Tulip

In the end Bai Ye still failed to let Specter get what he wanted.

He did not show favoritism, but chose to treat everyone equally.

Since Gladiia deliberately avoided her, all three of them had a great time.

However, Specter did not forget Gladiia's words, and they ended the seemingly endless battle at night.

After taking a shower, the three of them changed into clean clothes and sheets and lay down on the big bed.

"Sometimes, I think, if we can never go back to our hometown, and we are blocked on land by the Seaborn, it's not such a bad thing," Specter said suddenly, looking at the ceiling.

Bai Ye and Skadi listened quietly without saying a word.

"Only after experiencing hell can one understand how fortunate one is to have this life now... Yes, you can never have too much of this feeling." Specter said, snuggling her head into Bai Ye's arms.

Bai Ye nodded. "Yes, that's how humans are. Sometimes, too much happiness can make people nauseous, but even so, people still have to swallow their happiness."

"But, after all, we are hunters. We can't abandon our hometown. As long as this disaster is not resolved, we hunters cannot back down, even if we are the last one left."

Specter softly expressed his concerns.

Abyssal Hunter are not machines; they have feelings and they get tired. Those who fight monsters should be careful not to become monsters themselves.

Fortunately, both hunters seem to have found spiritual solace and are not easily driven to madness.

"Bai Ye, you should help Gladiia too," Skadi suddenly said. "Swordfish, ever since I first met her, her expression has never changed."

"It's still the same now... but I can sense that she's forcing herself. This is not a good sign."

"She was very tired."

Skadi said softly.

"I understand." Bai Ye nodded.

He had no reason to refuse Skadi.

Skadi smiled contentedly. In her eyes, there were only three Abyssal Hunter left in the world, and she didn't want to lose any more of her blood relatives.

At some point, Bai Ye opened her eyes.

The endless sound of the tide filled his ears, and the seawater was gently caressing his ankles.

Looking up, the Twin Moons seemed almost within reach, hovering close to the sky above the earth, and the craters above them were even clearly visible.

Bai Ye stood up with practiced ease.

Sure enough, he came here again.

It's unclear whether the Swarm approached him or he approached the Swarm.

From initial vigilance and tension to current relaxation, it feels like returning home.

"The hunter is going home."

An ethereal voice rang in Bai Ye's ears.

Without even turning around, I knew it was Ishar-mla.

In the past, Bai Ye would have been furious at the way He used Skadi, but now, it just felt strange.

Sometimes, he even wondered if it would feel strange to have Skadi wear this outfit.

After all, it is a very gorgeous outfit.

Bai Ye walked to the seaside.

You probably haven't seen the ocean with your own eyes yet, have you?

Ishar-mla walked beside him, her bare feet covered in fine white sand, which she then washed clean in the seawater.

That's not entirely wrong, since Bai Ye hadn't gone directly to the beach on his previous trips to Iberia. He mostly frequented churches and their underground areas.

However, Bai Ye had seen the real sea.

That was truly boundless, truly azure.

"Well, who knows?" Bai Ye replied vaguely.

Ishar-mla didn't delve into it further, because she knew something about the origins of Bai Ye from these silver sealing chains.

Perhaps, He or She is the one who understands Bai Ye the most, even Skadi and Specter cannot compare to Him.

For almost half of the time after she transmigrated, she stayed by Bai Ye's side.

After a moment of silence, Ishar-mla spoke again, "This time, you will get what you want."

"Is this... a prophecy?"

Ishar-mla didn't speak, she just shook her head.

Bai Ye smiled and said, "Then let's take it as a blessing from the goddess."

Although this goddess is not a proper deity.

"Don't feel guilty," Ishar-mla added. "The survival of individuals is irrelevant. What we care about is the Swarm as a whole."

"Therefore, even fellow countrymen can be used as food and nourishment."

"If you want to harm your fellow countrymen, you can kill them."

Ishar-mla's voice was gentle and light, but her words were filled with the cruelty of survival.

Am I special?

Bai Ye smiled.

Ishar-mla nodded seriously. "Whether as the Firstborn or as a human, you are indispensable."

Ishar-mla possesses the power to migrate, and her natural instinct to adapt and evolve makes her yearn for the sky.

Perhaps, the starry sky is the true home of the Swarm.

And Bai Ye, naturally, is the one who can lead the species towards the starry sky.

The power that had previously sealed her away also made Ishar-mla feel threatened and fearful.

