"My grandfather once told me that long ago, centered around the Green Abyss, including Qifeng Harbor, a vast expanse of the sea was the kingdom of the Mermaid's Song.
The sea clans ruled everything beneath the waves, and even powerful human wizards had to treat the sea clans as equals in the Mermaid's Song.
However, one day, a terrifying demon suddenly appeared in the depths of the abyss, and the Mermaid's Song was destroyed overnight. Countless sea clans were slaughtered, and their blood turned the entire abyss green..."
Ronan blinked, only now realizing that the blood of the sea clans was green.
As Chuck narrated, the Spell Airship they were on swiftly entered the region of the Green Abyss.
They sailed forward along the dark green sea until the sky completely darkened.
The night sky above the sea was exceptionally clear and brilliant, reflecting off the gently rippling, jade-like calm surface of the water, creating a profound sense of peace and tranquility.
A thin mist gradually rose from the sea, and the Spell Airship, its body glowing faintly with runes, silently glided through it.
Ronan stood at the bow, listening to the soft sound of waves lapping against the ship, feeling as though he was traversing through the mists of time, arriving in an ancient era.
He thought about how, somewhere deep beneath the sea beneath him, lay the ruins of a vast and ancient lost kingdom.
A strange emotion stirred in Ronan's heart as he imagined that in ancient times, under the same starlit sky and the same sea, a prosperous and glorious civilization once stood, with mermaids gently brushing the waves as they sang.
"Sir..."
A voice interrupted Ronan's reverie. He turned to see Chuck looking at him with bright eyes.
"May I go ashore for a while?
Tonight is the full moon, and many interesting things will emerge from the sea. If I'm lucky, I might catch a few to offer to you."
Ronan thought for a moment, then without saying anything, casually deactivated the runic barrier outside the Spell Airship, allowing Chuck to disembark.
"Plop—"
Chuck leaped into the sea, the splash he made almost negligible.
On land, Chuck appeared to be just an ordinary, somewhat unremarkable fisherman, but once in the water, he seemed like a completely different person.
His movements were agile, as if he had shed twenty years of age. His unique lung structure and the gills on the sides of his cheeks allowed him to breathe freely underwater. Ronan even noticed that the strength Chuck exerted with his limbs in the water was two to three times greater than normal.
"Is this the power of the sea clan's bloodline?"
At first, Ronan's spiritual energy followed Chuck, but it gradually spread deeper into the abyss.
In stark contrast to the serene beauty of the sea's surface, the world beneath the waves was entirely different.
No light could penetrate the water, and the underwater world was eerily quiet, with few fish in sight. The seawater seemed to contain a peculiar energy that hindered and suppressed a wizard's spiritual energy.
Ronan halted the airship, his gaze fixed on the sea. A faint white light began to shimmer in his eyes, weaving the pattern of an eye on his forehead. He attempted to use the [Eye of Truth] to uncover the mysteries hidden beneath the sea.
Under the detection of the [Eye of Truth], Ronan saw the seawater filled with many eerie black substances. The deeper he looked, the more these black substances appeared, eventually resembling countless squirming worms densely packed together, sending chills down his spine.
Ronan continuously directed his "gaze" deeper into the abyss. The white glowing eye pattern on his forehead seemed to grow more intricate and lifelike over time.
At a certain moment.
"Buzz—"
The [Eye of Truth] suddenly broke through a certain boundary, and the scene before Ronan's eyes instantly became "clear and expansive."
He seemed to catch a glimpse of a grand yet blurry outline of a complex of buildings, but before he could get a closer look, a massive shadow abruptly flashed before his eyes.
In that instant, an inexplicable sense of dread and terror surged within Ronan.
He took two steps back in shock, instinctively covering his forehead with his hand. The white eye pattern representing the [Eye of Truth] shattered, and fragments of light along with blood trickled down through the gaps between his fingers.
"Hiss—"
Ronan took a deep breath, and when he looked back at the sea surface below, his expression had completely changed.
The legend Chuck had told might be true. Perhaps something extremely terrifying was hidden beneath the Green Glow Abyss, leading to the sudden downfall of the once glorious Mermaid Song Sea Clan, with the lingering gloom persisting to this day.
The [Eye of Truth] had just coincidentally broken through to the second stage of the Law Domain Resonance, with the master-level proficiency surpassing a thousand points. The sudden surge in power had allowed Ronan to inadvertently "glimpse" an ancient and malevolent presence.
That fleeting sensation felt somewhat familiar. Upon reflection, it seemed remarkably similar to the scene he had witnessed through the mutated World Stone coordinates of another dimensional space.
Ronan's soul was even impacted to some extent, and all nine Mental Power Crystals in his mind dimmed.
