SCP Corporation: Contain Bonfire
Chapter 289 - 289 287 Peeking from the Deep Sea_1

Chapter 289: Chapter 287 Peeking from the Deep Sea_1 Chapter 289: Chapter 287 Peeking from the Deep Sea_1 Of course, although that’s what he thought, Peter didn’t show it. He was afraid the other party would shoot him with that oddly shaped weapon that was unrecognizable as to which factory it came from.

“You mean to say that theoretically, if we proceed in any direction and keep going straight, we might eventually come back to this starting point?”

Colin asked curiously.

“Yes… This is the conclusion reached by the great pirate Soloros!” Little Dwarf Peter said somewhat proudly.

So, something that even forces couldn’t manage to do had been confirmed by them, the pirates.

“Hmm, that’s quite interesting.”

Could this world be akin to a Mobius strip, but as a sea world?

Little Dwarf Peter added, “However, if you want to try it, it’s very difficult to achieve because very few people possess the strength of Soloros to keep moving in one direction without stopping.

“After him, many others attempted the same, but very few succeeded.

“Speaking of which, the great pirate Soloros reportedly said before he died that at the end of this path, he buried a treasure…”

Why does this smell so strongly of ‘One Piece’…

Colin looked at the fellow in front of him, who seemed to be getting carried away, and couldn’t help but make a comment.

He even wondered if this might be a colleague too.

But he dismissed that thought because “Soloros” lived a hundred years ago, and the timelines for the joke didn’t match up.

However… To say it is absolutely impossible is not completely true.

As for now, Colin felt that the timing in worlds outside of Earth, or more precisely, in other worlds related to the company, were a bit off.

But he didn’t dwell on these meaningless thoughts any further.

“Bang!”

Colin fired a shot to interrupt Little Dwarf’s speech, “Alright, lead us to that second underwater island you mentioned.”

“Okay, okay, okay…”

Little Dwarf Peter promptly took out a nautical chart from his pocket and then a very special precision instrument that had grids like compasses on top along with many other counters that seemed to indicate changes in water pressure and so on.

Although the deviation in water pressure here was not significant, there was still a bias.

It seemed that the pirate was judging their current position by comparing the various numerical values on it.

Colin couldn’t quite understand it, but it didn’t matter, “Xiao Yin, try to crack this thing.”

They would need their own navigator…

Before long, having confirmed their direction, Colin and his group commenced their movements again.

This time, Colin’s team wasn’t just a lone “Deep Sea Unicorn Whale” anymore; it was joined by seven or eight pirate submarines, over a hundred living pirates, and the nutrients for over two hundred bodies from Corpse Mountain.

The hundred or so pirates couldn’t exactly be called good or bad, only that the evil deeds they committed were somewhat fewer.

Colin had given them a chance to mend their ways. Besides, there were some like the female first mate with a penchant for merciless killing, to whom, adhering to a people-first principle, he also gave a chance to start anew.

What surprised him was that besides his killing and, well, somewhat odd sexual orientation, this Little Dwarf Peter didn’t have that twisted, bloodthirsty penchant for cruelty…

Moreover, to establish his authority, this guy had killed more pirates than regular folks.

In a sense, one could say he was “saving the country by a curve.”

After everything ended, Colin would still grant the chance he promised to the other party.

Suddenly, the submarine halted momentarily. Just as Colin was feeling puzzled, the voice of the Nano Intellectual Mechanism appeared in his ear:

“Mr. Colin, several control rods in the submarine’s reactor have reached their usage limit. The estimated remaining usage time is twelve hours and fifty-seven minutes…”

“Control rods? Aren’t there backups on the submarine?”

Colin wasn’t very familiar with this, but normally, such things would have backups.

“There are, but the backup ‘control rods’ were already damaged and corroded, rendered unusable before we arrived here. The ones on the other pirates’ ships don’t match this submarine and are also unusable. Moreover, their submarines also need maintenance…”

“Alright, a dozen or so hours should be enough.”

Colin pondered for a moment, thinking that if nothing unexpected happened, reaching the second harbor should be no issue.

But what he didn’t expect was that upon arriving at the appropriate distance and time, they used the “Book of Fate: Fragment” again, only to find that something seemed off with this second harbor.

