[Player ID "Fish Abyss Shelter" detected. Highest management access to the Civilization Ruins confirmed. Entry requirements for the Deep Sleep Abode met.]
As the notification appeared,
the tallest structure in the Morpheus Civilization Ruins, a tower fashioned from unidentified shells, carapaces, and bones like a work of art,
finally welcomed its first visitor after an unknown length of time.
A blue energy grid surfaced over the Tower, then quickly receded.
Yu Yuan stepped forward and placed his hand on the gleaming oval door pieced together from countless shells.
Patterns slowly flowed across the translucent, pale gold door, brightening and dimming as though it were breathing.
With a click, the door slowly opened.
It revealed a circular hall beyond.
It was not filled with flesh and tissue as he had imagined.
The floor of the First-Floor Hall was paved with some kind of finely textured stone. It yielded slightly underfoot, like a thick cashmere carpet.
Faint ripples spread across the floor with each footstep.
The wall tiles were smooth as mirrors and gave off a gentle, milky glow, bright enough to illuminate every corner of the hall without hurting the eyes.
Yu Yuan looked up and saw a translucent dome.
Light from the second floor filtered through it, illuminating the statue at the center of the First-Floor Hall: a man wearing a monocle and holding a thick leather-bound book.
Words were engraved beneath the statue.
—The greatest pioneer of biological civilization, [Mortarion].
But beneath that inscription was another line of tiny, neatly written text.
—Hmph, the most shameless founder, more like! o(︶︿︶)o
The writer of the second line was clearly a woman.
Catching a whiff of gossip, Yu Yuan immediately inspected the statue from every angle, but found no third message.
"Tch, that's it?" Disappointment crossed Yu Yuan's face.