Master Of None

Chapter 1662: 1662. Feeding On Algae

The algae that Walker and the others brought down to Remeyʼs lab proved not to be the last. They managed to be on the top deck when the sun was rising. It appeared that there had been a lot more lunar algae than they expected.

The sun had illuminated the waves which carried chunks of already dying lunar algae. It had been killed the moment that the sun rose and it had been overloaded with too much mana. The reason that the algae grew was the moonlight. It was gentle and not as harsh as the sun. note it was getting too much light all at once and unable to grow to compensate.

The glowing pieces of alga were turning brown and sticking together. They were more or less chunks of useless seaweed. The ships didnʼt need to worry about them while they moved. They could cut through them as long as they werenʼt too large of chunks. This was why those on lookout were guiding the steering of the fleet around the larger floating sections of lunar algae.

Naturally, Walker paid attention to the smaller chunks nearby. He saw that sem fish had already started swimming up to bite chunks off. What was surprising was the fact that there were even small rock crabs and other small monsters on it that were eating too. They were too young to hunt yet so this made sense, the algae was ideal food for them.

”Plenty of things to catch but I wouldnʼt do it.” Leon had been making rounds and found that Walker was looking over the edge watching the little chunks of lunar algae.

”Let me guess, the defeated things we choose for your meals will end up attracting predators?” Leon nodded because Walker was exactly right. He had already learned that the best way to avoid trouble was to avoid being a predator in general. The action of hunting attracted much worse than most other places here in the ocean.

”How did your warriors recover? Were they able to relax after last night?” Since it seemed that the merfolk had been busy helping where they could so they have clearly been worn thin.

”Some had to be ordered to rest but for the most part they got it through their heads. Some of them started to complain and wish they were mages. They liked that you and a royal dragon worked together to defeat a weird plant. Not that they hadnʼt seen lunar algae before. But they had not been afraid of it like that.”

The perspective of the merfolk had always been that the lunar algae was weak and not with looking at. But that was the life of those that didnʼt go to the surface to hunt when it grew, nor those that lived on the surface while it grew. They had never had to worry about it trapping them or anything.

”So they faced the danger for the first time last night. Iʼm glad we got everyone out of the water. If they had been stuck underneath they wouldnʼt have been able to get up at all.” Walker breathed a sigh of relief. It was a truly good thing that they had made an appropriate call at the right time.

Too many dangers existed and it was clear that the ships would need better building in the future to counter everything.

”Are you thinking that the ships might be too weak?” Leon seemed to be able to read Walkerʼs mind today. It was exactly the thought on his mind at the moment.

”More or less. If the ships are having this much trouble… I just wonder what we will be able to do when we have more time to develop them. When we have the time to make better ships that can change the ocean from a dangerous and terrifying place in to one with potential. Just imagine, what if we have farms of ocean plants floating on the ocean?”

This was not what many people would think about. But as Leon processed it, he understood that it was just another thing that set Walker and the party aside from others. They thought of these things constantly. Instead of being selfish and thinking about what they could get for themselves, they thought about what they could get for others.

It was the real reason he believed that they had gotten the hero titles.

Leon had heard the stories about the partyʼs actions. He even heard right from Walker how they got the hero titles originally. They had saved someone, yes, but that seemed too small of an act to be recognized as a hero. However, he could tell after getting to know the party that their actions were just part of it. The world had seen the partyʼs potential.

Their desire to care beyond reason for every race. A hero wasnʼt born of one action but consistent and many actions.

”Well, in any case, I have a nap that is calling my name. Get some rest too. Remey has to make some potions for later tonight.” Leon said this like the day would be gone in the blink of an eye. There would surely be more to the day but Walker just nodded along. He wanted Leon to get to rest as soon as possible too. Before someone distracted him.

ʼSalt fly

The salt fly loves the mornings after lunar algae blooms across the ocean. It will eat the salt that dies on top of the algae constantly. It will then fly in to a frenzy looking for a mate. They are just insect monsters with a small size but they are a delicacy to certain monsters. If there are many salt flies, be on the look out for the ribbon fish coming to the surface.ʼ

The all around appraisal of the salt flies which were tiny but visible to walker made him wonder what a ribbon fish was. Luckily, his answer came with the sound of water being displaced. The smaller waves were being broken up by a snake like figure moving through them.

ʼRibbon fish

The ribbon fish blend in to the waters of the ocean easily. They have a light and water affinity that helps them alter the light around them in the water to remain nearly invisible. They have larger unhinged jaws that allow them to open their mouths and capture hundreds of infant salt flies at once. This is their favorite food.

The ribbon fish lack sharp teeth in comparison to the endless eel which it is related to. The endless eel has many teeth and can grow hundred of feet long whereas the ribbon fish can only grow ten feet long. It is often kept as a pet by those that enjoy exotic pets.ʼ

The bit of information made Walker wonder what could keep these monsters as pets. It seemed like a tough job to have since they would need special enclosures. This wasnʼt like the tamerʼs guild which would have a special way for them to exist on land or other waters. The ribbon fish would be limited to salt water and need certain foods.

In other terms, a pet of this kind of monster would be all cost and no benefit. The all around appraisal made him wonder what exactly would be keeping these as pets and why. But that was for another day. Right now, Walker was watching the ribbonfish reveal themselves and snap up large amounts of salt flies.

Here and there, a few small ribbon fish were caught in nets so that their blood didnʼt get in the waters. This was the best they could do to capture some additional food. Not that their storage of food was low but having more would be good. It was also a way for some of the experiences to learn about the ocean and what they might find there.

ʼLeech fish

These small fish latch on to any fish and draw nutrients from their bodies. They are always small. They are considered a past and some fish specifically became poisonous so that the leech fish will not feed on them. But the leech fish are very tolerant of poisons making them still a pest. Some ancient alchemists used leech fish after they absorbed poisons to make antidotes.ʼ

Walker saw this on one of the smaller ribbon fish that was brought aboard. He jumped to grab the leech fish and collect as many as possible. It was a good excuse to capture something valuable. He threw them in to a bubble of floating ocean water as he called for a bucket. He couldnʼt keep them floating in water that he controlled for long. Especially since his goal was to bring them to Remey.

A perfect excuse to see what she had started to experiment on when it came to the lunar algae.

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