Chapter 142: All the Other Players are Drooling (2/2)

“In theory, yes, and I believed that as well until a few days ago. When I was doing some quests with some of her guards, I unwittingly found out that she didn’t have the System from the very beginning… she, too, got it when winter was arriving, a little later than we did!”

Edward spoke very confidently. “Moreover, we have the Saintess with us.”

Eleena, who was letting her feet dangle while continuing to cheer Croakatoa on, felt as if someone was calling her, and turned around in curiosity.

Edward made a hand gesture of ‘nothing’ at her, and she turned back to the bow, humming a song while twiddling her twin ponytails.

On the other hand, Gou Dan was not quite convinced, but he wasn’t protesting against paving the way now.

“I wouldn’t stop you guys from talking, but can’t you help? Don’t stop scooping water or the boat will sink!”

Joe was almost tearing up, having been scooping out water from the very start.

***

Regrettably, the boat could not be saved.

Just ten meters away from the shores of Fishmen Island, the little boat knocked into a coconut, which sturdy shell had broken a gaping hole on the boat like a torpedo, leaving everyone’s struggles to waste.

As the boat slowly sinks into the sea, it proved fortunate that everyone had cleared the dungeon in the Grey Fjord—they could swim even if they did not swim well, and as such the waves did not sweep them away on a wonderful journey adrift as they succeeded in climbing up the shores of Fishmen Island.

Compared to the Warty Tidal Flats where the Frogmen Village was located, Fishmen Island was much more dangerous: Edward and his party ran into their first group of enemies the moment they reached the beach—it was not fishmen, but Killer Fiddler Crabs the size of a small elephant that ruled the beaches!

These crabs were natural enemies of the fishfolk since they fed on them. Most fishmen would not survive a single clamming of their massive pincers, promptly cut in two and reduced to food.

Their shells were not composed entirely of chitin either, but were mixed with some metals that resembled the thick plates of steel armor. The weapons and equipment which the fishfolk fashioned out of seashells and corals simply wouldn’t survive, and all of them would end up as crab food no matter how they tried to gank the crabs, and it was little wonder that not a single fishman was in sight on the beach…

Still, the specialization of the fishmen’s organs for killing was not that useful against humans—especially Players.

After all, wasn’t that just like the plating of an armor? The Players never would have taken even full-body armor seriously: come, experience some physically weakening debuffs, armor-piercing arrows and steamed king crabs…

Hence, the second group of Players went through great lengths to land on the most suitable beach on Fishmen Island only to find that the first group of players were unable to pull themselves out of their newfound obsession with the gastronomic banquet of steamed crabs. In his astounding compassion, the God of Games had only withdrawn some crab meat and shell, and allowed the Players to keep most of the other parts they could eat.

Crab meat was fresh and sweet, crab eggs smooth but not too greasy and crab paste sticky but fragrant. It was heavenly delicious when matched with the bread they were using as rations, leaving the other Players drooling…