Chapter 86: Chapter 81: The Mermaid’s Wondrous Use

The nearby Naga, who were strung together and tied to a wooden stake, couldn’t help but look over with longing eyes.

"Invited" to the campfire and placed under the strict watch of the Skeleton Guards, Princess Hai Ge also smelled the fragrant aroma and subconsciously swallowed. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

They had been hunted for many days, hiding from place to place, and it had been a long time since they’d had a proper meal.

Lynch himself sat on Red Rabbit by the campfire, eating in a slow, deliberate manner.

Suddenly, his gaze lingered for a moment on Hai Ge Xiyin’s neck, where a deep blue Gemstone pendant hung.

"That’s a nice pendant," Lynch said with a casual air. "It’s a Magic Item, I assume?"

Hai Ge Xiyin stiffened slightly, then slowly reached up and removed the pendant from her neck.

"Y-you have a keen eye, sir." Her voice was exceptionally beautiful, and she forced a smile. "This is the ’Tide’s Tear,’ a Magical Treasure passed down through my family. It can absorb the power of the Water Element and activate a Water Curtain Shield when the wearer is in danger."

Holding the pendant in both hands, she respectfully offered it to Lynch.

Lynch took the pendant without hesitation. It was cool to the touch, and he could faintly sense the fluctuations of the Water Element contained within.

"A fine item." Lynch nodded, and with a flip of his hand, the pendant vanished.

An item that could save his life in a critical moment was exactly what he needed.

Hai Ge’s heart ached, but she dared not let it show.

"Sir..." she pleaded, mustering her courage. "Serena, the others, and I haven’t eaten much for days... Could you possibly..."

Lynch’s gaze then fell upon a silver ring on her slender finger.

The ring was of a simple design, inlaid with a tiny, sea-blue Gemstone fragment.

"Your ring is nice, too," Lynch remarked, his tone flat but his manner still as affable as if they were just chatting. "It’s a Space Ring, isn’t it? How large is its capacity?"

Hai Ge’s face turned a shade paler.

She took a deep breath, clenched her jaw, and slowly slid the silver ring from her finger.

She understood she was in a position where she had no choice but to yield.

’Compared to her treasures, staying alive was the most important thing right now.’

"This is a medium-sized Space Ring," she said softly. "Its internal space is about five standard units."

The ring was equally precious to her, as it contained some of her personal belongings.

Lynch took the ring and probed it with his Spiritual Power. It was indeed a standard medium-sized dimensional space, about five cubic meters. Inside were some women’s items, a few changes of clothes, some trinkets like seashells and pearls, and several crystal vials that seemed to contain potions.

’Is she this poor?’

’Doesn’t Princess Hai Ge pack enough gold and valuables when she travels?’

Lynch then "thoughtfully" returned her personal belongings. Afterward, with a flip of his hand, the ring vanished as well.

’Perfect.’

’He’d been finding his own ring a little too small anyway.’

Staring at the pile of her personal belongings before her, Hai Ge didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, Lynch asked with great interest, "By the way, I’ve heard that when you mermaids cry, your tears turn into pearls. Is that true?"

Hai Ge Xiyin’s face froze, her expression becoming a complex picture.

"S-Sir..." The corner of her mouth twitched as she struggled to maintain a polite smile. "Th-that’s a rumor. The tears of the Sea Race do contain a special Water Element, but to turn them directly into pearls... erm, that requires very special circumstances and a complex refinement process..."

Fearing Lynch’s next words would be, "Then why don’t you cry and show me," she quickly changed the subject. "However, we mermaids possess unique singing voices. Our songs can soothe the soul, guide the elements, and even aid in breakthroughs. If you wouldn’t mind, sir, I... I could sing a ’Blessing of the Sea’ for you. It might be of some assistance."

"Your Highness, no!" From nearby, Serena’s face fell as she cried out from the stake she was tied to. "You’re too weak right now! Forcing yourself to sing the ’Blessing of the Sea’ will consume a massive amount of your vital energy and Spiritual Power! It could even damage your very core!"

"It’s alright, Serena." Hai Ge looked back, offering Serena a reassuring smile. "Besides, with this, er... sir protecting us, we no longer have to be constantly on the run. We can finally rest properly."

She turned back to Lynch, her gaze clear and earnest as she said, "Sir, I had a faint sense just now that your Spiritual Power seems to be at some kind of bottleneck. My ’Blessing of the Sea’ might be able to help you with that."

Lynch was inwardly surprised to hear this.

’This mermaid can actually help with breakthroughs? The legends never mentioned that.’

’Still, this was a pleasant surprise.’

’He was just looking for an opportunity to break through, too.’

"Fine." Lynch nodded, his tone as flat as ever. "If your song is truly useful, then for the time being, as long as you all cooperate, I can guarantee you’ll be well-fed. I won’t make things difficult for you."

Of course, he didn’t trust her completely.

As he spoke, with a mere thought, his Soul Fire units—Black Corpse, Bone Jade, Bone Shadow, and the others—began to move. CLATTER CLATTER. They formed layers of protection, enclosing him in the center.

On the outer perimeter, rings of Skeleton Servants also moved silently, completely sealing off the small area where Lynch and Hai Ge stood, their swords drawn.

The meaning was clear: she could sing, but she’d better not try anything funny. One wrong move, and she would be instantly chopped into mincemeat.

Seeing this heavily guarded formation, Hai Ge felt no panic. Instead, she breathed a sigh of relief.

’The more cautious he is, the more seriously he’s taking this "attempt," which means my proposal carries weight.’

She took a light breath and closed her eyes, as if composing herself or recalling an ancient melody.

After a moment’s pause, her lips gently parted.

There were no lyrics, only a pure, ethereal chant.

The sound began as a whisper, like the sigh of a distant tide or the murmur of a Deep Sea current, remote and serene.

Gradually, her voice grew more ethereal and melodious, like moonlight dappling a calm sea in shimmering waves, or a gentle current sweeping through a coral forest, stirring a deep resonance.

Lynch felt his mind become clear and serene. His Spiritual Power seemed to grow lighter, as if faintly resonating with the sound.

He was secretly delighted. ’It’s working!’

Today was the day he would break through and become a true Tier One Necromancer.

...