IRM Chapter 63

To be honest, Ji Chi wasn’t the least bit surprised now. Phaestus’s series of manipulative operations had already pushed his patience to the breaking point, and he now only wanted to smash Phaestus’s dog head to pieces.

He should have known! This improper thing didn’t have a single truthful word in its mouth!

The massive black dragon tilted its wings, cutting a perfect arc through the azure sky before flying back in the original direction.

Bard, who had been paddling on the sea surface until his arms were sore, shook his arms and was about to rest for a while when he was suddenly swayed by an unexpected hurricane. Tang quickly grabbed him with sharp eyes and quick hands, preventing him from tumbling headfirst into the sea.

“What’s happening?” Bard steadied his little hat that had nearly fallen off and looked up in alarm.

The black dragon’s sky-blocking shadow skimmed the sea surface and landed beside the temple island. Its massive body crashed into the sea, stirring up towering waves that lifted their small boat high to the crest of the waves before dropping it back down.

The heart-dropping sensation of being airborne made Tang’s face turn pale once again. He gripped the edge of the small boat tightly and couldn’t help but frown and complain, “What is Ji Chi doing?”

Bard desperately steadied their pitiful little rubber boat and breathed a sigh of relief. “Maybe he dropped something?”

But he also found it very strange – what could be dropped on that bare island?

However, they soon witnessed what kind of item could be forgotten——

Ji Chi sat upright on the dragon’s back with no intention of coming down. He simply slowly extended his hand toward that island.

Just as the two were puzzled, the metal island suddenly rose into the air. The entire island was cone-shaped, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. Seawater hanging on its outer walls cascaded down with a splash, gathering at the sharp point at the island’s bottom to form a wide column of water.

The sea surface suddenly opened up a large space, and hundreds of tons of seawater poured back, forming a huge whirlpool on the sea surface.

Bard’s small boat was some distance from the whirlpool. Although it wasn’t unfortunately sucked into the vortex, it was still affected to some extent. The distance they had worked so hard to paddle was pulled back by the current, and everything returned to the starting point.

Bard & Tang looked at Ji Chi, who was now right in front of them: “……”

Ji Chi: “……Sorry, I didn’t mean to. I just forgot about this thing.”

The metal island appeared floating in the air for only a brief period before Ji Chi put it away. Of course, this “small gift” obviously couldn’t fit in his magic bag, so Ji Chi had to make space in his game backpack specifically to store the [Forge House].

Ji Chi didn’t look carefully and coincidentally took out that book “How to Forge Legendary Equipment.” The thick parchment tome was particularly conspicuous in the vast ocean. Ji Chi held it in his hand and hesitated for a moment–his backpack had no space left, and his magic bag was full too, so it seemed he could only……

Ji Chi dangerously glanced at the sea, feeling that keeping such a thing would only bring harm to people.

“What is that?!” Bard had sharp eyes and suddenly stood up from the boat. His burning gaze was fixed on what Ji Chi held in his hands, as if he wanted to burn a hole in the book.

Ji Chi sighed with a headache. Why did Bard have to see it…… This was exactly what he had been afraid of. Ji Chi hesitantly looked down at the tome in his hands. “It’s a book……”

Bard had obviously realized something from the cover that bore the marks of time and knowledge (?), and his expression gradually became frenzied as he pleaded, “Let me take a look, okay? Just one look. I can give you anything you want, even my life!”

Bard was going all out, looking like he would jump into the sea if he wasn’t allowed one glance.

What else could Ji Chi do? He well knew Bard’s obsession – if he didn’t let him see it, he wouldn’t have peace in the future.

Ji Chi didn’t consider for long before lightly jumping down and handing the tome to Bard, telling him, “Then I’ll leave it with you for now. You can look at it if you want, but it’s best to start from the last page.”

Bard couldn’t hear Ji Chi’s words clearly at all. He opened the first page and cried, tremblingly caressing those few large characters. “It’s the God of Forging! It really is Him! I’m so fortunate to be able to……”

Ji Chi climbed back onto the dragon’s back and kindly reminded, “Alright, you can turn to the last page now.”

Bard glared at him through tearful eyes, wanting to scold something, but then remembered who the real owner of this book was. He could only hold back his anger and mutter, “How can this be! That’s disrespectful to the tome! It’s also disrespectful to the god! Such a treasure should naturally be studied word by word to the end. How can it be treated so carelessly!”

