As the crimson moon hung high in the sky, Klein walked to the side of Donna and Denton and crouched down.
Cleves's female companion, Cecil, heaved a sigh of relief. She picked up the rifle on the deck, half-bent her body, and quickly walked in another direction. She was still about ten meters away from the pepper-sprinkled pig and cow organs.
"Uncle, are we starting …" The mischievous freckled girl, Donna, suddenly felt a little nervous, but her face was full of curiosity and anticipation.
Klein raised his left index finger and placed it in front of his mouth, motioning for the two underage kids to keep quiet.
At times like this, he couldn't help but thank Rosell. It was precisely because of this transmigrator senior's efforts that some of his habitual gestures could become the body language of the Northern Continent, preventing misunderstandings.
I heard that in the early Fifth Epoch, the gesture "don't speak" meant insult in Rouen, and in some parts of the Southern Continent, it meant "kiss me" … Klein's thoughts were a little scattered for a moment.
Donna and Denton didn't dare to speak again. They crouched there quietly and focused on watching Cleves prepare for the battle.
The former adventurer picked up a boom and threw the thread with pig and cow organs hanging from it over the side of the ship.
With a splash, the bait entered the water.
Cleves unhurriedly spread out the remaining organs, took his weapon, and retreated step by step, hiding in the shadows opposite Cecil. The two of them formed an angle of about 60 degrees with the side of the ship that held the boom.
Leaning against the trident and other weapons, he raised his rifle and tested the feeling of aiming.
The deck fell completely silent, leaving only the roar of the steam engine and the sound of the waves crashing against the ship.
As time passed, Donna and Denton couldn't help but change from squatting to sitting. They leaned their backs against the wooden planks of the cabin to soothe the numbness in their legs.
At this moment, they saw the boom on the side of the ship sink.
The dull sound of friction quickly rose, getting closer and closer. Suddenly, a figure jumped onto the deck.
It was a monster bathed in the crimson moonlight. Its entire body was covered in dark green scales that flowed with green mucus.
It didn't bear much resemblance to a human. It was like a giant fish that had grown four strong limbs, and there were obvious webbing in the gaps between its hands and feet.
The murloc was more than 1.9 meters tall, with bulging eyes and gills on his cheeks. He looked like a legendary monster, and Donna covered her mouth to prevent herself from screaming instinctively.
At the same time, she covered her brother Denton's mouth.
Not bad … Klein chuckled inwardly as he carefully examined the murloc.
Unlike the Sailor Rampagers he had seen before, the real Murlocs did not have human-like brains. They were pure monsters.
That fishman looked around vigilantly, and then he squatted down, picking up the pig and cow innards scattered on the ground, quickly stuffing them into his mouth, releasing clear chewing sounds.
The light in its eyes, which were mainly white, gradually faded, as if it had fallen into a dream.
Low IQ … Klein shook his head and gave his judgment.
Bang!
Cleves pulled the trigger, and a bullet flew out of the rifle, instantly hitting the murloc's chest and abdomen, shattering its scales and splattering its flesh and blood.
"Wow!" The murloc let out a cry that sounded like a child's cry. With a push of his hands, he pounced toward Cleves, who was in the shadows, as fast as a steam train.
At this moment, Cecil opened fire from another position.
Bang!
The rifle bullet hit the murloc's ribs, causing many fragments to scatter and the tall figure to stagger.
After eating the pepper, the murloc visibly slowed down. It stopped there, not knowing which direction to take care of the enemy first.
And this gave Cleves and Cecil a chance to calmly load their weapons.
They took aim again and pulled the trigger, one after the other.
Bang! Bang!
Two flowers of blood bloomed one after another, and the pain caused the murloc's eyes to regain clarity.
It somersaulted and dodged the follow-up shots, approaching Cleves as if it hadn't been injured at all.
Cleves methodically put down the rifle in his hand and picked up the trident that was leaning to the side.
Instead of dodging, he leaped forward and rolled to the side of the murloc. The trident in his hand ruthlessly and accurately stabbed into the broken scales on the side of the prey's ribs.
The murloc suddenly turned around, bringing with it a strong gust of wind. It forcefully threw the trident along with Cleves, causing the former adventurer to fall to the deck with a thud.
The murloc shook its head, as if it felt an intense discomfort in its body. It didn't attack Cleves and Cecil again. Instead, it took large strides and ran to the side of the ship, attempting to jump into the sea.
Bang!
Cecil's bullet hit it again, creating a blood-colored flower, but it still didn't lose its ability to move.
With two steps, the murloc ran to a suitable place. Its knees bent, and it was about to jump up.
However, its body went limp, and it was unable to successfully exert its strength. The distance it jumped out was obviously not enough, and it could only fall to the inside of the ship.
Bang!
The murloc endured the damage from the rifle and wanted to climb over the side of the ship.
Seeing that it was about to escape, Klein took out his revolver.
At this moment, a loud bang came from another direction!
The murloc's left eye immediately turned into a blood-colored hole, allowing one to vaguely see the pale jelly wriggling inside.
