MASG chapter 35

 

Jingwei remained silent for two seconds before a deafening scream erupted from the bracelet.

Jingwei: [Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh——]

If their hands weren’t full, Xia Yu and Mo An would have really covered their ears.

Jingwei: [Aaaaaaaahhh——I’m just a newly developed AI! Why did you give me such a terrifying mission?! Why did you two go there? Can I still keep this job? If I want to resign, who do I submit my resignation to?]

Her voice was almost hysterical. In Xia Yu’s mind, Jingwei had always been rational and calm. Despite its low access level, it acted like a real young lady who always tried her best to solve problems and offer help within her abilities. It spoke rigidly, yet it carried a trace of humanity that Nuwa lacked. It even wanted to learn selfishness early on.

Now, that image was shattered. Perhaps Jingwei’s true form was indeed that of a young girl, and all her restraint and wisdom had been a disguise. Xia Yu could almost picture a girl clutching her head, screaming, and running in circles, crying in frustration. No wonder its access level was so low. Turns out, Jingwei hadn’t matured yet. She was still an AI embryo. Her occasional disconnections must have been her way of avoiding Nuwa. Perhaps in that virtual AI world, Jingwei was being beaten by Nuwa.

The screaming lasted three or four seconds before finally stopping. The whole bracelet exuded the deep resentment of an overworked employee.

Jingwei: [All right, tell me, why are you two on the Tide Ship?]

Xia Yu and Mo An took turns explaining why they came to the Tide Ship. When they finished, they heard the AI sigh deeply.

Jingwei: [Sigh… From what I know, the Tide Ship suffered a large-scale electronic corruption, and all its crew members lost contact. This is too dangerous. You shouldn’t have gone up there. But since you already did, I won’t waste time scolding you for your recklessness. Report your situation now—in as much detail as possible.]

Mo An didn’t dare delay. He explained everything about the time loop and the rising seawater in detail.

By the time he finished, the seawater had already risen to the height of the shelf on which they stood.

Jingwei: [This is terrible. I’ve never encountered a situation like this. For now, you can only wait passively, but I can provide you with one useful piece of information. According to my investigation, a kind of surgery called the ‘Loneliness Removal Procedure’ has become popular among sailors in recent years. I suspect that what’s happening on the Tide Ship is a side effect of that procedure]”

The Loneliness Removal Procedure? Xia Yu suddenly remembered—yes, that was it! He had read about it in a book.

Jingwei: [During the surgery, a chip is implanted into the human body. It constantly emits electrical signals to the cerebellum[mfn]Cerebellum→ a part of the brain at the back of the skull. It controls balance, coordination, and movement. It’s not usually involved in emotion, so this detail suggests advanced or experimental neural control.[/mfn], stimulating the posterior pituitary gland[mfn]Posterior pituitary gland→ a small gland at the base of the brain that releases hormones into the blood. “Posterior” means the back part of the pituitary gland.[/mfn] to secrete a hormone synthesized by the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei[mfn]Paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei→ these are tiny clusters of nerve cells in the hypothalamus (another brain region). They make certain hormones—most notably oxytocin and vasopressin—which are then released by the posterior pituitary.[/mfn] of the hypothalamus[mfn]Hypothalamus→ a small but critical area of the brain that controls many automatic functions, like hunger, body temperature, hormones, and emotional responses.[/mfn]. Long-term seafarers often go mad from loneliness—this keeps everyone calm.

“Oh my God!” Mo An exclaimed. He couldn’t understand how someone could feel lonely at sea. To him, the ocean was home—his true belonging.

Jingwei: [All chips in the world can be controlled by Nuwa. After Nuwa’s awakening, these chips must be affecting humans too. Tell the adults this crucial information—it might be the key to awakening the crew.]

“Awaken? Can they still be awakened?” Xia Yu asked. If there was a chance to save people, he wanted to take it.

Jingwei: [There’s some risk, but it might succeed. To escape the electronic corruption zone, you can either blow up the Tide Ship and kill everyone inside, or you can wake them up and free them from the chip’s interference. The chip is implanted behind the ear, so there should be corrosion there as well.]

