Chapter 330: Mermaid's Song
Xiao Ya was acting in self-defense. It was the other party who was bad, coming to bully Xiao Ya, which is why Xiao Ya threw her out. Don't be angry, okay?
Seeing me approach, the Little Mermaid quickly put away her Golden Trident, hiding it behind her back. With a flick of her hand, it disappeared. Sweat, could this Golden Trident be her Exclusive Weapon?
"Alright, I know everything. Xiao Ya is right. If that Dead Dog bullies you again in the future, just teach it a good lesson. I won't mind."
Seeing the Little Mermaid look at me with a flustered Gaze, I couldn't help but smile and gently poke her face. Then she held my finger, in the same posture as when she had just flung the Dead Dog away. But the Little Mermaid pressed her little face against it, and then gently kissed the fingertip, making one's heart itch. She was truly a lovable Little Guy.
That night, when everyone was sound asleep, the Little Mermaid jumped out of the Fish Tank, flicked her Tail, and came to the Window. She silently raised her Head and looked at the blood-colored red moon in the Sky, closing her golden Eyes. She clasped her hands together at her chest, assuming a praying posture. Her sea-blue Long Hair moved without Wind, gently fluttering up, emitting a faint Magic Grade Glow.
King Father, can you hear me? Xiao Ya has met a very, very good Human now. Xiao Ya is preparing to travel with him. Xiao Ya believes he will take good care of Xiao Ya, so King Father, please don't worry.
"Is that so? As long as you're happy, my Beloved Daughter!"
Under the moonlight shrouding the Twin Seas, a towering water column suddenly surged from the Calm sea surface, rising thousands of meters into the Sky. Then, a faint Sigh, yet filled with endless solemnity, emanated from within. Moments later, the sea surface returned to Calm.
Two days later. The Fleet set sail again. After bidding farewell to the Old Woodcutter and leaving him a considerable sum of Money, they embarked on their voyage once more. However, the Team had gained another member.
Speaking of which, why does this Team feel somewhat familiar? Just thinking about it brings to mind two versions of the story: Little Ghost - Monkey; Little Mermaid - Pheasant; Dead Dog - Dog. As for who I am, guess?
Second version: Little Ghost - still Monkey; Dead Dog - Fat Pig; Little Mermaid - Sandy the Moron. As for who I am, if you still can't guess after I've said this much, please go die.
Today was another good Weather day for setting sail. Hearing the enthusiastic shouts of the Sailors, I came to my own Room and let the Little Mermaid out. She didn't seem to like this narrow, stuffy Space, but it was alright. There was a Window in the Room, and when opened, it faced the Ocean, allowing the Little Mermaid to jump down and swim freely in the sea, so she wouldn't feel so stifled.
What, worried about the Little Mermaid getting lost? Don't worry, it's always the Ship that loses the Mermaid, never heard of a Mermaid losing the Ship.
Huh, where did the Dead Dog go? Oh. I remember now, it must have run to the Bow again for its "Facing the Ocean, Spring Flowers Bloom" Course, which it does at least twenty times a day. This Dead Dog has a whole bunch of bad habits, especially its stubborn nature of never admitting defeat. Fortunately, the Sailors had stayed on Kodorvis Island for a few days and were well-fed and rested, so there was no need to worry about the Dead Dog being caught and eaten by them.
Unknowingly, half a month had passed since leaving Kodorvis Island. During this half month, we passed by two other Midway Station Small Islands similar to Kodorvis Island, but there was nothing worth mentioning. We just stopped for a day or two to replenish Freshwater Supplies and let the Sailors Relax. If we were lucky, we could even acquire some Local Products and make a profit. I finally understood why Meshif didn't fill all his Cargo Ships. That guy is quite the penny-pincher.
