CHAPTER 80: CHAPTER80-THE SEAHORSE RACE DELIVERS THEMSELVES

The sea surface shimmered brilliantly under the sunlight, displaying an enchanting interplay of blue and green hues.

In the distance, where the sea met the sky, the two merged into one, seemingly without any boundary.

The Delicate Miniature Ship appeared to be resting atop a pane of glass, its hull unmoved by even the slightest ripple.

Berkeley lowered the sails and called out loudly: "Mr. Owen, we are now directly above Heartstealer Island. Shall we proceed with the operation?"

Owen, dressed in a snug black outfit, nodded and said: "Let’s go."

With that, he leapt from the ship without a moment’s hesitation, causing a splash of water.

Finn, Erin, and Berkeley followed suit.

Morton, standing at the ship’s edge, twitched his mouth in disbelief: "They’re insane, truly insane. Even greedier than me. Knowing full well that the area below is controlled by the neptune race and the merfolk, they still go down..."

"What should I do now? If the neptune race comes back, do I have to face them again?"

"No, no, Owen knows about the powerful beings around Heartstealer Island, but he still dives in without a second thought. He must have some abilities I don’t know about..."

"Could he be hiding his strength? Is he actually a grandmaster?"

"But that’s not right, even a grandmaster-tier wouldn’t stand a chance against the neptune race, right?"

"Could his strength be at the sage-tier..."

"That’s impossible. If he were a sage, why would he hide his power?"

Morton’s mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, internally debating. Finally, he clenched his teeth: "Damn it, I’m going to be killed because of Owen. I’ll go too; if I’m going to die, so be it. After all, this life was already a bonus."

With these words, he plunged into the sea.

He had made up his mind. Rather than living in fear on the ship, he would rather take his chances with Owen.

As the two humans and two dragons delved deeper into the Gosa Waters, the madness of the ocean floor was laid bare before them.

The water was crystal clear, with sunlight penetrating the surface, casting a mystical and stunning glow on the underwater world.

The first thing to catch their eyes was a colorful coral reef, resembling delicate pieces of art, scattered across the sandy sea bed.

Growing on these reefs were various shapes of sponges, sea anemones, and seaweeds, gently swaying in the water as if dancing gracefully.

Further into the depths, schools of small fish darted through the water, their bodies shimmering with rainbow hues, adding to the underwater spectacle.

Suddenly, a dark shadow zipped towards Owen from behind.

Owen glanced back and gestured: "Why did you come?"

Underwater, the Hydrophobic Spell allowed them to breathe freely like fish, but it did not enable them to speak.

Hence, they had learned sign language early on for communication beneath the sea.

Morton, gritting his teeth, responded with fervent hand signals: "You’re all mad. I was just waiting to die alone on the ship. Might as well take my chances with you."

Finn gestured back at him: "Who are you calling mad? We’re here on a significant mission."

Berkeley rolled his eyes at Morton, his gaze filled with disdain.

Morton frantically signed, as if casting a spell: "A significant mission? The neptune race and merfolk have united, boasting over four or five grandmaster-tier warriors. How do you plan to accomplish anything? Do you think you can defeat grandmaster-tier fighters?"

Finn shrugged and casually signed back: "No, we can’t beat them."

Morton felt like he was going to explode with frustration.

He exhaled deeply, sending a stream of bubbles upwards: "Forget it, this life was a lucky find anyway. If I die, so be it."

Finn quickly wrapped an arm around Morton’s shoulder: "Brother, don’t worry. We won’t die."

He nodded towards Owen’s retreating back and gave Morton a reassuring look.

Morton shrugged off Finn’s hand and followed Owen, his legs moving in a fluttering motion.

The trio, accompanied by the two dragons, soon encountered a cliff.

Beneath the cliff, the sea was a deep, dark blue, with only sparse points of light twinkling.

Anyone with a fear of the deep sea might feel suffocated and faint at such a sight.

Owen glanced back, seeing Finn and the others closely following, and nodded slightly before diving into the cliff. His speed was incredibly fast, like a nimble fish.

The others quickly followed, keeping a vigilant eye on their surroundings.

Once they entered the deeper parts of the sea, it became the domain of various sea races, and they needed to be extremely cautious.

Deeper down, the water took on a profound blue, the sunlight unable to penetrate to these depths, leaving only faint light filtering down from the upper layers.

The whole underwater world appeared mysterious and tranquil.

Owen’s brow furrowed as he felt the circulation of blood in his body slowing down, and his arcanergy becoming less active.

