Chapter 370: Red Moon Rises, Ship Departs

Returning to the perspective of Wang Yu, who accompanies Diana and Haiwei toward the Merfolk territory, we find that Sieg and Noelle have since emerged from the Eden Seed space. They sail toward their destination, listening to the chatty Merfolk girl, Diana, speak of the Endless Sea.

They had agreed beforehand that, unless absolutely necessary, Sieg and Noelle would refrain from combat or displaying their true power. General threats were to be handled by Wang Yu and Avia to avoid detection by the Dragon God, which would invite the descent of divine wrath.

Unless they encountered an enemy of legendary status or higher, at which point such caution would be cast aside, Sieg would have to intervene. After all, Sieg was the very foundation of their confidence in participating in the affairs of the Dragon race on Dragon Island.

Now clad in living dragon armor and reinforced by a vast array of magitech alchemy, Sieg possesses formidable strength. While his exact standing above the legendary tier remains unknown, he is certainly beyond the reach of ordinary legends; even a legendary Fire Elemental Lord had not lasted long before him.

However, normal activities and social interactions remain unhindered. As long as he does not unleash the full extent of his draconic power, the Dragon God cannot pinpoint his location to cast divine punishment.

As for why Wang Yu and Avia—humans who have yet to reach the legendary tier—would accompany Sieg to the Dragon Island, one reason lies in Wang Yu’s uniqueness. His peculiar traits always seem to play a pivotal role in the most unexpected of circumstances.

Looking back at Wang Yu’s journey, one realizes that he rarely resolved crises through sheer brute force alone. Instead, it was his unique abilities that exerted a critical influence on events, ultimately turning the tide of the outcome.

As for the girl, Avia, her scholarship and spellcasting prowess provide unimaginable assistance to the party. The creation of various magitech apparatuses and the engraving of magic circles rely heavily on her astonishing expertise.

After sailing for more than a day, skirting the coastline of the Endless Sea, Wang Yu and his companions arrived in the far northwest of the continent.

The climate of this world’s continent is quite peculiar; it is not necessarily colder the further north one goes. Rather, the Santa Ana Snowfields are a unique zone of extreme frigidity, while traveling further northwest leads to regions that are far less cold.

Continuing from the warmer seas toward the Tidal Barrier, they reached the Merfolk territory. It was the first time Wang Yu and his group had witnessed a city constructed underwater.

The Merfolk are a race capable of autonomous activity beneath the waves; the seabed is their true home. Coming to land is, for them, a severe weakening. Their unique physiology allows them to breathe underwater, while their mastery of water elements enables them to traverse the depths at incredible speeds.

The Endless Sea serves as their natural protective barrier; unless the land-dwelling races venture into the water themselves, it is nearly impossible for them to harm the Merfolk.

Diana had come to the capital of Alestler, Shadow, in hopes of seeing new things unavailable in the Merfolk territories. Things that the land-dwellers had grown tired of were sights the Merfolk had almost never seen.

Yet, somewhat unexpectedly, a large portion of the Merfolk territory was now built above the sea surface, not surrounded by water. Merfolk who had manifested legs walked upon it, attending to their affairs, such as constructing this nascent, unfinished water city.

"I thought you would prefer living underwater; isn't that the most comfortable environment for you? But I suppose these structures are for the new knowledge you've gained from your allies on land."

Wang Yu looked at the city built upon the water and remarked to Haiwei. He had assumed he would need an underwater breathing scroll to rest in a submerged city.

Or perhaps he would simply stay on the ship, waiting for the Red Moon to rise and the passage to open, at which point the Merfolk would lead them across the natural barrier of the Tidal Barrier.

"Archbishop, you understand us well. This newly built city is indeed intended for the knowledge we’ve acquired from our land allies. After all, the knowledge they provide is not designed for underwater activity; both magitech and alchemy require a surface to be performed."

"We need a city where we can utilize this knowledge for construction. Later, our scholars will modify and refine these techniques so they can be applied underwater as well."

"As you said, the depths are where we are most comfortable."

Haiwei spoke with a smile, introducing the city to Wang Yu.

Sieg and Avia walked through this water city, built with special timber and metal foundations, observing the unique environment. However, they hadn't been wandering freely for long before Sieg was recognized.

"Pardon the intrusion, but are you Mr. Sieg Wilsbach? If I am not mistaken, may I invite you to consult on our research and construction of magic circles? We have studied your works at the Nightfall Library, and as members of the Twilight School, we have had the honor of attending your lectures!"

A Merfolk scholar, who had come to guide the construction of the water city, ran up to Sieg in great excitement, extending a sincere invitation.

Because Diana had spent time in the capital of Shadow, she was quite familiar with Sieg, a former member of the Night’s Edge.

Influenced by this, most of the Merfolk actually recognized Sieg. After leaving Alestler, Sieg’s involvement with the Nightfall Church remained high, and many church members were well aware of his illustrious name.

To them, Sieg was an incredibly learned scholar of immense talent, as well as a heavyweight professor in the newly established Twilight School. If one had the chance to invite Sieg for an academic seminar, it would be a great honor, both in a "religious" and academic sense.

