The first ray of dawn's light broke through the sea's surface, reflecting off the ripples and casting starry, scattered patches of light on the ocean floor. The soft glow danced across Seraphina's peaceful, sleeping form, illuminating her delicate, angelic face and her translucent pink scales.
Around her were tall seaweed and marine plants, gently swaying with the subtle currents. It was as if the sea, her long-time home, was singing a lullaby to its daughter, peaceful and warm.
Suddenly, a fish darted out from the seaweed. It was as thick as Seraphina's arm, silvery gray, with a ring of black surrounding its eyes. It swam rapidly around her head, darting left and right, unwilling to leave.
"Bo-bo! Bo-bo!" The fish's gill covers emitted a faint sound: "Bo-bo! Bo-bo…"
The sound was quiet but still managed to wake Seraphina. She shot up suddenly, her innocent, confused gaze fixed on the strange visitor. It continued making the sound, small and urgent:
"Bo-bo, Bo-bo, Bo-bo…"
"Sera! Are you awake?" Calypso's voice called from nearby. They had woken up as well.
The fish, with its black-ringed eyes, looked completely ordinary, a common sight in the deep ocean. Upon hearing Calypso's call, it seemed startled and darted into the seaweed, vanishing without a trace.
Seraphina stood up and left the more sheltered and secure seaweed patch to meet Calypso. Calypso was full of energy, like a cute child: "I slept so well! How about you, Sera? We need to keep moving soon. Aaron and the captain are planning to head out early."
"I slept well too," Seraphina smiled. She truly enjoyed the time spent with Calypso, who was such a rare and understanding friend.
The young whale, Aaron, and Captain Kenny swam over in the distance. Aaron was holding several large oysters, which were quite a delicious treat:
"Here, breakfast!"
"Thanks!" Calypso took the oysters and handed some to Seraphina.
"Have you eaten yet?" Seraphina asked shyly, glancing at Aaron and the captain.
"We've eaten," Aaron answered.
"Bo... bo…" A loud cry came from a distance. Everyone was startled, and the young whale trembled.
In the water, sound travels many times faster than it does in air. Who could be calling?
In the distance, a small, thin black shadow swam toward them. As it got closer, it became clear that it was an older merman. He was balding on top, with white hair from his ears to the back of his head. His gray eyebrows and long beard were mostly white, and they partially covered his eyes and mouth. On his back, he carried a cloth bundle, and his gray skin and tail seemed somewhat malnourished.
"Hey! Hello there," the elderly merman greeted them first. "The air this morning, the sunshine, and the sea view—aren't they just wonderful?"
Just as Captain Kenny was about to respond, the old man continued:
"Ugh! You're travelers from afar, my dear friends. This sea area is safe for now, my intuition tells me. You needn't worry, the fierce, large fish won't dare come here for a while."
"I'm Kenny, and these are Aaron, Calypso, and Seraphina," Captain Kenny introduced them.
"Just call me Blanc. I'm a scavenger from the merman clan," Blanc replied, his words sounding like autumn leaves falling, with a gentle rustling sound. "Oh, where was I? Yes, I was talking about how this sea area is relatively safe for now. Do you know why? Well, let me tell you:
A few months ago, several large wooden ships from land-dwelling humans encountered each other in these waters. They then attacked each other with weapons they call gunpowder cannons. Boom! Boom! And some ships sank. After that, some nasty things leaked out of the wreckage and spread around. As a result, many fish had to leave because they couldn't tolerate it. Naturally, the larger fish wouldn't come here to hunt, so the area remains safe for a while. But now the seawater has washed away the filth, and the place is clean again. It's such a shame—those humans, with the same ancestors as us, like to fight over land and resources."
Blanc's words, along with the swaying of his beard, were filled with emotion:
"By the way, you must be wondering why I came here. Well, let me tell you—I used to be a wealthy merman. My fortune came from the land-dwelling humans. Although I didn't like their wars, I loved their shipwrecks. Shipwrecks are full of beautiful gold and silver wares, copper and iron, porcelain, all sorts of coins, and jewelry. Ah, such treasures!"
As Blanc spoke, although his eyes were hidden beneath his eyebrows, it was easy to feel the sparkle of light that shone through the small gap between them. The wrinkles on his face occasionally relaxed, revealing his inner joy and longing.
