Norman clearly remembered when it all started. It was a pioneer named Shenlong who first introduced the concept of coordinate points. Shenlong also invited nearby pioneers to form a fleet under the banner of the Chinese Navy.
At that time, most pioneers were still in shock, bewildered by this unexpected mass teleportation event. Norman, curious to explore the various facilities and functions of Tartarus, tried to familiarize himself with the game's systems as quickly as possible.
However, Shenlong had calmly accepted the reality of the situation and immediately began organizing a group to ensure survival. His calmness and adaptability placed him ahead of most players, who were still struggling to grasp their circumstances.
From Norman's perspective, people like Shenlong would always be at the forefront of success or failure, no matter the phase of the game. The private message from Shenlong confirmed Norman's impression. Shenlong wanted to purchase all three pieces of fish meat Norman had, offering 12 units each of iron, aluminum, and plastic, plus 6 units of titanium ore in exchange.
Norman was shocked by the substantial offer. He couldn't imagine how Shenlong had gathered so many resources in such a short time. It seemed incredible! Up to this point, Norman had relied on his cheat ability to collect the necessary materials to construct a freshwater extractor. Yet Shenlong's offer far exceeded what Norman had managed to collect.
If Shenlong hadn't demonstrated strong leadership early on, shouting slogans of restoring China's glory and trying to recruit others, Norman might have dismissed him as a fraud who only wanted to use his countrymen for their own gain. But Norman wasn't one to trust someone's status solely based on their words or position.
No matter Shenlong's former authority, they were all pioneers on the same level now. Even so, Norman leaned toward trading with Shenlong, influenced by a sense of easy resources. After some brief reflection, Norman decided to communicate with him to uncover the truth.
Norman typed his reply:
[Tartarus]: "At this stage, gathering that many materials is nearly impossible. How did you manage it?"
His question was direct and touched on a key point of suspicion. In a few seconds, Shenlong responded:
[Shenlong]: "These materials weren't collected by me alone; they represent our fleet's current resource reserves. How about it? Are you willing to do the trade?"
Norman was stunned. The game had barely begun, and Shenlong had already formed a fleet! Not only that, but Shenlong seemed to command considerable influence, able to mobilize the fleet's resources so early in the game.
This was extraordinary! However, Shenlong's explanation clarified how he had amassed such materials, confirming his leadership within the fleet. Norman realized that Shenlong must indeed be a top figure within the Chinese Navy, or else his fleet wouldn't follow his orders so readily.
Still, Norman wasn't fully convinced of Shenlong's identity. Early in the game, most pioneers were likely to follow anyone flying an official flag, possibly without much scrutiny. Norman decided to remain cautious but continued with the trade talks.
[Tartarus]: "You're using all of the fleet's resource reserves. Won't this impact your development? Are these three pieces of fish worth it?"
Shenlong quickly replied:
[Shenlong]: "Absolutely worth it! Your three pieces of fish meat can sustain ten people for an entire day if rationed carefully. That means we can devote an entire day to mining resources without worrying about food. The benefits far outweigh the cost!"
Norman nodded thoughtfully. It seemed Shenlong's fleet had grown to at least ten members, giving them a substantial advantage in resource collection over solo pioneers.
This gave Norman an idea. If he could establish a long-term partnership with Shenlong's fleet, it would benefit both parties. With the materials from this trade, Norman could repair the gravity ball, which would provide a sustainable food source. In return, he could sell excess food to Shenlong's fleet for a steady supply of resources. This arrangement could be mutually beneficial—a win-win.
'This might work,' Norman thought. "But first, I need to confirm the gravity ball's functionality. After that, I'll negotiate further with Shenlong."
While Norman was contemplating his next steps, Shenlong sent another message:
[Shenlong]: "How about it? Looking at your submarine's name, you must be from Greece, right? You've shown impressive skills and luck by building a freshwater extractor so quickly. Are you interested in joining our Chinese fleet and helping restore China's glory?"
Norman's left eyebrow raised slowly like The Rock would do, 'What? Why would I do that? I'm Greek, and I'm also a hard believer that humanity shouldn't split apart.'
