Chapter 1242 - 611: Unexpected Incident and Optimistic Plan

"Boom!"

The water exploded.

Dense and terrifying suckers covered the dark blue tentacles, resembling grotesque pythons leaping out from beneath the surface, clinging to the ship’s side.

The immense power encased within the arms made the reinforced and modified hull of the "Chasing Waves Sea Teeth" emit a strained creaking noise.

If someone were standing a bit farther from this stretch of sea, they would see:

Under the canopy of the starlit night, the ship rocked and swayed, while the tentacles clinging to its hull stemmed down to the depths of the sea, where an enormous and distorted demon was half-revealed under the glow of a shining blue radiance.

Buzz——

A sharp sword light flashed through the air in an instant.

The [Ash Fall] straight sword was unsheathed in a flash.

Faced with the monster’s attack, Xia Nan wasn’t the least bit panicked.

Thanks to the depiction of various entertainment works from his previous life and his estimation of the fantasy world he now inhabits.

Ever since his first voyage, he had mentally prepared for the possibility of encountering such colossal monsters.

As he moved his feet, he was already planning to leap into the water to battle the creature.

And it was at this moment.

His extremely acute perception ability allowed him to notice several critical points.

Although the tentacle color was much darker, the shell of the creature beneath the sea, disclosing its immense shape in the night, was glowing a bright blue light. It looked identical to the Shell Octopus he encountered during the day.

His mind unconsciously recalled the sharp, ear-piercing cries the Shell Octopus made as it struggled.

A strange expression appeared on Xia Nan’s face.

"So... that little octopus was its offspring?"

The parent came?

Meanwhile, due to his current thoughts, he observed more details.

Although the Flying Fish Oil Barrel seemed to shake violently under the attack of the octopus’s tentacles, with cracks even emerging on the hull.

In reality, according to Xia Nan’s understanding, a monster of such immense size could likely capsize or even crush a small ship like the "Chasing Waves Sea Teeth" in a short time simply with its strength alone.

Currently, it seemed rather imposing, but somehow it wasn’t exerting its full power.

Though perhaps it’s because its offspring is with Xia Nan and the others, causing some hesitation.

But in any case, the monster was indeed holding back.

Thinking of this, a pondering gleam flashed in Xia Nan’s eyes, as if contemplating something.

Holding the grey-black straight sword firmly, his initial steps towards the deck’s edge halted in place.

The journey to the Southern Islands had raised his Professional Level to Level 4, significantly boosting his overall combat strength.

But it didn’t mean he could handle every adversary he encountered on the way.

The sea was the opponent’s domain. Although for Xia Nan, his [Fallen Blade Hunting] profession granted certain enhancements for combat within water, it couldn’t rival a giant sea creature dwelling in the deep sea.

Most critically, he couldn’t see the true strength of the Shell Octopus Monster before him.

Back during the day, when he first observed the offspring, he already deduced from changes in the air’s magic particles that besides physical strength, it likely had a unique ability akin to the Windkind Octopus or Petrified Lizard.

Rashly engaging in battle could lead to severe consequences, even wasting a crucial, long-cooling resource.

Moreover, his current primary goal was to quickly head to Salt Rock Port to meet with Barbarian Fugang, avoiding unnecessary risks from unexpected encounters en route.

As he pondered his plan, he had already devised a strategy.

"Clack... clack..."

The hurried footsteps sounded from within the cabin, as sailors, each holding weapons, stumbled and stabilized themselves against the walls amidst the turbulence, coming to join the deck defense.

Xia Nan turned accordingly and gestured to everyone not to act recklessly.

Then, leveraging his [Tidal Shaping] specialty for balance enhancement, he dashed into the cabin at top speed.

Within a few minutes, under the sailors’ perplexed or suddenly enlightened expressions, he emerged again cradling the octopus offspring.

"Eek!!!"

Feeling the proximity of its adult kin, the offspring let out an increasingly sharp, ear-piercing cry.

In response, the underwater monster suddenly paused its movement.

The ship, initially tossed like a crib, became unexpectedly steadier than usual atop the waves, its hull anchored under the tentacles’ clinging grasp.

Knowing his maneuver had worked.

Xia Nan, holding the octopus monster, moved to the bow and looked downward.

Through the water, he could faintly see the deep eyes of the giant, shimmering with wisdom, under the radiant blue light of the deep sea.

He had no intention of enraging it.

Xia Nan applied force with one hand, directly tossing the wailing octopus offspring into the sea.

The noise and piercing screeches instantly dissipated, and the octopus offspring swiftly swam towards its parent.

Yet Xia Nan did not let down his guard.

He focused his attention solely on observing the monster’s every move beneath the water’s surface.

For human adventurers, reneging was one of the most common actions.