Chapter 181: Chapter 178: The Temptation of the S-Rank Sea Beast, the Nameless Cocoon

All preparations were complete, and supplies had been fully replenished.

The *Da Yun Hao* was ready to set sail once more, heading for the Sea of Boiling.

But just as the ship finished casting off its mooring lines, Shi Ming, standing on the deck, was struck by a violent wave of dizziness. Then, he heard a high-frequency buzzing, like the vibration of an insect’s wings or the sound of chewing.

"This..."

Caught off guard, he nearly lost his footing.

Fortunately, his powerful Spiritual Power allowed him to recover in an instant and regain his composure.

"What’s going on?"

He asked the surrounding crew members.

"Did any of you hear a strange cry?"

The crew members all shook their heads in confusion.

They hadn’t heard any unusual noises, nor did they feel any discomfort.

’How strange.’

’Could it be the howling of the third-ranked sea beast, trapped in its cocoon and still unborn?’

Although Shi Ming was suspicious, he had experienced similar things before. On the day he killed the Glacier Dragon, for example, he had heard the call of the Dusk Whale from a great distance. ’Perhaps this is just a sign of powerful Spiritual Power,’ he thought, ’the ability to hear whispers that I’m not supposed to hear.’

He shook his head, steadying himself.

The Nameless Cocoon was no Dusk Whale.

It was a suppressed sea beast that couldn’t even break out of its own cocoon.

It posed virtually no threat to him.

Just a minor nuisance by the roadside!

Suddenly, an exceptionally clear cry for help—mixed with the sound of vibrating wings and squirming—resounded in his mind.

Help me. Save me.

Reward.

The plea was in Abberan, the most common language in these waters, but it didn’t sound like it was produced by human vocal cords.

He was inwardly shaken.

On the surface, however, he remained perfectly calm.

...

Shi Ming returned to the captain’s cabin. The *Da Yun Hao* had already gotten underway, sailing away from Black Gold.

Help me escape...

Human.

Your... Spiritual Power... is strong. I know you can hear me...

The voice grew more anxious, more desperate.

Seeing that the voice was directed specifically at him, and not just a broad cry for help, Shi Ming’s interest was piqued.

"Oh?"

"Who are you?"

Although he had already guessed the voice’s origin and was amazed by the sea beast’s immense spiritual power, he feigned ignorance, attempting to ask the question with his own Spiritual Power.

He had never experienced this kind of psychic communication before.

He could only do his best to sense its frequency and initiate a collision of Spiritual Power. He felt a wisp of his own Spiritual Power, searching for a matching frequency, get swept up by the voice. It felt as if he were plunging deep into the Endless Ocean, past the surface of the Great Rift Valley two thousand meters below, and still sinking.

Three thousand meters down, then four thousand...

...as if entering the deepest part of the abyss.

He remained vigilant the entire time.

Finally, as if seeing with his Spiritual Power, he perceived a cocoon.

The cocoon was eighteen meters long, wrapped in black silk.

The great cocoon’s exterior was bound by layer upon layer of chains made from some unknown material. The chains were covered in dense markings. Surrounding it was a high platform forged from Pure Dome Crystal, with a strange object embedded in its center. Thousands of meters above the platform was the very bottom of Black Gold.

It was, indeed, the Nameless Cocoon, suppressed by Black Gold.

Who am I? My name... I have none.

I am only an insect... just born... but trapped in this cocoon... You can call me... anything... Star Mark? Green Worm? Rayquaza? Broken Star Insect? Spiritual Insect? All are fine... I respect... your suggestion.

As long as I escape... with your help.

The insect’s word order was a mess, but its meaning was barely intelligible.

Shi Ming sat in his chair,

and casually propped his feet up on the desk.

"Escape?"

"You really are a newborn sea beast. You don’t understand the ways of the world yet."

"I’m a human. Why would I betray my own kind to help a sea beast escape?"

People... are driven by profit.

I can promise you... prepare... a sufficient reward.

"But you’re trapped. How can you promise me a sufficient reward? Besides, how do I know I’m not making a deal with the devil?"

"Do you understand what I mean?"

I... do not quite understand.

But... what do you want?

’What do I want?’

Shi Ming found this amusing. ’There’s so much I want.’

’Treasures from the Artifact Ranking... I’ll take any and all.’

’The blood of S-class sea beasts—the stronger, the better. The third-ranked one, for example, would be great.’

’Then there are the more psychological needs: security, belonging, esteem, self-actualization... Should I give you a lesson on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?’

"Hm. I want too many things."

"What can you offer?"

The sea beasts of the Endless Ocean were full of bizarre wonders. While Shi Ming was surprised by this insect’s intelligence, he wasn’t exactly shocked. The third-ranked sea beast was bound to have some extraordinary qualities. After all, a powerful creature like the Deep Sea Titan was only ranked 66th. It wasn’t so unbelievable that the being gestating within the Nameless Cocoon would possess intelligence and be able to communicate, however crudely.

