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

Before Gordon could even give an introduction, Charlotte had already finished her tour.

"So this is what it feels like to live on a boat. It's so small," Charlotte muttered.

"The structure of the ship's cabin is always very compact."

There are no windows.

"You'll be startled if you make eye contact with a fish when you wake up."

"There's a buzzing sound everywhere."

"The ship is also struggling to stay alive."

Gordon helped her unfold and arrange the items in her suitcase, including a dressing mirror, books to keep her entertained, and drinking water.

The monotonous travel cabin was transformed into something more refined, reminiscent of Charlotte's boudoir.

"This is the life of adventure, Charlotte. We've run through the countryside, crawled through sewers and underground caves, and now we're facing the ocean waves." Gordon sat down next to Charlotte and put his arm around her.

"Will the destination really have super-sized oysters?"

"Seriously, it looks bigger than a coconut."

"That's already an Otherworldly being called the Oyster Demon."

"Maybe this time we really will encounter the Oyster Demon."

After chatting for a while, Charlotte's nervousness about entering an unfamiliar environment eased slightly.

She checked her shotgun, which already contained two silver halide bullets coated with anti-magic solution.

"If I encounter a monster, I'll just give it a whack like this." Charlotte said eagerly, then pulled a short sword out of her boot with a showy air.

The shotgun "Dawn." Those who wield it may not be brave or skilled in combat, but those who face it head-on are certainly not without courage.

A short sword. It can cause the enemy to lose their senses.

"Want to fight?"

"When I encounter the Oyster Demon, I want to shoot it and blast out all the seaweed it has eaten," Charlotte said eagerly.

"Good luck, and oh, and this too..."

Gordon retrieved the design and manufacturing blueprints for the Thunder Spear and asked Charlotte to use the Ultimate Manifestation on it.

To enhance the effect, Gordon also introduced Charlotte to many of the design concepts for source weapons.

Gordon revealed everything, from the basic introduction in "Introduction to Spiritual Crafts: Dominating Source Matter" to Ningning's knowledge from the mystical realm.

:

Charlotte began to think deeply and carefully consider the matter.

The blueprints in front of her suddenly revealed many flaws.

"Let me try..."

[Pure and Perfect Existence: Ultimate Manifestation]

Under the influence of force, the lines on the blueprints changed on their own, resulting in a significant improvement in the design of the entire Thunder Spear.

The spear tip splits in two, transforming into two sharp spikes. The shaft becomes spiral-shaped, and a narrow window appears at the end of the spear. When charging, the light will gradually illuminate, demonstrating how the thunder will awaken.

Now, the spear on the drawing suddenly possessed a majestic and awe-inspiring aura, like a divine weapon...

Charlotte had exhausted her strength, her forehead was covered in sweat, and her mind was blank.

She wanted to see Gordon's reaction, but she still couldn't lift her head.

"Thank you, baby." Gordon couldn't help but hug Charlotte and give her a deep kiss.

"It's nothing," Charlotte said casually. "It's very simple."

She liked seeing Gordon's surprised expression; knowing she had been helpful made her happy too.

In a relationship where no cost is too high, both people should do their best to consider and work for each other.

……

Carrying the blueprint that recorded Charlotte's feelings and abilities, Gordon went to the lower cabin and handed it to Ningning for inspection.

Ningning, who had been resting on the floor, turned her head and squinted at the blueprints, then her eyes widened in surprise.

Things have really changed.

The main problem is that it's become so strange!

Her craftsmanship was inspired by the teachings of the sea god Aungbael, and the thunder spears she created naturally carried the spirit of the sea god, as rough and sharp as spears forged from sea stone.

After optimization, it exhibits the superposition of multiple properties.

The sacredness of the light phase, the blazing heat of the furnace phase, the destructive intent of the winter phase…

The greatest sources in the world have all bestowed upon them the blessings most fitting for them?

These forces could fit together so well that Ningning couldn't imagine what kind of mind had conceived such a structural ability.

The initial blueprints were within Ningning's capabilities; she could easily make them.

The current design requires Ningning to put in twice the effort, concentrate fully, and not be negligent in the slightest.

:

"Amazing!" The longer Ningning looked at it, the less she could find fault with it, and she could only praise it endlessly.

She didn't care about anything else; she first memorized the design and then began the actual reshaping process.

Before Charlotte's blessing power disappeared, Gordon and Ningning pieced together the initial form of the Thunder Spear.

The four large boxes of materials disappeared one after another as the song played.

The spiral gun body and double tips gradually took shape.

"...Then, it will probably take about 20 moonrises." Ningning confirmed.

