Chapter 161: The Gray Whale with Malice Power

Chapter 161: Chapter 161: The Gray Whale with Malice Power

That evening, dinner on the ship was a seafood medley.

Stewed shrimp, boiled fish, grilled scallops—the variety of seafood was countless.

Only on a large fishing vessel like this could one have the chance to enjoy seafood so fresh. On an ordinary small fishing boat, even if you caught seafood, you wouldn’t have the means to eat it right away.

This was also the first time Vili had eaten seafood that was cooked moments after being pulled from the water. Although the flavor was a bit lacking compared to what he ate at the Baron’s Manor, its supreme freshness gave it a unique charm of its own.

For the next few days, the Conch Fishing Team continued its voyage across the sea.

As the captain of the Conch Fishing Team, Yoblin possessed formidable fishing skills. Working together with a few other veteran crewmen, he could basically predict the general movements of fish schools. Because of this, the Conch Fishing Team followed the trails of large schools from start to finish, and nearly every haul brought in a bountiful catch.

That night, in a cabin below deck.

Vili was staying in a very small room, furnished with only a bed and a table.

The oil lamp lit in the room burned some kind of unknown fish oil as fuel. It produced no black smoke and was instead exceptionally bright.

Vili leaned against the headboard, reading a book, feeling an unusual sense of comfort.

He had brought it with him specifically for this trip. Since he had decided to go to sea to relax, he might as well relax completely. After returning to White Bear Town, he would resume his intense, secluded training.

’The vastness and mystery of the ocean truly inspire a longing in so many people. Exploring the deep sea, sailing to distant shores... it seems to be the dream of every adventurer,’ Vili mused to himself as he looked at the adventurer’s tale in his hands.

The adventurer’s story he was holding was written from a first-person perspective. It told the tale of a brave man who, yearning for wealth, set out to sea. The hero and his companions sailed upon a boundless and perpetually dangerous ocean. They faced hardships like food and water shortages, and they braved battles with all sorts of Sea Beasts. Giant octopuses, malevolent man-eating whales, singing sea shells... the book chronicled all kinds of bizarre creatures.

In his past life, Vili would have certainly dismissed it all as just a story.

But now, Vili felt that it all might actually be real.

Perhaps the author wasn’t just making up a story. Perhaps he was writing his autobiography.

’It would be a wonderful thing if I could expand White Bear Town’s influence out into the ocean.’

A sense of longing stirred in Vili’s heart at the thought.

According to the noble decrees of the Lanton Duchy, any territory claimed outward from the coast by a coastal Lord belongs to that Lord personally.

If one could achieve dominance over the distant seas, it would be an opportunity for a local Lord to expand their territory.

However, as tempting as this decree sounded, it was incredibly difficult to execute.

Putting aside the threat of roving Pirates at sea, the astronomical cost of a military expedition alone was something most Lords simply couldn’t afford.

Thus, the decree was, to some extent, just for show. Currently, the number of noble territories that had truly managed to expand overseas was not even enough to count on one hand.

By the time he finished the entire book, the fish oil in the lamp had burned halfway down.

Vili estimated that there were probably only three or four hours left until dawn.

But with Vili’s current Constitution, he only needed two or three hours of rest each day to feel fully energized.

Vili stretched his body, extinguished the oil lamp, and lay down on the bed.

As he thought about being on a fishing boat, drifting on the great sea, Vili’s consciousness began to blur, and he slowly drifted off to sleep.

Just as Vili was about to fall asleep, he suddenly felt his Fighting Spirit and Power of Justice tremble in unison.

This jolted him fully awake.

It was a very faint, radiating malice, and it was rapidly approaching the ship.

Vili sat up, threw on his coat, and headed for the deck.

But before he even left the cabin, Vili heard the sound of a huge object striking something in the water, followed by the shriek of a sea creature.

The sound echoed, rich and spatial; it was clearly the cry of some kind of whale.

Immediately after, Vili heard a night-watch crewman on deck shout in a panic, "Ship Three is under attack! The attacker is a Gray Whale!"

As the cries continued, Vili could feel a commotion stirring within the cabins.

The sleeping crew members began to wake up one by one and hurry toward the deck.

Vili quickened his pace and went directly onto the deck.

The deck was now bustling with people. Someone brought out a giant Sea Fork, so large it took three men working together to hold it steady.

Others had climbed to the large Crossbow mounted high on the deck and were loading a thick Crossbow Arrow.

These weapons were the fleet’s last resort, prepared for fending off large Sea Beasts.

As a large fishing fleet that sailed the high seas year-round, their defensive measures were very well-established.

Vili made his way through the frantic crewmen and walked to the railing.

’This is a Gray Whale?’

A look of horror appeared in Vili’s eyes.

Normally, a Gray Whale’s maximum length was less than twenty meters. But the one before him looked to be over thirty meters long, even a size larger than a Blue Whale, the biggest of all whale species.

Thirty meters might seem like a short distance on a path.

But when used to describe the length of a living creature, it was utterly terrifying.

When this Gray Whale slapped its tail, it sent up an immense spray of water. Even from a great distance, Vili was nearly soaked.

’No, something’s wrong...’

A hint of dread surfaced in Vili’s eyes.

The malice he had sensed earlier was emanating from this Gray Whale’s body.

’It’s not the Gray Whale’s own malice...’ Vili focused his senses and discovered the key. ’Instead, there’s a source inside its body that’s radiating the malice!’

"Why is this Gray Whale so frantic!"

A crewman had already started to shout in complaint, his voice tinged with panic.

The Gray Whale, after ramming Ship Three’s hull and leaving it with cracks and a gaping hole, began to attack Ship Five.

It roared furiously, slapping the water’s surface as it charged violently.

Seeing this, the other ships slowly closed in to assist. Only Ship One, where Vili was, gradually pulled away from the Gray Whale.

This was Captain Yoblin’s prior order: if they encountered danger at sea, Ship One must absolutely not be put at risk.

Because Baron Vili was currently aboard Ship One.

Under no circumstances could Baron Vili be placed in danger.

It was a matter of principle. Yoblin had no desire for the Lord Baron to become dissatisfied with him over this.