Chapter 1

For hundreds of years after the people of Stone City settled on the island, humans and the island lived in harmony, reaching a state of balance. Although the island's population continued to increase, the abundant marine resources ensured that the people of Stone City never had to worry about food and drink.

One day, hundreds of years later, a fiery meteor streaked across the night sky and fell from the horizon. The meteorite landed squarely on the island where Stone City was located, instantly causing a violent explosion and strong tremors. The meteorite impact destroyed nearly half of the island, and more than half of Stone City's population died in the disaster.

The city lord of Stone City initially believed that the meteorite that caused the disaster was an ominous sign, and ordered slaves to surround it with huge stones.

But as time went on, after the meteorite fell on the island, everything on and around the island began to change.

Originally, in the cold winter season, the island was cold and humid, and many people froze to death every year. After the meteorite fell on the island, the temperature on the island became unusually warm every winter. Not only that, but many marine animals also gathered in large numbers near the island due to the comfortable temperature, so Stone City had a great harvest every winter.

At night, the meteorite would emit a bright fluorescent light, like a star plucked from the sky, so the people of Stone City no longer had to worry about nighttime lighting.

The island's small animals also began to reproduce in large numbers due to the temperature change, green vegetation slowly grew back, vitality recovered, and a wonderful scene emerged.

Although the meteorite brought better conditions for the people of Stone City to live and thrive, the ruling class was particularly wary of this meteorite.

Because they were the privileged class who enjoyed the best food and were not afraid of heat in summer or cold in winter. The meteorite had little impact on them, but a far-reaching impact on the lower classes.

As the lives of the people of Stone City improved, the ruling power would be severely weakened. Therefore, the rulers ordered the meteorite to be buried deep underground and sealed with huge stones. Although the people were extremely unwilling, they had to yield to the rulers' tough measures.

After the meteorite was buried underground, its impact on Stone City gradually weakened. The temperature in winter began to decrease to some extent, and the schools of fish gathered around the island gradually decreased.

One day, the entire island suddenly shook violently, experiencing an extremely strong earthquake of unknown cause.

This was greatly related to the buried meteorite.

Then the island began to slowly sink, and when it sank below sea level, the sea water did not invade the island, as if the island was covered by a protective shield.

Since then, the island has been sinking in the sea. The people of Stone City could not see the sky when they looked up, but could only see the bottomless ocean. From then on, people could no longer see the sun and moon rising from the sea, and could only rely on the shimmering dust gradually emitted from the ground to see things around them clearly.

…

They were trapped in the ocean.

The enclosed island became a self-circulating ecosystem. After a period of panic and maladjustment, the people of Stone City found that they could still make a living by fishing. Apart from living in the sea and being completely isolated from the world, there was almost no difference from their previous lives.

People gradually began to adapt to living underwater.

However, the strange phenomena that slowly appeared caused some kind of change in the entire island…

For hundreds of years after the meteorite was buried underground, the rodents and pythons that were active underground were deeply affected. Initially, the inside of the meteorite was the most active, continuously emitting high-intensity radiation. A python followed this warm aura and crawled near the meteorite. Under the influence of the meteorite, it began to shed its skin and grow wildly.

The people on the ground naturally did not notice these changes underground. Until one day, when the underground rodents could no longer satisfy the giant python's appetite, the giant python broke out of the ground and began to hunt humans for food.

The giant python would not distinguish between nobles and commoners. Whoever it caught, it would swallow in one gulp. The ruling class never imagined that such a monster was growing underground.

In order to protect themselves, the ruling class mobilized people to resist the giant python, but no matter what resistance methods were used, it was to no avail. The giant python only showed retreating and war-weary emotions after it was full.

As its appetite increased, the giant python's size became larger and larger, and it shed its skin more and more frequently.

At this time, someone came up with an idea. He suggested that the city lord drive a large number of slaves into the pyramid to lure the giant python into the pyramid with "living people", and then lock the giant python inside.

The giant python was indeed fooled. After being attracted into the pyramid, it feasted inside the pyramid. Food was continuously delivered to its door, and it did not need to go out hunting.

The giant python soon began to grow and shed its skin. When it shed its skin, it would enter a state of stillness. Taking advantage of this time, the city lord ordered the entrance and exit of the pyramid to be sealed.

After shedding its skin, the giant python rampaged wildly in the pyramid, and the impact sound was very violent, as if it could break through the stone at any time.

Seeing this, the ruling class felt deep concern, so they came up with another idea. They sent people to dig a tunnel underground leading to the pyramid, and then opened up a connection with the inside of the pyramid. After that, Stone City sent living people into the pyramid every day through this tunnel to feed the giant python…

After the giant python was full, it stopped rampaging.

The pyramid, which served as a mausoleum, was thus occupied by the giant python. The bodies of successive city lords could only be simply placed in stone coffins and placed behind the stone hall. Due to the changing environment, Stone City was no longer able to build a second pyramid.

The giant python seemed to have reached some kind of agreement with humans. When the food supply was sufficient, the giant python was surprisingly quiet. When the food was insufficient, the giant python began to rampage everywhere to show its anger.

The ruling class believed that they had subdued the giant python and locked it in the pyramid, and they even built a giant statue specifically for this "great achievement".

As time went on, the giant python's appetite became larger and larger. In the past, the giant python had to hibernate for more than 100 days every year. Apart from these 100 days, Stone City sent one person in every other day. Stone City only needed to supply more than 100 people a year.

The giant python did not know through what means, but it also bred many small pythons. Although they were all inside the pyramid and did not come out, Stone City had to feed living people to maintain temporary "peace".

The snakes' appetite gradually increased, and the demand gradually became two to three people a day. The hibernation time of the giant python also began to shorten, and Stone City had to supply five to six hundred people a year.

In order to satisfy the giant python's appetite, Stone City began to order everyone to keep giving birth. Later, even the upper class had to be fed to the python in this absurd act.

Extensive reproduction and childbirth inevitably required continuous acquisition of resources, and the fish near the island were quickly caught.

Lacking food, people had to go into the water to fish in farther places. In this process, people discovered the inverted vortex.