"Ulalalalalala!"
The Murlocs' cries had echoed across the entire stretch of sea, and their enormous swarm was inching closer to the Advance!
Karin looked out and could already make out their ugly faces and the emerald-green slime dribbling from their mouths. The Murlocs were small, about half the height of a grown man, but their limbs were muscular. Some brandished claws, while others carried rusty hooks, anchors, and cutlasses... There were astonishing numbers of them, too. By a conservative estimate, the swarm contained several hundred Murlocs!
Karin had quietly tightened his grip on his staff, unease stirring in his heart. With so many Murlocs before them and barely more than twenty sailors aboard, the crew would be no match for the swarm.
The rumble of wheels over the deck came from behind him. Kingsley, the Dwarf, emerged from the hold, panting as he pushed a small cart loaded with several heavy black sacks. There was no telling what was inside.
"Captain, I've brought the supplies!"
Captain Leguli hurriedly called to several nearby crewmen. "Come on, give me a hand!"
Together, they hoisted one of the black sacks from the cart and carried it to the edge of the deck. Captain Leguli drew his cutlass and sliced open the sack.
An overpowering fishy stench immediately filled the deck. Karin could barely stand it and covered his nose... He was hardly alone; many of the crewmen around him reacted the same way.
The black sack was filled with all sorts of rotten fish and shrimp. Some had been left so long that they had gone thoroughly foul, and the smell was intense! Karin could guarantee that in Quel'Thalas, few people would want fish and shrimp like these even to feed their lynxes.
But when the distant Murlocs caught the stench, they grew even more excited and began shrieking!
"Tip it overboard!" Captain Leguli ordered.
Working together, the crew emptied the entire sack of rotten fish and shrimp into the sea... The Advance continued north, leaving the scraps drifting in the current.
The pungent stench seemed irresistibly alluring to the Murlocs. Many abandoned their pursuit of the Advance and turned toward the rotten fish and shrimp floating in the water instead... Some even began fighting over the food.
Yet a third of the Murlocs ignored the scramble for food and continued chasing the Advance!
The Advance traveled roughly another half nautical mile. By then, the Murlocs were probably only three hundred yards away! At Captain Leguli's command, another full sack of rotten fish and shrimp was emptied into the sea!
The remaining Murlocs swarmed over once again, feasting in the water!
Only a dozen or so Murlocs were still pursuing the Advance!
At the sight of these dozen or so "persistent" Murlocs, much of the tension aboard the ship finally eased.
"Buck, you're up!" Captain Leguli turned to the Dwarf with a smile.
"All right! Watch this!" Musketeer Buck pushed his already prepared short cannon a few steps forward and aimed at the dozen or so Murlocs swimming furiously after them... The cannon had already been loaded with gunpowder and ammunition.
"You little Murloc bastards! Have a taste of old Buck's might!"
A deafening boom rang out, and the cannonball burst among the remaining few dozen Murlocs.
At the sight of the bright red blood spreading through the water, the crew on deck cheered loudly.
The cannon blast sent the remaining Murlocs scattering... After all, they had some intelligence and would not throw their lives away for nothing.
"Musketeer Buck, Longbowman Nathanos, and you others, stay on deck and keep an eye on the Murlocs for a while!" Captain Leguli ordered. "Everyone else, let's head back below and wait for their report!"
The people on deck gradually dispersed.
Karin headed below, with Captain Leguli walking beside him.
"Sorry you had to witness that, Mr. Karin!" Captain Leguli said heartily.
"Captain Leguli, I must say, the method you devised for dealing with the Murlocs was truly ingenious!" Karin could not help praising him.
"I can't take credit for that." Captain Leguli smiled and explained, "Cargo ships on the Great Sea have dealt with Murloc swarms this way since time immemorial. I was merely following their example... Besides, things can still go wrong. If the swarm has a sufficiently clever leader, it might ignore the food and lead the Murlocs in pursuit of our ship..."
"The Murlocs aren't following us! We're safe!" Buck's voice came from the deck.
"Looks like nothing went wrong, then?" Karin shrugged at Captain Leguli.
"Indeed!" Captain Leguli breathed a sigh of relief. "Mr. Karin, would you care to join me for a drink?"
"I'd be honored. Thank you for the invitation!"
In the Advance's dining room, Captain Leguli brought out a bottle of red wine.
"This is rum from Alterac. Do give it a try, Master Mage!" Captain Leguli said with a smile.
"It smells very authentic!" Karin remarked after taking a sniff.
"Of course!" Captain Leguli said proudly. "After all my years in this trade, there's no chance of any counterfeit liquor making it into my collection!"
Several crewmen brought out a few small dishes. For a voyage at sea, it was quite a lavish spread.
Somewhat excited, Captain Leguli raised a glass of rum. "Let's have a toast, Mr. Karin, to our successful escape!"
"With pleasure!" Karin raised his glass as well.
Before that Midsummer Festival, before the transmigration had occurred, Karin Sunfury had been a regular at all manner of banquets and gatherings in Quel'Thalas. His tolerance for alcohol had long since been honed... Captain Leguli, on the other hand, might have looked rugged, but he could not hold his liquor at all.
A few glasses were enough to leave the captain slumped over the table.
In his drunken state, he rambled on about many things... He spoke of how he had risen through the ranks of Lordaeron's cavalry guard, only to offend a cavalryman of noble birth, who had used his connections to force him out of service. Eventually, he had ended up with this trading company and slowly worked his way up to become its leader...
Karin could do little about it. Several times, he tried to excuse himself, but the captain clutched his sleeve and refused to let him leave.
About half an hour later, Captain Leguli finally passed out... Karin drank a small vial of Lion's Strength Potion, then helped him to the captain's quarters.
Looking at Captain Leguli lying drunk on the bed, Karin gave a wry smile and was just about to leave-
"Mr. Karin, do you know what the most terrifying creatures on the Great Sea are?" Captain Leguli's voice suddenly came from behind him.
His eyes were still tightly shut. Apparently, he was talking in his sleep.
"I'm sorry, Captain Leguli. I really don't know!"
"Not Murlocs, not Naga, and not the Hydras of the deep... It's... it's... people!"