novelraw Chapter 132: Family
Chapter 132: Family
"Our purpose this trip isn't the Merfolk, there will be other opportunities..."
Only then did Loren realize something, and he added:
"Do not eat the Merfolk!"
Anna's moral baseline had always been low;
she didn't think much the first time she killed someone. Loren genuinely believed she was the kind of person who might actually eat a Merfolk.
Besides, there were many rumors about Merfolk, one of which was that they tasted delicious.
"This really is a screwed-up world..."
Staring at the sea, Loren hugged Anna. The others gathered around, and because it was so crowded, Starnight jumped from Loren's shoulder onto his head.
The sea breeze was fairly cold, but with so many people huddled together, Loren didn't feel chilly.
Mara wrapped herself in an animal hide and curled up in a corner. She glanced at the contented Loren, then looked up at the starry sky:
"Mom, I miss you. I'm so cold. I'm so scared..."Mara seemed to truly see her mother's face in the stars, but soon the face suddenly turned into a Clown, who pinched her own red nose.
"Don't stare at the stars, the starry sky is dangerous."
Loren's warning pulled Mara out of her illusion;
she suddenly felt another wave of cold.
She couldn't understand why her mother's face in the vision had turned into a Clown. She only felt the world was so unfair, not even leaving her a space to fantasize.
Loren's reminder wasn't really out of concern for her;
he was afraid that if she stared at the starry sky too long she'd be tainted by the Outer Gods, and then when they killed her she'd explode into some unpredictable death effect.
After all, the villains in this world were all stubbornly determined;
Loren had never seen one willing to just die quietly. They were always thinking up to the last second.
If not for the High Tower, Loren didn't know how many times he'd have been killed by last-moment counterattacks.
"Master Mentor, I'm so cold."
Anna hugged Loren and looked up at him, her pink eyes filled entirely with Loren.
"Let's go back to the cabin first."
Loren rubbed Anna's face to warm it, then took her hand and led her back.
Mara was like a mouse in the corner, peeking at other people's happy lives. She couldn't help but fantasize what it would be like if her parents were around—maybe they would treat her the same way.
That fantasy kept Mara sailing alone on the sea. She was also searching for her missing father, but she had no clues at all.
Maybe the pirate she casually killed earlier was her biological father—who could know?
"Mara, how far to the destination?"
"Almost there."
"Good. Remember to find me when we arrive. If we reach it there will be thick fog, just head toward the denser fog."
The treasure site was wrapped in heavy mist;
usually when ships arrived they would get lost in the fog and fail to reach the interior.
But because the Dawn Princess laid the mechanisms, it wouldn't threaten anyone's life. If you got lost you would soon come out somewhere else.
Getting in was simple: as long as there was no quarrel on the ship and the crew's resolve was firm, you could reach it. After all, the Dawn Princess created this treasure to teach people the value of friendship.
Loren and the others clearly fit that requirement, so even without Loren guiding them, Mara could get them in.
There was one more precondition: it had to be a group of people. After all, friendship doesn't exist for just one person.
Back on the ship, Loren went over the precautions for everyone again. Although the Dawn Princess wouldn't have set anything truly dangerous, so many years had passed since her death that changes were inevitable.
First and foremost, many monsters had appeared. The dense fog was perfect for their survival, and there were islands that served as footholds.
Over the years many people had died here. The fog itself didn't hurt people, but the monsters within it would. The Dawn Princess could never have imagined that the world's authority would be stolen, allowing so many monsters to spawn.
And perhaps an Angler might be here too. This environment would suit an Angler well.
Its fishing lines were long;
extending from here to the Kingdom of Anselm would not be difficult.
"What was that Dawn Princess really like? I really want to meet her."
Anna was curious about the Dawn Princess. Her life was too legendary;
the mere fact that the Orthodox Gods had to cooperate to deal with her was enough to make her a legend.
Loren even thought that if not for the gods' authority offering protection, anyone's fate at the end might have been uncertain.
"It's fine. If my necromancy reaches maturity later, maybe I can pull the Dawn Princess out..."
"That's a bit hellish..."
Loren felt uneasy as soon as he said it. The dead deserve peace;
it's better to let them rest.
Studying necromancy too much did tend to erode one's humanity. Loren remembered a joke he'd read.
The hero's younger brother was killed by the demon king, and the hero's companions vowed to help him kill the demon king.
Mage: My magic will help you.
Dwarf: My hammer too.
Necromancer: And your dead brother.
Jokes aside, necromancy was indeed useful in practical life.
"Alright, get ready. We might have to fight as soon as we land."
Loren straightened his clothes and checked that he had enough bullets.
Except for Scarlett, Loren equipped everyone with modern firearms.
"Arcane Ability can be used here, no one will know. Besides, Mara is already a dead person;
it wouldn't matter if she knew. Safety first."
If Arcane Ability could be used, the strongest among them would be Luna. Her Arcane Ability was called Moonlight Knight. Normally it boosted her physical attributes and allowed her to transform;
the brighter the moon, the greater her power increase.
Her other powers included purification, restraining evil spirits, cognitive shielding, and some moon-related magic.
If Scarlett was a mechanism freak, Luna was a numbers freak.
"Wait... Arcane Ability?"
Hearing that, Laila's mind shorted out for a moment. "Isn't Arcane Ability something only Witches have?"
"Yeah, we're all Witches."
Anna followed Laila's lead and admitted it directly.
"But... such a big deal... you just told me like that?"
Laila couldn't compose her words. As a Witch, she knew the consequences of exposing her identity. In this world's perception, it was impossible to shelter a Witch.
"We trust you."
Loren put his arm around Laila's shoulder. She still thought Loren didn't know her true gender;
Loren hadn't exposed her, waiting for the day Laila willingly revealed it.
"I..."
Laila suddenly felt an urge to confess everything to Loren, but when the words reached her lips she hesitated. After pacing back and forth a few times, she heard Mara's scream.