Chapter 477: World Giant Beast

“The corpse is too mutilated. We can’t tell much from it.”

“However, based on the marks on the bones, I suspect the deceased was already dead before being swallowed. Look at the ribs here—they’re all broken. The marks on the wound don’t look like they were crushed by the Fish Dragon’s mouth. It’s more like they were run through by some kind of Sharp Weapon.”

The doctors who had been called over gathered around, examining the salvaged remains.

“The Fish Dragon has teeth, too. Why couldn’t it have been a bite from the Fish Dragon?” a newly arrived doctor asked, pushing up his glasses.

“Go take a look at the Fish Dragon’s mouth and you’ll know,” another doctor nearby said, too lazy to explain.

Hearing this, the few new doctors walked over to the nearby Fish Dragon corpse, filled with doubt.

They saw the Fish Dragon’s massive jaw pried open and the serrated teeth inside, each nearly as tall as an adult. They nodded silently. “I agree, it probably wasn’t the Fish Dragon.”

“It’s so hot. I shouldn’t have worn a jacket,” one doctor said, taking off his jacket and draping it over his shoulder.

Another squinted, shielding his eyes from the glaring sun with a hand over his brow as he gazed out at the sea.

Having spent too long in the Underworld, they were all like prisoners on yard time, greedily soaking up the rare sunlight.

Qin Ziwen pushed open a door and entered a courtyard. This was where Yang Long had lived.

The furnishings inside were mostly untouched, but the door was wide open, and the doors and windows showed signs of a rough search.

“Not much food was taken, but many places where someone could hide have been destroyed. They must have been looking for someone,” Zhao Pu said, taking a dried salted fish down from the wall.

Qin Ziwen said, “It seems they don’t lack food. They didn’t kill for food.”

“I’m okay, just a little tired.”

“These Fish Dragon teeth must be for tearing apart large prey. It probably swallows smaller prey whole.”

“Big Brother, this place might not be safe.”

“No, for now, this place might actually be safe,” Qin Ziwen said. “The ‘Rewind’ ability has a cooldown. Those people won’t be back anytime soon, not before the cooldown ends.”

BOOM—

The sound of a great wave came from the distant beach. The Lost Home passed through the bronze gate and crashed heavily into the sea.

It sent up a huge spray of water.

The ship’s crew was sparse. The sails billowed with no wind, and the ropes danced as if the ship were some kind of demon let loose to run wild.

Qin Ziwen looked over. On the distant deck, a figure was leaning on the railing, head stuck out, heaving over the side of the ship.

BLECH! BLECH!

Zhang Chongshan gripped the railing for dear life, his face pale.

The deck beneath him seemed to come alive, swaying left and right, pitching back and forth.

“For the love of God, slow down!”

ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!

A face appeared on the ship’s helm. The helm rocked left and right, swinging wildly.

The ship drifted erratically across the sea’s surface.

“HOLY SHIT~”

Zhang Chongshan’s unending roar echoed across the ocean.

A quarter of an hour later, Zhang Chongshan lay limp on the deck, and the Lost Home had finally calmed down.

“Sorry about that. It’s my first time seeing the ocean. I got a little excited,” a face said, appearing on the deck.

Zhang Chongshan waved a weak hand. “It’s fine… I get it. Next time, if there are more people on board, try to be a bit steadier. Good thing we didn’t bring many people this time.”

“Thank you,” the face on the deck replied in a gentle voice.

Qin Ziwen boarded the ship. “Did you see anything out on the ocean?”

Grey’s face materialized on the mast behind him. “I sensed the aura of a sacrifice.”

Qin Ziwen’s expression flickered. Grey’s own birth originated from a sacrifice; it could be said that it was more sensitive to such things than most other Extraordinary beings.

‘A sacrifice must have truly been held here not long ago.’

“Do you know what type of sacrifice it was?” Though he didn’t have high hopes, Qin Ziwen asked anyway.

After a long silence, Grey said, “If I’m not mistaken, it was to lure some kind of powerful creature out for a hunt.”

“Extraordinary Creatures are resources in themselves. A powerful Extraordinary Life is a treasure trove—its skin, flesh, bones, and blood. It might even be an important material for certain structures.”

Qin Ziwu couldn’t help but interject, “They could just go hunt the creatures directly. Why resort to this… What the hell is the difference between them and those man-eating monsters in Hongding Mansion?”

Grey let out a faint sigh. “Because not all Extraordinary Creatures are carnivores. Some are herbivores, some subsist on dirt and water, and some don’t eat or drink at all, surviving by absorbing external energy through their pores. Without using special methods, some Extraordinary Creatures might not move from their spot for years.”

Qin Ziwu said, “So they had to kill people, using their lives to attract the monsters in the sea.”

“They might not have seen Yang Long and the others as people,” Qin Ziwen said. “Can you tell if their hunt was successful?”

“It was likely a failure,” Grey said. “I didn’t smell any suitable blood on the sea’s surface.”

After a moment of silence, Qin Ziwen said, “Do you think… could it be that thing?”

“What thing?”

“The monster that appeared during the storm when we were in this area before.” A memory surfaced in Qin Ziwen’s mind.

“That thing… it’s not something humans can fight, is it…” Qin Ziwu’s lips trembled.

A flicker of fear crossed Zhang Chongshan’s eyes. That Giant Beast in the sea was too big.

Unimaginably large. A person might think of hunting a lion, a tiger, or even a whale.

But no one would ever think of hunting an “island.”

That thing was enormous, bigger than imagination could grasp. Even if they fired the Lost Home’s Bed Crossbows at it, they’d probably only manage to scrape off a layer of skin at most.

Grey was a little confused. “What are you talking about?”

After hearing Qin Ziwen’s description, Grey fell silent.

“If I’m not mistaken, their target was most likely this World Giant Beast. I don’t know whether to say you’re lucky or unlucky.”

“World Giant Beast?”

“What you saw that time must have been a World Giant Beast. A monster of that size is far beyond the scope of ordinary creatures. Normally, there’s a limit to how large a living being can be. The monster you’re describing has long surpassed the limits of even ordinary Extraordinary Creatures. They are called ‘World Giant Beasts,’ also hailed as super-gargantuan beasts nurtured by their world. Not every world can nurture a World Giant Beast, but a world that can must possess a Heart of the World. The existence of a World Giant Beast is proof enough that this world is very active and teeming with life. Only such a vibrant world could give birth to a World Giant Beast.”

A thought suddenly occurred to Qin Ziwu. “Is the Heart of the World the heart of the World Giant Beast?”

“I don’t know,” Grey answered honestly.

Qin Ziwen heaved a long sigh. “Don’t jinx it. It would be best if those two things aren’t related. Otherwise, I’ll have no idea how to obtain it.”

For a being the size of a mountain range, its physical strength and Defense Power would have to reach an absolutely terrifying level! Otherwise, it wouldn’t even be able to support its own body to move.