[Vol. 7] Chapter 9: The Great Whirlpool and the Ghost Sea
Even though Violet’s excuse was full of holes and got exposed immediately, the Mingjiao leader didn’t press too hard.
Maybe it was because merfolk naturally disliked conflict, or perhaps because the sheer size and presence of the [Noah’s Ark] was too overwhelming. Either way, when Violet stubbornly insisted that they were just a traveling merchant crew, the leader chose not to make things difficult for her.
Seeing that she didn’t seem hostile, he briefly explained the situation in this region.
The archipelago where the merfolk lived was called the [Eastern Sea Pearl]. It was made up of six outer islands, which surrounded a single central island, forming the largest civilized settlement within thousands of kilometers. It was essentially the capital of an oceanic kingdom.
The vast ocean territory under merfolk rule was known as the [Emerald Sea].
What made the Emerald Sea so isolated from the outside world was a massive, mysterious barrier. A vast region called the [Ghost Sea], which completely encircled the merfolk’s domain.
The only natural opening in this barrier was blocked by something even more terrifying. A supermassive deep-sea vortex known as the [Great Whirlpool].
This maelstrom was over 100 kilometers in radius and had an immense gravitational pull, capable of swallowing any ship, marine creature, or even birds flying overhead.
Although neither the [Ghost Sea] nor the [Great Whirlpool] had much impact on the daily lives of those inside the Emerald Sea, they effectively cut off the region from the outside world.
As a result, outsiders could only enter or leave during the two-month period when the [Great Whirlpool] temporarily calmed down.
That was why the Mingjiao leader was so confused when he saw Violet’s massive ship and her white wings.
Right now was the most active period of the [Great Whirlpool], so how could a winged person from the far south possibly sail into these waters?
"The [Great Whirlpool]… the [Ghost Sea]… sounds pretty interesting. So nothing can pass through the [Ghost Sea]? What exactly is inside it?"
She asked this as they walked toward the main settlement, located on Palut Island, one of the six outer islands of the [Eastern Sea Pearl], to meet the true leader of the island. Violet felt curious about the situation described by the Mingjiao warrior.
Leading the way was the Mingjiao warrior with four tear-mark patterns, introduced himself as Alex Mingjiao and nodded.
"No one really knows what's inside the [Ghost Sea]." Alex's voice was calm but firm.
"Anyone who crosses the mist and enters that place... never returns. But if you ask whether it's absolutely impossible to come back…" He paused for a moment. "Well, maybe not entirely."
He glanced at Violet before continuing,
"There is a notorious pirate in the Emerald Sea named [Rashid Bachiri]. His ship, the [Sea Sovereign], is the largest ship in these waters, and he's known as the Pirate King."
"Rumor has it that he was once seen entering the [Ghost Sea], only to reappear later. But he's a pirate, always on the move, and some even say he can sail his ship into the deep sea. No one knows how much of the legend is true."
"Whoa, there's a Pirate King in this world too! It feels like I'm in some kind of novel right now. That Pirate King was also sailing into the deep sea, huh? Sounds like he’s got some real skill.” Violet murmured, noting the name Rashid Bachiri in her mind.
Then, shifting the topic back, she asked, "What if we just wait for the [Great Whirlpool] to calm down? How long would that take?"
Alex thought for a moment before replying, "Well… as far as I know, it just entered its active phase recently. You’d probably have to wait at least seven or eight months."
Hearing that ridiculously long wait time, Violet couldn't help but frown.
"Is there really no other way? With a ship this big, we still can’t cross the [Ghost Sea]? If the only problem is some powerful sea monsters lurking inside, we can handle ourselves. Don't let the 'traveling merchant' thing fool you. We're actually pretty good at defending ourselves…"
Alex stared deeply at the black-haired girl. The four teardrop-shaped markings near his eyes looked eerily solemn. Almost as if they were mourning something lost.
"Outsider, many seasoned captains and even powerful warriors once thought the same way."
"They believed they could handle whatever lurked in the [Ghost Sea]… just like you do now."
"But in the end, without exception, every single one of them perished in that cursed mist."
"The legend of the Pirate King is just a legend. I don’t know where exactly you came from or why you ended up in the Emerald Sea at this time of year, but let me give you some advice. Don’t try to force your way into the [Ghost Sea] on a whim. Just wait until the [Great Whirlpool] calms down and leave then. That’s the only responsible choice for your crew."
"According to the warnings passed down by our ancestors, the dangers of the [Ghost Sea] can’t be measured by strength alone. That place is the sealed deep of the sea, locked away by the Goddess [Vier] herself. A strange, indescribable graveyard in the deep. Anyone who steps inside will become nothing more than a wandering spirit of the ocean."
"That bad, huh…? Fine, fine."
Seeing how secretive Alex was about it, Violet decided not to press further. She simply nodded slightly and silently followed behind him and the escorting merfolk warriors, heading deeper into Palut Island along a forested path.
To avoid unnecessary conflict and to ensure the merfolk felt safe, Violet had left the [Noah’s Ark] anchored at a distance. Even her companions, including Ming Lan, stayed on the ship, whether they were fighters or not, under the watchful eyes of the merfolk warriors. She alone took on the role of an envoy.
Violet never let her own strength make her arrogant. While her original plan was just to trade for a sea chart and leave, the situation at the island’s outskirts and Alex’s ominous descriptions of the [Ghost Sea] and the [Great Whirlpool], made it clear that gathering more information first would be a wise move, no matter what her next steps would be.
After traveling for over an hour, they finally arrived at their destination.
The merfolk’s home was built deep within the island, surrounding a large freshwater lake at the center of Palut Island.
Unlike land-dwelling races, at least half of their houses were built underwater. Their structures weren’t made from ordinary wood or stone but rather special corals and materials from the sea. Some even hauled massive clamshells from the ocean and repurposed them as houses.
The buildings scattered around the lakeshore still somewhat resembled human-style structures. But those hidden beneath the water? They were completely bizarre, coming in all sorts of strange and unusual shapes.
After leading Violet to the lakeshore, Alex gave her a few words of caution before diving into the water, leaving behind a few merfolk warriors to both guard and keep an eye on her.
Standing by the shore, Violet could clearly see a magnificent structure rising from the center of the lake. It was several stories tall, resembling a massive coral reef, both stunning and otherworldly. That was likely the residence of the leader Alex had mentioned. One of the six outer islands’ rulers.
Since Alex had left for the moment, Violet found herself with some free time. Instead of trying to strike up conversation with the merfolk warriors around her, who were still visibly wary of her, she chose to simply observe her surroundings.
She took in the unique architectural style of the merfolk dwellings, occasionally glancing at the ordinary merfolk moving about in the distance. Some of them sent curious looks her way.
Maybe there was something interesting to be found here.
"Oh?"
There really was.
"Hey, sister, mind if I ask you something?"
Casually retracting her gaze, Violet nudged the merfolk warrior standing closest to her with her elbow. The young woman was armed, but her face and demeanor still held a certain youthful innocence, she probably wasn’t too difficult to fool… ahem, to approach.
"…Huh?"
As expected, the young merfolk girl blinked in confusion for a moment before finally realizing Violet was talking to her. She hurriedly straightened up and gave an overly formal bow, responding in clumsy [Veir Language].
"H-Hello! Do… do you need something?"
Noticing this, the other merfolk warriors shot them a few scrutinizing glances but didn’t immediately stop their conversation.
Violet took the opportunity to keep the conversation flowing, pointing toward a multi-story building standing on the shore not far away.
"I just wanted to ask, what’s that building used for?"