novelraw Chapter 446: Turbidity
Chapter 446: Turbidity
Fisher seemed to have had another dream.
His consciousness was muddled and heavy, like the state before the birth of stars, not knowing where he was or where he was going.
He just felt himself constantly falling, endlessly falling.
It wasn't until a very, very long time had passed that he faintly realized he had stopped, stopping in a place so dark he couldn't see his own hand.
The surroundings were terrifyingly dark but not enclosed. Standing in place, Fisher faintly felt the salty, cool, slightly fishy sea breeze slapping his face. From extremely far away, he also heard the sound of crashing ocean waves beating against the shore.
"Crash! Crash! Crash! Crash!"
That sound of ocean waves, completely devoid of any rhythm, should originally have been reassuring white noise. Yet for some reason, at this moment, it made Fisher feel exceptionally irritable and uneasy. A fine layer of goosebumps rose alertly on his back, making Fisher unconsciously want to flee this place quickly.
But he truly had no path to walk. The surrounding darkness, representing the unknown, made even taking a single step a luxury.
However, as time went on, amidst this pitch-black darkness, Fisher's eyes seemed to adapt a little, allowing him to roughly see the nearby scenery.
He seemed to be standing on a broad and steep stone cliff. And right in front of him was a boundless, surging, deep black ocean.That incredibly magnificent ocean, resembling an abyss, seemed as if it wanted to occupy his entire line of sight with just a single glance, wanting to swallow him completely.
In an instant, he felt like he had reverted to the form of a baby hiding in swaddling clothes, instinctively fearing the surrounding darkness, noise, and the unsupported feeling of falling.
And at this very moment, the incredibly vast, surging black sea before him was fully imbued with this daunting intention, making him feel a sense of recoil from the bottom of his heart.
"Crash! Crash! Crash!"
The profound ocean, like an abyss, was so turbid in the lightless night, yet it exuded an allure that made one want to gaze deeply into it.
But just as Fisher mustered his courage to try and gaze into the ocean, he began an endless plummet once again, collapsing toward the boundless profundity.
"Mmh!"
When Fisher woke up, the first thing he felt was a sense of being absolutely refreshed and invigorated. It was as if a porter carrying a ten-thousand-jin load suddenly had all his burdens removed one day.
He first let out a long sigh of relief, but then suddenly realized that his head seemed to be resting on an extremely soft place.
Fisher was slightly stunned. Looking up, he was surprised to find himself lying on a lap pillow formed by Helaire's closed legs.
At this moment, in this somewhat rudimentary tent, only the messy white bedding on the ground and Helaire's usual expression proved the madness of last night—although just as Helaire had said, she hadn't completely transformed into a female yet, and Fisher was completely helpless to do that kind of thing.
The body of an angel was perfect, with few human sexual characteristics or organs to distinguish it. Even for Fisher last night, it rendered him powerless. However, Helaire was a wildly imaginative genius, and she successfully proved that even using other methods worked just as well.
And from the looks of it now, Fisher actually felt the effect was surprisingly good, even making him feel for the first time like he had enjoyed himself so much he forgot to return...
"You're awake? Good timing, it's just dawn. None of them are awake yet."
Amidst the somewhat profound, faint fragrance, Helaire's soft and breathtakingly beautiful face seemed to be wrapped in a layer of the world's warmest sunlight. It was neither intense nor glaring, yet so full of vitality—a feeling unique only to the first ray of morning sunlight.
Her left hand gently stroked his cheek, like a cool, soft veil brushing past, bringing a comfortable, slight itch.
Looking at the slightly lowered Helaire, Fisher, lying on her lap pillow, opened his mouth. Just as he wanted to move his hand to grab the hand stroking his cheek, he realized that his right hand was surprisingly tightly clasping her other hand with their fingers intertwined.
And it seemed he had maintained this sleeping posture for a very long time.
This made Fisher rather embarrassed. After a moment of hesitation, he finally spoke.
"...You didn't rest last night?"
"Everything mortal actually doesn't apply to angels... We don't need to rest, eat, excrete, or reproduce. The reason I did those things before was just for fun. Besides, even if I needed to rest, helping you take care of it last night was so late that I completely didn't have the chance to~"
Fisher didn't know when she put on the white robe, nor did he know when he ended up lying on her lap pillow. He stood up without saying a word. The desires in his body were unprecedentedly completely empty, making him feel surprisingly satisfied.
"We're still inside Lord Tao's barrier right now. Is it really okay for you to expose your identity like this?"