Even if she could forge weapons with her singing, it would still take some time to melt the sound into all shapes.

20 days!

It's the end of July now, and in 20 days, it will be the eve of the Wild Hunt's feast, just in time.

"Very good, very good." Gordon thought it was good.

If you encounter a monster that's itchy from bullets, you can give it a taste of 100,000 volts.

then……

Gordon noticed the remaining adamantite and mithril in the box and took them out to examine them carefully.

"I need to make something else." Gordon turned to Ningning.

"What?"

"ring."

"What kind of function do you want?" Ningning had seen the great god Baal, who wore a ring on each of his ten fingers, and each ring possessed great power.

"It would be great if it could provide protection, but I don't have any source material on hand."

"It doesn't have to be source material; it can break apart and protect itself when it encounters danger! But then you mentioned something about how much it costs per kilogram..."

"Sure! It can break if it breaks, as long as the person wearing it is okay."

This time, Gordon didn't care about the materials at all.

A new spelling chain immediately appeared in Ningning's mind.

Start—Respond—Crack—Release—Face—Refuse—Stop. Okay, draw it like this.

"That's wonderful." Gordon sat down next to Ningning. "It should be comfortable to wear, look beautiful, and have two names engraved inside..."

:

"The names of two people sound really funny."

"This is what feelings are, Ningning. Do you understand feelings?"

"Feelings are a good thing, and I will cherish them."

Ningning knew, of course.

And they know that this feeling is called love.

Before Baal became Aeon of the Sea, the great authority he wielded encompassed storms, abundance, fertility, love, domination, and the deep sea.

For this reason, mermaids have also been portrayed as romantic creatures who can summon wind and rain.

They value love most and regard marriage as a sacred ritual.

After hearing Gordon's words, Ningning felt that the ring had been imbued with a supernatural power called love, and couldn't help but smile happily.

She had always been making weapons for the fish so they could kill at will. But now, for the first time, she was making something that wasn't a weapon, but rather offering love and protection.

"Yes, yes," Gordon said, picking up the adamantite and mithril, their colors shimmering in the air.

The engagement promise will soon be fulfilled, and Ningning is currently the only one who knows about this preparation.

I wonder what Charlotte will think when she sees this ring...

……

……

Before his departure, Gordon wrote a letter to Elijah Morgenstein, president of the Royal Society, describing the significance of his expedition to investigate the pollution of the Blackwater River and its relation to oysters.

Has the pollution from the Blackwater River seeped into the nearshore waters? Have the oysters in the Oyster Islands accumulated pollution? These questions are related to residents' food safety!

Then, he hopes to receive more research funding.

That's how scientific research works: before you discover and study a problem, you have to find people who are willing to pay for it.

It is said that the president is over 80 years old, but he is still in good health and rarely appears in public, but he still has a huge influence in the academic community.

Gordon was also curious about the attitude of this mysterious and unpredictable science president towards him.

This scientific expedition was also a gentle knock on the temple of science.

On the day the HMS Hound set sail, Gordon stood on the deck.

Captain Mallory is responsible for maintaining navigation, Cecilia learns about maritime affairs through the process, and the FitzRoy family's guards provide military services.

Charlotte will collect seawater samples along the way to see if the pollution has drifted overseas from the Blackwater River with the ocean currents.

:

The ship set sail with a roar, officially cutting through the river and heading towards the open sea.

This was his first time leaving Lundnim.

The further out to sea you go, the more ships there are—that was Gordon's first impression.

The port of Lundnium is crowded and bustling, with steam tugboats towing large sailing ships, passenger steamboats on the river, barges delivering goods, and patrol boats of the river police everywhere...

When the Hound arrived at the mouth of the Blackwater River, the situation became even more shocking.

Gao Deng looked to the left and right.

The ships were packed together like a herd of cattle and sheep, their sails and cables intertwined to form a magnificent, vast forest, with ships beyond ships and even larger sails beyond sails.

Because the area available for docking and unloading is too small, most ships are anchored at sea, with countless small boats shuttling back and forth to unload goods from all over the world.

Tobacco and cotton from the New Albion continent, coffee and cocoa from the Southern Continent, rubber from the Malaya Islands, grain and jute from the Barat…

These cheap raw materials would be processed into industrial products by the Logris Empire and then sold back to the colonies at a hundred times the price, forcing the locals to buy them back for consumption.

"That's the customs building. It's very important; otherwise, the money would have been stolen by smugglers." Cecilia pointed to a tall and magnificent building for Gordon.