"So, this profession that many call 'picking up scraps' can make one a millionaire," Blanc continued, his tone becoming more somber. "But then something happened that led to my downfall. My life began to spiral downward, and things got worse each day. I had spent so much money back then, thinking I'd always be lucky. Then one day, a few ships began fighting again on the sea, and I was thrilled. I thought, maybe a ship will sink again, and I whispered to myself, 'Fire harder! Let a few more ships sink!' My greed and schadenfreude drove me to swim up to the surface to watch the chaos. That's when I was punished: As soon as my head broke the surface, a thing they call a cannonball hit me straight on. It had already gone through the ship's deck, losing some of its force, or my skull would have been shattered. I sank to the ocean floor and lost consciousness for I don't know how long. When I woke up, it felt like I had been trapped in a spinning top—everything was spinning."
Blanc sat on a nearby reef as he spoke, the buoyancy of his body in the water betraying the sense of failure hidden deep within him.
"Do you know what the first thing I thought of when I woke up was?" Blanc continued. "My companion—the amberjack. I was severely injured, and I knew my companion would be in a state of chaos, running around aimlessly. The amberjack, a natural treasure hunter of the sea, my beloved. As long as there's a sunken ship, when the ship makes contact with the ocean floor, it creates a unique microenvironment. This environment, formed by microorganisms, plants, and other substances reacting with the metal of the ship, gives off a scent, a kind of information. The amberjack can detect it and follows the trail to find the wreck. They thrive on the microorganisms and seaweed in such environments. So, the shipwreck is discovered, and the treasures inside excite me."
Blanc paused, his eyebrows drooping as he fell into a moment of sorrow, the painful memories resurfacing.
"Surely you've found more sunken ships, and should be living comfortably by now?" Calypso asked gently.
"That cannonball changed my fate," Blanc replied. "Before that, I had evolved to the point where I had a similar treasure-hunting sense to the amberjack. But that cannonball disrupted my ability to communicate with my companions. Most of my amberjacks abandoned me. At one time, I had at least five hundred, but now only about fifty remain. The one I cherished the most, after I was injured, it began acting foolishly. I don't know why. Whenever it finds valuable treasures in a wreck, it would just eat recklessly—usually swallowing gems or coins—and then choke. It would make a sound, 'Boop, boop, boop,' nonstop. So, I named it Boop."
Captain Kenny comforted him, "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that, but it sounds like Boop is still rather amusing."
"After the brain injury, I used the remaining amberjack companions and the scent abilities I had evolved to continue searching for wrecks. I still considered myself lucky, although the treasures I found were fewer than before. It made me appreciate life more, and taught me to savor the joy in every moment."
Blanc lifted his chin, a smile tinged with the wisdom of someone who had endured hardship. His laugh, though rough, sounded more genuine than ever.
"Though I've gone from being wealthy to becoming one of the fallen, I don't mind. People should learn to be content. Only with contentment can one find happiness. If you're not happy, wealth doesn't mean much."
Aaron, who had also lived as a wanderer, secretly admired Blanc. He asked, "Blanc, what exactly is a 'fallen clan'?"
"Oh, the fallen clan," Blanc mused, "it usually comes in three types: The first type is like me, a merman who's lost the ability to summon companions; the second type consists of those weaker mermen who were cast out when a stronger companion master emerged from the same group."
Aaron recalled the guards in Shark Bay and realized they were part of this group. He asked, "And the third type?"
"The third type is the most tragic," Blanc replied. "These are mermen who have completed their second evolution, but their companions are all wiped out. They have the ability but are never put to use and are often considered passive wastes for the rest of their lives."
Blanc, with his wealth of experience, continued his tale:
"I know a friend like that, who, although his companions are all gone, is still incredibly wise. He's a profound and mysterious merman named Axton, the master of the Guliz fish. Unfortunately, just after completing his second evolution, the Guliz fish went extinct. At the time, he was still a young merman, not too old. Due to his exceptional perseverance and insight, he was able to complete his second evolution earlier than most. But before he could even celebrate, and before his evolution could yield any significant achievements, his last remaining companion—his only companion—died due to age. The boy wept for the loss of the partner who could have helped him accomplish great things. Afterward, he continued his search, hoping to find more Guliz fish in every ocean he could reach, at every depth he could explore. Even to this day, many years later, he remains obsessed, never giving up."
