A flash of light signaled the arrival of two rented items in Logan Lane's hands:
[D-rank Deep-Sea Swimsuit (full set)]
[C-rank Oxygen Tank]
A line of info appeared in his vision:
Deep-Sea Swimsuit (D-rank): Automatically adjusts to the wearer's body shape. Provides D-rank defense, protecting against sharp objects below D-rank level.
C-rank Oxygen Tank: Stores a massive volume of air, allowing the wearer to breathe underwater for up to a month. Possesses excellent defense, making it resistant to most damage.
Logan admired the gear, feeling satisfied. Returning to his island, he swiftly stripped down to don the tight-fitting suit. It smelled faintly of some flowery scent—perhaps MorganBlossom hadn't washed it before trading. He shrugged. Survival came first; personal hygiene quirks were low on his priority list.
He fitted the oxygen mask over his face, hefted the cylinder onto his back, and checked the straps. Under their rental agreement, if he failed to come ashore by the agreed time, the suit would vanish back to its owner. He had no desire to risk that. Especially since he planned to venture 700 meters down, the last thing he needed was the suit dematerializing mid-dive.
Picking up his Breeze Sword, Logan reminded himself to be careful. The sword was a grade higher than his rented outfit. A single miscalculated slash could tear the suit or oxygen tank. He couldn't afford that replacement cost.
He slipped into the inky sea. The first fifteen meters posed no trouble; the water felt cool but tolerable. Deeper down, a harsh chill set in. By 300 meters, his gear became coated in white frost, which meant the temperature hovered around –20°C at least. He pressed on, mindful of lurking threats.
Abruptly, a dark shape loomed overhead. The depths were so black that he only noticed it when it blocked what little light remained. A gleaming golden horn streaked downward like a spear. Logan tried to raise his Breeze Sword, but the surrounding pressure bogged down his movements. Before he could fully parry, that gilded spike rammed him in the chest, hurling him back dozens of meters.
Pain flared in his ribs, and he nearly lost his breath. He glanced at his suit—a faint white dent showed where the horn had struck. Horrified, he realized this creature was not even F-rank, yet it had managed to leave a mark on his D-rank gear.
Peering closer, he recognized the monster from his Encyclopedia of Marine Basic Biology in the Advanced World of Civilization:
Name: Aurora Hornshark
Species: Demon Shark
Abilities: Keen sense of blood, can track prey across vast distances (range depends on rank)
Traits: Belongs to a matriarchal species, with adult males at low F-rank and adult females one tier higher. The group's Shark King runs from E-rank late-stage to B-rank, with rare outliers at A-rank.
Logan cursed silently. He could best this unranked shark in normal circumstances—but he didn't dare risk wounding it. If blood filled the water, every demon shark in a thousand-meter radius would converge. That was the last thing he needed.
The memory of his net being shredded flashed in his mind. The culprit, no doubt, was this shark's razor horn. Items at a lower grade than its horn were easily pierced. The net had never stood a chance.
As the shark whirled for another pass, Logan jammed a piece of Dragon Armor Beast Meat laced with F-rank Frost Serpent venom directly into its path. The gullible predator lunged, swallowing it whole. By the time it realized something was wrong, Logan had kicked off the seabed and plummeted another hundred meters into even colder depths.
The temperature hit –40°C by the time he reached 400 meters, forcing him to stifle shivers. It felt like half the cold was getting through his suit. But at least no sea beasts prowled this frigid zone, letting him descend another 300 meters without trouble.
At roughly –70°C, he spotted his target: an enormous [Purple Shell], radiating faint golden lights from within. He tried to place it into his system backpack:
[Error: The Purple Shell contains a living creature. Cannot be stored in the backpack.]