Howling Fish, Merfolk's Song, Chuck the Sea Clan

"Mr. Wells mentions you often, Sheryl talks to me about you almost every day, and so does Miss Vinnie."

The boy looked at Ronan with the fervent adoration of someone finally meeting their legendary idol. He quickly pulled a small package wrapped in waterproof tarpaulin from his pocket, wiped it vigorously on his body, and then handed it to Ronan.

Ronan smiled and took the oilcloth package from the boy. He opened it, and a small Communication Stone immediately fell out.

In addition, there was a letter.

The letter was indeed in Sheryl's handwriting, though it looked somewhat messy, as if it had been written in a hurry.

Sheryl wrote in her letter that Venecia's beauty had captivated a powerful wizard in Restwind Harbor, Venecia was harassing her relentlessly but couldn't afford to offend him. Therefore, the three of them ultimately chose to leave Restwind Harbor. Old Wells used his connections to board an ocean liner departing from Restwind Harbor, their destination unknown even to themselves. She suggested that if Ronan ever saw this letter, he could try contacting them using the Communication Stone. Ronan picked up the Communication Stone and sent several messages, but received no response.

Sheryl probably didn't know that the Communication Stone she left behind was still an apprentice-level item, with a very limited range of communication capabilities, and it would lose its effectiveness once it left the town of Restwind Harbor.

Ronan stared at the letter and Communication Stone in his hand, silent, seemingly lost in thought. It took him a long time before he slowly put the two items away.

"May I have your name?"

Ronan turned his gaze back to the boy in front of him. The boy, feeling his gaze, straightened his back and replied loudly, "Meller Agelos Beck. Everyone calls me Meller."

"Thank you, Meller."

Ronan reached out and gently stroked the boy's fluffy, soft curly hair. Some glittery things slipped from his sleeve and fell into the boy's arms.

"A magic stone?!"

The boy, Meller, was stunned for a moment, then his eyes widened. "So many!"

After he hurriedly and carefully gathered all the clattering magic stones, he looked up and found that Ronan had already disappeared from his sight.

In an open-air tavern near the coastline, under a simple sunshade made of palm leaves, the sea breeze rustled long robes as two figures sat facing each other, conversing softly.

"The Howling Fish, also known as the Ghost Fish or the Demon Sound Fish, is characterized by its ability to emit a terrifying cry that could threaten even a formal wizard. According to local legend in Restwind Harbor, a ship once strayed into an ancient forbidden land, and the souls of all the crew members were cursed by a demon and forced to imprison in the bodies of sea fish, only able to emit painful howls."

"Many wizards are interested in the Howling Fish, but Howling Fish only appears in the depths of the Green Glimmering Sea Abyss, a dangerous place that even formal wizards dare not easily venture into. Only those with special skills have the opportunity to catch it, and even if one does appear, it is always quickly bought up at a high price."

Ronan listened to the First Level Wizard's account without much change in expression. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Since you've come to me again, it can't be just to tell me that there's nothing you can do about this, right?"

"Certainly."

The black-haired wizard in front of me smiled and said, "As long as you are willing to spend enough magic stones, I can always meet your requirements."

Ronan's lips twitched slightly, and the black-haired wizard's eyes brightened noticeably. He perked up and quickly continued, "Beneath the Green Glimmering Sea Abyss lies the ruins of the ancient Merfolk's Song. Before the Merfolk's Song was destroyed, a group of survivors escaped, and no one knows the Green Glimmering Sea Abyss better than them. Although most of these people have died over the long years, I know that there is currently a descendant of this group with sea-race blood living in Restwind Harbor. If you've made up your mind, I can take you there at any time."

As Ronan, a member of the Merfolk's Song Clan, listened to the other's story, his eyes flickered slightly.

He had only read about the legends of the sea creatures in books. The collapse of the world's continents affected more than just the structure of the Wizard World. Many ancient races that once lived on the same level migrated, or simply disappeared or became extinct in this world.

Ronan, the elf, winged race, fairy, and barbarian, never imagined that in a small place like Restwind Harbor in the south, there would still be a sea race that had once existed.

Moreover, he only just learned about the ancient sea tribe kingdom and the ruins of the Merfolk's Song.

"Let's go."

Without further ado, Ronan stood up, and the black-haired wizard politely began to lead the way.

Ronan's trip to Restwind Harbor wasn't just about catching up with Old Wells and the others; his main purpose was to uncover the secret of the "Howling Fish" he had obtained at the Sunset Gathering in the Fairy Ancient City Ruins.

