Vol. 2 Chapter 11: The Strange Fishing Village

Chapter 11: The Strange Fishing Village

Fortunately, Hu Wenxu, despite being a mad scientist, was not foolish. The mermaids were on their side; dissecting one would jeopardize their mission. Sacrificing the whole forest for one tree was unwise. After cooling down from his research frenzy, Hu Wenxu returned to his original cold, meditative persona, only occasionally chatting with Lu Li about basic experimental knowledge, seemingly genuinely intent on grooming Lu Li as his assistant.

With the mermaid's help, the small boat sped swiftly. By late afternoon, they could see land ahead. At this point, the mermaids released the boat, surfaced, and said, "That area is not our territory. Approaching it will cause conflict. You'll have to continue on your own."

After speaking, the mermaids disappeared into the water, their tails flicking briefly before vanishing. They really didn't bother hiding their disdain for humans. If not for the mermaid princess's orders, these mermaids likely wouldn't have spared a glance at Lu Li and his companions.

"We have no choice but to row ourselves. Let's try to reach the shore before it gets completely dark," Xu Haoran said seriously, picking up an oar and leading the rowing. Lu Li and the others didn't want to stay on the boat any longer, so they also started rowing.

As the saying goes, "A mountain viewed from afar runs a horse to death." The shore seemed close, but the distance was considerable. The players, though physically stronger than average people, weren't experienced rowers. Their speed was much slower compared to when the mermaids were guiding the boat. Though they hoped to reach the shore by nightfall, they arrived long after dark, finding the small fishing village in total darkness without a single light.

Setting foot on solid ground, everyone felt a sense of relief. Drifting on the sea wasn't comfortable, and the thought of the possible presence of something vast and unknown beneath the surface cast a shadow over the seemingly calm ocean.

The fishing village wasn't large, consisting of only about twenty houses. Nets hung drying on racks around the village, but it was eerily quiet, without even the sound of snoring, making them wonder if the place was deserted.

Night signified danger. After discussing briefly with Gao Xiaowen and consulting Hu Wenxu out of respect for his "scientific" mindset, they decided to rest in the village for the night, largely ignoring Lu Li's input.

The village was pitch dark, and the group brought all the items prepared by the mermaid princess ashore. They began knocking on doors. Some houses were empty; others were occupied, but despite hearing sounds inside, the residents refused to open the door. They didn't want to break in and didn't get any responses despite their polite requests.

"We're travelers shipwrecked at sea. Could we stay the night? We'll pay for lodging..." Xu Haoran knocked on another door. After hearing movement inside, an old lady finally opened the door.

"Travelers? Shipwreck? Living by the sea for so long, I can tell the weather. There've been no storms recently. If you're lying, find a better reason." The old lady's voice was harsh, her tone unfriendly. But she let them in, showing them the old furniture inside.

"I'm an old woman with one foot in the grave. I have nothing worth taking." She smiled oddly, "This village doesn't welcome outsiders. You'd better leave at dawn, or something bad might happen."

"Grandma, do you live here alone? Where's your family?" Gao Xiaowen asked curiously. The old lady replied strangely, "This village is very insular. We're cursed. Once villagers reach a certain age, they either die at sea or vanish mysteriously. I've lived here for decades and have never seen anyone live past fifty."

"My husband and son disappeared at thirty. This place is cursed, so you'd best leave quickly, whatever your intentions..." With that, she retreated into the inner room, leaving the outer room to the players.

"This village is strange. There might be a side quest here." Xu Haoran said after the old lady left. Sitting on a small wooden stool, his expression unreadable in the dark, he suggested exploring the village.

"No need. Side quests are time-consuming, and with a transcendent entity around, any leaked anomalies could trigger event mutations." Gao Xiaowen rejected the idea, evidently wary of the transcendent being.

"Alright, we'll leave at dawn and head for the witch's location as marked on the map," Xu Haoran agreed, then leaned against the wall, a cold glint in his eyes as he pondered.

Lu Li then began earnestly learning from Hu Wenxu, who produced a mouse from somewhere, a knife, and a small flashlight, demonstrating basic dissection techniques: skinning, separating muscles, avoiding arteries, and removing organs intact.

Finally, after Hu Wenxu meticulously dissected the mouse, it was late at night. He turned off the flashlight, leaving the room in darkness. Everyone fell silent, settling to rest. Lu Li closed his eyes, focusing on the substantial shadow energy within his body.

Most players, after a few dungeons, acquired special energy types, but they couldn't control these energies directly, relying on modules to extract and utilize them. Like in martial arts novels, mastering internal energy usually took years. Players suddenly acquiring these energies found them difficult to perceive and control due to cognitive barriers, hence their dependence on skill modules. Lu Li, however, with his exceptional self-control, began attempting to manipulate his shadow energy within this short period.

(End of the chapter)