Chapter 127: The Hunt for Fish King Hern

Without a moment’s hesitation, Ellie Roth Charlotte leaped from the cruise ship, activating her [Shrinking Earth] ability repeatedly as she surged frantically in Bai Yu’s direction.

“What do I do, what do I do? How did she come straight for me?”

Bai Yu quickly released her binoculars, a genuine panic seizing her. She had only taken a fleeting peek through her binoculars; how could she have been tracked down so directly?

This wasn’t fair! And how had she even detected her? Was her perception truly so monstrous?

Bai Yu, now in a state of utter disarray, scrambled out of her room to alert the Captain.

After all, Bai Yu was utterly incapable of handling this situation. She had no idea who the girl was, nor what her purpose was in seeking her out.

“Help! Help!”

Bai Yu burst into the Captain’s cabin, shouting at Li Hua, startling her considerably.

“What’s with all the commotion?”

Li Hua had been observing the distant battlefield, noting that what appeared to be the pirate faction was almost completely routed and now fleeing in disarray. After all, their largest vessel had already fled, leaving only a scattering of lesser fighters to put up a desperate fight. Li Hua was still anticipating further developments, wondering if the fleet would dispatch forces to pursue the fleeing pirates.

Thus, Bai Yu’s sudden outburst displeased her greatly; she was in the middle of enjoying the spectacle. Besides, they were perfectly safe at the moment. What was there to panic about?

“What exactly is the matter? Why are you in such a hurry?”

Li Hua stood, addressing the flustered Bai Yu.

Bai Yu breathlessly explained that she had been peeking at the girl through binoculars, and now the girl had directly come looking for her.

“Ha? Are you joking?”

Li Hua stared at Bai Yu with an expression usually reserved for idiots, convinced Bai Yu was playing a prank. What she didn’t realize was that the battlefield was several nautical miles away. Even an Arcanist, without special enhancements, couldn’t possibly perceive something so far away, could they? Even she wouldn’t dare claim such a feat, let alone a girl who had only just come of age. No matter how powerful she was, it was a matter of combat strength, not perception.

“I think you’re just overthinking it,” Li Hua said reassuringly. “Is it because you feel guilty for watching her? Perhaps she’s just pursuing the pirates, and it happens to be in your direction.”

Li Hua spoke softly, gesturing for Bai Yu to relax.

“Is that… so?”

Bai Yu scratched her head. Could it really be her imagination?

“Hurry back,” Li Hua advised. “The battle over there should conclude soon. Once it does, we’ll set off immediately; there’s no need to linger here.”

Li Hua rubbed her hands, feeling that Bai Yu’s temperament was still too immature, truly just a child.

Bai Yu shrugged. There was nothing for it; she could only return to her room for now.

****

Meanwhile, aboard the Charlotte Family fleet, pandemonium had erupted. This was because the young mistress of the Charlotte Family had, for reasons unknown, suddenly plunged from the ship, streaking frantically through the sky in a specific direction. This terrified them senseless, prompting them to immediately dispatch the fleet in pursuit. Should anything untoward happen to Ellie Roth Charlotte, every single one of them would be buried alongside her.

“Damn it, why are you following me?”

Ellie Roth Charlotte, noticing the fleet behind her, swiftly turned back and shouted at her subordinates.

“Continue pursuing the pirates. I have something to do; don’t follow me.”

Ellie Roth Charlotte’s tone was forceful. Without another word, she resumed her frantic sprint towards Bai Yu.

This…

The crew members of the Charlotte Family fleet exchanged bewildered glances, at a loss for words. Their young mistress possessed such a temperament, always doing things that defied comprehension. Was this truly the world of geniuses?

Nevertheless, they dared not defy Ellie Roth Charlotte’s command. They halted their pursuit of her and instead resumed their full-throttle chase of the fleeing Fish King Hern.

At this very moment, the submarine dispatched by the Charlotte Family fleet was less than a hundred meters from Fish King Hern’s vessel.

Fish King Hern was drenched in cold sweat, his heart filled with utter regret. He should never have sought revenge. What kind of entity had he provoked? Why would a fleet and Arcanists of such power appear in their remote stretch of ocean? Logically, if a large-scale Arcanist organization were to deploy, they would have channels to acquire information, which was how they had survived until now. Yet, they had received absolutely no intelligence about this unknown fleet, none at all!

Fish King Hern was now sweating profusely, his eyes glued to the radar display, terrified that the fleet would catch up. His subordinates were almost entirely wiped out. If the fleet truly closed in, he would have nowhere left to run. He, Fish King Hern, had reigned supreme over the seas for over eighty years. How could he possibly fall to an unknown power like this? He refused to accept it! Argh, argh, argh, argh, argh!

It was at this critical juncture that the final straw appeared. Due to the extreme proximity, the Charlotte Family fleet’s submarine had lost its camouflage, appearing directly on Fish King Hern’s radar. But the distance was already incredibly short, practically right in his face.

“How is this possible?! There’s even a submarine?”

Fish King Hern’s eyes nearly bulged from their sockets as he stared intently at the screen, his eyes twitching wildly, pupils constricted to pinpricks. He could almost see the submarine’s torpedoes already locked onto him! The red dot on the screen was practically pressed against his face. ‘This was his last choice.’

“Boss, what do we do? They’ve caught up!”

A lackey nearby, clutching a wound, asked fearfully.

“Get lost! Send out more Arcanists! Go stop them with your bodies!”

Fish King Hern was now utterly enraged, ordering his subordinates to their deaths.

“This…”

These so-called Arcanists were merely a few Tier 1 and Tier 2 practitioners; in this remote region, this was the peak they could ever hope to reach in their lives. Of course, this level was considered top-tier combat power within this pirate crew. In the current predicament, they naturally understood that Fish King Hern was ordering them to physically intercept a submarine. After all, they were all natives of this sea area, and their awakened spiritual cores were typically those of small fish and shrimp. This granted them a certain degree of combat effectiveness within the ocean. Moreover, judging by the situation, the submarine would likely be equipped with countermeasures against Arcanists. They had already witnessed the true power of this family fleet. The casualty count from earlier was something they had seen, and it was truly horrifying. Thus, they were naturally unwilling to sacrifice themselves.

“What are you all staring at?”

Fish King Hern glared at his subordinates with his fish-like eyes.

“Go, now!”

He roared, incensed that these men dared to disobey him. Yet, not a single person moved to obey.

“Fine! Fine! Fine!”

Fish King Hern unsheathed the short blade from his waist, unleashing a blue arc of light that sliced a nearby lackey clean in two.