"Such a touching story," Seraphina couldn't help but say, moved by Blanc's words. As she looked at the short old merman, his deep voice and passionate delivery made her wonder if she should seize this opportunity to ask him about second evolution, an issue that had been on her mind. Nervously, she spoke up:
"Mr. Blanc, I have a question I'd like to ask you. I know it may bring up painful memories, but I assure you I don't mean to offend. May I ask?"
Blanc, looking into Seraphina's delicate and earnest eyes, felt a deep trust in the sincerity behind her words.
"Alright, my dear little girl, what do you wish to know?"
"You mentioned that after your injury, your ability to communicate with your companions through brainwaves was disrupted. So, how do you summon your amberjack now?"
Blanc's eyebrows shot up in surprise, as if he'd seen something intriguing in the distance—a shipwreck perhaps. Seraphina briefly worried that the old man might have misinterpreted her question and thought she was mocking his bald spot.
"Oh, is that all?" Blanc laughed heartily. "This is another story! It's actually quite funny. Hahaha!"
The group, with Kenny, Aaron, and Calypso, gathered around Blanc, eagerly listening to the tale. The old merman's stories were always fresh and amusing.
"After I was struck by that cannonball, I realized my connection with my companions, the brainwave link, had been severed. I could no longer transmit commands to them. It felt like my world turned completely dark, and I nearly despaired."
"In that moment of confusion, Boop swam up to me and locked eyes with me. I realized that it had the will to receive my brainwave signals. I was overjoyed. Suddenly, I understood—I could train them to accept my commands without relying on brainwaves. Using food rewards and conditioning, I could re-establish a mental connection. The connection, though not brainwave-based, was still a form of understanding, like a bond forged through silent communication. After some time of training, I succeeded. I was so happy! Hahaha!"
Blanc laughed again, his shoulders shaking with boisterous joy. But then, his laughter slowed, and he grew more thoughtful.
"However, a new problem arose. When the amberjacks are right in front of me, I can command them. But when they're off swimming, out of sight, and I try to summon them, they don't know what I want. Without seeing me, they don't understand my request. After all, this method, which is different from the brainwave summons, still has its flaws."
"Then what happened?" Calypso asked, her curiosity piqued.
Blanc tilted his head, looking at everyone, before continuing, "Well, I thought of sound—loud sound."
After a pause, he continued, "I asked around, and eventually, I found a master in the eastern lands who was skilled in the Lion's Roar technique. I became his disciple, and my life suddenly felt full of new hope."
"My master taught me a bunch of strange chants. After warming up, I would sit cross-legged on the ground, keeping my head straight and my body aligned, my eyes half-closed, the tip of my tongue lightly touching the roof of my mouth, and clearing my mind of distractions. To be honest, I had no idea what it all meant."
"Then there was another chant where he said to 'close the back', which he called 'building the bridge with the magpie'. Tongue pressed to the roof of the mouth—'build the bridge'—and make the energy flow."
"Later, he spoke about gathering energy in the dantian and, when the energy was full, releasing it all at once. Still, I didn't really understand what he meant."
"My master couldn't hold back anymore and scolded me, saying, 'How is it that you're so slow to comprehend?'"
Blanc grinned, remembering. "So, while my master rested, I called in a senior disciple to show me the right spots to focus on for the breath work. After a quick demonstration, I tried it myself. They didn't know that, as a merman and a member of an evolved race, I had a certain innate ability. My wisdom came naturally."
"I gathered all my strength and let out a roar towards my senior's house. The next thing I knew, the house collapsed. I saw my senior scramble out, only wearing his pants, crawling to the master's house. I thought, 'Uh-oh, I've definitely caused trouble.'"
Blanc chuckled, continuing, "Not long after, my senior and the master arrived. They stood there, staring at the fallen house. My senior kept insisting that I was the one who had done it, but my master didn't believe him. Instead, he scolded my senior, saying, 'How could that fool of a disciple of mine have learned such a technique? It's obvious you wanted a bigger house, so you tore down the old one.'"
"My senior, to clear his name, asked me to demonstrate the Lion's Roar again. To prove I wasn't a fool, I roared again—this time at my master's house."
