84.2 per cent for option one and 15.8 per cent for option two.

……

[Option 1]

[Together with Professor Lin Wen and Chu Huairen, spend the night in the woods next to the ancestral hall]

……

Do you really want to stay?

Zheng Zhuo glanced at the vote, and the big score made his scalp tingle.

He vaguely felt that the atmosphere around here was weird, and something bad must be happening. But at the same time, he also knew in his heart that he came this time to bring Chu Huairen out. Ensuring a smooth separation of the target person is the first priority.

"I'll stay too."

He concluded.

……

After saying goodbye to the professor, Chu Huairen, and Zheng Zhuo, He and Wang left.

It's getting dark. However, the professor and Chu Huairen were still enthusiastically engaged in archaeological work, let alone building campsites, and did not even stop to eat and drink.

After many reminders and only a reply of "wait a minute, I'll go", Zheng Zhuo gave up. He returned to the shore alone with the leash in his hand, and chose the higher woods to set up the tent.

He didn't have any experience of surviving in the wild. Fortunately, the [identification] skill helped him confirm the condition of the soil and helped him identify how the parts of the tent should be riveted.

“……”

Zheng Zhuo set up the tent in silence for a long time. As the sun had fully set, he lit a campfire for camping.

Several times during this period, Zheng Zhuo thought that the professors were coming back - he vaguely felt his gaze, and at one point, he even heard the sound of soaked feet stepping on the sand.

But every time he turned around, he didn't see anything.

(I'm too nervous.) ）”

Even if he kept telling himself that "this is in the subconscious", being alone in the wild late at night still made Zheng Zhuo nervous. He used the walkie-talkie to communicate with the professor and Chu Huairen, and the reply he received was always "I'll go back in a while."

“…… Never mind. ”

Judging by this stance, they will probably stay up late. Zheng Zhuo decided to go to bed first.

I don't know how long later, in the haze, he felt someone pull open the tent. The salty sea breeze blew on his face, and Zheng Zhuo felt something wet enter the tent.

The professor and Chu Huairen are finally back.

Zheng Zhuo thought so, and his consciousness sank into darkness again.

……

When he woke up the next morning, Zheng Zhuo found that the two sleeping bags beside him were kept open and thrown aside at random. It seems that it is not yet dawn, and the professor and Chu Huairen have gone to the scene again.

Zheng Zhuo also crawled out of his sleeping bag. The floor of the tent was covered with sea water and gravel, sticky and damp.

"At least keep your shoes and pants outside the tent......"

People who are obsessed with scientific research are also terrible. Zheng Zhuo whispered and dressed up and went to the ancestral hall again.

He was the last to arrive. Today, students He and Wang took over the work of taking care of the generators and cables, and those who came to the scene were replaced by Shen and Xue Ying.

Zheng Zhuo once again appreciated the joy of professionals at wonderful archaeological discoveries. He said, "Borrow, borrow," and squeezed past the two of them, and found a long cable on the floor of the passage.

"I asked them to bring in a small-yield crane."

Chu Huairen, who had heavy dark circles under his eyes, walked by and said.

"Last night, the professor discovered that there was another entrance to the depths that had been squeezed too narrow by geological changes. We used the walkie-talkie to tell them to bring in the lifting equipment today. ”

"It's hard to memorize. Thankfully, it's only a short way off. ”

Shen smiled in the back.

"......"

Zheng Zhuo looked at the professor who was carefully operating the crane in the depths of the passage, and then at Chu Huairen.

"How many hours did you sleep yesterday?"

"I want to think about it...... If you go back at two o'clock, you will get up at six o'clock...... It should be four hours, right? ”

"Wow."

"Four hours is too much. It would be nice if people could not sleep. ”

"Good good ......"

It doesn't make sense at all. Zheng Zhuo turned his head.

However, at this time, he unexpectedly found that Shen and Xue Ying also had dark circles under their eyes.

"Why haven't you slept well?"

He asked.

"Hey! Don't mention it. Shen said angrily, "It was too windy last night!" The cabin was full of wind, whining, and noisy! I can't sleep well at all - it's more exaggerated than at sea! ”

Wind?

Zheng Zhuo was a little puzzled.

He slept in a tent in the woods by the sea at night! Why didn't he feel the wind?

Could it be that his location was leeward, and the research ship happened to stop at the tuyere?

Can there be such a big difference?

Zheng Zhuo asked Shen, who is good at meteorology. However, he didn't particularly understand it, and could only explain this as a phenomenon caused by the special contours of the island.

……

Later in the day, Professor Lin Wen made a new discovery. After successfully using heavy equipment to open a moss-covered crack, he discovers a niche inside.

The interior of the shrine is not dedicated to statues, but is painted with three small dots arranged at intervals.

"It's ......!"

The professor opened the suitcase he had brought with him—the same one that sailor Cao Yang had helped him carry earlier. He carefully pulled out a pottery shard from inside: the same pattern was drawn on it.

"A few years ago, when I discovered this pottery shard on a nearby coastline, I was convinced that the ocean currents must have brought it from this area!"

Professor Lin Wen said excitedly.

