Chapter 599 - 564: The Fisherman’s Admiration
Looking at the suddenly completed fourth stage of the Epic Quest, Da Fei was taken aback and then had an epiphany!
Think about it, if it were a normal quest process, how would I meet the Sea God Priest? It's probably by constantly trading and doing tasks, then the Chamber of Commerce grows booming and finally alarms the Kingdom's upper echelons, leading to an audience with the guilt-ridden Prince—right, that line from the Prince, "If sea trade doesn't work, try land trade," must be the manifestation of his guilty conscience, right?
But this—this isn't the normal process! Because of Leviathan's appearance, and because Pegasus Knight Aeris carries so much weight, I skipped all the previous steps and met the final BOSS directly! This is why I completed the task in one giant leap; I'm awesome!
Holy shit! It's not even finished yet, and a Legendary Level task has popped up! Legendary, a task even higher-end than Epic! Da Fei hurriedly checks the task information:
——Task Hint 1: In the mythological age, the residents of Atlantis Continent in the ocean were the most fervent worshippers of the Sea God, and they enjoyed a massive amount of blessings from the Sea God, establishing an attention-grabbing civilization. However, their superior lifestyle led the Atlanteans to decadence and corruption, and finally, they angered the Sea God. The Sea God himself cast the Divine Artifact Trident and sank the Atlantis Continent. But what enraged the Sea God even more was that the corrupted Atlanteans had mastered the ability to defy the gods, and Atlantis City disappeared along with the trident. Your task is to find the drifting underwater city of Atlantis in the New World and the Sea God's trident.
——Task Hint 2: Bahamut, the ancient and mysterious Dragon God, powerful enough to instill fear in the other gods who know little about him. His Dragon Priest followers have established an Ocean Divine Country in the New World's seas, posing a serious challenge to the Sea God's divine authority. As the Sea God finds it inconvenient to wage war against Bahamut's forces personally, he needs the strength of mortal heroes to help him quell this rich maritime area.
...
This is a Legendary Task!? Da Fei just stands there stunned!
This isn't just a dad joke! Fucking hell, this is not even the same game I'm playing! How many years will it take to complete? Trading a Priest for such a badass enterprise, is this deal really worth it? You might as well wipe out my Chamber of Commerce!
Now, the Saint speaks again: "Mortal, you are not yet capable of fulfilling the Sea God's wishes, but I believe that with your abilities, you will one day grow strong enough. However, I must remind you that before you complete this task, the Sea God's curse will still constantly be by your side, so this will remain a challenge you must overcome. Of course, you can also see this as the Sea God's test for you!"
Exactly, even the Epic Quest isn't completed! Testing me is fine, but could you please not test the members of my Chamber of Commerce? No more to say, from now on my Chamber of Commerce will become land merchants, let's see how you curse away!
At this point, the Saint flashes a smile, and in that instant, all the dark clouds in the sky dissipate and sunshine fills the space between the sky and the sea.
The Saint laughs and says: "Of course, we have not given up on Heliana. If one day she comes around, she can still return to the Sea Realm. After all, love is not eternal. You may also pass my harp to her once again, as my sentiments are fully encapsulated in its music. So, mortal, I look forward to our next meeting."
After saying this, the whale lets out a thunderous roar that shakes the heavens and the sea, and a massive jet of water sprays out from its head once again. Amidst the violent waves, the island once again sinks into the sea, vanishing in an instant, leaving only the artificial rainbow created by the whale's spout lingering in the sky.
Only at this moment do the sailors and fishermen of the entire fleet snap out of it and breathe a sigh of relief.
And Da Fei also can't help but be filled with a multitude of feelings. So, the Sea God Priest's name is Heliana? Damn it, she's already someone's wife, what do I care what her name is? It can't always be something like 'the leftover Saint', right? And what does that line "love is not eternal" mean? Is it suggesting I have to break up their marriage to complete the curse of reviving the Chamber of Commerce? How do I break them up? Send Deirdre to use her Banshee talents to seduce the Prince?
Holy shit! My wife, don't even think about it!
Anyway, this legendary quest does sound frustrating, but after all, it can only be completed in the New World after reaching level 50. By then, my strength will surely be not what it is now, and I'll just adapt and make choices freely. In any case, focusing on the present, this trip has been quite fruitful.
Nothing more to say now, the fleet sets sail for home.
And at this moment, Savaran, who had finally come to his senses after quite a while, approached Da Fei with a face as trembling and servile as if he had shit and piss running down his leg, his mustache quivering as he opened and closed his mouth, unable to utter a single word!
Da Fei couldn't help shaking his head and sighing inwardly, another encounter with the Mermaid Saint, another rumor about the prince—your old nerves must be really rattled.
Finally, Savaran calmed down enough to speak with a trembling voice: "Guildmaster, seeing is believing. I'm now thoroughly in awe of you, I haven't recommended the wrong person!"
Da Fei chuckled: "Oh no, I don't have any relation with her, I don't even know her name."
Savaran shook his head and said solemnly: "For fishermen, reverence for the Mermaid Saint is the same as reverence for the sea, and you, Guildmaster, are a person who can converse directly with the Divine Envoy. In my eyes, you have transcended the realm of mortals!"
Damn! What a bootlicker! I'd rather not converse with gods, do you have any idea how much trouble I'm in?
Da Fei could only offer a wry smile: "You flatter me too much, Guildmaster!"
Savaran said solemnly: "Guildmaster, you mentioned earlier that you wanted me to keep an eye out for fishermen willing to join your guild, right? I've always kept it in mind, but due to historical issues with the Dragon Cavalry Chamber of Commerce and current guild contribution issues, no one was willing to join. But now it's different. After seeing the Mermaid Saint, these thirty skilled fishermen I brought are all full of admiration for you and are willing to join your Guild and work together for a great cause!"
Da Fei's jaw dropped. Is this for real? Damn, is it the charm of the mermaid or my Leadership Skill that's captivating? I was planning to switch to land transportation! Are you trying to entangle me with this?
Da Fei said in surprise: "Do they know about the perilous situation of the Dragon Cavalry Chamber of Commerce? They still want to join?"
Savaran reaffirmed: "I vouch for them with my honor that they are sincere. Otherwise, they wouldn't have joined me on this dangerous Sea Monster hunting expedition. Moreover, if it weren't for the Mayor's important trust in me, I'd be willing to resign as the head of the Fishing Guild and join your Guild!"
With his words coming to this point, what else could I say? Fine, this sea journey has been a windfall after all, and my Guild is short of people!
Da Fei joyfully said: "Good, thank you, Guildmaster, for facilitating this. Let's work together for a great cause! However—" Da Fei's tone changed as he continued: "There are some things that are taboo in the Kingdom, so let's keep quiet about it!"
Savaran nodded repeatedly: "Don't worry, Guildmaster. We only remember the holy visage of the Saint; we've forgotten everything else!"
Great, this is exactly the effect I wanted! Finally, the first batch of normal people have joined. Will the second and third batches be far behind? (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote and support on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)