The apocalypse struck, and I became a druid.

Page 229

Han Ning's fingers froze in mid-air.

Cataclysmic Druid?

Fragments of Radiant Silver?

"Blackstone, Black Iron, the next level... could it be Radiant Silver?"

Just the contact itself increased his spiritual energy recovery speed several times over; if he were to fully absorb it... who knows how powerful it would be.

However, the system recommends that you should only absorb it at level 16. Absorbing it now is too risky, so it's best to follow the system's advice...

Han Ning carefully placed the fragments back into the jade box.

He couldn't help but feel a strong sense of curiosity. Where did Gu Cheng get this treasure, which was clearly beyond his current level?

Although the Highland Outpost is quite powerful, it seems unlikely that it should have access to items of this caliber.

Could it be through the sword of judgment?

Just as he was deep in thought, a series of slightly hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

Immediately following were a few soft knocks.

"Boss? Are you there?" Professor Ye's voice came through the door.

Han Ning collected his thoughts, carefully put the jade box into the bag he carried with him, and got up to open the door.

"Boss, that little guy you put in the Fountain of Life a few days ago, the fishman from that pearl... has woken up!"

"Oh?"

Han Ning raised an eyebrow; this was unexpected news.

The indigo orb and the slumbering merman noble within it have remained largely untouched since being brought back from the ruins, simply placed quietly beside the Fountain of Life, nourished by the vitality of the spring water.

"Let's go take a look." Han Ning immediately closed the door and walked quickly with Professor Ye toward the Fountain of Life deep inside the cave.

At this moment, this usually quiet place is quite lively.

Even before we got close, we could already hear faint whispers of conversation.

A large crowd had already gathered around the Fountain of Life.

Many agricultural and forestry teachers and students in charge of planting formed a semi-circle at a distance, all craning their necks and curiously looking towards the center of the spring.

This scene is somewhat like visiting a rare new creature in an aquarium.

In the clear water pool, the branches of the Emerald Tree Spirit swayed gently without wind, emitting a soft green light.

The pond water was crystal clear, with several huge, water lily-like leaves floating on the surface, while the once cracked indigo pearl lay quietly on the largest leaf.

The cracks on the surface of the pearl seemed to have faded slightly due to the nourishment of life energy.

What is most striking is the condition inside the pearl.

The fat-headed fishman, who had been curled up and asleep, had now opened his eyes.

Its eyes were large, taking up almost a third of its round face, with pupils of an extremely pure azure blue, like the clearest seawater, reflecting the blurry figures of the onlookers.

The little guy seemed to have just woken up from a long sleep, his eyes filled with obvious confusion. He turned his big head slightly, and his short limbs moved unconsciously.

Han Ning walked to the edge of the pool, half-squatted down, and tried to extend a wisp of gentle spiritual energy towards the bewildered, chubby fishman: "Hello?"

The little creature blinked its bright blue, round eyes, its short, fin-like forelimbs scratching at the inner wall of the pearl.

A lazy voice rang out directly in his mind:

"Finally, someone who can communicate normally? So, you're the one who woke me up from this dark, broken bead?"

"Let me see, are you... a Merfolk? No... a Source Clan? No, you're so ugly. What are you?"

Han Ning's eye twitched involuntarily. He had never expected that this seemingly adorable little thing would be like this when it "spoke," a far cry from the innocent and cute deep-sea creature he had imagined.

Moreover, this guy wasn't emitting mental energy; instead, strange syllables from his mind appeared directly. More importantly, he could actually understand the general meaning of them.

He could still understand the fathead fish's glib and slick tone.

"This guy is amazing, he's no ordinary person."

Based on this alone, Han Ning was certain that this guy was no ordinary person.

He coughed lightly to steady himself and continued to ask using his mental power, "Who are you?"

The little fish-man inside the bead patted its round belly with a chubby flipper, though it didn't make much of a sound when it hit the inner wall of the bead.

"Listen up, kid! I am... uh..." It suddenly stopped mid-sentence, a genuine look of confusion flashing in its large blue eyes. It patted its head...

"Hiss... Strange, how come I forgot my name as soon as it was on the tip of my tongue? Anyway, all you need to know is that I am no ordinary person."

"Someone with such a powerful background, will they be locked up here?" Han Ning gently tapped the pearl.

It seemed a little embarrassed and angry, shaking its enormous head and forcefully changing the subject:

"Hehe, it's a long story, I've forgotten how it happened. Kid, tell me, what's going on here?"

Instead of answering Han Ning's question, the fathead fish asked a question in return.

Seeing that the other party meant no harm, Han Ning didn't mind and gave a brief introduction to the situation outside.

