Doomsday Jigsaw Puzzle

Chapter 634: Extra One: The Forbidden Depths and the Returnee

Unknown territories, the North Sea.

"Teacher, after decades of hard work, we’ve finally found a clue, but can this thing really dive into the unknown territories? Last time, Zhao’s submersible almost reached its limit..."

"You need to understand that even the twisted bodies could hardly withstand the water pressure at the place where we found the stele, and the true forbidden zones might be hiding many unknown terrifying creatures."

The submersible’s design bore a striking resemblance to a whale, with a massive power cabin that could be deemed an underwater bastion, yet the cockpit was very small, so small that the brown-haired young man and the Ten of Spades felt cramped inside it.

"This is something from Mechanical City, designed by that genius personally."

A genius?

The brown-haired young man felt somewhat sour; after all, he had never received such praise himself. But he wasn’t resentful because if there was anyone in the world capable of creating a machine that could dive into ’hell,’ it would definitely be the emperor of Mechanical City.

He was just curious, as his teacher supposedly had no relationship with that emperor.

Thirty-five meters under the sea.

This was the depth most ordinary people could dive to; the technology submarine "Black Throne" from Mechanical City seemed rather large, and at thirty-five meters, its bare shell could still be seen.

But as the engine sound approached, the last exposed part of "Black Throne" above the sea surface was also submerged by the sea water.

Like the king of the sea, it frolicked on the surface before returning to the deep sea.

Two hundred and fifty meters under the sea.

In just a few seconds, the Black Throne had left the shallow zone, the light weakened and the water visibly darker.

The plants here could still photosynthesize, and the water in the shallow zone was relatively warmer.

Inside the cockpit, the Ten of Spades said:

"What’s the deal with your new body?"

"I was concerned that my former body from Liu Long might be reclaimed by those people in Baichuan City, As you know, they have always been cautious of me, especially Nie Chongshan and Gu Qingyu. So, I had to find a more suitable body. This child’s name is Moen."

"I feel a connection with him, just like with my... slain Angel Envoys."

Cain.

As one of the very few who lived through the post-distorted era and might even witness the Well enter a deep slumber and the world slowly returning to normal, Cain was anything but obedient.

He was not as fanatic about distortion as Alpha, but he definitely wasn’t part of the so-called "Purifiers."

"Moen’s ability is to liquefy. I presumed you might need such a power."

"Is that so, I understand,"

I understand, and I believe what you said, are two different things.

In the decades following the end of the war of distortion, relying on the memories in his mind, the Ten of Spades had constantly been searching for the origin of distortion.

The legend about Sequence 0.

He wanted to know what the process from 0 to 1 was like.

He wanted to know if the Origin of the Well was really just an aggregation of emotions.

He also wanted to know how Alpha had originally established a connection with the Well.

All of this should have become taboo with Alpha’s second sealing.

The High Tower was guarded by a contemporary friend of his own, and even he could not get close.

Anyone who tried to ask Alpha any question would be viewed as someone stirring up war.

The Ten of Spades knew some secrets, but not because he had asked Alpha, for he didn’t want to be an enemy of old K.

Especially not after Bai Yuan’s death.

However, regarding Sequence 0, he was one of the only two who knew.

Because this body had once been driven by Bai Yuan and Bai Wu, and Bai Yuan had once... glimpsed Alpha’s secrets.

"What about that cat? Isn’t she looking for something of higher authority than the Doomsday Puzzle pieces?" the Ten of Spades sensed that there were no others in the cabins behind them.

Tang Jing and Zhao couldn’t participate in this dive due to insufficient strength, and though Li You was eligible, it seemed she didn’t come.

"It’s said that some strange events took place in Baichuan City."

"What happened?"

"They say someone has returned."

Cain didn’t know what had happened, and the Ten of Spades furrowed his brows.

Of course, he wouldn’t believe Cain, and Cain wouldn’t believe him either.

For decades, this master and disciple pair only took each other’s words as reference and never fully believed them.

Of course...

Even though Cain was being cautious, he had still acquired some abilities from his teacher.

"Who’s come back?"

"I don’t know, the cat didn’t say, just told us we’d better not die, perhaps we’d have an ally."

Cain didn’t think too much of it. Since the cat had lived no less long than he had, it was normal for it to know some strange people.

However, Cain was clear about one thing—the cat seemed to be looking for a way to turn certain Evil Fallen back into humans.

Like Gu Qingyu.

Most Evil Fallen could be turned back into humans, through fragments of the Doomsday Puzzle. But Gu Qingyu was different.

That’s why Li You sought to find even stronger rules.

So, two people who normally had nothing to do with each other had a brief cooperation.

But what the Ten of Spades thought of was something else, yet he quickly shook his head, dismissing the thoughts in his mind.

He hadn’t participated in the aftermath of that battle, and Wu Jiu’s memories couldn’t be faked.

Everyone believed that guy was already dead.

During the final battle, he had delayed Alpha, buying time for the completion of the High Tower’s great formation.

