Chapter 186 - 175: Picked Up a Shark, Does Anyone Have Any Clues? (1/3)

Chapter 186: Chapter 175: Picked Up a Shark, Does Anyone Have Any Clues? (1/3)

"Is it the Origin Quality of the Sand Armor Apprentice that makes you feel close?"

As he spoke, Ian raised his hand, and a golden radiance of Origin Quality converged in his palm.

Seeing this, the Ironclad Shark increased its swimming speed slightly, the light flickering in its shark eyes growing more vivid.

Magical Beasts possess intelligence far greater than their kind, or rather, Origin Quality itself allows them not to focus all their energy on survival but to contemplate more efficient hunting methods. This, in turn, stimulates active thinking, and with the help of Origin Quality, they can reshape their brain regions and thinking patterns, laying the foundation for evolving into higher-intelligence Wise Magical Beasts in the future.

Clearly, this Ironclad Shark could understand what Ian was saying, or at least, it could comprehend the meaning represented by Ian’s emotions.

"It seems you were a helper when the teacher first explored the ocean realms. I was wondering how the teacher, who couldn’t fly, managed... Alright, but I can’t give you this shell; it’s my research material."

Using the Fairy Wings, Ian followed the Ironclad Shark, touching its skin which had a gritty texture, and pondered, "You like eating metals, right? Indeed, with such a metallic skin, it’s no wonder you enjoy feasting on Reef-eater Otters."

"As it happens, I remember there’s a school of Ironbone Swordfish nearby, with three leaders at the Demon Beast Level... I’ll take you to catch them!"

The Ironclad Shark didn’t come for the shell or Magical Beasts; it was simply drawn by the familiar scent of Origin Quality and came to see what was going on.

——However, the shark had no objections to the new boss leading it to delicious food!

The speed of the Ironclad Shark in water was very fast, even a bit slower than Ian using the Fairy Wings.

But the Ironclad Shark was a massive creature over four meters long... Although that doesn’t sound large for a Magical Beast, don’t forget that the Ironclad Shark is a standard Metal-Based Lifeform, its body far heavier than that of typical marine life, completely relying on the hydrogen and oxygen gas bladders inside to control its buoyancy and descent.

Its sprint, compared to Ian’s sprint, was not the same concept; it was capable of crushing reefs and sinking large ships—a disaster!

In the past ocean battle between Far Shore Island and the Seven Cities Alliance, there’s been records of the Far Shore navy using trained Ironclad Sharks to ram enemy fleets. Although this strategy only sounded good, with most released Ironclad Sharks returning to the sea, a deed of merit, even the small portion that struck randomly still posed a great threat to the Alliance’s navy.

In the sea, a figure turned into a dark lightning bolt, covering a distance of fifty to sixty meters in the span of a single breath.

And a huge shark followed closely behind.

Although it appeared to be a chase,—the shark pursuing the human—it was, in fact, the human leading the giant shark to their destination.

The Ironbone Swordfish in the surrounding waters really got the short end of the stick.

Since there were additional targets, Ian simply stopped worrying about the consumption of Origin Quality and tried his best to adapt to the high-speed movement and underwater action patterns afforded by the Fairy Wings.

Previously, when battling the Giant Clam and the Ironclad Shark, the reason he extended only one hand and stood his ground was not because he underestimated them, but because he needed to maintain a stable posture in order to "exert strength."

So, what kind of training can help one become quickly adapted to action in water?

Naturally, it’s catching fish.

Ironbone Swordfish are flat-bodied, resembling swords, and live in groups. Their bodies are hard, and when suspended in shallow waters with their heads upwards and motionless, they resemble gleaming silver blades. When hunting, their movement is sinuous and swift, like the flash of a drawn sword.

Those at the Demon Beast Level, the Ironbone Swordfish longer than a meter, have bodies exceedingly sharp, with dorsal and pectoral fins like blades. Alchemists and Blacksmiths need only do some minor processing to turn them into fine flexible swords with better adaptability to Origin Quality than most metal swords. Hence, some coastal Knights also attempt to catch Ironbone Swordfish for their weapons.

