Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 474 - 39: The Controlled Sea Race_1

Chapter 474: Chapter 39: The Controlled Sea Race_1

"But, for something I don’t know myself... it’s a bit too hard to believe." Catherine said, shaking her head vigorously. "It’s hard to accept. Maybe there’s been some mistake."

"Whether or not I’m watching you isn’t decided by you." Doris, understanding Catherine’s feelings well, spoke with a comforting smile. "The decision to watch over you is made by the Deity, but how you choose to act is entirely up to you. So, whether you are favored by the Deity or not doesn’t really affect your actions. It just increases your luck and offers more choices. From any perspective, this is more of a blessing than a curse."

"But I don’t even know which Deity is watching over me." Catherine sounded distressed. "In reality, I’m just a Pan-believer. I truly believe in the virtues and fearless spirit of the knights. Unfortunately, there isn’t any Deity specifically for that. Thus, isn’t it ridiculous that a Deity is favoring me, who doesn’t even believe in them?"

"The God of wisdom will never err unless he refrains from making predictions. In other words, the Deity who receives the prophecy will also never err. " Doris replied with a holy smile, making it hard for others to understand her words. "Never attempt to fathom the will of the Deity, for that’s a realm beyond human comprehension. Only at the moment you should realize, will you understand what the Deity is pointing at."

"The gaze of the Deity can permeate the past, present, and future, while the sight of a human can only see the present." Lina’s demeanor also became filled with a holy aura, and a loving smile spread across her face. "But precisely because of this, humans follow the footsteps of the Deity. And in return, the Deity will bless their followers with prophecy."

"The prophecy has been bestowed, and you guys have received the blessing." Doris calmly said, "As for whether you can accept the blessing of the prophecy, that’s the problem for the recipients themselves."

"Yet, God is kind. The blessings of the Deity exist to guide his disciples." Lina retorted. "Not to confuse them further. The Divine won’t act mysteriously in bestowing their prophecies—it doesn’t suit their character."

"But..." Doris tilted her head like a mischievous child, blinking at them with a crafty smile said, "but you guys aren’t followers of my Deity."

"Pfft." Pannis nearly spat the liquid in his cup, shaking his head with a wry smile. "Give it up. She has lived in the temple for 260 years, and she knows how to say these confusing things better than anyone else. Plus, she’s the slyest of all. You can choke her and she won’t spill anything she doesn’t want to."

"Is this how you see your big sister, brother?" Doris pretended to cry, looking at Pannis with teary eyes. "It hurts, you know? Lanna has grown up and you’re still talking like this, it’s just..."

"Hey hey, how dare you speak like this?" Pannis slapped the table angrily. "The misunderstanding is already deep enough, what on earth have you been telling her? Clear it up quickly or her every glance at me will continue to scare me."

"Alright, Lanna, he, he, he, he’s not your... father," Doris said, drying her fake tears, her voice feigned a sob. "Believe in your mother. He really... isn’t, he really isn’t, sob sob sob sob."

Instantly, Lanna’s gaze towards Pannis shifted from looking at an unrecognized father to a revolting person.

"Sis, I was wrong, I was really wrong." Pannis held his head and laid his face down on the table, crying out, "I won’t ever call you sly again, just spare me, let’s change the topic, how about the Spirulina wine you brewed yourself, huh?"

Doris tapped her dimple with the tip of her finger and smiled satisfied, "Humph, you are let off this time. But, my little sisters, don’t blame me for keeping secrets. The mind of the Deity is not human beings can guess at. Even if I figure it out, I can’t tell you. As to why I can guess, maybe it’s because I am an absolute, thorough observer. I can only say that time will tell you all. One day you’ll know the whole truth."

"Huh." Catherine sighed, spoke helplessly, "Since you’ve said so, I won’t ask anymore. However, maybe it’s time to tell us the mission’s details. We’ve been worried about the task and want to know what it is as soon as possible."

"The mission is fine." Doris explained, "The reason Lanna didn’t tell you before is not because she doesn’t trust you. Just because you are Pannis’s teammates, I can unconditionally trust you. But this matter is just too significant. Knowing one more person means more risk, so I even told Lanna not to reveal the details. I hope you all understand."

"Don’t worry, we won’t be negligent about the mission because of this." Catherine said seriously, "Also, Vivian, stop messing with that gem. You’ve been studying the Mermaid’s Tear for nearly ten days now, put it down and listen to the mission carefully."

"Big sis is calling for you." Lina patted Vivian’s head, "Wake up, big sis says pay attention to the mission."

