Chapter 107: Taking Her to See the Sea (Third Installment)

After much deliberation, Ji Yu concluded that the best time to set sail would be during a storm in the waters near the France Federation. This would provide better cover for the olm. However, he ultimately dismissed this idea. The reason was simple: there was no telling when a storm might arrive. Besides, the existence of the olm, much like the fawn and the oak tree, would eventually be exposed to the world regardless, so concealment hardly seemed necessary. Furthermore, as long as he steered the olm far enough from the coast, it was unlikely that any person or satellite would notice it. He could always just dive deeper if needed.

Of course, this plan might not even work. After all, no one knew what kind of phenomena might be triggered by a breakthrough in the game. In the end, Ji Yu decided there was no need to worry too much about human surveillance. Let it be; exposure was inevitable sooner or later. With that thought, he decided not to linger in this river channel any longer, as he was eager to test the speed of his current breakthrough.

With nearly ten hours left before he had to log out of the game, he estimated that if he picked up the pace, he could reach the ocean from this river in less than an hour. Ji Yu had already scouted the location and terrain of the olm thoroughly over the past few days. The olm was situated near a harbor on the western side of the France Federation, no more than a hundred kilometers from the open sea. Following this river should lead directly to the ocean. Even with two hours lost to delays, he would still have eight hours. Given the thousand-fold boost provided by the game, Ji Yu felt the breakthrough shouldn't take too long. Regardless of whether he could finish it within eight hours, he had to try.

Just as Ji Yu prepared to move, a familiar shout echoed across the riverbank in the early morning.

"Little Dragon, where are you?"
"Little Dragon, come out! I’ve come to see you."

Hearing this voice, Ji Yu was stunned for a moment, but then realized it was the weekend and smiled. At the same time, he noticed that the olm, encased in his consciousness, became instantly eager, projecting a persistent desire to play and be close to the little girl. The feeling was so intense that Ji Yu felt a bit helpless.

"Fine. Since there is a bond between the olm and the girl, and they have formed such a close connection, I might as well take her along."

As a superior being, Ji Yu could have forcibly controlled the olm, but he chose not to. He wanted to maintain an image of being approachable, tolerant, and rational before his avatars, and he tried his best to play the role of a father figure to the olm. Besides, the olm’s current level of sapience wasn't at a stage where it could be reasoned with; it likely couldn't grasp the meaning of most of the concepts Ji Yu tried to convey. Thus, he found the relationship between the girl and the olm rather amusing and was happy to facilitate their interaction. Since the olm now possessed the ability to manipulate water, it would be easy to take the girl along for a swim in the ocean.

With this in mind, Ji Yu ceded control to the olm for a moment. The creature emerged from the river, dispelling its water-mimicry camouflage.

"Ah, Little Dragon, you're here!"
"Wow, you’ve grown even bigger! You’re so, so huge!"

Seeing the olm emerge and reveal its massive form, the girl was not afraid; instead, her eyes lit up with delight. The creature was now nearly fifty meters long, with claws that had grown to nearly three meters. With a gentle extension of its limb, the olm easily scooped up the little girl, who wore a purple-blue dress and a single ponytail. A joyful display of affection followed.

Soon, Ji Yu took control again. A stream of water rose from the riverbank, wrapping around the girl and settling her onto the olm’s back. The controlled water acted like a protective, gel-like barrier, keeping her steady near the olm’s head. Simultaneously, the olm’s two long, silver-white whiskers reached forward, gently wrapping around the girl’s small hands.

Under the girl’s curious gaze, the massive olm dove back into the water. The moment they submerged, a large bubble of water formed, encasing her. The girl was instantly captivated by the spectacle. She watched the schools of fish scattering in panic and the various wonders of the riverbed, her eyes darting around in silent excitement. She didn't know where the olm was taking her, nor what it intended to do, but she didn't care. Being with the olm was all that mattered; nothing else was more important.

As they traveled, the girl would occasionally giggle and chatter to the olm, while Ji Yu steered them steadily toward the sea. Along the way, they encountered dams, but Ji Yu simply used the olm's water-mimicry to crawl onto the banks and bypass them. No one noticed them, and the girl seemed to think they were on a grand adventure, appearing immensely happy. Ji Yu couldn't help but smile peacefully. Perhaps infected by her joyful laughter, he didn't find the journey boring at all, but rather felt a sense of lightness.

The girl was adorable and truly endearing. Especially after learning of her plight, Ji Yu felt a deeper sense of kindness and sympathy toward her.

At the river mouth, there were many passing merchant ships. Ji Yu kept the olm close to the seabed, moving slowly and steadily toward the open ocean. He was, of course, worried about being detected by military patrol submarines. Fortunately, although he spotted one submarine at one point, he immediately changed course and headed into the deeper waters of the open ocean. He was certain the submarine's sonar had picked up the olm, but perhaps the crew was still deliberating or cautious, as they did not follow. Even so, Ji Yu remained vigilant, pushing the olm to swim even faster along the seafloor.