But Ian didn’t need these—his fingernails were harder.

Now deep into the night, the schools of Ironbone Swordfish had already retreated into the deep sea to rest. Ian quickly locked onto the location of the school in the distance with a Silver Core Chip and, getting closer, used Foresight View to identify the location of the Fish King at the Demon Beast Level.

The Fish Kings of the Ironbone Swordfish are even larger than the average Demon Beast Level swordfish; if we must differentiate, it’s like comparing a greatsword to an ordinary longsword. Their bodies are also more resilient, containing more metallic qualities.

It’s also one of the Ironclad Shark’s favorite foods.

Next up was the ambush.

If it were the original Ian, with his swimming speed, let alone catching the Fish King, even ordinary fish could flee from his sight—The Unyielding Fortress wasn’t a joke, it truly lived up to its name.

"If you say not to move, you don’t move!"

But now, with the double inheritance complementing each other, Ian’s combat power could truly be said to have "wings added to a tiger", and even one plus one was greater than two!

Before the Ironbone Swordfish school had time to react, a figure like lightning had already charged into the midst of the fish.

Ian’s initial movements were straightforward, allowing him to catch only the more sluggish targets, while the more responsive swordfish would dodge away from him.

However, quickly, as the Ironclad Shark also charged into the school and began to ravage the swarming food, his twists and turns became more agile, and in just a few seconds, he continually optimized his pursuit until he could at least keep up with the evasive paths of the Ironbone Swordfish.

Ian had always been good at learning, and with the Silver Chip plotting his movements and a whole Ironclad Shark at his side demonstrating, it would be hard for him not to learn quickly.

With the Ironclad Shark’s swimming technique full of intent and a body more supple and petite, the all-out burst of the Fairy Wings and Origin Quality allowed Ian to explode with speed much faster than the Ironclad Shark in a short time, and a body even sturdier than the Ironclad Shark’s let him charge and slam around at will, dominantly leaving even the Ironbone Swordfish feeling bewildered.

—What the hell, even the Ironclad Shark doesn’t dare to slam into my blades, let alone scatter me into pieces!

That was the situation. At first, the Ironclad Shark followed Ian contentedly hunting the Ironbone Swordfish, but later the creature was dumbfounded as it stared at Ian ramming the fish school into shreds before his very eyes and then capturing the Fish King by hand to present it before the shark.

And he was doing so single-handedly, with the other hand still carrying that huge Giant Clam!

Such treatment, such humiliation, such feeding, truly left the shark so shocked that it forgot how to swim and once again sank towards the seabed with a series of gloomy gulps.

—Who is the real Ironclad Shark here!

"Thank you. Although you didn’t mean to, without you, I would have never learned the swimming techniques of the sea,"

Ian said as he swam alongside the Ironclad Shark, extending his hand to pat the head of the somewhat dazed shark which was still crunching the food in its mouth.

He didn’t mind that the shark had gobbled up an Ironbone Swordfish worth hundreds of Talle. He felt genuinely happy for learning new knowledge: "Let’s part here then, until we meet again if fate allows!"

"!"

The Ironclad Shark, too, solemnly swished its tail, submitting to this new leader who had led it to hunt.

Of course, it submitted—how could it not? Who knew if it would be the one to get eaten next...

This new boss seemed much more ferocious than the old one!

However, just as Ian watched the Ironclad Shark turn to leave with a smile, he suddenly realized that the creature, which had a light green mist swirling around it but now turned to a greenish hue, suddenly lit up with a dark red fog-like glow all over his body!

"What’s happening?"

Narrowing his eyes, floating in the sea, Ian frowned slightly: "Will you encounter danger as soon as you leave me?"

"In these waters, besides the Totem Spirits, is there anything else that could threaten an Ironclad Shark at the First Power Level Peak?"