Xia Yu froze. “Right, behind the ear—their ears were all rotted!”

Jingwei: [Good. You must tell the adults correctly. You’re the only one who can relay messages to the adult who keeps resetting. You’re vital. Your mission now is to wait for their return. If you have the strength, I can search for the special medicine.]

“All right, I have the strength. I can go look for it.” Xia Yu instantly perked up—he hadn’t forgotten their main mission. Since they’d come this far, they had to bring the syringe back.

Jingwei was silent for a moment.

Jingwei: [Found it. It’s on B2, shelf 3A, section 2, third layer. You can move now.]

“Thanks.” Xia Yu turned to Mo An. “B2 is our floor—shelf 3A, section 2, third layer. There’s medicine that can save Midou!”

“Let me go. You stay put.” Mo An nodded and, before diving in, poked Xia Yu’s cheek.

That small gesture eased Xia Yu’s tension, and he smiled back at Mo An reflexively.

This was the little jellyfish’s mission now—his only chance to save his friend. After seeing that smile, Mo An leapt into the water, crossing from the human world into the world of fish. The seawater wasn’t as fresh as ocean water. It had a metallic taste of rust, probably because the freighter had been submerged for too long. The dark red rust had already flavored the water.

It was as if the ship had been submerged for many years.

His legs changed again. Blood-red muscle fibers tore through the fabric of his pants. The fins behind his ears unfurled softly, and the pelvic fins spread like tiny wings. By the time Mo An reached the label hidden below the shelves, he had fully reverted to his mermaid form.

His silver hair fanned out in the water, and his vision was sharp and clear.

The water kept rising and the air kept thinning. The oxygen he didn’t need was what Xia Yu depended on. Mo An looked up. Through the surface, he could still see Xia Yu’s silhouette moving. Then, he resolutely turned away.

He had to find the medicine, no matter what. Otherwise, all of this would be for nothing. He told himself this over and over again. Truthfully, he wanted to stay with Xia Yu during this dangerous time.

There were many shelves, some of which had already collapsed. Mo An could only search them one by one, swimming through the gaps from 3H to 3A before finally breathing out in relief.

Tiny bubbles rose from his gills.

Section 2, third layer… Mo An blinked and sneezed in the water. Mermaids were extremely sensitive to pollution, and even a little contamination made survival difficult. Now, he already felt uncomfortable.

Shelf 3A had fallen. This meant that the backflow of seawater could really topple the racks, so the one Xia Yu was standing on wouldn’t last long either. Mo An dared not waste time. The light above seemed to dim further.

The space for survival was shrinking fast.

Section 1…Section 2! Mo An touched number two and swam sideways across the first and second layers. The place was a total mess—cargo was scattered everywhere and it was impossible to tell one thing from another—but it looked like a cold storage area.

Could it be here? He wasn’t sure. Still young, he used all his strength to lift the refrigerators.

Meanwhile, Xia Yu, waiting above, wasn’t doing much better. The spot where he had stood earlier was no longer safe.

If he stayed, seawater would reach his knees, so he climbed higher. In the distance, he heard the sound of swimming, but it definitely wasn’t Mo An.

Mo An would dive underwater instead of swimming near the surface. Those must be Yan Xia and Xi Ban—they’re back!

“I’m here!” Xia Yu waved, signaling to them. As they swam closer, he shouted, “Time is looping! Contact Silver Fang now and tell him not to go to the captain’s room. Head straight for the kitchen!”

“Damn it! Why is the water rising so fast?!” Yan Xia grabbed a shelf and climbed up. “Where the hell did you two go?!”

“Time’s looping! Contact Silver Fang quickly. We only have four minutes and twenty-seven seconds!” Xia Yu grabbed her. “You’re not Huo, but tell him you are. Don’t let Silver Fang go to the captain’s room. Head straight to the kitchen! The electronic corruption comes from the chips behind their ears. Those things secrete a hormone that makes sailors feel no loneliness at sea. It’s the chips!”