He instinctively reached out to touch the spot on the back of his right hand where the World Stone coordinate mark was imprinted. It took him a long time to gradually calm his turbulent emotions.
"No wonder the Green Glow Abyss is considered a forbidden zone by the wizards of Windrest Harbor. Ordinary people dare not and are unwilling to come here. There are indeed unknown dangers lurking here. Even as a third-level wizard, I need to be cautious."
Ronan silently pondered.
The ruins of the Mermaid Song at the bottom of the Green Glow Abyss, the ancient Mirror Court ruins, the Dwarven Kingdom of the Mechanical Heart... These ancient civilizations that once existed in the south but gradually disappeared or fell, seemed to be orchestrated by the same colossal dark hand.
He caught the scent of ancient conspiracies and secrets buried beneath the dust of time, as if he had grasped something, but he dared not delve deeper into the truth, fearing he might be consumed.
If Ronan had previously harbored some interest and curiosity about the Mermaid Song ruins, he had now completely abandoned that thought.
This was not something he could currently handle. All he wanted now was to quickly find the Ghost Crying Fish, achieve the purpose of his journey, and leave this mysterious sea.
"Splash—"
As Ronan was deep in thought, the sound of water breaking reached his ears.
Chuck, drenched from head to toe, climbed onto the airship. Without bothering to wipe the water off his face, he quickly approached Ronan and presented the treasure he had tightly clutched in his arms.
Ronan didn't think Chuck could have retrieved anything of value from the sea, but when he saw what Chuck was holding in his hands, a look of astonishment spread across his face.
——
In Chuck's hands were two fan-shaped seashells. They appeared ordinary at first glance, but under the moonlight and starlight, the shells slowly opened, revealing two tiny, completely naked figures inside.
They were both girls, around fifteen or sixteen years old, with snow-white skin and delicate figures. One was slightly thinner, and both had long, seaweed-like hair—one red and the other green.
If one ignored their miniature size, their beauty could easily be considered among the finest in the world.
The two petite beauties were tightly connected to the seashells and couldn't move. When they saw Ronan, they initially trembled in fear, hugging their chests and making pleading expressions. When they realized Ronan remained unmoved, they began to sing, one after the other.
Their voices were incredibly beautiful, as if singing an ancient melody.
As they sang, tiny specks of starlight appeared around them, creating a dreamy, ethereal atmosphere.
"What is this?"
Ronan looked at the two beauties in the seashells with curiosity and couldn't help but ask Chuck.
"They're Mermaid Clams, sir!"
Chuck seemed equally excited. "I heard them singing to the moon and thought I'd give it a try. I didn't expect to find them so easily... It's said that those who consume Mermaid Clams gain eternal youth. But because they're the sea god's favorite pets, anyone who captures or eats them will be cursed by the ocean. Of course, it's all just rumors. Who knows if it's true?"
Chuck shrugged nonchalantly.
"Mermaid Clams..."
Ronan repeated the name. The two beauties, held up by Chuck, had been exposed to the sea breeze for a while and were now shivering from the cold. But their fear kept them singing, trying their best to please the "giant" before them.
Ronan admitted he was intrigued by these magical little creatures.
Eating them raw was out of the question—he had no such peculiar tastes. However, having Mermaid Clams that could sing beautifully might make for a nice "portable music player" during dull moments.
On this trip, he had also brought along his Dust Sprite, Arrietty. The three little beings might keep each other company, and his collection of "living figurines" would now number three.
"What reward would you like, Chuck?"
Ronan accepted the "gift" with a smile and asked Chuck.
"I need nothing."
Chuck knelt before Ronan and kissed the deck at his feet. "The mere fact that you're willing to show respect to someone like me is already a great honor."
Ronan's eyes flickered thoughtfully. After a moment, he took out some magic stones from his space ring, along with some mundane treasures he hadn't yet disposed of, and placed them before Chuck.
"Take it, Chuck. You've earned it."
Ronan spoke calmly.
Faced with Ronan's reward, Chuck couldn't refuse. He hesitated for a moment, then only picked a beautiful gemstone necklace from the items Ronan had given him, pushing the rest back.
"This is enough, my lord."
Chuck carefully tucked the gemstone necklace into his chest and said in a low voice, "If I have the chance to return, giving this to Maggie will surely make her very happy."
Ronan didn't need to ask to guess that the "Maggie" Chuck mentioned was likely the plump woman he had bid farewell to before leaving.
She seemed to be engaged in a profession similar to prostitution in the slums, and now Ronan genuinely felt that she was somewhat unworthy of the pure and simple-hearted Chuck.
