C1 Welcome to the Deep Sea World

Welcome to the Deep Sea Survival game! Each player is the proud owner of their very own Shellfish House, with the vast ocean floor stretching out just beyond its walls.

The deep sea holds surprises beyond your wildest dreams, as well as countless deadly perils.

Will you rise as a dragon or remain a mere worm? Your fate is in your own hands.

Remember: The Shellfish House is your sole sanctuary. Step outside, and you're at the mercy of the deep's unknown denizens!

Here's a tip: Spirit Beads can upgrade your Shellfish House, but you'll have to scour the ocean depths to find them.

The game panel can be summoned or dismissed with just a thought. Many more features await your discovery, so dive in and enjoy the game to the fullest.

Strive to survive.

As Xiao Hao gazed at the game panel hovering in the void, the blood-red, flickering text gave him a pounding headache.

Looking up, he was met with a roughly 20-square-meter room resembling an earthen hut.

The most bizarre aspect was the walls' kaleidoscope of colors, their material indiscernible. The so-called mud roof seemed more akin to an oversized seashell.

Sitting on the bed, Xiao Hao couldn't shake his gloom. He wasn't a caveman; he understood the concept of transmigration.

But to think his cheap rental's bed would come along for the ride was absurd to the extreme.

It seemed likely he wasn't the only one ensnared in this game.

Wait, the deep sea?

How on earth could a room be constructed here? The crushing pressure of the deep sea should have obliterated it!

His Shellfish House featured a clear floor-to-ceiling window. Approaching it, Xiao Hao could just make out the dim glow of fluorescent aquatic plants a mere half-meter away.

He knew they were underwater plants because their shimmering light revealed the truth: he was indeed at the ocean's bottom, just as the game had suggested.

With a heavy heart, Xiao Hao unlocked his phone, and a pale red game interface promptly materialized.

Personal information, forums, trading posts, synthesis chamber, spatial grid, Exploring Bubble...

The words lined up in neat rows.

Furrowing his brow, Xiao Hao tapped on his personal information, and a fresh page sprang forth on the game interface.

Name: Xiao Hao

Number: 869

Age: 20

Health: 100/100

Stamina: 100/100

Spirit Bead: None

Shellfish House Safety Rating: 1 star (The safety rating of the Shellfish House is critically low. It could be easily destroyed by a passing deep-sea monster. Please prioritize collecting Spirit Beads.)

Guardian of Shellfish House: None

Size of Shellfish House: 20 square meters

Personal Skills: None

Strength Evaluation: Weak

...

This reminded Xiao Hao of a farming game he used to play.

The gameplay involved upgrading the Shellfish House and accumulating Spirit Beads and Guardians, which one would naturally have to venture outside to find.

But how on earth could a person walk on the ocean floor?

Forget scavenging for resources; he couldn't even step out of the safety zone!

Xiao Hao exited the personal information screen and shifted his attention to the forum feature, hoping to uncover useful information there.

As anticipated, the forum was in complete chaos.

"Holy smokes! I woke up to a completely altered world!"

"What the heck! What's going on with you all? My room is pitch-black, and it sounds like there's a massive creature lurking outside! I'm holed up under my blanket, too terrified to make a peep!"

"Second floor, don't chicken out, get out there and face it!"

"I'm usually a total noob at games, totally Barbie Q'd..."

"What is this place? The room's dry. Are we really in the deep sea?"

"This can't be any ordinary world. I'm a biologist, and I can identify the plants by my door as deep-sea flora. It's quite astonishing, really. When I opened my door, I was greeted by a wall of water that didn't flood the room."

"I'm not here for some deep-sea survival game; I just want to go home... Wuuu..."

"Can someone please rescue me? I can't even get a signal to call for help!"

"What in the world is happening?!"

"Folks, have you not realized there's no food in the room? Not a thing to eat or drink!"

"We're doomed! There's absolutely nothing here!"

"Well, actually, there is something. I'm a bit of a homebody and a snacker. I love eating in bed, so my bed's covered in snacks. Never thought they'd all come with me. The snacks are nearly spilling out of the space..."

"Hey, bro, could you spare some for me?"

"Dude, I'd like some too!"