[…]

[Walking through this special town, you are sent to find control rods, only to quickly discover that this harbor doesn’t have the model you need. However, it’s not a big problem, because you plan to do your preaching here.]

[Just as you’re about to find a suitable place to “Pass the Flame” with your colleague, you feel something’s not right.]

[Suddenly, you see your colleague ‘Picking-a-name-is-tough’ walking unsteadily. As you’re about to ask what’s wrong, you feel dizzy, and there’s a sharp pain in your brain, as if something is gnawing at your mind.]

[In the midst of unspeakable agony, you see “Choosing a Name is So Hard” throat bulge, followed by several slimy red tendrils wriggling out…]

[It seems he has been infected, invaded by something.]

[Not far away, a battle suddenly erupts, and you see a massive blaze shooting into the sky. Brother Shunzi, bathed in flames, appears to be facing a formidable enemy, fighting against some terrifying entity.]

[But you no longer have the time to be shocked or to wonder what is happening, because at this moment, you know you are beyond salvation…]

[Many things are approaching you, and unwilling to accept such a simple death, you pull out your ultimate masterpiece that embodies all your efforts, theoretically equivalent to 500 TNTs, in the very last moment.]

[You don’t get to see the dazzling art that now reverberates around you.]

[You are dead.]

…

“Arsonist Tao Tie” rubs his temples while sharing the news he has received.

“Another gone cold?”

Colin watches the other rub his forehead and does the same.

He hadn’t expected that two nearby cities seemed to have been attacked by some kind of enemy.

‘In both instances recorded in the ‘Book of Fate,’ teammates died from being parasitized or infected. What thing is launching a major attack on the humans here? From what can be inferred from these two instances, that thing is not weak; even I must treat it as a serious threat.’

With several thoughts flashing through his mind, Colin waves his hand to signal the submarine, known to the pirates as the “Deep Sea Unicorn Whale,” to stop.

“How much longer can our submarine operate?”

“About six hours.”

“Six hours, huh.”

Colin looks at Little Dwarf Peter, who is tied up: “Besides this port, you mentioned another nearby one within a six-hour journey. Are there any other sea ports within that range?”

“Within six hours?” The little dwarf is puzzled, but still asks to have the ropes untied from his body. He takes out the sea chart for comparison, then checks again with precise instruments.

“There are none.”

“Click.”

Colin spins the cylinder of the revolver in his hand, alarming Peter, who suddenly remembers something:

“I remember now, not long ago, ‘Pirate City’ passed by here. If you don’t mind, that counts as a sea port too. Let’s measure the distance—you can get there in five hours, no need for six…”

“Passed by? Didn’t you say sea ports usually stay on immovable water islands?”

“No, I said most… there are a small number that are movable, ‘Refugees City’ is one of them. It has been transformed into a mobile place by a major pirate and is also called ‘Pirate’s Paradise City,’ where many pirates and Federation fugitives gather…”

Peter says anxiously, “If nothing unexpected happens, that ‘Pirate City’ will be there for the next few days to rest. If you’re planning to replace the ‘control rods,’ they have them too.”

“Then… let’s head to the ‘Pirate’s Paradise City’ you mentioned.”

After pondering for a moment, Colin makes his choice—not that there is much choice to begin with.

Whether or not they find any Believers there, they first need to repair the submarine. If it wasn’t for the second port lacking “control rods,” he might even be tempted to storm in, steal them, and flee.

However, since those bandits from “Pirate City” have them, it’s no problem to go there and snatch them.

This time, just three hours later, they detect the enormous outline of a water island on their radar—

“Refugees City.”

This time, Colin is unable to use the “Book of Fate: Fragment,” because although the users come from different subjects, it seems…

He has an inexplicable hunch that the third user might trigger some undesirable events.

It’s not about triggering “The Dice of Probability,” but something else…

Something is likely to follow some kind of guidance and lock onto them, launching a pursuit.

He feels this strongly.

Colin is keenly aware that while observing others through the “Book of Fate: Fragment,” there’s a certain probability of being observed by the enemy too.

Once, “0-9 ‘Hunger'” had directly attacked him following the “Book of Fate: Fragment.”

This time, having used it twice in relation to the same anomaly, it might have already caught the attention of something.

.

.

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ps:

I recommend the book “Alighieri News Agency.”