Treasure hunting in endless ocean

Transfer

It was a beautiful day. 

A nice sunny day is like a god’s gift when on the sea. 

Evergreen high’s students couldn’t agree more. 

Given the miserly nature of their school, it is amazing they arranged for the graduation ball to happen on a cruise.. 

Even more of a surprise is that they made it a two day school trip that included even freshmen and family. 

Neil Patrick Harrison was probably the only person who resented the school’s choice, given that he has no family. 

Thus, he swam away from everyone and their oh so perfect families on his beloved paddle board. 

The sky is blue. 

The water is clear. 

The fish are playful. 

The wind is gentle. 

The sunshine is warm. 

“Ah! I wish I could stay like this forever!” he said as he looked out at the beautiful horizon. 

TadadadaDA!

Sursursursursursursursur … !

That rustling sound! It’s not from the wind, Neil realized after a moment. 

Something tall and blue, like a water wall, started rising in the distance. 

The next moment, the scene around is pandemonium. 

There were blaring horns, the cruise ship started moving at its highest speed, adjusting it’s corners. 

People jumped from the cruise into water, started swimming towards the shore.. 

It is after a long moment Neil understood what’s happening. 

It’s a Tsunami. 

A real, honest to goodness TSUNAMI!!!!

Ideally, at this time, any person should start paddingling away from the wall of water in panic. 

However, that’s not what Neil has done. 

He simply sat on his paddle board with extended legs. 

He fastened the belts around his neck and waist, leaving only his hands and arms free. 

Then, he put on the water goggles, blocked his ears with ear wax, and made sure his snorkeling gear was fastened and tightened correctly. 

Then, he sat down peacefully, waiting for the tsunami to hit. 

Afterall, this entire motion took only ten seconds. 

The rumbling sound increased to a crescendo, then it’s all pin drop silence. 

The next moment, he felt a weightless ness as his paddle board was lifted up against the water wall. 

If he turned his head, he could see a shark swimming. 

Literally, if he reaches his hand and pokes, he could take away the eye of a shark. 

Neil just kept staring at the shark, while the shark kept staring at him. 

Only, the next moment a ripple of water formed in the water wall, as the tsunami lifted up the cruise, and that bulge of water dragged Neil away with it. 

Unlike the wall of water, the ripple on the water couldn’t support Neil’s weight, thus, his paddle board sank.  The next moment, Neil’s vision was filled with blue. He could tell very clearly he is under water. 

However, the expected struggle for breath did not come. 

Instead, a raucous mechanical voice rang in his ears. 

[ Neil patrick harrison terminated early ] 

[ Neil patrick harrison eligible for another world migration ] 

[ Transferring subject to departure point.] 

[ Subject Neil patrick harrison, ID number : 1011 transferred to departure point successfully.]

[ 1011 : transfer status 100  %, Success ] 

Neil looked around at where he was. Most of his classmates and their families are nearby. 

They are looking at each other. 

Neil had colleagues, not friends. 

It’s not that he is bullied, isolated or other dark causes. 

He transferred over here for the final year. His parents died in a car accident and heart attack, respectively, he only had a final year to go before he became an adult. 

Instead of going to his uncle, or otherwise, Neil enrolled himself in foster care. 

He did have some inheritance to be received over from his parents, but it’s not much. 

Their house was requisitioned to the bank. Thankfully, his parents did not have debts, there are their insurance pay outs and the meagre college/emergency fund they were saving. 

Thus, he did not have any great future to look forward to, nor did he have any great attachments to the world he left behind. 

On the contrary, he is an avid fan of otherworlds. 

He could only wish he would go to a world of magic and swords, and rise from ashes to become a phoenix. 

He has that kind of capability, Neil knows. 

He only hoped there’s enough land in there for him to conquer. 

[ all subjects transferred to the departure point ] 

[ departure commences. ] 

[ Subject Leigh starling departure successfully completed.] 

… 

….

…

The voices rang one by one. 

The people vanished one after another. 

There are some children and parents.

However, any child above six year old is left in the hall. 