Ji Chi looked at him with pity. Alright, I knew it. Then I just hope you can hold on when you turn to the last page.

The commotion from putting away the Forge House was too great, directly attracting two groups of people.

One group was the mermaid “sacrifices” who had originally been lured to the seabed by the [Siren’s Song]. They were all pampered beautiful mermaids who lived in the deep sea, usually not high level and very easily affected by skills.

But they had already been controlled by Ji Chi for a long time, and under the sudden huge commotion, they were still awakened. They swayed their slender, beautiful tails and cautiously surfaced to check the disturbance.

Soon, the mermaid ladies joyfully discovered that the monster that had been lingering in this sea area was gone, leaving only a black island that had become somewhat strange.

However, this strange island was several times larger than before and looked much rougher, shaped like a giant dragon……

Nidhogg opened his eyes in the seawater, his huge golden pupils meeting the curious mermaid ladies who had come forward to investigate.

The mermaids: “……”

“Ahhhh——” A particularly young mermaid couldn’t help but scream, her highly penetrating voice traveling far and clearly reaching the ears of another team of mermaids who had come following the sound.

The Third Prince paused in his forward swimming motion, his eyes lighting up. “Is that the voice of that black mermaid? She’s not dead! Let’s hurry over and save her!”

The First Prince reached out to stop him, cautiously looking in that direction. “Don’t be too impulsive, it might be a trap.”

Just as they were talking, a mermaid guard with a blue tail couldn’t help but rush out from the group behind them, his tail fin powerfully propelling him forward as he loudly called out, “Kelly! Kelly, is that you? I heard your voice!”

All the mermaids were startled by him, and when they came to their senses, quite a few mermaids immediately came forward to try to stop him. “Are you crazy! What if you attract that monster?”

“Let me go! I couldn’t have heard wrong! It’s her!” The mermaid guard already had some wrinkles around his eyes. He struggled violently, white tears sliding down those wrinkles. “Let me go find her! That’s my Kelly!”

“Daddy?” After hearing the calling voice, a small, shaken response came from the distance. A blue glow danced and floated in the seawater, quickly crossing the long distance of time to arrive before the prince-led group.

“Daddy!” The little mermaid incredulously traced the features of the family member she had longed for day and night, shooting into the mermaid guard’s embrace like a blue meteor from the sea floor. “Is it really you? I missed you so much! I was so scared every day! I thought I’d never see you again……”

The mermaid guard’s weapon had long since slipped from his hands and fallen to the seabed. He held his daughter tightly, and even if she were an illusion, he would have been comforted. His sigh carried a heavy sobbing tone. “We felt the same way……”

Ji Chi was still sitting on Nidhogg’s back. His eyesight was good enough to see the scene of the mermaids’ reunion from far away.

He had almost forgotten about the sacrifice matter. He turned back to look at Chloe sitting obediently behind him. “I’ve been meaning to ask you, what did you do that made them send you sacrifices every five years?”

Chloe tilted her head, her metal shell abstract and fierce. “Sacrifices? Chloe didn’t want sacrifices. Chloe just wanted to make friends.”

With a splash, the sound of water splashing came from beside the black dragon’s body. An extraordinarily beautiful mermaid emerged from the sea surface and unceremoniously sat on one of the black dragon’s ridges. Nidhogg shifted his head and glanced back at her. Seeing that his master didn’t speak up, he didn’t drive her away.

“I think so too. This should be a misunderstanding.” This mermaid had a pale golden tail that made her look dignified and elegant. She raised her eyes and calmly looked up at Ji Chi above. “My name is Dana. I’m the Second Princess of the mermaid clan, though the identity of Second Princess has long been recorded as dead in mermaid records.”

Dana flicked her tail, her golden tail fin brilliant as sunlight. She turned her face to look behind Ji Chi, immediately recognizing the miniature version of Chloe. “I’ve lived with it the longest. Including this year, it should be about seventy years, right?”

Chloe felt this wasn’t precise and added, “Seventy-five years, six hours, thirty-two minutes and five seconds, six seconds, seven seconds……”

Ji Chi had to interrupt her, “Enough, enough, I understand.” How can this child be so literal-minded?

Chloe immediately fell silent.

