiddler crabs buried deep under the gravel may never know in their entire lives that they were once trampled by an incarnation of an Old One.

The icy seawater submerged Leopard's toes. She lifted the hem of her crimson trousers slightly to prevent them from getting wet, and like a child, walked towards a slightly deeper area, her feet slightly raised as she stepped into the clear water.

"You're coming too?"

Leopard extended an invitation to Lu Ban.

In the sunlight, her appearance did indeed seem somewhat familiar.

"I'm not a child."

Lu Ban rejected Leopard's proposal.

"You're making me sound like a child."

Leopard looked slightly dissatisfied.

"How old are you?"

Lu Ban countered with a question.

"Six months?"

Leopard tilted his head and said uncertainly.

"That's quite young."

Lu Ban thought for a moment and realized that this calculation must be based on the time when her avatar appeared.

If we consider the time frame of memory and knowledge, even the number leopard probably couldn't answer that question.

Aren't you going to move all that money?

Ignoring the leopard playing in the water, Lu Ban looked at A Xiang.

This man was completely different from those sailors; it seemed that these wondrous creatures were his treasures, more so than gold and silver.

"I'm not interested in those."

Ah Xiang said something while he was using a brush to record the ecological conditions of the fiddler crabs. Only after finishing the last stroke did he look up and continue speaking.

“Our activities have already changed the world a lot, and many creatures are no longer seen. But I believe that on the isolated islands of the ocean, there may still be some creatures that have not been disturbed by our activities, and they may even have remained as they were long ago.”

He gazed at the shimmering sea, the sun gradually setting in the west, casting a golden glow. Girls dressed in white and scarlet trousers frolicked in the water, giving him a moment of tranquility.

"I've always been curious about where humans came from and how life has evolved into what it is today. I want to understand this ocean and the meaning of this world. There must be a reason why we are the way we are now. My research topic is about evolution."

When Ah Xiang talked about his strengths, he became more talkative.

"Just like these crabs, they are different from other crabs because of their different environments. In the end, only those species that adapted to the environment survived and evolved into their current form. So what about humans? Why did humans take on their current form?"

He wasn't asking Lu Ban, but rather looking up at the sky, as if questioning some great being silently watching over them from the infinite heights.

Ah Xiang may not know that the answers to these questions could perhaps be found in the girl playing in the water. Of course, after learning the answers, Ah Xiang might no longer be able to maintain his human form.

Just as Ah Xiang was about to say something more, he heard a call coming from the dock.

"Hey, Xiang, we've found a treasure map!"

Captain Nagamasa waved his arms and said excitedly.

Chapter 810 The Windless Belt

Spread out on the slightly moldy table was a map made of leather from an unknown animal.

The dark yellow map was outlined with the shape of islands in a small area of ​​sea, and one of them was marked. In addition, there were some small dots that looked like dirt in one corner of the map. Upon closer inspection, these black dots formed a constellation-like pattern.

In addition, there are drawings of animals that look like they are marking danger.

It looks very real at first glance and has been identified as a treasure map.

In this era, navigation did not yet have convenient and efficient satellite positioning, and in the vast and endless ocean, not even an island could be seen. Therefore, everyone relied on the stars for positioning.

Compared to islands, reefs, and stars, which may deviate due to weather conditions, the map remains unchanged throughout the ages.

When a ship sails to the correct position, the stars in the sky will appear in the arrangement shown on this map, making this method of marking quite practical.

"According to this map, we are about a week away from the location of the treasure. That area of ​​the sea is not on the shipping lanes and few ships pass through."

The sailor in charge of navigation consulted his nautical charts and explained.

There are still many areas in this endless ocean that humans have not yet set foot in. Due to ocean currents and monsoons, most ships follow a few fixed routes. These routes are the result of the hard work and lessons learned by our predecessors. In the waters outside the shipping lanes, there are either rugged reefs or unstable ocean currents, and there may even be sea monsters. Ordinary ships would never touch them.

On Earth, most ships during the Age of Discovery sailed along the edges of continents, rarely crossing oceans directly. Those who dared to do so became known as discoverers of continents in later historical records.

These unknown waters also became a paradise for pirates. Many pirates would set up their hideouts and strongholds outside the shipping lanes, and only the pirates themselves knew how to get there. It was for this reason that people like Captain Nagamasa would want to go there to search for treasure.

"However, that area is a calm zone, which is very dangerous."

The navigator then pointed to their own nautical chart.

This is what makes the island different from the rest of the world.

The doldrums on Earth generally refer to the calm wind zones near the equator and around 30 degrees north and south latitude, which are formed due to geographical reasons. Although they are said to be windless, there are still some breezes most of the time.

The calm zone around the island is comprised of patches of land.

Some of these areas are only the size of a city, while others are vast. In these areas, there is not even a breeze, and the air is absolutely still. If a sailing ship accidentally enters these areas, it will lose power and eventually be lost at sea.

Therefore, official nautical charts usually mark the location of the calm zone so that ships can avoid entering it by mistake.

The location marked on this treasure map is in a vast, windless zone, an area that is at the very edge of the known seas. Further ahead, even the bravest adventurers have never ventured.

Or rather, the adventurers who dared to enter this windless zone have all vanished without a trace, their chances of survival slim.

"I knew it! There must be treasure in the Calm Belt!"

Nagamasa was not discouraged by this; on the contrary, he became even more excited.

"Ah Xiang, I told you there was treasure hidden in Wufeng, didn't I? You didn't believe me, but look at this treasure map!"

He patted his friend's shoulder forcefully as the friend arrived late, his mind still preoccupied with the fiddler crab.

"But your treasure map is completely different from this one..."

Ah Xiang made a comment.

"What's different?"

Nagamasa took out the treasure map from his pocket and compared the two.

His drawing looked like a child's doodle, with neither star markings nor navigational markers.

While these two treasure maps are not exactly identical, they are also completely unrelated.

"Doesn't it look quite similar?"

Nagamasa is still being stubborn.

"I spent a lot of money to buy this from an information broker, how could it be?"

“Listen, Nagamasa, even if this treasure map is real, why was it left here and found by us?”

Ah Xiang analyzed it again.

"This might be a trap. That sea is too deep; ordinary ships simply can't get in."

"But doesn't this mean that these treasures haven't been found yet?"

Nagamasa asked in return.

"If these treasures have already been taken, then the treasure map will definitely be destroyed!"

"Uh, this..."

Ah Xiang was speechless for a moment.

What you said seems to make some sense.

"Besides, didn't we make preparations for the Calm Belt this time?"

"Changzheng said excitedly, pointing to the pictures on the treasure map. The creatures looked strange and didn't seem like ordinary marine life," he said.

"Look, these monsters look like they're guarding a treasure. Aren't you quite interested? Maybe you can be the first to discover it and even name it!"

Hearing Changzheng's words, Axiang also wavered.

He examined the drawings of the monsters closely; though only a few strokes were used, the shapes of the monsters were accurately depicted.

One of the monsters had many tentacles, like a giant squid, but underneath the tentacles were crab legs and pincers.

Another one resembled a long snake, with its head covered in bones, like a dragon.