What can I offer? For you.

The insect was silent for a long time,

apparently in thought.

I can... eliminate your enemies. I can make you... the King Insect... the king of this world. I can bring you endless food... and more...

Shi Ming shook his head.

"I’m not interested in any of that."

"I want some of your blood."

Impossible. That is blasphemy.

’Blasphemy? You’re an insect that can barely string a sentence together, and you really think you’re some kind of god? If I wasn’t so curious, so intrigued by this bizarre situation, I wouldn’t even bother talking to you.’

’Betray my own race? To save a sea beast?’

’What kind of person do you take me for?’

He did not let any of these thoughts manifest through his Spiritual Power, so the Nameless Cocoon couldn’t hear them.

He feigned complete disinterest.

"You should know that saving you would require me to give up too much. First and foremost, I would have to betray my own race."

Betray?

I do not... understand?

I am just... an insect... newborn. I will not bring... great threat... to humans. You free me, I repay my debt, will leave here immediately... go to the cosmos.

"Is that so?"

"But I’m just an ordinary human, born only twenty years ago. Apart from my slightly stronger Spiritual Power, I have no other advantages. How could I possibly save you from under the thumb of this great ship?"

You see this... altar?

In the center of the altar... is the item ranked 27th on the Artifact Ranking... the Sealed Prison. It has a parent device... stored inside the great ship above. As long as that parent device is destroyed... I can... escape.

Shi Ming blinked.

’It even knows about the Artifact Ranking?’

’It’s not as simple as it pretends to be!’

"You really are a newborn insect, you don’t understand how terrifying those great ships are."

"I’m just an ordinary human. How am I supposed to get onto that great ship and help you destroy the 27th-ranked treasure in front of everyone? I’d probably be killed by the guards inside before I even got near it."

The insect was silent for a long time.

"Fine. If you’re not going to say anything, I’ll be leaving this area. You can think it over. I’ll be back in a few years, we can talk then."

Shi Ming feigned impatience.

Wait... wait.

I can... tell you the location of one... two... three... of what you humans call... S-class sea beasts. You go eat them... you will become... powerful.

Shi Ming pressed,

"You might have that backward. Me, eat them? It’s more likely they’ll eat me!"

"Besides, I don’t need to eat them. I just need some blood—less than a third of your body’s total blood."

Shi Ming revealed his true intentions.

Human! I know what... you want!

But... impossible!

Besides... my blood... is poison to you! If your Spiritual Power isn’t at 300 and your Defense Power isn’t at 500... death will be instant! You are able to hear my voice... your Spiritual Power is quite good. But 500 Defense Power... for a human... is very... difficult.

Make another request!

Even if you wish to become... the King Insect of this world... I can... grant it.

Shi Ming listened to the Nameless Cocoon’s temptations, but his heart remained perfectly calm.

The conviction he held could not be shaken.

Betraying humanity and releasing this extremely dangerous, third-ranked creature was impossible.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t swindle something out of the Nameless Cocoon.

"How about this,"

"You should know that for me to take on the great ship suppressing you all by myself is pure fantasy, unless... I possessed power comparable to theirs."

"Since you’ve already been born, why not find a way to secrete some of your blood?"

"If I get it, I’ll do everything in my power to reach the goal of 500 Defense Power. Then, using that blood, I can awaken a powerful skill and will surely be able to save you. We both win. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?"

This was a newborn insect.

’Maybe I can trick it.’

Defense Power... you can never achieve it.

Even the one with the strongest defense on your Earth... the Black Tortoise... barely has 500 Defense Power in its normal state. For a human like you... getting my blood... would only be a waste.

"Oh, alright then."

Shi Ming put on a look of extreme disappointment.

"I don’t have any other requests."

"I really want to save you, but my abilities are limited. Wait a few years. When I’m stronger, I’ll come find you again."

The *Da Yun Hao* began to accelerate.

The insect said nothing for a long time.

Shi Ming didn’t press the matter.

The wisp of his Spiritual Power that had been guided to the seafloor began to slowly dissipate, having strayed too far from its source.

Shi Ming walked out of the captain’s cabin and, as usual, began to patrol the deck, carrying out his duties.

He stretched lazily,

seemingly having forgotten all about the conversation.

The *Da Yun Hao* sailed farther and farther away.

Wait... wait.

I can give you... another clue. In the center of the Sea of Boiling... there is a creature. Its power is less than mine... but it is quite... suitable for you.

Kill it... and you will become strong.

"Oh?"

’Already selling out its comrades?’

"I’m listening."

Human. You must... make a solemn promise.

"Whoa there, Brother Chong. You’re just revealing a bit of information, not losing anything yourself, and you want me to make a solemn promise?"

"You have to understand, the foundation of cooperation is reciprocity. I haven’t gained anything, and you’ve only offered a few words. This is just the beginning of our cooperation; neither of us has even shown any sincerity yet."

"Unless,"

"I see some actual, tangible benefits."