The Game Heroine's Cannon Fodder Leopard Cub - Chapter 41

Countless towering rock formations, some high and some low, hung upside down from the island…

Finally, the whale slowly came to a stop.

Yi’an waved her hands, reinforcing the barrier around them.

After completing this, she took Nora’s hand and stepped out of the whale’s mouth.

Before Yi’an could say anything, the whale gently backed away, its massive tail carving an arc through the water. With a graceful turn, it slowly swam toward the deep sea.

“It seems it knew we wouldn’t be returning,” Yi’an murmured, watching the whale disappear into the distance.

“I didn’t even get to thank it,” Nora said, a hint of regret in her voice.

“It definitely understood your feelings,” Yi’an replied with a smile. “Now it’s up to us to continue. Are you ready?”

Nora took a deep breath and nodded firmly. “Ready.”

Yi’an extended her hand, and Nora grasped it without hesitation. They exchanged a glance before simultaneously leaping upward, using the air bubble to propel themselves toward the center of the vortex.

Just as Yi’an had predicted, they swam into the vortex’s mouth with surprising ease.

As they swam upward, the dark vortex gradually receded behind them, and faint rays of light began to illuminate their surroundings. After about half an hour, the interior of the vortex—or rather, the full extent of Colson Island’s underside—gradually came into view.

Due to the vortex and the island’s shadow, the light at the bottom of the floating island was dim. However, thanks to the enhanced vision granted by their Ancient Green Bloodline, Nora could still make out the scenery above.

They simultaneously stopped ascending.

The sight beneath the island was simply too overwhelming.

As far as the eye could see, countless towering stone pillars hung upside down from the island’s underside, resembling massive thorns jutting out from the island’s back. At the center of this stone forest, the skeletal remains of a large ship were faintly visible, its frame remarkably intact. In the distant periphery, dark, looming figures stood or lay prostrate, like sea monsters guarding this underwater realm.

Yi’an stared silently at the ship, a flicker of doubt in her heart. If the ship had been accidentally drawn into the vortex, its skeleton would never have remained so complete. Moreover, unlike the stone pillars, which hung upside down, the ship was suspended at the center, as if dangling from ropes attached to the island’s underside.

Clearly, this ship hadn’t been naturally pulled into this place.

Yi’an squeezed Nora’s hand and whispered, “Why would they hang a ship beneath the island? Could there be some significance to it?”

Nora carefully examined the massive ship, her brow furrowing slightly. After a moment’s thought, she said, “Lancaster never mentioned anything like this. But judging by the ship’s remaining hull, it strongly resembles the Rama, the Grand Duchy’s first steamship.”

“However, the Rama’s technology was highly immature, and its hull wasn’t sturdy enough. It sank on its maiden voyage after striking a reef. Fortunately, lifeboats were on board, so there were no casualties. For safety reasons, my mother never ordered its salvage.”

“Where did the Rama sink?” Yi’an asked.

Nora frowned, her voice hesitant. “That’s what I find strange. It sank not far downstream from Port Monan, which is quite far from here. And this happened over a decade ago. I only learned about it by reading the Grand Duchy’s annals.”

“So I can’t be certain if this is the Rama. Perhaps it’s just my imagination? But there haven’t been any records of large ships sinking in this area in recent years.”

Hearing Nora’s explanation, Yi’an became even more convinced that the wreckage above them was indeed the Rama. A sudden urge to explore it surged through her.

But she didn’t voice her desire immediately. Both the densely packed stone forests and this anachronistic behemoth of a ship exuded an unsettling aura. Extreme caution was essential; they couldn’t afford any rash moves.

“We’ll swim side by side, approaching it slowly,” Yi’an whispered.

Nora nodded, edging half a stroke upstream to close the distance between them. Yi’an seamlessly merged their protective barriers, creating a stronger shield. They advanced cautiously toward the ship, the stone forest looming ominously in the dim light.

After a while, they finally reached the hull of what they suspected was the Rama.

Decades of corrosion had left the hull in ruins, but the remaining structural features confirmed its identity as the Rama.

“To prevent steam from rotting the wood, the Rama‘s hull was reinforced with iron,” Nora explained, pointing to the corroded iron strips along the hull. “This made the ship unstable and ultimately led to it running aground.”

As they drew closer, Yi’an’s heart pounded faster, a voice in her mind urging her to go inside.

Regardless of the risks, Yi’an felt compelled to explore. Even if they didn’t enter the ship, searching through this labyrinthine stone forest would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Nora shared her sentiment. “We should go inside and take a look. I have a feeling what we’re looking for might be hidden inside.”

Having made up her mind, Yi’an reached for Nora’s hand, ready to swim toward the ship’s bow. But Nora abruptly pulled her back.

“Since we both know the risks are uncertain, we shouldn’t rush in recklessly. Safety first, understand?” Nora fixed Yi’an with a stern gaze, her voice firm.

Yi’an immediately realized Nora was actually warning her, even though she used the word “we.”

