CH 289

“Chapter 289: Bargaining Terms”

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– And that’s the story. It’s no big deal though, hahaha!

Ralph laughed as if he didn’t care, but it was a huge shock to me.

I thought his village had been wiped out by a tsunami caused by a magical beast or something. I never imagined a whale would be the culprit.

He fulfilled his childhood dream. Becoming the best adventurer in the world.

But he lost his home in the process.

– Gigantowhale. Also known as Isle Whale. Easily surpasses the size of an island. What makes it special is the way it feeds. It grows habitats on its back and devours them when the organisms have developed enough. The whale repeats this process over the course of hundreds or even thousands of years. However, the signs are all there. The whale is moving again. (Diine)

Ralph’s story took place about a decade ago. Why is the isle whale moving again?

– I have yet to find the reason for this. Perhaps something caused the beast to move away from the border.

Is there a creature in the boundary causing the beasts to run away? Or did a change happen in the environment? Or is it something else?

– I have been under the sea for a long time, but this is the first time I have seen such a drastic change. I will continue to investigate as much as I can.

– So, what do you want us to do? I assume you didn’t invite us here to have a party.

– Correct. I expect you both to guard my temple while I look for clues. Have a look at this.

Diine created a sort of soap bubble on her hand.

– I am able to project the field of view of any underwater creature from my domains.

The image of the temple was being projected, surrounded by dark jerks emitting electric shocks.

Differing in size, but there must be about 30 of them waiting for us.

– The barrier weakens when I leave the temple. Thus, I risk an intrusion from these scums.

– So you want us to kill them if they get through?

– My situation aside, there are several families living in this temple. If this place is destroyed, I can move to a new one easily, but what about everyone else?

– … (Takaya)

– I’m in. I mean, what else can we do? We just gotta push through it.

– I’ll follow Ralph’s decision.

– We have a deal, then. (Diine)

– We do. What about our part? (Ralph)

– I take it money isn’t enough for someone like you.

Diine’s soap bubble showed a pitch-black landscape.

– What is that? (Takaya)

– The submarine volcano we just escaped from. Or rather, it is the view from the inside. There are fish living there. They eat the Unbreakable to make a hole in it and survive while hiding.

– What!? There’s a fish that can eat Unbreakable!?

– The ocean is vastly different from the land.

A fish that can somehow break a material that not even Ralph can easily get through…

– This is my side of the deal. Help me, and I will help you obtain the Unbreakable.