"Who knows if it matters or not?"
Fisher angrily turned his head, preparing to glare at her, but suddenly found that her breathtakingly beautiful face had silently leaned extremely close behind him. Unaware of this, Fisher accidentally brushed his lips against her cheek when he turned his head.
"Bo!"
That gentle touch made Fisher subconsciously retreat a little. It was only when he saw the evil smile that always accompanied her face that he realized he had been tricked.
"Are you itching for a beating again?"
He spoke expressionlessly, but it only made the smile on Helaire's face grow brighter.
"Cute... Truly cute... So disrupting your plans results in such a cute display. I understand now~"
Satisfied, Helaire lightly covered her mouth. Then she stretched her waist, stood up, and swayed out of the tent. She didn't explain whether exposing things like an angel inside Lord Tao's barrier would lead to the secret getting out. She only smiled, tapped her red lips, and turned back to remind Fisher.
"Hurry up and get up, they're about to wake up soon. If you're caught walking out of my tent, it'll be trouble~"
This woman...
Fisher rubbed his head. After a moment of silence, he also stood up, following the faint fragrance Helaire left behind toward the outside of the tent.
Outside, within the Peach Blossom Spring barrier, it was the time of early morning, with the sun just bringing the first light of dawn. Helaire had completely disappeared the moment she stepped out of the barrier, while the others, including the demi-human females gifted to him, were all still resting.
Fisher wandered around the tent a few times and ate a few peaches for breakfast before a well-rested Gou Wen finally walked out of the tent he shared with Mikhail.
He looked at Fisher, who was chewing on a peach outside, and was slightly taken aback. Then he turned his head to glance at the tent he rested in, groggily asking with suspicion.
"You didn't go back to our tent to rest last night?"
There were four tents in total. The one where those demi-humans danced earlier was the first one. Helaire enjoyed one by herself, and the remaining ones were for the men and women respectively. Asuka Karasawa and Nekelia stayed in the women's tent. According to the arrangement, Fisher was supposed to share a room with Gou Wen and the others.
"Ah, hmm, it was too late. I was afraid of disturbing your rest."
As Gou Wen's consciousness grew clearer, his expression became weirder and weirder as he looked at the refreshed and invigorated Fisher before him. He hurriedly used his curse to sweep a glance at the other party's specific condition. This sweep was fine, but it gave him a fright.
He saw that the vital energy slightly overflowing from Fisher's lower abdomen, which had been on the verge of exploding, had surprisingly, bizarrely been emptied completely, not a single drop remaining. This made Gou Wen involuntarily fantasize about a protracted battle that might have occurred last night.
With a pained heart, he pointed his finger at Fisher and gnashed his teeth as he said.
"You... what did you do last night?! You're being too reckless! To actually... actually do such a thing?!"
Fisher wasn't worried that he heard the commotion from his and Helaire's side, because he suddenly realized that this fellow Helaire possessed outstanding abilities in terms of concealment or transformation. Otherwise, even the Nineteenth-Tier Lord Tao wouldn't have failed to discover the contents of their conversation.
"You, you, you, you... are truly... filthy!"
Before Fisher could explain, Gou Wen anxiously ran to the first tent nearby. He lifted the tent's flap to take a look, only to see that although the female demi-human slaves inside were sleeping in disarray, they were fully clothed. Moreover, judging from his curse, there were absolutely no signs of them having obtained his vital energy.
But Gou Wen didn't relax. Instead, he walked out of the room looking even more panicked. Facing Fisher, he said in disbelief.
"Don't tell me you made a move on Asuka Karasawa?"
"Yawn, good morning, Mr. Gou Wen... Eh, what move?"
At the same time, Asuka Karasawa, neatly dressed and rubbing her eyes looking a bit sleepy, walked out of the tent next door. Ever since coming to this world, Asuka Karasawa often dreamed at night, which resulted in poor sleep quality. Moreover, when she woke up, she always forgot the scenarios she dreamt about.
Gou Wen stared blankly at the perfectly intact Asuka Karasawa in front of him. Clearly, he could also tell that she was still a maiden. So Fisher didn't make a move on Asuka Karasawa either...
Then this was strange...
Angel Helaire wasn't even a female. Could he have made a move on her like that?
Furthermore, the other party was a terrifying Mythical Species. No matter what, Fisher wouldn't stoop to this level...
As Gou Wen thought about it, something suddenly struck him. Looking at Fisher in front of him, who seemed like he was hesitating to speak, Gou Wen began to suspect in disbelief.
