Note: This is Chapter 11 and 12 from the MTL Novel, both chapters where 800 to 900 words so i just put them together.
....
The boundless darkness enveloped Norman like ink as he swam.
In this vast and empty underwater cave, Norman held a knife in one hand and a harpoon in the other, slowly feeling his way forward in the darkness.
The searchlights of the submarine behind him gradually dimmed as he ventured deeper.
Everything around him seemed to dissolve into nothingness, becoming hazy and indistinct, making it impossible to distinguish between real and unreal, and filling Norman with a profound sense of unease.
In this deadly, dark environment, Norman was extremely cautious with each stroke as he swam, never daring to let his guard down.
During his gradual descent, every so often, Norman would use the diving knife to carve a mark into the rock wall.
The cave's interior was incredibly complex, with numerous forks and passageways. It was all too easy to get lost.
Getting lost in such a place would be a death sentence—once the oxygen ran out, there would be no escape.
Though the sonar hadn't detected any immediate danger, Norman couldn't shake the feeling that something was lurking in the surrounding darkness, hidden within the holes and crevices of the rock walls, waiting to strike.
Even if it was just his imagination, the thought left him deeply unsettled.
The constant tension gnawed at his nerves, making him feel on edge all the time.
Before long, Norman's breathing grew rapid, and he subconsciously gripped the harpoon tighter.
Fortunately, no danger had yet emerged.
Occasionally, strange-looking deep-sea fish swam past, curiously eyeing Norman.
Despite their proximity, Norman didn't attempt to catch any of them. First, he wasn't confident he could capture one before it darted away. Second, he didn't want to risk creating additional problems in this terrifying environment.
If he ended up bleeding during the fishing process, the scent of blood could easily attract something far more dangerous.
At that point, he could end up as prey himself, rendering the effort not worth the risk.
A few minutes later, following the three-dimensional virtual topographic map from memory, Norman rounded a fork in the passage.
The light from his helmet reflected off a large pile of copper ore standing quietly in a corner of the grotto ahead.
"Found it!"
Overjoyed, Norman kicked his legs and swam rapidly toward the ore pile.
The golden text had indeed been correct.
The amount of copper ore in this pile was substantial, evident just from its size alone.
If a basket ball-sized iron ore could yield three units, then this half-person-height copper ore pile should produce at least ten units!
"This is great! Not only do I have enough materials for the freshwater extractor, but also the parts needed to repair the gravity ball. This trip was definitely worth it!"
Elated, Norman quickly pulled out his handheld mining tool and began working on the copper ore pile.
[System: Acquired copper ore *1]
[System: Acquired copper ore *1]
[System: Acquired copper ore *1]
The crisp, melodic notifications echoed in Norman's mind.
One by one, fist-sized pieces of copper ore broke away from the pile, which Norman carefully stored in his diving suit backpack.
In no time, the once-large ore pile shrank considerably.
Lost in his work, Norman didn't notice the faint yellow light that suddenly appeared in the dark underwater grotto about seven or eight meters behind him.
The light was faint, like a firefly in the night—elegant, agile, and unnerving, like the eyes of some unknown creature.
It appeared without warning, its full form obscured by the darkness, moving silently like a ghost.
Oblivious, Norman continued mining.
By now, the copper ore pile had been reduced to only twenty centimeters. It had provided Norman with 11 units of copper ore, filling three slots in his backpack.
Once the remaining ore was mined, Norman estimated his haul would reach at least fifteen units.
'I'm really hitting the jackpot here!' Norman thought, filled with satisfaction.
Little did he know, the unseen danger was slowly creeping toward him from the darkness, little by little.
As Norman collected the last fist-sized piece of copper ore from the rock wall, he pocketed it with a sense of triumph.
The copper ore pile hidden deep within the cave had finally been fully mined.
Norman let out a long breath, a smile of satisfaction on his face.
He clipped the mining tool back to his belt and prepared to leave. But as he turned, something strange caught his eye in the darkness beside him.
In that instant, a chill ran down Norman's spine, and he froze, feeling a surge of terror.
Instinctively, he snapped his head toward the strange sight, the lights on his helmet casting a beam into the dark void beside him.
There, less than two meters away, a bizarre-looking fish hovered, staring at Norman with large, pale eyes.
Its mouth, lined with sharp fangs, opened and closed slightly, reflecting a sinister glint under the light.
Above its head, a long, fleshy appendage dove between its eyes, ending in a round organ that emitted a faint, eerie glow.
The overall appearance was nightmarish.
'Fucking... Hell!'
Norman cursed, his body trembling involuntarily.
The next moment, an overwhelming chill surged through his body, the sudden, horrifying scene forcing him to stumble backward.
'What the hell is this thing? How did it get so close?!'
Cold sweat drenched his back as Norman's heart pounded wildly, nearly scared out of his wits.
The fish had appeared so suddenly, with no warning, and its grotesque appearance was straight out of a horror movie.
Anyone would be terrified at first sight of this thing!
Seeing that its prey had noticed it, the strange fish stopped lurking.
In the darkness, it suddenly opened its huge, fanged mouth and was ready to lunged toward Norman with ferocious intent!
The strange-looking creature was nearly one meter long!
Its mouth, full of fangs, was even bigger than an adult's head!
After being spotted by Norman, the strange creature did not flee; instead, it attacked, lunging at Norman with terrifying speed.