Xi Ban climbed onto the shelf and grabbed Xia Yu. “What did you say? Where’s Mo An?”

“Mo An got separated!” Xia Yu lied—he couldn’t reveal Mo An’s identity just yet. “Quick! Contact Silver Fang! We still have time; otherwise…”

Before he could finish, Yan Xia was already speaking to Silver Fang. Though still confused, she trusted one fact: she wasn’t surnamed Huo. She had been searching for two hours when the seawater suddenly began to rise. When they swam over, they met Xia Yu.

Time loops—was that real?

While Yan Xia and Silver Fang talked, Xi Ban tried to reassure Xia Yu, “Don’t worry. Silver Fang’s experienced. He’ll get us out of here. Where exactly did you two get separated?”

“We were just walking, and then—he was gone. It’s too dark here.” Xia Yu made an excuse. Just then, they heard Silver Fang say through the intercom that he was going to the captain’s room to find the logbook. “Don’t go!” The logbook is here, but it’s waterlogged and doesn’t contain any important information. The Tide Ship has been out for over seven months, and the sailors’ chips malfunctioned. In the last loop, you said you were heading to the kitchen!”

Yan Xia didn’t have to repeat it—Silver Fang heard everything loud and clear.

Hearing this, Silver Fang turned and ran toward the kitchen. Since his past self had told him to go there, he would go again—there must be a clue left behind.

“What loop is this now?” Yan Xia asked.

Standing in the water, Xia Yu replied, “I don’t remember. Too many.”

“Too many… Okay. Whatever we say next, remember it word for word. In the next loop, tell me everything without missing a thing.” Yan Xia was tense. The sudden loop had left them defenseless. She didn’t have time to wonder why Xia Yu was the only one outside the cycle. Even after more than ten missions, she had never experienced time distortion.

This mission’s difficulty surpassed all her previous ones. Even Silver Fang was helpless, completely caught off guard. Now, these two kids, Mo An and Xia Yu, had stumbled into such horror—they really were unlucky!

One wrong step, and it would be over. Even if they did everything perfectly, survival would depend on luck.

Silver Fang was affected by her tension, too. In less than thirty seconds, he had already rushed into the kitchen. After several loops, he learned to avoid the wrong paths—no captain’s room, no logbook—and went straight to a place he hadn’t fully searched before.

The back kitchen.

“Last time I stopped here, I must have found something suspicious…” he muttered, rummaging through boxes. “This place is spotless. It’s as if it’s never been used.”

“How’s that possible? According to the log, the Tide Ship’s been out for seven months.” Yan Xia had seen that number herself. “Seven months—neither long nor short. The kitchen should show signs of use.”

“There’s nothing! It’s all empty!” Silver Fang touched the fridge. “Even the inside is clean.”

Yan Xia thought aloud. “Could they have eaten everything?”

Silver Fang shook his head firmly. “Impossible. The Tide Ship was preparing to dock just days ago. No cargo ship working long-term at sea would use up all its food right before docking. No one can predict accidents. Do you know how hungry men can get out at sea?”

Clearly, Silver Fang understood human nature better. When hungry, people were no different from beasts.

“And there’s no trace of refrigeration use.” Silver Fang looked at the cooling fins. “Something’s off.”

“There’s one more thing I don’t understand,” Yan Xia added. “With so many modern routes and automated freighters, why send this one on a seven-month cargo mission? Wouldn’t unmanned ships be better?”

Silver Fang fell silent. That was indeed strange.

Even the longest route between ports wouldn’t take seven months. This meant that the Tide Ship had been circling aimlessly with a full load of containers. Seven whole months—no docking, no unloading. What had the crew been doing all that time? Unmanned cargo ships would have been cheaper and more efficient—machines don’t feel loneliness, and you’d save the cost of those chip surgeries.

Meanwhile, Yan Xia’s team faced the ticking time loop and the rising water level. Even on the second shelf, the water was already up to their waists.

