The instant his consciousness sank completely into the Virtual Universe, the light, temperature, and air around him all changed.
No longer was the solemn silence of the assessment hall beside his ears. In its place came the crash of waves, and a salty, damp sea breeze rushed against his face, carrying the fresh scent unique to the ocean.
Lu Yuan slowly opened his eyes. Beneath his feet was a fine, soft golden beach, the sand warm and yielding, comfortable to step on, leaving shallow footprints with every stride.
Beside the beach stood tall coconut trees, their emerald leaves swaying gently in the wind. Huge coconuts hung from the branches, and mottled shadows scattered across the ground, forming staggered patches of light.
In the distance, the azure sea joined the horizon, stretching as far as the eye could see. Waves piled layer upon layer, endlessly striking the shore and rolling up white spray. Droplets splashed up and landed on his ankles with a faintly cool touch. Sunlight spilled across the sea's surface, glittering in ripples, beautiful as a painted scroll.
Just as Lu Yuan was taking in his surroundings, a cold mechanical notification sounded clearly in his mind: Please enter the ocean, examinee, and complete the subsequent assessment challenge.
Lu Yuan froze with a start, his body stiffening in place, his eyes filled with confusion. Almost instinctively, he asked inwardly, Enter the ocean? You want me to go into the depths of the sea to complete the assessment?
It was not as if he had never experienced the deep sea before. Back then, in order to gain more Evolution Points, he had relied on Primal Energy and an oxygen conversion device to reach the bottom of the ocean. It was also on that deep-sea journey that he had met Shamirra...
But