"Oh." Vivian blinked with a puzzled face, put the Mermaid’s Tear back in her pocket, and sat up straight. "Go on, I’m ready."

"We’ll leave first." Surprisingly, Lanna and Lamia stood up together, "Call us when you finish the explanation."

"That’s not necessary, you all stay." Doris motioned to halt them. "It’s not convenient for me to leave the temple. In a few days, you’ll need to guide them, so you may as well listen."

"The matter dates back to the distant past. Ever since the Sea Race kept historical records, the vast ocean has been our paradise, but within the ocean, there exists a forbidden area for all Sea Race."

"Devilish Sea Area?" Lina adjusted her glasses, "That mysterious ocean area?"

"You know?" Doris asked in surprise, "Not many land-dwellers know about the Devilish Sea Area."

"Yes, there is a record." Lina turned a page of the thick book she was holding. "It is said to be a sea area of over five thousand square kilometers with an extremely severe hydrological environment. There have been occasional reports of Sea Race disappearing when passing through. Sea Race scholars have been investigating the cause, but even after the span from the Third to the Fourth Epoch, a reason hasn’t been discerned in tens of thousands of years. The mystery remains unsolved. If it is related to the Devilish Sea Area, it’s going to be troublesome."

"Unfortunately, it is related to the Devilish Sea Area." Doris sighed. "The Devilish Sea Area originally had a fixed range, but for some reason, the range of the Devilish Sea Area began to expand. By the time we discovered it fifty years ago, the range of the Devilish Sea Area had nearly quintupled and the speed of expansion was accelerating. In just the last ten years, it has expanded tenfold. The Devilish Sea Area now covers an ocean area of over a hundred thousand square kilometers, not just on the surface, but the entire sea area, from the surface to the seabed."

"I don’t quite understand." Catherine frowned and asked, "When you say that the Devilish Sea Area has expanded, are you referring to the severe hydrologic environment? Or the occasional disappearances of the Sea Race?"

"The latter, but it is not a disappearance," Doris said. "Perhaps Lanna has heard some stories about Sea Race entering that area and going insane, but that is not the case. In fact, the Sea Race that enter that area are all fine, but they are under control, mind control."

"All of them are mind-controlled?" Catherine covered her mouth to suppress her exclamation, whispering, "Such a large area?"

"Yes, it used to be that the Sea Race would occasionally disappear without finding a cause." Doris continued. "But in recent decades, it’s not occasional any more. Any Sea Race that enters there will definitely be controlled without exception."

"What are these Sea Race being controlled to do?" Catherine asked, "There has to be a purpose, right?"

"The problem is that there is no purpose." Doris said, "I once, along with some strong individuals from the deep sea, spied on the inside by using our vitality through the underwater currents from all directions. The controlled Sea Race were like little teams in an army, patrolling through the sea area. They were not aimlessly wandering, but conducting organized patrols. They even communicated with each other about the situation of the patrols, but their communication was limited to that."

"So, they still have their sanity?" Catherine inquired, "They retain their own thinking?"

"Nobody can give you that answer." Doris shook her head, regretfully saying, "Because we don’t know. For the sake of an experiment, I once entered that sea area myself."

"Mother!" Lanna suddenly stood up, shouting, "Why would you do something so dangerous?"

"Sit down, Lanna." For the first time, Doris glared at Lanna, strictly saying, "In this position, enjoying the honor and convenience that comes with the status, you have to bear the equivalent responsibility, pay the corresponding price. How can I not try it myself for such an important matter? And before I went to try, I had made emergency preparations, it wasn’t reckless adventure."

"Even though it is important, isn’t it okay as long as we don’t enter that area?" Lanna, still unwilling to sit down, objected, "Is there a need to risk such a big danger and go in yourself?"

"Sit down." Pannis stood up and forced Lanna back into her chair by pressing on her shoulders, "Nobody knows how long the expansion of the Devilish Sea Area will continue, or if there will be an end. Indeed, the ocean is vast, but even the largest range has a boundary. If we let it expand like this, what if it ultimately covers the entire ocean? By then, I’m afraid there won’t be any refuge left for the Sea Race. Understand your mother, she knows what she’s doing, she is already quite troubled, don’t make things even more difficult for her."

"I’m sorry, mother." Lanna lowered her head and murmured, "I did not consider the issue thoroughly and I got too emotional."

"It’s good that you understand," Doris regained her usual gentleness and visibly relaxed.

Noticing the scene in front of them that seemed akin to parents educating their child in different roles, the four young girls involuntarily grimaced, feeling a sense of dissatisfaction welling up inside them. (To be continued...)