Chapter 378

Chapter 378

"What can we do if we are not willing to accept it?" Shenuskas's tail slapped the top of Val's head above the water, and the mechanical unicorn whale lifted its eyes in confusion, unsure why Shenuskas had suddenly struck it.

"The merfolk have such high environmental requirements; where could we go even if we leave?"

"The waters outside are always filled with countless dangers."

Seeing Shenuskas's interest in this topic, Lorant immediately began to elaborate.

"Anywhere!"

After he said this, Shenuskas's eyes dimmed once more.

She had thought that Lorant was capable of helping her people escape their current predicament, but now it seemed that he was just a child drawing a grand picture to get her help.

Anywhere?

It sounded so easy, but if it were truly that simple, the merfolk would never have reached this point.

Long ago, they were an important race, sharing the continent with humans, goblins, orcs, and dwarves. Now, for many, whether the merfolk still exist on the continent is a question that requires serious consideration.

To some extent, the merfolk are now in a semi-secret state, having lost much of their living resources and, more importantly, their voice.

In the forest of races, a species without basic rights—whether they live or die—would hardly be of concern to anyone.

This is also why Shenuskas has been working hard to break through to the Legendary rank.

Becoming a Legendary practitioner would at least allow him to secure a seat on the Guardians' Council, bringing the merfolk back into the public eye.

Shenuska's mood was somewhat low, but then he thought, the plight of the merfolk had been an issue for hundreds, even close to a thousand years. If it were truly that easy to solve, they wouldn't have waited for this young man to arrive, would they?

Those who had obtained the merfolk's tokens would have long helped them leave this place.

Though he managed to suppress his inner agitation, Shenuska couldn't help but become much colder in his response to Lorant.

No one likes a braggart, let alone someone who uses their most pressing concern to seek attention!

Lorant sensed Shenuska's change in mood and knew that the other assumed he was talking nonsense. However, he wasn't in a hurry and continued, "I'm not just talking off the top of my head. The merfolk's needs are simple; all they require is a body of water free from aquatic beasts, right?"

"I don't know if you've ventured out into the world these past two years, but things are different now." Lorant turned his head with a smile, looking at Shenuska: "I'm not saying there's been a major environmental change, nor am I boasting, but the fact is, since Blue Star appeared, many things have changed."

"Some things that didn't exist before weren't impossible, just no one thought of them."

"In my pet shop, we introduced a clean stream from the Holy Shield River, which serves as both a natural partition and a scenic feature in the store." Seeing Shenuska lift his head and his eyes change, seemingly showing some interest in what he was saying, Lorant continued, "Of course, the method I use is quite simple to remove aquatic beasts—physically separating them with very fine metal nets placed at the water inlet to prevent the beasts from entering."

"But this method works. To this day, there haven't been any aquatic beasts in the river within my territory!"

Shenuska blinked but wasn't immediately swayed by Lorant's words: "But this requires a lot of manpower and resources, and you're only talking about a small stream in your territory, which can't compare to the vast waters we need."

"Just relying on one inlet isn't enough to meet our needs."

Seeing Shenuska's interest in his proposal and willingness to delve deeper into the discussion, Lorant immediately smiled.

The method he described was simple and brute-force, with almost no technical sophistication, and it wasn't his ultimate solution.

"Of course, I understand. What I mean is, we can certainly create an artificial body of water for the merfolk using similar methods, and it is entirely feasible."

"Of course, the approach will clearly require more adjustments."

"But as long as the Merfolk have such thoughts, Blue Star is willing to help the Merfolk build a new home outside the Merfolk Secret Realm."

Lorant had already formed some preliminary ideas about this matter when he chatted with Kalinska earlier.

To get the Merfolk's assistance, it was natural that something would need to be offered in return, and Lorant naturally set his sights on what the Merfolk most desired.

In his eyes, the problems of the Merfolk were not really major issues.

Without mentioning other things, he came from a country where over 1.13 million people were relocated for the construction of a large dam with a grand vision and generous investment. The broad perspective and the spirit of daring to think and act were the greatest treasures left from his previous life!

As long as he truly wanted to do it, Lorant believed that he and the Merfolk could certainly come up with a solution that everyone would like.

