Chapter 296 - 293: The White Ship

Chapter 296: Chapter 293: The White Ship

"That’s the ship you’ll be taking—the one headed in the other direction."

Jeff said to Li Luo, pointing at the white ship docked by the shore.

As they got closer, Mo Ling could see the ship in its entirety.

The ship was an almost frightening white. Compared to the Fishman Race’s dilapidated dock, the white vessel looked like an emissary from another dimension. Its entire hull was covered in white ceramic, making it shine with exceptional brilliance under the sunlight.

The transport ship he’d taken when he first arrived on the 3rd Floor of the Abyss still fit Mo Ling’s mental image of a "ship," but this vessel before him was a bit too elegantly unconventional.

The white ship’s hull was sleek and elegant, devoid of any sharp angles. It resembled a white sculpture with soft edges, creating a stark contrast with the already colorful coastline.

As the group arrived, an opening slowly rose from the edge of the impeccably pure hull. A group of equally stark-white robots, carrying neatly packaged white boxes, emerged from it in perfect unison.

The robots were slender and humanoid, but their lower bodies resembled those of spiders. Their upper torsos sported four thick, powerful, folded mechanical arms, giving them a formidable appearance.

The robots quickly placed the white boxes on the shore one by one, stacking them neatly so they fit together without a single gap.

The boxes were also made of hard white plastic. The Fishmen gathered around curiously to touch them, and the robots carrying the cargo even kindly made way for them.

Then, a white robot walked up to Jeff, and a calm, gentle voice emanated from within its body.

"Mister Jeff, where is your cargo?"

Not only that, but it also repeated the question in the Fishman language, its tone still just as gentle.

"Over there." Jeff pointed to the small pile of goods behind them. "The Fishman Race ran into a crisis, so we didn’t have time to prepare the full shipment. We can make up the difference next time. The village still has plenty of parts, so we can give you the rest then."

The white robot merely glanced at the cargo, not questioning Jeff’s explanation. It spoke again, "Very well. Does the Fishman Race require our assistance in resolving this crisis?"

"No, thank you. It’s already been handled." Jeff waved his hand dismissively. "There’s also a human who needs passage to the other end of the shipping route."

The white robot turned its gaze directly to Li Luo. "This lady, correct? Understood."

"Please present your tag."

Hearing this, Li Luo removed the tag from around her neck and held it out to the white robot.

The white robot didn’t take it, merely glancing at the tag before its gentle voice sounded once more.

"Hello, Lady Li Luo. Welcome aboard the Paradise."

After speaking, it bowed to Li Luo.

"You may put your tag away now," it said in the same calm tone. "My name is Ji Pavilion, and I am the captain of the Paradise. Should you need anything on board, you may contact me directly."

"You’re the captain?" Bai Zhou, who had been standing behind, poked his head out curiously.

"Yes. I am the captain of the Paradise—the ship you see behind me. Sir, will you be traveling with us as well?"

"No, not me." Bai Zhou quickly waved his hands.

"Very well, sir. If you require any assistance on Fishman Island, please feel free to contact me."

Its attitude toward humans was clearly much better than its attitude toward Fishmen, and Bai Zhou benefited from this special treatment.

The white robots quickly moved the Fishman Race’s small amount of cargo onto the ship. Just as Bai Zhou had said, they didn’t take inventory or raise any questions about the quantity.

It was as if they were simply completing a programmed task.

"We’ll make up for the rest of the cargo next time," Jeff repeated.

"Understood, Mister Jeff. Thank you for your trouble," Ji Pavilion said calmly.

Once the robots had entered the cargo hold, Ji Pavilion turned to Li Luo and made an inviting gesture with a mechanical arm.

"Shall we depart, Lady Li Luo?"

"Alright."

Li Luo followed Ji Pavilion a few steps forward before turning to look back at Bai Zhou and Jeff, giving them a wave.

"Good luck!" Bai Zhou bounced forward, his face holding none of the usual sorrow of parting, but instead brimming with excitement. "Go to the Bottom of the Abyss and bring back some treasures!"

Li Luo was amused by his antics and nodded in agreement.

Even the ever-serious Jeff raised a hand and waved.

Not only that, but all the Fishmen and Fake Fishmen who had come with them also raised their arms, waving at the human friend who had helped them through their crisis.

The scene instantly transformed into a farewell ceremony.

Bai Zhou kept shouting.

Li Luo turned away and slowly walked toward the ship, the sounds of farewell and encouragement at her back.

The lively scene lasted until Li Luo was on board and the opening in the hull had sealed shut.

As the entrance sealed, only silence remained within the white ship. The sounds from outside vanished without a trace.

The faint smile on Li Luo’s lips slowly faded.

Letting out a long sigh, she glanced back, only to see a seamless white wall.

"Would you like me to take you to the deck for a final farewell?" Ji Pavilion asked, its tone surprisingly human.

"No, that’s alright. Thank you."

"Very well."

...

"If you have no objections, we will prepare to get underway. First, allow me to give you a tour to familiarize you with the ship."

Ji Pavilion led Li Luo from the cargo hold and began a tour of the ship, explaining in detail the function of each room.

The facilities aboard the Paradise were comprehensive; one might even say it had everything imaginable. Though it hadn’t looked very large from the outside, the interior was incredibly spacious and efficiently designed.

It even had some unexpected amenities.

"This is the swimming pool. Feel free to use it if you wish. It has been empty for a very long time."

Ji Pavilion explained as it led Li Luo to the side of a small swimming pool.

Li Luo wasn’t particularly shocked. Instead, she picked up on something in Ji Pavilion’s words.

"Empty for a long time? Does no one swim on this ship?"

"It’s not that. There haven’t been any people aboard the Paradise for a long time—only us machines," Ji Pavilion explained. "We are capable of autonomous voyages, so a human crew is unnecessary. Personnel only come aboard for maintenance when we return to Paradise Island."

Upon hearing this, an expression of understanding dawned on Li Luo’s face.

’Inside the Block, Mo Ling’s doubts were also dispelled.’

’When he’d first come aboard the Paradise, Mo Ling had scanned the entire ship and found no one, which was why he had remained on high alert.’

’Now he finally understood why.’

’He could only blame his own lack of understanding of this era’s human technology. He should have guessed it the moment he saw a robot introduce itself as the captain.’

’No wonder I never saw any humans when the Fishmen traded with the Paradise. There were never any humans to begin with.’