Ronan was intrigued by the "Howling Fish," or rather, the Howling Fish, whose ability to convert all of its life force into terrifying sonic waves in one breath. If he could figure this out, it might help him improve his idea of compressing the Life Light Sphere of the [[Immaculate Body]] technique.

After three days of intense magic stone attacks and displaying a small portion of his Third Level Wizard strength, Ronan easily found a local bigwig in Restwind Harbor, the black-haired First Level Wizard was currently guiding him.

The town of Restwind Harbor was small, Ronan soon arrived with the black-haired wizard at a place that resembled a slum.

It was very similar to where he lived when he was Wandering Wizard in Hoddam. There were low, dilapidated old houses everywhere. The streets weren't overflowing with sewage, but the air was filled with a strong smell of the sea and fish.

The two stopped in front of a particularly dilapidated stone hut. The area outside the hut was covered with seaweed, some dried and some fresh and damp, making the fishy smell even stronger. Even the black-haired wizard who was leading the way couldn't help but frown.

"@4#￥."

The black-haired wizard chanted incantations rapidly, and from beneath his robes, numerous black insects resembling sea spiders crawled out and swarmed toward the hut.

A moment later, the swarm of insects retreated like a tide, and the door of the seaweed hut was forcefully pushed open from the inside with a "bang".

A thin figure walked out of the house.

Judging from his appearance, he looked like a middle-aged man in his forties, of medium build, with gray-green eyes. He looked as if he had just been pulled out of the water, with clumps of hair sticking to his head.

His presence intensified the fishy, pungent smell in the air.

Ronan noticed that the man had gill-like organs on both sides of his cheeks, which were slightly opening and closing.

His skin was also very damp, but his body had many large ulcers that looked like they were caused by years of soaking in water.

"Chuck!"

The black-haired wizard called the man's name, his lips moving as if he were having a private conversation with the man.

Finally, he tossed two vials filled with pink liquid at the man's feet, coldly saying, "Think carefully. Besides me, there's no other wizard in the entire Restwind Harbor willing to provide you with a slow-release agent for '[Sea Poison Disease]'."

After speaking, the black-haired wizard, as if explaining something to Ronan, turned his head and whispered, "These people, born from the hybridization of sea creatures and humans, have a huge, innate defect in their bloodline. Their bodies will constantly fester until they die. We were interested in their bloodline before, so we captured a group to study them, but unfortunately, after expending a lot of resources and energy, we only managed to produce this worthless thing."

The black-haired wizard stared at the potion bottle he had carelessly tossed on the pile of rotting seaweed, his eyes filled with undisguised indifference and disgust.

He kept watching the actions of the sea tribe survivor named Chuck until the man silently picked up the potion bottle from the ground, at which point a satisfied expression appeared on his face.

"That's fine. You can discuss the rest with him yourself. My work is done."

The black-haired wizard smiled and politely replied to Ronan. Ronan took out some magic stones and casually sent him away. In front of the dilapidated hut, only he and the man remained.

Ronan watched as the man opened the potion bottle left by the black-haired wizard and slowly applied the pink liquid inside to the festering parts of his skin. Ronan could sense the relaxation of his tense emotions during the process, and some of the pain was temporarily suppressed.

Is there anything I can do for you?

After applying the medicine to the last festering sore, the man carefully put away the remaining unused medicine, and then humbly asked Ronan for his opinion.

When he spoke, the lobes of his cheeks opened and closed, giving his voice a strange "humming" sound.

"I need a guide to lead me to the Green Glimmering Sea Abyss."

Ronan told the man about his desire to find the Howling Fish. The man's eyes flickered, and after weighing his options for a moment, he seemed to muster some courage and boldly said, "If I follow your request, this voyage might very well cost me my life. I..."

"You want extra compensation, is that right?"

Ronan guessed what the man was thinking and calmly interrupted him.

The man hesitated for a moment, then stammered, not daring to continue.

Ronan had no patience to waste any more words with him. He took out a bag full of low-level magic stones, about two or three hundred in total, and used his mental power to hold it up, then presented it to the man.

The man opened the bag Ronan had brought, and when he saw the number of magic stones inside, he was stunned for a moment.

After a moment, he looked up and said to Ronan, "Sir, could you give me a little more time?"

Ronan nodded, and then he saw the man carrying the bag of magic stones run out of the stone house courtyard as fast as the wind.

Ronan wasn't worried about where a mere mortal man like Restwind Harbor could possibly go, given how tiny the place was.

