Looking east from the Frost City-State, at the end of the sea cliff, you can see a towering rocky island - it is long and narrow and curved, shaped like a thin scimitar or a strangely shaped dagger. The entire island is covered with rugged rocks and barren sand, so the Frost people directly gave it an image name based on this shape, calling it "Dagger Island".

In the vast ocean, land is the most precious resource. Even if it is a desolate and narrow island, people will try their best to make use of it, and Dagger Island is no exception.

The island has a source of fresh water, but no arable land or sufficiently wide and flat land. It cannot serve as a stable place to live or produce food, and there are no usable plants or animals. However, the island once had a small amount of boiling gold deposits, so the Frost People established mining sites and refineries on the island. After that little bit of boiling gold was mined, it served as a transit port for a period of time. After the Frost Rebellion, the shipping routes around the city-state were adjusted, and the port on the island was transformed into a special storage facility for storing dangerous things that must be kept away from the civilized world.

As time goes by and things change, this desolate island covered with strange rocks has changed one management agency after another. Now it is controlled by the Frost Military and has become a confidential "temporary research base" used to study the strange things salvaged from the deep sea.

The seals used to preserve dangerous items and the island's tight security are a strong guarantee for conducting this kind of research.

A mechanical clipper came from Frost at noon and approached the military port on the sunken side of Dagger Island. The flag flying high on the mechanical clipper indicated that it belonged to the Frost Navy.

After going through a series of complex and rigorous verification, inspection and registration procedures, the clipper ship named "Haiyan" was allowed to dock. With the gradually low roar of the steam core, it docked beside the pier and lowered the gangway from the side of the ship.

Several soldiers in blue-black navy uniforms walked down the gangway first, followed by a tall and burly officer with short gray hair.

Several military personnel stationed on the island were already waiting on shore.

The burly officer with short grey hair took a look at the situation near the pier, then climbed ashore on the gangplank. Several personnel waiting there immediately stepped forward and saluted. One of them said, "General, you are 25 minutes late for the scheduled time. This requires registration and explanation - you must go to the registration office in person."

"Well," the burly officer called the general nodded. He did not think it was offensive for an ordinary non-commissioned officer to say these words to a general like him. This was a special research facility, and all the strict approval regulations were normal and reasonable safety requirements. "Let's go now... How is the situation with the professor?"

"Professor Myerson is in the 'Secret Room'. He made a discovery while analyzing a new batch of samples. The material scraped from the surface of that thing seems to have shown strange properties under special test conditions," the contact person said. "But the specific situation will be discussed in detail after we enter the 'Secret Room'."

"Okay, take me to the registration office."

※※※

On the inner side of the bay not far from the Dagger Island Naval Port, in a sturdy building constructed of a mixture of reinforced concrete and huge rocks, research work is still being carried out intensively and busily.

This inconspicuous building with a gray appearance is the so-called "secret room". It is also one of the most heavily protected and structurally strong laboratories on the island.

The hall inside the building was brightly lit.

This is a huge hexagonal room. Each wall is made of the strongest cement. The top of the wall is engraved with symbols of mystical significance and religious symbols. There are also huge scripture ribbons hanging from the ceiling, interlaced in the gaps between the light and shadow of the gas lamps. Steam pipes crisscross through the roof of the hall. Some valves make a slight hissing sound. Incense devices burn quietly in the corners of the hall, and the sacred smoke slowly blends into the air.

Researchers in short robes were busy around the hall. A metal device with a diameter of about five or six meters and a round shape like a big clock was suspended by thick chains in the center of the room. The surface of the metal device was mottled and old, as if it had been soaked in sea water for a long time. The complex valves and connection structures on the top were enough to show its function.

This is a "diving bell".

Directly below this suspended diving bell, a huge circular grille is inlaid in the center of the hall floor. The diameter of the grille is much larger than the long axis of the diving bell. Through the grille, one can vaguely see a striking red light deep underground.

A tall, thin, silver-haired, meticulous old scholar was standing in front of a diving bell suspended in the air, supervising several assistants as they carefully scraped samples from the surface of the thing.

A clergyman in a priest's robe walked slowly behind the assistants, holding a brass incense burner in his hand. A faint incense smoke rose from the burner, accompanied by soft prayers like whispers, and slowly floated in the air.

"Professor, General Belazov has arrived at the port," an assistant came over and said behind the tall and thin old scholar, "After completing the necessary registration and handover, he will come directly here to see you."

"Oh... Belazov, I received news that he will come here in person. It seems that the city hall is finally getting a little nervous," said Professor Myerson, who has short silver hair and is meticulous, with a somewhat helpless tone. "Come if you want... How is the sample that was sent to the laboratory this morning?"

"After the last round of testing, we can now confirm that although the substance looks like rust, it is definitely not any substance we know of. Moreover, its properties have been changing over time," the assistant replied. "It feels like... it is still in the process of evolution, so it is unable to stably display its properties."

"Um."

Professor Myerson nodded slightly, but his eyes were still fixed on the suspended diving bell.

The exterior of the diving bell is severely corroded, but the circular hatch structure on its side can still be clearly seen. The hatch is now tightly closed, and it has never been opened since it was sent into this "secret room".

On the other side of the diving bell, you can see a round window with a very, very thick special glass inlaid in it. But for some reason, the inside of the round window is covered with dirt, and the black stuff almost covers the entire glass, so that you can't see the situation inside the diving bell at all.

One could only vaguely see a messy cavity and something that looked like ** inside.

What's inside a diving bell?

Professor Myerson himself had actually had this curiosity more than once, but no matter how curious he was, he never had the slightest intention of opening the hatch.

He was sixteen years old when the Qianyuan Project began.

He knew what to be curious about and what to be cautious about.

While he was thinking, the assistant's voice came from behind him: "Professor, do you think the higher-ups will order us to open that hatch?"

"...To be honest, I don't want to receive such an order at all." Professor Myerson shook his head and turned to look at his assistant. "Courage and the spirit of exploration have allowed humans to survive in the vast ocean, but once these two qualities exceed the limit, they will turn into recklessness and death."

The assistant blinked once, then blinked a third and fourth eye.

"But we are moving too slowly now - what if another submersible surfaces as you predict?"

Myerson pondered for a moment and shook his head gently: "When the time comes, I'm afraid we will have to do more than just open the hatch - we have to be prepared to face the deep sea."

The assistant seemed to understand.

This assistant is still too young - but then again, half a century later, how many people can still understand the horror of the Abyss Project?

Professor Myerson raised his head and looked at the figures busy around the diving bell.

Some of the figures seemed different from when they first arrived on the island.

And some other figures occasionally make the old professor feel a little strange.

Many unfamiliar figures seemed to have appeared in this research facility without anyone noticing.

But there is nothing strange about this. It is normal for personnel to be transferred within a research team, especially for such a complex special project that requires the participation of multiple experts - everything is very reasonable.

The clergyman holding the brass incense burner walked over and nodded slightly in front of Professor Myerson.

The incense burner in his hand opened his eyes slightly and secretly looked at the old scholar.

The wonderful scent of incense wafts through the air.

"Today's prayers are complete," the clergyman said softly, "I will come here again at this time tomorrow to pray for the machines."

"Thank you for your hard work, Reverend %￥&%@＊." The old professor nodded with a smile and addressed the other person naturally. "If I hadn't had a lot of troubles in the afternoon, I would have bought you a drink."

"Let's receive the general first," the priest laughed, "He's an important figure who's here to 'supervise' on behalf of the Frost City-State."