Dana smiled and raised her hand to brush her wet hair behind her back. “I was very afraid of it at first too, but later I discovered it wouldn’t hurt me, so I gradually let down my guard……”

“However, I’m still very puzzled. Do you know why the sacrificial ceremonies began in the first place?” A trace of confusion crossed Dana’s face as she asked and answered herself. “Because ever since it was awakened, the number of God-granted Grass around the temple has decreased every year. This was an unprecedented phenomenon.”

“Only after sacrifices were offered would the number of God-granted Grass slowly increase. I used to think the monster…….Chloe had enjoyed the sacrifices and thus forgave the mermaid clan, but after all these years, I clearly understand that Chloe doesn’t need us sacrifices to do anything.”

Ji Chi recalled the God-granted Grass he had seen outside the temple domain that looked like sky lanterns. If he remembered correctly, the closer to the island, the fewer their numbers, especially around here where he hadn’t seen a single glowing divine grass.

Ji Chi silently turned his head and looked at Chloe questioningly.

Chloe’s hollow eye sockets looked back at him with an inexplicably innocent confusion.

Ji Chi knew he wouldn’t get anything out of this silly child. After thinking, he looked down and asked Dana, “You should have witnessed enough sacrificial ceremonies, right? In your view, what changes occur in Chloe’s behavior after each new sacrifice arrives?”

Dana lowered her head, her silky fish tail unconsciously moving in the seawater as she pondered. “Each time it brings back a mermaid, seeming to know they’re very afraid of it, it tells them not to leave the domain, then stays alone on the island, letting the mermaids find companions in the sea.”

Ji Chi nodded. This was something he had also experienced.

“After a few years, when the new mermaid has somewhat adapted to its presence, Chloe goes to the sea to find some things to put in its belly, waiting for the next mermaid……” Dana also felt Chloe was somewhat pitiful as she spoke, looking at her with an unidentifiable meaning. “It’s been like this, repeating for so many years.”

Ji Chi felt he had vaguely grasped the key to the problem. If it really was this possibility, he didn’t know how to complain about it.

He turned back to ask Chloe. “What were you doing before the mermaid sacrifices came?”

Chloe was recalling, which took her some time. “Chloe would lie on the seabed and look at the stars. The stars on the seabed are brighter than those on the island, and there are many little fish to keep Chloe company. Chloe doesn’t feel lonely.”

“But.” Chloe’s voice lowered. “Later there were no more stars.”

Ji Chi knew his thinking was correct. He couldn’t be bothered with gender differences with Chloe and climbed up, lifting Chloe’s arms and legs to look around. Sure enough, he saw some rust traces at the joint connections.

Chloe obediently let him manipulate her and even thoughtfully removed some obstructive shell parts.

Good heavens, it really is you! Ji Chi looked at Chloe with a complex expression and let her go.

With no one to play with, Chloe had silently lain on the seabed rusting, then messed up the delicate divine grass’s ecological environment…… When the mermaid ladies came, to avoid frightening them, Chloe could only huddle on shore, and only then could the God-granted Grass grow well……

Thus, the mermaid sacrificial ceremonies had been passed down.

Ji Chi’s current mood was simply indescribable. He felt both heartbroken and amused – on one side was the mermaid clan’s hundred-year nightmare, on the other was the little pitiful one lying alone on the seabed counting stars. No one was right or wrong; it was just a series of misunderstandings.

Ji Chi sighed and said to Dana, “You can all go back. There will be no need for sacrifices anymore. Chloe will come with me, and the God-granted Grass will flourish and multiply.”

Dana was half-believing. “Really? Has it truly forgiven the mermaid clan?”

Ji Chi assured her with mixed feelings. “Really, this doesn’t have much to do with Chloe…… But I have another question. Why do you need to choose the most beautiful girls as sacrifices?”

Dana recalled. “It’s said that when the guards around the domain first encountered the monster…… Chloe, it vaguely conveyed the words ‘young’ and ‘beautiful’……”

Without Ji Chi’s prompting, Dana might never have suspected this. She suddenly turned her head. “Are you saying it was just introducing itself at the time?!”

Dana laughed angrily. “I almost forgot! Who exactly gave it this name……”

Ji Chi smiled wryly. So Phaestus, just how many people have you harmed!

Just as they were step by step uncovering the absurd truth, those mermaid princes finally came cautiously forward.