This guy... Don't tell me he took care of it himself last night?
"Nothing, he's just groggy from sleep."
Facing Asuka Karasawa's question, Fisher couldn't be bothered to explain anymore. Since this matter involved Helaire, that amusement-seeking angel, choosing to rely on her to solve his problem was originally a risky move. Keeping this secret game between the two of them was the suitable choice.
The newly awakened Asuka Karasawa cutely tilted her head and yawned, completely unable to understand what they were talking about. Gou Wen also awkwardly coughed, then came over to Fisher's side with a dry laugh, patted him on his shoulder, and whispered.
"Actually, it's no big deal... hahahaha. Should we go complete Lord Tao's task now?"
It seemed he thought that Fisher couldn't endure it anymore and decided to handle it himself with his hand?
Fisher was in a pretty good mood now. Annoying as Helaire was, as she had said, her reward wasn't disappointing at all. In fact, it made one feel like lingering and forgetting to return.
He just lightly brushed off the other's hand resting on his shoulder, then looked towards the peach forest in the distance, casting all other irrelevant matters in his mind aside.
Because right in front of them, the path through the peach blossom forest leading toward Lord Tao had appeared before them once again, seemingly telling Fisher: it was time to fulfill the promise they made yesterday.
In fact, Mikhail and Nekelia had almost woken up around the same time. The reason Asuka Karasawa walked out of the tent first was entirely because Nekelia still had to put on their Phoenix Species' extremely complicated armor.
Hearing that Fisher and the others were leaving temporarily, the group of demi-human women bid Fisher farewell reluctantly, saying they would wait for Fisher to return. However, Fisher himself didn't know if he would have the chance to come back.
Helaire, wandering back from who knows where while chewing on a peach, returned, her tier having reverted back to her previous harmless-to-people-and-animals appearance.
"Angel Hel... Lord Helaire, I feel like there's something different about you today compared to before?"
Looking at the suddenly appearing Helaire naturally wishing everyone a good morning, Asuka Karasawa acutely sensed something was amiss. After hesitating for a moment, she still questioned her like this.
Helaire touched her own cheek and said with a smile.
"Really? Maybe it's because I didn't rest well last night?"
She clearly wasn't looking at Fisher, but Fisher immediately withdrew his gaze, only eavesdropping closely on their conversation.
"Not that, it's some other change... Hmm, but I can't really explain it clearly."
Helaire smiled as she chewed the peach, walking alone at the front of the group without answering further. She seemed to have absolutely no intention of revealing what happened last night. But looking at her relaxed back, Fisher couldn't shake an ominous premonition.
He sighed. Illusory golden subtitles began to surge before his eyes. It was the harvest from researching the demi-humans last night.
The biological and social research progress for the Cloud Antelope Species had both reached the 20% mark. The Thick Claw Species only broke through 20% in biological research progress, while the White Tiger Species only reached 20% in social research progress.
[You have obtained the following milestone research rewards: Constitution +18, Reproduction +6, Aquatic Adaptability, Fate Resistance]
[Aquatic Adaptability: Your adaptability to living in water has been vastly enhanced, including enhancements in water pressure resistance, underwater vision, underwater mobility, and other abilities.]
[Fate Resistance: You have gained a certain degree of resistance to artificial destiny interference, though only to a certain extent.]
Looking at the rewards before him, Fisher's body still stiffened slightly. Perhaps he was quite satisfied with the other items, except for those damn six points of Reproduction Ability.
As mentioned before, the effectiveness of Constitution would diminish as tiers rose. Just like now, even with eighteen additional points of Constitution, it still kept Fisher stuck at the peak of the Thirteenth Tier.
But Reproduction Ability did not operate that way; however much was added was added. It made him feel like the energy he had just emptied began to replenish at a terrifying speed once again.
He sighed and was just about to glance in Helaire's direction when Asuka Karasawa's soft voice sounded once more.
"Teacher Fisher, I've finished all the homework you assigned to me earlier. Look."
He turned his head to find two leaves resting quietly in Asuka Karasawa's hands. Upon them, two incredibly neat [Wind] Prime Magics were intricately engraved.
Asuka Karasawa followed carefully beside Fisher, feeling just as anxious as a high school student handing in their math homework for a teacher to inspect face-to-face.
But she was no longer the Asuka Karasawa who was distressed by studying math; she was now a newly advanced apprentice Magician.