During this time, perhaps due to the protection of the Protagonist's Halo, the Weather was sunny for half the Time. For the remaining half, accompanied by Light Rain, a strong Wind blew, and the entire sea surface began to churn, finally letting me witness the grim side of the Ocean. However, Meshif and the Sailors were quite Relaxed, calling it merely "Mother's strictness." Afterwards, it rained heavily for several days, but the Time happened to coincide with our Rest at the Midway Station, so we avoided it completely.
When leaving the third Midway Station, Meshif told me that the next leg would be a full month of sailing, with no further Rest stops on any Small Island. After a month, we would reach the Midway Station of Kurast Docks, and then after another half month, we would arrive at Kurast Docks. This meant that the voyage from Lut Gholein to Kurast would take at least two months. If we encountered a Storm in between and had to take shelter at a Midway Station for ten days to half a month, it would definitely take more than three months to arrive.
I learned from the Sailors that whether departing from Lut Gholein or Kurast, the first half month would involve passing through several Midway Stations. However, the middle section, a full month's voyage that we were about to embark on, would have no more Midway Stations for Rest. Therefore, this route was called the Death Zone by passing Ships. If a major Storm was encountered on this Shipping Route, unless one was already Approach the Destination or had just Depart and could still turn back, there was a ninety percent chance of a Robinson Crusoe scenario unfolding.
The first half month of the voyage was mostly Calm, but afterwards, the Sky gradually darkened. Several Wrinkles appeared on Meshif's forehead, but he told me that although it was a bit troublesome, this Weather was nothing. If we could reach the Midway Island on the other side before the Storm, that would naturally be for the best. If not, we might have to throw away some Cargo to ensure we could sail through the Storm. As he said this, his brow furrowed even deeper.
So, he wasn't worried about the Storm, but was distressed about his Cargo. I breathed a Sigh of relief and, uncharacteristically generous, patted his Shoulder – as long as we could arrive safely, I would compensate for the lost Cargo... Uh, one-third would be fine. Although I wasn't short on Money, it wasn't my fault after all, and full compensation was unrealistic for someone like me, the Rogue's Third Stingy.
Indeed, upon hearing me say this, the Wrinkles on Meshif's forehead immediately relaxed, and he started calculating in his mind – if this one-third compensation price was calculated based on the price sold in Kurast, then it wouldn't be a Loss. To be precise, there would still be a considerable profit.
The next day, the gloomy Sky began to drizzle Light Rain. The Ship moved up and down with the rolling Waves, like an elevator, causing my already healed seasickness to start acting up again. The Dead Dog wasn't much better, but it still insisted on running to the Bow every day to bark wildly at the Ocean. To be honest, I was starting to admire its stubbornness in never admitting defeat. This could no longer be described with words like stubbornness or pride; it was truly Abnormal.
The Sailors, however, were very Excited. They even stripped off their Clothes and took open-air baths on the Deck. At sea, Freshwater is an extremely precious Resource. Therefore, they hadn't bathed for a full half month since leaving the Midway Island. Amen, fortunately, I wasn't living with them.
Equally Excited as the Sailors was the Little Mermaid. They are the Overlord of the Ocean. The Elemental of the Weather had no Influence on them, as long as the Ocean's water wasn't dried up...
The Rain gradually grew heavier, and the Wind blew stronger. The Breaking Waves even splashed onto the Deck. Looking at the Dead Dog's Appearance now, I could fully understand how big the Wind and Waves outside were – a Giant Wave rolled in, and the entire Ship was lifted up with a "whoosh." The Dead Dog, already tormented to Death, was lifted along with it. After the Great Wave passed, the Ship plunged down again with a "whoosh," but the Dead Dog continued to rise due to inertia. Its Body, which had been clinging to the Ground, was eventually thrown about two meters into the Sky.
I finally couldn't resist and ran onto the Deck. As soon as I opened the hatch, raindrops, heavy as Stone and carried by the strong Wind, drenched my entire Body. In the blur, I saw Meshif. He was standing steadily at the front of the Ship, Command the busy Sailors.
"Lord, why did you come out?"
