Chapter 396: The Fishman Youngster Appears!

Deep Sea Monster Fish.

The alchemy cabin.

Zhong Yong tilted his head back and downed a bottle of potion, instantly feeling a surge of energy. After days of relentless alchemy, his exhausted body was infused with fresh vitality.

The glow from the alchemy formation behind him gradually faded, revealing the fruits of his labor over the past days.

“Commander, the dual-eared detection puppet is complete,” he relayed to the dragonman youngster via communication.

Shortly after, the hatch slid open, and the “dragonman youngster” stepped inside.

Zhong Yong hurried forward to greet him and introduced, “These dual-eared alchemy puppets utilize sound wave transmission alchemy. They can emit sound waves across a wide range of frequencies.”

“Using them to probe the Ocean Mother Nest not only allows us to detect conditions within the nest, but the sound waves can also penetrate the cavern walls to gather some intelligence on the external environment.”

The “dragonman youngster” nodded slightly, “And what are the drawbacks of these puppets?”

Zhong Yong replied, "The main drawback is their energy consumption. They consume a tremendous amount of energy and require substantial replenishment at regular intervals."

“Additionally, they're quite fragile. Designed primarily for reconnaissance, their combat capabilities are weak.”

"Finally, their reconnaissance takes considerable time, largely due to how the sonic waves are utilized. We must deploy them covertly, allowing them to swim around the Mother Nest's perimeter, scatter, and emit sonic waves for continuous surveillance. It takes at least 24 hours to gather phased results."

The “dragonman youngster” pressed further: “Then when might we detect conditions beyond the Mother Nest?”

“Well...” Zhong Yong looked troubled, shaking his head slightly. "Commander, I've only heard of the Ocean Mother Nest—its secrets remain unknown to me. I cannot estimate how long the sonic waves would take to penetrate the Mother Nest's cavern walls. The composition and thickness of those walls are critical variables affecting the outcome."

The dragonman youngster pressed further, "Then, if we deploy these reconnaissance puppets, will the saint level sea beast react? Could the emitted sonic waves awaken it—or even provoke its wrath?"

Zhong Yong shook his head, “I cannot say, my lord.”

“This saint level sea beast remains curled in a ball. Its true nature remains unknown.”

“Every living being has a limited hearing range. If the sonic waves fall outside the saint level sea beast's audible spectrum, they might have no effect.”

“If within its hearing range, it would depend on the specific volume.”

"My suggestion is we test it first. Adjust the power from low to high, probing incrementally."

"I still believe there's risk involved. Even a pure-minded saint level sea beast, untouched by the outside world, would likely feel some irritation upon being roused from slumber, wouldn't it?"

"Commander, we're somewhere deep beneath the sea. This combat environment doesn't allow you to fully unleash your strength, and my own combat power is rather weak..."

Noticing Zhong Yong hesitating, the “dragonman youngster” smiled reassuringly, “Rest easy. This mobile alchemy vessel possesses combat capabilities.”

“I won't be fighting either; I'm only silver level.”

“Nor will I risk you in battle. Your value lies in alchemy.”

“I have confidence in the ship's camouflage capabilities. Moreover, my trusted confidant and capable assistant is aboard!”

"Come in. Hou Lang, you're a fishman too. Meet Zhong Yong."

Zhong Yong's interest was instantly piqued.

From the “dragonman youngster's” words, he gathered there were others aboard the alchemy ship.

This man was no ordinary figure—a high-ranking member of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, deeply trusted by Commander Long Fu. And his identity? A fishman!

The next moment, the alchemy cabin door slid open again, revealing a fishman stepping inside.

This fishman stood a towering 1.6 meters tall.

Among his kind, that height was far from short.

His form was robust, his belly, thighs, and thick arms bulging with visible subcutaneous fat. His entire body was covered in deep blue fish scales, adorned with black, wavy patterns.

His eyes were large and pure black, giving off an intense, profound aura.

The life force emanating from him told Zhong Yong that this was a silver level transcendent fishman.

“Hello, my name is Zhong Yong. I recently joined the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps,” Zhong Yong hurriedly introduced himself.

