Chapter 1008: Deep Thoughts, Deep Plunge
“Hmmm.”
Jinju Ren was silent as she mulled over Jin Fang’s query. She had the distinct feeling that she wasn’t the only who had been asked this question, but alas, the provider of that answer wasn’t here to serve as a reference.
As such, Jinju Ren gave the one answer she could provide: one based on her own personal experience with being royal.
“Honestly… I’d do it.”
“Really? Why?”
“Because I find my own situation of being royalty to be a massive pain in the ass.”
“Eh?”
Jinju Ren developed an uncharacteristically serious expression as she began to regale Jin Fang with her own feelings on being an Imperial Royal.
“Don’t get me wrong, being an Imperial Princess is great. The mere mention of my of my name, or who my father is, is enough to get people quaking in their boots out of fear. Alternatively, it’s enough to get someone who doesn’t know me on a personal level to try and curry favor with me. But…it’s stupid lonely.”
There was a pause in the air as Jinju Ren stopped talking to for a moment to not only gather her own thoughts, but to give Jin Fang time to digest her words. Once enough time had passed that felt appropriate, Jinju Ren began speaking again.
“There had been multiple days in my past where I wished I wasn’t actually royal. That there was actually some old secret that could allow me to ditch my current status to be free to do whatever I wished…but alas, my history is too well-known to do something like that.”
“Huh…”
“Either way, I think I more or less got over it once darling showed up,” Jinju Ren freely admitted in a teasing tone of voice. “Now I’m quite happy with my situation in life.”
“Oh, fantastic…” Jin Fang trailed off while rolling her eyes in disbelief at Jinju Ren’s brazen behavior.
“That said…I think I would’ve still like the option.”
“Option?”
At this word, Jinju Ren got serious again.
“Yes, option,” Jinju Ren nodded. “Perhaps whatever revelation you’re searching for will change everything. Perhaps it won’t. Either way, it’s best to figure out what that revelation is before acting upon it. Otherwise, you may live your entire life without knowing anything. Which I think is worst.”
“Huh…sounds like something Logos and Pathos would say.”
“And I agree with them. Now then, I don’t know about you but I think we’ve taken in enough of the sights from up here. Want to go and practice our techniques for when the beast tide comes or when we get the call to go to the Library?”
“You go on ahead. I have…things to think about.”
“Suit yourself.”
As Jin Fang continued to stare off into the horizon with a contemplative look on her face, Jinju Ren walked down a set of stairs to return to the ground level from the top of the wall. As she did though, she paused momentarily once Jin Fang was out of earshot and looked in the direction of an entryway that led to the inner workings of the walls.
“Ya know…it’s rude to listen to women when they’re having a conversation about something private.”
“!”
“But the way you’re acting makes it seem that you have a reason to…so why don’t you come out so I can understand for myself, yeah?”
Jinju Ren stood there for several silent minutes as nothing happened in that doorway. No indication that whomever she was addressing was actually going to listen to her.
Eventually, Jinju Ren let out an audible sigh and continued walking again…but not before getting in one last word.
“Take it from someone who spent a lot of time around people who kept secrets for political purposes. Sometimes the only way to move forward is to share them.”
As Jinju Ren finally left the proximity of the wall, Cornelius made himself visible from the entryway he was hiding in.
Once he was exposed, he looked in Jin Fang’s direction.
‘Better to know the truth than live in ignorance… how painfully like a true Kaijin Consort…’
As this thought danced across Cornelius’s head, he began to wonder how the current Kaijin Lord was holding up right now.
‘By estimation, he should be plunging into the [Abyssal Lands] right now… hopefully she remembers how to land.’
________________________________________
Meanwhile…
“EVERYONE, HOLD ON TIGHT!”
“HOLY SHIT!”
“HOW IS THIS ENTRANCE?!”
[WITNESS ME!]
[But this isn’t gonna kill us…]
[DON’T CARE, JUST GO WITH THE MOOOOD!]
