Unable to repay my student loans, I had no choice but to work part-time as a demon hunter.

Junwang Mountain...

Gordon was about to step into that dazzling midday once again.

"I'll be ready." He nodded and said goodbye to Scarlett.

The carriage resumed its journey and passed through Lundnium.

The world on the surface!

Emerging from the dark, damp underground cavern of the chapel, Gordon once again saw the hazy, gray city and, for the first time, found it exceptionally pleasing to the eye.

As dawn broke, the floodwater rushed into the drainage ditch, causing the leaves and scraps of paper on the grating to tremble incessantly.

The last rain dripped from the eaves, shop assistants removed the flood barriers, and many citizens stood by the windows and doorways, looking up to confirm the long-lost ray of light in the sky.

Ningning felt the ground and tried to lift the carriage curtain several times, but Gao Deng pressed her back down each time.

"Don't let anyone see you," Gordon said in a low voice. "Just treat it like a game, okay? Keep yourself hidden; there are too many bad people out there."

"...!" Ningning thought of Linlin and quieted down.

She placed the back of her hand over her eyes, refusing to look, refusing to think, and pretending that her troubles didn't exist.

……

At the Royal Academy of Sciences, the square was deserted, and all the windows of the main building were closed.

Gordon placed Ningning in the basement of the Sherwood Laboratory Building, in a large pool that was originally used to study aquatic alien demons.

The pool is twelve meters long, six meters wide, and nearly three meters deep at its deepest point.

The interior walls are covered with white glazed bricks and equipped with drain valves, heating pipes, and a hanging ring and a large iron cage at the top.

Gordon busied himself with tasks, first checking the cleanliness of the water tank to ensure there were no chemical residues before starting to fill the pool with water.

He used a hydrometer to test the salt concentration and experimented to find the right salt concentration, water purity, and temperature for Ningning.

Vera carried Ningning to the underground research institute.

Ningning watched the pool water rise continuously.

It was big enough for a fish, but too small for a mermaid; she looked very doubtful.

"Temporary accommodation. I'll find you a better place in a couple of days, close enough to the river and the sea," Gordon reassured him.

"Can we go out?"

"Hard to say, it's best not to run into any jerks..."

:

"Fly!"

Before Ningning could understand what was being said, Vera had already thrown her into the water.

Whoosh!

The mermaid plunged into the water, splashing water across the surface and wetting Gordon's trousers.

"Ningning is not a toy."

"She likes it," Vera said.

Ningning dived underwater, swam around the pool wall twice, and then emerged in front of Gao Deng, her long hair plastered to her back, and her eyes finally shining.

"water!"

"You really are." Gordon tugged at his trouser leg. "Are you comfortable?"

"Comfortable."

Ningning swam freely inside, amidst the surging waves.

Vera sat by the pool, leaned back, and began to rest.

Eve had already filled a page with her needs for supplies.

"We need a lot of things, and the first thing we need is to replenish our food supply," Eve reminded us.

He opened the canvas bag.

Vera has run out of the jerky and energy candies for battle. She needs a lot of food. Ningning fought her way from underwater to shore and was struck by Scarlett's lightning, so she obviously needs supplies too, not to mention Gordon and Eve.

The most urgent thing right now is to make sure everyone eats well, drinks well, and gets some sleep.

also……

"There are also clothes." Gordon looked at Ningning.

"Clothes." Ningning had no idea what that was.

"My senior and I went to buy clothes and food, it took 45 minutes." Gordon walked out.

"Come back soon." Vera leaned back and lay on the floor.

"Wow!" Ningning yawned, turning her snow-white belly up on the water.

……

:

Gordon went to deal with Ningning's clothes first.

He thought for a moment, wondering where in Lundnium he could buy clothes suitable for mermaids.

By the way, theaters often order extravagant costumes for their performances.

Following this idea, Gordon found "Nightingale's Screen" costume shop on Jiangtan Road. This shop specializes in making exaggerated costumes for stage plays, which are used by the drama clubs of several nearby universities.

Gordon wandered around inside and quickly realized he had come to the right place. There were paper dragon heads, dolls dressed in ancient priest robes, and faded knight armor.

[Shell-shaped bra. The designer clearly hasn't seen a mermaid, but has good taste.]

Gordon finally bought Ningning an outfit that suited her for 5 silver pounds.

This is a classic large seashell bodice, featuring a pair of polished large seashells on the front, lined with soft leather on the inside, secured at the back with two leather straps, and topped with a turquoise shawl with layers of silver thread along the edges, resembling waves.

Gordon activated his ghost brain and projected it onto Ningning, which made him feel much better.

As long as Ningning is dressed appropriately, Gordon won't have any inappropriate smirks when he sees her.

Next, Gordon bought a large set meal for six people at a branch of Fish & Fried Chicken, with extra fried fish, for £2. He then bought a lot of roast chicken, sausages, dark bread, pickles, and 3 liters of lemonade. Finally, he returned to the Royal College of Natural Sciences with Eve.

The cool sunlight peeked through the clouds, and the world looked even fresher after the rain had dried.

As they passed through the school gate, the Boshi Square seemed to have been opened just for them. There was no one around, and the only sound in the world was the sound of their footsteps.

"I still can't believe that there really was a villain in Lundnim who murdered a mermaid," Gordon murmured.

"Ascension requires a long time to collect the right source material and essence, and impatient people worry that they will not be able to complete it in their lifetime." Eve walked gracefully.

"Can anyone ascend?" Gordon wondered, walking along, when this thought suddenly crossed his mind. "So, to become a god, something powerful, without needing any special bloodline?"

