novelraw Chapter 200: The Terrifying Deepsea Water Spirit
Chapter 200: The Terrifying Deepsea Water Spirit
"The Press?"
Chen Qi looked puzzled at Levin.
Levin rubbed his hands together coyly:
"Captain, you should know that White Pigeon Press offers substantial rewards for information sources. From my observations, these Blood Blade Pirates also pass information to the press, and I thought—"
Levin whispered:
"Captain, I want to earn some extra money!"
Although he had gained a valuable skill card from this operation,
he had rented a steam boat to board Chen Qi's ship.
Levin wanted to exchange 'firsthand information' for some cash from White Pigeon Press.
Chen Qi pondered briefly.Undoubtedly, the Black Pig Shark was one of the major threats in Blackore City's waters.
The port of Blackore City had been thrown into panic because of the Black Pig Shark.
Now that he had defeated the shark keeper and severely wounded the Black Pig Shark, while not earth-shattering news, it was still positive coverage.
Levin wouldn't dare spread misinformation.
This report could help salvage his reputation.
As the Dimensional Tide intensified, more factions would arrive at the Rift Sea, especially those specializing in monster hunting.
A good reputation would be particularly valuable then.
Levin would never speak ill of me... perhaps my reputation can be saved... Chen Qi secretly rejoiced and nodded.
After receiving approval, Levin turned away excitedly, clenching his fist:
"Yes!"
Chen Qi watched the celebrating Blood Blade Pirates as he sipped some red wine.
The atmosphere of triumph and celebration wasn't bad at all.
After the Blood Blade Pirates wrapped up their affairs, Chen Qi bid farewell to Fenrir and returned to his houseboat.
Finally, he dropped Levin off at his original location before returning to his own small houseboat.
...
"Whew..."
After seeing Levin off, Chen Qi deactivated the ghost ship mode of his houseboat, removed Ember's Touch, and changed into his chef outfit.
"So tired—"
Chen Qi returned to his bedroom and stretched his sore muscles.
Ember's Bloom and Blade of Fury had taken a greater toll on his body than expected.
Just one strike had drained much of his energy.
Physical soreness often came after overexertion.
"Waku waku! (Master! Need massage?)"
Deepsea Water Spirits No.4 and No.5 bounced around eagerly—they had long been trained as professional masseurs under Chen Qi's guidance.
"No, you should rest too—"
Chen Qi patted the obedient water spirits and headed to Deepsea Water Spirit No.1's room.
"I wonder how No.1 is doing?"
Chen Qi slowly pushed open the door to the water spirit's room, only to be met with a massive crimson eye staring directly at him.
The eye was vividly red, as if formed from swirling stars and flesh! Countless writhing eyes locked onto him!
"!!!"
Pillar of the Abyss?!
Chen Qi instantly snapped alert, leaping back and drawing his Black Blade!
The next moment, the sea of bloodshot eyes surged toward him like a tidal wave!
Chen Qi retreated swiftly, but the cramped space of the houseboat left no room to dodge.
Too fast... he could only rely on instinct, raising his blade!
The wave engulfed him in an instant!
Yet contrary to expectations, there was no pain or mental corruption.
Instead, Chen Qi felt something soft and bouncy pressing against his head.
"???"
Chen Qi blinked and removed the obstruction from his vision.
A gelatinous Deepsea Water Spirit was clinging to his head.
"Waku waku! ✪ω✪! (Master!)"
No.1? Chen Qi stared in astonishment at the squishy Deepsea Water Spirit No.1 in his hands.
Deepsea Water Spirit No.1 had finally awakened.
It actually succeeded in digesting the Illusion Beast's power... Chen Qi couldn't help but rejoice!
Normally, even with a beast tamer's assistance, it was extremely difficult for a familiar to absorb the power of a calamity beast—let alone one that had fallen.
Yet No.1 had managed to assimilate the Illusion Beast's power in such a short time.
Outwardly, Deepsea Water Spirit No.1 appeared almost unchanged.
The only noticeable difference was its eyes!
Simply put, it had evolved from O^O to ✪ω✪!
But its power had improved dramatically.
"This is your handiwork—"
Chen Qi observed the black mist and countless twisted crimson eyes filling the room.
Illusions... Chen Qi slashed through the visions with his blade.
So the Deepsea Water Spirit had gained the ability to create illusions!
Typically, only third-tier Flower Hammer mages could wield such skills.
However, illusions usually had a critical weakness—they could be easily dispelled by those with strong perception.
It was an ability that countered warriors but was vulnerable against mages.
My perception isn't weak... Chen Qi scrutinized the illusions closely.
