Just as Su Nan was savoring the seafood, Sheman and the others, who had recently arrived at Rainbow Bay, set sail into the Rainbow Sea.
On the boundless waters floated a massive ship, ten meters high, steadily advancing and parting the waves as it stirred up a frothy wake.
"So this is the Rainbow Sea," Artier remarked, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at the shimmering surface of the water over five hundred meters away. The magnificent violet glimmers dancing in the waves were indescribably beautiful.
Positioned at the junction of the land and sea leyline node, this place occasionally exhibited strange phenomena. Sometimes, the waters would radiate various unusual glows—this was the origin of the name Rainbow Sea.
Tagana stood at the edge of the deck, curiously surveying the surrounding scenery.
In the Underworld, there were no oceans—only lakes and swamps. This was her first time witnessing a real ocean with her own eyes.
The vast, sparkling expanse of seemingly endless water, meeting the horizon where the sea kissed the sky in the distance, filled her with a sense of exhilaration.
Within her view, there was little land, just a few seabirds soaring overhead, suggesting a rich variety of marine life.
However, the fish appeared quite peculiar; many of them were species she had never encountered before.
The woman was strikingly beautiful, her form shapely, though she bore a thick snake tail in place of legs, revealing her identity as a noble from the Sphinx.
During the unification of the Underworld, the Star Alliance had conquered more than a dozen Sphinx city-states, all of which were eventually placed under Carolina's command.
This Sphinx noble, named Andrea, was the city lord of one of those city-states and now governed a city-state in Rainbow Bay.
Upon hearing that they wished to explore the Rainbow Sea for firsthand observations, she volunteered to accompany them, thoughtfully bringing along a group of guides.
The so-called guides were, in fact, a group of mermen.
They were only waist-high to an adult human male, with indigo-blue skin, fish-like heads, and human-like torsos and limbs covered in fine scales, complete with webbing between their fingers and toes.
These Mermen hailed from a clan residing in the coastal waters of Rainbow Bay.
When the Star Alliance first arrived at the bay to establish a city, they encountered this Mermen clan in the act of pillaging. In response, they dispatched a Golem Company, which decisively routed the Mermen.
The Star Alliance even pursued them to their lair, frightening the clan into an immediate surrender.
Though these Mermen lived mainly in the shallows, they possessed considerable knowledge about the Rainbow Sea, which led Andrea to accept them.
The leader of the Mermen was named Lan Lin, who was currently enthusiastically sharing information about the Rainbow Sea with everyone.
"There are many poisonous species in the Rainbow Sea; about one-fifth of the fish are toxic, so you need to be cautious before consuming them."
"However, most of the non-poisonous fish are incredibly delicious. Whether boiled in soup, grilled, or eaten raw, they all taste wonderful. If you adults would like to try some, just let me know. It's not bragging, but my cooking skills are quite good."
Lan Lin spoke with a fawning smile, appearing utterly servile and flattering. He had heard that the individuals before him were even more powerful than the city lord of Andrea, so he hoped to win their favor and perhaps be promoted to clan chief.
As a Merman volunteered to cook sea fish, both Sheman and Fleming exchanged bewildered glances.
"Ahem." Sheman cleared his throat and said, "Let’s stick to important matters. What are some of the more powerful sea monsters in these waters?"
The Merman scratched his head awkwardly and replied, "For us Mermen, all sea monsters are very powerful."
"…"
At that moment, Sheman realized that asking a Merman who couldn’t even defeat a Knight about the stronger sea monsters was indeed misguided.
He turned his head to look at Andrea. After a moment's thought, she replied, "There isn’t much of significance in the shallow sea area for Sea Monsters, but the Deep Sea is teeming with them. For instance, you might encounter creatures such as the Ichthyosaur, Dragon Whale, Megalodon, Mosasaur, Kraken, and Deep Sea Jellyfish."
Andrea listed dozens of types of Sea Monsters and added earnestly, "All these monsters possess power at the second to third circle of the Legend level. If you encounter them, avoid combat if possible."
While second to third circle Legend-level monsters on land may not pose a significant threat, they are a considerable danger in the sea. Unless you possess power one or two realms above them, it's nearly impossible to deal with these Sea Monsters.
Just then, a commotion erupted on the other side of the deck.
