Chapter 828: Fate is Fickle

Although Alfonso wasn’t responsible for caring for Red Sea Trees, bringing Saul into the Red Sea was still no problem.

The timing of entering the Red Sea was quite good. When Saul and Alfonso descended, the schools of mermaids weren’t lying lazily on the seabed, but were gathered around the Red Sea Tree roots, gnawing at something with their sharp teeth.

Looking carefully, one could see brown root stems hanging on the tree roots like tree tumors.

These mermaids had very strange expressions, extremely enjoyable, as if they were enjoying a feast.

When Saul and the others passed by, not a single mermaid was distracted enough to notice them.

Saul released Kate and said to him in a low voice, “We’ll search separately. If you discover any existence with a similar scent, call for me.”

Kate nodded. He wasn’t as sensitive to Azure Scale Clan bloodline as Saul. If Floco weren’t inconveniently unable to possess a body right now, having him come along to search together would actually be fastest.

Currently, Saul and Kate could only follow the clues Floco had left behind, trying to find other mermaids possessing Azure Scale Clan bloodline.

Alfonso didn’t search. He stopped in the area with the densest tree roots, watching every move Saul and Kate made.

Red Sea Trees were extremely important strategic resources, concerning the future of the entire Nephret Continent. Naturally, he wouldn’t let Saul remain alone under the sea surface.

Of course, he wasn’t too worried either.

The special nature of the Red Sea and Red Sea Trees meant the entire Tribunal kept their attention focused here.

If situations beyond their control arose, even Tribunal Chief Frim would rush over immediately.

Alfonso watching Saul to prevent him from causing trouble was actually also protecting Saul.

Saul knew Alfonso was watching him. Although nominally searching for atavistic mermaids, he was actually still hunting for his target.

Thousands upon thousands of mermaids were gathered under the Red Sea Trees. After Saul swept around for a few days, he sank to the seabed to see if there were any fish that slipped through the net.

Kate searched for targets by scent near the tree roots.

Saul swam deeper and deeper, already approaching some distant canyons and caves.

Alfonso’s eyes were fixed tightly on Saul. Without realizing it, his hands were already clenched together.

Saul didn’t know that Alfonso above was inexplicably becoming nervous. He was just searching in some places where fish rarely went.

What he was looking for were mermaids possessing Floco’s bloodline. Such mermaids would very likely be like the mermaid Kate possessed, constantly trying to escape the Red Sea. Perhaps they would appear in hidden areas at the Red Sea’s edges.

Even if they couldn’t escape due to the entire Red Sea Tree area being strictly controlled by the Tribunal, they would very likely try their best to escape the influence of Red Sea Tree root stems.

Suddenly, while passing through an area covered with layers of root stems, Saul faintly sensed a somewhat peculiar mental power.

But that mental power flashed by in an instant, as if the anomaly Saul had just sensed was only his illusion.

But Saul understood he definitely hadn’t made a mistake.

He stood on the patch of tree roots where the mental power fluctuation had just appeared and gently stomped the ground with his feet.

Mental power probing confirmed there was indeed a crevice below—very narrow, but enough for a thin person to pass through.

Just as Saul wanted to lift the tree roots to take a look, Alfonso descended from above.

“Any discoveries?”

“There might be mermaids down here too.”

Alfonso stepped forward proactively, directly lifting large patches of tree roots, stirring up sand from the seabed.

The commotion was rather large.

Saul raised an eyebrow slightly but didn’t stop him.

“There are mermaids below.” Alfonso looked down and said to Saul, “Do you want to go down and catch that mermaid?”

Saul smiled. “I’ll go take a look and come back.”

This time Alfonso made no other moves, just waiting above.

Saul went down for a swim and saw a mermaid lying on a rock.

This mermaid had several cyan scales on its tail—clearly related to atavistic mermaids.

But when Saul scanned the other party’s soul body, he discovered the other party’s mental power fluctuations were somewhat different from the hidden mental power he’d just discovered.

The mermaid from just now should have already run away.

Saul didn’t search deeper. Even if he went down, he’d probably only find one or two ordinary mermaids at most.

That extremely hidden mental power from just now had definitely disappeared.

Having failed to track the target from just now, he’d basically lost the trail.

Saul grabbed the mermaid he’d discovered and emerged from the ground crevice.

The mermaid didn’t resist either, looking as silly and foolish as other mermaids, without active consciousness.

“One was hiding here.” Saul showed the mermaid he’d pulled out to Alfonso.

“There are too many mermaids here. This one was probably squeezed down and didn’t know how to get back out.”

The mermaid Saul brought out was very thin, even thinner than other mermaids by a full size.

If Saul hadn’t already distinguished that the mermaid before him wasn’t the one he’d just discovered, he might have agreed with Alfonso’s view—that it was a mermaid that had been squeezed down, couldn’t find a way out, and was starved thin.

Alfonso’s gaze moved down, seeing this abnormally thin mermaid had a palm-sized patch of cyan scales on its tail.

“Congratulations, you actually found your target among so many mermaids.”

Could Saul say his real target actually wasn’t atavistic mermaids?

No, so he brought back this mermaid that had become a scapegoat.

When leaving the Red Sea, Saul also brought back some Red Sea Tree roots and stem blocks. After all, how could one research mermaids without Red Sea Tree cooperation?

It was just a pity that to take away a complete Red Sea Tree, one had to apply to the Tribunal’s specialized Red Sea Tree maintenance group, then temporarily withdraw part of the seal maintenance on Red Sea Trees before conducting harmless transplantation.

And the maintenance group’s leader was naturally the third-rank wizard Royer, who cherished Red Sea Trees immensely.

But Royer wasn’t there.

Saul could only settle for second best, choosing a section of branch with relatively vigorous vitality, planning to try putting it in water when he returned.

Sitting on the return boat, mermaid Kate hugged the newly captured atavistic mermaid while shrinking in a corner.

Although the two mermaids didn’t have the same bloodline, they at least belonged to the same species. With Kate’s comfort, the new captive could be somewhat calmer.

Giving Kate a look, Saul turned back to ask Alfonso, who was steering the boat.

“Does this mermaid have a name?”

Alfonso focused on steering, not glancing at the new mermaid even once. “You discovered him first.”

Saul turned back. The newly caught mermaid was male. Following Alfonso’s usual naming convention, “Let’s call him Quartz for now.”

The mermaid with his new name moved, then was firmly hugged by Kate again.

The return journey remained dim, just like the difficulties Saul was currently facing.

“If you can’t find or solve the cause of mermaid illness, you might have to accept Royer’s plan about creating new royalty and modifying mermaids.”

But Alfonso said, “I don’t hold much hope for Royer’s plan either. New royalty? If bloodline fusion were so simple, the Tribunal wouldn’t have let the current Evernight royal family exist for so long.”

In the dark flowing water, a sigh rang out.

“Bloodline fusion isn’t something calculations and formulas can handle. Sometimes, it’s as fickle as fate. And fate cannot be manufactured.”

(End of Chapter)

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