Red Sea Mermaid
Linsey, with half his head still sticking out of the porthole, asked without turning his head:
Are there any dangerous creatures or pirates in this area?
Wala Wala immediately replied:
"Normally, no!"
"Linsey, why did you ask that question?"
"..."
Linsey crawled back in through the porthole:
"The Sea People was pulling the boat ahead is dead."
"Our current situation is probably outside the usual range, encountering this kind of situation at sea..."
Bang! A wave crashed against the side of the boat, causing the entire Fishing Boat to tilt to one side.
Everything in the cabin, including the humans, was thrown to the left before the ship righted itself and violently flung the people to the other side.
Without the protection of the Sea People, a ship is like a fragile leaf in Storm.
Linsey no longer had time to inquire about information.
He steadied himself, kicked the cabin door and lock off together, and rushed out.
Wala Wala's expression froze for a moment, then she rushed out as well:
"If a human kills Sea People on a tugboat, they will be severely punished, and very few people would do such a thing!"
Linsey shouted:
"What if it's not human?"
Wala Wala replied:
"If it's a dangerous creature from the sea, then it's hard to say!"
"..."
Linsey and Wala Wala rushed out one after the other.
Ala Song remained alone in the cabin; he had no intention of going out at a time like this.
But after being thrown against the wall twice by the rocking ship, the one-armed painter shook his head and sighed, then rushed out of the room in frustration. "This is only my third time in the Seven Seas Alliance, and I've already encountered something like this?"
"What a coincidence!"
Boom—
It was still afternoon, but the sea, which had been covered by dark clouds, had turned into complete darkness.
Linsey rushed onto the deck in one breath, and the torrential rain immediately lashed her face, making it impossible to see anything in front of her.
He ran quickly toward the bow of the ship.
But after taking only a few steps, doubts welled up in his mind.
The Sea People connected by the bow rope was originally responsible for driving the entire vessel, and his size and weight were not to be underestimated.
But what about now? — The Sea People is dead.
Whether or not its weight is enough to drag the entire Fishing Boat to the bottom, the deck will at least tilt due to its carcass.
But the sensation under Linsey's feet told him...
Apart from the swaying caused by the waves, the deck did not exhibit any top-heavy condition.
"..."
Linsey rushed to the bow of the boat, and a torrential downpour swept in, making it impossible to see the water below.
However, at a closer distance, the ropes connecting the Sea People could still be seen to have a blurry shape.
"The rope wasn't cut?"
From behind, Wala Wala also caught up:
"Linsey, how are you?"
Linsey immediately activated her skill.
Amidst the blurry rain and waves, he saw a long, luminous line.
[The bow tow rope—a taut, strong rope—is propelling the ship forward through the sea.]
The ship is still sailing, but the Sea People is dead!
What's dragging them along? Linsey turned to Wala Wala and shouted, "Something's dragging the boat underwater! It's definitely not Sea People!"
Wala Wala immediately understood Linsey's meaning. "The Storm is a dark pocket from which the light of dawn will burst forth!"
Golden light flashed in front of the two of them.
Although it could not dispel the darkness of the Storm, a bright area had been created at the bow of the ship.
Through the rain, one can see shadows moving beneath the surface of the sea.
The Sea People's body had long since sunk into the sea and was nowhere to be found.
At this moment, it is these things beneath the sea that are dragging the ship forward.
Linsey's gaze sharpened.
[The shadow beneath the sea—some aquatic creature—is dragging the ship along.]
Damn it!
Without hesitation, Linsey immediately took out the Iron Horn Great Bow and fired several arrows at the shadows below.
boom--
The thunderous sound of the bowstring was barely audible amidst the torrential rain.
Linsey fired several arrows into the water, but the shadow below was agile, and the current and rain obstructed the view, so the initial attack was not enough to kill it.
But Linsey has more skills, and her Hunting Notes have already started recording information.
[Red Sea Mermaid]
[Marine Mammals - Awakening Stage 1~?]
Body length: 0.2~2.5 meters
[Weight 3~102kg]
[Difficult to move on land, extremely fast in water.]
[A fantastical creature created by an artist. It thrives in the ocean and often cooperates with humans.]
The Red Sea Mermaid race consists entirely of beautiful women, and they need to seduce males of other races to reproduce. Red Sea Mermaid are usually gentle, but during their mating season, they become reckless and violent, even launching 'attacks' on passersby!
Weaknesses: Head, heart.
Hunting Tip: Luring it to land will greatly reduce the difficulty of the hunt.
[Kill Achievement: 0/50]
Upon seeing the description in the notes, Linsey's bow and arrow went limp.
Wala Wala was still anxiously asking beside him:
"Linsey, you're right, there's something pulling the boat underwater!"
"..."
"Linsey, why aren't you saying anything?"
"Aren't you going to shoot arrows anymore?"
Linsey turned to look at the girl:
"Wala Wala, do you know about Red Sea Mermaid?"
Wala Wala nodded immediately:
"I know, these creatures are beautiful, kind, and easy to get along with. Give them some snacks and they'll be my painting models."
The girl immediately realized. "Wait! The thing dragging the boat below, could it be...?"
Linsey affirmed, "That's right, it's Red Sea Mermaid."
Wala Wala couldn't understand the situation at all. "They are very docile, why are they Dead Sea people and attacking us with the storm?"
Linsey countered, "When do Red Sea Mermaid typically reproduce?"
"From January to March every year, they..." Wala Wala immediately realized that it was January now, and she shook her head in denial, "Impossible, even if they really couldn't control themselves, they wouldn't dare to attack human ships."
Linsey looked at the shadows beneath the surface of the sea and said:
"What if they take advantage of Storm to tow the boat away under the guise of rescuing people?"
"..."
Wala Wala fell silent.
The girl's beautiful face was wet from the heavy rain and waves, but it still couldn't hide the colorful expressions on it.
She spoke again, her tone even more urgent than when she heard of Sea People's death:
"No! Linsey, you need to find a way to escape!"
Linsey asked:
"Are they in great danger during their heat cycle?"
"..."
In the midst of Storm.
Wala Wala reached up and wiped the rain from her face, feeling even a little embarrassed to meet Linsey's gaze.
"Don't get me wrong, this isn't some romantic encounter!"
The girl introduced the unique local creatures of the Seven Seas Alliance: "Listen, Red Sea Mermaid lay their eggs inside the bellies of male creatures!"
"I've heard that some people want to experience this, but no normal person could accept such a thing!"