Chapter 818 - 367: Underwater World

Chapter 818: Chapter 367: Underwater World

His figure had already turned into a small yellow dot near the distant coral reef, leaving the deck entirely as Lin Yu’an and Riven’s world of two.

Only the two of them and the live broadcast lens remained, with an air that lacked the restraint of having elders present, and gained a touch of solitude’s relaxation and... ambiguity.

"Alright," Riven cleared her throat, regaining the authority of a coach, "Put it on and get ready to welcome your first ’undersea excursion’."

Lin Yu’an and Riven got dressed in all the diving gear, with the gas tanks and weight belts weighing tens of kilograms pressing on them, making movement on land somewhat cumbersome.

The two of them performed the final "buddy checks" on each other, meticulously reviewing each step from the inflate-deflate valves of the BCD, to the security of the weight belt, and ensuring the tank valve was fully open.

"Your pressure, 210 Bar, full tank. Same with mine." Riven confirmed, and the two sat on the spacious swim platform at the stern of the ship, putting on their masks.

"Ready?" Riven did a last check of Lin Yu’an’s regulator and position of the backup air source.

"Remember, the first time underwater, there might be some discomfort."

"The most important thing is to relax, and never hold your breath. Breathe steadily and slowly, just like doing yoga meditation."

"Got it." Lin Yu’an nodded, biting onto the regulator mouthpiece.

"Great. We’ll use the ’back-roll’ entry method." Riven demonstrated.

"One hand holds the mask and regulator, preventing them from being knocked off by the water’s impact. The other hand supports the weight belt at the back of your head to prevent the tank from hitting your head."

"Then, lean back, and completely surrender yourself to the ocean."

After saying this, she gracefully fell back like a mermaid, with a "plop" sound, disappearing into the turquoise sea amidst a burst of white bubbles.

Lin Yu’an took a deep breath and imitated her actions, leaning backward.

In an instant, the world spun around! The icy water enveloped his body, and the world before his eyes transformed from glaring sunlight into a boiling mass of blue-green bubbles.

All sounds in his ears vanished, replaced by a magical hum, like the sound after water is filtered in a bathtub.

He instinctively inhaled a breath.

"Hiss—boom—"

A dry breath of air with a faint rubber scent filled his lungs, accompanied by the clear, rhythmic sound of the air valves.

He heard his breathing for the first time, amplified to infinity, like the heartbeat of life, as if the whole universe consisted only of this inhalation and exhalation.

As the bubbles dissipated, a whole new world slowly unfolded before his eyes.

The world above the surface turned into a swaying, silver-glittering giant ceiling, with Polaris’ white hull suspended above like a serene airborne island.

Riven’s figure was not far in front of him, like an astronaut drifting in zero gravity, each movement appearing slow and graceful.

Her fins lightly floated like anemone tentacles, as sunlight filtered through the surface, casting dappling shadows, like stage spotlights, upon her body.

She made an "OK" gesture to him, her gaze behind the mask filled with a smile and encouragement.

Lin Yu’an raised his hand, clumsily returning the gesture.

This wondrous weightlessness and the vast visual transformation made him, a man who had conquered countless rugged peaks, feel a surge of genuine novelty and excitement.

Riven swam over, signaling them to descend to the sandy bottom to start the first skill—mask clearing.

She first demonstrated completely, kneeling on the white sand, slightly lifting the upper edge of the mask, allowing the icy water to slowly fill the mask, leaving the view suddenly blurred.

Then, she slightly raised her head, exhaling a continuous, steady stream through her nose, while using her fingers to press the upper edge of the mask.

The water was easily and entirely expelled from below by the air, and visibility instantly returned to clarity.

Now it was Lin Yu’an’s turn; he followed the steps, letting the icy water fill the mask. His nasal cavity was instantly stimulated by the seawater, sending a strong choking sensation straight to his brain.

Enduring the discomfort, he began exhaling through his nose. But being tense for the first time, he exhaled too forcefully and shortly, only expelling half of the water, leaving his view still blurry.

Riven patiently in front of him, like an elegant mime actor, gestured an action to "breathe slowly, steadily, and gently."

Lin Yu’an nodded, clearing the water from the mask, and attempted a second time.

This time, he relaxed, precisely controlling the force and rhythm of his exhalation, using a single long breath to completely purge the mask of sea water.

Next was regulator retrieval, whether removing the second stage from his mouth, watching his lifeline drift away, then gracefully sweeping forward with his arm to retrieve it.

Or tilting his body and allowing the yellow backup second stage to naturally slide along the hose to his chest.

Lin Yu’an skillfully accomplished all these on the first try after Riven’s demonstration, the movements as standard as if he were already the lead in a countless practiced tutorial video.

"Alright, now is today’s most challenging, yet core skill—neutral buoyancy." Riven wrote on her dive slate, drawing a small figure suspended in water.

This is the cornerstone of all diving techniques, and the ultimate standard to distinguish novices from veterans.

Riven began teaching him how to coarsely adjust through the inflate-deflate valve on the BCD’s left shoulder and fine-tune using the rise and fall of his lungs through his breathing.