Blanc paused dramatically, and then with a burst of laughter, added, "The house collapsed once more. My master and senior stood there, completely still, as the shockwave of my roar tore their clothes and made their hair and beards stand on end. My master's legs shook like a leaf in the wind. 'My student…' he stuttered, 'You… you've mastered it! You can go down the mountain now… go, go.'"
"My senior helped the master, saying, 'Brother, there's a place below the mountain that needs your talents more. Go, may your journey be safe.'"
Blanc paused, his smile fading slightly as he spoke, "I begged my master to let me stay and continue learning, but he and my senior, following the 'Thirty-Six Stratagems' of running away when things go wrong, vanished in a flash."
Blanc sighed with a fond smile. "And so, I returned to my beloved amberjack, to the sea that I love."
Calypso blinked her eyes, her doubt obvious. She pouted and begged Blanc, "Mr. Blanc, could you show us the Lion's Roar technique? We'd love to see it!"
"Sure, and while I'm at it, I'll call my dear Bo-Bo too."
With that, Blanc transformed into his land-based form, turned his back to the group, and crouched down on the ground, spreading his hands and shoulders wide, facing forward with his head tilted back to inhale. As he breathed, his chest swelled and contracted dramatically, making a series of gurgling noises.
The captain and the others exchanged glances behind him. He almost wanted to scold Calypso for being too rash, for a child not knowing her place. But at the same time, he wasn't sure how to tell the elderly man not to summon his beloved pet.
Calypso tilted her head seriously, but to be honest, she thought Blanc's current form looked more like a frog than a lion. She couldn't tell if it was the lion trying to imitate a frog or if the frog was pretending to be a lion.
Aaron pulled up the large hood of his coat, shielding his head. It was his habit to guard himself. The hood covered his face, making it impossible to read his expression, but his calm and composed demeanor was clear.
Seraphina looked around at everyone and instinctively covered her ears. She had no idea what kind of volume could be powerful enough to collapse a house. It must be earth-shattering or seismic, right?
After a while of gathering energy, Blanc's chest, throat, and jaw began to swell and contract as he prepared. Slowly, he opened his mouth, wider and wider. His chest expanded even more than before, and the others behind him held their breath, their eyes wide open. They were completely focused, as if waiting for a miracle to happen, as though time itself might freeze, and the ocean would stop moving...
"Poof..." A muffled sound, along with bubbles, emerged.
Kenny and the others almost stumbled and fell. In truth, the buoyancy of the water kept them from toppling completely. Once they regained their balance, they all covered their mouths and noses, not saying a word.
The sound had come from behind Blanc, as he had made a mistake in his technique, causing the sound to come from his backside instead.
Blanc turned around with an apologetic expression and said, "Sorry about that. I took a wrong turn with my focus. This time, I won't disappoint you. Watch carefully!"
Everyone nodded quickly, showing respect and agreement, though their faces were strained with awkward smiles.
Just like before, Blanc began to gather his energy again. The group, now with a lingering hint of disappointment from the earlier mishap, had lowered their guard just a little.
"Ahhh—"
A massive roar suddenly erupted, like a thunderclap right beside them, sending dust and stones flying. They could feel everything around them vibrate, shaken by the immense force of the energy.
"Clink—"
The powerful roar radiated outward from Blanc's body, sending a shockwave through the surrounding sea. The water acted as a medium, pushing everything it encountered away. Shrimp and crabs jumped in disarray, while the surface of the ocean in that area formed a wave that arched upwards. A frightened young whale, its eyes filled with bloodshot panic, leapt out of the water before helplessly flapping its fins and plunging back into the sea.
When the sound finally stopped, the area around Blanc was in chaos. Seaweed and kelp lay scattered across the ground, sand floated through the murky water, and bubbles leaked out from the sand. It was a shocking sight. By this point, most of the fish in the area had likely fled, except for the ones that couldn't swim away.
"Hahaha..." Blanc laughed. "Bo-Bo, Bo-Bo! The seaweed here is all stirred up. Why aren't you coming out?"
The area was silent. Blanc turned around and looked.
"Huh!" Where did Captain Kenny and the others go? Where are they? He spun around, but still couldn't find anyone. He then called out:
"Captain Kenny! Aaron, ladies, where are you? If you hear me, come out! If not, I'll call again and double the volume!"
"Ahhh, stop calling! We're coming out!" Calypso's timid voice came from behind a nearby rock, sounding like a child who had made a mistake and was about to be scolded by their mother.
