Chapter 1338 Cassini's Sigh <TOC> Chapter 1340 Sailor's Miracle
Translator: SumTLMan
A cargo vessel sailed under the shroud of night, cleaving through the waters.
Perhaps due to its proximity to the doldrums, the maritime route in this region was devoid of any strong nocturnal breezes.
The sea lay placid, only punctuated by the rhythmic rumble of the vessel’s journey and the occasional murmur of the undercurrents from the ocean’s depths.
On deck, a night shift sailor stifled a yawn. With the serenity of the night and the stillness of the waters, his mind wandered. He took solace in the thought that the nearby waters were free from islands and, consequently, pirates. He could snatch a few moments of rest without worry. Then, thoughts of his family back home drifted in, wondering if his wife and child were asleep and if they might meet in dreams…
Lost in his reverie, his eyelids grew heavy, weighed down by drowsiness.
But then, a sudden humming noise pierced the stillness.
The sailor’s eyes shot open, scanning the surroundings, fearing he’d overlooked some imminent danger due to his momentary lapse.
Yet, after a thorough look, everything on board seemed in order.
Then, from a distance, a jet of water spouted from the sea, revealing a creamy-white ridge above the water. The sailor’s face lit up with recognition and amusement: “Ah, it’s the white whisker whale.”
White whisker whales are gentle giants of the sea. Despite their massive size, they hold no interest in vessels that traverse their domain, their diet solely consisting of small fish, shrimp, and plankton.
The reason this sea is dubbed “Whale Whisker” is due to the abundance of these very white whisker whales.
For those who make their living in these waters, an encounter with the white whisker whale is not seen as a curse but rather, a stroke of good fortune.
Indeed, before long, the white whisker whale emitted the same humming sound as before.
The sailor felt a weight lifted off his shoulders, thinking to himself: with the presence of the white whisker whale, this voyage is surely destined for smooth sailing.
With that thought, the sailor reclined against the mast, eyes half-closed. As his head rested upward on the mast, a faint flash of light in the sky caught the corner of his eye.
He opened his eyes in confusion, and when the nature of that celestial shine became clear, his pupils constricted in shock.
“What’s going on? Why is there such a thing in the sky…” Rubbing his eyes, he ensured he wasn’t seeing things.
His legs trembling with fear, he dashed to the deck’s doorway, where a comrade was seated on the ground.
“Wake up, look at the sky!” In his urgency, the sailor shook his mate, but he couldn’t rouse him.
A belch escaped the comrade, a strong whiff of alcohol followed. Only then did the sailor notice a bottle of liquor next to him. This guy was worse than him; not only had he sneaked a drink during his watch, but he’d also gotten drunk!
Disgusted, the sailor spat out in exasperation and strode into the cabin, knocking on the nearest large door.
When the door opened, he realized the room belonged to the old seafarer.
The old seafarer, donned in his nightgown, clearly had been in deep slumber. With a tinge of annoyance, he inquired, “What’s the reason for knocking at this ungodly hour? Is there an issue?”
The sailor nodded hastily, “There’s an issue. Not in the sea, but in the sky!”
“There’s a… door in the sky!”
The old seafarer, skeptical yet curious, followed the sailor out. Although there wasn’t a biting wind, the chilly air still sent shivers down his spine.
Enduring the biting cold, he lifted his gaze to the heavens——
The nocturnal canvas was clear, graced with thin wisps of clouds, and occasionally, the twinkle of a few resplendent stars could be discerned.
Not a door in sight, and not even a lone seabird graced his view.
Confronted by the skeptical and irate expression of the old seafarer, the sailor stuttered, “I genuinely witnessed a door materialize in the sky.”
To underscore the veracity of his account, the sailor theatrically reenacted the scene, leaning against the mast and peering skyward.
“I vividly recall seeing a door, seemingly glowing… Yes! A small vessel soared out from within the door. That ship was a beauty, shimmering with starlight. Its curved hull resembled the lunar boats often described in fairytales.” The sailor narrated the scene with meticulous detail, but the old seafarer’s disbelief only deepened, morphing into heightened indignation.
“The captain stationed you to stand guard, and here you are — one drunk, the other slumbering and concocting dreams. And to top it off, waking me to join in your madness! I’ll head straight to the captain and clear this up!” Seeing the sailor’s relaxed posture against the mast, the old seafarer deduced he had been dozing off.
Sleeping on duty was one thing, but being roused by a dream and causing a commotion was utterly exasperating!
With a furious pivot, the old sailor stormed toward the cabin.
