Free Web NovelChapter 383: Chapter 375: The Great Purge! The Sea Beasts’ Doomsday (Part 2)
For the listeners, however, his words were a thunderclap.
Lin Hai and Stone Pillar stared at each other.
Despite being A-rank Awakened with lightning-fast thoughts, they froze for a moment as if they’d been completely stunned.
’S-rank Awakened?’
’Is that a level we can actually reach?’
...
Shi Ming had long planned to have more S-rank combatants on his ship, not just S-rank sea beast followers.
The Grand Fortune was a King-level Wandering Ship, but its lack of top-tier fighters was an undeniable weakness.
As the captain, he understood that a King-level Wandering Ship shouldn’t rely on a single top-tier combatant, whether for risk or personnel management. Such a setup would be dangerously top-heavy. If Shi Ming were ever tied up with other matters, or trapped for a week, a month, or even longer—as he had been once before in the mysterious Starry Sky Space—the Grand Fortune would be without an S-rank Awakened. The ship would temporarily lose its pillar of strength, and its power would plummet.
This was a vulnerability that had to be addressed.
Besides, he now possessed the Ten Thousand Forms Sanctuary.
The Ten Thousand Forms Sanctuary could seize a target sea beast’s destiny, acquiring a perfect 1:1 incarnation, or "Form." Once he had the Form, he could use its corresponding S-rank skills without needing the original skill source. The now-redundant skill source could then be used to cultivate a new S-rank Awakened, maximizing his resources and killing two birds with one stone.
Shi Ming watched the two captains, who seemed unable to believe their ears and were struggling to process the news.
"Why the silence? Are you not willing?"
"No... no..."
The two captains finally processed what was happening and understood their captain’s plans for them. At a loss for how to express their overwhelming excitement, they suddenly did something reminiscent of Awakened from other factions swearing allegiance: they dropped to their knees.
This was their way of expressing their emotions.
"Captain, we are willing!"
The corner of Shi Ming’s mouth twitched.
’Kneeling on both knees... I’m not their parent... Granted, if you count by birth era, I’m much more senior than they are. But I’m only twenty-three this year; I’m actually younger than them...’
He gestured with his hand for the two captains to rise.
"I’ve seen all that you’ve done for the Grand Fortune."
"Being an S-rank Awakened isn’t just a boost in strength. It also comes with heavier responsibilities and duties."
"Once you advance to S-rank, your positions will change, and you’ll have to shoulder greater responsibilities. When I’m occasionally tied up, you’ll need the vision and courage to oversee all operations... That might sound abstract, but those are qualities that can be developed. I believe you’re both capable of it."
The two captains straightened their backs.
"Understood!"
Shi Ming nodded with satisfaction.
His observations during this time had given him a deeper understanding of their character. Between Ah Jian’s senses and his own keen Spiritual Power, even the slightest emotional fluctuations from an ordinary person couldn’t escape his notice.
As for the others on the ship,
people like Yellow Spear and Yellow Cannon, for instance, were mostly not from combat backgrounds. Their aptitude was a bit lacking, so with a limited number of S-rank sea beasts available, they would have to wait their turn.
’One step at a time.’
Two S-rank sea beasts were hidden along the route from the Sea of Boiling to the Mariana Trench. Although he didn’t know their specific names or abilities, Shi Ming decided to deal with them along the way. Untamed sea beasts and humans were natural enemies. When faced with defenseless people, the beasts wouldn’t be any more merciful than he was.
After all, the old Ah Jian had once planned to slaughter humanity after escaping its seal.
They hadn’t reached that part of their journey yet.
But the fate of these two unknown sea beasts was already sealed.
The final act was about to begin.
Traveling day and night, the Grand Fortune sailed straight east from the Sea of Boiling, following the Equator.
The location known as the "Maldives" in the Old World was the first target.
The nation that once existed here was close to the ocean, so it was hit hard by a Celestial Calamity at the very beginning of the Wandering Era. Since its economy was based on tourism, its industry was underdeveloped. They only managed to build a single Gold-class Wandering Ship, the Moon Island, and fewer than ten Silver- and Bronze-class ships, all of which are now scattered across the Endless Ocean.
The Old Domain became the territory of sea beasts.
