23: North Continent

“Status,” Ning Ruogong said, looking at the system, then requested the system to show his current status.

[Status

Name: Ning Ruogong

Energy: 5,238,658

Skills: Synchronized Thinking, Basic Mapping

]

“Alright, I have 5.2 million energy now. I can do this. Believe in yourself,” Ning Ruogong told himself, trying to pump himself up for what he was about to do.

Almost two months had passed since he regained consciousness again. He still planned to teleport somewhere, but it either required a smaller host or more energy. Since more energy was currently unobtainable, he could only hope to utilize any smaller fish he encountered.

But even so, it was almost impossible. Most of the fish he encountered were either too small to provide enough energy for teleportation or would be eaten by larger fish. There was only one way to teleport that he could think of.

He had to jump into one of the creatures eaten by the larger fish and then teleport to the nearest land. After that, he had to jump onto something else because marine creatures on land wouldn’t survive for long.

To always know where he was, he would occasionally ask the system for the distance to the nearest land. He tried to use the unlocked Basic Mapping to understand this information, but the system either told him he was close to land or that he was in the ocean.

Just like the other continents, it didn’t name this ocean for some reason.

“At least tell me which continent is closest,” he asked again, but the system remained silent. Suddenly, he saw light from above. “Is it starting to surface?” he wondered.

Suddenly, blood-red liquid appeared again. “Yes!” He started to get excited. “System. What’s the closest distance?” he asked.

<The closest distance is 1388 kilometers, at a depth of 581 meters, and it is moving>

“Alright, that should work,” he thought. Fish and other aquatic animals began to converse in the ocean at the red spot where the blood-red liquid surfaced.

Then, the fish started swimming, suddenly changing direction and swimming upwards at an incredible speed. As soon as it surfaced, it opened its mouth wide and swallowed all the creatures on the surface.

Ning Ruogong used all his strength to search for fish that were small enough not to require too much energy, but also large enough so that he wouldn’t lose energy if he got into a dangerous situation.

Suddenly, he saw a small fish. Although it was relatively small, its body was still quite large, about two meters long, which was just the right size for Ning Ruogong.

“System, use the Parasitic skill on the fish,” he commanded.

<The Parasitic skill will consume 100,000 energy. Are you sure?> “Yes. Just do it,” he said.

<Confirmed>

He had to act fast now. The familiar sensation of his body being torn from one object to another returned. When he realized he was inside another fish, he ordered, “Teleport to the nearest land.”

<Teleportation will cost you 4,348,000. Are you sure?> “Yes,” he said.

<Confirmed>

His left half began to heat up and glow. “Is this the effect of teleportation?” he wondered. Then, he saw something truly bright and something truly burning.

“What? It’s already done?” He was surprised. He didn’t feel anything happen, but he had already teleported. The sun shone brightly on everything around him. It was noon, and the sun was at its highest point, so it heated all the sand, making the left side of the fish very hot.

The fish began to flop around, as it was no longer in the water and started to die. However, Ning Ruogong didn’t care; his only concern was everything around him.

He looked at the ocean behind him and the clear blue water. He was definitely on a beach at least a dozen miles long. He moved his gaze from the ocean and saw a vibrant green forest.

“Am I back on the South Continent again?” he wondered. But then he looked at the trees again and asked in surprise, “Are those coconut trees?” There were no trees on the beaches of the South Continent, so it couldn’t be coconut trees.

“Hey, System. Which continent are we on?” he asked.