Echidna was recovering from his injuries in an underwater cave. His tentacles had all been severed, and thick, inky black blood seeped from the stumps, staining the surrounding seawater a shocking, dark red.
The potent scent of blood attracted a pack of giant sea serpents. These serpents were dozens of meters long, their scales shimmering with an eerie green light, and their sharp fangs were bared to the water.
The largest and thickest serpent at the head of the pack burst into laughter. “Echidna, to think you would have a day like this!”
They were among the most vicious predators in the deep sea. Having once been driven out of this territory by Echidna, they had now caught the scent of an opportunity for revenge.
Echidna knew they would not let him off today. Even on the verge of death, he refused to back down. “You are nothing but my defeated foes.”
“You’re courting death!” The serpent leader suddenly snapped its massive jaws open, lunging viciously at Echidna’s head.
Ning Busan had just located Echidna when he witnessed this infuriating scene. Gripping the Jinge Sword, he charged forward.
“Taking advantage of a fish in distress? Have you no shame?”
The greatsword slashed down, carrying a deep-sea vortex with it, and plunged violently into the serpent leader's body.
“You jiaoren brat!” Enraged, the serpent leader whipped its body around, baring its venomous fangs as it tried to bite off Ning Busan’s head.
Ning Busan flipped through the water to dodge. He stabbed the Jinge Sword into the rocky seabed to vault himself upward, then delivered a backhand slash toward the serpent's neck.
The blade carved a sharp arc, slicing into the serpent leader as if it were tofu. Its head was instantly severed from its body, and blood erupted in a torrent.
Ning Busan kicked the serpent's head aside and coldly swept his gaze over the remaining sea serpents. His voice was icy and authoritative. “Scram—”
With their leader dead, the remaining serpents were terrified by his aura, fleeing as fast as their tails could carry them.
Ning Busan walked over to Echidna's side. A gentle light gathered in his palm, slowly enveloping Echidna's head.
Echidna's wounds began to heal, but if he wanted to regrow his tentacles, he would need at least a century of recuperation.
Ning Busan felt the creature was incredibly unlucky. “Don't tell me you ran into that psychopathic fish-slayer again? If your tentacles were still here, I could have reattached them for you. Where are they?”
Echidna grumbled, “After he chopped them off, he took all of them with him.”
Ning Busan was utterly shocked. “He took all of them? Not even leaving one behind? What on earth is he?”
Echidna said, “His movements were far too fast. I couldn't make out what he looked like.”
Ning Busan didn't know what to say.
To be able to carry away ninety-nine of Echidna's tentacles, that psychopathic fish-slayer must be quite large. Yet Echidna didn't even know what the culprit was?
What, was he some kind of invisible assassin?
Echidna asked, “Didn't you go to the merfolk tribe? Why did you come back to find me? Where is Sheldon?”
“That's a long story.” Ning Busan looked around and spotted Lilian hiding behind a reef. He waved at her. “Why don't you come over?”
Instead of drawing closer to the two of them, Lilian swam further away, keeping her distance.
“Is that a friend you met in the merfolk tribe?” Echidna asked in confusion. “Is she really that timid? I'm already in this state, so why is she still afraid of me?”
Ning Busan muttered under his breath, “Your health bar is almost empty right now. She's probably afraid that if she gets too close, her bad luck will finish you off.”
Ning Busan recounted his experience and then said, “Sheldon was locked up by his mother, so he won't be in any danger.”
“I want to go to Atlantis. Do you know what the situation is like inside the Realm of Eternal Night?”
Echidna froze. “What are you going to Atlantis for? The Deep Sea Queen and the Giant-Jawed Shark King definitely won't let you off. Instead of thinking about how to escape, why are you walking right into their trap?”
Ning Busan narrowed his eyes. “Rather than waiting for them to track us down, it's better to take the initiative, lure them out, and deal with them.”
“Most importantly, I'm also interested in the Sea God's inheritance, so I want to pay a visit to the Realm of Eternal Night.”
“You are too naive!” Echidna grew agitated. “What do the Deep Sea Queen and the Giant-Jawed Shark King even amount to? Those two are just the ones making the most noise!”
“There are plenty of sea monsters stronger than them hiding in the Realm of Eternal Night, just waiting for those two to unlock Atlantis so they can reap the benefits without lifting a finger.”
Ning Busan rubbed his temples.
To enter Atlantis, not only did he have to solve the problem of the Lock of Causality, but there were also so many competitors watching like hawks.
Could Siren really have hidden the demigod godhead inside?
Echidna advised earnestly, “Since divination cannot detect the existence of either of you, why don't you find a place to hide? Don't go wading into these muddy waters.”
Ning Busan smiled. “Echidna, just focus on recovering. You don't need to worry about me.”
Echidna suddenly said, “I can take you to the Realm of Eternal Night.”
Ning Busan had originally planned to let the Book of Sages guide him, but hearing this, his brow arched. “Why the sudden change of heart?”
Echidna said, “I can take you to the Realm of Eternal Night, but on one condition: you must help me retrieve my tentacles. If you can't even deal with that psychopathic fish-slayer, you stand no chance against the sea monsters in the Realm of Eternal Night.”
He had originally wanted to dissuade Ning Busan, but to his surprise, Ning Busan agreed without a second thought. “Sure, no problem.”
“A psychopathic fish-slayer is an enemy to all fish-kind!”
Echidna: “...”
Wait, you're actually that brave?
“Then how do you plan to find that psychopathic fish-slayer?” Echidna asked.
Ning Busan pulled a wand out of his space ring. “With the power of magic.”
He couldn't divine his own future, but surely he could divine someone else's?
Let the wand point the way to the psychopathic fish-slayer!
However, Lilian still refused to walk alongside them, choosing instead to follow far behind.
Ning Busan went out of his way to offer her some comfort. “In truth, you don't actually bring misfortune to others. Didn't we make it all the way here to find Echidna without a single incident?”
Lilian said, “Nothing happened to you, but your friend met with disaster.”
“He was injured because of the psychopathic fish-slayer. What does that have to do with you?” Ning Busan asked. “Why must you shoulder the blame for other people's misfortunes?”
“If I want to be your friend, then I must keep my distance from your other friends. Because...” Lilian paused, speaking with extreme deliberation, “if your friend dies one day in the future, you will blame me.”
From just these few words, Ning Busan could already guess what she had been through in her past.
“Lilian, only the weak blame the misfortunes of those around them on others,” Ning Busan promised. “I won't let anything happen to either of you while I'm around, so there's no need to fear.”
Lilian's eyes widened.
At this moment, she felt as if Ning Busan were glowing.
Perhaps... she really could be friends with Ning Busan forever.
Friends for a long, long time.
The three fish swam for most of the day. Finally, the wand pointed toward a massive shipwreck and stopped moving.
Ning Busan said, “It's right here!”
Echidna's voice was filled with astonishment. “Isn't this where the Deep Sea Lich lives?”
Ning Busan hadn't seen this name on the parchment scroll, so he couldn't help but ask, “What's the story behind the Deep Sea Lich?”
“The Deep Sea Lich is a nickname we gave him,” Echidna explained. “In the deep sea, you can make any deal with him. He will grant your requests, but you must pay an equivalent price in return.”
Ning Busan felt this arrangement sounded strangely familiar.
Echidna continued, “However, very few sea monsters are willing to strike a deal with him, because most of the payment he demands consists of their bodily organs.”
Ning Busan asked, “Just like your tentacles?”
Echidna: “...”
Put that way, the Deep Sea Lich was highly likely to be the psychopathic fish-slayer!
Rate on N.U.
