Chapter 210. Skeletal Ship
The Leviathan Whale's massive tail crashed down upon the water's surface. Its battered form attempted to dive into the water and attack from below. However, it was too late for its descent.
Cannonfire rang out once more, unceasing and relentless, until the cannons' mouths glowed red-hot. Only then did Lily order her mice friends to cease fire.
The mammoth form of the Leviathan Whale stretched across the surface of the water like a floating island. Its mangled flesh and the blood flowing out of its wounds tainted the air with a pungent metallic stench.
Expressions of awe and shock painted the crew's faces as they stared at the whale in the distance. They struggled to comprehend that their captain had so effortlessly vanquished such an immense creature.
Charles had only taken decisive action because he remembered what Conor had once told him. Since Conor's father had successfully hunted Leviathan Whales, it suggested that the whale was nothing more than an ordinary animal in the sea and didn't need to be feared.
Charles slowly steered the Narwhale toward the whale. But as they drew close, the whale's gigantic eye, which was the size of a small house, snapped open—it wasn't dead! Embark on a quest to the commencement at n0v#lbin★
The mammoth creature abruptly arched its back and lunged toward the Narwhale like a missile.
Staring at the shadow overhead, Charles' heartbeat raced at its fastest pace. If the whale's bulk weight landed on them, that would spell doom for everyone aboard!
"Engineers, overload the engines! Max speed! Hurry!"
A deep red flame belched from the Narwhale's smokestacks as her speed tripled instantaneously.
Despite their swift reaction and retreat, it was still a fraction of a second too late. While the ship's center dodged the assault, the stern was not spared. The Leviathan Whale's colossal form struck the Narwhale's rear, pitching the ship upward in a precarious vertical tilt.
Under Charles' frantic maneuvering, the ship violently crashed back onto the water with a massive splash and narrowly avoided capsizing.
Panting heavily with a face drenched in cold sweat, Charles gasped for air. It had been a narrow escape. If they had been a hair slower, their ship would have capsized.
He steadied himself and gave the helm a reassuring pat before trudging toward the chaotic mess at the stern. His gaze landed on the whale's colossal form behind them.
The hundred-meter Leviathan Whale floated silently on the water's surface. It was motionless. The beast's last desperate attack seemed to have drained its final vestiges of vitality.
The numerous ulcers within his mouth cavity were tormenting, but he had no great solution at the moment. This was just the beginning of a vitamin deficiency. If he couldn't think of a way to replenish their vitamins, scurvy would come next.
He had considered harvesting some seaweed, but the thought of the myriad of bizarre creatures underwater had him thinking of employing that strategy as a last resort.
He had no idea how long their life adrift at sea would last, but he was no longer panicking. No matter how hard the path ahead, he was determined to find his way back.
Suddenly, a horn's wail echoed through the air. Charles snapped to attention and hurried toward the deck. He recognized the sound to be a signal of alert.
The moment he reached the deck, he saw a skeletal ship swiftly sailing past the Narwhale's port side.
Before he could even ponder over the power source of such a vessel, seven to eight giant worms surfaced before it. Thick chains had bound each worm to the ship's skeleton frame.
Charles swiftly regained his composure. Those were all secondary matters. The pressing matter at hand was whether they could escape their current predicament, and it all depended on this ship.
The Narwhale sounded a bellow and immediately attracted the attention of the skeletal ship. As the skeletal ship inched toward them, Charles could finally discern the stark difference between his ship and theirs.
The ship towered over them, its size rivaling that of the dead Leviathan Whale. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that the vessel was crafted from the skeletal remains of that colossal beast.
Seven or eight giants, each towering nearly three meters tall, stood by the ship's edge. Their gazes peered downward at the Narwhale below.
Charles hurriedly recounted their plight and even promised a wealth of rewards in return for their assistance. However, these so-called Haikors remained indifferent to his pleas. One by one, they retreated from the ship's edge.
Panic washed over Charles. If they refused to provide aid, the sea might really become the grave of the Narwhale and her crew.
Suddenly, a thought struck his mind. He fished out the box that Anna had sent to him. "My wife had made a deal with your tribesmen. Surely, you recognize this?"
Indeed, the box worked its magic. Among the crowd, a giant with a red pointed hat atop his head spoke, "Follow our ship. We will take you to the Shattered Heart Isles."
A wave of elation surged through Charles. They were finally out of their dire circumstances. "Thank you, mate. We are really lucky to have met you. Otherwise, we would have perished at sea."
"You are not as fortunate as you believe yourself to be. A presence under the water has drawn us here," one of the towering figures replied.
"A presence under the water?" Charles echoed.