31.8 per cent for option I, 36.4 per cent for option two and 31.8 per cent for option III.

……

[Option 2: Use high-power boat lights]

Possible problem: Limited effect

……

Zheng Zhuo hesitated about this question.

And the consciousness in [Subconscious Voting] may think the same way. They gave a fairly close answer with a fairly close number of votes.

In the end, however, everything was settled.

"I recommend using boat spotlights."

Zheng Zhuo raised his hand.

"When I was patrolling at night, I noticed that spotlights do attract fish. Turn off the stern lights, leave only the headlights, and the miniature bathyscap will be able to enter the sea smoothly. ”

That's right......

There was a small difference of opinion in the crowd. After a while, everyone made up their minds: to use the ship's spotlights.

(I don't know if the spotlights will be so good for a school of fish of this size.) ）”

Zheng Zhuo was not as confident in the proposal as he said in his speech. However, he intuitively believed that Cao Yang could not be allowed to enter the water at this time. And the power connection ......

Zheng Zhuo's mind flashed with those fish-like monsters that emerged from the sea.

He was a little worried about the unexpected risks associated with receiving electricity.

……

That night, the dive unfolded in an orderly manner.

The hull goes into idling. The captain ordered all light sources in the stern and hull to be turned off, and the three high-power spotlights on the deck were aimed at the deep sea in front of the bow of the research ship.

With a command, all the spotlights lit up in unison, illuminating the water as if it were day.

Zheng Zhuo's post was on the side side, and during this time, he kept looking at the sea below. He saw the silver scales glow faintly in the darkness.

“…… It's ......! ”

The school of fish that had been carrying the hull around the boat day and night moved. They were slowly approaching the bow of the ship.

"How's the sonar?" He asked over the intercom.

"Massive fish stocks are shifting...... But ......"

There was a rustling sound over the intercom.

"The schools of fish that are still stationed in the rear...... Still is...... A little more than I thought ......"

"It's-"

"It's unlikely that the fish population will decrease more."

On the radio, the captain's command was heard.

"Launched as planned."

The miniature deep-sea probe [Unknown] was launched into the vast expanse of the sea from the stern of the ship. Soon, it was submerged in a whirlpool of fish.

Zheng Zhuo looked back along the side side and saw only a slight splash. On the [Identification] interface, the information of [Unknown] flashed, drowning in the information of various fish.

……

The exploration of miniature deep-sea probes continues from night to early morning. When entering the water, the number of fish still inevitably suffers. The stabilizer on the side of the [Unknown] malfunctioned due to the collision, and one of the cameras in the head was also damaged by the fish. This has reduced its shooting range, shooting accuracy, and speed to varying degrees, resulting in a significant increase in exploration time.

Eventually, it returned to the research ship scarred before the first rays of dawn diluted the spotlights.

Zheng Zhuo did not go to rest immediately after the changing of the guard, but came to the connection to watch the towing process of the [Unknown]. The drenched head of the detector was covered with dents and scratches from the impact of the fish, and it was hard to imagine that the marks on the steel structure were made by the fish.

And......

As the miniature deep-sea probes were all salvaged and sent to the storage room, Zheng Zhuo also saw a deep and long dent on the side of the [Unknown].

There are also irregular bumps within the dents.

“（…… Can you figure out what left the trail? ）”

Zheng Zhuo opened [Identification].

……

【Unknown】

【Satellite Deep-Sea Probe】

[Age: 4 years]

[Injuries: impact injuries caused by fish, crush injuries caused by fish, crush injuries caused by cephalopods]

……

Cephalopods?

Cephalopods, remember ...... Squid, octopus......

The marks did look a lot like those left by the tentacles of an octopus. But if that's the case, to be able to wrap around such a probe, its tentacles are at least the length of an adult male.

"Deep-sea creatures...... ......"

Deep-sea creatures can be found so close to the surface of the ocean. This made Zheng Zhuo feel uneasy.

……

This time, the information brought back by the [Unknown] was greatly reduced compared to before the first landing. But it still scanned the second island. Based on the data sent back, the main console restored the coastal conditions of a small number of islands.

"The island is long and narrow, with sandy beaches on both sides. The eastern side of the island is relatively high, with raised rocky low hills, and the western side is slightly lower and densely forested. ”

The first mate announced the results of a combination of computer simulations and satellite signal simulations. As it stands, the current environment around the second island is much better than the first. Research vessels can easily dock near the target site.

As a result, the captain increased the number of knots. The crowd will arrive at their destination in two days.

“（…… Two days later. ）”

Zheng Zhuo held the canned corn soup and left the restaurant. He walked out of deck, the salty sea breeze lapping in his face.

It felt even better than being in the cabin. In the cabin, the smell of dead fish is getting stronger day by day. Now, it's hard to ignore.

“（…… But...... Neither the crew nor the students were in a state of great distress...... ）”

Except that they have become silent, they are not much different from before. Zheng Zhuo even doubted his judgment for a while: Could it be that those crew members were really just infected with the skin disease on the monster's body, rather than suffering a greater transformation?

No.

Zheng Zhuo shook his head to keep himself awake.

【Identification】No species were identified. That's the biggest question –

When.

The railing next to him made a noise. Zheng Zhuo turned his head to look and found that Chu Huairen had also left the cabin and walked next to him.

He was wrapped in a tight coat, and his figure looked thinner and paler than the previous days.

"Zheng Zhuo."

He asked.

"Do you have nightmares at night?"

“…… No. ”

"That's right."

Chu Huairen smiled.

"For the past two days, I've been dreaming about strange things. I dreamed that I was diving into the deep sea, and in a deep, deep place, there were temples, statues, ......"

"There's something at the foot of that statue. I just felt like I had to get there. ”

“……”

Chu Huairen began to dream about those things. Zheng Zhuo was silent.

Those things that were brought out of the professor's bag were necessary. But at the same time, they are also influencing Chu Huairen. Zheng Zhuo thought.

He didn't know if the transformation was good or bad.

The more Chu Huairen accepts this hint, the easier it will be to bring him to the location of the personality card in the future. From that point of view, it's a good thing to keep him on the cues.

But at the same time, Zheng Zhuo didn't know if this mental influence would cause other adverse effects on Chu Huairen. For example, become like Professor Lin Wen.

(However, Professor Lin Wen did not make too much of an exaggerated change for the time being...... No, what if it's a sudden shift at some point in the future? ）”

It's hard to say. Zheng Zhuo thought about it and opened the [Subconscious Voting].

……

【Question】

[Teammates begin to be affected by artifacts.] What measures are to be taken? 】

[Option 1]

[Do not do anything.] Maintain the status quo and wait and see what happens.

[Option 2]

[Change the storage location.] Let him hide those artifacts somewhere else]

[Option 3]

[Change the storage location.] Hide those artifacts under your own (Zheng Zhuo's) bed]

[Option 4]

[Minimize the amount of time you spend in your bedroom.] Let him often stay overnight in the ship's infirmary on the grounds that he is unwell]