All incoming and outgoing goods must undergo customs clearance, quarantine, and other complex procedures there to prevent the smuggling of contaminated materials.

"Who's in charge of that place?" Gordon felt it was a giant den of iniquity that levied gold pounds.

With such a massive cargo throughput, even scraping off a single layer of oil would be enough to keep the empire running.

"Lord Wilson, the Minister of Control," Cecilia said with a hint of respect. "He controls all of our nation's economy and resources, essentially acting as the finance minister. This building was constructed under his supervision."

Gordon glanced at the customs building.

It is both grand and magnificent, with a spectacular stone facade on a granite base, rows of colonnades, and exquisite high windows, enough to impress foreigners who are new to the place.

If this is considered moderation, Gordon would love to know what the empire looks like when it goes on a spending spree.

The Seven Ministers all seem to be somewhat unworthy of their titles, but the Generous Minister... seems to be truly generous. Gao Deng pondered to himself.

Leaving the coastal scenery and countless sails behind, the Hound slowly entered the sea.

The land is now very far away; the streets Gordon once walked and the buildings he visited can now be covered with a thumb.

The water turned a deep blue, the sea and sky blended into one, and Gao Deng gazed at the horizon with a sense of exhilaration.

The ship rises and falls with the waves, periodically rising and falling, leaving untrained people swaying on the deck, constantly groping for anything they can grab.

Vera stood on the deck, arms crossed, resisting the urge to vomit with extreme willpower, not wanting to give anyone the impression of weakness.

"Ugh..." Charlotte leaned against the railing without hesitation.

:

She originally wanted to use the Ultimate Manifestation to improve her physical abilities, but it didn't go smoothly. Instead, she started spraying perfectly into the ocean.

This was an impressive vomiting episode.

Her stomach, diaphragm, and abdominal muscles completed an impeccable concerted action, and the vomit swirled into the seawater, drawing a curve that conformed to the Fibonacci spiral.

However, she herself was not choked at all; nothing came out of her nose, and her skirt and shoes remained unharmed, avoiding her breakfast.

"This is the first time I've seen someone vomit with such good manners," Gordon remarked.

"..." Charlotte grabbed Gordon's arm.

She did indeed dream of going on a sea voyage the night before that summer ceremony, but she never expected that the actual voyage would be accompanied by severe seasickness.

Cecilia wasn't feeling well either; she stood a few steps away from Charlotte, struggling to suppress the urge to vomit.

"How come you're alright?" Cecilia looked up at Gordon.

"I'm an expert, it's normal for an expert not to get seasick."

Gordon's unbroken string and synchronous transmission ability have always been effective in controlling such matters. His nerve control is highly precise, and he can achieve balance by perceiving the environment. He can even predict where the ship will tilt in the next second.

More importantly, he felt that the sea resonated with him.

In any case, before arriving at the Oyster Islands, Gordon still had time to engage in deep meditation and practice, as Eve had instructed.

Gordon opened the water-based training manual Eve had left him.

Water-based spiritual practices:

Extremely pure water-phase spiritual crystals, arranged in the sacred symbol Ψ of Baal.

Head to an area that, by common sense, corresponds to the sea.

It possesses its own ocean/water flow-related source material, at least of medium size.

Begin meditating to the song of a mermaid who has no ill intentions towards you.

If you sense an abyss, dive down; if you see a calm, sunny day with a clear sky, flee immediately. If you see a whale with more than two eyes, flee immediately.

Under ideal circumstances, all crystals will be consumed, and you will receive one of Baal's gifts: Deep Sea Enlightenment, Storm Summoning, Abundant Fertility, Ultimate Charm, Power of Domination...

All of these sound very promising. Greater water control, the ability to summon wind and rain, create lightning, or influence others to a greater extent.

Back to the lower deck.

Before asking Ningning for help, Gordon wanted to know if Ningning was comfortable with real life at sea.

"How about it, you can go out now?" Gordon encouraged her, "But remember to come back."

:

"Going to the ocean would be best." Ningning got permission, swam to the bottom, turned on the rotating wheel, crawled into the watertight compartment, and closed the hatch behind her.

Next, she opened the small door at the bottom of the cabin, peeked out, and discovered the real ocean scenery before diving into the deep sea.

There are many wonderful things in the ocean.

Ningning looked around for a while, then decided to take something back to show Gaodeng.

The ocean is so vast, just pick up whatever you see.

Let's go to sea!

At first, Gao Deng could still sense Ning Ning, but as she swam deeper and deeper, she quickly lost contact with Ning Ning.

Now we can only wait and see if she will truly return as promised before she left.

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