I Don't Agree to the Terms
Chapter 163 - 107: Three Horses at the Trough (Ocean Version).JPG_2

Chapter 163: Chapter 107: Three Horses at the Trough (Ocean Version).JPG_2

"Shanhai, that’s a really nice name. I am an Ocean Druid, Lucy Waves," Lucy answered.

"Ocean flow, right? Lady Lucy, have you ever thought of going to the Royal Capital of the Camelot Kingdom? The Mark Flow, Dragon Vein Flow, Returners, and many other factions have rallied behind a new king. He has become the Druid King. If you were to go, you might be able to revitalize the Ocean Druid lineage," Gu Shanhai mentioned.

It seemed that Lucy Waves might be the only Ocean Druid left.

Lucy appeared to be interested but then said, "Sorry, I’ve been blessed by the ocean and cannot set foot on land. However, if that Druid King needs my help, I will not be stingy in lending him the power of the ocean."

Clearly, such a formidable power came with a high price—the impossibility to ever set foot on land was a torment in its own right.

And perhaps the Ocean Druid’s loneliness was related to this.

Her power within the ocean realms was perhaps greater than that of Kurus Brass and Mafas Wolf Teeth combined. Otherwise, the Sea People Manaklavi wouldn’t have left at just a single word from her.

Even the fact that she could transform into an Ocean Divine Horse was proof of her exceptional heritage.

"That would be wonderful. The Camelot King will surely be overjoyed to hear of your generosity. I will definitely bring him your message," Gu Shanhai replied courteously.

Indeed, after it became clear that Lucy could not come ashore, their conversation turned to pleasantries. The ocean would not be the main stage for any kingdom, and Atilis couldn’t really rely on the ocean’s power. Lucy’s promise was even more bizarre, all predicated on the chance of finding her.

At the very least, Lucy couldn’t be met in the shallow sea regions. One would have to venture into the deep sea, and even then, it would require a great deal of luck—otherwise, one would never encounter her.

Of course, one could attract Lucy’s attention by disturbing the Sea People Manaklavi, just as Gu Shanhai had done. She was always on guard against that demon.

But while the thought was good, the danger was great. Only Gu Shanhai’s modified boat, equipped with nitrogen acceleration, could outpace the Sea People Manaklavi, keeping them in tow. Any other boat with the less advanced technology of the time would have been caught and torn to shreds within minutes.

And the reason why Lucy, strong as she was, didn’t kill the Sea People Manaklavi was simple: upon death, they could resurrect in the sea, unlike the Flame Demon that Kurus had killed earlier. Different origins, powers, and environments meant different abilities.

Therefore, Lucy simply confined it to a certain area, preventing any disaster-causing behavior.

Such oddities were countless in the sea, and Lucy couldn’t kill them all, nor was it her intention to maintain natural order by simply killing.

After chatting for a while more, Gu Shanhai, seeing it was about the right time, inquired with Lucy about the treasure map.

Lucy’s expression was similar to Black Horse’s—a look that said, "Are you kidding me?" and "Who’s the nutcase that drew this map?"

"Sorry, I can’t be certain of what place this is. The ocean is vast, so vast that even I haven’t fully explored it. However, I can assure you that your original direction was blocked by the territory of Nakravi, so I suggest you take a detour," Lucy could guess nothing—she even suspected Gu Shanhai had taken a wrong turn or was reading the treasure map upside down.

"I see. Black Horse, do you feel confident?" Gu Shanhai looked at the Kael Elf, Black Horse.

Black Horse looked puzzled—as if thinking, "Why would I be confident? Shouldn’t you be the one with confidence?" It then instantly realized why it was being asked—it was because it was expected to pull the boat. That’s why it was asked about confidence.

"Well... yeah..." Black Horse eyed Gu Shanhai, who was watching it keenly. It was certain that if it dared say no, it would definitely end up in the pot as stew meat, and worse, it might be divided amongst the two Druids.

