Chapter 888: 81. Whale
The workers of the Prissy Caravan approached the shore with torches, the deep cliffs replaced by rippling seawater.
The high tide transformed Storm Corner from a reef area into a deep-water port.
The stranded wooden boats were lifted into the water and loaded with goods.
The ships moored outside the bay resembled fireflies, sailing toward the rising tide at Storm Corner.
Many ships docked at the shore. Merchants traveling to and from Vena Ice-Free Port and the surrounding islands would buy the caravan’s goods to sell elsewhere for profit.
There were also some local ferries sailing over. Most of them were local residents, taking passengers destined for Vena Ice-Free Port or other locations to “Port Island” for a fee.
Paying four shillings for two people, Lu Li and his companions boarded the wooden boat.
Mothers holding children, couples, hunters—the wooden boat quickly filled up. Because it was nighttime, the other passengers did not recognize Lu Li.
The boatman lifted the oar, pushing the wooden boat away from the shore, gliding towards “Port Island.”
The seawater reflected distorted and fragmented reflections glowing, and looking around, the bay’s edge was filled with many firefly-like lights in the night sky moving towards Storm Corner.
Storm Corner was more bustling at night than during the day.
Port Island lay in the outer ring within Storm Corner—it had bridges but was at the very outer edge of the core pillar group.
The Divinity protected this bay, and the Mist of Strangeness and whatever existed in the sea could not be stepped into.
“Do you see the brightest island? That’s where the church is,” explained a mother to her curious child about Storm Corner.
The child clumsily closed his eyes to pray, his actions prompting his mother and some passengers to join in, all together thanking the Divinity for their protection.
Puxiu watched enviously, wanting to try it himself but aware that doing so as something strange would invite trouble.
After half an hour of calm sailing, they arrived at Port Island.
Besides the wooden ticketing cabins of various shipping companies, there were no other buildings, mostly open space and pillars.
And then they waited for a long time.
Ships had to load goods first before coming to Port Island to take on passengers.
Strictly speaking, passengers were not the main business of these shipping companies, it seemed more like an unspoken rule between ships: crew members earned money by transporting passengers while the company turned a blind eye.
It was more like transferring the labor dispute: paying crew members less but allowing them to earn extra on the side.
In this respect, Vena Ice-Free Port indeed had revived the “glory” of old times.
As time passed, passengers from various caravans landing at Port Island increased, gathering up to a hundred people.
Some wooden boats brought local vendors selling food to the island.
The crisply charred monster meat, sizzling fish cakes, and steaming hot water, indeed made one’s stomach growl on such a cold, damp night.
The vendors soon brought the aroma before Lu Li and his companions.
Lu Li wanted nothing; they had brought food.
The vendor, about to leave in disappointment, brightened up upon seeing the expensive canned food Katerina took from her suitcase, “Do you need purified water? Clean and tasteless purified water.”
Purified water, also known as distilled water.
Despite being distilled, it still had contaminants.
“It’s ranked third tier by the Teminas Association standards!” said the vendor quickly upon noticing their hesitation.
The Teminas Association is located in Vena Ice-Free Port, setting standards for various food brands.
The third tier is the lowest but still better than many waters that don’t qualify even for standards.
Lu Li bought some distilled water to fill their water bags.
Subsequently, a few more vendors arrived, but they were late; the aroma of food had already permeated the air of Port Island.
Amid the surrounding murmur of conversations, the passengers awaited the arrival of ships from afar.
“Mom, that over there is flashing, is it a star…?”
A little girl not far away asked her mother.
Lu Li, quietly eating the cold minced meat from a can, looked up; it was a pillar, sparkling inexplicably like a star.
Not long after, a panicked figure ran into the clearing crowd, pointing behind him and shouting in terror, “The bridge is broken!”
Panic spread among the crowd, with some running to the bridge to confirm, finding it indeed torn from the other side, floating on the sea.
The bridge damage was not only at Port Island; many bridges within Storm Corner’s core were broken, turning pillars into isolated islands.
“What happened!”
“What’s going on…”
“Mom—”
The panic-stricken crowd huddled in front of the ticketing wooden cabin. The locals inside were relatively calm, telling them the flickering light is a sign of invasion.
A curse appeared on that island.
He urged people to calm down, saying the curse wouldn’t affect them after the bridges were broken.
Knowing the bridge breakage was for protection, the panic-stricken crowd quieted considerably.
“Don’t the Divinity care about this?”
Returning to the clearing, Lu Li asked Katerina.
“They cannot sense it,” Katerina shook her head and said, “Some contaminants are hard to detect. For instance, items carrying a polluted curse, or ignorants infected with a curse.”
Towns can’t entirely block strangeness, even one as hostile to strangeness as Vena Ice-Free Port.
In a sense, the Homogeneous Item was also a type of contaminant, just less harmful.
The appearance of the curse brought some trouble for these passengers.
The ships finished loading goods, but they didn’t come to Port Island to take on passengers like before.
Katerina went to the ticket office to inquire, bringing back bad news.
“No ship is willing to carry us.”
“Why,” Lu Li asked.
“The outbreak of infection scares them.”
If the infection was brought on board, not only would it be trouble for them, but it might also cause the cargo ships to never do business at Vena Ice-Free Port again.
Losing their source of income, their families would starve.
“More money won’t help?” Lu Li asked.
“The problem is we can’t contact the ships.”
Lu Li recalled something, asking if there were any ships from the Fourteen Shipping Company.
Katerina went to ask, but unfortunately, there was no ship from Lu Li’s shipping company here.
Lu Li looked around; Port Island had a bit of sea breeze, but if it didn’t rain, it could barely serve as a resting spot for the night.
But could they leave tomorrow?
While thinking, a deep, far-reaching, whale-like low hum emerged from the darkness, heavier than any ship’s.
This low hum felt familiar to Lu Li, who quietly gazed out towards the bay.
A massive silhouette slowly appeared at the edge of the dimness, the first to see it screamed and retreated, panic spreading like a plague.
Only Lu Li and a gritting Katerina Puxius stood their ground.
Lu Li looked up, the rusting giant ship docked at the edge of Port Island, responding with a low hum.
It was here to pick him up.
“What is… that…”
Puxiu curled his tail and crouched down, almost exposing his belly in fear.
“A whale.” Former things always make one nostalgic, even Lu Li’s expression seemed softened, “Do you still want to follow?”
“Of, of course…” Puxiu stammered.
“Do you really want to board it? Board a…”
The sudden change left Katerina unable to think coherently.
“Yes.”
Lu Li nodded gently, stepping onto the “whale’s” back, with the hesitant Katerina and Puxius following along.
The seemingly buoyant low hum pierced the night sky, watched in awe by everyone, as the giant ship sailed into the surging darkness.