Chapter 287 - 289: Age of the Long Voyage

Chapter 287: Chapter 289: Age of the Long Voyage

The night wind was incredibly strong, causing the trees on both sides to rustle loudly—a sound that was exceptionally clear in the silent dark.

Bai Meng led the way, holding a torch high. Before long, he had guided the tribe to the bottom of the cliff.

The CRUNCH of stepped-on leaves and the CREAK of dry branches made the already mysterious cliff bottom seem even more unfathomable.

Having heard there was some huge creature at the bottom of the cliff, the Wolf Beasts walked with extreme caution, afraid that even a single loud breath might disturb something they shouldn’t provoke.

Bai Meng continued downward until he heard the gurgling of flowing water and stopped. Looking back at the others, he said, "This is it. I tested it before by throwing a rock in. I never heard it hit bottom, so it must be very deep. I’m not a strong swimmer, so I didn’t go in."

Upon hearing this, Su Luoluo was about to use her Water Ability to investigate when Nantu emerged from the crowd, holding the little female.

After handing Nannan to her, he gave her a nod, then transformed into a Mermaid and dove into the water. He swam forward swiftly for a few moments before returning to the bank.

His cool voice held a hint of moisture. "It’s not too dangerous below. There are likely just a lot of big fish in there, which explains the strange sounds."

Hearing this, the Wolf Beasts relaxed somewhat; the hearts that had been in their throats were no longer lodged there.

After all, Nantu was the best swimmer of them all. He had just been in the water himself; if he said there was nothing to worry about, then there was nothing to worry about.

However, looking at the narrow Dark River, some began to worry again. "We Wolf Beasts aren’t strong swimmers. How are we supposed to escape through the water?"

Diving in headfirst would likely mean instant drowning.

The Wolf Beastmen weren’t the only ones with this concern; the Fox Monkey Beastmen following behind felt the same.

They had always lived on land. Other than bathing or fetching drinking water, they rarely had any dealings with water.

Su Yang was also hesitant, but Su Luoluo had told him beforehand that she had a plan.

At this thought, he couldn’t help but look over at Su Luoluo.

He saw Su Luoluo saying something to her mates. Shortly after, the five of them—Xi Yi, Mo Xuan, Fu Feng, Xiao Ye, and Luan Ting—turned and started felling the trees behind them.

Mo Xuan whipped up a gust of wind, slicing the logs into planks. Fu Feng used his claws to plane some of them smooth. Xiao Ye set his little snake cub aside and gathered some vines. Luan Ting then took the vines and, with several little wolf cubs draped around his neck, began to assemble the wood.

In no time, a wooden raft was complete.

Su Luoluo tossed out a vine, hooked the raft, and pulled it to the bank. Then, with a SMACK, she pushed it onto the water’s surface. As soon as the little raft touched the water, it began to float.

Su Luoluo pointed to the raft. "If you sit on this, you won’t have to worry about getting wet."

The Wolf Beastmen and Fox Monkey Beastmen stared in amazement, never having imagined that a few simple pieces of wood could float on water.

But even so, they were still worried.

"Luoluo, this thing seems great, but what if it accidentally sinks? Wouldn’t we all just drown for nothing?"

Su Luoluo puffed out her chest confidently. "Don’t worry, it definitely won’t sink. And even if it does, we still have Nantu, don’t we? He’ll help us. Right, Nantu?"

Nantu caught the look from Su Luoluo and nodded. "Everyone, rest assured. I’ll be underwater, protecting you all from below."

He glanced at the surface of the water, his expression serene. "The water is quite calm. Just do as Luoluo says, and there won’t be any major problems."

With Nantu’s guarantee, the tribespeople’s worries subsided even more.

Su Yang looked at the raft, then at the number of tribespeople. With a wave of his hand, he declared, "Alright, one raft obviously won’t be enough for everyone. Beastmen, go cut trees and build more rafts. Females, gather your things so we can be ready to board."

At his command, the members of the Wolf Clan Tribe sprang into action.

On the Fox Monkey side, Si Cheng nodded to Su Luoluo, then began giving out orders in a methodical manner.

Before long, both groups were bustling with activity.

While everyone was busy, Su Luoluo used her Water Ability to probe the waterway ahead. She breathed a sigh of relief upon confirming the current wasn’t too strong.

’Looks like we can leave this cliff bottom safely after all.’

Everyone worked together, and in no time, they had built all the necessary rafts. There were more than thirty in total, each capable of holding about ten people.

Su Luoluo and Bai Meng sat on the lead raft to guide them. Fu Feng, Mo Xuan, Xi Yi, Xiao Ye, and Luan Ting protected the rafts in the middle. Nantu didn’t board a raft, instead swimming behind the convoy to guard the rear.

Concerned it would be difficult for Luan Ting, Xiao Ye, and Nantu to manage with their young cubs, Su Luoluo offered to take them for them. However, Nantu refused the moment she spoke.

"Luoluo, it would be too much for you to take on so many by yourself. Nannan can just stay with me."

Su Luoluo was about to try and persuade him, but then she saw Su Nan get into the water and start swimming around happily. His skill in the water was leagues better than her own.

In truth, Su Luoluo could swim, but it had been a long time, and she was too rusty to risk it. Besides, she needed to focus on sensing for rapids ahead, so she stayed put on the raft.

Xiao Ye also refused with a smile, then simply tossed his cub into the water. It was only then that Su Luoluo discovered his little ones could swim too.

Luan Ting, on the other hand, didn’t refuse. He handed his three little wolf cubs over to her.

Before handing them over, though, he made a point of warning his little cubs, telling the three of them not to be mischievous and to listen to their Mother.

The three little wolf cubs let out an "AWOO!" in agreement. The moment they were in Su Luoluo’s arms, they grew excited, howling continuously into the wind as they admired the pitch-black expanse ahead.

Su Luoluo had no idea what they were so excited about. The wind ruffled their fur, blowing their already sparse fluff around until they looked like little bald heads. It was a silly sight, but they didn’t seem to mind at all, instead howling with even more enthusiasm. Their tender calls made the rest of the tribe laugh heartily.

The steady current and the tailwind pushed the rafts along quickly. Before long, they had traveled a great distance.

It was the first time the Wolf Beasts and Fox Monkey Beasts had ever ridden on a raft. They were a little worried at first, but once they got used to it, they discovered that floating on the water was actually quite fun.

The wind felt cool on their faces. They didn’t have to do anything but sit there as they traveled a great distance. It was easy and comfortable.

Finally, as the first hint of red lit up the sky, the group emerged from the Dark River, and their rafts drifted out onto the open sea.

An orange-red sun rose from the horizon, its light reflecting on the water. All sorts of fish leaped from the surface, and the shimmering light danced like gold. It was an exceptionally beautiful sight.

The Werewolves and Fox Monkey Beastmen on the rafts couldn’t help but get excited. "So this is the ocean! The water is so vast!"

"You can say that again! The big river by our old home was nothing compared to this!"

Su Luoluo felt her own spirits lift at the sight. It had been a long time since she had seen the ocean. ’A sunrise at sea really is beautiful!’