“Second Sister? Second Sister, is that you!” The Third Prince exclaimed in disbelief. He simply couldn’t believe his eyes. He had been slowly accepting the fact of his loved one’s tragic death, and just as he was gradually letting go, this huge surprise made him feel somewhat unreal.

Dana sighed, leaped into the sea, and swam forward to embrace her brother. “It’s me. I didn’t die; I just couldn’t find you.”

The Third Prince felt the familiar embrace and couldn’t help choking up, hugging her tightly. Several mermaids embraced each other, their golden and red tail fins interweaving to form the most gorgeous and beautiful scenery.

Ji Chi sat on the dragon’s back watching them for a while before speaking his farewell. “Then we’ll be going. Remember to tell your clansmen that there’s no need to prepare sacrifices anymore. The God-granted Grass won’t have problems either. Everyone can live in peace.”

The princes, immersed in the joy of family reunion, heard the voice and looked up to see that familiar, beautiful face. The entire fish froze. “You’re male? And human?”

Hearing this, Ji Chi’s face darkened——How is this setting still around!

The Fourth Prince didn’t know what had happened here. He was experiencing surprise and shock alternately now, his intelligence severely reduced, only feeling that this hateful man was toying with them!

“What exactly are your intentions! Are you in cahoots with those dwarves who broke into the domain before! Casually intruding into mermaid forbidden territory – do you even consider us important?!” He angrily questioned, not even noticing Dana secretly tugging at him.

The First Prince also felt the offense of being fooled, but he was more careful and took a few more looks at Chloe behind Ji Chi.

The First Prince frowned and quietly asked Dana, “What is that monster?”

Dana twitched the corner of her mouth. “That is the monster.”

The First Prince didn’t understand. “Ah? What monster?”

Dana: “That monster. After shrinking, it’s that monster.”

The First Prince reacted for a moment, finally understanding, and immediately broke out in cold sweat. He quickly pulled back his foolish, gesticulating brother and was just about to calmly say something to Ji Chi.

But Ji Chi was displeased. Those repeated calls of “monster” were particularly grating to his ears, but this was the title Chloe had always possessed, even more familiar than her own name.

Ji Chi no longer looked at them and coldly dropped a sentence. “We’re leaving.”

He leaned down and patted the black dragon’s back, signaling it to depart.

“Hey! I’m asking you a question! How can you be so rude! Aren’t you afraid I’ll have my tribe’s people……” The Fourth Prince’s angry and arrogant shouting grew smaller and smaller. He opened his mouth and tilted his head back, allowing himself to be covered by the eclipse-like shadow.

The black dragon spread its incomparably wide wings and once again soared toward the blue sky. Seawater drizzled down from its body like a sudden rainstorm, creating a rainbow arc on the sea surface.

“What, what is that……” The Fourth Prince remained stunned for a long time before finally making confused murmuring sounds.

“A dragon, dragon I think?” The Third Prince also felt speechless.

Only the First Prince suddenly changed his expression and solemnly saluted in the direction the black dragon had flown.

The Fourth Prince noticed the movement beside him and turned to look at him in bewilderment. “Brother Wayne? Why are you doing that?”

The First Prince glared at him, exasperated. “Use that fish brain of yours to think properly! Who else could ride a black dragon, command monsters, and pardon this curse?!”

The Fourth Prince opened his mouth slightly and shook his head.

The First Prince growled, “Idiot! Who else could it be! That God of Forging!”

The Fourth Prince finally understood. He was suspiciously quiet for a moment, then rolled over to float belly-up on the sea surface.

The Third Prince also trembled, fear and disbelief surfacing in his eyes. “But, but why would he disguise himself as……”

The First Prince was silent for a long time before saying in a low voice, “When I heard those rumors before, I didn’t quite believe them. They said the God of Forging always has some strange hobbies……”

The First Prince trailed off suggestively, stopping at a place that left much to the imagination.

The princes: “……”

Dana couldn’t help but speak up, “I think…… Sigh, forget it……”

Ji Chi above the clouds didn’t know he had been tricked by Phaestus yet again. He looked at the snow-white mountain-like clouds below and gradually felt better.

He touched his magic bag filled to the brim with equipment books.

He was going to start getting busy with his upcoming academy life!

This time, he would truly become a student who earnestly absorbed knowledge!