Chapter 335 - 307: Sacrificial Race Fishman
GURGLE... GURGLE... The sounds echoed from outside the Deep Sea Temple.
Then, one by one, Fishmen passed through the entrance and into the Sea Temple, forming a single line.
The Fishman Leader said something, which Pura translated. "He says these are all the able-bodied members of the Sacrificial Race left in the Fishman Tribe."
Qin Ziwen looked at the Fishmen lined up at the entrance. He counted them from left to right. ’One, two, three, four... five?’
A little one squeezed out from the very back of the line.
Among the towering Sacrificial Race Fishmen, it looked completely out of place, like a tender yellow bamboo shoot sprouting from the earth.
Unlike its four clansmen in front—who were burly and tall, with well-developed pecs, broad shoulders, narrow waists, and chests like planks of wood—the last Sacrificial Race Fishman looked to be less than five feet tall.
But it puffed out its chest the proudest, and its pale-yellow skin made it stand out.
It was a stark contrast to the other Sacrificial Race Fishmen around it.
Sensing his gaze, the little Sacrificial Race Fishman puffed its chest out even further, pressed its feet together, stood ramrod straight, and wore a proud little expression on its face.
"This little one... is also from the Sacrificial Race?" Qin Ziwen looked to Pura, and Pura looked to the Fishman Race Leader.
The Fishman Race Leader’s expression was grim as he stared daggers at the Little Fishman.
Sensing the leader’s stare, the Little Fishman opened its mouth. "BA BA BA~"
"What is it saying?" Qin Ziwen asked Pura.
"It’s saying that it wants to participate in the selection too, that it’s also from the Sacrificial Race, and that it’s very powerful," Pura translated quietly.
The Fishman Leader’s glare could have frozen water. Meeting that gaze, the Little Fishman shrank back, quietly shuffled its feet, and hid behind another one of its kin.
Qin Ziwen found this curious and used Insight on it.
[Extraordinary Fishman: ☆]: Level 1 Enchantment (Swiftness), Level 1 Rain Prayer, Level 1 Water Flow Manipulation
Qin Ziwen paused, stunned. He then used Insight on the four muscle-bound figures in front.
[Extraordinary Fishman: ☆]: Level 1 Deep Sea Wildness
’...Just as I thought.’
Recalling what Pura had told him about the different types of Fishmen, Qin Ziwen compared the two and had a sudden realization. This little runt was likely a pure-blooded, magic-wielding member of the Sacrificial Race.
The larger ones, on the other hand, were more like "Close-Combat Mages" who had specced into muscle.
’Could it be? Is this little yellow turnip the real pure-blood?’
As thoughts raced through his mind, Qin Ziwen made his decision.
’I don’t care what its status is. I’m picking this little runt!’
Choosing one of the other hulks would just get him a capable fighter. And while Extraordinary Warriors were rare, they weren’t indispensable.
In other words, at this stage, the destructive power of these Extraordinary Warriors could, in a sense, be matched by a single Car-Mounted Crossbow.
It was a different story for a "Giant Beast Extraordinary" the size of a Tyrannosaurus Rex or a Mosasaurus, of course.
But he already had Little White Dragon and Black. Qin Ziwen was already struggling to feed those two bottomless pits.
He wasn’t sure he could even manage to feed a few more.
"Master, the Fishman Leader says you may now choose one of the Sacrificial Race Fishmen."
"I’ll take that one," Qin Ziwen said, pointing to the yellow Fishman at the end of the line.
Seeing the finger pointed in its direction, the Little Fishman’s eyes lit up. It leaped for joy, jumping four or five meters into the air. THUD! Its head smacked against the ceiling.
The Little Fishman clutched its head, tears of pain welling in its eyes.
The Fishman Leader watched this scene in silence. After a long moment, a deep, slow sigh escaped his throat.
The sigh seemed to hold a kind of long-expected relief.
The Fishman Leader suddenly rose, extended a hand covered in thick scales, and beckoned gently, leading Qin Ziwen and Pura into a separate chamber at the back of the Sea Temple.
The air in here was heavier, and even the aquatic light filtering through the cracks in the walls seemed dim and murky.
The Fishman Leader turned, a flicker of exhaustion in his vertical pupils.
He didn’t speak to Qin Ziwen directly. Instead, he faced Pura and uttered a series of deep syllables.
Pura translated, "Master, he says there is something you must know before you take your chosen member of the Sacrificial Race."
Qin Ziwen nodded slightly.
Pura continued, "He says the little yellow Fishman is his child, named Lorne. He’s also the last pure-blooded member of the Sacrificial Race in this tribe.
"That huge storm on the sea earlier... Lorne was the one who summoned it."
Hearing this, a flash of astonishment crossed Qin Ziwen’s eyes.
’That massive storm, the one that lasted almost two days and seemed to connect the sky to the sea, was summoned by that little pudding?’
’I admit, I underestimated him.’
Pura continued, "He says that in ages past, to survive in the deep sea, the nearly extinct Sacrificial Race and Hunting Race were forced to interbreed. Though they gained strength and size, they lost many of the Sacrificial Race’s true gifts.
"Lorne is a throwback; not only can he achieve Resonance with the ocean, but he can also command the currents and bestow blessings. He is a precious treasure to the tribe. The leader is reluctant to let Lorne go, but he knows that remaining in this decaying tribe would be the greatest waste of Lorne’s talent.
"Though it pains him, he is willing to let you take Lorne.
"He hopes you will treat Lorne well. Lorne is a clever, mischievous child with great potential, and he will become an excellent helper for you. His only wish is that you do not torture or curse him."
Qin Ziwen fell silent. ’Torture... curse... Just what is this Fishman Leader imagining?’
"Tell him that anyone who joins my Home is my companion, and I’m not in the habit of insulting my companions." Qin Ziwen put himself in the leader’s shoes. ’Entrusting your own child to another race... it would be hard not to have such worries.’
After receiving Qin Ziwen’s assurance, the Fishman Leader looked at him, and a hint of relief washed over his face.
He had become the Fishman Leader for two reasons. First, he was the tribe’s most powerful Fishman. Second, he possessed a talent most other Fishmen lacked: the ability to discern lies.
He could smell no trace of falsehood in Qin Ziwen’s voice.
"Master, he says he’s prepared a gift for you as well," Pura said, glancing at the Fishman Leader.
The Fishman Leader turned, pried up a stone slab from the floor, and retrieved a large seashell from the crevice beneath.
He opened the shell.
A kaleidoscope of light instantly illuminated the entire chamber.
The light reflected in Qin Ziwen’s eyes. He stared at the open seashell—it was filled with stacks of overlapping Cards, each emitting a faint, fluorescent glow.
Qin Ziwen wanted to refuse. ’I’m an upstanding person,’ he thought to himself.
But as he gazed at the colorful, radiant Cards...
The words caught in his throat.
’If I don’t accept these, will the Fishman Leader feel uneasy?’
’But just accepting them like this doesn’t feel right, either.’
After a moment of deliberation, Qin Ziwen waved his hand. "Never mind, I won’t take these Cards. Since Lorne is joining my Home, I will certainly treat him as one of my own."
The Fishman Leader sniffed the air. He didn’t understand the words, but he could smell the scent of insincerity.
He strode forward and firmly pressed the seashell into Qin Ziwen’s hands.
"Oh, I couldn’t possibly," Qin Ziwen sighed, shaking his head.
The Fishman Leader shot him a sidelong glance. He had discovered this man possessed a very common human flaw: hypocrisy.
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