The journey to Sailor’s Rest was pleasant, though slower than Lassim’s usual pace. He matched Marissa’s stride, respecting her speed as a Spirit Growth Warrior.
They walked through the dense jungle, the sounds of wildlife filling the air around them. The path gradually shifted from sand to thick foliage and back to sandy terrain at different spots along the coast that they traveled East along.
As they walked, Lassim took the opportunity to ask Marissa about the friend they were going to meet. "You mentioned your friend is a bit unique. What did you mean by that?"
Marissa turned her head, a playful smile on her lips. "You’ll see when we get there. I don’t want to spoil the surprise."
Lassim chuckled, nodding his head. "Fair enough. Well, how about this? Can you tell me more about your life in the Sea Sect? I’m curious because I don’t know much about what it actually means to be in a sect. My academy headmaster told me to go to the Lightning Sect to progress further, but I have no idea what to expect."
Marissa’s expression turned thoughtful as she recalled her experiences. "Well, I’m not sure what your academy life was like, but the Coastal Academy was intense. There’s an entrance test competition, and once you’re in, there’s an internal ranking system.
In the Sea Sect it’s pretty similar, we have a giant board that updates live rankings for apprentices, trainees, outer sect members, inner sect members, and core disciples."
Lassim listened intently as she continued. "There are also many facilities for training, and you can even request one-on-one training from sect elders. They can teach you how to improve your battle arts or even teach you new ones. Their teaching is really insightful. However, these facilities and tutoring require Sea Sect doubloons, our internal merit system."
Taking a breath, she continued, "To earn doubloons, you have to complete missions from the sect’s mission board. Missions can range from simple tasks that reward a few doubloons to complex operations that require large teams and involve kingdom wars with our allies."
She smiled, a glint of excitement in her eyes. "Right now, I’m saving up to purchase a new set of enchanted boots that should increase my agility and dexterity. They’re a present to myself for when I reach Spirit Transformation since they require a Spirit Transformation level to maintain the mana required for long term use of the enchantments."
Lassim found himself fascinated by her recounting. "That sounds incredible. I can’t wait to get to the Lightning Sect and learn more about it. Your sect life sounds somewhat similar to my time at the Myriad Spirit Academy. I guess it makes sense to have the academy’s mirror what the sect life is like to make the transition easier for students."
Their conversation continued until they finally reached Sailor’s Rest.
The sight that greeted Lassim was a bustling coastal town, a mix of sailors fresh off their boats, merchants haggling, and sahagin mingling among the crowd.
The sahagin were a unique sight—humanoid fish-men with webbed hands and feet, gills on their necks, and faces adorned with fins. They wore human-style clothing, which made Lassim a bit more comfortable around them, but also raised questions on if they wore those clothes underwater too or not. Though, he noticed a detail that stood out to him as he observed them.
"Are all the sahagin here male?" Lassim asked Marissa, as he was unfamiliar with the species.
Marissa laughed, "Sahagin are a dimorphic species. The males look like fish-men, while the females can be mermaids, nagas, or scyllas. Their lower halves vary and typically dictate their innate talent and proficiencies. Mermaids have fish tails, nagas have snake tails, and scyllas have thick kraken tentacles to get around on.
The Sirens struggle to get around more, but they can at least control the water element to push them around as needed on land."
Lassim found himself fascinated by the diversity as they walked through the town.
The docks were alive with activity, ships unloading and loading goods. Magical lifts with claws moved gigantic crates from the decks of larger ships to the dry dock. The smell of fish and the salty ocean air tickled his nose, filling him with a refreshing sense of connection to the sea, likely due to Mari’s influence.
"This place is amazing," Lassim said, taking in the bustling scene.
Marissa nodded, leading him through the busy streets until they reached a unique building that seemed to be partially submerged in the ocean. Half of the structure was on land, while the other half was underwater. Lassim’s first thought was that it was sinking right into the ocean.
"This is where we’re meeting my friend," Marissa explained, pushing open the door.
Inside, the establishment was divided similarly, with the back half submerged in water. Lassim’s spirit sense could tell there was a back room just underneath the water as well.
The desk in front of him was manned by a beautiful siren with a colorful pink fish tail. She greeted them with a dazzling smile.
"Welcome to the Snalta Services, how may I service you today?," the siren said with a wink, her voice melodic and enchanting.
Lassim found himself captivated by her beauty, feeling an inexplicable pull on his mind, urging him to get closer. His eyes glazed over slightly as he stared at her.
Marissa noticed his change in demeanor and smacked him on the back of the head. "Knock it off, Myra! Behave yourself."
The siren, Myra, giggled and pouted playfully. "You’re no fun, ’Rissa. You bring a handsome man to me but won’t let me play with him."
Lassim snapped out of his daze, shaking his head to clear it. "What just happened?"