"Very good. Although it's only the Fourth Ring, this isn't magic you created by imitation. You already have a very solid understanding of the structures of magic. These two magics, [Ring of Wind Protection] and [Wind Boat], are both structured very rigorously among the low-level ring magics. They were created by my teacher."
"Teacher Fisher's... teacher?"
Seeing her surprised look, Fisher couldn't help but laugh dumbly, then sighed with some emotion.
"Of course I have a teacher too. Skills become increasingly refined through such inheritance. My teacher was someone with exceptionally profound magical knowledge. He once praised me for having an extraordinary talent for magic. Looking at it now, your talent surpasses mine."
Fisher returned the magical leaves back into her hands. Then, looking at the increasingly large peach tree up ahead, he hesitated for a moment before saying.
"The timing isn't right now. Once the matters here are concluded, I will teach you higher-level magic. Until then, you can expand on some of the low-level ring magics I've told you about to consolidate your learning. Moreover, simply knowing how to engrave magic isn't enough; a Magician should deeply understand how to use them..."
"But just like how an excellent blacksmith sometimes doesn't know profound swordsmanship, I'm not proficient enough in the study of applying magic. We can study and deepen our understanding of this together..."
Pinching the two leaves that flickered with a faint white glow, Asuka Karasawa's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly nodded.
Perhaps it wasn't until today that she realized she didn't hate learning; she was just afraid of not having any results.
If in her previous life, the math and other subjects she put effort into could have yielded better grades, perhaps she would have continued to study them tirelessly. It might have been because she hadn't worked hard enough, or perhaps she lacked the talent. But right now, when she truly stepped into this realm of magic seemingly prepared specifically for her, only then did she burst forth with a brilliance truly belonging to her.
Along with their quiet conversation, they slowly walked to the front of that massive peach tree. Upon the peach tree, the little girl Lord Tao, wearing a ruqun and with her hair tied in flying immortal buns, was resting with her eyes closed. It wasn't until she sensed their arrival that she suddenly opened her pupils, which matched with an overflowing pink divine light.
Compared to yesterday, the terrifying aura of her Nineteenth-Tier was exposed at a glance at this moment, but she didn't face the people below. Instead, it was cleanly absorbed by the layers upon layers of endless peach trees surrounding her.
Seemingly to lower her presence, Helaire silently retreated behind Fisher, using the opportunity when everyone wasn't paying attention to secretly pat his waist.
"Hmm, it looks like you all rested well yesterday. So, shall we begin?"
Lord Tao propped her chin up. Although it was a question, she didn't wait for their answer.
With a light tap of her lotus arm, the entire Peach Blossom Spring seemed to come alive. Amid the scattering of fallen petals all around them, the scene before their eyes grew increasingly blurry.
It was like a tranquil pool of water splashing up layers of ripples, revealing the indistinct scene beneath the pool's surface.
Amidst the peach blossoms fluttering all over the sky, the power of destiny continuously surged. Fisher narrowed his eyes, inevitably being covered by the growing volume of peach blossoms around him.
"The shadows of the past have become utterly turbid due to the overriding presence of Transferred Persons. However, I have asked the Destiny Rule to annotate everything potentially related within it. You can focus your attention on them..."
From afar, Lord Tao's voice faintly drifted over, but Fisher and the others were already blown so hard by the unparalleled, wildly dancing peach blossoms before their eyes that they couldn't even open them.
It wasn't until an unknown amount of time passed that the surrounding peach blossoms gradually died down.
Fisher and the group opened their eyes, only to see a bizarre sight.
Before them was a magical kingdom where numerous tall trees grew. Within that kingdom, many commoners, nobles, and slaves walked about. Viewing this bustling, seemingly mythical scene, it appeared they were right within the capital of the Elves at this moment.
However, everything around them was in black and white. On top of those lifelike walking beings, indistinct shadows that human eyes couldn't clearly see slithered faintly, making them appear both incredibly vivid yet so very fake.
"Is this the Royal Capital?"
The Peach Blossom Spring around them had completely vanished. Nekelia from Fisher's group looked at the surrounding scene and muttered to herself.
Gou Wen also furrowed his brows, scanned his surroundings, sighed, and said.
"Yes, and it's the Royal Capital from at least half a year ago."
Because standing before them right now were numerous carriages entering the Royal Capital to pay tribute to the Elves.
Among them was [Kashiwa], who had brought Gou Wen here to treat the Elf King, and also [Tsubaki], who was lined up at the very back of the long tribute procession.