“Hey !!! you bastard.. Take me first. Take me first!” one of the men shouted, when one of his children vanished. 

[ Warning! Expletive penalty applied] 

A rough voice sounded. The next moment, the man was stuck to the ceiling, still screaming, only in fright this time. 

The people in the hall vanished one after another. 

There seemed to be no particular order, Neil was almost becoming anxious. He is afraid only he will be left out of this particular otherworld transmigration. 

Damn! 

Don’t leave me behind! 

He cursed in his head. 

The next moment, the scenery around him changed. 

[ subject Neil patrick harrison ] 

[ well behaved bonus applied. ] 

[ A brief orientation about the world will be given to you.] 

[ From now on, you will be transferred to the world called endless ocean.] 

[ You will be provided with minimum tools required for survival for a day. ] 

[ You will be provided with one skill orb.] 

[ You must choose your skill within time.]

[ The time is the difference between the moment you died, and the moment you were supposed to die.] 

[ Id 1011 - given time is 1 second.] 

[ Subject 1011 was set to die by a shark bite, instead, he died of heart attack. ] 

[ Your time starts when you say ‘initiate departure’.] 

[ After ten minutes, you will be transferred automatically whether you initiated departure or not. ] 

[ your time begins now.] 

[ 10:00 ] 

[ 09:59 ] 

….

….

….

[ 05:45 ] 

…

Neil rushed to the skill orbs to check their names. 

Only, he realized he could not choose any powerful skills. 

The skills are organized in a G, F, E , D, C, B, A & S. 

There are more above S, indicating there’s S+ and SS and SSS also existed. 

However, those are not relevant to him at all. 

His best bet is being able to get a F system, and it is already considered a wonder, if he could reach it in one second. 

He is allowed to move the ladders, but not allowed to climb on one. 

Thus, he hurriedly moved the ladder to the water mage system. 

The system said many things, but the key point is - he will be given minimum tools to survive for a day. 

That means, he will be given something to use for floating. 

He probably will not be given food.. 

Or water. 

Thus, he will need something to create water. 

For nothing drains away water in the body like salt water, and in the ocean, the most important thing is to have fresh water. 

Only a water mage could have a fighting chance at creating some fresh water. 

Sure, he could get cucked if they transfer to an island with freshwater. However, this blubbering thing did not look that kind. 

‘Initiate departure.’ 

Neil said, and jumped over the ladder to reach the water mage orb. 

Only, the ladder moved at the last moment, thus his hand grabbed the orb next to it. 

Neil looked on in horror… 

He could feel the system is feeling malicious pleasure at his plight, but the orb is already breaking into light particles, indicating he is acquiring the skill. 

The next moment, he was in the ocean, lying on a driftwood. 

[ departure complete. ] 

[ departure completed successfully with error 324 ] 

[ host transferred in wrong posture.] 

[ downgrading the departure field to accommodate the wrong posture] 

[ Successfully applied correction for error 324 ]

[ subject 1011 - transfer complete.] 

[ Survive till the end - you may win the ultimate prize. ] 

Neil barely woke up as the set of voice commands finished. 

When he woke, he was lying face down on a driftwood. 

He did not even know what skill he had acquired. 

‘Status’ 

Nothing happened. 

‘Menu’ 

Nothing happened. 

‘Open status’ 

The wind whistled by. 

… 

.. .

‘New bie package’ 

‘Item box’ 

‘Inventory’ 

… 

… 

Neil got tired after ten minutes of trying everything. 

His levels of frustration rose as each and every word passed by without a result. 

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaahhhhhhhh” 

“You f***ing bastard!!!! It’s a f***ing other world! Give me a damn game interface ! “ Neil screamed into the sky.

[ Beeeeeeeep ] 

The area in front of Neil lit up. 

[ Subject’s frustration reached optimum level. ] 

[ The interface activates without a key word. ] 

[ Welcome bonus is used to activate the interface. ] 

Neil looked at the menu. 

It’s simple. 

_________________________________________

SURVIVE

_________________________________________

That’s it. 

No more, no less.