For the rest of the time, since Lin Yu had shown that he wanted to rest, April did not disturb him.

Although April did not sleep for another two hours as Lin Yu had suggested, she lay back down in the little boat, listening to the waves and gazing at the moon as she rested quietly.

Before long, two hours had passed.

The moon sank beneath the distant sea, and a pale sun rose in its place.

This was one of the peculiar things about the Pure Abyss: its night was utterly black, while its days were often a pure, brilliant white.

The cloudless sky was so glaringly bright it made their eyes water, and it shone down on the clear, blue-green sea, where visibility was excellent.

April and Lin Yu got up. They could see the black tentacles tied to the stern drifting with the current. Some slender, torpedo-shaped fish, white-headed and transparent-bodied, followed at a distance. It seemed the smell of blood had drawn them in, tempting them to tear into the delicious tentacles, yet the tentacles’ own terrifying appearance kept them from daring to approach.

Hannah’s explanation sounded in Lin Yu’s ear at just the right moment.

“Ribbit, Director, these are juvenile Silverhead Fish. Once they grow up and their heads turn silver, they taste especially delicious. But if you eat them now, they’ll taste bitter. Anyway, they’re not dangerous.”

Lin Yu replied to Hannah, “Got it.”

He turned and saw April eyeing the fish curiously, so he casually passed along Hannah’s explanation, reinforcing the impression that he knew his way around the Pure Abyss.

April was surprised. “You know what these little fish are? And why is it that you always know about them in terms of how they taste?”

“Food and fresh water are essential resources for survival. If you’re surviving on your own, you have to make sure you’re always getting enough nutrients. So it’s important to know how to tell whether other creatures are edible and how to prepare them.”

Lin Yu spoke earnestly.

April looked at him and couldn’t help asking, “What kind of reporter are you, exactly? Even if you’re not a ‘Fisherman,’ you’d make more sense as a ‘Hunter’ or a ‘Chef.’”

“After I graduated, I found an internship as a reporter. Then, because I wrote good reports about wildlife, I became a full-fledged ‘Reporter.’ That’s why I’ve spent so much time out in the wild.” Lin Yu showed no reluctance to talk about his real life and past. “I also really like that kind of life... You don’t exactly seem like a ‘Doctor’ yourself.”

April couldn’t be as open as Lin Yu. She answered vaguely, “I’m just a medical student... Well, I might have seemed more like one before, but after a few things happened recently... I ended up like this.”

Fortunately, April didn’t need to say much more on the subject.

On the distant coastline, several white wakes cut through the waves, accompanied by red fish banners fluttering fiercely above the sea.

At the same time, a series of sharp sounds rang out from beneath the water.

“Mermaids. They really did come as soon as the sun came up.”

April stood up in the boat with a sigh.

Lin Yu also took out his hoodie, which was nearly dry, put it on, and gazed out from the stern.

Hannah’s voice sounded again. “Ribbit, Director, I’m not very familiar with these mermaids, but judging by their numbers, they might be a ‘regular patrol.’ I’m not sure.”

Hearing Hannah’s words, Lin Yu nodded and repeated them, though with more certainty than she had. “They look like a regular patrol.”

They were the equivalent of the Mermaid Kingdom’s public security force, though a fairly low-ranking one, roughly like ordinary local police officers.

April looked at Lin Yu in confusion.

“Do you know the Pure Abyss or don’t you? This is an emergency rescue team. It belongs to the Mermaid Kingdom’s ‘Guard,’ just like the patrols. They both fly red fish banners when they go out, but the emergency rescue team’s banners are held high, and those piercing sounds are unique to them.”

Lin Yu heard her out and replied solemnly, “I know less about things you can’t eat. Intelligent beings like mermaids aren’t on my menu, so I haven’t studied the Sea People in anything like that level of detail.”

“So your knowledge of the Pure Abyss is pretty specialized,” April said quietly. “Then I’ll handle the negotiations from here.”

As the two spoke, the mermaids seemed to notice their little boat. Several wakes raced straight toward them at incredible speed. Before long, the banners came to a halt not far in front of the pair.

Beneath the surface, silver-white metal vessels shaped like submarines rose up. Their hatches opened, and five mermaids emerged. They had human upper bodies and fish tails below, and swam over to the edge of the little boat.

They were all as beautiful as the mermaids in fairy tales, with delicate, androgynous features and lovely blond hair. Golden scale armor covered their upper bodies.

“Are you survivors of the Lucky Golden Dragon?”

The mermaid at the head of the group spoke in a deep, compelling voice.

Lin Yu and April recalled that a golden dragon emblem seemed to have been printed on the sunken ship’s hull, so they nodded.

“Yes. We were aboard that ship, on our way to attend the Tide Summoning Festival.”

April spoke with lingering fear and dejection in her voice. In Lin Yu’s eyes, her performance still had a few flaws and seemed a little too superficial, but as an amateur improvising on the spot, she deserved a passing grade.

It was more than enough to fool these mermaids.

“We were attacked halfway there. I don’t know what attacked us first, perhaps Sea Demons... In any case, almost everyone died in an instant. Then a black, two-headed octopus attacked us and tore through the Lucky Golden Dragon.”

“Luckily, the bodyguard I hired was highly skilled. The first attack caught her somewhat off guard, but she managed to catch the black, two-headed octopus off guard in turn. After a hard-fought battle, she killed it.”

April recounted the events in detail, then added, “But thank goodness, you finally arrived!”

With this account, she was clearly trying to present herself as a wealthy human woman who had been traveling aboard a merchant ship, and Yayu as her bodyguard. That way, she could avoid getting too entangled with the Lucky Golden Dragon while also making her background clear.

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The mermaids looked over at the tentacles in the water. They had no reason to doubt April’s story, and instead regarded Lin Yu with considerable admiration.

“That enormous Black-Ink Twin-Headed Octopus has been lurking here for a long time. You actually managed to kill it. That’s incredible!”

Lin Yu remained calm as he replied, “In the Central Sea, it’s nothing more than an ingredient. There’s nothing worth bragging about in killing it.”

The mermaids admired him even more. “So you came from the Central Sea. No wonder!”

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