"Heh, keep dreaming!"

In the forum, participants were identified only by numbers and displayed white avatars. Xiao Hao was on his own, indifferent to the identities of the other speakers.

The information in the forum updated at breakneck speed, leaving Xiao Hao to sift through a deluge of irrelevant posts to find the few that were marginally useful.

First, he realized this was not the familiar world of science; he was indeed deep beneath the sea.

Second, he discovered an item akin to a spatial ring, which held the basic survival supplies provided by the game.

Upon opening the spatial ring, Xiao Hao found it mostly empty, save for a meager offering: one bottle of mineral water and two loaves of bread.

For someone like Xiao Hao, who didn't keep food by his bed, this scant ration of water and bread wouldn't sustain him for long.

A biologist on the forum had mentioned that water couldn't get in. Should he attempt to open the door to check?

Eventually, he'd have to open it.

After a brief hesitation, Xiao Hao approached the door, phone in his left hand and right hand poised on the doorknob, ready to twist it open for a quick peek.

Just then, Xiao Hao noticed a line of text drifting across the virtual game panel, reminiscent of the fleeting comments on a streaming video.

Upon closer inspection, the text was small and slightly transparent, superimposed on the game interface.

"Another one's about to die. He has no idea a Deep Sea Phantom is lurking right outside," it read.

Xiao Hao paused, taken aback. Were there hints in the game?

His hand on the doorknob tensed, and he halted, not turning the knob.

What was happening here?

If it was a survival game, why offer a hint?

Xiao Hao returned to the forum. If this hint was visible to everyone, surely it would be a hot topic of discussion.

Yet, oddly enough, as Xiao Hao scoured the forum threads, he found no mention of any such hint.

However, the forum did provide another useful tidbit: the Shellfish House came with built-in lighting, activated by pressing a protruding shell next to the door. With a simple press, the Shellfish House would be illuminated.

With this knowledge, there was no longer a need to rely on his phone's flashlight.

Xiao Hao was conveniently standing next to the door when he casually flipped the shell switch. Instantly, a line of peculiar shells on the ceiling illuminated, glowing like an incandescent bulb.

He switched off his phone's light and mulled over whether the alert was exclusive to him or if everyone received it. If it was the latter, why hadn't anyone spoken up or questioned its authenticity?

Taking a chance, Xiao Hao posed a question in the forum.

Number 869: Are there any other notifications in the game, or is it just the introductory overview?

Nope, nothing.

I've scoured it inside and out at least ten times—just the intro and basic features.

Have you stumbled upon additional hints? Spill it quick and share with the rest of us!

...

Curious about the third respondent, Xiao Hao clicked to see who this exceptional individual was.

The profile showed only the number 666, the same person who had recently hoarded a mountain of snacks.

Quite the character, flaunting a bed brimming with snacks that had been teleported along with him, yet not sharing any and boldly demanding information.

Xiao Hao didn't hesitate to reply.

Number 869: Actually, I did notice a tiny game hint.

Number 666: Out with it! If it pleases me, I might just toss you a chip!

Just one chip?

Such stinginess was unparalleled.

Number 869: In the bottom right corner, the hint reads: 'All final interpretations reserved by the game.'

Number 666: ???

Number 666: You trying to play me? Don't come crawling to me when you're starving!

Exactly! How dare he toy with Brother Lu! He's asking for trouble!

Brother Lu, just ignore him!

...

Below were Brother Lu's many followers, each one condemning Xiao Hao.

But really, how far could a bed of snacks go?

If the clue was his alone...

The tables might turn on who would be asking whom for help.

With a Deep Sea Phantom lurking outside, Xiao Hao had no choice but to get acquainted with the game's features for now, waiting to deal with the Phantom once it had departed.

First stop: the trading post.

The trading interface was a treasure trove of items. An entire bed, along with its occupant, had been transported to the ocean depths, with many using it as a makeshift display for their wares.

Some were bartering food for a charger, others exchanged pillows and blankets for sustenance, and there were even trades involving lubricant and toys...

The trading market's inventory was continuously updating, with items vanishing upon successful trades.

After observing the market for a bit and grasping the mechanics of trade, Xiao Hao proceeded to open the Synthesis House.