CH1 The Beginnings, of a Deep Dive! (My Version)
[Welcome to Planet Ixions Pioneers, where you are at its ocean depths!]
[Listen well, humans from Earth. As you can see, you are all trapped at the depths of this planet, two thousand meters below sea level.]
[This is an alien planet tens of thousands of times larger than Earth itself, and its surface is covered by a solid layer of ice!]
[Beneath this boundless and vast ice layer lies a deep and endless abyss!]
[In the abyss, you will find endless resources, opportunities, and wealth!]
[However, there are also all kinds of deadly abyss creatures and marine flora!]
[Here, you will face abyss creatures and huge challenges from the unknowns that lurk in the darkness of the abyss!]
[In addition, the pressure from being underwater, the unpredictable undercurrents of the seabed, and the complex, massive marine cave structures like cobwebs will be the most deadly threats during your dive!]
[And with you, there is only the most basic exploration submarine, which you will all commandeer.]
[Your current and only goal is to survive!]
[Do everything possible to mine resources, upgrade your submarine, and maintain your survival!]
[Before the ice layer in the current area collapses, try to dive to the first outpost where you should all gather!]
[Warning! Warning! Warning!]
[Don't try to take shortcuts. Diving with an exploration submarine without any upgrades will result in the pressure in the deeper parts of the abyss crushing you alive as your submarine is squeezed, leading to a slow and painful death!]
[Additionally, the terrifying abyss sirens may easily tear your submarine apart!]
[Therefore, you have a limited time. You must upgrade your submarines to ensure your survival, while doing so will allow you to face more challenges ahead!]
[Now, please name your initial submarine:]
Inside the cramped submarine cockpit.
Norman frowned at what he read.
On the central control display in front of him, the lines of green bold font information made him question if this was a dream.
He vaguely remembered working out in the gym. The next second, a large amount of white light began to flash around him, the familiar faces of those around him disappeared, and then he lost consciousness.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in this unfamiliar place.
The sweat still clinging to his body and his heart rate still beating rapidly after exercising proved that he had been taken away by some mysterious power in an instant.
This method was beyond Norman's understanding.
If he had to find a far-fetched reason, he must have been teleported.
"Teleporting everyone from Earth just like that... man, that's some crazy shit. And what's this about surviving the abyss?!"
Norman took a deep breath, still trying to figure out if this was real or not.
But he still couldn't bear to believe it, as it was not something that happens every day.
As his gaze shifted, he was taken aback by the sight outside the huge glass porthole in front of the submarine's cockpit.
A pale beam of light pointed straight ahead, illuminating the surrounding area of about twenty or thirty meters.
Wherever the light reached, faint white floating objects mixed with tiny air bubbles moved slowly outside the porthole with the gentle flow of water.
Beyond that, everything was nothing but deep darkness!
The moment he saw this scene, Norman felt a dreaded fear of the unknown, as if he were in a dead silent and dark boundless space!
The oppression of the deep sea made him feel incomparably small and uncertain about what might be staring back at him from the darkness.
The almost suffocating visual impact made Norman's body shiver.
It took a long time before Norman came back to his senses.
"Sure enough, I am at the bottom of the ocean... hahaha... fuck?"
After a moment of silence, Norman spoke.
"… So this iron casket is going to be my submarine, huh?"
After briefly surveying his surroundings, Norman tried not to panic and began calming himself down.
He started recalling various online research on submarines and documentaries about the subject, hoping that it would give him an advantage for his survival.
Either way, in the face of such a bizarre situation, he felt a little excited.
Submarines are rarely seen by ordinary people.
Norman had only seen submarines in movies or documentaries about ocean depths.
It would be a lie to say he wasn't curious and excited about being on his first submarine.
However, reason and his surroundings reminded Norman that now was not the time for curiosity or excitement.
Since his survival was at stake, the top priority was to figure out the settings and rules of this so-called survival in the ocean depths, which sounded more like a survival game to him.
His eyes moved to the bottom of the central control display, where the naming bar for the submarine was located.
He tapped the display bar.
Norman hesitated and typed in the word "Tartarus."
The word "Tartarus" has a special meaning in Greek.
In Greek mythology, Tartarus is the deep abyss used as a dungeon of torment and suffering for the wicked and as the prison for the Titans.
Given the message about surviving by diving into the abyss, Norman felt that the word "Tartarus" described the theme of his situation very well.
The next moment, after he finished naming his submarine, the text on the central control display changed again.
[Name entered successfully. Your submarine's name is: Tartarus!]
[Before everyone starts their race for survival, please keep the following points in mind:]
[1. The submarine has an automatic navigation function. During automatic navigation mode, the submarine will automatically go to the nearest gathering outpost according to the established route.]
[2. In automatic navigation mode, it is impossible to avoid potential dangers or obstacles in the dark in time. Please choose wisely when to use automatic navigation mode and try to use manual driving mode when necessary!]
[3. The submarine's sonar detection system can help you scan potential high-value (HV) points nearby.]
[4. Scanned HV points will be displayed on your sonar display as green dots.]
[5. These HV points may contain minerals, plant resources, materials scattered by ocean currents, sunken ocean crafts or submarines left behind by dead pioneers, or buried treasures of alien civilizations. They could also be deadly abyss creatures hiding in the dark waiting to strike! Everything is unknown, so be warned!]
[6. Please dive carefully before approaching any HV point!]
[7. Hunting abyss creatures can earn you mileage points and prestige.]
[8. Mileage points can be used to purchase weapons and supplies at gathering outposts, including more powerful submarines.]
[9. Prestige is related to your status in the Abyssal Alliance. Higher prestige allows you to hire more experienced crew members and increases your purchasing power of mileage points!]
[10. The submarine needs to consume 30% of its energy every day to maintain its power. If the energy is exhausted, the submarine will lose power completely, and the oxygen production equipment will stop running. Please be sure to maintain sufficient energy!]
[11. There are two ways to obtain energy: one is to supplement it with mileage points, and the other is to mine energy ores to refill it yourself.]
[12. Once everything is done, your new life at the planet's depths will begin. Everyone will be randomly assigned to different channels in a specific area. Each channel can accommodate a maximum of 100,000 pioneers.]
[13. During diving, you may also encounter each other and choose to trade, form alliances, or create fleets. It is all up to you!]
[14. Whether working together to create a powerful deep-sea fleet for protection, establishing a merchant fleet for selling or buying resources and treasures, or choosing to become a pirate with a fleet of like-minded individuals who hide in the dark and rob others of their resources and wealth—everything is possible!]
[The information packet for the submarine Tartarus has been completed, and your journey for survival begins!]
[Countdown to the current area's ice layer collapse: Seven Days!]
[Good luck. You'll need it, Pioneers!]