He understood that the deeper they went into the sea, the more his abilities would be constrained.

After all, the immense pressure of the ocean was a significant hindrance to unleashing his full strength.

At that moment, a group of lanternfish, glowing with blue light, swam leisurely by.

These small fish had transparent bodies with luminescent tissues inside, casting enchanting glows around them.

As they moved through the water, they resembled shooting stars streaking across the night sky, beautiful and spectacular.

Erin reached out her slender hand, attempting to touch them, but the lanternfish smoothly evaded her grasp.

"They’re so pretty," Erin signed.

Owen took Erin’s hand with a smile and continued their descent.

Seconds and minutes ticked by until a shadow loomed in the distance.

Owen’s eyes narrowed with vigilance, and he stopped the swaying of his feet.

The shadow quickened its speed, appearing in front of Owen.

The two dragons and three humans could now see the newcomers clearly – they were intermediate race seahorses.

Their upper bodies resembled humans, with long torsos and delicate features; their skin emitted a pale blue glow, blending seamlessly with the ocean.

Their lower halves, however, were that of a seahorse, extending into a long tail with a flexible seahorse foot at the end.

Their eyes were bright and deep, exuding a fierce and bloody glimmer. In their hands, they held long corals, their tips as sharp as iron.

Without warning, the half-human seahorse thrust towards Erin.

"Be careful!" Owen quickly pulled Erin to safety.

Erin barely dodged the attack, and Owen turned to confront the assailant, but his body suddenly stiffened.

More seahorses emerged, surrounding Owen, Erin, and the others.

Morton signed with a look of resignation: "See, I told you. This place is controlled by the sea race. It’s impenetrable."

Finn nudged Morton, who was sent drifting away, struggling to float back: "Stop whining. It’s just the seahorse race. We’ll fight first and talk later."

Morton’s mouth twitched: "I... I’m speechless."

The leader of the seahorse race, a colossal seahorse, slowly glided in front of Owen.

Its body was significantly larger than the others, resembling a small mountain. Its gaze held an air of authority that was almost too intense to meet directly.

Owen, with furrowed brows, signed: "Take me to the neptune race."

The seahorse race leader, with a cold countenance and fierce light in its eyes, opened its mouth wide, emitting a deep, guttural roar.

This eerie sound seemed like the bugle call to charge.

The other seahorses launched an attack on Owen.

They whipped their tails, cutting through the water like bolts of lightning, striking towards Owen.

The Seastar Trident leaped into Owen’s hand, his body nimbly dodging the seahorses’ onslaught.

The seahorse race leader noticed Owen’s weapon, and its eyes flickered with a brief moment of surprise.

Owen targeted one of the attacking seahorses, swiftly swinging the Seastar Trident and severing its tail.

The injured seahorse screamed in agony and quickly fled the battlefield.

Blood diffused instantly in the water, adding a thicker, more ominous feel to the deep, dark sea.

Enraged by this turn of events, the leader seahorse let out a furious roar.

Its body started to radiate a dazzling light, and the surrounding waters began to boil tumultuously.

The leader seahorse opened its mouth wide, ejecting a powerful jet of water.

This water column, like a waterfall, surged directly towards Owen.

Owen’s brows knitted together. To catch the thief, first catch the king. His trident lit up, and bolts of lightning spread from its tip.

A wildly growing Tree of Thunder materialized in the deep sea.

The trident’s tip was the trunk, and the lightning served as its branches.

As these bolts of lightning touched the bodies of the seahorse race, they instantly convulsed, foaming at the mouth.

Seeing this, the leader seahorse tried to flee, but the lightning was faster.

As its body came into contact with the deep blue electrical arcs, it lost its fighting capability in an instant.

Owen’s eyes were ice-cold as he surged forward, seizing the seahorse leader.

Morton watched in astonishment.

"That easily? That’s a tail-general, a grandmaster-tier powerhouse, and yet it stood no chance against him."

"What realm is Owen in?"

Finn, noticing Morton’s stunned expression, patted his shoulder and signed confidently: "How about that? Impressive, isn’t Mr. Owen?"

Morton snapped out of his daze, scoffing as he signed back: "Just a tail-general, what’s so impressive about that?"

Finn shrugged and signed: "Hard to admit defeat, huh? Wait and see Mr. Owen’s wisdom in action."

Morton snorted and turned his head away.

Owen, holding the seahorse leader, revealed a sly smile on his face.

"This is like having a guide delivered right to our doorstep!"