Chapter 807 - 167: Meng Hou
Ren Kui, Level 7 Sea Adventurer.
That identity made everyone on the Gray Sparrow a bit surprised.
"Which warship or fleet are you attached to?" Han Zhan continued asking.
Ren Kui hesitated for a moment.
"You guys... aren’t a warship from the Central Sea Area?"
Han Zhan and Shang Siteng exchanged a glance. "We’re not a warship from the Central Sea Area. I’m a Level Six Sea Adventurer."
Hearing Han Zhan’s answer, much of the hesitation and wariness on Ren Kui’s face faded.
"I’m a crew member on one of the East King’s warships."
"Not long ago, a great war broke out in the Central Sea Area. The warship I served on was destroyed, and countless people were killed or wounded."
"Because of Luck, I was blasted by the aftershocks of the battle into this Proud Slime Mushroom Umbrella Sea Area. I wasn’t drowned, and I didn’t end up as food for the monsters in the sea."
"However, I can’t leave this region either. Those spores keep me from opening my mouth to call for help, and the mushroom umbrella clusters stretch out far beyond imagination."
Ren Kui laid everything out.
After listening to him, Han Zhan lightly tapped his chin. Some parts of the description did match the details he’d observed, but some parts...
"This place is at least a thousand nautical miles from the Central Sea Area shown on the map. Are you sure?" Han Zhan continued asking.
Ren Kui froze for a moment. "That’s impossible. This place is at most only a few hundred nautical miles from the Central Sea Area."
"I get it. The map you looked at wouldn’t happen to be from a few hundred years ago, would it?"
Thinking about it that way, it did kind of make sense.
Ren Kui went on explaining: "The range of the Central Sea Area expands every year because the war between the three great powers has never stopped."
"A few hundred years ago, the Central Sea Area might indeed have been very far from here, but after a hundred years of expansion, its range is now much larger than it was a century ago."
Han Zhan listened and nodded slightly.
The three great powers Ren Kui mentioned should be the top existences in this world.
As for the ’East King’, he was certainly one of the three great powers.
Thinking carefully, even a Level 7 Sea Adventurer could only serve as a subordinate on one of the East King’s warships.
Just how terrifying did the strength of those top powers have to be?
While Han Zhan was pondering, Ren Kui spoke up again:
"I hope I can stay on your ship."
"The battles in the Central Sea Area are too terrifying, a complete Meat Grinder. Even a Level 7 Sea Adventurer can only play the role of cannon fodder in there."
"I know the rules. I’m willing to show my value. Besides the knowledge and experience I have as a Level 7 Sea Adventurer, I also know of one more thing!"
As Ren Kui said this, he walked to the rail of the Gray Sparrow, raised his hand, and pointed toward the depths of the Proud Slime Mushroom Umbrella Sea Area:
"In the depths of that sea area, there is a Authority!"
Ren Kui’s words were like a huge Bomb going off in everyone’s hearts.
"What? You said Authority!"
"Is it really an Authority?!"
The Contracted Spirit Girl blurted out from the side.
Ren Kui nodded with certainty. "Yes, I’m sure it’s an Authority without a doubt."
"Because the naval battle we had in the Central Sea Area was related to it."
"I just didn’t expect that it, like me, was blasted by the aftershocks of the battle into this sea area."
"The reason I asked whether you were a warship from the Central Sea Area was because of this. If you were an enemy warship, I would never let them get their hands on the Authority!"
As Ren Kui said this, the force in his voice grew heavier, tinged with anger.
Many of his close friends, comrades who fought shoulder to shoulder with him, had died in that naval battle in the Central Sea Area.
If the opposing powers were to get the Authority, he wouldn’t be able to accept it!
"The Authority is inside that Proud Slime Mushroom Umbrella Sea Area. If we sail normally, we’ll be able to see it in about fifteen minutes."
Ren Kui’s words made everyone’s eyes light up.
What thing could possibly be more valuable than an Authority?
That is the foundation of becoming a god, a key item you can never have too many of.
Joy appeared on the girls’ faces. Could this be the ’Luck’ that Big Golden Fur mentioned?
Han Zhan and Shang Siteng exchanged another glance.
This time, before Han Zhan could speak, Shang Siteng had already turned to Gongyang Jin and said, "Xiao Jin, go steer the ship."
"Youwei, take him to the kitchen to get something to eat, especially some Lamp Bulb Seaweed thick soup."
After giving those instructions, she and Han Zhan both headed toward the command room.
From the command room, they had a clear view of the sea ahead as the Gray Sparrow sailed forward.
The searchlights kept sweeping around, while the slender tubular structures standing on both sides were like rows of withered trees, rapidly sliding backward.
Fifteen minutes quickly passed.
On the north side of the Gray Sparrow’s hull, sure enough, just as Ren Kui had said, an extraordinary luminous object appeared.
When the spotlight’s beam hit it, the object’s glow became even more intense—so bright that it made it hard for those looking at it to keep their eyes open.
"Found it!"
"We really found it, the Authority is there!"
The news that the Authority had been discovered quickly spread. All the crew members on the Gray Sparrow regrouped on the deck.
Having eaten his fill, Ren Kui also came onto the deck at this time. He squinted toward the light source and nodded seriously.
"That’s right, it’s there."
"That Authority, it’s right there."
"This place is full of Proud Slime Mushroom Umbrella root tubes, which makes it quite inconvenient for the warship to sail. We can use these mushroom umbrellas to go deeper..."
Ren Kui finished speaking and, once the Gray Sparrow stopped, he was the first to jump down from the deck.
His jump was perfectly measured, landing right on top of a mushroom umbrella.
He turned around and waved at Han Zhan and the others.
"It’s fine, these mushroom umbrellas are very sturdy. Even the weight of ten adults wouldn’t be a problem."
"The Authority is not far away. Let’s head over now and avoid any long nights full of dreams."
Hearing Ren Kui’s call, Li Lingzhen and Nuannuan nodded while replying, and were about to jump from the deck onto the mushroom umbrella caps like he had.
Just then, their hands were suddenly grabbed by Han Zhan and Shang Siteng beside them.
"Ah Zhan? Siteng?" Li Lingzhen and Nuannuan looked at the two, puzzled.
Han Zhan looked down at Ren Kui, who was still enthusiastically waving at them, and spoke expressionlessly: "Do you still remember what Seafarer Fan Pique told us when we first entered the Water Planet?"
"The ship is the main body. Don’t leave the ship lightly," Shang Siteng continued.
Their words made the excitement fade from the faces of the other Contracted Spirit girls.
With that reminder, Li Lingzhen suddenly realized that she might have been a bit too worked up earlier.
Seeing that Han Zhan and the others were still not coming down, Ren Kui waved again urging them, "Hurry up and come down, the Authority is right there. The search ships from the Central Sea Area could find this place at any time. We have to take the Authority and get out of here before they do!"
Faced with Ren Kui’s invitation, Han Zhan remained unmoved.
Standing beside him, Shang Siteng spoke calmly:
"Just how long are you planning to keep acting?"
"Meng Hou."