Renting a ship to sail out to sea was no small matter.
Soul beasts were scarce in the coastal waters near Vast Sea City. The real hunting grounds lay far offshore.
Those waters had fierce winds and heavy waves, and sea soul beasts appeared frequently. Ordinary fishing boats could never withstand them.
Soul masters heading out to hunt usually rented specialized soul-powered ships. Their sturdy hulls were engraved with defensive formations that could withstand attacks from sea soul beasts.
There were exceptions, though.
Some soul masters found those ships too expensive and chose to share one. Several people would pool their money, split the cost, and sail together.
Nezha continued along the docks, scanning the signs of the ship rental businesses.
He stopped outside a small storefront with a ship rental sign. Though the premises were modest, the soul-powered ships moored outside looked well maintained, with thick hulls and clearly defined formation patterns.
"Looking to rent a ship, sir?" A dark-skinned man came out to greet him, his face wreathed in smiles.
"For the open sea. Your best one," Nezha said.
The man's eyes lit up, and he quickly ushered him inside. "Perfect timing, sir. We've just acquired the Deep Blue, built specifically for offshore voyages. Its hull has seven layers of defensive formations. It can even withstand a collision with an ordinary ten-thousand-year sea soul beast. Will you be renting it alone?"
"Alone."
"Then it won't come cheap." The man rubbed his hands together. "Fifty gold soul coins a day, with a deposit of five hundred."
"Fine." Nezha took a bag of gold soul coins from his storage soul tool and set it on the counter. "One month to start."
The man froze for a moment, then broke into an ear-to-ear grin. He hurriedly counted and put away the