Despite his high inspiration, he had failed to immediately recognize the deception.
Chen Qi knelt and noticed an unusual layer of spiritual energy coating the illusions, blocking external scrutiny.
The energy acted like a thin film, repelling any attempts at perception!
"Incredible!"
Chen Qi murmured in awe.
This level of illusion-crafting was only achievable by third-tier illusion masters!
"No.1!"
"Waku waku! (Master!)"
Chen Qi pondered before commanding:
"Deepsea Water Spirit No.1, create an illusion of the Flower Witch."
"Waku waku! (Understood, master!)"
The water spirit's eyes sparkled as blue light radiated from its body.
A crouching witch gradually rose from the ground, lifting her head.
"..."
Chen Qi observed the 'Flower Witch' before him.
Her tall frame was distorted, her skin resembling aged, weathered bark tinged with a sickly gray-green hue, as if coated in a layer of tainted oil.
The petals on her head had lost their vibrancy, becoming dull and twisted, yet still exuding an eerie allure.
"Yikes—"
Chen Qi shuddered.
This resembled a Rotting Witch more than the Flower Witch!
This can't be right... Like a skilled Pokémon trainer, Chen Qi gestured again:
"No.1! Create an illusion of me!"
"Waku waku! (Master! Understood!)"
The water spirit looked up, emitting more blue light.
A shadowy figure emerged from the mist, slowly standing.
His head was obscured by a large black hood lined with sharp tentacles like thorny brambles. Beneath the tattered Hunter's Garb writhed indescribable black tendrils.
His limbs and joints were grotesquely misaligned, making his form even more terrifying.
Do I really look that scary... Chen Qi rubbed his chin.
"Waku waku! (Master! How is it?)"
Deepsea Water Spirit No.1's eyes sparkled expectantly.
Chen Qi contemplated.
The essence of illusion creation was spiritual energy-based 3D painting.
It required not only mastery of spiritual energy but also artistic skill.
Without fundamental artistic ability, the results often turned horrifying.
Many terrifying images stemmed from careless doodles.
As a familiar, Deepsea Water Spirit No.1 completely lacked knowledge of "human anatomy."
Thus, some 'distortion' in its illusions was understandable.
But managing to make them this horrifying is a talent of its own... Chen Qi crouched down, smiling as he patted No.1's head:
"Well done!"
For a familiar, Deepsea Water Spirit No.1 had performed admirably.
Many professional illusionists struggled to produce such chillingly distorted visions.
Regardless, he now possessed a super 'water spirit' capable of crafting illusions.
"Waku waku!"
The water spirit happily bounced onto Chen Qi's shoulder.
Chen Qi stroked it gently. After prolonged exertion, his energy was at its limit.
He planned to practice meditation before getting proper rest.
...
...
Blackore City, White Pigeon Press branch, dusk.
At the center of the press office stood several large wooden desks piled with newspaper drafts, documents, and manuscripts.
Pelu tied her golden hair into a ponytail and picked up her coveted camera:
"Thank you, boss. I really needed a camera that could perfectly capture everything."
The press boss, a gaunt middle-aged man, shook his head:
"Pelu, this is a second-tier Lamp affinity forbidden artifact sealed by the Federation—the only object your current body can withstand.
But that doesn't mean you can face the Black Hunter, that abyssal monster, alone. You should be grateful you weren't tortured to death by that horror."
He's my newspaper's benefactor... Pelu stowed the camera away like an excited kitten:
"Got it, got it. Now that I'm in Blackore City, its biggest headline will belong to White Pigeon Press!"
Pelu confidently patted her chest, producing a crisp sound.
The boss sighed:
"Ah... Pelu, circulation is important, but the current Dimensional Tide could swallow us whole. Be careful—there's no need to risk your life for a Lamp reward."
"I know, boss. But in this tide, our White Tower Federation has no choice."
The usually energetic Pelu frowned briefly.
Then the boss checked the time:
"By the way, Pelu, today's your onboarding day. There are two guests outside claiming to have leads on big news. They're your responsibility now."
"Got it!"
Pelu nodded lightly, pocketed the camera, and went downstairs to open the press door.
Outside, two 'informants' awaited her.
"Good afternoon, you two."
Pelu bowed slightly and offered them chairs.
Before her sat two individuals who had been waiting for some time.
A third-tier Transcendent and a second-tier Transcendent.
A blond youth and a cloaked figure...
Both seemed anxious, and the cloaked one smelled nice... Pelu studied them curiously before clapping:
"So, what information do you have? White Pigeon Press will compensate you accordingly."