Tagana had captured a creature from the sea.
The strange being resembled a giant, multi-legged freshwater lobster, standing one and a half meters tall and three meters long. Its blue-green shell was extremely hard, and its small eyes blinked incessantly. With two massive, powerful pincers and relatively thick lower legs, it flailed about aggressively despite being held aloft by Mage Hand, shouting loudly in a desperate struggle.
"This is a Lobsterfolk," Andrea explained gently as she approached Tagana and Artier, who were curiously observing the creature. "They possess very low intelligence—about the equivalent of a house dog."
"They can be quite aggressive, but their combat capability is weak. A Trainee Knight with some combat experience can easily handle a single Lobsterfolk."
Lan Lin approached, eyeing the Lobsterfolk with interest. Rubbing his hands together and smiling ingratiatingly, he said, "My lords, the meat of the Lobsterfolk is quite delicious. Why not hand it over to me? I can prepare a feast for you."
Sheman and the others exchanged glances before ultimately declining. After all, Lobsterfolk were a sentient species, and the thought of consuming one felt unsettling.
Tagana, however, was intrigued. The Dark Elf was less concerned about the ethics and more curious about how the taste of Lobsterfolk compared to that of ordinary lobster. But seeing Artier and the others had refused, she reluctantly abandoned the idea.
Andrea said, "The Lobsterfolk usually live at the border between the shallow sea and the Deep Sea area. Since we've encountered Lobsterfolk, it means we’ll soon be entering the Deep Sea."
"We're likely to encounter Deep Sea Naga and Sirens next, so we need to be cautious."
Upon hearing this, Sheman and the others set aside their playful moods and nodded solemnly.
After entering the Deep Sea area, the number of Sea Monsters clearly increased.
Along the way, they frequently saw Sea Monsters fighting each other, with large patches of blood staining the nearby sea surface, which attracted more predators and gradually led to large-scale melees.
According to Andrea, such battles are very common in the Deep Sea area.
It’s best to stay away from these situations; otherwise, one could easily get caught up in the chaos.
Occasionally, they encountered Sea Monsters attacking ships, but Sheman and the others quickly dealt with them.
With two Level Three Wizard Apprentices present, as long as they didn't encounter a Third Circle Legend-level Sea Monster, there wasn't much to worry about.
Moreover, considering the Danger Level of this mission, Sheman and Coley brought plenty of High Rune Gems.
Even if something unexpected happened, escaping wouldn’t be too difficult.
Andrea praised, "With all of you here, this voyage is much easier."
Fleming asked curiously, "How did you all usually deal with the Sea Monsters before?"
Andrea replied helplessly, "We used Golems enchanted with the Levitation Spell. However, Golems are too heavy and require constant maintenance of the Lightness Technique to be transported on the ship. Even then, the number of Golems a ship can carry is very limited."
Sheman and the others exchanged understanding glances.
Golems could easily weigh ten or twenty tons and were quite large, making it impossible for ordinary ships to accommodate even a few.
Even if they were carried in Mithril Golem form, the ship's combat power would be significantly limited, and they would have to flee if they encountered even a modest number of Sea Monsters.
Sometimes, even escaping was a luxury.
It’s no wonder that the exploration and expansion efforts of the Rainbow Sea haven’t made much progress.
"City Lord, rest assured," Sheman said, a slight smile gracing his lips. "The other side has already developed more robust and larger magic ships. Additionally, they have designed special Puppets for underwater operations. These will soon be mass-produced and deployed here. By then, we will have the strength to advance on Deep Sea."
Andrea's face lit up with joy. "That's fantastic!"
Heaven knows, she had endured no small amount of aggravation from the Deep Sea Naga and Sirens over the past few years, and she had long wished to deal with those damned pests!
Just then, an alarm sounded from the watchtower above the deck.
"Approximately two thousand meters ahead, Deep Sea Naga and Sirens have been sighted!"
Andrea's expression shifted slightly. She immediately walked to the edge of the deck, took the telescope offered by her subordinate, and gazed into the distance.
Meanwhile, Sheman and his group activated the Keen Eye Earring worn on their ears. A flash of blue light flickered in their eyes as their vision zoomed in, focusing on the sea two thousand meters away.
On the vast expanse of the ocean, a fierce battle was unfolding.
