Pearney said with a dark face, “I told you we were going in the wrong direction.”
Last night, no one had realized something was amiss, and now it was unclear how far off the original course they had strayed. Where the Iron Ridge Giant Turtle might take the ship was anyone’s guess. Had she been able to defeat the giant turtle, she surely would have dragged this troublesome creature out and given it a good thrashing.
After pondering for a while, Ivan voiced his opinion, “Given Joe’s personality, he probably wouldn’t lie, so he must have just switched to a different course, but the destination should still be Flying Fish Port.”
After considering it for a moment, Pearney nodded in agreement with his statement.
Justine, who heard this conversation, felt considerably relieved. Being able to return to Flying Fish Port was all that mattered.
Two hours later, the Dark Lahr slowed down, and a small island appeared not far away.
The three people on the ship, sensing activity, had no time to bother with the Iron Ridge Giant Turtle. They were all on high alert, ready for any potential dangers that might arise.
The Iron Ridge Giant Turtle, utterly unaffected by the trio’s vigilance, continued to drag the ship toward the reef island. It stretched its head down into the water and took a bite, capturing a translucent jellyfish in its mouth, whose tendrils wriggled, splashing up sprays of water.
Then the giant turtle sucked with force, and the jellyfish was slurped into its mouth like jelly.
“This is probably why it secretly changed the course,” Pearney mused.
Watching the Iron Ridge Giant Turtle eat with gusto, Ivan wasn’t sure what to say.
Pearney asked, “Didn’t you feed it a nutrition potion?”
“If it were hungry, it wouldn’t be acting like this.”
“Just wait, once we reach Flying Fish Port, I’ll certainly treat it to a well-prepared meal,” Pearney grumbled.
Pearney was one to hold grudges, and Ivan doubted she would actually do it, unless she could defeat the Iron Ridge Giant Turtle.
After eating its fill, the Iron Ridge Giant Turtle continued on its way.
…
It was a new day at dawn.
At Flying Fish Port, the tranquility of the docks was shattered by the arrival of a small group of destroyers.
Silver Bone Rays, a species of sea beast with bone blades along their sides, typically appeared in groups of three or four. They enjoyed tearing apart docks and ships, and every visit inflicted certain losses on Flying Fish Port, especially when merchant vessels were docked.
The Silver Bone Rays burst out of the water, and a small boat was immediately slashed into pieces, scattering wood chips in all directions.
“Fire!”
On the shore, two groups of guards brought out their powerful carroballistas and, along with their strong bows, aimed and shot arrows at the Silver Bone Rays.
The Silver Bone Rays were cunning and intelligent creatures. Hearing the sound of the bowstrings, they became alert, and upon seeing arrows shot their way, they quickly dived back into the water.
The water’s resistance made it difficult for the arrows to hit the Silver Bone Rays.
Engaging these predators from the sea in combat in the water was definitely the dumbest strategy. With their bone wheel blades, the Silver Bone Rays were not afraid of the usual iron mesh fishing nets, so it wasn’t easy for the guards to take them down.
Among the fishermen of Flying Fish Port, the Silver Bone Rays were also known as the “Silver Blade Ship Slayers.”
“Captain, there’s a ship coming this way from the sea,” reported one of the sentries from the watchtower, hastily relaying the information to his captain.
Captain Pierre inwardly cursed at the bad timing. Due to the recent arrival of sorcerers at the port, the docks had been cleared of ships, and the current visit of the Silver Bone Rays hadn’t caused much damage. However, if a merchant ship came close, the situation could be much worse.
He quickly gave instructions to the watchtower, “Tell the ship not to approach!”
Then another sentry reported, “Captain, that’s a sorcerer’s ship—I saw the sea beast pulling it. No good, the silver rays are surrounding it.”
Pierre felt a mixture of joy and anxiety upon hearing the news, joyful because the mysterious sorcerer was sure to handle the Silver Bone Ray with ease, but anxious that if any nobles were to be injured, he could not shirk responsibility.