From behind the rock, first emerged Captain Kenny, then Calypso, and finally Seraphina swam out. Captain Kenny gave Blanc a wry smile and said:
"Blanc, today we've witnessed the legendary Lion's Roar technique. Truly worthy of its name!"
Calypso's face turned red and she trembled. "Mr. Blanc, your skill is truly earth-shattering, so terrifying that it can move mountains and shake the seas. I'll never underestimate the Lion's Roar again."
Seraphina hunched her shoulders, arms crossed. "Mr. Blanc, thank you for the lesson. It was truly valuable. I didn't realize summoning a familiar also involved such a big trumpet. The path of cultivation is long, and I shall search high and low."
"Hmm!" Blanc nodded, counting on his fingers. "There's still one friend left. Should I call them again?"
"No need!" A voice came from under the water as a heap of sand was pushed away, revealing Aaron's large hat. Then he crawled out from the loose sand, shook the dust off his body, and lifted his hat to look up.
"I've learned my lesson too. My familiar, the electric ray, likes to hide in the sand to ambush its prey. The process of hiding in the sand is called earth escape or sand escape. Today I discovered I can make my own sand escape so much faster, all thanks to the Lion's Roar unlocking my potential for burrowing!"
Aaron's words might have been considered a bit of flattery. Kenny and the two ladies exchanged disdainful glances, knowing that Aaron was the fastest to escape but still speaking so pompously. They could have sworn that if the sand below had been firmer, Aaron would have had a bump on his head from his swift retreat. But they had to admit, he really did burrow into the sand in an instant—his speed was incredible.
"Hahaha... didn't disappoint anyone, did I?" The old man finally laughed, revealing a solitary tooth left in his beard.
The captain couldn't help but be surprised: "Wow, that blast must've knocked out quite a few of his 'guard soldiers.'"
After he had laughed enough, the old man asked, "Hey, we've been chatting for so long. Has anyone seen my adorable Bo-Bo?"
Aaron and the captain exchanged glances and shook their heads without saying anything. The old man seemed a little displeased. He turned to Seraphina and Calypso. Seraphina was about to speak when Calypso quickly covered her mouth, smiling broadly as she said, "Heh! Bo-Bo is such a well-behaved and obedient companion, it must have gone home. When you return, you might just find it waiting for you, right?"
"That makes sense." Blanc adjusted the cloth bag on his back, the sound of metal scraping softly, "Alright, I have to head back. If it runs into any big fish on the way, that would be trouble."
After all the commotion, the group finally saw off the amusing old man. They watched from a distance as he looked around, searching for Bo-Bo. It was easy to imagine that, without his companion, his shadow would be left only with the weight of time and loneliness.
"Heh! Strange... has anyone seen the oysters I brought back earlier but didn't finish?" Aaron asked the group.
The two ladies shook their heads, and after thinking for a moment, the captain answered, "Ah, now that you mention it, Blanc's bag looked bigger when he left than when he came. When I saw him walking away with that oversized bundle, I thought something was off. Ah! It seems that even someone as skilled as me, a detective, can be fooled. Letting someone pull a fast one right in front of me—what a shame!" The captain smiled wryly.
The group burst into laughter.
A new day bid farewell to the enchanting morning. The sky was a brilliant blue, and so was the sea, bathed in warm sunlight that poured down onto the clear waters, illuminating the colorful coral forest.
Shrimps, crabs, sea stars, seahorses, sea bunnies, and countless tiny fish played carefree in the water, while sea turtles blinked their dark, adorable eyes, watching this beautiful world—a dreamy, fantastical kingdom.
The young whale seemed to have grown a little bigger again, carrying a few mermaids as it set off toward the horizon.
Calypso looked out at the scenery, her heart filled with joy. Seraphina silently told herself that no matter when she encountered her companion, she must continue her training. The Creator is fair to everyone.
On top of the happily swimming young whale, Aaron shouted joyfully. He was no longer a solitary, wandering boy but a happy person with companions.
The captain brought up the rear, lost in thought about the ancient Glitz fish, who once ruled the seas two million years ago, and the fierce yet ultimately extinct Leeds fish legion that had dominated the last great oceanic war. Was the story of the Glitz fish truly over? Was there a deeper truth to uncover? Was it worth remembering?