The dragonman youngster nodded in response. "I am Hou Lang, guardian of this submersible alchemy vessel. I know you. Though this is our first meeting, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

The entity conversing with Zhong Yong was, in truth, an alchemy puppet equipped with a communication device.

Through the Anti-investigation and Prophecy spell, coupled with the Deceptive Disguise spell, the dragonman youngster had transformed it into his own dragonman form. His true form, meanwhile, had transformed into that of a fishman.

This allowed him to conceal many secrets from Zhong Yong.

For instance, that only the dragonman youngster and Zhong Yong were currently aboard the Deep Sea Monster Fish.

Or, for example, Commander Long Fu could effortlessly alter his form!

“You two talk. I have business to attend to.” The “dragonman youngster” departed first.

Hou Lang and Zhong Yong bowed in farewell.

Inside the alchemy cabin, only the two fishmen remained.

The dragonman youngster, or more accurate, the fishman youngster, now examined the reconnaissance puppets within the alchemy formation.

These puppets resembled rabbits, each sporting two long ears. One ear emitted sonic waves, while the other received them.

"Zhong Yong, you joining us has greatly enhanced our alchemy capabilities. We couldn't have crafted these before," the fishman youngster praised.

Zhong Yong chuckled: "This model of alchemy puppet is indeed ingenious. When I first got the alchemy blueprints, I studied them for quite some time."

“I've discovered our corps' alchemy knowledge is exceptionally refined.”

"During my entrance exam, I encountered a wondrous alchemy formation. Theoretically analyzing it, I discovered it actually affected bloodlines.

“This dual-eared reconnaissance puppet is a rare masterpiece, even by the standards of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom's Alchemy Guild.”

"I plan to craft other reconnaissance puppet models next. These puppets will be no weaker than the dual-eared detection puppets!"

The fishman youngster appraised Zhong Yong: “Seems you're quite enthusiastic about your work here. That's commendable.”

“I was a bit worried you might struggle adapting to this environment.”

“What's the big deal!” Zhong Yong shook his head, “Back in the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, I barely left my lab either. Every day was either alchemy experiments or alchemy itself.”

“The realm of alchemy is so vast, I could spend my entire life without fully grasping all its mysteries.”

“What's even more wonderful is that this realm expands every single moment.”

"In this world, there are alchemy geniuses who stand at the forefront of their specialized fields. Every tiny breakthrough they make is unprecedented. Thus, our alchemy domain ceaselessly expands, ever renewing itself."

“I would gladly dedicate my entire life to alchemy!”

Zhong Yong's expression softened with emotion, his eyes brimming with sincere passion.

"Ah, my apologies. Lord Hou Lang, it's rude to share such personal thoughts upon our first meeting." The next moment, Zhong Yong realized his error and apologized to the fishman youngster.

By normal standards, expressing such heartfelt sentiments to someone you've just met, even within the same race, would be considered abrupt.

But the fishman youngster had anticipated this.

He patted Zhong Yong's shoulder, “I see your magician's heart, Zhong Yong. I'm glad our corps has gained another fishman.”

“It's good you can adapt here.”

“If the chance arises, I'll speak to the commander about giving you opportunities for alchemy experiments.”

"Really? That's fantastic!" Zhong Yong's face lit up instantly.

Currently, he could only perform alchemy and work tirelessly, lacking the authority to independently design experiments, explore, or verify theories aboard the Deep Sea Monster Fish.

“Honestly, seeing a fellow fishman here feels really good.”

Zhong Yong admitted, “I've always had this worry. You know, the commander is a dragonman, and most members of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps are human.”

Racial barriers were everywhere.

Zhong Yong couldn't help but share such worries.

The fishman youngster desperately wanted to tell him, 'Your worries are completely unnecessary. What does fishman even mean in this team? We even have necromancers.'

After offering more comfort and encouragement to Zhong Yong, he left the alchemy cabin.

After their conversation, Zhong Yong felt rejuvenated, a powerful surge of motivation welling up from within as he threw himself into another round of alchemy.

Meanwhile, the fishman youngster reflected on their meeting: “Is this the effect of the Affinity Aura?”

It was one of the transcendent abilities granted by his fishman form.