Kael Elves didn’t have the best reputation, after all.

"That’s good, I have faith in you," Gu Shanhai handed over the hemp rope, and Black Horse skillfully put it on before jumping into the sea.

"Since you, Shanhai, are setting off, I won’t disturb you any longer. Fewer and fewer young people are willing to go to sea. One day, Ocean Druids will also vanish from the waves," Lucy sighed and transformed into a white horse, trotting away over the sea, getting farther and farther away.

Gu Shanhai didn’t offer any consolation. If it weren’t for his clever maneuvering that made Atilis, the Knight King, become the Druid King, not only the Ocean Druids but ninety-nine percent of all Druids would have met the same fate.

"The remnants of the old era might still catch up with the new one and become masters of the waves," Gu Shanhai muttered softly.

You can’t just not try and complain it won’t work. Making an effort might yield results; not trying and just waiting for a pie to fall from the sky—that’s just absurd.

However, it’s probably because of the many beatings they’ve taken that the Druids have opted for a life of isolation and complacency.

"Black Horse, get moving. This time take the long way around, and for heaven’s sake, let’s not run into any Sea People Manaklavi again. If you start with your tricks, I’ll leave you behind to chat with your kindred relatives," Gu Shanhai flicked the hemp rope, signaling Black Horse to start the journey.

The creature was quite cunning, always looking for a chance to escape, but after seeing Lucy and Nakravi, it had become much more subdued—at least there was no need to worry about any shenanigans for a short while.

Upon receiving Gu Shanhai’s command, Black Horse obediently started to pull the boat, moving forward.

There was no need to worry about getting lost or not knowing the location; after all, Black Horse was a Kael Elf, a natural water Fairy, and could handle these matters effortlessly.

The Sea People Manaklavi were essentially the menacing guards blocking the way to that island.

At this time, Gu Shanhai was pondering something else: given the fierce Demon blocking the way, how had the person who drew the treasure map managed to get past it?

And what exactly on that island could bury fate? Was the treasure something the creator of the treasure map left behind, or was it there from before?

Either way, it seemed to be shrouded in a profound mystery.

Gu Shanhai performed a Prophetic Divination once more. The result, "Xiao Xiong" (minor misfortune), remained consistent, which meant the Demon Sea Centaur Manaklavi was just a threshold, and the real danger had yet to reveal itself.

"Yo~" Little White came over, seemingly eager to find out what Gu Shanhai was pondering and to remind him that it was time to eat.

"All you know is eating," Gu Shanhai said, somewhat speechless, but after checking the time, it was indeed about right, and he started to prepare the feed.

Recently, Little White’s growth could be described as rapid. On the road, Gu Shanhai had been continuously refining and modifying magic pet skills, making them more suitable for him and Little White. The original version of the Magic Pet Wizard skills didn’t fit them at all—it was completely unrelated.

A computer is made of various materials, but are those materials alone enough to assemble a computer? No, they need to be processed into various electronic components and parts.

Gu Shanhai did the same with the Magic Pet skills; he used them as raw material to further research animal companions, creating a new set of companion skills unique to him.

Beyond that, he incorporated research on advanced animal companions, dragon companions, and other Druid legacies. He hadn’t formed a complete set of animal companion skills yet but had derived many results. For instance, in the aspect of Little White’s growth, Gu Shanhai had reconfigured the diet, training, and other daily routines using these skills.

Furthermore, he attempted a comprehensive examination of Little White, like the inheritance of the Qingyuan White Deer—paddling waves, moving through the woods, night vision were but the basics. He also wanted to see if artificially intervening could induce evolution or endow it with more abilities, among other things.

However, this area of research was progressing slowly as it was part of the companion skills, and not a crucial part at that. It was entirely feasible to wait for Little White to grow more before triggering them. At this stage, the more important things for Little White were to increase its potential and foundation and then share sufficient understanding with Gu Shanhai.

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