Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill

Chapter 125 Looking for the next ingredient

William was back in the present, aboard the ship heading towards the island where they would supposedly find one of the ingredients for the king's antidote: the fire blossom flower.

Of course, the journey was still quite long - about 12 to 13 days. It could take longer depending on the conditions they encountered. There was also the chance of encountering a powerful magical beast and everyone perishing on this journey.

The likelihood of encountering a creature strong enough to take on all the sailors, the captain, and Seraphina was quite low, but it still existed.

'Before I go out, I should change my clothes again...' William thought as he glanced at his attire.

He needed to maintain a low profile, so he had to wear the same clothes he was wearing before, or people would notice.

He changed, left his quarters, and made his way to the upper deck of the ship. There, he encountered the fog that Captain Hemlock had mentioned earlier.

It was a never-ending fog, a defining characteristic of this part of the ocean. Not only was it difficult to navigate, but it was also a place teeming with powerful magical beasts.

"How are things going?" William inquired.

"So far, so good," Hemlock replied, "but we've just entered the fog bank, and I know things could get dicey at any moment."

William looked around and saw that all the crew members were focused and prepared for battle. No one was slacking off or enjoying the oceanic scenery.

'I need to focus too,' William thought.

He had gained a few levels during his time in the past, which gave him a bit more confidence when facing any powerful magical beasts that might appear.

Seraphina, who was also on the upper deck, approached William for a brief conversation.

"You seem different from how you were earlier today," she observed. "Your aura feels stronger."

It was obvious. William was indeed stronger.

"Well, what can I say? I'm someone who thrives in adversity," he replied with a slight smirk.

Seraphina nodded in agreement. "We are certainly going through a lot on this mission... But once we obtain this fire blossom flower, we can finally return."

"Yes. That's good, isn't it?"

"Yes, very."

Their conversation was brief. Seraphina's water magic was crucial. She could detect creatures in the water from a long distance, which was vital in their current foggy predicament.

The first day in the fog-laden region passed without incident. It was eerily calm - too calm - and William spent most of his time resting and eating.

But on the second day, William was jolted awake in the early morning hours by screams coming from the upper deck. He leaped out of bed, flung open his door, and rushed towards the commotion.

He didn't even bother closing his door. The situation seemed dire, and William didn't want to waste a single second. His focus was on reaching the upper deck as quickly as possible.

Bursting onto the deck, William was met with a shocking sight: Seraphina, covered in blood, was locked in a fierce battle with a magical beast that had boarded the ship!

The creature was a bizarre species of shark that walked on two legs, wielded weapons, and could even speak.

William was stunned. This was clearly a member of a more intelligent civilization, one that was perhaps unknown to humans.

The captain fought alongside Seraphina. Despite her injuries, William could tell they were gaining the upper hand.

The shark was in far worse shape. The fin on its back had been ripped off, and a deep gash marred its chest.

"Even if you defeat me, you won't win against my allies," the shark rasped, its voice filled with malice. "This area belongs to us, and we don't want humans trespassing here."

"But this is the only way to reach our destination," Hemlock insisted, trying to reason with the creature. "Are you certain we can't find a peaceful resolution?"

"No!" the shark spat. "There will be no truce."

An idea sparked in William's mind. He stepped closer to the shark, a risky move, and held out the ring he had received from the Triton King.

"Hello, friend," he said, his voice calm and steady. "Do you recognize this ring?"

It was a gamble. The mermaid and merman kingdoms could be either allies or enemies with these sharks.

There was a chance William could make things worse by showing the ring.

"I recognize that symbol!" the shark exclaimed, its eyes widening in surprise. "Are you a friend of theirs?"

"Yes," William confirmed, holding the Triton King's ring out for the shark to see more clearly.

The shark fell silent for a few tense seconds, leaving William to wonder if he had just made a terrible mistake.

Finally, the shark spoke, "I will inform the others that you are friends. And I will see if I can help you navigate this region as quickly as possible. It is very dangerous here."

With that, the shark leaped back into the water and vanished from sight.

Hemlock and Seraphina were bewildered.

"What ring was that you showed him?" Seraphina asked, her curiosity piqued.

"I'd rather keep that a secret," William replied, a hint of mystery in his voice.

More and more secrets from William. Seraphina was starting to feel uneasy. She could tolerate him keeping some things private, as that was natural, but it seemed like William was nothing but secrets. Enjoy more content from My Virtual Library Empire

Despite her growing apprehension, she didn't press the matter and instead retreated to her quarters. "I need to recover," she said simply before departing.

Hemlock, who had arrived later to the fight, was relatively unscathed.

"Thanks for helping us, William," he said gratefully.

"You're welcome, Captain," William replied.

William returned to his quarters and went back to sleep.

The next morning, he was greeted by an unexpected sight. Inside the ship, he saw the same shark he had fought with the previous night, accompanied by another.

Both were clad in armor and carried weapons, standing near the captain.

The shark seemed surprised to see William. "So there you are," he said. "I told you we would come to help you navigate this region."

"Thanks so much for the help. How long do you think it will take us to get out of here?" William asked.

"I believe about three more days. But you're in luck; the powerful magical beasts are hibernating this time of year. That's one of the reasons we're so active," the shark explained.

Through their conversation, William learned that they were indeed a civilization similar to the mermaids and mermen he had met.

However, their numbers were fewer, and they generally avoided contact with humans. They had never formed any alliances with humans.

But they did have an alliance with the merfolk, so when they saw the ring William carried, they knew he was a close friend of the mermaid kingdom.

Because of this, it was only natural for them to offer assistance. Helping William and the others wouldn't cost them much and could potentially earn them favor with the merfolk, which might lead to benefits in the future.

As the days passed, William noticed Seraphina growing more distant.

'She must be upset or angry about my secrets,' he thought.

It seemed the most likely explanation, but William couldn't help it. He truly had to keep many things confidential, and she would have to understand, sooner or later.

With the sharks' guidance, William and his crew navigated the treacherous fog with surprising ease and speed.

They encountered a few creatures along the way, but nothing too dangerous. It was all quite manageable.

Hemlock was relieved when they finally emerged from the fog bank, knowing they had overcome one of the most perilous parts of the journey.

"In the end, that Kraken you mentioned never showed up, Hemlock," William remarked, clapping the captain on the back.

"Yeah, you're right," Hemlock chuckled. "Maybe it's just a legend after all. I mean, I've never seen the Kraken or met anyone who has."

One of the sharks overheard their conversation and interjected, "The Kraken is real. Remember I told you the powerful creatures are hibernating? Well, that includes the Kraken."

Hemlock's laughter died in his throat, replaced by a nervous gulp. So, the chance of encountering the Kraken was real after all...

The sharks bid them farewell as they left the fog, making sure to invite William to visit their kingdom when he had the chance.

"I certainly will," William replied. "But how do I contact you?"

"When you arrive in this region, we will know you are here," the shark assured him.

"Understood."

After their departure, William and the others were in the final leg of their journey.

Now, only a few days remained before they would reach the volcanic island where the fire blossom flower was said to bloom.

William was eager to find the last ingredient—which was located on the high seas—and finally be done with this quest.

He was growing weary of islands and sea voyages, both in the present and the past.