Marissa sighed. "Myra is a siren. They have an innate hypnotism that’s particularly effective against males. She’s my friend I was telling you about, and she’s actually one of the princesses of the underwater city of Sitnalta. She’s here helping run this branch office as punishment for causing problems in the town’s market recently."
Myra shrugged, her smile mischievous. "The dresses and purses I wanted were really cute. Why would I pay full price when I can just seduce the man for what I want? Too bad his wife didn’t want to join."
Lassim’s eyes widened in realization, increasing his vigilance around the playful siren. "I see. I’ll be more careful."
Myra pouted again. "See, ’Rissa? You’ve made him cautious now. You’re no fun."
Marissa laughed, shaking her head. "Anyway, we’re here because Lassim needs to secure travel to the Southern Continent."
Myra’s playful demeanor shifted to a more business-like attitude. "I can arrange that. We have a few options, but if you want the safest route, you’ll need to be able to breathe underwater. Since you’re friends with Marissa, and she brought you here, you most likely have a water elemental companion, correct?"
Lassim confirmed, "Yes, her name is Marinelle."
This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.
With a nod, Lassim extended his hand, calling upon Marinelle.
As Mari materialized beside him, and completely unknown to Lassim, an innate pressure filled the room that always occurred when Mari appeared. It was just the natural pressure her existence radiate, but something that human senses were unable to perceive.
Yet, Myra as a Siren was completely aware of the drastic change that occurred. The air around them grew heavier, and Myra’s playful demeanor shifted immediately. She shrank back slightly, her eyes widening in awe.
"Your Highness," Myra stammered, bowing her head in deference. "I apologize for any disturbance."
Lassim exchanged a glance with Mari, both of them surprised by the siren’s reaction.
Mari’s presence as a Royal Koi Queen was something that exerted a superior aura, naturally suppressing those of lower rank. Even a Princess of the Mermaids was of a lower status than Marinelle.
"It’s alright, Myra," Mari’s voice echoed softly, emitting into the air to communicate with everyone at the same time.
Lassim watched as Myra visibly relaxed, though her respect remained evident. With a glance to Lassim, Mari then returned to his inner heart world, leaving the room feeling lighter to not cause the siren too much stress.
Myra cleared her throat, regaining her composure. "I apologize for my earlier behavior. I didn’t realize your companion was a Queen." She bowed her head in apology to Lassim, but he waved it off as no big deal.
She then continued, "As I was saying, we have a few options for your journey. The safest route is through the underwater tunnels, but part of the journey will be on the backs of giant sea beasts we have tamed. They can travel quickly and avoid most dangers."
Lassim’s curiosity piqued, "Giant sea beasts and underwater tunnels?"
Myra nodded, her professional demeanor returning. "Yes, they are well-trained and can cover vast distances quite quickly. With the ability to breathe underwater, you should have no trouble traveling this way as it is certainly faster than by ship."
Myra then added, "the underwater tunnels are some naturally forming ancient pathways of coral systems that connect different parts of the ocean floor. They’re well-protected from the larger and wild sea beasts and patrolled by the underwater kingdoms. It’s where most of the giant sea beasts send their young to grow up in relative safety before venturing out into the expansive ocean.
It’s also quite safe for our use because of that."
"Regarding the departure, we have a group being led by one of our Shark Riders that will arrive tomorrow in the afternoon from the Meridian Ocean to the west. They have orders to return back to the Southern Continent to assist with a disturbance reported by a Sahagin outpost as soon as possible. If you would like, you can join them and can arrive in the southern continent within a week.
However, you’ll probably need to help with whatever the disturbance is. It’s been labeled as a threat at the level of Spirit Transformation, so as a peak Spirit Transformation Warrior, your help would be greatly appreciated. We’ll also give a discount on the travel fee if you assist."
Lassim replied, "Sure, I don’t mind helping. It’s a chance to experience underwater combat, which could be interesting."
Myra then cautioned, "Great! I’ll inform the ride about the additional passenger. He was going to travel by himself with his sea beast, but I’m sure he’ll appreciate the extra muscle. However, I must warn you. If you’ve not had experience with deep sea diving and underwater breathing for extended periods of time, I recommend that you should practice some more before you depart.
Though, I’m sure you’ll manage with a Queen by your side."
Marissa smiled at Lassim. "I’ll help you practice tomorrow morning before we set off. We’ll go as deep as we can before needing to return so you can get a feel for it. You’ll get the hang of it quickly."
Lassim felt a surge of excitement and gratitude. "Thank you, Myra. And thank you, Marissa. I really appreciate your help."
Myra waved off his gratitude. "It’s no trouble at all. Now, let’s get you settled for the night. You’ll need your rest before the journey. We’ve got a partnership with an Inn next door that I’ll send you to."
Lassim nodded, feeling a mix of anticipation and relief. He was one step closer to reaching the Southern Continent and continuing his journey, and a little stop along the way to help out the mermaids should be too difficult or dangerous, right?