Ryan tossed a sea beast the size of a calf onto the deck. His gray robe was soaked through and clung uncomfortably to his skin.
A few Wizard Freshmen had already filled much of their hunting quota. They stood nearby wringing out their clothes. After glancing at Ryan and the sea beast on the deck, they looked away.
Other Wizard Freshmen returned one after another, coming aboard with sea beasts of various sizes and in considerable numbers. For them, the task was not difficult.
Ryan tossed the sea beast into the Automated Restaurant's storage compartment. A Wizard Technology scanner mounted on the ceiling immediately recorded his face and the beast's measured weight.
He was used to it by now, though the feeling of being watched by the scanner still made him uncomfortable.
The Wizard World was nowhere near as backward as one might imagine. It was constantly advancing, and technology had its own branch within the Wizard System: Mechanical Wizards.
They studied materials, machinery, energy, and other fields at the forefront of Wizard Technology. Among them were Mechanical Wizards pursuing different paths, including Mechanical Ascension and Consciousness Carrier.
Wizard Technology had also been used to build the Wizard Ship.
In that respect, Wizard Technology was remarkably capable.
The Umbral Codex recorded many of the Wizard World's technological revolutions.
Overall, Mechanical Wizards were a relatively new branch of the Wizard System with enormous potential, though they had yet to reach the heights of the other major branches.
Back in his room, Ryan took the still-vigorous Scarlet Scale Bigfin from his robe pocket.
Even holding it by the tail required care. Once its little mouth, lined with sharklike teeth, bit down, it would not let go. It would inject a Supernatural Toxin that could trouble even Wizards.
At the back of the room stood a small Experiment Table Ryan had fashioned from his desk. It held dissecting blades, measuring instruments, crucibles, petri dishes, and other equipment.
Dissecting a fish was as easy for him as eating or drinking.
He knew its anatomy, bones, the direction of its scales, and even roughly where its pin bones lay.
His hand held the scalpel steady, without the slightest tremor.
His first cut killed the Scarlet Scale Bigfin. He then cut into its head. By the time Ryan removed the sac containing its Supernatural Toxin intact, barely a minute had passed.
The venom sac was only the size of an eyeball and a vivid green.
According to the Eye of Truth's analysis, the toxin could paralyze a low-level Wizard's bodily functions and disrupt the flow of particle energy. To a certain extent, it could even cause spells to fail.
Notice: One dose of Scarlet Scale Toxin requires extraction from ten venom sacs.
Producing that effect depended on getting the dosage right.
A low-level Wizard with a high physical constitution could eat a venom sac raw and suffer little more than an upset stomach.
Only after toxin extracted from ten venom sacs had been processed and prepared would it have a good chance of affecting a low-level Wizard.
Discovering Scarlet Scale Toxin was an unexpected bonus. Ryan thought it could serve as a trump card and prove useful when he least expected it.
As for the nine fish he still needed, Harak had become a Supernatural Lifeform. She could fly far faster than the Wizard Ship sailed, and her ability to withstand water pressure let her catch more Scarlet Scale Bigfins on the seafloor with ease.
Night fell!
The Endless Sea looked like a mass of thick ink that refused to dissolve. All that could be heard was the rise and crash of the waves.
The wind blew hard across the deck. A bucket sat at Ryan's feet, and his black robe made him seem to blend into the darkness.
With the Consciousness Imprint to guide her, Harak had no need to worry about losing the Wizard Ship in the dark.
A faint glow surrounded the hull. Dim as it was, it stood out like a beacon in the darkness and often drew sea beasts toward the ship.
Around this time each night, the Automated Restaurant released pheromones to lure in sea beasts, catching them to prepare the next day's meals.
It was around eleven at night. Ryan had not expected to meet anyone at this hour, but approaching footsteps made him frown.
Agitated voices accompanied them.
Were they arguing?
Fiery red hair framed a lovely figure. Her long dress fluttered in the sea breeze, making her look like a blazing rose swaying in the wind.
Beside her stood a hunched figure in a black robe, his hood pulled over his head. The two looked as though they belonged to different worlds.
Standing in the shadows, Ryan raised an eyebrow. Of all people, it was those two.
Arthur and Anna.
Neither noticed Ryan. Caught up in their emotions, they had lost all use of the Perception Ability granted by their Spiritual Power. There were only heated words and raised voices.
"No, Anna. I don't believe you really think that. You love me, don't you?"
Arthur gazed pleadingly at the red-haired woman. His voice was painfully humble, with a hint of a sob.
Under the warm light, Anna's red hair seemed ready to burst into flame. A flush colored her fair cheeks, but her beautiful eyes were cold.
"No, Arthur. You've misunderstood. We're just friends. Love has nothing to do with it."
Her words drove through Arthur's heart like a knife.
"Then why did you accept everything I did for you? Why did you accept my kindness? You love me, don't you? Only people in love accept each other's affection like that."
Arthur spoke desperately, his hopeful gaze fixed on Anna's face.
But her beautiful face showed none of the response he wanted. Instead, she frowned and said impatiently, "I've only ever seen you as a friend, and I still do. I thought we were simply being kind to each other as friends. There were no romantic feelings involved."
It hurt. It hurt so much!
Arthur's mouth fell open. Pain seized his heart, and he felt as though he were drowning, unable to breathe. His fists clenched without his realizing it.
How could this be?
So that was how it had been all along!
"I don't believe it! I won't believe it! I love you! I really do love you! I've done so much for you!"
Arthur grew more distraught. His eyes reddened, his teeth clenched, and his face twisted with anguish. The disfigurement and torn scalp made him look especially terrifying.
Anna's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively stepped back. Arthur's eyes tightened. "Do you think I'd hurt you?" he asked bitterly. "I love you. How could I ever hurt you?"
Ryan watched their painful romantic drama without the slightest stir of emotion.
Other people's joys and sorrows did not move him. Oh, poor Arthur. How awful for you, losing your love. That kind of reaction was pointless. He would be better off studying Wizard Knowledge and successfully sketching the second Wizard Rune through Meditation.
"Arthur, that's enough. We agreed to meet today so I could make our relationship clear. Now I have. Friends are friends."
"You're not in a good state of mind. Go get some rest."
Anna did not want to keep looking at Arthur's frightening face. After offering those few words of comfort, she turned to leave.
Just then, Harak returned with a Scarlet Scale Bigfin in her grasp. The sound of her beating wings was unmistakable.
Arthur and Anna's expressions changed sharply. Both looked toward the sound.
Ryan: "..."
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