I Contracted All Ancient Divine Artifacts

”When will this rain ever stop?”

An elderly, slow, and long voice sounded in Han Zhan’s ear, prompting him to instinctively look up towards the end of the wooden dock.

There, amidst the blurred rain and roaring waves, a small boat approached slowly.

It finally docked at the pier, rocking with the waves, as if it could overturn at any moment.

Next, a dark purple tentacle suddenly extended from the boat, slowly clinging to the dock, followed by a second, a third...

Until eight tentacles firmly tethered the boat like mooring ropes.

A bald, dark purple head appeared on the dock.

It was an octopus about the size of a human!

Aside from its bald dark purple head, its body was covered with many dark yellow patterns, resembling rotting wood.

Its eyes moved nimbly, with a faint green hue, gazing at Han Zhan and the others, repeating the previous words:

”When will this rain ever stop?”

”Is this... an NPC?” Li Lingzhen asked in a stunned tone.

Even Lingzhen noticed, so it wasn’t just my eyes having an illusion... Han Zhan thought as he slowly shifted his gaze from atop the dark purple octopus.

Because above its head floated a string of familiar symbols:

”Seafarer Fan Pique, Level 30.”

And these symbols were green, which in Han Zhan’s long-buried memory, seemed to represent friendliness?

Upon this discovery, like stirring up a hornet’s nest, one finding led to another.

”Ah Zhan, we can’t use our talent abilities, much like when we entered the Kunlun Twin Fruit World.” Shang Siteng said, trying to activate her Heaven’s Origin Talent to reshape the dock to be more spacious, but ultimately failed.

It wasn’t just her; other Contracted Spirit Girls experienced the same.

”We can summon a panel! Like a game UI!” As a seasoned otaku, Li Lingzhen not only wrote but also played many games.

After seeing the NPC and the familiar symbols, she tried summoning and surprisingly called forth her own ”panel.”

”Li Lingzhen: Level 85”

”Hunger Value: 80”

”Health Value: 100”

”Spiritual Value: 90”

”No mana bar, no health bar, it’s quite different from the imagined character panel.” Li Lingzhen said after checking her panel.

Upon hearing Li Lingzhen’s words, the others followed suit, summoning their own panels.

Their three values were similar, but there were differences in levels.

Among them, Han Zhan was Level 99, Jiang Lingling was Level 95, Nuannuan was Level 90, Feng Xiaozao was Level 100, while other Contracted Spirit Girls’ levels ranged from Level 80 to Level 90.

”The level should correspond to our respective realms. Lingling, Nuannuan, and I are Tier Nine Ultimates, so we’re above Level 90, while you’re Tier Eight, making the levels between 80 and 90.”

As for Feng Xiaozao... possessing a Divine Body, her being Level 100 is fitting.

”Could it be that we’ve entered a game world?”

The levels, character panels, three values, and neutral NPCs—all pointed to the same thing.

This is a virtual game world!

”That’s impossible. Water Planet is real, how could it be a virtual game world?” Han Zhan shook his head, dismissing the idea.

If not a virtual game world, then why has Water Planet transformed like this?

”Do you remember Shang Jianyue and his authority, the ’Sandbox Game’?” Han Zhan spoke.

”In the sandbox game, everyone must follow its rules to find the ultimate treasure.”

”And Shang Jianyue’s Virtual Dao can dataficate all rules, turning the world into virtual numbers and making the real world virtual.”

”Shang Jianyue once told me, this is the Virtual Dao he foresees, and this world we are in now aligns completely with his vision!”

At this, Han Zhan paused.

”I suspect, the great transformation of Water Planet described by Punk might be related to this virtual game world.”

”Or perhaps, the true cause of Water Planet’s transformation is the authority belonging to the path of Virtual Dao!”

Han Zhan’s hypothesis matched the current understanding, and the other Contracted Spirit Girls nodded slightly, showing agreement.

At that moment, the Seafarer Fan Pique, under the green symbol of friendliness and neutrality, spoke once again.

Maintaining the same even pace as before, he slowly said, ”When will this rain ever stop?”

As he said this, his gaze turned towards the endless rain curtain.

Within the dense black rain, mist and shifting phantoms seemed to form countless hands.

One by one, reaching out from the sea towards the sky.

In the blink of an eye, those scenes vanished, as if what they saw was just an illusion.

”Is there anything we could help you with?” Han Zhan stepped forward and asked.

This gesture seemed to complete an interaction with the NPC; Seafarer Fan Pique’s eight octopus tentacles began to dance excitedly.

”New adventurers, huh!”

”Welcome, welcome to Water Planet!”

”However, I’m sorry I can’t prepare a grand welcome ceremony for you, but as compensation, I can offer a suggestion for ’surviving on Water Planet.’”

”Besides, I’ll also grant you a substantial sum of funds.”

Upon these words, one of Seafarer Fan Pique’s octopus tentacles appeared in front of Han Zhan.

As it unrolled, ten silver shell-like Silver Coins fell into Han Zhan’s hand, shimmering with silver light and slick with wet, transparent mucus.

”This is the universal currency of Water Planet, Water Coins.”

”Come, adventurers from afar, I’ll use my boat to take you to Ilamut Port, where you’ll obtain the key to surviving on Water Planet—a ship!”

After saying this, Seafarer Fan Pique’s eight tentacles began dragging his body, slowly inching back to the swaying wooden boat.

Leaving Han Zhan and the others standing at the port.

”Ten Water Coins, it looks like this is our new player’s gift pack.”

”Don’t forget, there’s also a ship,” Li Lingzhen added.

Knowing it’s a virtual game world, her mind seemed to have become much more agile.

Surviving on Water Planet...?

Han Zhan repeated in his heart the words from Fan Pique that concerned him the most.

Rumble!

The gloomy sky was streaked by a deep purple lightning, like a menacing scar.