Ronan followed the man at a leisurely pace, watching him wander through the alleys of the slums, and he became somewhat curious.

Finally, he saw the man rush into a similarly dilapidated room with the door half-open. Outside, some loose-fitting women's underwear was drying, which seemed to be the residence of the man's lover.

Just as Ronan had guessed, a woman's scream soon rang out as the man rushed into the house.

"Damn it, you stinking rotten fish bastard, get out of my house!"

"Don't even think about touching me again until you settle the debt from last time!"

With a crisp sound of something rolling to the ground, the woman's angry voice inside the house suddenly stopped.

After a brief silence, an even louder scream rang out from inside the house.

"My God, where did you get so much money?!"

"Oh, Chuck, you damn rascal, I absolutely love you!"

Strange rustling sounds of clothes rubbing together began to echo in the room.

Ronan calculated the time, and when he silently counted to thirty-one, he saw the man reappear.

Unlike his previous numb appearance, the man was now radiant, his cheeks flared out like two small fans, and several exaggeratedly bright red lip prints remained on his face. The magic stone pouch in his arms had vanished without a trace.

A plump woman with a barrel-shaped figure, disheveled, chased after the man from the house, waving a handkerchief and shouting, "Chuck, my child and I are waiting for you at home!"

As she spoke, she gently touched her flabby belly.

"That's enough, sir. When would you like to depart?"

Chuck the Sea Clan, returned to Ronan, vigorously wiping his wet cheeks and looking at him intently as he asked.

Ronan didn't know what to say; he didn't understand but expressed his respect.

He turned around and strolled toward the coastline.

"Now."

On the clear blue sea, a silver-gray Magic Airship skimmed the surface and flew rapidly in one direction.

Ronan stood at the bow of the ship, squinting as he gazed into the distance.

With his extraordinary eyesight, he could clearly see that near the horizon, the originally azure sea was slowly turning dark green.

The seawater seemed to contain a thick, indistinct green ink that kept deepening, and from a distance it looked like a gaping, dark green maw that was swallowing up the entire sea.

That place was the Green Glimmering Sea Abyss, the destination they were on their journey to.

Ever since he saw that ancient sea creature, the giant silver eel, Ronan has maintained a deep sense of awe for the ocean.

His experience of crossing the ocean alone from the East Coast back to the Southern Continent has given him no shortage of courage to challenge the unknown.

Turning away, Ronan saw Chuck examining the "Howling Fish" that he had casually placed on the deck of the airship.

This "Howling Fish," bought at the Sunset Gathering, was already on the verge of death after exhausting its life force and unleashing a fatal roar.

Ronan has managed to keep him alive until now by infusing him with vitality.

Even so, it wouldn't live long. It floated belly up in the transparent crystal tank, and the two strange human legs growing on its body, which were initially as white and tender as a baby's, had become withered and wrinkled, like an old man on his deathbed.

"This is the first time I've ever seen Howling Fish' that survives after crying."

Chuck looked at the Howling Fish in the tank with a tone of surprise.

Ronan never held any contempt or prejudice against people living at the bottom of society. After using magic to temporarily remove the strong fishy smell that belonged to the sea tribe from Chuck, he treated him as a normal person.

After setting sail, the two often chatted. After spending a few days together, Chuck himself realized that the young man in front of him, whom even the most distinguished wizards he had ever met treated with utmost respect, had a much better temper than he appeared.

"What methods do you usually use to catch them?"

Ronan casually asked Chuck about it.

Chuck answered almost without hesitation, "Flesh and blood."

Then, glancing at Ronan, he added, "My flesh and blood, ordinary flesh and blood are useless. Only the flesh and blood of those with sea race blood can lure the Howling Fish to take the bait."

In the legend of the Merfolk's Song, the Howling Fish were originally tools created by demons from the depths of the abyss to hunt and [Enslavement] sea creatures... They are exceptionally sensitive to the flesh and blood of sea creatures. But rest assured, my lord, I am ready to offer myself at any time for this sea hunt..."

Ronan was unimpressed by Chuck's apparent loyalty, but was quite interested in what Chuck said about the origin of the Howling Fish, so he couldn't help but ask, "What else do you know? Tell me in detail."

Chuck hesitated for a moment, then said, "Actually, I don't know much either."

By my generation, the sea creature bloodline flowing through my veins has become very thin, yet I can't shake off this damned 'sea poison disease,' all of which I know comes from stories my grandfather told me when I was a child.