"The last thing the world needs is bloodline. If gods are only born from the descendants of gods, then where did the first gods come from?"

Yes, an unbroken string is an unbroken thread, but where is the end of the thread? Gordon couldn't help but ponder.

“That’s the beauty of it all,” Eve continued. “The path isn’t rigidly defined, and the great vision doesn’t care about our origins. As long as a person has enough ambition and ability, he can cross boundaries and see the extraordinary.”

"It also requires luck."

"Indeed, the birth of Source Essence is random, and currently only you can provide identification. Some people spend their entire lives without finding a second Source Essence that suits them, while others finally approach the Origin Essence only to find that the Empire, the Extraordinary Families, and the Ancient Immortals are already standing there."

"In theory, there is equal opportunity, but in reality, it's first-come, first-served. The root cause is currently in Old Deng's hands."

"That's why I suggested saving Ningning; she clearly knows how to properly kill the Fishing King. The Fishing King is in a state of decay and unable to protect His essence... I believe it will help you ascend from the sea."

Ascending from the sea.

Gordon recalled the scene he had witnessed during the Tide's birth ceremony.

:

With countless gold threads hanging down, the past, present, and future of the world are woven into an intricate tapestry on the sea.

When Eve mentioned the source of the sea, the tide of destiny within Gordon's body rippled gently.

"Are you willing to help me?"

"I'm already helping you."

"So what comes to mind? I think the root cause isn't the fries; it's not about breaking them off one for you and one for me."

"Clearly, I want the origin of light."

"You want to hunt down Saint Joshua?"

"I'm not so arrogant as to prey on an Aeon, but there will always be other targets. If I help you hunt an Immortal of the Sea, you must help me hunt an Immortal of Light."

Eve waited quietly.

She thought Gordon would ask about the costs and risks, and would say that immortals are not just a few dishes of vegetables, and would not voluntarily be eaten just because the two of them reached an agreement.

"Okay." Gordon nodded in agreement.

Eve was somewhat surprised.

"So straightforward?"

"Of course. But even at the core, we'll hold onto it and prevent others from taking it away, otherwise the sooner we get there, the faster we'll die. So... let's train a little further."

What?

Eve thought to herself.

Gordon actually agreed.

Hunt one immortal, then hunt another, acquire the Root, and ultimately ascend.

These words, coming from a young person, should have sounded arrogant.

But Gordon had already accomplished so many incredible things that Eve couldn't resist wanting to see what the next feat would be.

She felt that having someone like Gordon to accompany her on the path to ascension would probably make it less boring.

……

Back in the basement of the Sherwood Experiment Building, at the Aquatic Demon Research Institute.

Vera and Ningning are arm wrestling.

She gritted her teeth, her arm muscles clearly defined and strong.

:

Ningning looked at her in confusion, her movements steady and listless, not understanding why the game hadn't ended yet. She was wrestling with Vera with one hand and splashing water with the other.

Gordon told them to stop their hopeless struggle and to unfold the clothes they had bought.

"..." Vera shook her arm.

How can Ningning be so strong!

"A seashell." Ningning's eyes lit up, but she poked it and realized it wasn't real. "Hey! How did it die?"

"These are clothes from the human world. Put them on."

Why?

"Humans will cover up parts of their bodies."

Why?

"Don't ask why. If it's not covered up, some people won't be able to concentrate on their work." Vera lifted Ningning up.

Gordon walked to Ningning's side, put the seashell bra on her, and then put on a light green tulle over it, making her look much more refreshed.

"Hmm...hmm!" Ningning looked down at herself and turned her body.

She clearly found it very interesting.

"Alright, that's about right, it looks really good." Gao Deng looked it up and down.

Next, they used food to further dispel Ningning's wariness and let her know that Gordon and the others were really good people.

Gordon took out a plate of fried fish and fed it to Ningning.

She smelled it, then immediately leaned in, opened her mouth wide, and swallowed it in one gulp.

Crack—

The aromatic oils, delicious salt and pepper, crispy batter, and tender fish all melt on the tongue at the same time...

Ningning has eaten a lot of fish, some raw, some cold, and some still wagging their tails after they've been swallowed, but she never imagined that fish could be processed like this.

So delicious!

Her eyes widened.

"fish!"

"Catch it." Gordon took out another fish and tossed it to Ningning.

Ningning slapped the water with her tail, her body quickly rose, and she precisely bit the fried fish in mid-air, swallowing it whole. Then, with a splash, she returned to the surface and began to hum a happy song.

:

As the singing began, an unnatural rain cloud appeared above Gordon and the others. Gordon quickly stopped Ningning to protect the hard-won clear sky.

Vera gradually finished eating, and the pressure in her heart slowly disappeared.

Next, it was time to study the mermaid's body.

Gordon took a measurement.

Starting from the dividing line between the white waist and the obvious scales, and ending at the longest end of the tail fin, Ningning's tail is 2.03 meters long and its total weight is 172 kilograms.

The bust width is 118 cm, the underbust width is 82 cm, and the difference between the bust and underbust is 36 cm.

Gordon confirmed the numbers.

Overall, it is indeed a huge, silly fish that is excessively meaty.

Then, he began to explore the mermaid's further anatomical structure.

In the area corresponding to the human pelvis, there are no legs, but several layers of fine scales can be observed.

There was a barely visible thin line in the center of the scale, which Gordon could only see clearly after using sunglasses to magnify the focus.

[Closed muscles. Be careful not to put anything that shouldn't be there.]

: