A Shared Meal, A Looming Shadow

Only Ming Yu’s warmth could bring her peace. Though her heart still wrestled with uncertainty, her body was the first to surrender, slowly shedding its resistance and defenses. Little Nightingale’s body committed that sensation to memory.

****

Qing Shui Ling Yin readily accepted Ming Yu’s invitation to stay, holding her hand tightly as they descended from the rooftop and re-entered the house.

As lunchtime approached, Ming Yu deftly donned an apron, preparing to cook a lavish meal for Qing Shui Ling Yin.

Just then, the bedroom door unexpectedly swung open.

Both Ming Yu and Qing Shui Ling Yin turned simultaneously toward the sound, only to see Little Nightingale’s face flushed with an unnatural crimson.

“What’s wrong?”

Ming Yu paused, then quickly stepped forward, placing a hand on the girl’s forehead.

“You’re a bit warm. Are you feeling unwell, Little Nightingale? Is anything bothering you?”

“No…”

“If you feel unwell, you must tell me right away,” Ming Yu advised, gently pinching her cheek.

“Mm-hm.”

Only after confirming Little Nightingale’s well-being did Ming Yu turn back, smiling as she gestured for Qing Shui Ling Yin to approach.

“Little Nightingale, let me introduce you. This is Qing Shui Ling Yin, my… er, a patient I helped with depression.”

At this, Qing Shui Ling Yin couldn’t help but glare at Ming Yu, a hint of resentment flickering in her eyes.

“Patient?”

Little Nightingale froze for a moment.

‘Isn’t she your fiancée?’

“Ah, that’s not important… Qing Shui Ling Yin, this is Little Nightingale.”

“Hello there, Little Nightingale,” Qing Shui Ling Yin greeted politely.

With Ming Yu present, Little Nightingale dared not show her displeasure, even if she found Qing Shui Ling Yin irritating. Instead, she merely nodded.

“Hello.”

“Good, good. Make sure you get along well,” Ming Yu said with a satisfied smile. “You two chat for a bit; I’ll go prepare lunch.”

With that, Ming Yu turned and walked away, leaving the two women standing there.

Qing Shui Ling Yin silently found a seat, while Little Nightingale picked up Luna, who was by her feet, and followed closely behind Ming Yu.

The atmosphere slowly grew tense.

Just then, Ming Yu suddenly spoke up, asking:

“For the scrambled eggs with tomato, what flavor do you prefer? Sweet or savory?”

“Sweet,” Little Nightingale replied without hesitation.

“Savory,” Qing Shui Ling Yin said, blinking as she offered her own answer.

Seeing this, Ming Yu paused, her gaze lingering between the two for a moment before she shrugged helplessly.

“Perhaps I should just make a different dish then…”

****

Hunter Association Headquarters.

Upon returning to his office, Seti waved to his assistant, who promptly retrieved the combat reports for the hunts of Jörmungaṇḍr and the Steam Squid. Seti then compared and re-examined both documents.

Even among S-rank creatures, there were significant differences.

Although the data indicated that Jörmungaṇḍr’s attributes were all below the average for S-rank sea beasts, Seti couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.

He had always trusted his instincts.

This supernatural, inherent perceptive ability had guided him through countless life-or-death situations.

Ming Yu had easily dealt with the Steam Squid, yet struggled against Jörmungaṇḍr, despite it being of the same S-rank. Either her own strength had drastically changed, or the intelligence department’s reconnaissance had been insufficient.

After a quick glance at the data sheet, Seti casually tossed it aside. He then selected the eyewitness reports, sending one copy to his assistant and keeping another for his personal review.

[March 21, 2617…]

[While fishing for edible fish, we discovered a strange sea snake…]

[It could float in mid-air, much like those seabirds whose feet have atrophied… However, five C-rank hunters aboard our vessel easily brought it down…]

[Before we knew it, one, two, three… the sailors on board began to vanish without a trace…]

[It was that mutated sea snake… Fortunately, the hunter squad on the ship finally dealt with it…]

[…]

[July 14, 2617…]

[We are from Fino, and we intended to cross this sea to conduct business in Dresa. We never expected to encounter such a monster along the way…]

[That was a B-rank hunter, hired by the boss at great expense, yet he was swallowed whole by that massive serpent…]

[It could have devoured all of us, yet it let most people go, only picking a few unfortunate souls for its lunch…]

[…]

[January 5, 2618…]

[This is Outpost D5. We have been attacked by an unknown high-tier sea beast. The sole A-rank hunter stationed here has been devoured…]

[It is a serpentine sea beast, at least three hundred meters long, capable of sustained flight…]

[Requesting headquarters support…]

[…]

Halfway through reading, his assistant suddenly approached, extending a beeping communication device to the Chairman.

Seti put down the files he was holding, took the communication device, and casually answered.

“Jiang Chen, you’re the primary person responsible for the intelligence work of the reconnaissance department. I don’t need to emphasize that, do I?”

“Yes, yes, I understand… After reviewing the files you sent, I’ve noticed a few discrepancies.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

“That S-rank sea beast that was dealt with, Jörmungaṇḍr, its evolution speed is far too rapid. It’s abnormal, and…”

“And what?”

“No, nothing…”

“Speak plainly.”

“This is merely my conjecture…”

On the other end of the line, Jiang Chen, after retrieving Ming Yu’s detailed record report and conclusive hunting evidence, hesitated for a moment before finally laying out his hypothesis.

“Jörmungaṇḍr was hunted by C-rank hunters in its early evolutionary stage, yet it reappeared in nearby waters several months later… I suspect it might possess some unique ability…”

“Jörmungaṇḍr… might not have truly perished.”

Hearing this, Seti nodded slightly in agreement.

“I’ve had a similar suspicion, but I lack concrete evidence.”

“Old Seti, that’s not even my biggest concern,” Jiang Chen’s voice suddenly grew solemn. “In recent years, the evolutionary speed of sea beasts has become increasingly exaggerated. Our initial assessment of ‘Leviathan’ has also been overturned…”

“Conclusive evidence suggests that Leviathan, the leader of the whale pods, has likely ascended to the ranks of a legendary behemoth…”

“Elaborate,” Seti said, his expression hardening, his eyes suddenly sharp.

“The basis for this judgment is quite simple,” Jiang Chen chuckled bitterly. “Leviathan seems to have fought with the Kraken, the giant beast of the North Sea.”

“When? Where did they fight? What was the outcome?”

“Three months ago, shortly before the sea beast tide erupted outside the city… Dresa, near the North Sea, was affected. Vast areas were destroyed, and casualties were heavy.”

“The fact that Leviathan dared to go head-to-head with the Kraken and is still alive and well today speaks volumes.”

Jiang Chen’s voice suddenly dropped.

“Old Seti, I have a feeling that one day, sooner or later, we will repeat those scenes from years past, forced to rely on our meager human strength to confront those monsters at the apex of the food chain…”

“Heh, we, the survivors of a lost land, cannot even conquer the ocean, yet we dream of returning to the stars, still lost in our grand ambitions of claiming the galaxy…”

“It’s truly maddening…” His tone was tinged with bitterness.

Jiang Chen’s words struck a chord with Seti, rendering him speechless.

After a long moment, Seti finally spoke, his voice subdued:

“My grandfather once witnessed that great era with his own eyes.”

“He said that every warrior about to bid farewell to their homeland and venture into the cosmos would look up at the starry sky before the Pioneer Monument, honoring the heroic spirits.”

He gently closed his eyes, feeling the beat of his heart.

“Our fleets once blotted out the sky, no matter how many suns shone above.”