The giant whale, which is now missing a third of its body, plunged into the sea, and never resurfaced.
And the red tide of unknown origin also disappeared after sinking into the water.
Despite this, Morel decisively altered the ship's course, choosing to take a detour rather than stubbornly forging ahead into danger.
Not to mention that they have plenty of time for their voyage, but even if they were pressed for time, Morel would still prioritize safety.
This was his reverence for the sea.
The Purple Smoke changed its course and moved away from the area where the red tide had appeared. Meanwhile, the crew who had retreated into the cabins gradually returned to the deck.
"What the hell was that just now?!"
Kanzai came to the stern of the ship and looked towards the area where the giant whale had disappeared into the water, his face full of surprise.
Gel also walked to the stern and happened to hear Kanzai's question. In a tone devoid of emotion, she replied:
"Sea Ant Swarms. A type of marine scavenger. But the ones here are… abnormal. Both in individual size and colony scale, they far exceed the norm."
As she spoke, her gaze lingered on the turbulent waters where the crimson tide had raged. A strange color flashed across the depths of her eyes, and it was obvious that it was not as calm as it appeared on the surface.
Kanzai tilted his head to look at Gel, whose graceful figure was highlighted by the tight black dress, and nodded in sudden understanding, "Oh, so they're like ants in the sea."
"…"
When Gel heard what Kanzai said, she was slightly stunned, and then stopped talking.
She wanted to say-
The name 'Sea Ant Swarm' was a human classification based on superficial similarities. It wasn't accurate to simply call them 'ants in the sea'.
But once these words were out, she would have to explain to Kangzai about the appearance, specialties, habits and other things about the Sea Ant Swarm.
So Gel chose to keep silent instead.
Moses also walked to the stern and happened to hear this brief conversation. He also saw Gel's sudden reaction of pursing her lips and saying nothing, and couldn't help but smirk faintly.
He had already learned about the red tide from Morel, so when he heard Kanzai's statement, he felt there was no need to correct it.
In a sense, those sea creatures that had devoured a third of the whale in seconds were eerily similar to the army ants on land.
Gel was keenly aware of Moses's gaze, and when she turned around, she saw the silent smirk on Moses's face.
When Moses saw Gel looking at him, he nodded with a smile.
Gel hesitated for a moment, returned the gesture, and then turned and left the stern.
As a crew member, she had immediately heeded Morel's warning. But once the danger passed, she had hoped to catch another glimpse of that red tide raging through the waves.
It's a pity that she didn't get to see it again, and instead she was left speechless by Kanzai.
Moses watched Gel leave.
Encountering such an unexpected situation as soon as arriving in the Uncharted Waters had clearly left a deep impression on Gel, Morel, and the others.
Their professions varied, but all were connected to biology in some way.
Now, having witnessed these abnormal creatures at the edge of the Uncharted Waters, they will inevitably anticipate certain possibilities and dangers in the subsequent voyage.
Gigantic-
This is one of the defining traits of this world beyond.
Sea ants, which were originally so tiny that they could only feed on rotting flesh, turned into a group of creatures that would actively hunt huge creatures in such a place.
Therefore, it is inevitable to have concerns about whether the professional knowledge they have learned can play a role in the next exploration.
Moses withdrew his gaze and looked at the dark, churning waves again.
If it is that Dark Continent where no one knows what is coming, there is still a possibility for humans to set foot on it.
But if it is this endless sea, it is a domain humanity could never truly conquer.
'I just hope we can reach the Gatekeepers' continent safely...'
Moses thought so in his heart.
However,
this Uncharted Waters was merciless, showing no kindness to those who dared cross its depths.
On the third day after entering the Uncharted Waters, the Purple Smoke was caught in a storm that blotted out the sky.
The clouds rolled like thick smoke, pressing so low they seemed to merge with the sea.
The distance between the sea and the sky seems to become particularly close at this moment.
The Purple Smoke was like a fallen leaf caught in the rapids of a waterfall, swaying up and down in the raging waves without any resistance.
Faced with this storm that came without any warning, everyone on the Purple Smoke remained on high alert.
All they could do now was channel their Aura into the Divine Scripts, reinforcing the ship's structure against the storm's fury.
But the Purple Smoke's dangers weren't limited to the climate change caused by the storm alone-
"Huh!?"
Moses, who was paying close attention to the situation on the sea, suddenly saw huge black shadows tearing through the water, writhing as they were lifted into the air.
Due to the dim lighting, Moses could hardly see the specific appearance of those huge creatures, but he could see that they were struggling violently.
To Moses, it felt as if a pair of invisible hands were pulling these huge creatures out from the bottom of the sea.
But in the next moment-
Moses instantly understood what was going on.
Just as those huge creatures struggled to rise into the air, spiraling gusts rapidly formed over the sea and clouds, converging mid-air at a single point.
And that point of convergence happened to be right where those huge creatures were.
It was a giant-scale waterspout...
Unable to worry about whether Morel had noticed this, Moses's only thought was to relay this information to Morel.
But just as Moses pressed the radio communication button, he saw the massive creatures trapped in the waterspout suddenly explode into a rain of mangled limbs and blood, as if their bodies had been violently twisted apart.
"This…"
Seeing this scene, Moses's pupils contracted sharply.
'How could such huge marine creatures be crushed by a waterspout?'
'Was that even scientifically possible?'
'Was that even reasonable?'
Even with a will as hard as steel, Moses couldn't help but be deeply shaken at this moment.
'This place-'
'Was just the Uncharted Waters.'
'Then how exaggerated and outrageous would the Dark Waters behind be?'
Moses struggled to suppress the shock in his heart.
In this short moment, more giant sea creatures were being dragged out of the water.
Even though the Purple Smoke was still a long way away from the 'disaster zone', the overwhelming pressure of the cataclysmic scene was palpable.
Aside from Morel, who spent years navigating the seas, everyone aboard the Purple Smoke was either stunned or terrified.
But soon-
Even Morel could no longer maintain his composure.
Through the windshield of the captain's cabin, Morel saw a huge creature that looked like a shark flying straight towards him.
Perhaps because this giant shark was covered in tough scales, it hadn't been torn apart by the waterspout but was instead flung outward.
At this moment, like a cannonball, it was crashing directly toward the Purple Smoke.
Many people on the Purple Smoke saw this scene and their faces changed drastically.
Moses also saw the shark-like creature being thrown towards them.
With no time to think-
Moses rushed onto the deck, barely steadying himself against the taut safety rope.
[Black Sword.]
As he raised his hand, a pitch-black long sword appeared in his hand.
Moses looked up at the huge creature that was right in front of him, which is already larger than the Purple Smoke itself.
If it falls down, the consequences would be dire.
So without hesitation, Moses hurled the Black Sword.
Boom-
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning split the sky.
Under everyone's gaze, the Black Sword transformed into a massive sword mid-air, cleaving the oncoming shark-like creature clean in half.
"...!"
For a moment, the world seemed to fall into silence.