Chapter 405 - 300: Sinister Hearts, Making a Deal

Chapter 405: Chapter 300: Sinister Hearts, Making a Deal

Wherever the horn’s call passed, ripples spread through the red mist. The tentacles, as if struck by lightning, froze in an instant.

Wu Liangchen couldn’t help but be startled by the sight.

’How could the call of a horn possess such power? Enough to stun the Sea Siren’s tentacles?’

However, this was no time to dwell on such things. Wu Liangchen frantically pulled the trigger, unloading his full firepower onto the motionless tentacles.

The gunshots jolted the others into action, and muzzle flashes erupted from all over the deck.

With the red mist receding and the tentacles still frozen, even those with average aim could hit their targets.

Under the immense firepower, countless sprays of blood erupted from the tentacles, and some were blasted to shreds.

Just then, the horn’s call became sporadic, as if the one blowing it was running out of strength and could no longer continue.

Suddenly, the sound stopped. The remaining tentacles rapidly retreated, disappearing beneath the waves in the blink of an eye.

Even so, the crew continued to fire into the sea, not stopping until the water’s surface seemed to boil from the impacts.

The crisis was finally over. Though the giant ship was covered in scars, its keel and frame were thankfully undamaged. The wounds were merely superficial, and with a few repairs, they could press onward.

Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief. Some sailors collapsed to the deck, completely drained and unable to get back up.

The battle itself hadn’t lasted long, but the immense pressure had taken a tremendous toll on everyone’s stamina.

So, once the danger had passed, many of them collapsed from sheer exhaustion.

The repair teams began to methodically clear the deck, while the medical teams tended to the wounded in an orderly fashion.

Wu Liangchen was about to slip away quietly when the few sailors who had fought alongside him gathered around, their faces filled with reverence.

"Sir, thank you for saving our lives."

"Yeah, Sir! If it wasn’t for you, we would’ve been dead long ago."

These sailors, who spent their lives at sea and made their living on the razor’s edge, had the utmost respect for people with real skill.

The harsh environment at sea left no room for phonies.

You either had skill or you didn’t. Trying to fake it or get by on false pretenses would only get you and everyone around you killed and buried at sea.

The marksmanship Wu Liangchen had just displayed had thoroughly won over these sailors. That was why they had gathered around as soon as the fighting stopped—partly to express their gratitude, and partly to get closer to such an expert.

After all, on this giant ship, the best way to survive—aside from just being tough enough to not die—was to befriend an expert like Wu Liangchen.

Wu Liangchen, for his part, did not refuse their compliments or gestures of goodwill.

On the contrary, he simply nodded with a smile.

"You’re too kind. I couldn’t have done it without your help."

A little flattery goes a long way. Though the sailors’ help had been limited—eventually amounting to little more than reloading his ammunition—who doesn’t like to hear kind words?

Wu Liangchen’s reason for being so accommodating was his desire to quickly build a network of contacts on the giant ship.

After all, aside from Cai Liben, he was still completely in the dark about the ship’s crew, its structure, and its social hierarchy.

Seeing how "approachable" Wu Liangchen was, the sailors relaxed and began to chat with him enthusiastically.

But just then, a flurry of hurried footsteps was heard, and Cai Liben came rushing over.

When he saw Wu Liangchen, he was visibly taken aback, a look of shock flashing in his eyes.

He was here on Captain Xiong Tianzong’s orders to find out the identity of the master marksman.

He had never expected to find Wu Liangchen here.

Considering the situation, the answer was obvious.

The expert with the astonishing marksmanship was Wu Liangchen.

And that was precisely what shocked Cai Liben.

In his mind, the world Wu Liangchen came from was a remote and isolated backwater. Aside from a few outdated firearms, it was impossible for them to possess any advanced weaponry.

Yet the marksmanship Wu Liangchen had just displayed was clearly the result of practice with countless rounds of ammunition. How could that be?

’Could it be... he’s not as simple as he seems on the surface?’

At this thought, a flicker of fear went through Cai Liben.

Fortunately, he was exceptionally good at concealing his thoughts. The ideas flashed through his mind like lightning, and his face immediately broke into a wide smile.

"I was wondering who it was! So it was you, Younger Brother Wu. Truly incredible!"

Wu Liangchen naturally saw the shock and suspicion in the man’s heart. He sneered inwardly but offered no explanation, simply smiling.

"We’re all in the same boat; it was only right to help. But Brother Cai, is there a reason you came rushing over?"

"Haha, it’s nothing, really. I just wanted to see who the hero was that turned the tide."

At this, he smiled at Wu Liangchen. "And there is one other thing. The Navigator would like to see you."

"Oh? The Navigator?" Wu Liangchen’s interest was immediately piqued.

Although he had never heard of this "Navigator" before, it wasn’t hard to guess their function from the title alone.

The crucial point was that the sudden blast of the horn had genuinely shocked him.

He suddenly recalled something Orlando, the head of the Bell Clan, had once told him.

These merchant ships weren’t just protected by powerful guards; they also had their share of eccentrics and specialists with unique abilities.