Chapter 258 - 241: The Legendary Leviathan
The Arctic Ocean, the sun hung low and far on the southern horizon, emitting a faint white light, slowly moving around this world of ice and snow, bathing the entire realm in a white glow. This was the Arctic summer, the six-month-long polar day where the sun would neither rise higher nor set for several months. Under the slanting light of the sun and driven by the currents from the Southern Ocean, the vast ice cap of the Arctic Ocean began to disintegrate and melt, with the tremendous sound of breaking ice and icebergs crashing into the sea echoing continuously.
The Flame Lord led the fleet, breaking ice and advancing in this vast world. The closer they got to the Arctic Circle, the more solemn Bato’s expression became.
—System Prompt: You have entered the Arctic Circle and gained the negative effect of "Extreme Cold."
—Extreme Cold: speed reduced by 30%, stamina consumption speed increased by 30%.
The inevitable had finally arrived.
Bato said in a deep voice, "If it were winter, the reduction would not be just this. The biggest challenges of this mission are twofold: one is that the cold water temperature is not conducive to the work of salvaging divers, and the other is Sea Monsters. This season is also when Sea Monsters are most active. Avoid battle if possible, as the strength of sea monsters in the Arctic is unmatched by ordinary oceans."
Da Fei nodded, "I will do my best to help."
Da Fei opened the Equipment Bar to check the attributes of the Sea Soul Staff in the Vice Hero Equipment.
—Sea Soul Staff: Divine Artifact, Magic Power +20, Knowledge +20, special skill: Rebirth Ghost Ship. Absorbed the soul of a Mid-level Leader-level creature +1, absorption in progress: Currently gained 635 points of Mana.
Da Fei’s brow twitched. After finishing the whale hunt yesterday, he had clearly absorbed the soul of the Narwhal King and five ordinary narwhals. But according to the current display of the Divine Artifact, only this boss’s soul remained, while the five ordinary narwhals had completely vanished without a trace! It meant that ordinary no-name small creatures were entirely converted into mana upon absorption, but only with boss-level existence would the soul remain? On the vast ocean, finding a boss wasn’t that easy! It seemed that mass-producing Ghost Ships wasn’t that simple after all.
Moreover, from the current reserve of mana, the mana converted from small creatures wasn’t much. However, for Anlicia, who had already reached the God-level Magic realm, this was enough to accomplish many things.
—Boom, in the distance, another loud sound of breaking ice burst forth! Everyone turned their heads, exclaiming in surprise!
They saw a massive whale as large as a ship break through the ice layer and emerge from the water. Its enormous black body performed a magnificent 360-degree turn in mid-air before crashing down, sending waves and ice shards sky-high!
Such a display of power left Da Fei’s jaw on the floor!
Bato’s complexion changed, his beard quivering, "The Arctic, although one of the harshest places on Earth, is also the endpoint of the Southern and Eastern Ocean currents, where countless fish converge; thus, it is also home to the most giant whale Sea Monsters."
Hey, hey, now’s not the time for a science lesson! Da Fei exclaimed, "If the Sea Monster we encounter is that big, can we handle it?"
Bato let out a long sigh, "The ocean isn’t our domain, after all."
Da Fei could only sigh in response. Initially, Da Fei had come along with the mentality of ’better them than me,’ not caring much about how strong the enemy was. But things changed when Spielberg joined the Chamber of Commerce yesterday; he was one of their own now. If something went wrong, it would be a huge loss!
Moreover, his joining the Chamber of Commerce meant his ship was also a target of the Sea God’s wrath. With so many Sea Monsters here, who knew if they might be called upon by the Sea God to attack as a group? Damn, what a miscalculation!
The fleet continued its journey, the ice on the horizon becoming more fragmented, with large expanses of the sea already exposed, no longer requiring the Flame Lord’s specialized ice-breaking. Clearly, this wasn’t the normal order of ice melting; it was a sign of frequent Sea Monster activity. The entire fleet was on high alert.
Bato took out the Sea Chart, his expression serious: "We’re almost there. The Dragon Bone is like a big bone in a soup pot, cherished by both mortals and Sea Monsters. We must be prepared to deal with Sea Monsters, but our main objective here is to train. If things get too difficult, we’ll retreat."
Alright then, truly a mix of courage and opportunism befitting a dwarf; just hope they could make a retreat when needed.
Not long after, an eagle’s cry rang out from the sky. A dwarf warrior rushed into the cockpit: "General, we’ve spotted a large Sea Monster at the target location!"
Bato’s face changed, and he said in a deep voice, "Continue reconnaissance!"
"Yes, General."
Da Fei sighed inwardly. Damn, a sunken ship guarded by a giant octopus, a dragon bone guarded by a big Sea Monster, this dwarf’s salvage task was truly a massive headache! But their Reconnaissance Eagle was impressive! Compared to it, Da Fei’s God-level Reconnaissance Technique was weak. No doubt, this Reconnaissance Eagle must be the key to advancing beyond God-level in the profession.
Suddenly, Da Fei thought of the Blood Eagle Flute in his bag that he hadn’t had a chance to return, wasn’t that for a Reconnaissance Eagle? But it could only be used once a day, and its use was short, incapable of handling wide-ranging searches over the sea. Right, should he find that Ranger Guild Master once back and ask him about it? Yes, his current status wasn’t what it used to be; the man must show some respect.
The fleet got closer to the target sea area, where the mist was boiling on the sea ahead. Bato put down his telescope and quickly ordered the fleet to stop advancing, shouting, "Recon scouts! Why aren’t you reporting?"
The dwarf warrior’s expression was uneasy: "Reporting to the General, the Reconnaissance Eagle hasn’t returned..."
Bato’s face changed! Da Fei’s heart skipped a beat! Damn, what kind of Sea Monster could take down a plane? This was beyond strong!