Seeing me, he was a bit surprised. In this Weather, if an inexperienced person accidentally fell into the sea, even an Adventurer would likely meet a grim fate.
"Meshif. Are you alright?"
I looked worriedly ahead. In our direction of advancement, the Sky was even darker, even dyeing the seawater Black. Red Lightning connected the Sky and the Ocean, looking like a Death Zone from afar.
"Lord, it's alright. We've seen this kind of scene many times. Look, we haven't even brought ourselves to throw away the Cargo yet," Meshif said humorously, his Expression very Calm, not faking it, which reassured me quite a bit.
"However..." He looked at the Death Black Zone ahead, sighed, and smiled.
"If we go further ahead, it seems we'll have to throw things away. It looks like Lord will have to bleed a little."
"It's alright. Whatever is thrown away, I will compensate half."
Meshif immediately beamed. I wondered if he would intentionally throw away all the Cargo if I said I'd compensate the full amount?
The Ship thus passed four days in the oppressive climate without major incident. That Death Black Zone seemed close, but it was actually still far from us. Meshif even optimistically predicted that by the time we approached, that pitch-Black sea area might already be Calm.
Wishes are beautiful, Reality is cruel. Three more days later, we finally stepped into that Death Sea Zone. This sea area was also exceptionally hospitable. Not long after entering, a Lightning bolt struck down, conveniently splitting the mast of our Ship. A Great Fire ignited, but was instantly blown out by the Storm. However, several Sailors busy below were not paying attention and were injured by the falling mast, which was a considerable Loss.
"Throw it! Throw it faster!"
Walking onto the Deck, Meshif, whom I hadn't seen for a day, seemed to have aged a lot. With each Wooden Box thrown down by the Sailors, splashing into the sea with a 'plop,' Meshif's facial Muscle twitched. Fortunately, he was also an experienced Old Captain. He clearly understood whether Cargo was more important or Life was more important. So, no matter how much it pained him, he still urged the Sailors to throw it away as quickly as possible, with a look of determination that he wouldn't stop until everything was gone.
"Captain Meshif, are you alright?"
The Wind was too strong, the Rain was roaring, Lightning flashed, and the gloomy Dark Clouds overhead seemed to press directly down on one's heart. Although it was broad daylight, it was pitch Black ahead. It was thanks to the fleeting white Lightning Glow that one could momentarily distinguish Figures. And the Sound I had just roared out was immediately swallowed by the Dark Storm.
"Haha, it's alright."
Another flash of Lightning illuminated the shadows of the Wrinkles on Meshif's forehead and face in sharp detail.
"All the masts have been chopped down." He pointed to the opposite side. Under the illumination of the Lightning Glow, I saw three bare masts Wail alone in the Storm.
"Two-thirds of the Cargo has also been thrown away. From now on, we can only listen to heaven and report."
A huge Black Breaking Wave rolled over, the seawater reaching up to my knees before gradually receding. It did, however, sweep away quite a bit of the Cargo placed on the deck ready to be thrown, helping us out considerably.
"Captain, the cabin is leaking!" A Sailor who ran up from below deck reported to Meshif, Wheezing.
"Quick, take a few Brothers and plug the leak!" Meshif urgently ordered. This was no small matter.
"Is there anything I can help with?"
"Lord, just do as you see fit. I can't worry about that much right now." Meshif wiped the Rainwater from his face and returned to the front lines of the struggle. It seemed he couldn't attend to me for the moment.
"John—"
A startled Shout came, and I quickly looked in the direction of the Sound. I saw the Figure of a Sailor carrying a Wooden Box instantly swallowed by a Black Breaking Wave. After the Great Wave, the Sailor's Figure had vanished without a trace.
