Chapter 601: An Unexpected Conversation
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Wuyue looked at Lily awkwardly. "Are you sure you want me to turn into an aircraft carrier?"
The canine maiden was serious, and this time she was all excited. "Of course, of course! I've never sat in an aircraft carrier and I saw it on TV before! Now that I know you can transform into one, I'm really looking forward to it—surely you'd also want it, wouldn't you, Mr. Landlord?"
Hao Ren rolled his eyes. "Why are you dragging me into this?"
Wuyue pursed her lips. "Well, I'll do my best. However, I can only swim for a while. When sirens turn into ships, it's more form than function, and only for entertainment purposes. Moreover, I have to maintain a large cloud, lest human satellites spot me..."
Lily spun her tail excitedly. "Hurry up!"
Nangong Sanba also joined in on the fun. "Do it, Sis. I'd like to see it too."
Nangong Wuyue could not help but glance at the siren queen, who even gave her an encouraging look. Therefore, the siren maiden could only turn and jump into the water. At this point, even Hao Ren and Vivian could not curb their own curiosity. They had seen General Vanaessa's phantom ship, and they were especially excited about what their very own siren could do. Though one had to admit that this was rather frivolous, after re-emerging from the deep sea, they needed to have fun and relax themselves.
After a moment, they started to hear a thunderous roar coming from the deep waters as if something massive was rising out of it. Soon, the sea before them billowed with bubbles, and a massive steel figure began to rise like a spectacular waterfall.
It was an old aircraft carrier—rust, seagrass, corals, and unknown sediments were all over it. The ship's hull had massive holes and tears from explosions too.
Halfway through her excitement, Lily froze as she wagged her tail and stared. "Why is it so different from what I imagined?"
Nangong Wuyue's voice came from somewhere within the aircraft carrier, "This is the USS Lexington—after it sank. I've told you before that sirens can only take the form of things that are completely submerged in water. This was how the USS Lexington looked when I first saw it. Don't even getme started with the Titanic yet—that's even more horrible."
Vivian patted Lily on the shoulder. "We'll go first. You can take your time and enjoy the cruise on board the aircraft carrier."
Then Vivian hurried the others to run off quickly. Shaqira immediately got the hint. She opened up an air bubble, enveloped everyone inside, and took off at 50 mph. A few seconds later, Lily's voice came from the back. The poor husky was paddling and chasing after them. "Wait for me! You guys! Wait for me! I'll have nightmares if I get on that ship!"
After they swam off, the old aircraft carrier came to its senses and blared its horn—Wuyue's voice blasted through the sky. "Don't you guys want to come on board?"
Long story short, in the end, everyone ended up riding in the air bubble and they got back to the deserted coast where they had originally come from. Nangong Wuyue was feeling a bit depressed. "I finally changed into a shipwreck and you people didn't even show me your support…"
Nangong Sanba twitched his mouth. "Because that look was simply unpalatable. It was too freaking realistic..."
The siren queen looked at the land and gave herself a stretch. She could not help but sigh and say, "The last time I came ashore was like 1,000 years ago... and that was just out of curiosity. I have no idea how much the world has changed."
"There's been massive changes. Humans have at least acquired a dozen new ways to kill themselves. I even think that compared to their spirit of asking for trouble, putting a maelstrom over your own head is just child's play," said Hao Ren, grinning. He then turned to look at Hasse. "Well, we've landed. What's your plan now—follow us on an eye-opening trip or report back?"
Hasse thought for a while and gave Hao Ren a surprising answer. "Maybe next time. I have to report back to demon hunters' headquarters."
"Aren't you interested in the Otherworld?"
"Of course I am." Hasse's face was still deadpan. "But interest can only be interest. For now, it's less important. Don't forget, I still have a promise to keep; I need to make sure that no demon hunters invade Nasaton before you blow that maelstrom up. For that, I must go back."
Hao Ren smacked himself on the forehead. "Well, I almost forgot. In that case, I wish you all the best. Don't always pull a straight face the next time we meet. In a sense, we're now comrades after all. At least, try not to be a stickler for the differences between demon hunters and otherworldlings when we're together. I'm looking forward to seeing you someday."
Hasse glanced at Vivian and nodded slightly. "I'll think about it, but I can't help it when it comes to my straight face."
Vivian was perplexed. "Still as stubborn?"
Hasse looked at Vivian strangely. He lifted his finger and pointed at his blinded eye. "My elder, have you forgotten that you blinded my eye with a Blood Curse and partially paralyzed my face?"
"Wait a minute!" Vivien was dumbfounded. "When did I blind you with a curse? Hasn't your eye been blind all this while?"
Hasse was angry, and his reaction was not fake in the very least. "..Mmy elder, the war between the demon hunters and the otherworldlings has existed since time immemorial. The situation was even more intense during the Mythological Age, so I've never borne a grudge against you for the scars you caused me. But it's inappropriate for you to pretend to not know—have you forgotten your raid of the assembly on the demon hunters?"
Vivian was baffled. "You've reminded me of a question I've been wanting to ask: When did I raid your headquarters?"
Hao Ren had only been listening, but something suddenly crossed his mind. "Wait a minute! How did that happen? You two care to tell me?"
A light flashed across Hasse's eyes as he felt the seriousness in Hao Ren and Vivian's tone. He had also noticed from Hao Ren's expression that there was more than met the eye. He knitted his brows tightly together as he looked up at Vivian and recalled, "...In the early days of Olympus, in the middle of a forest in the Middle East, you raided our headquarters. I was ordered to intercept but I was instantly defeated by you and lost one of my eyes as a result. After the end of the Olympian Era, you started a melee fight with a group of European shadelings, and the fallout destroyed a branch of the demon hunters. At that time, I was in said branch, but I managed to withdraw in time. After that, I only heard about your several moody 'combat records'. The last time I witnessed you in person was in 1426 when you bafflingly took to Egypt. The victims were the remnants of an undead tribe, besides 20 demon hunters, a wizard priory, a group of lions and... "
Hasse paused with a weird look on his face before he continued, "…a large group of rats. The last scene I saw was of you battling with a group of rats and you looked serious. Those otherworldlings and demon hunters, whom you had injured escaped under your nose. In the end, you were chased by the rats and you fled from the plains."
Rollie looked at Vivian, feeling confused. "You're a novice? I can teach you how to catch rats!"
"Knock it off. Here's a little dried fish, move aside." Hao Ren dragged the silly cat away and looked at Vivian seriously. "Ring any bells?"
"I... Not at all." Vivian's facial expression took a change. "But I remember in 1426... I took a deep sleep that year!"
"Why hasn't anyone mentioned these things to her before?" asked Hao Ren, staring at Hasse. "Haven't any of the wretches, whom she tortured mentioned these things to her?"
Hasse found it incomprehensible. "Who would want to bring it up? Moodiness is common among the ancients. The countess is already the most gentle of all the ancients, at least she only goes mad once every few hundred years. And facing such an ancient one... few people would dare ask her for an explanation, don't you think?"
Hao Ren felt that it made sense. It was not about two people getting drunk, fighting, and then questioning each other the next day. This ancient vampire had thousands of years of combat experience; whoever escaped from her would only question which brainless dude in their family had provoked her, and would never think of asking, "Why did you attack me?" to Vivian's face. What if the moody elder decided to beat you again when she felt happy? Or what if she beat you up even harder when she was unhappy? Hao Ren thought.
After all, the unusual creature societies were unlike humans; a cat-and-dog life was common to all unusual creatures.