Endless Ocean: Escape Starting from a Canoe

Chapter 177 The Temptation of the S-Class Sea Beast "Nameless Cocoon" (3k)

Everything was ready and supplies were replenished.
The Dayun is ready to set sail again, heading towards the boiling sea.

Just as it finished calming the waves, Shi Ming, who was standing on the deck, suddenly felt a violent dizziness. Then he heard a high-frequency hissing sound, like the flapping of an insect's wings or the chewing of food.

"This……"

Caught off guard, he almost lost his balance.

Fortunately, his strong mental fortitude allowed him to react instantly and regain his senses.

"what's the situation?"

He asked the crew members around him.

"Have you heard any chirping or singing sounds?"

The crew members shook their heads in confusion.

They did not hear any unusual noises, nor did they feel any discomfort.

Weird.

Could it be the howling of that third-ranked sea monster, trapped in its cocoon and yet to be born?

Although Shi Ming had his doubts, he had experienced similar situations several times before, especially on the day he killed the Glacier Dragon, when he could hear the Twilight Whale's cry from a great distance. Perhaps this was a manifestation of strong mental power, allowing him to frequently hear babbling tales he shouldn't have?
He shook his head and composed himself.

The nameless cocoon is not comparable to the whale at dusk.

A suppressed sea monster cannot even break free from its cocoon.

The threat to him is virtually zero.

It's just a roadside stall!
Suddenly, a very clear cry for help, mixed with the sound of flapping wings and wriggling, rang out abruptly in his mind.

Help me. Save me.

【remuneration.】

The distress call was in Abraham, the most common language in this sea area, but it didn't sound like a human vocal cord.

He was startled.

On the surface, however, he acted as if nothing had happened.

……

Shi Ming returned to the captain's cabin. The Dayun had already started and was heading away from Black Gold.

Help me get out of this predicament...

Humanity,

[Your mental strength is very strong; I know you can hear me...]

The voice grew more and more anxious and urgent.
Seeing that the message was targeted and not a general announcement, Shi Ming became interested.
"Oh?"

"who are you?"

Although he had already guessed the source of the voice and was amazed by the power of the sea beast's mental strength, he pretended not to know anything and tried to ask it in his mind with his mental power.

He had never experienced this kind of spiritual communication.
He could only try his best to sense that frequency and engage in a mental collision with it. He could feel that a wisp of his mental energy, in the process of searching for a similar frequency, was being swept away by that sound, as if it had plunged into an endless ocean, dived to the surface of a great rift valley two thousand meters below, and continued to sink.
Three thousand meters below, four thousand meters below
It felt like entering the deepest ravine.

He remained vigilant at all times.
Finally, he seemed to see a cocoon through his mental power.

The cocoon was eighteen meters long and wrapped in black silk threads.

The cocoon was bound by chains of unknown material, covered with countless markings. Around it was a high platform made of pure crystal, with a strange object embedded in the center. The bottom of the black gold was located thousands of meters above the platform.

It is indeed an "unnamed cocoon" suppressed by black money.

Who am I? I have no name.

[I am but a newly born worm trapped in a cocoon... You can call me whatever you like... Starry Sky Scar? Caterpie? Rayquaza? Shattered Star Worm? Spirit Worm? Anything is fine... I respect your suggestion.]

[As long as I get out of trouble, with your help.]

The insects' sounds were disorganized, but still somewhat understandable.

Shi Ming sat in the chair,
He casually stretched his legs out on the table.

"Escape?"

"You really are a newborn sea creature, still unaware of the ways of the world."

"I am human, why should I abandon my own kind to help a sea monster escape?"

People are driven by profit.

I can promise you, I will prepare sufficient benefits.

"But you're trapped, how can you promise me enough benefits? And how can I tell if I'm not making a deal with the devil?"

"do you understand me?"

I don't quite understand.

But what do you want?

what do you want?
Shi Ming found it amusing. I want too much.

We welcome all treasures listed on the list of rare items.

The blood of an S-class sea monster is best if it's as strong as possible; the third-ranked one would be quite good.

There are also more spiritual aspects, such as the need for safety, belonging, esteem, and self-actualization... Let me share Maslow's hierarchy of needs with you.
"Yes, I want too much."

What can you offer?

The sea creatures of the endless ocean are incredibly diverse. Although Shi Ming was surprised by the intelligence of this insect, he wasn't too shocked. A sea creature ranked third must have its own extraordinary abilities. Powerful creatures like the Deep Sea Titan are only ranked 66th. It's not unbelievable that the creature conceived in this nameless cocoon possesses intelligence and can barely communicate.

What can I offer? For you.

The insect remained silent for a long time.

He seemed to be thinking.