"Hmph—"
The moment I saw the Sailor, the Adventurer's Crisis sense made me subconsciously lock onto his Aura. I quickly switched to the Divine Language Staff in my hand and cast Telekinesis on the Target. A few seconds later, those Sailors who had been in Despair found that their Companion seemed to be grabbed by an invisible Large Hand and was miraculously lifted out of the turbulent Ocean, falling onto the Deck. A quick-witted Sailor immediately rushed over, desperately compressing the chest of the unconscious John. Mouthfuls of seawater spilled from his mouth. Under the Sailor's Proficiency Healing, after a short while, the Sailor named John woke up. He looked around blankly, then suddenly shouted and yelled with wild joy. The ecstasy of surviving Death was fully displayed on his Body.
John was indeed quick-witted. He quickly recovered and immediately looked at me with a grateful Gaze. On the entire Ship, if there was anyone who could save him, it was undoubtedly me. However, now was not the Time for gratitude. After catching his breath, he rejoined the busy Sailors.
While paying attention to the surrounding Sailors, I thought about what I could do to help. Right, the Biggest Problem now was the constantly crashing Giant Waves. If only I could solve those Giant Waves. The question was how. With my Strength, I could indeed break the Giant Waves rushing towards me, but this was only temporary. The Giant Waves came one after another, but my Strength was limited.
Right, how about trying to Freeze a large area of the sea? My Eyes lit up. I had already reached the Bow. Coming towards me was a Black Giant Wave, over ten meters high, crashing down directly on my Head.
Polar Storm.
I lightly shouted, and a large amount of Frozen Frost orbs instantly sprayed from my hand. As I continuously moved my hand, these orbs struck the Black Giant Wave in a fan shape. Upon contact with the Giant Wave, a stiff freezing sound was emitted, quickly Freezing the surrounding ten-meter area of water into Ice. Under my utmost Supervision, in just three or four seconds, dozens of Frozen Frost orbs created a Giant Frozen Wave ten meters high and dozens of meters long.
Seeing the arrogant Giant Wave frozen into Ice in such a short Time, the Sailors' faces immediately became wonderful, as if they had seen a Powerful Dragon instantly subdued. After a brief pause, they cheered, their Gaze towards me more fervent than ever – so this was the Extent to which a true Strongest Expert could be Powerful.
Hmph, you're scared by this? If Fara were here, casting a Permafrost Arrow Hell would probably instantly Freeze the sea area within a ten-mile radius into an Ice Layer. This is just a small matter for me.
However, before I could finish sighing, continuous crisp cracking sounds suddenly came from within the frozen Giant Wave opposite. It turned out that a strong Wave was coming from behind, almost shattering the Ice Wave. After barely holding on, the Frozen Giant Wave had cracked into countless fissures, and ice shards were falling from above everywhere.
Not good. If the entire Ice Wave collapses, the Ship might be sunk instantly. Only now did I react, deeply realizing what it meant to bring trouble upon oneself. But my hands didn't dare to stop. Another Polar Storm was cast, reinforcing the precarious Ice Wave.
As the Ice Wave was continuously impacted and shattered by the Giant Waves from behind, I could only keep repairing it. The falling ice shards had already covered the entire Ship with a layer of Frost. The Sailors shivered, but dared not Relax in the slightest, all nervously watching this fierce confrontation between Humans and nature.
Damn it. If this continues, my Mana won't be enough. I continued to gulp down a Mana Recovery Potion. Holding a Staff with +3 Warmth and wearing a Mage Robe with +2 Warmth, plus the bonuses from the Microwave Oven and Book of Cain, my current Mana Recovery Speed was comparable to a Level 60 Super Sorceress. But it still wasn't fast enough; the Consumption rate was faster than the replenishment rate. Moreover, my Mental Power was rapidly depleting. Even with Mental Power Potions, how long could I last?
Humans truly cannot compare with the Strength of nature.
Just as I was feeling anxious, several sounds of air breaking suddenly came from behind me. Three Ice Arrows silently swept past me, then dispersed like accurate tracking missiles, landing on the points with the largest cracks, relieving a lot of Pressure for me.