But that power was not meant for living beings to wield.

Somehow, Ten of Spades suddenly had a strong desire to return.

One thousand one hundred meters beneath the sea.

In the "Black Throne", although neither teacher nor student could feel any changes,

in truth, it was pitch black by now, the water pressure exceeding ninety standard atmospheres. Without equipment, a human would die quickly due to internal organs being crushed.

Here, marine life had evolved the ability to produce light.

And those mutated marine creatures had even more capabilities.

Last time Cain had dived this deep, he had encountered a level eight mutated saber-toothed shark.

The Black Throne continued to dive. Although the Black Throne was massive, to some sea creatures it was still just a toy.

Nonetheless, no creature would actually "play" with it.

The Ten of Spades, as one of the strongest existences in this world, had an authority that could not be infringed upon.

"Speaking of which, that Mechanical Emperor is an entity not easily approached by anyone. Even though he provides technological support for humans, but... convincing him to build something this colossal and personally design it, that’s very difficult."

Cain knew very well that if he really made it to the era when Jing was in deep slumber, then all twisted creatures would be weakened.

By that time, the person with core technology would be the most powerful.

He really hoped he could have a chat with Zero.

The Ten of Spades understood what Cain meant:

"It’s not for my sake that he did it, but for Old Bai’s."

Old Bai.

Cain didn’t quite understand—how could that legendary figure, whose brilliance surpassed that of his own teacher’s, who was already dead, possibly have such astonishing capabilities?

But shouldn’t the Mechanical Emperor be someone who didn’t care about anyone except Bai Wu?

When the name Bai Wu flashed through his mind, Cain felt an inexplicably ancient sensation.

This father and son were both gone.

Three thousand meters beneath the sea.

The temperature in this area remained at zero to three degrees all year round, with an astonishing density of salt in the water. At this depth, the pressure was roughly equivalent to thirteen Statues of Liberty pressing down on a person, enough to instantly kill any unprotected creature.

Therefore, in the deep sea, life forms began to take on bizarre shapes.

To adapt to the immense pressure, their appearances could be termed "alien."

The largest octopus was said to live in this part of the ocean.

And in the polluted and warped sea regions, the creatures looked even more haphazard.

Many of them were like clumps of jelly that someone had carelessly stomped on; due to the differing strengths of the kicks, the way they burst varied.

Of course, they were enormous.

Cain could even feel the aura of those gigantic creatures through the Black Throne.

Everything in the deep sea was too quiet.

During the descending journey, Cain decided to say something:

"Teacher, in seeking the origin of the distortion, is it merely out of curiosity? Or do you want to control that power?"

The Ten of Spades said,

"My words lie at the brink between truth and falsehood; what significance does it hold for you to know?"

"At the least, it serves as a reference. I only wish to know, what reason is compelling enough for you to take such a risk. What we seek might plunge the world into greater peril, or perhaps... allow us to foresee an even greater crisis."

Spade Ten didn’t hide anything:

"I want to find a way to resurrect Bai."

If Bai Yuan’s death seven hundred years ago was a physical one, with his soul seeking refuge in his own Inner World and later beckoned back by the Full Moon Fragment,

Then seven hundred years later, Bai Yuan’s death was complete - both body and spirit extinguished, beyond any possibility of revival.

A state beyond the fragment’s power to restore.

Moreover, the Full Moon Fragment was only hidden within Bai Wu, who had died as well.

Cain found the answer uninteresting.

He had expected his teacher to have loftier ambitions. However, he didn’t believe these words either.

Six thousand meters below the sea surface.

This depth was hailed as Hades.

Indeed, it’s the name of the god of the Underworld; here, it’s hell itself. At this moment, the water pressure is about equivalent to a person carrying fifty broadcasting 747s on their back.

Of course, the most terrifying thing isn’t the pressure but the creatures that dwell here.

Even Spade Ten felt a bone-chilling murderous intent and coldness seeping into his marrow.

"The stele is nearby; Black Throne can continue to dive deeper without any problems. But teacher... going further down, we might enter areas even more dangerous than the Well," Cain said with a serious tone."

Through the observation lens of the Black Throne, Spade Ten could see that colossal stele.

It was merely a marker.

Clearly, in the deeper waters, staggering secrets were hidden; even he might not be able to pry into them.

The Power of Life and Death, Temporal Power, Causal Force—these powers were enough to overcome most twisted obstacles.

But in the deep sea, it’s entirely different.

He also didn’t know how powerful the monsters in these waters truly were.

Cain looked at the detection instruments within the cockpit:

"This is where we reached in our last exploration. The Sequence text on top, when deciphered, did refer to ’Zero Beginning City.’ If we continue to dive deeper, we will most likely see an underwater city." ƒгeewёbnovel.com

"But that might be in a realm tens of thousands of meters underwater."

The known deepest parts of the ocean don’t go down tens of thousands of meters.

But that doesn’t mean such areas don’t exist.

Suddenly, Spade Ten thought of something.

