"Huh, calm down, calm down..." After placing the engine behind him, Jiang Hai took two deep breaths. He wasn't sure what he was breathing in, but it helped him calm his nerves. He just needed to reassure himself, and gradually, he felt a bit steadier. Then, he turned his attention back to the insects around him.
The smallest of these creatures was the size of an adult's head. Its flesh-brown body lay motionless, occasionally twitching its tentacles. Its back was covered by a hard shell, and although it resembled a cockroach, it lacked wings.
If he had to compare, it seemed most similar to a woodlice, known in Chinese as 木虱. Typically, woodlice are found in damp environments, especially in bungalows, and they're not dangerous—just about 3 to 5 centimeters long, they don't bite or sting. They feed on plant leaves and tree foliage, posing no harm to humans, though they do have some ecological impact.
Interestingly, woodlice originally lived in the ocean. They are the only crustaceans that have adapted to life on land. They're close relatives of crabs, shrimp, and lobsters. Thinking about it, Jiang Hai suddenly wasn't in the mood for shrimp.
The creature in front of him was a giant deep-sea louse, a marine version of the woodlice. While these creatures weren't herbivores like their land relatives, they still weren't a threat to humans. Despite being carnivorous, they were far from aggressive. These creatures spent their lives scavenging animal carcasses from the ocean floor, and their combat abilities were minimal.
Jiang Hai, suited up for deep-sea exploration, had no reason to fear such creatures. He had encountered a variety of deep-sea life already. After taking a moment to gather himself, Jiang Hai glanced at the boat below and then swam toward a cliff on one side. Upon sensing a change in the water current, the deep-sea louse scurried away at the approach of Jiang Hai. It was clear: compared to him, they were more afraid of him than he was of them.
This made him feel a bit more at ease as he gently climbed the cliff. After a brief descent, Jiang Hai stood atop the bow of the ship. With a light step, he found himself standing on the Maria statue at the ship's prow.
"Bang." His footfall, though light, caused the boat to tremble, startling Jiang Hai. Fortunately, the shaking soon stopped, allowing him to relax again. But just as he took a step forward, a black shadow flickered in front of him.
Startled, he turned, but when the light hit the shadow, he was momentarily dumbfounded.
It was a swallowing eel. Its large head and thin, rope-like body were instantly recognizable—it could grow up to 1.8 meters long and lived in the deep sea. But it posed no real threat.
"Hey, my courage!" Jiang Hai muttered to himself as the eel swam away. He had been jumpy since entering the seabed—when did he become so timid?
It wasn't really his fault. People often fear the unknown, and that was exactly what he was facing.
"There's nothing to fear. Nothing to fear." Jiang Hai told himself, gripping his spear gun for reassurance. If anything dared scare him again, he'd act first and ask questions later.
Before venturing into the deep sea, Jiang Hai had done his research. Except for a few poisonous creatures, most deep-sea animals posed little threat to humans.
Among the most aggressive deep-sea creatures were:
Giant squid, split into two types: the king squid, which grows up to 20 meters, and the giant squid, which is even larger and can be dangerous to humans.
Sperm whales, carnivorous giants of the deep.
Six-gill sharks, ancient creatures that have been around for over 200 million years and remain one of the ocean's top predators.
Oarfish, sometimes mistaken for dragons, which can grow up to 15 meters. While slow-moving and toothless, they ambush fish by sucking them in, much like a moray eel.
Other than these four creatures, there were no significant threats to Jiang Hai's safety. But deep-sea exploration still carried risks. What if a plesiosaur or a dragon whale showed up? That could end badly for him.
Taking another deep breath, Jiang Hai proceeded, trying to calm his nerves. As he swam further, he noticed a variety of creatures around him.
For instance, a fish swam past, about 15 to 16 centimeters long, but it was far from attractive. Its appearance was so ugly it almost made the anglerfish look beautiful in comparison. It had a face similar to that of an anglerfish, but with teeth jutting out, giving it an even more grotesque appearance. This fish, known as a fang fish, was a common deep-sea species found at depths between 500 and 5,000 meters.
Among the creatures that caught his eye, Jiang Hai also spotted something more beautiful.
He had only ever seen the remains of thread eels before, but seeing one alive was a different experience. The thread eel's long, thin body and large eyes were captivating, and its translucent skin allowed Jiang Hai to see its internal organs. It even emitted a soft glow, making it a pretty sight in the dark depths.
Sadly, these creatures couldn't survive the pressure changes if brought to the surface, so Jiang Hai admired them from afar.
Alongside the eels, there were many shellfish and other insects, but Jiang Hai wasn't fond of insects. He quickly moved on, heading deeper into the shipwreck.
According to his research, the first floor of the ship contained little of value. It was the captain's quarters, and if it wasn't the captain's flagship, then the first mate's quarters would have been there. The second floor was where the sailors slept, and it also contained a gun room, a vegetable and wine warehouse, and a kitchen.
Some pirates might have hidden treasures on the second floor, but it wasn't likely on such a large ship. If there were any valuables, they would have been divided among the crew after the robbery. So, Jiang Hai's target was the third floor, although he hoped to find something interesting while passing through the second.
Carefully, he made his way to the captain's room. The door was gone, but there was little of interest inside. Apart from scaring off a couple of vampire squids—small, harmless creatures—there was nothing noteworthy. Jiang Hai couldn't even remember why he'd been afraid of them earlier.
After confirming the captain's room was empty, Jiang Hai made his way to the second floor. The doors were better preserved, likely due to their inward-facing design. But Jiang Hai wasn't interested in preserving artifacts.
With his spear gun in hand, he kicked down a wooden door, revealing the ship's hold. Inside, he found what appeared to be a sailor's room. Two bunk beds, some sawdust, and a few floating clothes—nothing more. Jiang Hai wasn't surprised. These rooms were likely devoid of treasure.
However, just as he was about to leave, the light from his headlamp reflected off something in the corner of the upper bunk. Intrigued, he swam closer and found an unexpected item.
Hanging from a wooden stake at the head of the bed was something that, despite the years, hadn't corroded. It was metal—hard to the touch and still intact. When Jiang Hai cleaned off the weeds and debris, he realized it was a pocket watch. Surprised, he picked it up. The hands of the watch had long stopped, and the glass cover was missing, but still, it felt like a fortunate discovery. It wasn't valuable, but it was an interesting find.
(To be continued...)