One side comprised humanoid creatures with lower bodies resembling large snakes, their entire forms covered in scales. They were somewhat similar in appearance to the Sphinx Noble, but adorned with sea-blue scales and webbing between their fingers and toes.
"Deep Sea Naga!"
Though Fleming had never seen them in person, he immediately recognized the origin of these humanoid creatures. They closely resembled the images he had encountered in books.
His gaze then shifted to the other side of the battlefield.
There, a group of powerful sea demons rode atop Headhunter Sharks, their forms also humanoid but with long, serpentine tails. These were the Sirens.
Those unfamiliar with these two races might easily mistake one for the other.
However, in reality, the differences between them were significant. The Deep Sea Naga had already transformed to display fish-like features, while the upper bodies of the Sirens were quite similar to human forms.
Moreover, the Deep Sea Naga included both males and females, while the Sirens comprised solely females. Their true nature was that of banshees.
These half-undead creatures roamed the sea, granted new bodies by the ocean itself. Though the number of Sirens was not large, most of them were incredibly powerful.
They were masters of illusion, possessing stunningly beautiful appearances and deadly, enchanting voices. They could control other marine life, making them incredibly dangerous.
It’s important to note that sirens were not born through mating and reproduction. Instead, they were nurtured by the sea, which made them a kind of Nature Spirit, representing the darker aspects of the ocean.
Among the two warring sides, the Deep Sea Naga had the numerical advantage, boasting more than twice the numbers of the sirens. However, in reality, the sirens held the upper hand.
Wielding tridents, they showcased exquisite combat skills to battle multiple opponents, while occasionally singing to unleash illusions.
Even from two thousand meters away, their beautiful and melodious singing could still be faintly heard.
Standing to the side, Lan Lin looked dazed, almost stepping toward the sea. After being slapped awake by Fleming, he quickly scrambled back into the cabin, plugging his ears and daring not to listen to the singing any longer.
"How strange," Artier remarked, a hint of surprise on her face. "The combat skills of those sirens seem to bear the influence of Knight Combat Technique."
The girl turned to face Coley.
Among everyone present, Coley had the most profound understanding of Knight Combat Technique.
In addition to being a Level Three Wizard Apprentice, he was also a novice Great Knight.
"Indeed, there is the influence of Knight Combat Technique, and it’s very refined—not the common sort. It likely comes from a master," Coley replied, his brow furrowed.
Although the sirens were also capable of close combat, their level of civilization meant they could not possibly possess the refined Knight Combat Technique of humans. Most of their combat techniques were straightforward.
This observation was somewhat inconsistent with what they had read about sirens in books.
"Not just that; have you all noticed," Sheman suddenly chimed in, "isn’t the power of the sirens' singing a bit too strong?"
The others were taken aback, followed by thoughtful expressions.
Thanks to Sheman's reminder, they abruptly realized that the sirens' singing could still affect them from two thousand meters away, causing Lan Lin to fall into a dazed state. This power was indeed quite alarming.
"Either the intelligence they saw in the Wizard Codex about the Sirens was incorrect, or something was wrong with the Sirens themselves.
Sheman asked Andrea, "Are all Sirens like this?"
Andrea shook his head. "We encountered this problem too. Before entering the Deep Sea region, we captured some shallow-sea Marine Races and inquired about Siren intelligence, but the information we received did not match the Sirens we actually encountered. We suspect that the Sirens have gradually become this way over recent decades."
"In the past, the Deep Sea Naga were the most powerful intelligent race in the Deep Sea region, consistently suppressing the Sirens. However, in recent decades, the Sirens have begun to overpower the Deep Sea Naga."
"From what I understand, in recent major battles, the Deep Sea Naga have suffered devastating defeats at the hands of the Sirens."
As if to confirm Andrea’s words, the distant fighting reached its climax.
Under the fierce attacks of the Sirens, the Deep Sea Naga were utterly defeated, scattering and fleeing in all directions. However, they were quickly overtaken by the Sirens riding Headhunter Sharks and were pierced through with halberds.
In the end, only a small number of Deep Sea Naga managed to escape.
After the battle concluded, this group of Sirens did not relent.
Accompanied by a low, droning sound from conch shells, the Sirens changed direction, riding Headhunter Sharks as they charged toward the ships.
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