Chapter 322: Reencountering the Shawa Fish-People

Midnight.

Luo De was still busy with Tally under the moonlight.

The rabbit folk Oona's message spell reached his ear.

"Luo De, are you done yet?"

Her voice was awkward, embarrassed, tinged with shame.

"What's wrong?"

Luo De pushed away the languid, clinging succubus and used the message spell on 【Shaking Soul Blade】 to reply.

"I found a new lead nearby—could you come take a look?"

"Of course."

It took some time to soothe Tally.

Luo De arrived at the place he'd agreed to meet Oona.

It was a branch of the Hansen River they'd passed during the day.

There, a rabbit folk mage in a white robe stood beside the riverbank, with a Shawa fish-person before her.

The Shawa fish-person knelt humbly, her expression confused and vacant—clearly under Oona's spell.

An altered race of the Ke's Plain, the only Shawa fish-people on the continent capable of living in freshwater.

Luo De landed beside Oona.

He noticed the rabbit folk's tiny nose twitch.

After every session with Tally, his body carried traces of essence and succubus scent.

Humans barely noticed.

Some races with keen senses were more sensitive, so Luo De stepped a few paces away.

"What's the story?"

"I couldn't settle, so I patrolled the area—and happened upon a Shawa fish-person hunting in the river."

The spore signals from the Fungus Clan vanished right here in this river.

Perhaps the Shawa fish-person knows something.

"By the way, can Shawa fish-people contract Bestialization?"

"Yes, but their swimming speed is legendary—even in the ocean. Land races can't catch them. And look."

Oona pointed to the fish-person's forearm.

There was a row of distinct humanoid tooth marks—but no skin had been broken.

"Shawa fish-people can dive deep, so they possess 【Hardened Skin】 and 【Water Shield】. Surface blood contact won't infect them. To get infected, you'd first need to pierce their hardened epidermis."

"Huh."

Somehow, 【Water Shield】 sounded really cool.

"Back to the point—I've temporarily controlled this fish-woman. She told me that two nights ago, she encountered a group of fungi near this river. The fungi looked exhausted and were trying to cross. Several young ones were swept away. To save their companions, the rest jumped into the river—and were all swept away together."

So that's how it was.

Wait, this Shawa fish-person is female?

She looks no different from the males.

Looks like interspecies isn't for everything—this ugly, genderless Shawa fish-person? Definitely a pass.

Then again.

The world is vast and full of wonders—what if there's a fish-person who actually fits human aesthetics?

Take the orc Amy—she's quite pretty.

Right, can't generalize.

Still, gotta do what needs doing.

"Luo De?"

Oona's voice jolted Luo De from his daze.

"Huh? I was wondering if fungi can swim."

"Not well, but not enough to drown. I was thinking we should follow the river."

"Maybe we should ask other Shawa fish-people. If the fungi were swept away here, perhaps others saw it."

She thought for a moment, then said:

"I considered that, but mind-control spells can't work at long range. And due to their species traits, this fish-woman's companions would easily notice her condition."

"Let me try—I have some ties with the Shawa fish-people here."

"Really?"

The rabbit folk girl's red pupils glinted slightly.

"I can only say I'll try—I can't guarantee anything."

Luo De smiled.

He pulled a palm-sized humanoid statue from his spell satchel—the statue of Hof, the god worshipped by the Shawa fish-people.

He'd received it as a gift when he helped them reclaim their offering.

He remembered—they'd promised to regard him as a friend of the Shawa fish-people.

Luo De approached the fish-woman and signaled Oona to release the spell.

Huh—

The fish-person blinked, her small green eyes slowly clearing.

She let out a roar and instinctively reached for her trident behind her back.

But Oona had already disarmed her.

Finding nothing, she swung a vicious claw strike instead.

Her wrist was caught mid-air by Luo De's grip—immense, irresistible force made fear flash clearly in her eyes.

"Calm down, friend."

Luo De held up the statue.

The woman froze.

She looked from Luo De to the statue, her expression puzzled.

"Perhaps you don't know, but two months ago I helped—"

"Luo De!"

Luo De froze when the fish-person spoke his name in perfect, clear tones.

"You know me?"

Then she began babbling in her Shawa fish-person prophecy.

Only with 【Shaking Soul Blade】's translation skill did Luo De understand.

Turns out, this was the one present that night—the woman Jinna had stolen the offering from. The Hof statue in Luo De's hand had been carved by her own hands.

"Heh, small world."

The fish-woman went on with more thanks.

Then she hugged him, pouring out heartfelt words about abandoning her husband to become his concubine.

Uh.

Luo De glanced at the fish-woman's face—her mouth stretched half her face—and a bead of sweat formed on his brow.

Still no.

Shawa fish-people? Definitely not something a human can handle!

Oona, watching from the side, let out a quiet laugh.

With her 【Language Comprehension】 spell, she naturally understood what the fish-person was saying.

In the end,

Luo De still turned down the fish-woman.

After all, she had twelve young Shawa fish-people to raise—she couldn't leave them without a mother.

In return, she gladly offered to gather information on the fungi.

At the same location tomorrow morning, she'd tell him everything she could find.

Luo De and Oona walked slowly through the night.

They didn't use flight magic to return—Oona seemed to have something to say.

"Luo De, I think we should call it quits here."

"What?"

At the edge of the plain, Luo De faintly saw a giant humanoid shape in the distance—a giant.

Beyond the Ke's Plain lay the Giant Mountains, where giants roamed.

"If the Shawa fish-person still has no leads by tomorrow morning, I won't trouble you further."

"Aren't you still looking for your friend's child?"

"No—I'll return to the Magic Control League, spend some points to commission a prophecy."

Luo De nodded.

Indeed—if the fish-person still has nothing, that's the best option.

Never mind Noah the fungus—clearly a guy who inhales hallucinogenic spores daily.

Hali, the Star Spirit, was at least a squad leader, and her duties were surely numerous; it wasn't right to keep others waiting all this time.

(End of Chapter)