"Black Tide..." Upon hearing this, the fathead fish's face turned serious, and it fell into deep thought.

After a long pause, Han Ning couldn't help but ask, "Are you a merman?"

"Bullshit!" Upon hearing Han Ning ask if he was a merman, the fathead fish snapped angrily, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"Don't lump me in with those lowly creatures! I am Prince Popota of the Ling Shuang clan!"

"You remember now? What is the Ling Shuang clan?" Han Ning asked, his eyes filled with doubt.

"One of the ten deep-sea tribes, according to your land-dwelling races, is one of the sea god's favorites."

The fathead fish named Popota floated on its back inside the pearl, looking rather wistful.

"I didn't expect the Black Tide to have already begun to invade. Before I fell asleep, there were only slight signs."

"So... you are an intelligent race living in the ocean, and because of some things, you were sealed inside a pearl, and now, for some unknown reason, you have awakened."

Han Ning figured out the general course of events.

"Then what about your people? Did they leave with the Yuan Clan?" He asked, another question coming to mind.

Chapter 268 Popota's Abilities

Popota rolled her eyes dramatically, flicked the two short tentacles on her head in annoyance, and muttered:

"How should I know? Those guys were still jumping around in the deep sea when I was asleep! When I woke up, everything had changed. You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?"

Han Ning frowned and tried to ask a few more specific questions about the current state of the deep sea, the source of the Kuroshio Current, or the remains of the fish-men.

Unfortunately, the fathead fish either impatiently slapped the inner wall of the pearl with its fins, displaying an indifferent attitude.

Or they might just look completely bewildered, cradling their heads with their broad fins, appearing dazed and confused.

Seeing that he couldn't get any more valuable information out of him, Han Ning simply gave up.

He stared at the fathead fish floating leisurely with its limbs outstretched inside the pearl, and asked one last question:

"So, what do you plan to do next? Will you try to find a way back to the deep sea, or will you stay with us for the time being?"

Upon hearing this, Popota lazily flipped over like a fried fish, revealing her soft, white belly, and replied casually:

"I'll stay here for a few days and let this king... uh, let me get a good feel for what's going on outside."

Before Han Ning could respond, he seemed to suddenly remember something, his fishtail perked up, and he added:

"Rest assured, I never stay for free; I will pay you the appropriate compensation."

He tried to puff out his round chest, attempting to make himself look more dignified, but unfortunately, combined with his endearing appearance, the effect was rather comical.

"I am the youngest alchemist in the history of the Lingshuang clan. Tell me the ingredients and requirements for any potions you wish to concoct!"

"Well, I also know a little about deep-sea runes. You can also ask me about some low- to mid-level deep-sea runes."

"Oh?" Han Ning had already given up hope on Bobota.

I never expected this guy could make potions.

Seeing that Han Ning seemed stunned, Popota became even more smug and swam around inside the pearl:

"The Ling Shuang clan is born with an extraordinary ability to perceive the fusion of energy and matter, and is especially skilled at extracting essences from deep-sea minerals, flesh and blood, and seaweed."

Seeing how proud Popota was, Han Ning asked directly, "Do you have any potions suitable for me?"

He is the strongest person in the settlement. If Popota's potion works on him, it means that Popota really has some skills and is not just bragging.

"You?" Popota looked Han Ning up and down, his round body swirling in the water, gesturing for Han Ning to come closer.

Han Ning walked up to Baozhu.

Popota extended a plump fin, which pierced through the pearl's outer shell without any hindrance and gently touched Han Ning's chest.

In an instant, circles of blue and white ripples spread out from the point of contact, sweeping across Han Ning's entire body like water ripples.

A slightly salty sea breeze filled the air.

Popota's squinting eyes gradually widened, and its fish mouth unconsciously opened, revealing its fine teeth.

"Such strong vitality!" Popota exclaimed in surprise as she retracted her fins.

"What's going on with you? Your energy fluctuations are only at the Black Iron level, yet your vitality is comparable to that of a Great Black Iron level. This doesn't make sense!"

Han Ning raised an eyebrow slightly but remained silent.

Professor Ye and the others watching from the sidelines were also very curious.

Popota seemed to have discovered something new and interesting, her fishtail occasionally slapping against the pearl:

"It's like an unmined ore in your body, full of vitality but without systematic training and guidance."

"However..." Popota changed the subject, his tone becoming somewhat smug.

"You're lucky, kid, to have met me!"

He had this "you got a great deal" look on his face:

"As long as you use my specially made potion and train strictly according to my exclusive method to stimulate the life force hidden in your body... hehe, it will be no difficult for you to unleash the combat power of the Great Black Iron level with your physical body alone in a short period of time!"