Eldritch Horror Theatre

In truth, Fu Qian wasn't entirely certain there were fishmen on their route back.

The Ash Sea's ability to block perception was no joke.

But a true master had to be bold enough to make judgments—even blind guesses.

Think about it. These legendary femme fatale fishmen were neither attacking nor leaving. Instead, they were staying put to gently sing to you. What could their goal possibly be?

Was this their paradise? Had they cultivated such a pleasant mood here that they no longer cared for conflict?

Considering they were in a place like the Ash Sea, rather than entertaining fairy-tale fantasies, it was much safer to assume a conspiracy.

The simplest explanation was that they were acting as a distraction. So guessing they were being flanked wasn't out of line, right?

And what if he was just being overly cynical? What if the fishmen truly were warm and hospitable, and their song was merely a welcome?

That made things even simpler! They could just rush over, say hello, and maybe even get a guided tour!

It was hard to say whether Lane had connected the dots, but his execution was undeniably flawless.

Intimidated by the "perceptive" findings of a master like himself, no one on the ship voiced any objections. Everyone quickly took their posts, bracing for the worst.

The next moment, the small ship accelerated like never before. Transforming into a darting arrow, it plunged straight into the bounds of the torrential rain.

The world fell instantly silent.

In response to their distant guests' reaction, the fishmen's singing stopped.

Given how perfectly synchronized the stop was—and filtering out the heavy rain as white noise—the sudden silence felt almost absolute.

However, this peace didn't last long.

Just as the crew strained their bloodshot eyes, desperately searching for any trace of the fishmen, the song quietly began again.

Only this time, it was drastically different.

It remained seductive and soul-stirring, but now it carried a dense, maddening frenzy—like a musical rendition of a praying mantis's deadly courtship.

This abrupt shift from pure romance to extreme, morbid obsession came directly from the direction of the Floating Islands. And there was far more than just one voice.

Realizing this, the terrified crew turned to look back in unison, finally spotting the figures they had been searching for.

Slender and beautiful with bewitching faces, the human-bodied, fish-tailed creatures rode the waves across the pale gray sea.

They really were fishmen...

This elegant scene successfully shattered the last illusions of a few crew members, especially given their double-digit numbers.

Right now, over twenty of these figures were speeding toward them with soul-stirring howls, charging forward with the ferocity of a bridal raiding party.

"Those earlier ones were just distracting us. We've actually been surrounded."

Given her gender, the nearby Ms. Rachel was slightly more immune to the spectacle. Still, her face was pale as she offered her analysis.

"If we hadn't run when we did... we'd likely be trapped on the Floating Islands right now."

Lane gritted his teeth beside her, frantically barking orders to accelerate.

"An effortless favor."

Taking in the scene, Fu Qian—in his capacity as operations advisor—accepted the credit with unapologetic modesty.

...Wait, it really was this guy's doing!

Although the words sounded grating, they instantly jogged Lane's memory.

Whether it was their sudden departure or their current refusal to turn back, this guy had been the one pushing for it.

These fishmen were clearly not the friendly sort. Combined with the coordination they had just displayed, if the ship had been pinned down at the Floating Islands, they would have been left to rot there—even if the creatures didn't swarm them immediately.

This guy really knew a lot about this place!

"Thank you for the warning, Mister Fang. What do you make of our current situation?"

His thoughts racing, Lane immediately adopted a humble, respectful tone.

"Right now, huh..."

Fu Qian watched the fishmen, who had plunged straight into the torrential rain and were still in relentless pursuit.

Even the choir from earlier was closing in around them now.

The situation was undeniably critical. A moment later, he spoke thoughtfully.

"Based on my observations, these fishmen look quite similar to each other."

...What?

This time, it wasn't just Lane. Rachel, who had been listening closely nearby, was completely dumbfounded.

They were running for their lives, and he was focused on the appearances of these vicious monsters?

And could he even see them clearly in this kind of storm?

Just when they thought this guy was somewhat reliable, he said something that made them want to faint.

However, despite her conflicted expression, his remark still prompted Rachel to take another look.

He was right—they really did look similar...

Although visibility was poor, several fishmen had already closed the distance.

At a glance, it was obvious they weren't as beautiful as one might imagine. Their bodies were riddled with all sorts of deformities.

Bizarre scales, split fishtails, and even extra arms—it perfectly matched what one would expect from Ash Sea creatures.

But in stark contrast, their faces were startlingly identical, as if they had all been molded from the same template.

Of course, at this moment, every single face wore the exact same sickly, fanatical zeal.

"Generally speaking, fishmen are believed to be merfolk twisted by the Ash Sea. For this many to gather at once, some special power might be causing this."

Lane gritted his teeth as he listened, but after a moment of hesitation, he offered a brief explanation.

"Sailing at this speed takes a massive toll on me. I can't keep it up for much longer. Once we slow down, they'll likely catch up to us. We aren't out of danger yet."

As he spoke, Lane smoothly steered the small ship into a sharp turn, dodging a fishman that tried to intercept them.

"And this ship was barely patched together to begin with. If it takes any more damage, it'll be completely useless. Do you have any suggestions, Mister Fang?"

Although the man before him was hard to read, he had schemed so hard to borrow a ship that he surely wouldn't want it destroyed so easily.

Lane decided to leverage this to force the man to stop observing and act.

"Don't be so quick to declare your limits."

Unfortunately, Fu Qian just focused on the next wave of lunging fishmen and shook his head naturally.

"True warriors constantly improve themselves and challenge the impossible."

...

His eyelids twitching from the "encouragement," Lane didn't even have time to express his thoughts before the ship jolted violently, nearly losing its balance.

Immediately stabilizing the vessel, Lane seemingly found an outlet for his fury and roared for a group of people to come help.

Looking back, he saw a surging torrent of water slowly receding in their wake. That was what had almost flipped the ship just now.

And judging from the slightly bizarre gestures of one particular fishman, she was clearly responsible.

It wasn't too surprising for supernatural creatures living in the sea to possess such abilities.

"It does look a bit serious. How about I go down and kill one to intimidate them?"

Faced with this sudden development, Fu Qian pondered for a moment and actually offered a suggestion.

"Really? You can do that?"

Lane, who had been struggling to suppress his rage, froze as the words registered.

"It's a piece of cake. Captain Lane, you should have known that already."

Fu Qian waved his hand dismissively.

"Why would I have known that..."

"You didn't know?"

Fu Qian looked around in surprise.

"Didn't you call them over to help me get down there?"

...

Lane's expression instantly froze.

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