Chapter 147: Level 4 Monsters Appear

Chapter 147: Chapter 147: Level 4 Monsters Appear

Jiang Yuxing lowered his binoculars. "It’s a ship, and there’s a light on board. It’s too dark to see any details."

Shi Zhile said, "Let’s go take a look."

’If it weren’t for Shi Zhiyi, I’d just take them out. First, I’d seize their supplies, then tie them up. If they’re obedient and useful, I’ll keep them around for farm work. If not, I’ll kill them and use them as fertilizer.’

As the sailboat drew nearer, the sounds of fighting grew more distinct.

As the distance closed, a massive, spectacular sailboat came into view.

It was half again as tall as Jiang Yuxing’s boat, and up close, it looked like a moving island. The large vessel had now stopped, and the sounds of a struggle were clearly coming from its deck.

The sound of rushing water grew louder. Just as everyone turned their gaze to the large ship, the fighting suddenly stopped. At the same time, the distinct sound of something heavy hitting the water reached their ears.

The surroundings fell silent. Shi Zhile quickly sent a message to Shi Zhiyi. A moment later, a torch flared to life on the deck of the large ship.

"Lele?"

Shi Zhiyi’s voice drifted down from the ship. It was quiet, as if she were afraid of startling something.

Shi Zhile called back in response. As she turned, something flashed in the corner of her eye.

It looked like a rope dancing in mid-air, but upon being noticed, it quickly hid, attempting to dive back under the water.

A faint splash was heard again. The three of them drew their weapons, on high alert.

Suddenly, a strange sound filled the air. It wasn’t loud, but it was low and deep, carrying with it an unsettling, sticky dampness.

The boat beneath their feet shifted, tilting slightly backward as if something were stealthily climbing up its stern.

Shi Zhile motioned for the other two to be quiet. Torch in hand, she silently crept toward the sound, with Jiang Yuxing right behind her.

The boat tilted even more. In the torchlight, they saw a massive tentacle latched firmly onto the back of the cabin.

Seizing the opportunity, Shi Zhile raised her axe and brought it down on the part of the tentacle connecting the boat to the sea.

A viscous fluid sprayed out as the long tentacle was severed. The upper half remained stuck to the boat, while the lower half, still attached to the main body, slipped back into the water.

Shi Zhiyi’s voice called from the ship above. "Hurry, get up here! It’s a giant octopus! It’s aggressive and has a strong grip—it’ll drag a small boat like yours underwater!"

Shi Zhile grabbed Jiang Yuxing and sprinted for the bow. From the deck of the large ship, a long ladder dropped down.

The sound of something breaking the surface came again. The three of them scrambled up the ladder. Just before leaving the sailboat, Shi Zhile quickly stored away Jiang Yuxing’s boat.

In the darkness, several tentacles thrashed wildly in the air. One of them slammed against the ship’s hull and latched on, writhing its way upward.

Shi Zhile eyed the tentacle, wanting to chop it off with her axe but fearing she might damage the ship’s hull.

But if she let it keep climbing, the ship would likely capsize once the other tentacles latched on.

As she hesitated, another sound broke the surface of the water. This one was far louder than the tentacles and impossible to ignore.

As Shi Zhile continued to climb, she chanced a look down.

An enormous, round head had surfaced from the sea. Two bulging eyes on the side of its head glowed with a faint green light.

Wang Peng was the first to reach the deck. He immediately turned and pulled Shi Zhile up, with Jiang Yuxing following right after.

Once the three of them were safely aboard, the tentacle that had first latched onto the ship also flopped onto the deck.

It latched firmly onto the deck planks. Shi Zhiyi and Wen Bai hacked at it with their weapons until, in pain, the tentacle released its grip and began thrashing wildly in the air.

Shi Zhile’s eyes lit up. She drew her axe, rushed forward, and swung at the flailing tentacle.

THWACK! The severed tentacle slammed onto the deck. Its suckers latched onto the railing, leaving it dangling halfway off the side.

The air filled with a thick, rank stench. Perhaps because of the repeated injuries, the head on the surface of the sea quickly submerged.

Jiang Yuxing stood on deck and hurled his Level Two Axe toward the sea. With a PLOP, it sliced into the water and vanished.

The others all stared at him, their expressions a mixture of confusion and disbelief.

’What is he doing?’

’Is he giving the monster a weapon?’

The others didn’t know what he was thinking, but Shi Zhile did.

Jiang Yuxing was trying to imitate her method for killing the giant python, but unfortunately, his aim wasn’t good enough.

’It’s pitch black and so far away,’ Shi Zhile thought. ’Unless he’s wearing night-vision goggles, there’s no way he could have hit it.’

Besides, she hadn’t killed the giant python with a single throw. The python had already been severely wounded with an axe embedded in its vital spot. Her thrown axe had struck the first one, driving it deep enough to kill the beast.

Jiang Yuxing cleared his throat. "I only threw it because I was afraid it would get away."

He was truly envious of Shi Zhile’s ability to throw an axe. He’d been practicing for a long time, hoping to impress her with a spectacular move. Instead of impressing anyone, he’d just left them speechless.

Shi Zhile patted his shoulder. "It might not have run away before, but it’s definitely running faster now."

Wang Peng added salt to the wound. "Yeah, yeah. You were worried it was getting away too slowly, so you threw your axe to scare it off."

Wen Bai whispered, "Delivering an axe from a thousand miles away. The gift may be light, but the sentiment is deep."

Jiang Yuxing: "..."

Shi Zhiyi walked over and looked Shi Zhile up and down, relaxing only after confirming she wasn’t hurt.

"Lele’s the one who cut off the octopus tentacle, so it belongs to her. Any objections?"

Wen Bai was the first to shake his head. Supplies were important, but his life was more so.

He had no desire to be stabbed with a spear or hacked with an axe by the two sisters.

Wang Peng said, "No objections from me. But if you grill it, I want a bite."

Jiang Yuxing: "No objections."

Shi Zhiyi walked to the railing, grabbed the octopus tentacle with both hands, and with a powerful heave, wrenched it free.

The wooden railing splintered. A piece of it was still pathetically stuck to the tentacle’s suckers, as if complaining about its unjust fate.

The tentacle now lay on the deck. It was nearly three meters long and a meter thick, easily the size of two Shi Zhiyis.

Jiang Yuxing and Wang Peng stared in astonishment, not expecting her to be so strong.

Shi Zhile, on the other hand, was unfazed. She stepped forward, prompting the item description panel to appear.

[Octopus Tentacle: Tentacle from a Level Four Octopus monster. Edible. Upon consumption: Life Value +10/500g, Spirit Value -5/500g.]

Shi Zhile stroked her chin. "So, a tentacle from a monster can increase Life Value, but it has a negative side effect. I wonder if all materials dropped from monsters are like this, or just some of them."

Shi Zhiyi said, "We’ll find out the next time we kill a monster. To think a monster that big is only Level Four... I can’t imagine how big a Level Five Monster would be."

She was grateful they hadn’t run into a Level Five Monster.

Shi Zhile said, "The Level Five Monster is a mermaid. Not very big, but agile. Did any of you lose Life Value? Let’s grill some of this octopus foot and see how it tastes!"

Wang Peng exclaimed, "Yeah, let’s do it!"

Jiang Yuxing said, "I didn’t lose any Life Value. If you want to eat some, go ahead and grill it."

Wen Bai looked exasperated. "But it lowers your Spirit Value, and we need to spend Spirit Value to travel."