It didn’t take too long for the [Luminescent Ark Serpent] and the [Storm Queen’s Galleon] to reach the entrance to the [Abyssal Lands].
The path to the entrance was surprisingly clear of any obstructions or wild beasts that would normally attack caravans that dared to stray from the beaten path. Then again, it probably helped that both aformentioned means of transport were filled with warriors that radiated enough power to cause most 2nd and 1st tiered aether beasts to cower in fear.
Regardless, once the expeditionary force reached the entrance to the [Abyssal Lands], they all had to brace themselves for the actual landing process.
Namely, dropping several hundred feet from the air and trying not to die from impacting the ocean of [Shadow Water] beneath them. Unfortunately, that was easier done on a personal level than it was on a giant magic ship and/or sea serpent…or so Zhen Liu thought for a couple of moments.
As the two vessels are plummeting from the sky, the [Luminescent Ark Serpent] suddenly course corrected mid-air until it managed to take on a diving position. Once it was lined up with the water in a way it was satisfied, the armored portions of its head suddenly extended into a point. It didn’t take observers too long to realize it was essentially preparing to dive.
As for Zhen Liu and the [Storm Queen’s Galleon], things got a little…weird.
‘Frosttusk! Nepherage! I need you two to- wait a minute…what the fuck?’
More specifically, the ship started acting weird.
Zhen Liu was just about to give the orders for Frosttusk and Nepherage to work together in making a ramp or something to slow down their fall before they slammed into the [Shadow Water] ocean like a car in a concrete wall, when he felt the ship’s wheel in his hand suddenly start to rattle.
He had initially assumed it was a result of their downard plunge, but then he felt the wheel twitch in a weird way…which was then followed by a surge of aether and [Chaos] pulsating throughout the ship.
“What the-whoa!”
“What the fuck?!”
Before the eyes of everyone present in the ship, the mast of the galleon suddenly transformed in a rather peculiar manner. Namely, the sails had retracted into the mast, became empowered by the sudden surge of [Chaos] and aether, and transformed into a series of parachutes that drastically reduced the speed of the galleon’s descent.
…
[What the cartoon physics?,] Hurricroak commented to her fellow kaijin and Zhen Liu.
‘I…I don’t know to be honest.’
[Did…did you know that the ship could do that, milord?]
‘First time I’ve ever-wait…Logos, Pathos, why didn’t you mention that the ship could do…that?’
<=Like we said, milord. Our memories of our time with the Storm Queen is a little...spotty. Although, we do recall that the galleon used similar means to ascend as well.=>
‘FORESHADOWING!’
…
“How the hell…,” Zhen Hai trailed off while staring at the sails.
“I didn’t even know sails could work like that…,” Zhen Feng commented.
The general mood of everyone on the aformentioned ship could best be described with…not even words…just…”O.O”.
Of course, there were actually a lot of conversations happening at this moment, but on a wavelength that neither Zhen Hai or Zhen Feng could hear.
“Xiao Liu…how come every single aether treasure and tool you own seem to be able to do weird stuff,” Zhen Hai asked while still staring at the parachutes. “Are you cursed or blessed?”
“Honestly, it could be either or at this point,” Zhen Liu freely admitted to that latter question. “But in regards to all my stuff being weird, I don’t think it’s that bad.”
“I guess…so how long until we actually…land, I guess?,” Zhen Feng asked. “Can you land on water?”
“Semantics, and yes.”
“Uh…”
Zhen Liu and as all set to do some math on how long the galleon will take to land on to the surface of the water, via a calculation based on Valresta’s gravity being similar to Earth’s…until he heard a new voice in his head.
…
[Touchdown to [Abyssal Ocean] surface in two minutes. Please keep all personal belongings tied down and hands grasped firmly on any safety railings.]
‘What the-hey,are you guys practicing voice acting in my head again? Hurricroak, I’m looking at you.’
[Hey! I’m innocent.]
[This time,] Nepherage added. [What about the last few?]
[Fair enough.]
