novelraw Chapter 205-2: Iridescent Sea Shells, the Fire-Worshipping Heartless Thieves (2)
Chapter 205-2: Iridescent Sea Shells, the Fire-Worshipping Heartless Thieves (2)
[You have possessed the Shell of the Deep-Sea Siren!]
Lin Xun opened the panel to check.
The monster’s stats were higher than the envoy’s, but compared to the Shells he already carried, this one was basically trash.
But monsters weren’t without their advantages.
Perhaps by using these monster Shells, he could successfully cross the sea.
He opened his inventory to inspect the newly acquired item.
[Iridescent Sea Shell x8 (Item): A small, multicolored shell harvested from the deep sea. Faint mists drift off it, dreamlike and ethereal. Deep-Sea Sirens typically use these shells to cover their bodies.]
[Using this item will temporarily disguise your inhuman form, making you appear as an ordinary person.]
Lin Xun’s eyes lit up.
The Deep-Sea Sirens must have used these to transform their tails into legs.In his hands, the Iridescent Sea Shell might prove even more useful.
Lin Xun tried swimming underwater in the Deep-Sea Siren Shell and found himself moving astonishingly fast, much quicker than any of his other Shells.
And as a native ocean creature, the mermaid consumed virtually no stamina while swimming, especially with the Subspecies Sea Dragon Pearl enhancing it.
To be safe, Lin Xun discarded some useless Shells from his Shell slots and filled them with Deep-Sea Sirens instead.
“Four mermaids should be enough to get me across.”
He was about to start his grand ocean crossing when he suddenly sensed something amiss.
“This is the starting area. If an ordinary Apostle entered this chapter, how would they proceed?”
“Without Thousand Faces, Ten Thousand Forms, they couldn’t possess the mermaids and would have no way to cross the sea.”
“Could it be that more events are meant to happen next?”
The thought made him put aside the plan to swim across by himself for now.
He returned to the ship and waited silently.
He didn’t know how long had passed when the cursed game text began displaying again.
[Restless, you glance toward the stern. There, the corpses of the Deep-Sea Sirens lay strewn in disarray. Though their lower fish halves were unusable, the meat could still be eaten.]
[Do you wish to light a fire and cook a seafood feast?]
“Tch.”
Lin Xun had thought some special event would trigger, but it turned out to be the cursed game’s idea of a joke.
He was about to press ‘No’ when his sixth sense as a veteran player gave a warning.
In the game, Shells never had a hunger mechanic. As long as a wandering soul possessed a Shell, there was no need to eat or sleep, only to rest when stamina was spent.
For the game to suddenly present an eating option here probably meant it wasn’t really about food.
The game often liked to troll him, but this time, the text felt more like a hint at something…
After thinking a moment, he chose ‘Yes.’
[You returned to the cabin, dragged out the old, dust-covered stove, and brought it back to the deck.]
[The firewood had grown damp from the earlier storm. After several tries, you finally managed to get it burning.]
[Strangely, the flames you lit were not bright yellow but pitch black.]
[Thick black smoke billowed from the stove, rising straight into the sky…]
Lin Xun froze. He wasn’t even possessing the little dragonkin, he was in the envoy’s Shell.
Where had this black fire come from?
While he stood there puzzled, the game text continued.
[You have acquired one stack of Calamitous Fallen Karmic Fire!]
What the hell?
Lin Xun waited a long time but didn’t notice any obvious effects. Confused, he opened his panel.
A new attribute had appeared:
[Calamitous Fallen Karmic Fire: 1 Stack]
This new property wasn’t in the Shell Panel but in the Apostle Panel itself.
It was listed right below the Knowledge stat!
“Could it be…”
Lin Xun’s thoughts raced.
After clearing the World of Omniscience, he’d browsed other guides on the Apostle Forum.
No other chapter had ever spontaneously added a new stat like Knowledge.
At the time, he’d concluded that Knowledge was unique to the World of Omniscience.
And now, this first stack of Calamitous Fallen Karmic Fire probably meant this world had its own unique attribute too.
If so, maybe every Hell Difficulty chapter came with its own exclusive stat?
[Black smoke coiled upward, reaching the sky.]
[After a long while, you suddenly felt something and looked back…]
[At the horizon, a long ship had appeared without you noticing. Its sails were full as it headed straight for you.]
[You raised your hand to shield your eyes. When it got a little closer, you could see it was a three-masted warship with several large ballistae mounted along the sides.]
[Compared to your little boat, this modest-displacement warship was a veritable behemoth.]
[The ship drew nearer and nearer…]
Lin Xun narrowed his eyes. After only a moment’s thought, he decisively returned to the cabin and clicked the Resting Page’s refresh function.
Instantly, all the monster corpses at the stern vanished, leaving only bloody smears behind.
[You have possessed the Shell of the Corrupted Ancient Theater Dancer!]
[You opened your dim eyes, took a nimble dancing step, and your figure swiftly disappeared from view…]
[You returned to the stern. The warship that had just been a distant speck was now less than a kilometer away. You could even see figures moving along its hull.]
[You maintained your stealth, waiting for the warship to approach…]
[…]
[The three-masted warship had come alongside you. From its tall side, two heavy boarding planks were lowered, making your little boat rock precariously.]
[Several figures descended, heads wrapped in cloth, weapons in hand: spears, short blades, or bows.]
[You have discovered Fire-Worshipping Heartless Thieves!]
[Do you wish to attack them?]
[You continued to stay hidden, silently lying in wait…]
[They came across the boarding planks onto your small boat, checking everywhere. They found nothing but an empty cabin and bloodstains on the stern.]
[Finding no living soul seemed to enrage them. They stabbed their spears through the deck, then used chisels to punch holes into the hull.]
[As seawater began to flood in, soon to submerge the little ship, the thieves laughed boisterously and climbed back across the boarding planks onto the warship…]
[Do you wish to quietly follow them onto the warship?]
[You stayed invisible, silently tailing them and boarding the warship…]
[On the deck of the three-masted warship, dozens of Fire-Worshipping Heartless Thieves were gathered. When their companions came back empty-handed, they all flew into a frustrated rage, though there was nothing they could do but sullenly return to the cabins.]
[The warship turned about and began sailing in another direction…]
[According to the Simple Nautical Chart, you realized the ship was heading for Sakura Falls.]
[A few thieves remained on deck to guard the helm. Do you wish to attack them or sneak into the hold?]
The envoy Shell in your Shell slots, while possessing nautical skill, could only operate a single-masted boat.
This three-masted warship clearly wasn’t something one person could sail alone.
Rather than slaughtering all the thieves, it was better to hitch a ride straight to Sakura Falls.
And the best way to travel unnoticed was to infiltrate the enemy ranks.
[You stayed hidden, silently slipping into the hold…]