I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

"It's my family's dog, named Laika."

Lu Ban explained.

"Leica?"

Amber was a little unsure about the pronunciation.

At this moment, Leica suddenly twitched its nose, looked at Amber, and then, with a thud, its four short legs quickly moved to Amber's side.

"Huh? Wait... Ouch!"

Before Amber could react, the fat dog came to her feet, rubbing affectionately against her white socks while rolling on the ground and exposing its belly.

Lu Ban was overwhelmed with mixed feelings upon seeing this scene.

If Leica were to revert to its original form at this moment, the scene would be absolutely stunning.

Amber looked at the dog rolling around begging for petting, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly squatted down and reached out to touch Laika's belly.

Soft, fluffy, and warm.

This wonderful sensation made Amber feel somewhat at ease, and she then imitated Lu's way of rubbing Leica's head, rubbing Leica's belly.

"Waaaaah—"

Lyca made a comfortable sound and rolled around even more vigorously.

Suddenly, Amber stopped moving, stood up, and took two steps back.

"Sorry, I should go back now."

Picking up her bow and arrows, she bowed to Lu Ban, then hurriedly turned and left, as if driven by something.

Lu Ban felt a little confused. He patted the head of Leica, who had returned looking dejected, and looked in the direction Amber had left.

"Is there a curfew?"

As the bell rang, Lu Ban muttered something.

The following day, after a grand departure ceremony, the fleet set sail.

The island is called Sakurajima. It takes more than ten days to reach the island by the fastest ship, and the fleet chose the safest route, which would take at least twenty days.

"Twenty days is a long time. At least ten days will pass in my life, not counting the time it will take to witness her become the high priestess."

Lu Ban thought to himself, while also feeling somewhat fortunate.

Thank goodness I didn't buy a set of bedding online, otherwise no one would have been able to receive the package.

Chapter 329 Where did this dog come from?

Life on the ship is amazing.

When they were on land, the mercenaries and sailors often frequented the taverns at the docks and ports, drinking until they were completely drunk, as if they couldn't live without alcohol.

But once they got on the ship, those drunkards never touched a drop of alcohol again, like ascetic monks practicing asceticism.

"Drinking on the boat? If you want to die, just say so. The boss won't let us touch even a drop of alcohol on the boat. If you want to be thrown overboard to feed the fish, I don't mind giving you my treasured wine for a send-off."

This is how one of the mercenaries answered Lu Ban's question.

"Is this why you guys drank so much on the shore?"

Lu Ban pressed for an answer.

"That's another matter. We drink to remember what it feels like to be at sea. When you're drunk, you sway and stagger, just like you're on a ship!"

The mercenary shouted.

Not far away, a sailor at the top of the mast was waving a flag. Lu Ban couldn't understand the flag signals, but the ship's speed had obviously increased considerably.

The fleet consists of three ships.

This included the flagship where Amber was located, the escort ship where mercenaries such as Rikuban and Ayame were located, and an escort ship dispatched by the Sakurajima Island Magistrate.

The island's envoy's ship will return in five days, at which point only two ships will remain.

The wind was favorable, and the ship sailed through the deep sea. There were no monsters along the way, and in the quiet night, only the sound of the waves could be heard, gentle and lingering.

"Did you know that there's supposedly a grayish-white fog in the sea? If you get caught in it, you'll turn into a monster like a filthy creature!"

As the ship was sailing normally, a sailor said this with great seriousness.

"Is there another island where festivals are always held, but in reality, the people at the festivals are all monsters in disguise?"

Lu Ban chimed in.

"No, but it seems like it could be!"

The sailor hesitated for a moment, then roared again.

People who frequently travel at sea tend to have very loud voices.

Lu Ban guessed that the sailors might have developed a habit of speaking loudly because the sea breeze could affect the transmission of sound.

If your voice isn't loud enough, how can you be a navy officer?

"There is also a giant sea serpent living in the sea. It is said that when its tail was on Sakurajima, its head could reach Kazujima!"

Another sailor also began to tell tales of the sea.

"Such a big snake, its meat must not taste very good."

