When evil gods hold a meeting in my head

Richard looked at Juliet's tuft of hair fluttering in the wind and couldn't help but chuckle. He could sense her smugness, so he went along with it and complimented her, "Indeed, the shop owner is a very nice person, just like you..."

Upon hearing this, Juliet let out a soft moan of enjoyment.

Richard stopped wasting time talking to Juliet and followed the shopkeeper to the counter. He whispered, "Shopkeeper, my friend heard that you're the shop that collaborates with Tehran. He wants to participate in your joint course... but he has to pay five gold coins upfront for the trial period, and he thinks..."

Before he could finish speaking, the store manager casually said, "Then let's skip it."

"Can I skip it?" Juliet repeated unconsciously.

Richard nodded: "He's a student in Tehran, with good grades, but his family isn't well-off... Five gold coins are no small sum for him."

The store manager didn't say anything, but stared at him for a few seconds.

Juliet whispered from the side, "Manager, his friend is really a nice guy..."

The shop manager glanced at her, and Juliet immediately shut up.

The shop was silent for a few seconds, then the shopkeeper sighed: "Since it was Juliet who introduced you, your internship salary will be increased to one gold coin and five silver coins a month. We'll talk about it after you become a full-time employee."

Richard did the math in his head. One gold coin for five silver coins, three more silver coins than in Naansanho, which wasn't bad.

"Thank you, store manager," he said.

The store manager waved his hand: "Alright, tell your friend to come for the interview as soon as possible. Don't delay too long, there are only a few spots available."

Richard nodded and glanced at Juliet again.

Juliet waved to him, her face beaming with joy.

He turned and walked out.

Just as I reached the door, it was suddenly pushed open. Several well-dressed women rushed in, chattering away, carrying large and small bags; they were clearly regulars.

"Waiter, do you still have that coffee-scented perfume from last time?"

"Ah! My new scarf finally arrived!"

"My husband just got paid, it's time to treat ourselves..."

……

The store suddenly became lively.

Richard stopped chatting with the shopkeeper and Juliet, quietly squeezed through the crowd to the shop entrance, and glanced back. Juliet was already surrounded by the customers, frantically trying to deal with them…

He withdrew his gaze and walked into the alley. The image of the magic ring immediately came to mind, and a dizzying suction force suddenly struck him!

When he opened his eyes again, he was already lying back on the boat. The boat was rocking violently, as if something was pushing the bottom of the boat from below, swaying left and right, as if it would capsize at any moment.

Richard was shaken until he felt a little dizzy. He quickly sat up and pinched the bridge of his nose.

The next second, the door was suddenly pushed open.

Rosalie rushed in, grabbing Richard's arm and crying out in fear, "There are monsters outside... there are monsters outside!"

monster?

Before Richard could react, the ship was hit again, and the cabin swayed back and forth more violently than a giant pendulum. He almost rolled off the bed, but luckily he managed to grab the edge of the bed and stay upright.

A commotion arose outside.

"Someone's shouting, they seem to have seen something incredible." Richard listened to the low rumbling that came from the sky from time to time.

The sound made Richard and Rosalie feel as if a stone was pressing down on their hearts.

He quickly helped Rosalie onto the boat, while he himself shuffled to the door and looked outside.

The sky and the sea merged into a hazy gray expanse, making it impossible to distinguish east from west. On the misty sea surface, some enormous black shadows were writhing. Although their size was unclear, it was certain that if they were to collide with a ship just a few times, the ship would immediately disintegrate.

As the boat approached, he finally saw a gray-black ridge! Only a corner of it was visible, yet it towered like a small mountain.

And there was more than one such hill... They circled the boat, slowly moving around...

"Whale!" Richard's mind went blank.

The ship has gone the wrong way; this is the Sea of ​​the Dead! This area is teeming with whales—not only are they numerous, but they are also incredibly strong; they go berserk at the slightest noise.

And the ship you're on just happens to be... too noisy.

As if to confirm these words, the steam pipe at the bow of the ship suddenly spewed out a plume of white steam.

puff--

The sound was sharp and loud.

The gray-black backs in the sea moved at the same time.

They turned towards the ship.

Richard's heart skipped a beat.

He saw the eye of the nearest whale. Small, black, hidden in its massive head. That eye was fixed on the ship, on the people on deck, with a coldness in it.

The next second, it moved.

It suddenly lurched forward and crashed into the hull of the ship.

With a loud crash, the entire ship shook. Richard nearly fell, managing to steady himself by grabbing the gunwale. Someone on deck was knocked overboard, causing everyone around to scream in terror.

They thought they were safe once they escaped the port, but little did they know they had entered a new hell...

Richard asked, frustrated, "How can we get rid of them?"

He no longer dared to hope of killing these behemoths. Putting aside whether he could even do it, the spilled blood might enrage other creatures...

Do you know why they are so easily stimulated?

"have no idea."

Because they have very low intelligence, perhaps... even less than a cat.

Before it could finish speaking, another whale crashed into it.

This time the impact was even more severe.

The boat tilted slightly, and Richard slid to the side, hitting the gunwale and wincing in pain.

He got up and looked into the driver's seat...

Brion was standing inside, frantically turning the rudder. The bow of the ship slowly turned around, trying to sail in another direction, but it was surrounded by whales and could neither move forward nor backward!

Let's go back to where we are in West Street. It's too dangerous here; what if the boat capsizes...?

Go back to hide? Wouldn't that mean the body would be gone?

Richard rolled his eyes. He had finally been given a second chance at life; how could he just give up like that?

Rosalie is still down there.

Thales didn't know where he was either.

The boat swayed again.

This time the shaking was even more violent, as if something was pushing against it from below. The wooden planks creaked and groaned, as if they might fall apart at any moment.

Richard gripped the gunwale and looked out to sea.

A whale swam under the ship, its gray-black back scraping against the hull and sending sparks flying. It swam past, then turned back, its eyes fixed on the deck and on the people running around.

What does it want to do?

He found out the next second.

The whale lunged upwards, its massive head slamming into the hull of the ship. The entire vessel was jolted upwards before crashing back into the sea, creating a huge spray.

People on the deck were thrown about, some were thrown into the sea, screaming and struggling, but the whales surrounded them, splashing water everywhere, and a few seconds later they were gone.

Richard gripped the gunwale tightly, his fingers stiff.

Since they're not leaving, let's quickly think of a solution.