What Kind of Black Technology Is This? 1/2
"Chirp!"
A dove-shaped demon with floating light patterns flapped its wings and swept across the misty sea fog, rushing towards the narrow waterway formed by the two towering blue-gray gates.
"Buzz—"
However, the two giant gates, resembling towering mountains, lit up as if alive the moment the little thing entered the gap, forming veins like blood vessels, with blue liquid flowing within, and faint, tooth-grinding mechanical sounds emanating from inside.
"Bang!"
Immediately, two objects, each several meters in diameter and resembling battering rams, collided from the left and right sides of the gray mountain. The immense divine power collided and roared, causing the air to distort slightly. The dove demon was instantly compressed into scattered specks of spiritual light.
This is... rock crashing?
The heroes on the Argo, which was stuck in the outer sea fog, gasped in shock at the sight.
If someone sneaks in unprepared and gets caught off guard, it could be a huge problem.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here!"
Feeling she hadn't had many opportunities to shine along the way, the Little Mermaid patted her barren chest with a touch of pride, rode the Leviathan Whale to the crashing rock, and then pulled out a conch shell from somewhere, placed it to her lips, and gently played a tune.
Several obscure and ancient musical notes connected to a strange melody, and the light patterns on two symmetrical, bluish-gray giant rocks were somehow stimulated, causing them to flicker rhythmically in the dark.
"Buzz!"
Immediately, the two pieces of the bluish-gray stone that crushed the dove demon slowly released their guard and returned to their original positions amidst the flashing spiritual patterns on their surface and the strange tremors inside the mountain.
The transparent light curtain that stretched across the entrance to the waterway also went out.
"Alright, hurry up and get through! You guys catch up!"
Seeing that the waterway between the gray-blue rocks was wide open, the little mermaid patted the Leviathan Whale beneath her and, without saying a word, charged into the gap.
"This place makes me feel uneasy, let's get out of here!"
Seeing that the little girl had traversed a third of the narrow passage unharmed, Jason immediately brandished his sword and urged her on. Due to a strange sense of crisis, the captain scratched his arms vigorously after speaking, trying to relieve his unease.
Inside the cabin, the Argo Heroes immediately began rowing, propelling the giant ship like an arrow, closely following the guidance of the young guide.
As the Argo entered the narrow channel, the towering, bluish-gray stone walls on both sides, with their floating, intricate patterns, brought a strong sense of crisis.
On the watchtower, Samael looked around, his fingertips quietly touching and lifting the bluish-gray stone wall to one side, his brow furrowing.
Its appearance resembles that of a rock from a mountain, but its material is like metal...
Bronze door... voice-activated weighing machine...
Why would such a thing exist in the Oceanus Sea? It seems very incongruous.
"Get out quickly, the rocks are about to close!"
Just as the ancient serpent was lost in thought, the little mermaid girl who had reached the end of the waterway first waved and called out hurriedly, interrupting Samael's thoughts.
Strange, the time for sealing off the rock after impact has also shortened? What went wrong?
At this moment, looking up at the two bronze giant rocks and the Little Mermaid at the end of the passage, he was puzzled and felt inexplicably uneasy.
Fortunately, the heroes had already started paddling with all their might, Argo suddenly accelerated.
Amidst the creaking and trembling of the stone walls on both sides, and just as the transparent light curtain was about to regenerate and complete its closure, the large ship sped out of the narrow waterway.
The scenery before them suddenly opened up, and the oppressive feeling in their chests vanished instantly. The relaxation on everyone's faces quickly turned into shock.
On the vast and deep sea, the waves surged. Thousands of undercurrents, large and small, that had previously flowed through the Stormy Sea Region were twisted into compliant spiral arms from different angles and with different forces, eventually converging at the very center of the sea and being drawn into a huge whirlpool thousands of meters in diameter.
Here it comes again! Here it comes again! Here it comes again!
Jason's heart skipped a beat, his eyelids twitched, and a frantic scream echoed in his mind. He raised his hand to call to his teammates to row away as quickly as possible.
"Don't worry, don't worry. The turbulent currents that raged in the Stormy Sea Region have been skillfully tamed by Lord Poseidon's ocean powers here."
"If you don't believe me, look! Those chaotic forces on the sea surface are being absorbed by the [Tidal Eye], forming a delicate balance. That's why this place looks scary, but it's actually very safe!"
Riding Leviathan Whale to the surface, the little mermaid made a solemn promise.
The heroes composed themselves and calmed down, only to discover that everything was just as the young navigator had said. Even without rowing, the Argo was still floating smoothly on the sea, showing no sign of colliding with the huge whirlpool in the center.
Thank goodness.
After confirming several times, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed a little. The Argo then switched to its flexible, high-burst humanoid engine, using simple Magecraft and wind power to drive it. Guided by the navigator, it headed towards the vast sea fog ahead.
After a brief respite, the heroes stretched their limbs and gathered on the deck in threes. As the ship sailed smoothly forward, they admired the unique scenery of the Oceanus Sea, marveling at its wonder.
Looking into the distance, the [Eye of the Tide] extends for thousands of meters and is a hollow space with a deep, dark interior, as if it were connected to the depths of hell.
"Waaaaah!"
As the Argo sailed smoothly past the area covered by the [Eye of the Tide], a ribbon of colored light, like a curtain, fell and blocked the way.
The Little Mermaid, acting as the navigator, raised the conch shell and, using the same trick, played strange notes. As the light shimmered, the curtain hanging from the sky slowly lifted a corner, revealing the vast sea fog surrounding it.
"By breaking through this sea fog, you can save a bit of travel time and reach the waters near that King of Colchis ahead of time. The rest of the journey is on your sea map. Goodbye."
After many trials and tribulations, she finally fulfilled her promise. The little navigator looked relieved as she rode the Leviathan Whale and waved goodbye to the humans who had helped her and whom she had also helped.
"We're almost at the human capital. How about I take you to see it?"
Feeling slightly apologetic, Prince of Calydon approached the ship's railing and suggested taking this opportunity to give the young navigator, who had in turn helped them so much, some compensation.
The little mermaid's eyes sparkled, but after a moment's consideration, she shook her head and reluctantly refused.
"No, the Great Sacrifice is in a few days. I just sneaked out to get some fresh air. If I'm caught, I'll get scolded!"
Then, the little mermaid paused, glanced behind her, and her expression became even more resolute.
"Furthermore, there seems to be some problem with the Stormy Sea Region and the rock-collision site. I need to share this important information with everyone."
Seeing that the little girl was determined, Prince of Calydon had no choice but to give up on taking the Sea Royal Family ashore for a stroll. The heroes waved to the impetuous but kind-hearted Sea Royal Family one after another.
"Wait a minute, before we leave, let me say goodbye to this big guy."
Samael smiled and pondered for a moment before jumping off the lookout tower and approaching the ship's side.
The Leviathan Whale rose from the sea with a cry, its head gently touching the palm of the Creator in an affectionate manner.
The man and his beast watched as the Argo slowly sailed into the misty sea fog and disappeared completely into the chaos. The navigator patted his mount, leaned on its back, and whispered with a chuckle.
"Alright, these humans are quite interesting. If I have the chance, I'd really like to visit their city. But maybe later... never mind, let's stay here. It would be terrible if my brother caught me."
As the little mermaid rode the sea beast and sank underwater, she did not notice the extremely faint blush of pink that rippled without leaving a trace in the seawater.