Chapter 136 - 112: Fog Strait

The sea was shrouded in eternal mist.

Three medium-sized Alliance cargo ships lined up in the narrow and tranquil mist channel.

Inside the cabin of the lead ship, it was quite quiet. Groups of furry Alliance species lay on the mattress, wearing thick earmuffs, the Fes people kept their eyes tightly shut.

The young ones had an unusual sleeping posture.

They curled their legs, pressed their chins against their chests, and maintained a constantly huddled posture.

Old Dean had specially designed the interior of the Ideal to be comfortable and spacious, yet the young ones still wore tense expressions and appeared very nervous.

Even though Dean offered a lucrative contract of two hundred Bright Gold Coins, only thirty-two Fes people were willing to leave their homeland and follow Old Dean to the unfamiliar and dangerous Lion Heart Island.

Most people had already deemed this contract as an epitome of a one-way death journey. Mr. Dean was essentially trading the lives of the Fes people.

Molly cautiously curled up in a corner of the cabin.

’Little Molly... I beg you... don’t go...’

Her mother was desperately kneeling on the ground, clutching the medicine bottle and a handful of gold coins, crying uncontrollably: ’There must be another way, I don’t want to lose you... I beg you...’

Molly suddenly woke from her dream and found her soft mattress completely soaked in her tears.

The girl closed her eyes again, but realized she couldn’t fall asleep no matter what. She wiped away her tears, her soft ears under the hat twitched.

Molly instinctively cast her gaze towards the cabin’s ventilation opening.

Solemn, grand, indifferent—the endless wall of mist met her gaze.

She had already left her homeland far behind.

Molly quickly withdrew her gaze, reminding herself that she was a Fes, and must not cause any trouble for Mr. Dean. The next second, the girl froze.

Because an older Fes was seated by the window, openly gazing at the sea.

She was a dignified purple-haired woman, with hair cascading like a waterfall, long legs, donned in a simple light-colored robe, holding a thick book.

The woman even proactively removed her hat, revealing those fluffy soft ears.

Molly quietly tiptoed over, her cat-like steps making no sound. The woman’s ears twitched, and she slightly turned her head, revealing a gentle and elegant face.

"Mentor Yi Feng."

The girl gently called out.

Mentor Yi Feng had a stable and comfortable teaching job at the academy, yet she chose to join more than thirty students on an unknown journey without hesitation.

Furthermore, the mentor did not accept the contract of two hundred Bright Gold Coins; she bought the ticket herself, boarding the ship purely as a tourist.

"You’ve awakened, Molly." The woman’s face beamed a reassuring smile.

Following that, Mentor Yi Feng blinked and boldly suggested: "Would you like to walk with me on the deck?"

"But..." Molly hesitated, clearly showing signs of reluctance and fear.

"Have confidence, little Molly."

Mentor Yi Feng had already closed her book, standing and proceeding towards the ladder leading to the deck: "This is an officially certified safe route; we must learn to coexist with the sea."

Many young ones’ ears twitched, yet they were unwilling to open their eyes, huddling even tighter.

Molly pursed her lips, ultimately following the silhouette ahead.

The two stepped onto the ladder, Molly holding tightly onto her hat, hunched back, only daring to set her gaze on the mentor’s heels.

Yi Feng suddenly halted, and Molly, caught off guard, bumped into the mentor’s back. In a panic, she raised her head, realizing she had already reached the deck.

The sea was calm with no waves, even as the mist wall transformed, the lead ship giving an illusion of being stationary.

"This time, Mr. Dean certainly invested heavily, thirty-two from the Fes Race, a total of six thousand four hundred Bright Gold Coins..."

Mentor Yi Feng held the railing of the deck and initiated conversation: "Molly, how did you use those Bright Gold Coins?"

"I’ve already bought ten bottles of new medicine, enough for my father to use for a long time."

Molly sniffed and timidly replied: "I’ve left the remaining money all to my mother..."

"You truly didn’t leave any fallback for yourself."

Yi Feng turned her head, examining the girl’s cheap, washed-to-whiteness dress, her tone serious: "Are you prepared to sacrifice?"

Molly lowered her head.

"Father no longer has time..."

She murmured: "Without signing this contract, my mother and I couldn’t afford even one bottle of new medicine..."

"In this world, there’s no such thing as a good deed without reason, little Molly."

Mentor Yi Feng sighed deeply.

According to rumors, Lord Roland had turned into a greedy, evil, licentious villain. The weak-willed Fes people would certainly face brutal torture and become his playthings...

Molly’s body trembled once more.

"Don’t be afraid, little Molly, I understand—each of you has your own hardships."

Yi Feng’s voice was very soft, yet her tone was unprecedentedly firm: "Therefore, on this voyage, I brought all my savings..."

"If Lord Roland really is like the rumors suggest, I will find a way, as an Alliance scholar, to use this money to redeem you all."

She softly but firmly smiled: "Don’t be afraid, alright?"

Molly looked up dazedly.

Even though Mentor Yi Feng was smiling, her knuckles gripping the railing were slightly pale, and those delicate arms were trembling a bit.

Mentor Yi Feng also harbored unease.

Suddenly, a mysterious voice echoed in both their ears.

"Forward... Forward..."

The voice lingered from deep within the mist wall, gradually becoming distinct: "We’ve never had any retreat! Raise the sails! Fight them ’til the end!"

In the bewildered gaze of Yi Feng and Molly, the phantom outline of a huge, ancient seven-masted ship emerged from the fog.

That ship far exceeded the size of the Ideal, with fully raised sails, magnificent curtains nearly covering the sky.

The two could even hear the people busily working on the deck, the storm’s rage, the stark brilliance elongating the shadows of the masts. A blood-soaked captain roared:

"Forward, onward! Young ones! Never abandon hope!"

He drew the Curved Saber from his waist, let out a hearty laugh: "Let these terminal scum taste the flavor of blood!"

The sailors erupted with laughter, and someone began to sing an ancient sea shanty in a rugged tone.

The next instant, the gigantic ship collided with another vortex of chaotic, distorted eerie mist! Every moment people plummeted in the fog, falling into the boundless Deep Sea.

Youths singing the sea shanty plunged into the sea, replaced by others continuing the melodious, deep song.

At this moment, footsteps emerged behind the two.

"How’s the view of the sea?"

The two Fes hurriedly turned around, spotting the round figure of Old Dean jovially approaching: "Ms. Yi Feng’s first time at sea too, right?"

"Mr. Dean!"

At this moment, Yi Feng’s tone was urgent, reaching out to point ahead: "Did you see that gigantic ship?"

Old Dean paused, glancing in the directed direction.

Yet there, the mist wall stood, revealing nothing.