She had a premonition that if Bai Ye died prematurely, something terrible would happen, and the future of the Swarm would come to an abrupt end.

Therefore, Ishar-mla will ensure the survival of the Bai Ye no matter what.

When Bai Ye woke up, Specter was already getting dressed.

She took off her tutu, put on a nun's habit, wore a headscarf, and hung a chain and cross on her head.

Gladiia stood outside the door, arms crossed, scrutinizing them.

Bai Ye sighed softly and slowly sat up, surprised to find herself being the last to wake up.

Specter picked up the circular saw, folded it along with the specially made saw blade, and hid it in the Music Box.

Then she turned around and looked at Bai Ye with a smile.

"Don't worry about me, protect Skadi. I have the captain to protect me."

Yes, after leaving Bai Ye, she will gradually enter that state of her past until she returns to the seaside, at which point she will recover.

Bai Ye nodded, suddenly remembering Ishar-mla's words from last night.

He looked at Laurentina and said seriously, "Shark, this time, we'll find what we're looking for."

Is this a prophecy?

Specter raised the cross on his chest.

Bai Ye remained silent.

"Then let it be a blessing, a blessing from the Bai Ye."

Chapter Sixteen Tulip

(Azur Lane CN server, that's what made me laugh today)

Saltwind City.

A tiny, insignificant town on the Iberia coast. Like other coastal towns, it could be swallowed by the sea at any moment.

A tiny, insignificant place.

However, this is also the answer given by Dr. Kal'tsit, and the end of this journey for Bai Ye and the Abyssal Hunter.

Specter and Gladiia had already set off ahead, heading to Saltwind City to find their target, as agreed.

Regardless, they were determined to infiltrate the Abyssal Church. Although it sounded crazy, with Specter involved, the church's followers wouldn't be willing to give up this only remaining experimental result.

However, Bai Ye and Skadi did not immediately get up and head to Saltwind City.

Bai Ye first opened the game system panel, and then issued exploration quests to Players through the Adventurers' Association.

["The Starting Point for Exploring the Deep Blue"]

Category: Exploration Mission

Description: There is a mysterious kingdom by the sea. It was once glorious, and it also fell into ruin in an instant. Perhaps you have heard someone mention this word—"The Great Silence".

Explore this mysterious kingdom and uncover its hidden secrets.

Note: Iberia does not welcome you. All Players entering its territory will receive a natural reputation level of "Neutral." Any inappropriate behavior may lead to hostility.

Yes, Bai Ye has released the Players.

He had a feeling that this time they might cause a big commotion.

This was enough to alarm the Iberian Inquisition and the Punishment Force.

Or perhaps, they were already being watched by the Inquisition last time.

This time, it's very likely we won't be able to avoid it.

Bai Ye plans to first send Players to stir up trouble in Iberia and draw the attention of the Inquisition.

This is also the Players's greatest role.

Moreover, Iberia, which has been flooded with Players, may become more accepting of outsiders—and of course, it may also become more irritable.

Bai Ye simply didn't want to be targeted by those religious fanatics so early.

They are even harder to talk to than Gladiia; they may not be able to tolerate Bai Ye's theory—peaceful coexistence with Seaborn.

Dr. Kal'tsit is right. Although they possess great power, that is not a reason for the Bai Ye to run rampant without restraint.

This world is very complex; besides Great Beast and Beast Lord, there are many other ridiculously powerful beings.

For example, Bai Ye can indeed change the celestial phenomena and avert Catastrophe in an instant, but there are also people in the Great Yan who can do it easily.

Wei Yenwu once told him that if there were continuous rainy days, the old master of the Great Yan would complain that his knees could not withstand the dampness and cold, so he would casually fan himself with his old palm-leaf fan.

In the blink of an eye, the clouds dispersed, the fog lifted, and the rain receded.

This has an almost identical effect to the celestial manipulation Bai Ye.

Bai Ye was stunned when Wei Yenwu said that.

He hadn't expected that the magic arts and celestial masters of the Great Yan Dynasty would be so advanced.

From then on, Bai Ye began to act cautiously.

What Bai Ye didn't expect was that the wave of Players entering Iberia would also spark a "gold rush" among the native bounty hunters.

These bounty hunters kept a close eye on the Players' movements. When they discovered that these undead were starting to inquire about Iberia and looking for ways to infiltrate it, they became even more convinced of the legend that Iberia possessed treasure.

After all, Players are notorious for never leaving empty-handed; even if they have nothing, they can still squeeze some oil out of you.