"Give me that can," Tracy said, extending a slender finger directly at the pile of supplies beside Luo En.
Luo En glanced at Tracy, but did not respond.
His supplies were running low; they were originally meant for emergencies. One person and one Orange Cat might last a bit longer, but adding another person would make things tight.
Tracy bit her lower lip lightly, deliberately pulling down the collar of her soaked shirt.
"Smack!" Luo En immediately turned his back to her.
"Stingy man…" Tracy narrowed her eyes, her voice carrying a hint of reproach, "I'll buy it, won't that be fine?"
"Buy…" Luo En pouted. Your coat is mine, what are you going to buy it with?
Of course, Luo En didn't say this aloud. He suppressed the urge to complain and pulled out a tin can from deep within the pile of supplies: "This was meant to be saved for last. If you want it, I can sell it to you."
"Wolf fish can?!" Tracy's expression froze. Having spent years at sea, she had naturally heard of the infamous wolf fish can.
"How can you bear to make a lady eat something like this?" As she spoke, a mist welled up in Tracy's eyes, making them hazy and exceptionally alluring.
"Gulp." Luo En's Adam's apple unconsciously bobbed, but he still made no move.
"Hmph!"
Seeing Luo En's reaction, Tracy was somewhat annoyed. Since becoming a Demoness, it was the first time she doubted her own charm.
'Cowardly fellow ~ Hmph ~'
Though she thought this, Tracy also felt a trace of relief. As one of the most unconventional members of the Demoness Sect, she did not wish to be defiled by a man.
Moreover, she had realized that Luo En was a Beyonder, and his strength was not weak. She currently had no weapon and was severely injured. If Luo En wanted to use force, she really wouldn't be able to escape unscathed.
"Meow~" As the two argued, Lachi suddenly darted to Tracy's feet, carrying an opened can of meat in her mouth.
"For me?" Tracy looked at the cat in front of her with some surprise.
"Meow~"
Lachi pushed the can forward and even extended her pink tongue to lick Tracy's finger.
Luo En sighed, rubbing his forehead at the sight:
"Hey… give me back the can."
"The kitten gave it to me." Tracy half-closed her eyes, guarding the can in front of her.
"But it's my cat," Luo En retorted.
"It can be mine too," Tracy said, picking up Lachi and rubbing her in her arms.
"So warm."
The Orange Cat's tail seemed to shake violently as if it had felt something.
Luo En, watching this "loving" scene from the side, frowned slightly. He wasn't angry…
"Ha, ha, that tickles, don't lick my face." Tracy rubbed Lachi's head, scolding her with a laugh.
'I remember when a cat wags its tail, it doesn't seem to mean friendliness…'
…
Bayam.
"A glass of Blackland."
Alger took the drink from the bartender, the amber liquid gently swirling in the glass.
He had just returned from sea and hadn't yet reported to his superior at the church.
But there was still some time before his report was due, so he decided to go to the bar first, to gather some information and see if anything noteworthy had happened while he was away.
Bars were always good places to gather news.
"Hey, hey, have you heard?"
"Another passenger ship has gone missing."
"I heard it was hijacked by pirates."
"Not a single survivor was left, and even the ship was stolen."
Pirates have been quite rampant lately, but to dare to do something so brazen, it must be the work of a Pirate General… Alger took a sip of his drink.
His overt identity was also a pirate leader, so he was very familiar with the various ways of the pirate world.
Ever since news of new warships came from the Loen Navy, the pirate world had been in an uproar.
Many chose to quit piracy entirely, while others chose to seize this last opportunity, taking advantage of the new warships not yet forming combat power, to commit frantic crimes, hoping to make a fortune before the profession of piracy completely faded into history.
A series of factors instead led to an increase in the frequency of pirate attacks, which indirectly led to a surge in his workload.
"You're all wrong, it wasn't pirates at all." A burly man dressed as a Sailor slammed the table and stood up.
"That's false information, that ship was overturned by a storm."
Storm… This word caught Alger's attention.
"Oh, come on!" A drinking buddy at the same table scoffed, "The announcement clearly stated pirate hijacking!"
"It's true! I was fishing in the nearby waters on the day that ship had trouble."
"There really was a big storm." He lowered his voice.
"And… and two sky-high water spouts collided on the sea surface."
As he spoke, he gulped down a drink as if still traumatized.
"If I hadn't been far enough away, I probably would have been sucked in too."
Storm, water spouts, could it be related to the church… Alger's wine glass paused in mid-air. He held the glass and walked towards the group of people.
"Gentlemen, do you mind if I join you?"
…
Inside the Church of Waves.
Not long after Alger left the bar, he was summoned by the local diocese bishop, Joghory.
"Recently, a piece of news has spread at sea, saying that 'Iceberg Admiral' has obtained the Key of Death, and many forces are stirring." After a two-second pause, Joghory continued: "You need to verify this matter."
Keys, treasures, there are similar rumors every year, but almost all of them are false… Sailors just love to spread such get-rich-quick news… Besides, even if it's true, it doesn't have much to do with me, no need to take risks… Just fool them, Alger muttered to himself.
"There's one more thing," Joghory suddenly emphasized his tone:
"A passenger ship recently encountered an accident."
"We need to organize people to investigate, and you should also prepare."
"Some things are not good for us to do openly."
Passenger ship… Could it be the one discussed in the bar?
Alger hesitated with his words: "This kind of accident shouldn't be under our jurisdiction, should it? Is there anything special about that passenger ship?"
"Don't ask what you shouldn't ask!" Hearing Alger's words, Joghory was displeased and reprimanded him.
Feeling the aura emanating from the bishop, Alger quickly apologized in a low voice.
"My apologies, Your Grace, I overstepped."
"The specific details will be told to you later, just prepare for now."
…
"Damn it…" Feeling the pain in her body, Tracy frowned almost imperceptibly.
There was no sign of her wounds healing, which made her wonder what kind of lightning had struck her that day.
Could it have been sent by a demigod of the Storm Pathway…
She glanced at the can beside her and sighed. She had never been so disheveled before.
What should I do now… Tracy felt lost about her situation.
Given her current condition, if she encountered other pirates, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Moreover, there were a few ambitious individuals among her subordinates. When she was in good condition, she could keep them in check, but now…
Honestly, she didn't even want to see the other members of the Demoness Sect right now. With the conduct of those peers, they might well offer her, unable to resist, as a gift to curry favor with some important figure.
In terms of being a gift, Demoness were quite famous.
As a "strong woman," she rarely felt a sense of powerlessness.
"Mother…" She sighed silently.
Now all her hopes rested on her Mother, even though their Mother-daughter relationship was not harmonious.
But as her descendant, with such a major incident happening to her, her Mother should come looking for her, right…
On the other side of the life raft, Luo En stroked his chin, looking at Tracy, who was holding her arm and had fallen silent.
Through their time together, he felt that this lady… seemed to have some psychological issues.