This Spiritual Energy is Lethal!
Chapter 301: Endurance

Chapter 301: Chapter 301: Endurance

"Yeah, this is... a private matter," Chen Ke nodded.

"I forgot, I really did forget. I remember I drank too much last night, lay down for a bit after Chen Ke brought me back, then I took a shower, and after that, I began to feel out of it, probably exhausted, or maybe it was the drink," Lucina said, winking at Chen Ke as she spoke.

"Sounds like quite the battle..." Priskin laughed, and as he did, the rest of them joined in.

"Yeehahahahaha..."

"Yo-ho-ho-ho-ho..."

"Ke-he-he-he-he..."

"Mee-hee-hee-hee-hee..."

Suddenly, another voice echoed in Chen Ke’s mind.

"This is the battle I promised..."

"I am Alpha... I am Omega..."

Chen Ke rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes to gather his wits.

"What’s wrong?" Lucina supported Chen Ke, her concern for his health further fueled by his nosebleed from the night before.

"The alcohol last night was strong; I’m still a bit dizzy," Chen Ke said with a smile as he looked up.

"I’m curious, which bar were you drinking at?" asked Priskin.

"At the Fisherman’s Bar in the Deep Anchor, I think it has an alias called Insmouth. It was Lucina who found it," Chen Ke replied.

"There’s a Fisherman’s Bar there? How come I didn’t know about it? Hainerd and I have drunk in every bar in Opportunity City. Never heard of that one," Pihom interjected.

"I was driving around aimlessly a few days ago and stumbled upon it. They only open in the evenings," Lucina explained with a shrug.

"Their drink... it’s strong enough to choke a person..." Chen Ke shook his head.

Pihom didn’t say anything. He squinted his eyes as if he had found a new target.

"Back to the main topic... If the Administration Bureau really has their eyes on me, they will surely be watching the weapon store too..." Chen Ke said.

"We need to keep a low profile for a while... Moving now isn’t a smart decision; I don’t want them to know where we’ve moved to..." Pihom said, pinching his lower lip.

If the weapon store was under surveillance by the Administration Bureau, every move would be in their view, which was unacceptable for the couriers.

"I think going out of the city for this period should draw their attention away..." Chen Ke agreed.

"Be careful, they are the Administration Bureau after all," Lucina said worriedly. She was aware of Chen Ke’s strength, but still had concerns if the other party was from the Administration Bureau.

"Don’t worry; the only thing that could stand in my way is a corpse," Chen Ke said with a smile.

At that moment, Chen Ke’s phone vibrated. He picked it up to see it was Hainerd.

"Meet at the fish factory at noon. Kid, it’s time to set off."

Chen Ke looked up at the people around him and said, "I have to go."

...

The four said their goodbyes at the weapon store’s door, Pihom and Priskin took the pickup truck to Raffi Road to tidy up the weapon and ammunition storage, while Priskin had left his black sedan at the back of the yard, and Lucina had come with Priskin.

Now, Chen Ke and Lucina sat in the red muscle car, grabbed something quick to eat at a nearby restaurant, and then headed for the fish factory.

Hainerd was standing at the roadside; by the time he got into the car, it was already 11 a.m.

Time always flew by when trouble was afoot; Hainerd took a seat in the back and briefly introduced the captain of that fishing boat to Chen Ke.

"That guy fought in the Gulf War and was once in the Navy. Later, he turned to smuggling Holy Relics in the inland sea and had a knack for evading the Administration Bureau’s sea patrol," Hainerd said.

"Navy... and now he’s smuggling..." Chen Ke clicked his tongue in amazement.

"There’s nothing unusual about that. Many old soldiers who suffer from PTSD don’t get the care they should from the army, but life has to go on," Hainerd shook his head.

"PTSD... damn." Chen Ke suddenly felt some regret. He would rather drive to Norton City than take a boat with an old captain who had PTSD.

After a while, the car stopped at a small, deserted dock.

Next to the deserted shoreline was a tiny ticket booth and a little shelter where people could wait for boats out of the rain. It was clear that this place had once been a tourist dock, but it had since been abandoned, which suited the inland sea smugglers as a secret port.

A not-so-large fishing boat was docked at the shore. Its white hull was covered with rust, and below the waterline, the bottom was painted red. It was fitted with large cranes for hauling nets, and on the side of the boat were the words: "Endurance." It looked pretty professional.

A white man with white temples jumped onto the dock. He was wearing work pants and a leather jacket. His face, with angles like they’d been carved with a knife, commanded respect—especially with a scar near his right eyebrow.

Chen Ke and the others got out of the car and walked to the ship, where several sailors leaned against the rail, whistling at Lucina, who responded with a flick of her middle finger.

"Hainerd," the Black man greeted.

"Conrad," Hainerd replied.

"You said you only needed to bring one person," Conrad remarked, glancing at Chen Ke and Lucina.

"That’s right, this one," Hainerd gestured towards Chen Ke.

"Mr. Conrad, I’m Chen Ke. Thank you for agreeing to take me aboard," Chen Ke nodded to Conrad and stretched out his hand.

Conrad didn’t shake Chen Ke’s hand. Instead, he scrutinized him and said with an unkind tone, "Hainerd said you’re tough, but I think he’s exaggerating. This ship doesn’t carry sissies, and my crew isn’t made up of vegetarians. If you end up being ’loved’ by my crew, don’t expect me to help you."

"Conrad, you don’t need to look after him, but don’t give him trouble, either. Just take him where he wants to go. I don’t want anything to happen to your ship," Hainerd said.

"I’ve seen worse, Hainerd," Conrad replied with a smile.

"How long will it take to get to Norton City by water? Are there any troubles on the sea?" Chen Ke asked.

"We might take an afternoon and a half night... The troubles at sea are not just from Administration Bureau patrols. I hope you’re prepared," he replied, looking at Chen Ke.

After saying this, Conrad turned and walked toward the boat, signaling Chen Ke to follow.

Chen Ke said goodbye to both of them. Lucina suddenly grabbed Chen Ke’s hand, her eyes gazing directly into his with a reluctant expression.

"Don’t come back missing any arms or legs," Lucina said.

"I’m not going looking for a fight; I’m just going to meet a female doctor," Chen Ke laughed.

"+1 minute"

"+1 minute"

"+1 minute"

Lucina’s expression changed slightly.

"I’m leaving now... I’ll be back after I take care of everything," Chen Ke stepped back, made a heart symbol towards Lucina, and then turned his head to follow Conrad.

"Wooh-wooh-wooh..." The fishing boat’s horn bellowed, and the vessel slowly left the harbor. Chen Ke stood on the deck waving at Hainerd and Lucina.

Watching the fishing boat disappear into the distance, Hainerd wrapped his arm around his daughter.

"I know what you’re worried about, Little Na," Hainerd said softly.

"It’s not that I don’t trust him," Lucina sighed.

"You just don’t trust yourself," Hainerd looked at Lucina.

They were silent for a moment, then turned to get into the car and drove towards the fish plant.