Huh, there are other Adventurers on the Ship?! Didn't Meshif say I was the only one? I was immediately stunned, but now was not the Time to think about these things. I didn't even have Time to turn around and see who it was. I quickly seized the Opportunity to gulp down a Mental Power Potion. Following that was a Tier 2 Cold Skill Blizzard, landing on the Edge of the Ice Wave, extending the length of the entire Ice Wave considerably. The structure looked much more stable.
Who could it be? Putting aside the Magic Control, just the eyesight to instantly perfect the structure of the entire Ice wall was enough to make me feel ashamed.
The war of attrition continued, but since the Mysterious Mage behind me joined, the Situation had significantly improved. It was clear that this Mysterious Mage's Level was not high. On one hand, she only cast First Tier Ice Bolt and Tier 2 Blizzard for Cold Magic. Her Level was clearly no more than Level 24. On the other hand, her frequency of casting Magic was not high, clearly conserving her limited Mana.
However, what surprised me was that even such a Sorceress played a role no less significant than mine. Her Magic always struck at just the right spot, either timely repairing the position that was about to collapse or perfecting the structural system of the entire Ice Wave. Compared to my method of randomly repairing with Polar Storm, it was like the difference between a Master and an Apprentice. She achieved the same effect with a Mana Consumption ten times less than mine. What terrifying Wisdom and judgment this was.
As we worked hard, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Ice Wave serving as a Shield in front of us, after continuous cracking and repairing, was not only gradually increasing in Size, able to disperse more impact (this was all thanks to that Mysterious Mage's Merit/Contribution), but its hardness was also gradually increasing. Finally, it revealed an Ice Magic Grade color that only Ice Layers frozen for hundreds of years could possess. The Giant Waves from behind often had to impact dozens of times before they could create cracks in the Ice Wave. Our repair work gradually became easier.
With Time freed up, I finally had a chance to turn around and catch a glimpse of that Mysterious Mage's demeanor. Unfortunately, besides the Sailors who were watching intently behind me, I couldn't find anyone else. After I Relaxed, that Mysterious Mage had vanished without a trace and did not make another move.
However, now was not the Time to truly Relax. I looked up at the Sky, where thunderclouds still rolled – how long would this Storm last? I could Reluctantly support it for two or three days, but if it lasted for half a month, constantly repairing the Ice wall without Rest or sleep like this, even as an Adventurer, it would be impossible.
Just as I was feeling anxious, a delicate and melodious Song suddenly drifted out, sometimes near, sometimes far, sometimes distinct, sometimes indistinct, carrying a moving voice that soothed the Soul, as if the Soul itself would fall asleep.
Legend says that those Pirates who committed many Bad Deeds at sea would hear the Mermaid's Song from the distant mist. Under the lingering, moving Song, these Pirates would fall asleep with peaceful faces, and from then on, they would never be seen again. Of course, this is just a Legend, because if the Legend were true, no living person could prove its Reality.
"Mermaid's Song—"
Meshif shouted in surprise, his Expression filled with indescribable terror, then gradually relaxed, revealing a look of intoxication, and his demeanor became dull. The Sailors were even worse; they had already fallen into a state of obsession. On the entire Ship, only I remained conscious.
"What is the Little Mermaid trying to do?"
Seeing the weak-willed Sailors falling down one by one, their faces showing peaceful sleeping expressions, I couldn't help but feel strange. The past few days of Get Along had made me fully aware of the Little Mermaid Princess's Kind nature, so I naturally didn't think she was trying to do anything Bad Deeds. But choosing to sing at this Time, what was she thinking?
The melodious and pleasant Song continuously lingered in the Air. The Sailors fell one by one, and finally even Meshif was not spared. In my ears, this gentle Song seemed to grow louder and louder, becoming increasingly clear, as if it wanted to pierce the clouds. Suddenly, a dazzling Light broke through the heavy Dark Clouds and the ink-Black Sky, shining into my Eyes. I squinted my Eyes and looked up Incredulous—