The first time Shi Ming passed the Great Maelstrom, he had used the Map of the Endless Sea to detect the trail of a hidden S-rank sea beast. However, at the time, he was on a commission for the Twelve Stars and located in the Old Domain of the Ah San Country, 1900 nautical miles to the north, so he avoided creating unnecessary complications.
Now, it was time for a reckoning.
「Dawn was breaking.」
On the deck of the Grand Fortune, Shi Ming stood at the very front.
Behind him stood all the A-rank and B-rank Awakened currently on the ship.
The chance to watch the captain personally take on an S-rank sea beast was not to be missed. With Shi Ming’s permission, a few crew members even grabbed some camera equipment to record the battle between man and beast.
Not that there was much they could learn from it.
"Ah Jian, have you sensed that sea beast?"
"Master, it’s 4,000 meters below the water’s surface. It’s an eighty-meter mutated giant clam."
’A giant clam?’
’It’s probably a defensive-type sea beast.’
’I’ll lure it to the surface first. Once it shows itself, I’ll inspect it with the Eye of Destiny.’
The Three-Eyed Golden Crow leaped into the ocean.
This time, it would act as the bait.
The Grand Fortune activated its stealth mode, the entire ship leaking no fluctuations whatsoever. This stealth mode was far less impressive in its effect than Sunshot, but tricking an S-rank sea beast was still not a big problem.
The crew members standing behind Shi Ming held their breath.
The Sea Patrol Radar monitored all fluctuations.
The Three-Eyed Golden Crow dove into the deep sea and unleashed its Great Sun Wheel skill. In the territory of another S-rank sea beast, this was an unmistakable provocation. It quickly drew the great clam’s attention.
Engaging in a running battle, the Three-Eyed Golden Crow successfully lured it to the surface.
The great clam, burning with rage,
opened its shell as it neared the surface.
A humanoid monster emerged from the gloomy gap in the shell. It looked like an alien monstrosity of jumbled, mixed colors, a perfect example of what one might call "iridescent black."
Shi Ming’s eyes captured all of this.
’The ancients really lied to me!’
’The old tales are full of lies! They speak of graceful maidens emerging from shells, with skin like jade and tears that turn to pearls! But what do I get? No Tianluo Girl, just this surreal sea monster!’
[S-rank Sea Beast: Mysterious Shell]
[Skill: Jewels in a Box]
[Rank: 76]
[The Mysterious Shell releases a Pearly Rainbow that entwines an enemy and pulls them into an Illusion Realm. The ensnared creature becomes the core of a pearl; its body instantly stiffens, is enveloped by the Pearly Rainbow, and transforms. Even if the victim escapes the Illusion Realm, breaking the pearl’s barrier is extremely difficult. They are ultimately trapped to death inside, becoming another piece in its collection.]
[The Mysterious Shell can also cause the pearls to detonate instantly, dealing even more terrifying area-of-effect damage.]
’It makes pearls?’
’In the Old World, humans put grains of sand into oysters to create pearls. Now the oyster is using humans as the grains of sand?’
’How the tables have turned.’
With its Great Sun Wheel, the Three-Eyed Golden Crow was powerful enough to contend with the Mysterious Shell and its rank-76 "Jewels in a Box" skill, but a solo kill was out of the question. However, the Golden Crow’s purpose was only to be the lure. The real trump card lay with Shi Ming.
Ten Thousand Forms Sanctuary!
The Mysterious Shell had just heard the cry of a Kun from the horizon and begun to tremble uncontrollably. Before the splendor radiating from its iridescent black body could pull the Three-Eyed Golden Crow into an Illusion Realm, the shell itself fell into a dream of cloud-filled skies and fluttering butterflies.
In the Sky Sea, the Kun swims and the Peng flies.
The Mysterious Shell froze, stupefied.
A greatsword radiating intense heat descended from the sky, shattering the sturdy shell. An iridescent halo of pearly light spilled out, instantly filling the air above the sea with a dreamlike, treasure-filled aura!
Countless pearls shot out from the shell. Some touched Abyssfire and instantly vaporized. Others sank into the ocean, heralding the fall of an S-rank sea beast.
Shi Ming stood on the deck, not having moved an inch.