Immediately, Lorant began to share his ideas with Shenuska in a simple manner.

Shenuska was somewhat moved by the grand vision Lorant painted. Many people who had come to the Merfolk Secret Realm before had also proposed helping the Merfolk, and the Merfolk had even attempted similar efforts, but all ended in failure.

However, now, under Lorant's description, a beautiful prospect was slowly unfolding before Shenuska's eyes.

He didn't know why, perhaps it was because Lorant had a natural ability to make people believe him, or perhaps it was Blue Star's reputation that made Shenuska feel that everything was possible.

In any case, the leader of the Merfolk was indeed moved.

"This matter, we can discuss it in detail after we return," Shenuska said, though he was excited, he still suppressed his emotions. This was not something to rush; it must be discussed with the elders of the tribe.

He then redirected the conversation back to Lorant and Michael's visit: "I will help you search for that transparent coral, but I cannot guarantee that I will find it."

"Because I have never seen this thing before, if it doesn't exist at all, there's nothing I can do."

Hearing this, Lorant immediately rejoiced and nodded eagerly: "Of course! I am already very grateful that you are willing to help me search for the coral!"

"Just... " Lorant lowered his head slightly, a bit embarrassed: "I want to go with you to the bottom of the sea to look for coral. As you know, I can't really describe what that coral looks like; perhaps only I can recognize it when I see it."

"Would this be convenient for you?"

Lorant looked at Shenuska hopefully, waiting for his approval.

"Wait a moment, I need to discuss this with Val."

Shenuska frowned slightly, gripping Val's horn and closing his eyes as if communicating with the strange creature.

Lorant was not in a hurry. He calmed himself, sensing an invisible energy flowing between Shenuska and the underwater Val.

Lorant had already signed contracts with Baby and Maomao, these two beast companions.

Whether due to the unique nature of these two little ones or the fact that he had multiple beast companions, Lorant found himself becoming increasingly sensitive to energy fluctuations.

Now, he didn't even need Famong to create a mirror or any other device to visualize energy fluctuations; he could sense them directly.

Lorant closed his eyes quietly, feeling all the vibrations around him. Val's energy was distinct, standing out among so many people and things.

Lorant calmed his mind and tried to synchronize his breathing with Val's, and at that moment, everything in the world seemed mysteriously profound.

In the next second, Lorant heard a familiar 'ding.'

This sound, which usually would have made Lorant extremely excited, did not cause much of a stir in his emotions this time.

Lorant didn't even open his eyes, his mood astonishingly calm, and he simply smiled as he mentally opened his compendium.

Lorant had been prepared for the possibility of encountering more beast companions. During the council meeting, he had felt that he was on the right path, though he hadn't yet seen the signposts.

Indeed, at this mystical moment, the compendium showed some activity.

In the B-grade pet section of the compendium, two new entries had appeared.

"Dream Jellyfish"...........................B0005.

"Healing Windchime"...........................B0006.

Lorant opened his eyes slightly, surprised. It was the first time he had seen two breeding paths simultaneously simulated in his simulator, which left him rather taken aback.

"Dream Jellyfish": A large aquatic pet capable of living in the air for short periods, feeding on dreams and possessing powerful hypnotic abilities. It is the companion pet of the Healing Windchime.

"Healing Windchime": A small flying pet with an adorable appearance, it emits clear sounds from its body that can heal the mind and accelerate the recovery of mental energy. It is the companion pet of the Dream Jellyfish.

Seeing the words "companion pet," Lorant clicked on the breeding route in the compendium with interest.

He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

The breeding routes for these two pets were identical!

Which means...

"Alright, I agree!" Before Lorant could delve deeper into the newly appeared breeding routes, Shenuska interrupted his thoughts.

"I'll take you and your little friend to dive into the ocean to search for transparent coral, but I can't guarantee we'll find what you're looking for." Shenuska pointed at Faimeng: "I can search with you for as long as it takes until you give up, but I also need you to promise to use Blue Star's power for the merfolk afterward."

"Even if it takes a long time, you shouldn't give up easily. Are you willing to agree to these terms?"

Lorant's eyes lit up. He put aside his compendium and eagerly extended his hand to shake with the leader of the merfolk.

"No problem! Deal!"