First Survey

The addition of the eccentric scholar Alistair acted like a potent catalyst, instantly shifting the investigation led by Lin Jie and William into the fast lane.

This "living encyclopedia," who had dedicated the better part of his life to the study of Loch Ness, not only provided them with the most exhaustive theoretical support but also tackled all local logistical challenges with immense enthusiasm.

Under the scholar's recommendation, they successfully rented a sturdy yet low-profile steam-powered fishing boat from a trustworthy old fisherman.

Although the boat had been modified and was not particularly fast, it boasted excellent endurance and featured a small, manually operated crane at the stern, which would prove incredibly convenient for any potential underwater sample collection.

At dawn the next day, while the morning mist still draped over the black waters of Loch Ness like a sheer veil, the small boat carrying its secret mission slowly pulled away from the harbor, its steam engine emitting a low rumble as it quietly headed toward the coastal waters of Urquhart Bay, where sightings were said to be most frequent.

The veteran William took charge of piloting the vessel without a second thought.

His hands, calloused from years of gripping firearms, proved just as steady and reliable when operating the helm and the steam engine valves.

The scholar, meanwhile, acted like an excited inventor who had finally secured funding, moving his prized equipment out of their crates one by one.

Lin Jie stood at the bow, facing the cold, damp lake breeze, and gazed out at the expanse of unknown water before him.

With the corroboration of the scholar's historical data, he no longer felt a shred of fear looking into the heart of the lake, only awe and a curious sense of anticipation.

"Here we go, gentlemen! This is the greatest masterpiece of my last twenty years!"

Alistair's voice was filled with irrepressible excitement.

He struggled to push a bizarre contraption that looked like an inverted copper bell or some sort of early diving helmet toward the gunwale.

The main body of the device was cast from brass, with a thick layer of rubber waterproofing sealed around the bottom edge.

Two long, hollow tubes wrapped in rubber extended from the top; one connected to a brass headset resembling a stethoscope, while the other was attached to a hand-cranked air pump designed to force air into the bell to maintain pressure equilibrium.

"I call it the 'Ear of the Lake'."

The scholar introduced it with pride, "The principle is actually quite simple: it utilizes the physical property that sound travels faster in water than it does in air."

"As long as we submerge this collector deep enough, we may be able to hear those... sounds from the abyss."

Lin Jie looked at this "crude black technology," a product of 19th-century makeshift engineering, and couldn't help but feel a sense of reverence for the persistent scholar.

This was the most advanced underwater listening device that could be produced by the wisdom of the Surface World in this era.

Though it was cumbersome and inefficient, it represented the most precious curiosity and courage of humanity as it attempted to explore the unknown with its own ingenuity.

"A truly remarkable invention."

Lin Jie praised him sincerely.

Having received validation, the scholar became even more motivated.

With their combined efforts, they used the crane at the stern to lower the heavy Ear of the Lake into the bottomless, black-green waters of Loch Ness.

As the cable was continuously fed out, the collector sank deeper and deeper.

Ten meters, twenty meters, fifty meters... when the markings on the cable indicated a depth of eighty meters, Alistair finally signaled for William to stop.

"This depth is just right."

He explained, "It avoids the noise interference from surface vessels while preventing the water pressure from damaging my fragile collector."

"Now..."

He picked up the brass headset and placed it over his ears with a look of devotion.

William shut down the steam engine, and the entire boat fell into a state of absolute, deathly silence on the vast surface of the lake.

Time ticked by, second by second.

A look of intense focus and pain appeared on Alistair's face.

He was battling the immense underwater noise, frowning and shaking his head from time to time as if trying to discern something.

"...Too much static."

He muttered to himself, "The sound of water rushing against rocks... the sound of fish schools swimming by... I think I even heard the dull friction of the lakebed sediment shifting... no... none of these are it..."

William and Lin Jie held their breath, not daring to make a sound that might disturb him.

They knew that for this old man who had poured his entire life into this pursuit, this was not just a simple survey, but a pilgrimage he had been chasing for a lifetime.

However, after more than ten minutes had passed, a look of undisguised disappointment gradually surfaced on the scholar's face.

He finally took off the headset, looking dejected.

"It's no use."

He shook his head, his voice heavy with exhaustion and frustration, "The sounds at the bottom of the lake are too complex."

"This 'ear' of mine is still too dull."

"It can hear the sounds, but it cannot, like a true master, distinguish the unique 'movement' we are looking for from this noisy symphony."

Seeing the old scholar, who had been so radiant just moments ago, now drooping like a defeated rooster, Lin Jie felt a slight stir in his heart.

"Perhaps..." Lin Jie said slowly, "we could try a different way of 'listening'."

Both the scholar and William looked at him with puzzled expressions.

"Sound travels faster through solids than it does through liquids."

Lin Jie looked at the metal cable connected to the Ear of the Lake, pulled taut as a wire, and a bold idea began to take shape in his mind.

"If," Lin Jie continued to elaborate on his theory, "the massive creature at the bottom of the lake is itself emitting a kind of... 'pulse' that we cannot hear but which definitely exists."

"Then is it possible that this pulse is not only conducted through the lake water, but also through the rock strata at the bottom, through these solids in direct contact with it, and transmitted up in a much more efficient way?"

"You mean..."

Alistair looked somewhat confused.

Lin Jie looked at the dark gray metal cable, the end of which was connected to the bronze bell sleeping in the eighty-meter abyss.

"I have a special ability, and I want to see if I can use this cable, this solid bridge connecting us to the rock layers in the lake, to touch the heartbeat of that guardian deity."

This idea was full of imagination and equally full of unknown risks.

To actively reach out and touch an ancient UMA of unknown power level was no different than sticking one's finger into a massive, rotating gear.

"That's too dangerous!"

William immediately voiced his opposition, "We know nothing about its power."

"If you do this and happen to provoke it, or if your mind is eroded by its vast will in return, the consequences would be unimaginable!"

"I understand the risks."

Lin Jie looked at William with firm, confident eyes, "But I also believe that the old fisherman Ian and those ancient legends are not lying."

"As long as we do not harbor malice, it will not actively attack us."

"Besides..." He patted the Heart of Serenity revolver at his waist, "I have this to guard my mind at the critical moment."

"Sergeant William, please trust my judgment."

"This is our fastest and perhaps only way to 'contact' it."

Looking at Lin Jie's unquestionable gaze, William ultimately chose silence.

He knew that once this young man had made a decision, it could never be shaken.

He could only tighten his grip on his rifle and prepare for the worst-case scenario.

Lin Jie took a deep breath.

He walked to the ship's rail and took off his gloves.

Then, he pressed his right palm firmly against the metal cable, which was vibrating slightly from the tension.

He closed his eyes and poured all of his focus down his arm and into this "probe" leading to the abyss.

Touch of Afterimage activated at full power!