It wasn't dead yet. It was lying in the cabin, trying its best to crawl and try to stand up again.
After a few seconds, the poison broke out, and it twitched and died completely.
Klein looked in the direction of the sound and saw a middle-aged man walk out from the shadows of the other side of the cabin.
The middle-aged man wore a thick dark red coat, white loose trousers, and the standard boat-shaped hat of this era.
In his hand was an iron-colored handgun that was behind the times. The thick, black muzzle was emitting white smoke.
Klein had heard the attendant introduce the man and knew that he was the captain of the White Agate, Erland Kag.
Erland, who had obvious wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, forehead, and mouth, walked towards Cleves and smiled.
"As a captain, I have to ensure that no accidents happen.
"Please forgive me for watching from the side."
Cleves had already stood up and didn't reveal any emotions.
"This is your ship.
"According to convention, you have the right to share the spoils of war."
Erland turned his head to glance at Klein and the others and said with a smile, "The next replenishment of water and food will be in two days.
"The next time you can replenish water and food is two days later. You still have to think of a way to preserve the Murloc's corpse.
"Why don't you sell it to me cheaper, and the difference will be the remuneration I deserve."
"That's the best way." Cleves and Cecil exchanged looks and agreed to Erland's request. "For 130 pounds, it's all yours."
The Beyonder ingredients on the murloc's body are worth between 150 to 200 pounds on the market. Considering the other parts that have spirituality, 130 pounds is indeed very cheap … However, that's all Cleves and the others can do. This is Erland's ship, and he has a large group of armed sailors and crew members helping him. If the negotiations really break down, he can sink everyone present into the sea in minutes … Of course, that's on the premise that I don't get involved … Yes, I can tell that Cleves and Cecil aren't Beyonders, at least not in the fields of combat or shooting. Instead, Erland is a little suspicious … Klein stood up and listened to the transaction.
"No, you seem to have misunderstood something. I'm not threatening you. 150 pounds. That's a fair price." Erland Kag called a sailor over and gave him the key to the safe.
"You're The Just Erland?" Cecil seemed to recall his nickname at sea.
Erland laughed.
"Yes."
At that moment, Donna and the Denton siblings, who had been stunned by the intense battle and the living monster, jumped up and ran over in excitement and fear, approaching the murloc's body.
"I-is it really dead?" Donna kicked the murloc's body with the tip of her foot, then, as if she was afraid that it would come back to life, she jumped away and hid behind her brother.
"It really is a monster!" Denton took a deep breath and widened his eyes.
"There are many monsters at sea. Actually, this shouldn't be called a murloc. Apart from having four limbs and being able to stand, it has nothing in common with humans. I prefer to call it a fish monster," Erland said with a gentle smile.
He then squatted down, took out a knife, and cut open the murloc's cheek below its eye, revealing the fair, tender flesh that was stained with a bit of red.
"The most delicious part of a murloc's body is suitable for eating raw." Erland carefully cut off a piece and handed it to Donna. "You remind me of my daughter. Unfortunately, she's already grown up and has her own family."
"I-I don't dare to eat it …" Donna said as she looked at the thin piece of meat poked by the tip of the dagger.
"Haha, who wants to give it a try?" Erland smiled as he looked around.
After confirming that his spiritual intuition didn't warn him, Klein nodded.
"I'm very curious."
Erland immediately handed the dagger to him.
"Try it. On land, even nobles might not have the chance to eat it.
"This isn't a murloc, but a fish monster. You can understand it as a mutated fish."
He was dispelling the siblings' fears.
Klein wanted to ask if there were any condiments like mustard or soy sauce, but seeing that the other party didn't mention it, he didn't ask, afraid that he would appear ignorant.
He took the dagger, bit the tender, blood-stained meat, and swallowed it.
It was a feeling that melted in his mouth. The fishy smell of the blood was very faint, with just the right amount of saltiness, perfectly setting off the freshness and sweetness of the meat.
Klein chewed twice and felt that the meat was tender and delicious, something he had never seen before.
"Excellent." He didn't hesitate to give a thumbs up.
Donna watched the entire process curiously, and she suddenly had a strong interest in the murloc's lower cheek.
This overwhelmed her fear and disgust, so she suggested giving it a try.
Erland satisfied her request and smiled as he watched her close her eyes and scrunch up his face as he bit into the meat.
Donna's expression gradually relaxed, and she quickly opened her eyes and praised excitedly.
"Indescribably delicious!"
With her leading the way, Denton, Cecil, and the others shared the small amount of flesh under the chin. They ate with satisfaction and dissatisfaction. They were satisfied with the taste, but dissatisfied with the amount.
Seeing that Erland had eaten the last piece, Cleves pointed at the murloc's body and said,
"The ribs are suitable for frying, the belly is roasted, and the other parts are very unpalatable."
"That's what I thought." Erland chuckled. "I'll get the chef to prepare it immediately. It's a very pleasant night to enjoy delicacies, taste fine wine, and exchange legends of the sea together."
I'm looking forward to it … But why did a good hunt turn into a food exchange … Klein gulped.
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