Chapter 197: 133. Balance (Alliance Leader’s Extra Update)
After that awkward sentence at the beginning, Fisher almost confirmed that the previously encountered “supernatural event” was a prank played by this whale folk who left a message on the stone wall.
It’s really hard to evaluate the degree of malice from this whale folk; it unexpectedly reminded Fisher of that bad woman, Renee. If she were here, she would definitely enjoy this kind of prank.
After a moment of pause, Fisher shook his head to dismiss his extraneous thoughts and let Jasmine continue reading the next section.
Xiatu behind them was still stunned, and it was evident that centaurs like her really didn’t swim well. Moreover, since she was the closest person to that ghostly figure just now, the combination of physiological and psychological blows nearly caused her to have an out-of-body experience.
Anna silently watched the two of them studying the content on the stone wall. She initially wanted to remind them to hurry to Nali Lake, but upon reflection, Xiatu still hadn’t fully come to her senses and it was just past midnight, much earlier than their expected arrival time at the waterways, so she refrained from speaking.
Jasmine leaned in a bit closer to the stone wall, first reading and filtering the content behind, then happily looked at Fisher and said, “The content behind isn’t a prank; it’s a record of travel experiences left by this senior whale folk. Let me take a look.”
Then, while reading, she translated the content into appropriate Nali language, “’I have been ashore for a year now.’ Ah, the term used here is for time in the sea, which is ‘years’ not ‘ages.’”
Jasmine was afraid she would mix up these two concepts again in Nali language, so she emphasized it. Once Fisher nodded, she continued to translate the previously mentioned words.
“From the time I came ashore until now, it has been a year. The land blessed by the sun has captivated me so much that I am reluctant to leave. However, today, I must depart and return to my homeland. At this parting moment, I have so much I want to express, but there is no one around to listen, so I can only write it all here as a record. If other whale folks come here, they might gain something from it, and it should help you on your journey on land.”
“First, it is important to emphasize that there is an absolute boundary between land and sea. Once you cross this boundary, whatever you gain here requires an equal cost. That light, that vibrant life, all of which do not belong to us; forcing it will result in consequences that neither you nor I can bear. Remember the teachings of Ramastia: life is balanced.”
“What if one stays not for the light before their eyes, but for a being on land? I do not know how to advise, but you should understand that the sweetness of love is like poison, and in the end, you will find it impossible to escape. I just want to tell you one thing using the characteristics of our whale folk that have been passed down through generations.”
“Love, though it is a radiant blessing, grants you unparalleled courage; love is also a deeply ingrained curse, leaving an ever-healing wound.”
“Having said this, I will take my leave here. If fate allows, we shall meet again!”
When Jasmine finished reading, Fisher was contemplating while stroking his chin, constantly munching on the messages on the stone wall, many pieces of information were indeed very interesting.
First of all, the whale folk who left the message on the wall had been wandering in the human world for a whole year, gaining a lot from it, but he seemed to have discovered some secret of the whale folk and decided to leave the land.
Life is balanced.
This keyword made Fisher think of many things, especially relating to the characteristics of the subhuman races he had studied. He vaguely felt that there was a very strange balance among the beings of different races.
To draw a comparable analogy, take the dragon race as an example.
The physical strength of individual dragon folks is recognized as top-notch, both in the Southern and Western Continents. A qualified adult dragon warrior could single-handedly annihilate a slaver group of dozens armed with guns.
Logically, with their extremely strong individual abilities, they should be unmatched in the Southern Continent.
Note that this point and those discussed about the other races should temporarily exclude several subhumans mentioned in the Apocalypse Prophecy.
Because Fisher has realized that once things in this world get linked to the Supplement Handbook, they will instantly surpass reason, as if they were ‘cheating’, resulting in no corresponding logic, like Feilon’s soul technology and Blake’s biological weapon technology.
Um, let’s not count Fisher’s own Supplement Handbook for subhumans, as that seems a little shameful compared to these two. Beyond enhancing reproduction and dark amusement, Fisher doesn’t seem to have gained anything else.
Returning to the main point, with this premise, while dragon folks are fierce, they’re also bestowed with very harsh reproductive conditions.
A pair of dragon couples can have many children, but it’s very possible that all their children will remain single; as long as one child successfully marries, it can be considered a virtue of their ancestors, and two pairs getting married can immediately announce joyous news throughout the tribe.
Thinking about this, Rafael’s luck in finding a match with Fisher could only be described as extraordinarily good.
As a consequence of such harsh reproductive conditions, the total population of dragon folks in the Southern Continent is actually very small.
Fisher speculates that Eil’s concept of the ranks of life actually corresponds to individuals. By individual standards, all races can indeed be ranked, but when looked at from the perspective of the entire population, they seem to maintain some sort of “balance.”
By contrast, the whale folk, based on Jasmine’s previous research, have very long lifespans and reproduction speeds similar to humans, facing no reproductive barriers and possessing a dual ability system of blessings and curses.
Given this situation, they have the physical strength to contend with dragon folks, yet their lifespans are many times longer, and their reproductive abilities are unfazed. Is this favoritism from Ramastia towards their own offspring?
Besides this, Fisher can’t find any reasonable explanation.
However, this stone tablet brings forth the possibility of another kind of balance.
Thinking of this, Fisher looked at Jasmine beside him and asked, “Jasmine, did you feel any difference after coming ashore compared to being in the sea?”
“There are many, many differences!”
Once the topic was brought up, Jasmine had a lot to say; she held up her fingers and counted them one by one, a happy smile on her face.
“First of all, there’s a lot of delicious food, I can talk to many people, I see much sunshine every day, and I can be with Fisher. I feel very happy on land every day, and I feel like time goes much slower than under the sea.”