Perhaps sensing the inadvertent meaning in Ronan's eyes, Chuck proactively explained, "Maggie is a good woman. In the entire Windhaven Port, she's the only one who doesn't disdain me for who I am, for my identity."
"Perhaps she just wants your money."
Ronan felt it necessary to remind Chuck, "The child in her belly might not even be yours."
"I hope it's not mine either."
Chuck smiled faintly and said softly, "That way, 'our' child won't have to end up like me. She really is a good woman; she would be willing to live a good life with me, our family..."
Clearly, for Chuck, his merfolk bloodline was nothing but a curse.
Hearing Chuck's response, Ronan didn't say anything more, merely stating calmly, "You will return alive, Chuck. I promise."
Chuck bowed deeply to Ronan with utmost respect, then retreated to a corner, taking out the potion the black-haired wizard had given him and applying it bit by bit to his body.
The Spell Airship continued forward. Ronan stood at the helm, controlling the direction of the airship while playing with the two mermaid clams.
Not long after, the miniature beauties inside the clams fainted from fear and exhaustion from singing. Ronan had to temporarily put them away to let them rest.
The airship traveled for a while longer, gradually reaching the depths of the Emerald Abyss.
In reality, not much time had passed, but the moonlight and starlight above had dimmed significantly.
The vast sea seemed enveloped in a thick, impenetrable green ink, and the atmosphere gradually turned eerie and sinister.
"My lord."
Chuck, having finished resting, stood up on his own and cast an inquiring look towards Ronan.
Ronan nodded, cautioning, "Be careful."
Without a word, Chuck stripped off most of his clothes, then took out a bone-handled dagger he carried with him and began cutting wounds all over his body. Blood, tinged with green, quickly flowed down.
After completing this, Chuck leaped out of the airship, plunging into the sea with a splash.
Ronan stood coldly at the helm of the airship, his mental energy fully extended, closely monitoring Chuck and the surrounding sea.
Chuck floated in the cold seawater, continuously pushing the blood-tinged water around him in all directions, and continued to cut more wounds on his body with the dagger.
Seeing Chuck's increasingly pale face, Ronan tossed him a healing potion and collected some of his blood for future research.
Time passed minute by minute, and gradually, an eerie sea breeze began to rise over the water.
A sound resembling a baby's cry, yet also akin to the wail of a conch shell, drifted from afar.
"They're here!"
Ronan's psychic senses detected several dark shadows in the seawater, rapidly approaching Chuck. With a calm expression, he raised his hand, using his psychic power to lift Chuck out of the water.
Chuck, who had taken a healing potion, was in decent condition. As he landed back on the deck, his first words were, "Sir, you were too hasty. To catch them, it would have been better to let me continue—"
"No need."
Ronan stepped out of the airship, his Wizard Robe fluttering as he descended toward the sea below.
His primary goal was to uncover the secret behind the sudden surge of life force in the Ghost Crying Fish, which he could use to refine his technique of compressing life orbs. Whether he caught the fish or not was irrelevant to him.
"Hum—"
As the tip of Ronan's shoe lightly touched the sea's surface, a faint golden psychic field instantly expanded from his body.
The entire sea beneath him immediately pressed downward, and under the terrifying force of his psychic power, massive waves began to pile up, while the surrounding space twisted layer by layer.
Without casting a single Spell, relying solely on his psychic power, Ronan had already "captured" the Ghost Crying Fish that had been lured by Chuck's blood. They were lifted out of the water and suspended in mid-air.
Similar to the "Roaring Fish" he had obtained earlier, these Ghost Crying Fish had the appearance of piranhas but with human-like limbs.
The moment Ronan's psychic power seized them, the Ghost Crying Fish began to struggle violently. Ronan could clearly "see" intense life energy rapidly gathering within their bodies, like a fuse about to ignite a bomb.
In the next second, the Ghost Crying Fish would likely unleash their signature terrifying sonic attack.
Ronan didn't dodge. Instead, he took this opportunity to quickly infuse his psychic power into the bodies of the Ghost Crying Fish.
Under the scrutiny of Ronan's immense psychic power, every detail of the small fish's internal structure was laid bare. "Roar—Hum—"
Several terrifying sound waves erupted abruptly in the night sky, but the ripples they created in the void were instantly smoothed out by Ronan's psychic field, causing him no harm. However, massive waves erupted on the sea's surface below.
As the commotion gradually subsided, the Ghost Crying Fish, having expended their energy, hung lifelessly in mid-air, as if completely dead.
At this moment, a strange light flickered in Ronan's eyes.
In that brief instant, he had finally glimpsed the secret of the Ghost Crying Fish.
Within the bodies of the fish that had just unleashed their life force, he saw—
A peculiar, tiny, shattered conch shell! (End of Chapter)