Without hesitation, Norman declined:
[Tartarus]: "I'm not interested in joining a fleet. I prefer my freedom for now. However, I agree to the trade. Prepare the materials, and I'll take the items off the shelf. Let's handle it privately."
Norman's reason for rejecting Shenlong was simple: he valued his independence. After escaping the restrictive social structure of Earth, Norman wasn't eager to be controlled by a new system. Joining a fleet meant trading one set of restrictions for another, and he wasn't willing to do that.
Besides, with his cheat ability, Norman felt confident he could detect most threats before they became dangerous. He could live freely in this abyss, at least for now.
Shenlong replied with disappointment but understanding:
[Shenlong]: "What a pity... Having a talented pioneer like you would greatly benefit our fleet. But I respect your decision. Let's support each other as fellow pioneers."
After that, Shenlong confirmed the trade:
[Shenlong]: "The materials are ready. Let's begin the trade!"
Norman opened the trading system, removed the three fish pieces he had posted earlier, and initiated the trade with Shenlong. The private transaction was completed swiftly, and Norman received a system notification:
[System Prompt]: "You have obtained iron ore ×12, aluminum ore ×12, plastic ×12, and titanium ore ×6. All items have been received. Please check your storage compartment."
Norman smiled, satisfied with the transaction. Shenlong sent another message:
[Shenlong]: "The goods have been received. Heavier than they looked in the picture! Happy trading. Looking forward to next time!"
Norman replied:
[Tartarus]: "Likewise!"
Afterward, Norman closed the communication interface and stood up from the cockpit. Now that he had all the necessary materials, he could repair the gravity ball. However, before doing that, he checked the freshwater extractor.
After about half an hour of operation, the extractor had only produced 100 milliliters of water. It would take at least five hours to produce a full liter of freshwater, which felt inefficient. Still, Norman took a couple of sips to relieve his dry throat before moving on.
He then checked the contents of his storage compartment:
Clean fish meat ×2 Broken small gravity ball ×1 Iron ore ×12 Aluminum ore ×12 Plastic ×12 Titanium ore ×6 Copper ore ×10 Bone meal (5 kg) Light element ×1
With everything in place, Norman retrieved the gravity ball and placed it on the crafting station. The system prompted him:
[Repair Requirements: Iron 5/5, Aluminum 5/5, Plastic 3/3, Titanium 3/3, Copper 3/3.]
He selected "Repair," and the system began extracting the necessary resources from his storage compartment. Within a minute, the damaged gravity ball was restored, emitting a faint glow. Another system prompt appeared:
[System Prompt]: "The gravity ball has been successfully repaired and is now functional!"
Norman grinned, pleased with his progress.
Looking at the sophisticated and technologically advanced gravity ball in front of me, the corner of Norman's mouth couldn't help but curl into a smile. After a long period of hard work and a dangerous underwater battle, he had finally managed to repair this wasteland artifact. A great sense of accomplishment washed over him. At this moment, Norman felt that all the crises and hard work he had faced were worth it.
The reason the gravity ball was repaired so quickly was thanks to that anglerfish he encountered. Without the five units of fish chunks he harvested from it, Norman would have had to rely solely on his continuous resource exploitation. He wondered how long it would have taken to gather the necessary materials for the repair on his own. Effort and reward were directly proportional, and Norman now deeply understood this.
Additionally, Norman realized that the initial evaluation of the trading market by the cheat was not an exaggeration. If used properly, the trading system could indeed help pioneers navigate the starting phase smoothly. However, the key was having enough strength and resources to attract the market and gain the corresponding benefits. Otherwise, the result would be the same, with no changes to his situation.
"Since the gravity ball is repaired, the next step is to test its effect..." Holding the tennis ball-sized gravity ball in his hand, Norman's face showed anticipation. He put the gravity ball back into the storage compartment, then turned and returned to the submarine cockpit.
Through the glass porthole ahead, he could see that Tartarus was still in a dark and desolate rock tunnel. The three-dimensional topographic map on the sonar display showed the surrounding environment as a maze of grottoes and caves. Norman was unsure where these led, so he was cautious about entering them. Additionally, he didn't know how the submarine's automatic navigation route was planned, but it was clear that the current area was too barren for fishing.