“Much slower?”
“Ah, saying that reminds me.”
Jasmine pointed at her chin, suddenly recalling something, she looked at the text on the wall and said,
“My mother once told me that the whale folk is the slowest race in the world, and she said this was a secret told to her by Lord Ramastia. I didn’t understand what this meant before, but comparing it to my life on land, I realize that under the sea, sleeping for a single nap feels like half a year. So when I open my eyes, I can eat delicious fish.”
Fisher suddenly realized what the “absolute boundary” on the wall meant. No wonder he had been pondering a question.
If the whale folks do not forage in the sea and rely on other ocean subhumans to feed them fish, wouldn’t that only be once a year? How could that be enough?
Previously, Fisher could use the notion of “perhaps the amount of fish eaten in one go can sustain them for a year,” but it may not be the case at all.
Their way of life underwater dulls their perception of time; sleeping for one nap could turn into half a year. Get up, move a bit, then go back to sleep; wake up again for a meal. And before they know it, a year has passed.
Once ashore, however, under the sunlight, their daily routine syncs up with other beings: three meals a day, and one sleep at night.
So, what change would occur to their lifespans?
The first thing that came to Fisher’s mind was that their lifespans could very likely be shortened. Thus, the whale folks living on land might not be as long-lived as those living underwater.
Is this the concrete price of “what you gain requires an equal cost” mentioned on the stone wall?
Understanding the key point, Fisher looked seriously at Jasmine, who was staring at him with wide eyes, and said,
“Jasmine, the information recorded on this stone wall might indicate that the lifespan of whale folks diminishes at an accelerated rate on land. Once a whale folk chooses to live on land, your sensitivity to time will also change; this is the reason why you may lose your long life while on shore.”
“If this speculation is correct, I am not sure how much the lifespan of whale folks will decline, but—”
Just as Fisher was about to continue, he looked at Jasmine, but his words abruptly stopped.
At this moment, Jasmine displayed no sign of surprise on her face. She simply gazed at Fisher quietly, her large eyes shimmering with blue water, reflecting Fisher’s silhouette within them.
In that instant, Fisher suddenly understood something and spoke up,
“You know that your lifespan will decrease on land?”
Jasmine pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, then gently nodded.
“Yes, my mother told me before I came ashore not to stay too long. After you told me that human lifespans differ from whale folks, I started to realize this.”
She extended her hands, yet her expression was not particularly sorrowful; instead, she expressed a little sentimentality.
“The months here feel like years under the sea. I was somewhat envious of humans because I thought it was unfair for Lord Ramastia to grant humans such long lifespans while allowing them to experience the slow passage of time. Now I understand that the balance of life He mentioned refers to this.”
“So, my aunt actually chose land over the life in the sea; she left the ocean eighty years ago, making it impossible for her to return to life underwater. My mother didn’t really mean for me to bring her back, she just feared my aunt wouldn’t get another chance to see her family in the sea, which is why she wanted me to meet her one last time.”
“Is that so?”
Anna behind them seemed to be slightly moved, feeling touched by the story of the whale folks. She gazed at the calm pool of water beside her, watching the surrounding twinkling lights, unsure of what thoughts were crossing her mind.
“However, I think my aunt must have no regrets. I’ve seen many wonderful sights she experienced on land; she has been to many places in this world. Maybe experiencing valuable beauty like this is better than living a dull life under the sea. I think that’s how I feel as well.”
“Under the sea, I was quite timid; my mother couldn’t do anything about my shyness. I wouldn’t dare go anywhere, felt incapable of doing anything right, and had no friends. However, Fisher is willing to teach me and give me courage. If that’s the case, I wish to stay by your side; that is my choice.”
Her gaze towards Fisher was very earnest and heated, though it appeared a bit awkward.
Yet, this straightforward and simple thought was always the most touching. At this moment, Fisher’s heart was also stirred by the warmth emanating from her gaze, causing his heartbeat to quicken slightly.
Just as they reached this point, Jasmine suddenly sensed Fisher’s gaze was fervent, as if he wanted to consume her, and she realized how she just genuinely said so many shameless words.
Her adorable face instantly flushed crimson. She waved her hands at Fisher, her ears flapping quickly as if wings were about to lift her off the ground.
“Ah, um, I didn’t mean to say… that, uh…”
At this point, her words had turned into a somewhat indistinct yet cute utterance, seemingly trying to ease the embarrassment. Jasmine, blushing, calculated with her fingers.
“I am actually quite sensitive to vitality; after all, I’m the only whale folk who possesses such a blessing. While sleeping, I secretly calculated that whale folks on land can live around one hundred and twenty years. And about, um, marrying and having children, that should also be possible.”
Um, by now, Fisher suddenly discovered a new characteristic of the whale folk, which is their early maturity. After all, it seems they come of age at one year; living eighty years even while sleeping is enough for them to grow up.
Fisher smiled, meeting Jasmine’s shy and expectant gaze, and he took the initiative to respond slightly, placing his hand on her head.
“I understand what you mean. But before that, let’s go meet your aunt first, then we can discuss our matters.”
“Mm!”
A strange scent of young love spread across the small cave, and Anna slightly turned her gaze away, feeling a bit cold after just soaking in the water, and now she hugged her body for warmth.
As she averted her gaze, she suddenly caught sight of Xiatu, who had woken up without them noticing, still lying on the ground, her ears perked up, eavesdropping on Fisher and Jasmine’s conversation.
“…”
So you’ve been secretly eavesdropping here, huh?
This extra update is dedicated to the alliance leader and the book friends who supported the story, especially for the generous tips.
Please vote, tip, and support; it is extremely important to me.
A heartfelt thank you for the support!
(End of Chapter)