And so it was...... And...... Look! ”

He pointed to the niche. The dots depicted inside the niche are much larger and clearer than those on the pottery shards. Each dot is not an ordinary circle. Rather, it has an irregular outer contour.

"At the bottom!" The professor motioned for everyone to look at the bottom dot, "The outline of the dot at the bottom, and the ...... shown on the satellite map." The outline of the island is exactly the same! And the outer contour of the niche ...... Did you find out? It's the closest coastline! ”

"This means that there are two more islands that have been discovered by the same civilization, and we have not found them yet! I've been guessing that for a long time...... Now it's finally confirmed! ”

The professor's hands trembled slightly with excitement.

"We ...... Our harvest will be far beyond imagination! ”

……

A few days later.

It's time for the original return trip. However, the professor and his team insisted on staying a few more days for a more detailed investigation.

"I want to change my itinerary."

The professor proposed the "Mishima Hypothesis". He wanted to continue his expedition to the island and follow the currents to the next two islands indicated on the map. He wanted the ship not to return to Cape Town, but to cross the Atlantic, dock in Montevideo, refuel and then return to the university from there. As a result, the sailing schedule will be shorter than originally planned, with more docking times, and more reserves of fuel, food and ship equipment, allowing them to stay for a few more days and do more research.

As the professor succeeded in bringing back substantial evidence from the niche in the ancestral hall, he quickly persuaded the captain. After the sailors contacted the maritime control authorities on the signal tower they had repaired, the captain agreed to the professor's proposal.

The exploratory schedule was thus extended for another three days. During this time, everyone enthusiastically printed every shape.

Zheng Zhuo cared about other things.

These days, the students go back to the research ship to rest. Only he, the professor, and Chu Huairen lived in a nearby tent.

He still occasionally perceives sight at night. And the professor and Chu Huairen also said that when they entered the tent on the first day, there were already traces of seawater inside.

After that, they assured that they had entered the tent without boots. But there were still salt and water stains in the tent from time to time.

(I'll have to figure out what's going on.) ）”

Zheng Zhuo thought in his heart. He quickly had an idea.

……

On this day, it was Zheng Zhuo's turn to guard the cables and pipelines on the shore. He dragged his sleeping bag to the shade of a nearby tree, and then, during the day, he slept for a long time.

The night was still as usual. After the two classmates greeted Zheng Zhuo, who was packing his sleeping bag, they walked towards the research ship. Zheng Zhuo also walked towards the cliff and returned to the tent.

Usually, he would eat something and then go to bed first. But today, he was lying in his sleeping bag with his eyes open.

(Can you see something...... ）”

Zheng Zhuo's heart actually has no bottom. Because, he doesn't feel the sight every day, and there is not water in the tent every day.

In case nothing shows up today......

Zheng Zhuo thought like this, and time passed minute by minute.

Suddenly.

Zheng Zhuo heard a different sound than the waves crashing against the shore.

Bang, bang.

The sound was like flippers on wet sand.

Bang, bang.

The sound is far away. And......

(Far away...... ）”

The sound did not come close to the tent.

Zheng Zhuo tried not to make a sound, and quietly straightened up from his sleeping bag.

He gently unzipped the tent and looked out.

The moon, obscured by clouds, casts a dim light. Zheng Zhuo saw a black shadow on the beach not far away.

The shadow looked like a humanoid, but it had an external silhouette that didn't resemble a human. In the dim moonlight, Zheng Zhuo saw it leaning on its back and slowly walking in the direction of the cliff. His lower limbs were submerged in the sea, and the exposed upper limbs were thin and long. It has a structure that resembles a webbed or fin-shaped structure. It has a large head with spherical things protruding on both sides.

Zheng Zhuo didn't want to guess that it was its eyes.

(What's that...... Monster......? ）”

In the dim tent, Zheng Zhuo could only hear his own rapid breathing.

He clicked on [Identification].

……

【■■■■■■】

【■■■■■■■■■】

【■■■■■■■】

……

No way.

All unrecognizable. Same as the name of the altar......

Wait a minute.

Altar.

Zheng Zhuo suddenly realized that the thing was walking towards the altar.

And the altar is ......

Professor Lin Wen and Chu Huairen, who have always stayed late, are still there!

……

Seeing that the thing had turned the corner where the reef beach met and the cliff bottom, Zheng Zhuo rummaged through the tent with trembling hands, and finally found the radio intercom in the darkness.

He immediately dialed Chu Huairen's walkie-talkie signal.

Fortunately, the other party quickly picked it up.

“…… Rustling...... Zheng Zhuo? What's wrong? We went back right away......"

"Nope! No! Listen to me! ”

Zheng Zhuo said quickly.

"Something is approaching you! You-"

……

【Question】

[There are unknown creatures approaching their companions!] What should they be asked to do? 】

[Option 1]

[Leave the ancestral hall immediately and return as fast as possible]

[Option 2]

[Leave the ancestral hall immediately and use all the tools you can find (cranes, detectors, plasters, etc.) to fight against the unidentified creatures that are coming]

[Option 3]

[Immediately enter the depths of the ancestral hall, extinguish all light sources, and pretend that there is no one inside]

[Option 4]

[Immediately enter the depths of the ancestral hall and try to block the hole with all the tools you can find (cranes, detectors, plasters, etc.)]