If the object inside wasn’t truly a forbidden entity, then Alpha wouldn’t be so wary of it.

His determination to resurrect Bai Yuan was strong, yet it had not affected his reasoning.

From the exploration data, below ten thousand meters underground, dense with twisted sensations—Evil Fallen—lay hidden.

These deep-sea creatures appeared to be the guardians of that submerged city.

Spade Ten didn’t proceed further:

"Let’s head back."

"Don’t you want to explore the secret of Sequence 0?"

"I do, but we are not yet qualified. Perhaps we could dive a little further, but that would not reveal the core. To witness the real core, we need some assistance."

The Black Throne began to ascend slowly.

If the world had no distortion, even twenty thousand meters underwater wouldn’t be feared.

But the presence of distortion changes everything. Even at approximately six thousand meters underwater, it’s genuinely the Underworld.

No, it’s even more dangerous than the Underworld.

Having personally experienced the terror of this place, Spade Ten decided to consider his options carefully.

Cain realized the gravity of the situation.

If his teacher continued to dive deeper, he wouldn’t think the matter was serious.

But the teacher’s choice to return meant that this place... perhaps even someone of his teacher’s level couldn’t handle it.

"Are we heading straight back to Baichuan City?"

"Yes, let’s meet the person Li You mentioned who has returned."

"I thought it was just a minor character that you wouldn’t be interested in."

Bai Wu and Bai Yuan were both thoroughly dead, and whoever came to Baichuan City shouldn’t concern Ace of Spades.

It couldn’t possibly be that Bai Wu had come back to life, could it?

Cain was actually quite pleased with himself, even though the teacher had openly stated he was not the equal of Bai Wu, he had ultimately outlived him.

It was much like Alpha and the High Tower Master.

Alpha had been defeated, but he had not died.

Ace of Spades also didn’t think it should be Bai Wu, but upon returning to Baichuan City, he planned to find Jiang Yimi. Only Jiang Yimi could get in touch with Lin Rui, and only Lin Rui could contact K.

K was the person now in charge of guarding the High Tower, blocking anyone who wished to meet Alpha.

Ace of Spades wasn’t interested in Alpha, but he wanted to meet the people related to Alpha.

Jing Yi.

The submersible continued to rise, and the oppressive presence of those deep-sea monsters gradually dissipated.

When the Black Throne returned to the shallower waters, sunlight made the sea no longer pitch black, and Ace of Spades looked at the images on the sonar, silently planning how to prepare for the next dive.

He didn’t know that in Baichuan City, a powerful ally had appeared.

...

...

At this time, in the far-off Baichuan City, at the Baichuan City Defense Bureau, Lin Wurou stared dumbfounded at the person before her.

"What, don’t you recognize me?"

"You, you, you... I... you..." Lin Wurou stared at the newcomer, unable to utter a third word.

Then, he resolutely slapped himself.

The Xie Family controlled the Eternal Spring, and though it was later diluted, it was enough to keep those who had survived under Alpha’s shadow looking the same as they did back then for quite a long while.

So, upon seeing the expressionless young girl, Lin Wurou subconsciously felt a bit sad.

But when he clearly saw the person beside the young girl, he suddenly thought he’d been dragged into a dream by that bastard Zheng Yue.

But this was definitely not Zheng Yue’s dream. The slap was so painful that Lin Wurou felt like cursing, besides, in Zheng Yue’s dreams, it’s when he sees the Captain in human form.

"Damn!" Lin Wurou finally burst out with the third word.

At that moment, in the Defense Bureau, Yin Shuang walked out with a file bag.

It was six in the evening, time to leave work. Wang Shi loudly clamored, "Let’s go, we’re drinking today... Why are you all standing still?"

Yin Shuang’s gaze fell on the same spot as Lin Wurou’s.

Slap, the file bag fell to the ground.

Wang Shi’s words stopped halfway, and he too stood frozen in place.

Lin Wurou, Wang Shi, Yin Shuang, all three stared in bewilderment at the man next to Yan Jiu.

"Don’t you recognize me?"

The man smiled at his former teammates, but his smile soon froze.

In the moment of everyone’s shock, the corridor of the Defense Bureau opened, and the Captain’s door swung open.

A crimson figure appeared.

Wu Jiu’s gaze also finally settled on that "returning person."

There was a moment of surprise in his eyes, but he quickly contained his astonishment, returning to his usual composure.

Yet, deep down, the emotions could not be completely concealed.

Such composure collapsed in a second. He certainly knew this was not a dream, especially since the other party was wearing the uniform of the Investigation Corps from decades ago... the one that marked the beginning.

The man also experienced a surge of emotions, because the person he respected the most... had ultimately forsaken his human identity.

Bai Wu. Gu Qingyu.

The two were as if they had returned to the second level of the Investigation Corps branch from before.

Suppressing his emotions, Bai Wu said with a smile:

"Captain, I’ve returned to the team."

"Good. Welcome back to Baichuan City."