Lu Ban's commentary.

"...I've also heard that there are ghost ships at sea. Their crew members were cursed for stealing the gods' treasure and became immortal skeletons. Whenever the moonlight shines, they roar and kill any living person they see. Isn't that terrifying!"

On the other side, a sailor echoed the sentiment.

"Immortality, wouldn't that be amazing?"

Lu Ban then commented.

"..."

The sailors all felt that Lu Ban was just being argumentative.

"And what about the ama (female divers) in the sea? Do you know that these women are the vengeful spirits of women who died at sea? They disguise themselves as drowning girls to lure sailors closer, and then kill all the crew members in bed!"

Another artist gave a vivid and engaging explanation.

"horrible."

Lu Ban replied calmly and without any emotion.

"It's no fun talking to you."

The sailors all scoffed at Lu Ban.

"Ow!"

A dog barked, and Laika ran out of a cabin somewhere, rubbed against Lu Ban's trouser leg, then wiggled her four little legs and ran to the bow of the ship.

"Where did this dog come from?"

A sailor asked a question, and the next moment, Lyca jumped into the sea with a splash.

"Has someone fallen into the water?"

Nearby, the sailors who hadn't noticed what was happening immediately became alert upon hearing the sound.

It's a dog.

A sailor gave a warning, but they still lit lanterns to illuminate the water.

Apart from the ripples created by the ship passing over the sea, there was no sign of any creature struggling or swimming.

"Dude, I'm sorry."

Someone patted Lu Ban on the shoulder, trying to comfort him who had lost his pet.

"What's there to regret?"

Lu Ban was puzzled.

A moment later, with another splash, a shadow darted out of the water.

"???"

The sailors stared in astonishment at the dog, noticing the huge, fat fish, almost the same size as itself, it was carrying in its mouth. For a moment, they were speechless.

"We can have an extra meal tonight."

Lu Ban took a look. This fish was similar to a tuna on Earth. Its flesh and blood were red, and the belly meat was extremely thick. You could feel the oil on your hands just by touching it.

He used his knife to cut a piece of meat from the spine. The bright red fish meat shone with an alluring color under the moonlight. Lu Ban sniffed it, put it in his mouth, and ate it in one bite.

The fresh, slightly fishy-smelling fish meat, mixed with rich oil, enveloped the tip of the tongue. The meat was firm, and because it had just been caught from the sea, it was still bouncy when Lu Ban bit into it.

The tender fish meat had a delicate texture and a slightly salty taste. Although Lu Ban didn't know much about sashimi, this fish meat was definitely a top-notch delicacy.

Is it really delicious?

Sailors rarely get to eat such large fish. Their usual dinner consists of small fish that can be caught at the coast. In He Island, despite being surrounded by the sea, the seafood available to ordinary people is still limited, and deep-sea fishing is something only the wealthy can afford.

This kind of fish, the land bream, is probably not a shallow-water fish. Judging from the ruptured internal organs and the firmness of its muscles, it should be a species that usually lives in deep water areas. Ordinary sailors and crew members certainly wouldn't be able to eat it.

"This red flesh and blood looks terrifying!"

One of the sailors exclaimed that normal fish have white flesh, and most of them had never seen a fish with red flesh before.

"It's really delicious, especially suitable for eating raw."

Lu Ban cut off another piece of meat from the abdomen. The meat here was a lighter color, pink and tender like a young girl's cheeks.

This time, he grilled the meat over the fire for a little while before eating it.

The grilling process brought out the aroma of the oil in the fish belly, and combined with its relatively low activity level, the meat became even more tender, making it arguably the most delicious food Lu Ban had ever eaten on the island.

"So, there's normal food on the island after all..."

Lu Ban couldn't help but elevate the ranking of He Island's delicacies by one level, placing them at least above the Wasteland and below the Night Kingdom.

Lu Ban cut off the fish head and then cut off two pieces of fish meat, which he then tossed to Leica.

Upon seeing the fish head, the corgi immediately began to devour it frantically, filling its mouth with blood and making slurping sounds from its throat.