She scratched her head and nodded with a sheepish grin. “Don’t worry, I promise. If you tell me not to do something, I won’t.”

Nora didn’t want to argue further. She figured if Yi’an tried to act tough again, she could simply pull her back like this.

Hand in hand, they swam diagonally forward.

As they swam higher, they discovered that the Rama was surrounded not only by a stone forest but also by floating fish carcasses of all sizes. The corpses were interspersed among the rocks, motionless. Most had decayed to the bone, while a few retained their outer forms but had bloated to several times their original size, as if they were about to burst with foul-smelling gases.

To avoid alerting anything, Yi’an remained silent, instead turning to Nora and gesturing. Nora immediately understood. Together, they carefully avoided the bloated fish corpses and continued swimming toward the ship’s bow.

Just as they were nearing the bow, Yi’an noticed countless bloated fish corpses floating around the bow and its surroundings. Crowded together, they formed an impenetrable net, completely blocking their path.

Yi’an scanned the scene and immediately realized they couldn’t simply push through. The sheer number of corpses meant even a slight miscalculation could trigger a chain reaction of explosions. The resulting massive release of methane and hydrogen sulfide would likely kill them instantly.

She tugged on Nora’s arm, signaling her decision to swim around the ship and look for another way in.

As they swam to the opposite side of the bow, near the ship’s midsection, they discovered a large hole.

Nora immediately recognized it as the breach caused by the ship’s collision with the reef years ago. Over time, corrosion had widened the opening enough for two people to squeeze through simultaneously.

However, even here, some fish corpses floated nearby, though far fewer than at the bow.

Seeing this, Nora squeezed Yi’an’s hand, signaling them to keep their distance.

Once they were a safe distance away, Yi’an swam beneath Nora, allowing her to stand on her back. Nora drew her Desert Bow from her back, nocked an arrow, and aimed at one of the fish corpses.

Though the seawater greatly slowed the wooden arrows, Nora had anticipated this. With just a few swift shots, she cleared away the fish carcasses blocking the cave entrance.

As the shattered fish corpses drifted away, Yi’an grabbed Nora’s hand and charged toward the cave entrance, successfully entering the ship’s interior.

Upon entering, they immediately noticed the frigid temperature inside the cabin. Even through the barrier, the icy chill of the seawater seeped in relentlessly. Yi’an felt little discomfort, but Nora, being human, found it almost unbearable.

Seeing Nora’s distress, Yi’an immediately transformed into a leopard, allowing Nora to climb onto her back.

Knowing the danger of extreme cold, Nora didn’t try to be brave. She readily climbed onto the Great Leopard’s back, and in an instant, a warm current surged from her chest to her limbs. She couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, “Yi’an truly is a giant, walking hot pack.”

Once inside the ship, the persistent cries that had been echoing in Yi’an’s mind vanished completely. Without her intuitive senses, she had no choice but to explore the ship layer by layer, feeling her way through the darkness.

The level they had entered appeared to be the engine room. Rusted or decaying flywheels, cylinders, and other machine parts lay scattered across the floor, likely torn apart by the impact.

Having borne the brunt of the collision, both the machinery and the interior structure—the floor and walls—were warped and distorted. Fragments of wood and various small components floated haphazardly in the water, severely reducing visibility.

While Yi’an remained relatively unaffected, Nora struggled to discern the overall layout, making it difficult to locate an exit. Yi’an decided to slowly explore the edges and corners of the room.

Fortunately, the level’s structure was relatively simple. Aside from the machinery, there were no other equipment or compartments. Before long, she discovered a staircase leading to the ceiling.

But when she swam closer, she found the ceiling opening blocked by a massive, unidentified mass of flesh. She leaned in for a closer look and was nearly overwhelmed by a stench so foul it nearly made her vomit her dinner from the previous night.

Seeing Yi’an’s reaction, Nora patted her head, signaling her to put her down. Once Nora had steadied herself on the stairs, she drew her Black Blade long-handled knife and began meticulously carving the flesh into small pieces.

The chunks of meat tumbled down in a wet cascade, yet the wielder of the knife remained unfazed, her expression unchanging even as she stood beneath the fleshy rain. Witnessing this scene, Yi’an was filled with admiration. Had she not feared some hidden danger, she would have fled to a corner in an instant. Even forcing herself to stand her ground, she dared not look up.

“All done,” Nora said, glancing at the Great Leopard, who was trying to maintain a facade of composure. After sweeping the remaining meat chunks off the stairs, she retrieved a cloth, carefully wiped the Black Blade clean, and sheathed it.

Yi’an looked up. The fleshy mass on the ceiling had vanished without a trace.

“It was probably a pig,” Nora explained. “Likely stored in the restaurant kitchen. It must have fallen here and, without fish or shrimp to scavenge it over the years, it remained relatively intact, aside from being somewhat disfigured.”

Hearing Nora identify the meat as pork, Yi’an’s tail, which had been thumping against the stairs, suddenly fell silent.

Nora noticed this and secretly smiled.