"It's better to move forward. I can't keep drilling holes for the next thousand kilometers," Norman decided after a moment of thought. He settled into the driver's seat of the submarine and let the automatic navigation system drive Tartarus deeper into the tunnel.
Fortunately, the journey was not dull. Although the biological community in the underwater tunnel was sparse, mineral resources were relatively abundant. The sonar detection system occasionally highlighted valuable mining points. Whenever a significant point was detected, Norman would go into the water and collect the resources. However, due to his previous experience, he was wary of venturing too deep into unknown caves. The last time he encountered a strange fish, he was lucky, but he wasn't sure what other dangers might be lurking.
In the next voyage, Norman focused on mining abnormal points near cave entrances, allowing for a quick escape if necessary. Fortunately, there were no crises during this period. The cheat's hints about all abnormal points were invaluable. Although the underwater tunnel seemed peaceful, many threats lurked in the ocean caves. Norman had already identified four types of abyss creatures: deep-sea worms, mud algae creepers, sharp sharks, and needle worms. The names alone suggested they were formidable and dangerous. Without the cheat's guidance, venturing into their territory could have been disastrous.
As Norman continued deeper, more abyss creatures appeared on the sonar detection system, adding to his sense of pressure. With the basic survival needs met, his focus shifted to the ship-borne battery. Having weapons was essential for feeling secure. Despite the omnipresent threats, the trip had yielded a significant haul: twenty units of iron ore, eighteen units of copper ore, and ten units each of tin ore and aluminum ore. However, he had not encountered any storage boxes or valuable plant resources, only five units of plant fiber, and no edible fiber. This made Norman question the feasibility of manufacturing energy bars.
The crafting station's synthesis list required five servings of edible fiber and 100 ml of fresh water to make an energy bar. Given the difficulty in obtaining edible fiber, the addition of fresh water made it seem easier to catch fish for sustenance. However, this issue was secondary to Norman, as he was primarily concerned with ship-borne weapons. His resource reserves were substantial, but he was still far from building weapons due to the lack of carbon ore, a key material for steel bars.
"To obtain carbon ore in large quantities, I'll need to rely on the trading market. With my current strength, it could take years to gather the materials for an electromagnetic gun," Norman thought. "I need to find a place and start trading!"
Just as he was contemplating this, the three-dimensional virtual map on the sonar display changed. The long, narrow underwater tunnel seemed to end ahead, revealing a vast and seemingly boundless space.
"Finally out?!" Norman thought, amazed. After more than an hour and ten kilometers, the tunnel ended, and Tartarus emerged into an enormous, dark space. The oppressive rock and cave structures were replaced by an empty, eerie void.
Norman felt a strange sense of entering another world. Based on the submarine's route, he should have been beneath the surface. However, sonar feedback showed no terrain obstacles 500 meters above him, suggesting an infinite void. Norman speculated that either the seafloor fissure had a geological fault or he was in an enormous underground cavity with an increased rock layer thickness.
As Tartarus drifted aimlessly in the darkness, Norman observed the boundless, complicated geological structure. Without navigation guidance, pioneers would struggle to reach their destination in such an alien environment that's much larger than Earth.
After another half hour, a faint lavender light emerged in the endless darkness. The seabed's topography began to change, and the sonar system detected traces of the seabed, indicating a return to a flatter zone. Norman was stunned to see the bottom of the sea gradually flattening and approaching the lavender light.
When Tartarus reached the lavender-lit area, Norman was awestruck by the magnificent seascape. Dwarf lavender seaweed, glowing with shimmering light, swayed gracefully with the ocean current. The dense seaweed formed a vast, colorful sea of purple flowers, interspersed with giant mushroom-like plants. Schools of fish and jellyfish moved among the seaweed and mushroom plants, creating a scene of vibrant marine life.
Norman was ecstatic. "What a treasure trove! If I can catch and sell all these fish and utilize these plants, it will be a huge gain!" He quickly controlled the submarine to hover over the seagrass patch, ran to the storage compartment, grabbed the small gravity ball, and equipped his diving suit, harpoon, and diving knife.
Norman plunged into the water, eager to test the gravity ball's power. If it lived up to its description, this would be a lucrative opportunity!