The Righteous Player(s)

Chapter 463: Light Ants & the Deep Submerged Layer

Some words were comforting to hear.

Especially for those who had experienced “Nightmare: Gallery” and after seeing the tragedy of Amos, they would have a deeper sentiment for Nigel’s story.

They were also painters and felt the limit of their talents. Nigel’s talents were even far inferior to Amos’. But, in the end, the two embarked on entirely different paths and ushered in different endings.

“I see…” Annan nodded and sighed softly.

He finally knew where that strange feeling came from.

The way Nigel looked at him…or rather, the way he saw the Paper Princess through him gave off a familiar feeling to Annan. It was only now that he finally remembered how Kafni looked at him when they first met each other.

“You’re an amazing person, Nigel.” Annan exclaimed, “You have indeed lived up to the title of a master.”

“That’s still too early.” Nigel shook his head.

Although he had already dedicated all his wealth to the Paper Princess, there was no regret in his eyes.

There was only reason and clarity in his eyes, like a beacon.

“I’m only in my 50’s, and my journey around the world is just starting. Now I want to live the way of the Paper Princess and pass on that love, kindness, and hope.

“But I don’t rule out the possibility that this idea may change. After traveling to a particular city or area, I may fall in love there. Then, my journey will end here, and I will choose a quiet and comfortable life.

“These are all possible situations, and I won’t refute them; people can change, and I admit it. But, I won’t repeat it, having the ideal to constrain and solidify my life until enthusiasm fades and only numbness remains.

“I wouldn’t want to repeat that because that’s my ideal and not my life. I’m prioritizing my life before my goals. I might have been confused about it back then, but now I have seen it clearly.”

“But as long as I remember how I feel, I will remember the hope the Paper Princess gave me. So I’ll keep going like this.

The middle-aged painter scratched his fluffy and somewhat messy hair and said with a smile.

He was not resolved and not hot-blooded. It could be because he was a little shy and he spoke softer. It was not resonant and inspired.

However, it was convincing.

Nigel scratched his head again. He turned his eyes away, stared at the table again, and his voice became much quieter, “Why did I say this…? I’m sorry, Your Excellency Annan.”

He was not that shy.

But looking at Annan’s almost identical appearance to the Paper Princess, he felt the same embarrassment as telling the daughter the story of chasing the mother.

Even though Annan was not directly involved, Annan was close to the Paper Princess. On the one hand, it would make Nigel more willing to reveal the hidden story; on the other hand, Nigel felt more embarrassed by it.

“It’s fine. I’ve learned a lot from you too.” Annan smiled gently and comforted softly, “Thank you very much, Your Excellency Nigel.”

It was not pleasantries, but Annan sincerely thought so.

As the chat ensued, the underground subway train had entered the deep submerged layer. The windows and doors were sealed entirely.

So far, no new passengers had come in. There were still five of them, and it seemed empty.

They had almost crossed the sea. If the depth was only tens of meters underground, it was impossible to cross the border.

If the slope were too steep, there would be higher requirements for the power of the engine.

Therefore, the method adopted by the Underground Federation was a downward spiral.

The passengers would enter on the top floor, which was the subway floor. Then, they would follow the downward slope and rotate an arc of about 120 to 180 degrees to descend further. After passing through the urban, plantation, and exploration layers, they would reach the deepest layer—the deep submerged layer.

The deep submerged layer was uninhabited and could not be reached through deep wells, and even the specific “route” was kept secret from other underground city dwellers. Therefore, the speed of the subway train could be directly increased to the maximum without carrying passengers or stopping in the middle.

The air here was also poisonous to ordinary people. Therefore, it was necessary to activate the isolation barrier and completely seal the train carriage when entering the deep submerged layer. It also further increased the speed without worrying about the door being overturned by the influx of air from the outside.

“Although I have seen it once.” Lin Yiyi looked out the window and murmured in a low voice, “It’s still beautiful…”

Although the train was deep underground, there was still light here.

It certainly was not sunlight or artificial light.

It was a unique creature that the underground world depended on for survival: the “Light Ants” created by the Mysterious Lady.

Light ants were similar in size to ordinary ants. They feed on feces and dirt in their juveniles. After eating a small amount of waste or a lot of dirt, they would stop eating and emit a permanent glow. The light ants that only ate feces would emit pure white light. On the other hand, the color would vary depending on the soil they eat.

After the light ants died and rotted, they would turn into sticky colloids. When the light ants and the corpses of the light ants were gathered together, they would become a solid gem called “light ant stone”, which could emit a faint glow at night.

As the light ants with various colors condensed into minerals, the light ant stones would also form beautiful light spots of different colors. The stones were one of the materials of the Edict magic. The Idol Wizards usually desired the light ant, which was also one of the important exports of the underground world.

In fact, the primary light source of the Underground Federation was light ants.

In the urban and deep submerged layers, the light ants attached to the wall had formed a good cycle. If the eggs of the light ants were laid on the higher section of the crystal wall, they would starve to death. Only the light ants that hatched closer to the soil got to eat.

After devouring the soil the same volume as their size, the shimmering light ants and the crystal shell formed by their fathers and grandparents formed a colorful light veil.

This light was not intense… To use an analogy, it was the brightness of a mobile phone screen during the day. However, that was enough. After all, the underground people had a low-light vision. It was already fairly bright for them. If necessary, there would be another Green Fire or something else in the room as a light source for close-up inspection.

In the plantation layer, immense light was needed to promote the growth of crops. Farmers would use something like a bricklayer’s trowel to shovel out the eggs of light ants and then throw them into the dung to bury them. It would create “light ants” with strong light. After sifting them out, the farmers would smear them on the clay again to produce a vital light source that could last for three months. It was just like spreading caviar.

The exploration layer was the largest area. It was larger than the other three layers combined. This was territory belonging to the “Digger Council”.

They had multiple goals that expanded further than the exploration for more ores. They would also drill holes in the ground, excavate the remains of ancient creatures, and explore areas conducive to living, making driveways, or growing crops. For them, lanterns made of Green Fire were more convenient than light ants.

In the deepest submerged layer, the driveway was not so high. The same light would be dazzling.

It was like walking through a time travel tunnel — the fast train speed and colorful hemispherical crystal tunnel made everything look extraordinarily dreamy.

It did not take long.

The group had rushed to the bottom of the sea.