What was actually approaching Flying Fish Port was the Dark Lahr, and the three people on board had already spotted the situation ahead. They hadn’t encountered any sea beasts on the high seas, yet unexpectedly, they were facing significant trouble as they neared Flying Fish Port.
Pearney noticed that several silver rays had set their sights on the Dark Lahr and were occasionally leaping towards it. She cursed under her breath, “That big oaf George just had to pick now to not steer clear. What spells can you cast?”
Ivan replied truthfully, “Only Vine Entanglement.”
“I can use the Earth Spear Technique, but it’s only effective on land, and I also have Frosty Air, which is no use against the Silver Bone Rays. What should we do?” Pearney asked.
Without bows and arrows to hand, the two lacked good means to deal with the Silver Bone Rays. As for Justine, she was to take good care of herself in the room.
Ivan was a bit speechless, “You weren’t this worried on the high seas.”
“It’s not the same. Back then, there was no choice. If it came to it, we were prepared to fight to the death.”
“It’s the same now. Anyway, the ship belongs to Toyennes, and if it comes to it, we’ll just swim back. Don’t tell me you can’t swim, or are you just afraid of your subordinates seeing you in disarray?”
“You really lack the manners of a gentleman,” Pearney retorted.
Seeing his nonchalant expression, Pearney rolled her eyes at him.
Their expressions turned grave.
Suddenly, a Silver Bone Ray came close. It was planning to swim past the Iron Ridge Giant Turtle and attack from behind, but a section of black vine shot precisely above it and in the blink of an eye turned into black vines that entwined around it, trapping it securely.
On the right side of the ship, the water around another Silver Bone Ray rapidly froze, rendering its body rigid.
The Iron Ridge Giant Turtle, accustomed to navigating the seas, possessed a strong combat awareness. With a swipe of its left claw and then its right, it inflicted serious damage on the muscular and metallic framework of the Silver Bone Ray, reddening the surrounding waters.
The remaining two Silver Bone Rays, witnessing the fate of their companion, circled the ship warily, hesitant to approach.
Ivan and Pearney each guarded a section of the ship, their eyes vigilantly scanning the sea’s surface for any telltale ripples.
“That damned turtle.”
The base of the ship suddenly rocked hard, and the bow turned, catching Pearney off guard, nearly causing her to fall. She silently cursed as she steadied herself on a post. When she became steady, she heard a commotion from the other side.
Following that, something heavy landed on the rear deck. When she turned around, she saw a Silver Bone Ray tightly wrapped in black vines.
Ivan leaped over and, with a fist wrapped in black Combat Energy, he smashed it forcefully into the head of the ray, knocking the struggling Silver Bone Ray unconscious.
“How did you manage that?” Pearney asked, her eyes wide with surprise.
Ivan smiled proudly and said, “Luck, just luck. It happened to leap up just as the stern swung over, and I managed to wrap it up.”
That wasn’t modesty; it was indeed largely due to luck, for without it, the Vine Entanglement spell could not possibly have pulled the nearly three-meter-long Silver Bone Ray onto the ship.
Under the Iron Ridge Giant Turtle’s onslaught, another Silver Bone Ray was scared off, and the one severely wounded in the sea became food for the turtle. After enjoying its treat, the turtle then towed the ship to dock at the pier.
“It’s Miss Pearney.”
“The sorcerer has captured a Silver Bone Ray alive. I never expected it to be even longer than it appeared at sea.”
Being the niece of Earl Hobson, Pearney was recognized by the two guard captains, and by their respectful demeanor, it was clear how favored she was.
The guards were even more interested in the Silver Bone Ray, which was the first they had seen caught alive, a creature notorious in the sea as the ‘Silver Blade Ship Slayer.’
Captain Pierre was the most alert, instructing his men to fetch a long flatbed cart typically used for hauling heavy goods. After consulting with Pearney and Ivan, he beckoned the guards to lift the Silver Bone Ray off the ship and secure it on the flatbed cart, which they then pulled towards the dock’s exterior.
Pearney tugged gently at Ivan and quietly suggested, “This is the first Silver Bone Ray caught alive at Flying Fish Port. Could we make a detour to the government office so that I could introduce you to my uncle?”