Sieg had no reason to refuse. Since he was idle, he might as well guide these Merfolk in their construction—they were all members of the Nightfall Church, after all. Sieg and Avia followed the ecstatic Merfolk to guide the engraving and assembly of the magic circles throughout the city.

It was not a waste of time; in the process of assisting them, Avia and Sieg observed the Merfolk’s techniques for engraving magic circles, learning quite a bit in the process.

Living in the Endless Sea, these Merfolk exist in an environment different from the continent, and the skills they have mastered are quite unique. By drawing parallels, they were able to elevate their own standards.

Wang Yu, meanwhile, rubbed his chin, staring blankly at the statue of the Lord of Oceans and Storms, which had been erected not long ago in the new city. The statue looked no different from the ones he had seen elsewhere.

Did these Merfolk worship the Lady of the Night, or the Lord of Oceans and Storms? Logically, the Lord of Oceans and Storms was their older faith. Most intelligent races living in or around the Endless Sea worshipped this deity who governed the oceans and weather. But now, it seemed many Merfolk had turned to the Goddess of the Night.

Just then, the Merfolk girl Diana was showing Noelle—who looked much younger than her but was actually old enough to be her grandmother—around. Wang Yu called out to her, hoping to satisfy his curiosity.

"Oh, it’s fine! As for the Sea God, we just need to keep His statue in good repair and praise Him loudly on every occasion. Although His prayers are incredibly difficult to memorize—they are very, very long and completely different from the words used to praise the Lady of the Night—we all have to learn them."

"Every time we head into the deeper seas to graze and hunt, we must recite the prayers before His statue several times to express our love and respect. That way, He will bestow His power upon us so we don't encounter the extreme environments of the Endless Sea."

"As for the Lady of the Night, there aren't so many rules, haha! As long as you acknowledge Her, that's enough. It’s truly amazing!"

Diana looked left and right, then snuck over to Wang Yu, leaning in to whisper about the Lord of Oceans and Storms.

Wang Yu found it increasingly absurd. He had already learned about the Goddess of Wealth, who only cared for money, but this was his first time encountering a Sea God who thrived on formalism. It seemed that as long as the ritual was performed well, sincerity didn't matter. And did Diana whispering like this even matter to a god?

"I think those human fishermen do it much better. Their prayers aren't as troublesome or hard to remember as ours. They put their praise for the Sea God into sea shanties. Every time they set sail, the captain just has to sing the shanties with the sailors a few times to receive the protection of the Lord of Oceans and Storms."

Diana continued, then sang the ballad praising the Lord of Oceans and Storms for Wang Yu. The song, which was rugged, bold, and powerful when sung by sailors, became melodious and enchanting when enhanced by the Merfolk’s naturally beautiful voices.

The lyrics were a bit crude, but they praised the Lord of Oceans and Storms from head to toe—the kind of level that would make the Lady of the Night blush.

"But unfortunately, we can't sing this; we have to recite the prayers properly. Maybe He doesn't like the sound of our singing. Anyway, praise the great Lord of Oceans and Storms!"

After finishing the verse, Diana shook her head with a look of indignation, clearly frustrated by the Sea God’s double standards, yet she still raised her arms high to express her praise for the deity.

Wang Yu gave Diana a thumbs-up, his eyes drifting toward the statue of the Sea God. The deity’s aesthetic might be a bit abnormal—his preference for those fish-headed fish-men, and his dislike for the Merfolk’s perfect singing voice.

But truthfully, Wang Yu could feel Diana’s genuine affection for this god in her words. Although she spoke bluntly, her praise for a deity who gave benefits in exchange for flattery was sincere. Presumably, this formalistic god received plenty of faith.

"Tsk, I’m becoming more and more curious about what the God of Death and the other true gods are actually like."

He bowed to the statue of the Sea God, muttering a stream of super-flattery he had woven together from his Earthly vocabulary, hoping the deity would protect a passerby who knew how to praise him well during the upcoming journey, while his mind wandered to the other gods.

...

"Pfft! Bang!"

A blood-red spear was thrown with violent force by Wang Yu. The extra-sharpened tip, reinforced by his multiple powers, easily pierced the body of a giant eel-like sea beast that had surfaced near the Merfolk’s sea city, eager to launch an attack.

The highly aggressive blood spread and ravaged the interior of the giant sea beast, destroying its tissues. While consuming these substances for nutrients, it drew a constant stream of vitality from the Triumph Flag, increasing the volume of blood and accelerating the destruction.

After the sea beast howled and struggled in agony for a time, it ceased to move. The blood Wang Yu had injected into the wound spread out on its own, transforming into iron chains that returned to his hand, which Wang Yu then pulled to drag the carcass into the Merfolk’s sea city.

The blood-red moonlight spilling from the sky illuminated the vast sea and the corpse of the giant beast—eerie and beautiful. The Blood Moon had risen.

Having helped the Merfolk clear away the last of the ordinary sea beasts attacking that night, Wang Yu boarded the magitech ship he would be traveling on. Diana, Haiwei, and several other Merfolk would pilot several ships to lead the way, guiding Wang Yu and his companions through the hidden passage in the Tidal Barrier.

Under the illumination of the blood-red moonlight, the fleet departed from the Merfolk city, setting sail toward the Tidal Barrier.

(The plot, it’s time to pick up the pace!)