Chapter 198: Ten Thousand Meters Beneath the Sea

By late morning, the research vessel finally arrived at the designated exploration point within the uncharted waters. There were fifteen professional divers aboard, and with Ji Shuiyao and Wang Haoran joining them, that made a total of seventeen.

All seventeen suited up in preparation for descent. Today’s mission was simple—preliminary scouting. If the area proved stable and safe, tomorrow they’d begin collecting marine biological specimens.

“Sixth Sister, this diving suit’s for you,” Lin Chen announced, practically bouncing with excitement as he presented the suit he’d secretly hidden.

“I already have a personal one. I don’t need that,” Ji Shuiyao replied plainly.

“But I made some… special modifications to this one,” Lin Chen leaned in, his voice low and full of mystery. “Trust me, once you’re underwater, you’ll get a surprise.”

Ji Shuiyao studied him for a second, then relented. Her prodigious little brother had a habit of producing shocking results. If he was this confident, then the suit must be something special.

She returned to her cabin to change, then emerged on deck in full gear, ready for launch.

“You’re not a trained diver. Maybe it’s best if you stay on the ship,” Qiu Qianwei said gently, clearly worried, her brow furrowed.

“My diving skills aren’t bad, you know. Don’t worry,” Wang Haoran smiled easily.

In truth, he’d spent 1,300 Villain Points in the system store to redeem a Grandmaster-level Diving Skill. Compared to the so-called professionals around him, he could probably out-swim them blindfolded.

And with Lin Chen’s Super Diving Suit? He’d be unstoppable.

“Alright… just be careful,” Qiu Qianwei finally said, sensing he’d made up his mind. She gave in, but still reminded him to pull back if anything felt wrong.

“You sure you’re up to this?” Ji Shuiyao walked over, her voice steady but serious.

“Relax. I’m a professional.”

“…Alright.” With that assurance, she turned and returned to her team.

The group gathered in the mini-sub aboard the vessel. Once everyone was accounted for and suited up, the submarine began to descend, sinking into the deep.

At a certain depth, the submarine stabilized.

The operator checked pressure levels and confirmed they were within the tolerance range for their suits. Once green-lit, they deployed several spotlights to illuminate the surrounding waters—and instantly, a breathtaking scene unfolded before their eyes.

Schools of countless small fish surged through the water in chaotic harmony. Some scattered in all directions like glitter tossed into the current, others gathered and swirled downward in mesmerizing spirals.

Sea turtles glided slowly through the water, their limbs moving with a dreamlike languor.

Faster fish darted by like silver arrows, cutting across the sea with incredible speed. Some looked like paper-thin sheets, others were as round as marbles, and a few resembled chopsticks—bizarre and fascinating in every form.

Large predators patrolled the darker corners of the sea, their bulky silhouettes gliding with ominous grace, each movement laced with potential violence.

The ocean floor was hauntingly beautiful—but its beauty came hand in hand with danger.

All seventeen divers exited the sub one after another, plunging into the unknown.

Wang Haoran eased into the water with a few careful strokes, and the moment he moved, he knew—this was nothing short of incredible. The combination of his Grandmaster-level Diving Skill and the Super Diving Suit made him feel more fish than man.

The moment he left the others’ line of sight, he began testing the suit’s capabilities in earnest.

Within five minutes, he had full control.

One word echoed in his mind: insane.

The suit wasn’t just powerful—it was ridiculous.

As he swam further, Haoran suddenly realized he’d drifted into the ocean’s deepest zone.

His suit’s internal display lit up with readings: depth—12,301 meters. The pressure? 11,102 atmospheres.

That kind of pressure could crush a tank like an empty soda can.

Human beings, unaided, could dive to around 40 meters. With modern technology, the deepest limit reached was roughly 7,000 meters. Beyond that, it was practically science fiction.

But not with this suit.

The Super Diving Suit handled it all with ease. It moved like a dream, even at these depths—cutting through the abyss like a bullet through still air.

At ten thousand meters, not a trace of sunlight remained. It was an endless void, a blacker-than-black expanse of quiet pressure—like floating in space.

Fortunately, the suit came equipped with an advanced sensor system. The surroundings appeared on an internal map, showing obstacles and lifeforms through reactive outlines. The only real difference from normal vision was the lack of color. Visibility was more than adequate.

“Seventeen, do you copy?” Ji Shuiyao’s voice suddenly came through the underwater comm.

Seventeen—that was Wang Haoran’s temporary callsign.

“Copy that. This is One-Seven. Go ahead, One.”

“Why are you off your assigned route?” Her voice was sharp with concern.

“I’m near Sector P. Heading back now.”

Each diver had been assigned their own search zone—Haoran’s was labeled Sector P. Their locations were partially trackable, but once someone drifted too far from range, they’d disappear from the monitor. That explained her call.

As he began his return, his sensors blipped—something massive was approaching.

The map displayed its stats.

Length: 20.6 meters.

Weight: estimated 76 tons.

Bite force: estimated 37 tons.

Something that huge… there weren’t many possibilities.

Then the shape resolved clearly.

A shark.

Wang Haoran’s chest tightened for a second. Then he remembered: this was the Super Diving Suit. Nothing with less than 50 tons of bite force could breach it.

That shark could take a chomp, and all it would get was a bruised jaw.

His heart steadied.

The creature surged past him with terrifying speed, a mountain of muscle moving through the sea like a missile. It didn’t attack—it swept past and headed toward shallower waters.

Curious, Wang Haoran flipped into acceleration mode and followed it.

Soon, the beast reached a depth of roughly 6,000 to 7,000 meters, then hovered there briefly before diving back into the abyss.

At the spot where it had paused, he noticed a cluster of spotlights. It wasn’t hard to guess—the lights had likely drawn the creature up.

But before he could ponder further, Ji Shuiyao’s voice came over the comm again, asking all teams to report their status.

One by one, the others confirmed completion.

Wang Haoran didn’t hesitate. He turned and headed back to regroup.