Chapter 78: Deep Sea Gift

The first Tuesday of every month is Briver's Divine Grace Day.

On this day, the townspeople organize celebrations to praise the Great Mother's mercy and generosity, which grants them their wonderful lives today.

The celebration is held at the town center, where townspeople enjoy grilled fish and roasted meat, drinking fine wine.

The celebrants form a long line, holding torches, singing and dancing, from the tavern all the way to the cathedral, reveling through the night without pause.

But during the festivities, some always pause their movements, their gazes unconsciously turning toward the mountains in the west, filled with longing.

They know that the celebration taking place there is the true Divine Grace Day, the only one that grants divine blessings.

At the western mountain edge, near the sea cliff, a treacherous path hangs from the cliffside.

The path is less than two feet wide; standing facing the cliff, the back half of one's feet dangle in midair.

An iron chain is fixed to the cliff, and one must grip it with both hands and inch downward along the narrow path to reach the cliff's base.

Even Wu Chang, with his stats, found the descent strenuous, yet Harrison, the town mayor, did not even breathe heavily.

Anticipation for what was to come eased Harrison's fatigue; he pointed downward and said:

"Keep up, Xiao En. When we reach the bottom, we'll be at tonight's gathering."

By the time the two reached the cliff base, over a hundred townspeople were already waiting below.

According to Harrison's earlier explanation, only the hundred townspeople who worked hardest last month, along with town council members, were eligible to attend the cliff-base celebration.

The celebration site was no different from any ordinary coastline; the only notable feature was a bronze statue of a flying fish standing on the shore.

Harrison led Wu Chang to a tall reef, raised the letter of recommendation filled with names, and introduced him: "This outstanding young man beside me is the island's new postman—you've all likely seen him already. Though Xiao En has only just arrived, I believe his diligence, hard work, and dedication have already earned your recognition."

Among the crowd were many townspeople who had received mail yesterday; they strongly approved of Wu Chang and began cheering first.

Under their lead, other townspeople who had never met Wu Chang followed suit and accepted him.

"Duration of stay is not the sole standard for determining whether an outsider belongs here. In Xiao En, I see his love for Briver—this sincere attitude is more precious than anything else."

"I believe he is a model, a model for any outsider seeking to belong to Briver. He has not only earned my approval but also the approval of two other council members. By tradition, our Mr. Xiao En will represent the island's other outsiders as the town's new council member!"

After Harrison finished, the townspeople clapped in unison.

Amid the applause, Mo Leina fastened the council member's badge onto Wu Chang; as she did, she gave him a glance, reminding him not to forget their agreement.

"Item Name: Council Member Badge"

"Item Type: Special"

"Item Description: Wearing the badge grants the respect of Briver Town's townspeople and allows limited control over them. Within Briver Town's boundaries, possessing a copy of this item has a chance to reveal an additional piece of information."

"Note: The badge's reverse is engraved with the corresponding council member's name; only that council member may wear it. It cannot be transferred or stolen."

After the brief investiture ceremony, the crowd fell quiet; townspeople gathered in groups of seven or eight, chatting idly—but upon closer inspection, they seemed distracted.

They glanced at the sky, then at their pocket watches, then at the sea, as if awaiting something's arrival.

As time passed, the full moon rose to its zenith; the waves grew louder, and the tide gradually rose, flooding the shore where they stood.

The townspeople, familiar with this change, skillfully climbed onto the reefs and stared eagerly at the incoming tide.

Seeing the time was right, Harrison asked a council member: "Are all present?"

The council member replied: "Matty and Professor Ebett haven't arrived yet."

"Why? They're not the type to miss a celebration," Harrison asked.

"Professor Ebett is seriously ill and receiving treatment at the town hospital—he can't even get out of bed. As for Matty, we've heard nothing. We sent someone to his house; it was dark inside. He seems to have gone out."

Harrison: "Then don't wait for him. Speak quickly, or Matty will show up late and try to steal his share again." The council member grinned, revealing a row of sharp teeth. "Don't worry—I don't have a habit of leaving leftovers."

Wu Chang watched, confused, and waited along with the others.

The instant the tide submerged the flying fish statue, a sudden transformation occurred.

The full moon in the sky seemed to plunge into the sea; a massive circular glow erupted from the flying fish statue, illuminating the sea near the cliff.

Beneath the glowing waters came a rapid splashing, like the flapping of bird wings.

The next moment, countless golden flying fish leapt from the surface, stretching their bodies, bathed in the moonlight.

"Divine Grace has come!"

"Divine Grace has come!"

"Divine Grace has come!"

…

The townspeople cheered as they leapt into the water, catching the leaping golden flying fish.

Wu Chang, astonished, asked Harrison: "Mayor, what is this?"

"It's Divine Grace, child. Quickly, catch your share—don't let it escape! But remember: only two per person, no more!"

At that moment, Harrison's gaze was entirely fixed on the golden flying fish; he had no attention left for Wu Chang. He gave two hurried instructions, then jumped into the water without even removing his clothes.

Harrison moved with agility, reaching out and snatching a golden flying fish midair as it leapt from the water.

He brought the fish to his mouth, opened it wide to nearly a right angle, then bit down hard, devouring the entire head in large, chewing bites.

Everywhere one looked, every townsman, the instant they caught a golden flying fish, began devouring it raw.

No scales were scraped, no gills removed, no internal organs cleaned, no slicing or cutting—only the purest, most primal method of consumption.

Yet every townsman who ate the golden flying fish wore an expression of rapturous intoxication.

As if they weren't eating fish flesh, but something that granted free peanuts for every 50 grams consumed.

But what astonished Wu Chang even more was that the townspeople who ate the golden flying fish began growing scales on their skin; faint cracks appeared along their necks, as if gills were forming, and their bodies steadily grew larger.

The villagers' transformation reminded him of the giant fishmen at the Underworld's Fishman Pier.

So those fishmen weren't unique to the Underworld—they were townspeople who had eaten golden flying fish!

Wu Chang leapt into the water and, imitating the other townspeople, reached out and grabbed a golden flying fish.

"Item Name: Deep Sea Gift"

"Item Type: consumable"

"Item Description: A fish corroded by the breath of a deity. Consuming more than 15 of them grants the bloodline talent — Sea Kin Transformation."

"Sea Kin Transformation: Upon first use, you will randomly obtain one Sea Kin transformation, which will be fixed as your permanent transformation. After transforming into a Sea Kin, you gain affinity with the ocean, can move freely in water, and receive a boost to water-attribute skill effects."

"Note: Because the deity's breath contains impurities, consuming the Deep Sea's Gift to obtain the Sea Kin Transformation will create a dependency on it. You must periodically consume this item, or water-attribute items of equivalent value; otherwise, you will trigger a Water-Deprived state. In the Water-Deprived state, the body will fall into weakness, and severe water deprivation will cause the Sea Kin Transformation to degenerate."

Wu Chang stared at the golden flying fish in his hand and swallowed hard.

He seemed to know what the former mailman and his group had been searching for.

(End of Chapter)