Weren't all lackeys of the Astronomical Society supposed to be hunted down by everyone?
"Anyway, we still have a little time before we reach the station."
The Man in Grey used his briefcase as a makeshift tray for the food Huai Shi had given him, a gentle smile appearing on his pale face. "This is too much food; I can't finish it all myself. Would you like to share?"
Such a sincere invitation far surpassed any approach or flattery driven by ulterior motives.
Huai Shi was stunned for a long moment, then nodded with a wry smile.
"Okay!"
Just as the two were in a corner of the carriage, savoring Happy Water, peanuts, and chicken drumsticks, Huai Shi felt the entire carriage give a sudden, violent jolt.
It felt as if they had been lifted into the air.
When he poked his head out of the broken window in shock, he was met by a blast of wind and the sight of a grey ocean slowly drawing nearer overhead.
The two rails, continuously extending beneath their single carriage, warped upwards, slanting towards the ocean in the sky. They guided the carriage as it soared into the air, racing through the dim expanse between sky and sea.
Behind them, the lights of Stone City had long since been left far behind.
Huai Shi shook his head, spat two peanut shells into the wind, and stared wide-eyed at what lay ahead.
The carriage raced onward.
Flying.
Straight towards the ocean.
It was as if it were about to smash through the ocean's surface and plunge into its depths, its speed not decreasing but instead accelerating, growing ever faster.
A hurricane-force wind slammed into his face, feeling as if someone were yanking his hair from behind.
It was too fast to react.
By the time Huai Shi pulled his head back into the carriage, his hair was as tousled as a beggar's. It took him a long time to smooth it down, even using his hands.
What in the world is going on?
As if she knew what Huai Shi was thinking, Raven said without turning her head, "It's just an undercurrent transit. Don't make such a fuss, you fool."
Then you could have explained it beforehand, Sister!
"Wasn't I just about to?"
Raven turned back, sighing helplessly. "Can you please not wear your thoughts so plainly on your face? It makes it seem like I have some Mind Reading Technique, which is rather embarrassing."
Well, hurry up and explain then!
"Alright. The Ancient Tourism Company, which operates the Star on consignment, is a company in which Forever Investment holds shares. And as everyone knows, Forever Group is, in turn, a Vest for the Existence Institute... So, I suppose it carries a lot of clout, wouldn't you say?"
"However, sixty-one percent of Ancient Tourism's shares weren't acquired with money, but with a navigation permit."
Raven paused for a moment. "The permit was issued forty years ago by a terrifying entity in this Endless Sea—Leviathan, a [Ruler] whose Rank is above the [Crowned]..."
"Speaking of which, at that time, He was locked in a fierce battle with another Ruler, 'Ifrit, the Middle East's Master of Flame Void.' The war between these two Owners of the Great Mob embroiled over forty Hells and even interfered with the Withering Region below Depth Twenty. At its most critical juncture, it even involved the Destruction Element: Grey... Ahem, ahem, I'm getting sidetracked. Where were we?"
Huai Shi sighed, his face a mask of utter resignation. "The permit."
"Right, right, the permit."
Raven coughed awkwardly and continued, "Any vessel bearing the permit's insignia can navigate the Endless Sea freely by riding its currents. These currents allow them to ignore depth and distance, enabling them to reach any location covered by the seventeen currents in just a few hours."
"Seventeen currents mean there are seventeen navigation permits in total, each held by one of seventeen major Genealogies, corporations, or powerful individuals. Well, you can think of them as seventeen maritime hegemonies. These seventeen forces have completely monopolized all shipping and communication across the entire Endless Sea."
"Well, that concludes today's Sister Crow's Little Lecture on Border Trivia. Is there anything you didn't understand?"
"Apart from understanding that one can perform oceanic transits with the permit, I didn't get a single other thing," Huai Shi said flatly. "And, did you just dump a whole load of new lore on me without any warning again?"
"Please, call this 'proceeding step-by-step,' alright? I can't just smack an eight-million-word copy of the "Hell Survival Guide" into your face the first time we meet, can I?"
"..."
Just as Huai Shi was rolling his eyes, he felt his body jolt violently.
The view outside the window had been replaced by an endless expanse of greyish-blue.
That was seawater.
The carriage, still guided by the rails, had plunged into the ocean. It was now breaking through layer after layer of water, heading towards the dark depths.
In the dead silence, only the low, distant rumble of the undercurrent could be heard.
The undercurrent transit had begun.
No one in the carriage spoke.
Everyone felt a heavy, icy sensation weighing on their chests.
Only Huai Shi, completely unaffected by the strange atmosphere around him, was already standing at the window, peering out.
All he could see was a swirl of greyish-blue, gradually dimming, until, in an instant, it was swallowed by complete darkness.
He couldn't see anything, but he could feel the carriage rushing madly onward, as if pulled by invisible ropes, its speed increasing relentlessly.
Some people in the carriage were already losing their balance, becoming rolling gourds on the floor.
The Man in Grey, however, moved with surprising speed. As if protecting priceless treasures, he snatched the lunchbox and the bag of peanuts. His mouth gaped open, catching a chicken drumstick that flew through the air. Then, he lifted his legs to clamp his briefcase securely between them.
He looked utterly disheveled.
But he had successfully defended the dignity of the food!
Huai Shi turned, about to help, but the corner of his eye caught something in the endless darkness outside the window—that pitch-blackness seemed to writhe for an instant.