The arrival of the fishmen not only shocked Nicole and the others but also had a profound impact on Zhao Lun and Hodal.
The appearance of the legendary creatures before him overturned his entire worldview.
He had been to the battlefield before, an accomplished soldier in the military. After following Zhao Lun, he had handled many situations and even came to the Sui Empire, watching the tides of change from a distance, believing that his nerves had grown exceptionally strong. He had been content with his resilience for a long time.
But it wasn't until he saw the fishmen that he realized his nerves were still not strong enough. Encountering a creature from a story left him unsettled.
It wasn't just him who was unsettled; anyone who had seen these creatures was affected.
Zhao Lun was the quickest to accept it. The morning after, he had breakfast and then, accompanied by Hodal, went to the site of the incident for an investigation.
The platform was supposed to be as clear as the finest crystal, with the sea below pristine and transparent. One could see fine sand, swimming fish, and beautiful coral.
Now, that once transparent crystal looked as though it had been shattered, resembling broken glass. The scene was chaotic—no sand, the fish had fled, and the coral was unrecognizable. It appeared disorderly and lacked any form of beauty.
Among the scattered sand and chaos, fish spears were carelessly discarded. In some places, there were electronic devices that had been swept out, some damaged, some still intact.
Hodal and his assistant replaced the broken devices, buried the exposed ones, and restored the surroundings to their original state, finally collecting the discarded fish spears and replacing the scratched platform with new ones.
Zhao Lun observed them from above, then his gaze shifted to the mist.
The mist swirled in delicate tendrils, like rising steam, seemingly harmless. Most would simply assume it was the result of increased temperature.
But Zhao Lun focused, sensing the continuous influx of spiritual energy. The surrounding environment seemed to improve as a result.
At the same time, he felt an extreme force, one that stirred violence and destruction in those who encountered it.
Whether it was spiritual or poisonous, this energy was quietly altering the environment.
"Behind the mist," Zhao Lun thought, "If I watched long enough, I might see lush vegetation. Could there be another world behind this?"
"Boss, it's all fixed," Hodal reported after finishing the repairs.
"It's been done. Did you set up the detectors at a distance?" Zhao Lun inquired.
"They've all been arranged," Hodal confirmed.
"Good. Let's head back," Zhao Lun decided. They had lunch elsewhere, not staying on site, as they hadn't yet figured out the full scope of the incident.
It was already noon, and with everything arranged, there was no reason to stay. He had family to worry about, and it was better to go home for a meal, reassuring them.
Upon returning home, they found that everyone had indeed been waiting for him. Upon seeing him, they all visibly relaxed.
"Didn't you say you didn't have to wait for me?" Zhao Lun asked.
"Maria just wanted to wait for you to come home and have dinner together," someone replied.
"Well, no need to talk about it. Let's eat first, and we can discuss later."
Zhao Lun felt warmth in his heart knowing someone cared for him, and sat beside Maria, serving her some food.
Mulan was truly a master chef. With the same ingredients, she always managed to create different dishes. The delicious food helped everyone forget their worries.
A meal could ease some tension, and after dinner, Zhao Lun went to the laboratory to check the monitors.
These devices were specifically designed to detect energy fluctuations, primarily to track the movements of the fishmen.
The equipment was functioning properly, and everything around seemed normal.
"Athena, keep an eye on things here. Report any abnormalities immediately!" Zhao Lun instructed.
Only Athena could competently and reliably handle a 24-hour task like this, so Zhao Lun entrusted her with the responsibility.
"Yes, sir," Athena replied, executing the order without fail.
The fishmen captured in the lab were extremely violent. They showed no signs of pleading for mercy, and would struggle whenever they had the strength, making communication impossible.
Had they been affected by extreme energy?
Why had they come here?
Unable to communicate, Zhao Lun could only speculate.
Could the divine spring water have attracted them?
When they had used the divine spring water to prepare fish bait here, they had caught many fish. Though they no longer engaged in such activities, they occasionally did so as a means of sustenance.
The divine spring water was the water of life, emitting the aura of life from every drop. Most beings could not resist its allure.
Naturally, surrounding creatures couldn't either. Zhao Lun wasn't surprised that it had drawn the fishmen from the depths of the sea.
After seeing this, he decided not to use this resource so recklessly again.
He considered everyone in the manor family, and if any harm befell them, it would trouble him deeply.
If the divine spring water had attracted something dangerous, he wouldn't be happy. This situation was worrisome, and he decided to take action.
After two days of vigilance, no further dangerous anomalies occurred, and everyone relaxed.
"Brother, come quick! There are many holes here!"
"Look over there, there are so many birds!"
"They're not afraid of the flash, Snow Shadow and the others!"
This was unusual. There were many new burrows, and the birds were unafraid of predators, coming closer to meet their end. It was abnormal.
However, in comparison to the fishmen, this seemed relatively normal, and since no real danger appeared, no one paid much attention to it.
Burrows were nothing, with hunting dogs keeping watch. A predator passing by would simply become prey for Snow Shadow and the others.
Upon returning from the coast, they didn't go back, and Zhao Lun felt some regret. His dream of the beach had been shattered.
Tracy Town was bustling, with daily film screenings, yet no one was watching the movies anymore.
The fishmen incident had made everyone realize their lack of preparedness, so they all practiced their martial skills at home to improve their survival abilities.
Perhaps influenced by the films they made, they seemed to be heading in the direction of a "beauty special forces team."
In these films, the protagonists mastered various skills. The ladies worked out and practiced different techniques.
To Zhao Lun's surprise, Mulan, the culinary master, turned out to be an expert in martial arts as well.
He was astonished as he entered the laboratory, working on the fishmen's spears. At times, he would send out an owl to buy something, but otherwise, he remained busy in the lab, not going out unless necessary.
He was a person who lacked security, always restless unless he was occupied. Only when busy did he feel fulfilled.
With the atmosphere in the manor like this, even Maria gave up playing and joined Nicole and the others in their training. Though it wasn't strenuous for her, it was still a valuable experience.
During the training, the ladies were determined, pushing themselves to exhaustion every day. Aside from meals and sleep, they didn't stop for a single day. Maria was no exception.
Zhao Lun watched in awe. Indeed, when women set their minds to something, even men had to take a step back.
On the weekend, everyone took a rare day off. When they reunited, they were all revitalized, their spirits heightened, and they had the sharp edge of warriors.
"Graceful and poised!"
"Women are no less than men!"
"Not bad!"