Yet, in that heated moment, a haunting scream echoed from the nearby waters. The old seafarer’s steps halted instantly. Turning around, he witnessed tumultuous waves in the distance. Soon, the carcass of a white whisker whale surfaced.
What sent chills down their spines was the gruesome sight of a gaping hole in the whale’s head, from which copious blood gushed, painting the nocturnal waters an even deeper shade of eerie blue.
The sailor, trembling, pointed at the white whisker whale, “Is this… the same one from before?”
The old seafarer studied the wounds on the skull of the white whisker whale intently, his eyes flashing with recognition. A sudden dread gripped him, “By the gods, it’s the whale hunting siren! Alert the crew immediately and change our course!”
The sailor nodded frantically, dashing in the direction of the lookout tower where there was direct communication to the main control room.
But before he could make it to the tower, a colossal wave rose from the ocean, less than a hundred meters from the freighter. From the crest of the wave, a male merman, armed with a trident, made his dramatic entrance.
The old sailor locked eyes with the merman, who had blood-red, savage eyes filled with an intent to kill. He froze on the spot, whispering in disbelief, “This is the end…”
These whale hunting sirens were typically male. Their appearance was humanoid, with fish-like finned ears and gills behind those ears. While their upper body resembled that of a man, below the waist they either had a fishtail or a serpent’s tail.
Although referred to as “whale-hunting” sirens, it didn’t mean they exclusively hunted whales. It was more a title than a descriptor, signifying their apex position in the food chain of the whale-rich seas.
…
High above, on a gondola concealed by illusion magic, Popoca seemed dazed. Moments ago, they were in the doldrums, but with a simple wave of his hand, Angel had summoned a gateway. In an instant, they found themselves outside the doldrums.
“Is this your unique magic?” Popoca asked, disbelief evident in his eyes. “But why does it seem like spatial magic?”
Angel, however, remained silent. His face was pale, and he appeared utterly drained.
Angel had not anticipated that merely shifting a few nautical miles would deplete his magic reserves so swiftly!
By his estimation, the distance he covered shouldn’t be considered vast.
The Gateway Model was designed for short-range spatial displacement. Though termed “short-range”, it was expected to span at least a hundred miles or so!
While Angel’s reserves wasn’t brimming to the top, it was roughly ninety percent full.
That a mere few-mile shift would drain it to the bottom was beyond Angel’s wildest assumptions.
Judging by the feedback he received from the Gateway Model, something seemed wrong.
Lifting his gaze, Angel looked at Popoca, who still seemed to be in a state of shock——
Could it be that the spatial displacement, given its inclusion of others, caused this anomaly?
For now, Angel could only speculate. The true circumstances would require a more extensive collection of empirical data.
Yet, Angel felt a stroke of luck. Thankfully, his magic reserves only ran low and wasn’t completely exhausted or overdrawn. The latter scenarios would equate to physical injuries. Had it been slightly more severe, there might have been a risk of the magic source shattering.
“Indeed, every trick, even those on the Spell Position, must undergo rigorous testing before being applied in real scenarios,” Angel mused. Being so impulsive had almost cost him dearly.
As Angel pondered, he heard cries of distress below.
Curiously looking down, he noticed a siren sea monster controlling the waves and wielding a trident, attacking a cargo ship.
Seeing Angel’s reluctance to respond, Popoca wisely chose not to press further.
He observed the scene below and whispered insightfully, “Behold a male sea siren, the most rudimentary among its kind with only feeble power, capable at best of influencing the waves. But both male and female sirens share a sinister appetite — a craving for human flesh that, for them, is akin to a gourmet delicacy.”
“Yet not all sea sirens have a taste for humans,” Angel offhandedly remarked, with visions of Silver Star dancing in his mind.
Silver Star, as a serpent-haired sea gorgon, not only refrained from consuming humans but harbored an affection for mankind that arguably surpassed humanity’s self-love.
Popoca pondered for a moment, “I’ve never encountered a siren that abstains from human flesh. If they exist, they’re likely the exception and not the rule. But fate hasn’t smiled upon this lot; they’ve stumbled upon a siren with a cannibalistic streak.”
Surveying the carnage below, Popoca heaved a sigh, “It seems they’re beyond salvation.”
Angel mused, “Perhaps not entirely.”
Caught off guard, Popoca soon realized Angel’s implication, “Are you considering a rescue?”
Angel gently nodded, “Indeed, I’ve been meaning to test a new trick.”
Chapter 1338 Cassini's Sigh <TOC> Chapter 1340 Sailor's Miracle