If it managed to bite him, the consequences would be dire—if not fatal, it would at least severely wound him.
The real danger, though, was that the ordinary diving suit he wore likely wouldn't withstand the bite of this creature. If the suit was damaged, the decompression system would fail.
At a depth of over two thousand meters, such a catastrophe would be unimaginable!
A huge sense of crisis overwhelmed him, sending chills down his spine.
The moment the strange creature charged, Norman instinctively swam back.
He didn't have time to ponder why this creature had appeared so unexpectedly in this place. Survival was his only priority, and his mind was singularly focused on one thought: he must not let the creature bite him.
Otherwise, it would be over.
With his senses heightened, Norman locked his gaze on the strange fish, his nerves on edge.
Suddenly, golden text appeared before him:
(Info Drop: This is an abyss anglerfish, a common predator in depths on this planet. Ferocious by nature, it uses the light-emitting organs on its head to lure prey. Though terrifying in appearance, it can be subdued with an ordinary harpoon.)
"Harpoon... ! Right the fucking the harpoon!"
Norman barely had time to read the full message. His eyes had only glanced at the word "harpoon," but that was enough to remind him of the weapon strapped to the side of his backpack.
He quickly reached for the harpoon.
But the massive anglefish was already upon him, its sharp fins cutting through the water as it opened its terrifying, bloody jaws and lunged at him.
The distance between them was now less than half a meter!
In that critical moment, Norman instinctively turned sideways.
Fortunately, he had been maintaining his fitness regularly, and his reflexes were sharp.
This near-fatal attack was narrowly avoided.
This hideous, ugly anglerfish swam past him, nearly brushing against the outer surface of his diving suit.
Had Norman moved even a fraction slower, he would have been caught by the creature.
However, the two were still too close.
The water current generated by the anglerfish's powerful movements churned in the darkness, and Norman was thrown to the ground by the force.
"Damn it, this fucker is strong!"
Norman cursed as he struggled to get up.
He knew he couldn't afford to waste any more time.
Seizing the brief moment before the anglerfish could turn around, Norman quickly pulled out the three-pronged harpoon strapped to his backpack. He pressed his back against the rock wall where he had been mining ore moments ago, keeping his eyes locked on the anglerfish.
By now, the surrounding water had become increasingly murky due to the churning sediment, clouding his vision.
With the dim light and the swirling debris, the situation had become even more dangerous.
Norman clung to the rock wall, inching slowly toward the exit, hoping to put as much distance as possible between himself and the creature.
In the dim light, the anglerfish remained still, lurking in the murky water, its huge body hidden, its gaze locked on Norman.
Norman held his breath.
Underwater, every movement was hindered, making him far less agile than he would be on land.
In such an environment, humans were naturally at a disadvantage. Taking the initiative was out of the question, and escape seemed impossible; no matter how fast he swam, he couldn't outrun the anglerfish.
He had no choice but to wait for the anglerfish to strike first, hoping to spot a weakness and counterattack.
Time dragged on in the suffocating standoff.
Norman moved slowly, all the while alert to the anglerfish, which could spring from the darkness at any moment.
Just as he neared the edge of the tunnel, the anglerfish made its move.
It darted out from its hiding spot like lightning, its sharp fins slicing through the water as it charged at Norman!
Norman's heart pounded, but he remained calm, holding his breath and steadying his harpoon in a defensive position.
He braced himself, ready to strike.
In mere moments, the shadowy figure of the fish loomed over him, its terrifying jaws gaping open, ready to bite down on his head.
Norman tightened his grip on the harpoon, no longer feeling the panic from earlier.
His mind raced, analyzing every possible scenario that was running through his mind.
When the anglerfish was less than half a meter away, Norman's eyes narrowed.
"Now!" he yelled.
With lightning speed, he thrust the harpoon forward with both hands.
The anglerfish, unaware of the harpoon's deadly power, made no effort to dodge. It continued its attack, colliding with the sharp weapon.
"Pfft!"
The sharp weapon sliced through the anglerfish's flesh with a sickening tear.
Norman even imagined he heard a faint ripping sound that shouldn't have existed.
As expected, the harpoon pierced straight into the creature's mouth.
Dark blood gushed from the wound, quickly tainting the surrounding water.
The anglerfish thrashed in agony, its body convulsing wildly.
Norman gritted his teeth and held on tight, refusing to let go.
But the anglerfish was strong, dragging Norman around as it flailed, nearly flinging him off.
Through the struggle, Norman kept thrusting the harpoon deeper.
At the same time, he twisted the weapon viciously, churning the blade within the fish's body.
It was now a test of endurance between the two.
Fortunately, Norman had been keeping up with his fitness routine in the gym.
While he wasn't as nimble as the anglefish in the water, he was certainly not lacking in stamina.
Moreover, the anglerfish was already wounded, making it impossible for it to outlast Norman.
For about two minutes, the struggle continued.
Finally, the anglerfish's resistance began to weaken.
Throughout the fight, Norman kept twisting and thrusting the harpoon, enlarging the wound further.
Eventually, the anglerfish's tail drooped weakly, and after a few more feeble struggles, it stopped moving altogether.
At the same time, a system prompt flashed in Norman's mind:
[System: You have killed an abyss anglerfish. You may collect the corpse and return it to the submarine for deconstruction]