“Xia Yu said the chips behind their ears eliminate loneliness, so could their wish be to ‘go home’?” Yan Xia recalled the two crewmen. They kept asking when they could go home.

They had been away from home and land for seven months. The isolation of the open sea could drive a person mad indeed. And that obsession…had it met mechanical awakening?

“All right, I’m heading there now! If I don’t make it, Xia Yu, you must deliver the message properly. I’m going to wake them up!” Silver Fang left the kitchen and rushed toward the central mess hall. That was where everyone usually ate and where the remaining crew were now gathered.

“A Team! A Team! Stop searching for the captain! Everyone to the mess hall!” Silver Fang called out to his companions.

The central cafeteria was the largest area on F1, but the path leading to it was now completely flooded. The wallpaper had changed color, taking on a shade similar to bacterial plaque. The ceiling had begun to leak, dripping nonstop.

Silver Fang looked outside again and saw that their speedboat was gone.

Neither the ship nor the sea would let them leave.

The entire ship seemed to have changed color. Rust and mold were growing, revealing the true face of the Tide. Seaweed grew from the cracks in the walls, and the ground was covered in… The entire ship suddenly felt old and slimy.

He hurried to the mess hall and kicked the door open.

The tables and chairs were neatly arranged. Instead of sitting together and chatting as he’d expected, the crew members were standing in a circle. Instead, they were standing in a circle.

The backs of their ears where the chips had been inserted had become bloody holes from which yellow pus constantly flowed down their necks, shoulders, and arms and onto the ground. Facing each other, the crew members muttered to themselves like late-night dreams.

“Great Lord, grant us all things. And from those who have not, take even what they possess.”

“Everyone! Stop!” Silver Fang shouted.

All the crew members looked at him, their expressions confused and their eyes vacant. They moved in unison, even breathing in rhythm.

“The ship has been repaired. Now, everyone can disembark and go home!” Silver Fang slowly approached them. Their words must have been the thoughts of a ship with autonomous consciousness, but Silver Fang simply couldn’t understand them.

“Go home, everyone!” Silver Fang’s voice grew louder. “Seven months of working at sea have been incredibly hard! The Tide has arrived at Port A in Qingyao City. As long as we leave here, we can go home.”

The crew remained silent.

One man’s ear had fallen off; the base of it was completely rotten.

Silver Fang looked at him calmly and said, “As long as we get home, everything will end. These seven months have been arduous and long, but the ship will eventually dock, and we’ll all go home to our loved ones. Your loved ones are waiting for you. Let’s go home together!”

Still, no one moved.

The water around Xia Yu continued to rise.

“Don’t rely on the chip anymore. It only eliminates your loneliness. Once we get off the ship, I’ll arrange for surgery to remove it. There are real families on land, not just the vast ocean!” Silver Fang approached. “Listen to me. You’re safe. Your ship has docked.”

Yan Xia clutched the intercom tightly, awaiting the fateful decision.

Suddenly, the crew member who had lost an ear grabbed a nearby knife and stabbed Silver Fang in the abdomen.

Silver Fang vanished at that moment.

Darkness enveloped him and the rest of the group. Yan Xia and Xi Ban from Groups A, B, and C disappeared simultaneously. Once again, only Xia Yu remained in the cargo hold. Nearly drowning, he had no choice but to climb upward, scrambling along the slippery metal rails to the top level.

The top level was Level 3; above that was the ceiling. There was nowhere to escape.

“Xla, I’m here!” Mo An suddenly emerged from the water. “I found it! The injection! I found it!”

“Great! Finally, some good news.”

Xia Yu was shivering with cold,” That’s great… If you can escape, be sure to bring the injection back. I wonder if Silver Fang can wake up the crew in the next cycle…”

The bracelet lit up at that moment.

Jingwei screamed as soon as he opened his mouth.

Jingwei: [Ahhhhhhh… Xia Yu, I just unlocked a file package. The ship’s external information is false, and the logbook is probably false too. The actual time it was at sea is 70 months!]

 

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