Navigator: I Have a Legendary Exploration Log

Chapter 71 Whales! Whales! Whales!

The sea at dawn is very beautiful.

However, Chalice had no interest in appreciating this view that he had long since grown tired of.

The person in charge has changed to Wirtz.

After arriving at the target sea area ahead of schedule, the Homecoming began to cruise along the edge, maintaining a monitoring but not disturbing navigation posture.

Chalice closed his eyes to rest, while the sailors on deck wiped their tools and whispered amongst themselves, dreaming about the future.

Some of them were retired sailors.

Some had worked on fishing boats for over a decade, while others claimed to have witnessed "grand whaling scenes."

"The target this time is the giant whale—"

A man with a scar on his lip said in a low voice, "I've heard that the giant whale is bigger than a regular whale, and it can swallow half a boat in one gulp!"

"fart!"

An older sailor nearby scoffed, "I used to work on whaling ships, and the giant whale is one of the most docile of all the big creatures."

"They usually only eat plankton and small fish, and I've never heard of a giant whale attacking a ship!"

"What's this cannon for?"

The scarred man pointed to the large, dull-looking weapon at the bow of the ship.

"Even the most docile monster is still a monster! If it were that easy to deal with, the captain wouldn't have asked for five times the price—"

The older sailor fell silent.

He did indeed travel on a whaling ship.

And the lucky one was the crazed whale; by the time his ship launched its attack, it had no strength left to struggle.

But even so.

The enormous creature's desperate counterattack and last-ditch struggle also greatly shocked him.

"That's the tricky part about dealing with large sea monsters —"

He finally spoke, but his voice was a little hoarse.

"Even if it's not known for its ferocity, even if it doesn't have any special abilities, as long as you anger it and make it feel threatened, its tens of meters long body can destroy a ship with brute force alone."

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood what he meant.

now.

The sailors maintained a restrained excitement, their casual conversations filled with a subtle atmosphere of tension mixed with fervor.

Eddie peered out from the lookout post with his binoculars.

When giant whales surface to breathe, they will spout a very high column of water, which serves as a navigational beacon for them.

However, the sea is now completely silent.

We'll have to wait patiently for the return journey.

Chalice, who was resting with his eyes closed, was not actually taking a break.

He was trying to detect the anomalies in the surrounding sea using the nautical chart in his mind.

Unfortunately, the powers unlocked by the [Sea Chart] are currently limited.

The displayed area is also very limited.

The warnings around the ship are sufficient, but it's wishful thinking to try to spy on the situation in the deeper waters further away.

But suddenly, Chalice opened his eyes!

He almost rushed to the driver's seat and abruptly pulled the throttle back to the "micro-speed" position.

"What's wrong, Captain!?"

"Something's swimming under the boat!"

Cherris looked serious, and Wirtz naturally gave up the helm.

He didn't ask the captain how he felt it.

That's how amazing the extraordinary are.

The Homecoming train suddenly slowed down, and the vibrations and hum of the turbines also decreased significantly.

The sudden turn of events brought the whispers on deck to an abrupt halt.

The sailors all turned their gaze to the sea, instinctively holding their breath.

Chalice gripped the helm firmly with both hands, his gaze quickly sweeping across the sea ahead, where visibility was much better than at night.

Chalice didn't miss the red dot that flashed by on the nautical chart just now.

He noticed the enormous red dot!

This indicates that some large creature had recently swum past not far below the Homecoming, and it appeared to be heading towards its target area.

Could it be a giant whale?

Or some other large sea monster?

If it really is something else—

Strategic shift? Or bite the bullet and go for it?

Fortunately, it happened quickly.

Chalice no longer needs to worry.

Eddie on the lookout suddenly waved his arm excitedly, pointing out to port.

"Water jet! Captain!"

"Whale! Whale! It's a whale!"

Chalice leaned close to the windshield and stared wide-eyed in that direction.

About two hundred meters away.

A thick, silvery-white column of water, as thick as a chimney, burst through the sea surface with a roar, shooting up to more than ten meters high, bursting into a hazy mist in the morning light!

The water jet lasted for a full six or seven seconds!

It's definitely a whale!

"All hands on deck!"

Chalice's eyes sharpened instantly. "Chief Engineer! Advance two! First Mate! Prepare to take over!"

"Eddie! Keep watch and see if its position changes. I need to prepare the whaling cannon!"

"Yes, Captain!"

The captain's command was like a boulder breaking through the water.

The deck immediately began to boil.

The sailors rushed to their respective posts.

The tarpaulin covering the whaling cannon was lifted, revealing the muzzle and barrel of the Heimer cannon.

Several strong sailors worked together to lift a harpoon, a weapon about two meters long, gleaming coldly, with a barb at the tip and a thick, high-density rope tied to the end.

The cable is coiled around a special winch.

"Load!"

Chalice had already arrived on the deck.

Although with his physical abilities, he could easily move these heavy harpoons by himself.

But he needs to focus his energy on more critical areas.

That's why he brought so many sailors with him.

"Load!"

He personally directed the operation.

Little Wright, standing beside him, pursed his lips, his expression a mixture of tension and excitement as he made a final check on the gun mount bolts and the hydraulic reset device.

Fortunately, old Wright's craftsmanship was impeccable.

The gun mount is tightly connected to the hull, making the entire whaling cannon as stable as a reef.

The sailors carefully lifted the harpoon and inserted it into the cannon barrel, only breathing a sigh of relief when the latch clicked into place.

The Homecoming, equipped with the Brilliant Turbine, experienced a qualitative leap in speed.

Even though it was only "forward two", not traveling at full speed, it was enough for it to quickly reach the vicinity of the giant whale.

The enormous creature seemed oblivious to the approaching danger.

It floats lazily beneath the surface of the water, sometimes spouting out thin, short jets of water, and sometimes slapping the seawater with its broad, flat tail fin, creating a sound like cannon fire.

Its body was larger than Chalice had anticipated.

Although I had seen a lot of the data in the documents, I could only understand why whaling ships were the most risky of all fishing vessels when I actually saw the real thing.

It's too big —

It's fucking huge!

Chalice even had some doubts about whether the whaling cannon could inflict sufficiently fatal damage on such a large creature.

Not far away.

The giant whale's back, which is visible above the water, is over twenty meters long, and its thick, gray-black skin is covered with barnacles and patchy unidentified creatures.

Such a massive creature was right in front of us—

Even if the opponent is like a silent mountain, it still gives challengers a sense of awe and intimidation!

But Chalis's eyes grew increasingly dangerous as he stared intently at the giant whale that was breathing leisurely.

No risks.

The identity of the core captain is out of the question—

No risks.

His own path in the sequence was essentially severed.

It's come to this!

We have to do it!

Chalice personally took up the whaling cannon.

He pressed his hand against the makeshift scope on the cannon barrel and aimed at the hole in the "island" not far away that was spouting water.

"Prepare to fire!"