I can destroy your rivals, I can make you the King Insect, the king of this world, I can provide you with endless food, and much more...

Shi Ming shook his head.

“I’m not interested in any of these things.”

"I want some of your blood."

[Impossible. That's blasphemy.]

Blasphemy? You're just a worm who can't even speak properly, and you think you're a god? If it weren't for the novelty and the morbid curiosity, I wouldn't bother communicating with you. Abandoning your own kind? Saving a sea monster?
What kind of person do you take me for, Shi Ming?
He doesn't express these thoughts through his mental power, so the Nameless Cocoon can't hear them.

He appeared completely uninterested.

“You should know that saving you will require me to give up too much. First of all, I will have to betray my race.”

Betrayal?

【I don't understand?】

"I'm just a newborn insect, not a significant threat to humans. If you let me go, I'll repay your kindness and leave immediately for space."

"is it?"

"But I am just an ordinary human being, only twenty years old. Apart from having slightly stronger mental strength, I have no other advantages. How can I possibly save you under the oppression of this giant ship?"

[Did you see this? The altar?]

At the center of the altar lies the Sealed Prison, ranked 27th on the list of rare treasures. It also has a mother structure stored inside the large ship above. If I destroy that mother structure, I can escape successfully.

Shi Ming blinked.

How could it know about the list of strange items?

It's not as simple as he makes it out to be!

"You really are a newborn insect, you don't understand how terrifying those big ships are."

"I'm just an ordinary human being. How could I possibly get onto that giant ship and help you destroy that 27th ranked treasure in front of everyone? I'd probably be killed by the guards inside before I even get a chance to touch it."

The insect remained silent for a long time.

"Alright, if you don't say anything, I'm leaving this area. You can think about it carefully. I'll come back in a few years, and then we can talk again."

Shi Ming showed impatience.

【etc.】

[I can tell you the locations of one, two, three... sea monsters that you humans call S-class. Go and eat them, and you'll become powerful.]

Shi Ming pressed on,
"You've got it wrong. Me eating them? Maybe I'll be the one being eaten by them!"

"Moreover, I don't need to eat them. I only need some blood, less than a third of the blood in your bodies."

The stone inscription reveals the hidden dagger.

Human! I know what you want!

But, that's impossible!

Moreover, my blood is poison to you! If your mental strength is less than 300 and your defense less than 500, you'll die instantly! You can barely hear my voice; your mental strength is quite good, but a defense of 500 is extremely difficult for a human.

[Change your request!]

Even if you wish to become the Overlord of this world, I can grant your wish.

Despite the allure of the Nameless Cocoon, Shi Ming remained remarkably calm.

His unwavering beliefs are unshakable.

It's impossible to betray humanity and let this extremely dangerous creature, ranked third, go free.

But that doesn't mean he can't swindle something from the nameless cocoon.

"How about this,"

"You should know that it is wishful thinking for me to stand against that great ship that suppresses you, unless I possess power comparable to theirs."

"Now that you've been born, why not try to extract some blood from your body?"

"If I get it, I will do everything in my power to achieve the goal of 500 points of defense. Then, I will use this blood to awaken powerful skills and be able to save you. Wouldn't that be wonderful, killing two birds with one stone?"

This is a newly hatched insect.

Maybe we can fool it.

[Defense power of 500? You can't possibly reach that.]

Even the Xuanwu, the strongest defensive creature on Earth, barely manages a defense of 500 in its normal state. For a human like you to obtain my blood would only be a waste.

"Oh, okay."

Shi Ming looked very disappointed.

"I have no other needs."

"I really want to save you, but my abilities are limited. I'll come back to you in a few years when I'm stronger."

The Yun-yuan bullet train has begun to accelerate.

The insect remained silent for a long time.

Shi Ming didn't say anything more.

The spiritual energy that had been guided to the seabed began to slowly dissipate because it was too far from the body.

Shi Ming walked out of the captain's cabin and, as usual, began to patrol the deck, performing the duties of the captain.

He stretched.
It seems everyone has forgotten about communication.

The Yunhao spacecraft is going further and further away.

【etc.】

[I can give you another clue. The creature at the center of the Boiling Sea, its power is not as great as mine, but it is quite suitable for you.]

Kill it, and you will become stronger.

"Oh?"

Is this the start of betraying teammates?
"tell me the story."

Humanity, you must make a serious commitment.

"No, Brother Insect, you've only casually revealed some information, you haven't lost anything, yet you expect me to make a serious promise?"

"You need to understand that the foundation of cooperation lies in mutual exchange. I haven't gained any benefits, and you've only given a few words. This is just the beginning of cooperation, and we haven't even shown each other sincerity."

"unless,"

“I have truly benefited.”

(End of this chapter)