Chapter 134: The Norwegian Sea Sighting-Notes of a Biological Alchemist(What a bother.)

Discovering corundum raw stones similar to sapphires was certainly encouraging for Wu You. If verified, their ability to be absorbed would make them a decent source of alchemical energy. Although, at present, the output and production speed of rubies and sapphires could hardly keep up with the consumption of alchemy compared to iron ore. Still, that deposit was clearly unclaimed; it cost nothing and carried no concerns, allowing for destructive exploitation using the biological entities already at his disposal.

***

In the Norwegian Sea, an ocean-going fishing vessel was underway. Aside from the captain and his son, the only people on board were a group of students from the University of Oslo who had chartered the boat for an excursion. The vessel, approximately fifty meters long, was equipped with a large stern gantry holding both a trawl net and a shrimp net. Among the twelve young people on board, including the captain’s son, Mark, all were students at the university. With the exception of Mark and one other girl, the remaining ten were international students hailing from the United States, Britain, France, and two Chinese-Canadians. This trip served as an unconventional graduation celebration.

Mark had suggested using his family's deep-sea fishing boat for the trip, hoping to impress an American girl he was pursuing. These adventurous and energetic young people had long wanted to head out to sea. They could not afford a private yacht, nor would one be suitable for reaching more distant waters. Mark’s family boat was not only spacious and comfortable but also sturdy enough to withstand the waves, offering the added thrill of deep-sea fishing. Naturally, when Mark proposed the idea, his close circle of friends responded immediately.

Winter was approaching, and the waters of the Arctic Ocean were growing colder. The crew of the fishing boat *Flying Norway* was currently on leave, but to support his son’s romantic endeavors, the captain agreed to take them out; after all, it was just a trip for a group of college students. Of course, the captain had carefully studied the weather forecast for the coming weeks beforehand. Despite the volatile nature of the sea, he remained quite confident in his thirty-plus years of navigational experience.

By now, they had reached the Norwegian Sea. The sea breeze was chilly, but the enthusiasm of the young people remained undiminished. Two thick, old oil drums had been placed on the deck, filled with burning charcoal. One was fitted with a grill, while the other held a pot of simmering soup. With fresh seafood, a crackling fire, and the beautiful maritime scenery, it was clearly an unforgettable journey despite the biting cold. They held a party on the ocean; though there was no mobile signal, the flashes of their cameras went off incessantly. Sometimes, the students themselves weren't sure if they were acting out of genuine interest or simply to upload photos to Twitter. They knew, however, that these photos and recordings would surely garner plenty of likes.

Two of the men were watching their fishing rods, sipping whiskey from time to time.

"Here you go, you two—freshly grilled fish, it's grouper." A girl handed each of the anglers an aluminum plate topped with half a grilled grouper, sprinkled with minced garlic, salt, and spices, with a side of mustard sauce.

"Oh, thanks, you're a lifesaver, Lily," one man said, resting his rod on the holder to take the plate.

The other man, Mark, was looking tense as he gripped his rod. "Wait, I’ve got a bite!"

He yanked the rod with force, and it instantly bent into a crescent moon. The others nearby were drawn to the scene.

"Haha, Mark, that fish is at least ten kilos; look at how the rod is bent!" one girl asked curiously, munching on a lobster. "Why doesn't he just reel it in?"

The American girl Mark was interested in interjected to explain, "Don't you see the bend in the rod? The fish is very strong. Mark is wearing it out right now; reeling it in directly would snap the line."

Hearing the girl he liked speak up for him, Mark felt a surge of secret delight. As he wrestled with the fish, letting out and winding in the line, he cracked a joke. "You know, guys, this is the Norwegian Sea—the legendary home of the Kraken."

"You mean the North Sea titan?"

"Haha, exactly. I just hope that's not what I've hooked." The group laughed along with him.

"Mark, if it really is the Kraken down there, it'll be the one catching us!"

Finally, after a dozen minutes of struggle, a ten-plus kilogram tuna was hauled aboard. It wasn't a particularly rare species, but the group was thrilled, scrambling to take photos with the fish. However, what they did not know was that deep beneath the seabed, a massive ocean monster with countless tentacles—each over two hundred meters long—was swimming silently.

The Kraken was foraging; its enormous size naturally required an equally enormous appetite. It had been growing at a rapid pace, absorbing energy from the seawater while consuming vast quantities of marine life. Its diet was highly varied, ranging from krill to sharks. However, it preferred large chunks of meat—the kind that could satisfy its hunger in one sitting. Its master only permitted such a feast once a month, and according to the tidal cycles, today was the day for a grand meal.

The party on the boat continued. Suddenly, the voice of the captain came over the deck speakers. "Girls and boys, turn your eyes to the front-left of the ship. Hahaha, you’re in luck!"

The young people leaned against the railing, gazing forward in confusion.

"Oh my god, what is that?! Oh my god, it's whales, such huge whales!"

"Oh Lord, those are two adult Greenland whales!"

"We're so lucky..."

"Quick, record it!"

Some pulled out their phones to take pictures, while one student began filming with a video camera, narrating as he went: "Less than a month until Christmas, and we're sitting on the ocean-going fishing boat belonging to my good friend Mark's family. God has blessed us—this is the first time I've seen wild Greenland whales this close..."

The two Greenland whales swam rapidly, surfacing occasionally to breathe and exhaling high plumes of spray. Each was over twenty meters long, true giants, and they were less than a hundred meters from the fishing boat. Clearly, the captain had already adjusted their course to travel alongside the whales.

Someone said excitedly, "Legend has it that seeing whales at sea brings good luck, and we’ve seen two!"

"Ha, this is definitely going to blow up on Twitter."

"Uh, guys, why do I feel like these two whales are panicked, as if they're running for their lives?"

"Now that you mention it, I feel the same way. I thought I was just overthinking it."

"Wow, you guys can tell if a whale is panicked? I certainly can't."

"Maybe they think our fishing boat is a whaler?"

"That's possible!"

Down in the depths, the Kraken watched its dinner. Although its master had told it that it would be taken to another place for a feast next time, it was not about to let these two big fish go today.

*Boom...*

The sea surface suddenly erupted in a massive splash. A dozen giant, octopus-like tentacles shot out from beneath the waves like rockets, wrapping tightly around the two whales like hunting pythons. The group on deck was startled, their hair standing on end.

"Oh, hell! What is that?!"

"My God, oh my God..."

"Ahhhhh!"

"Shut up, stop screaming!" Mark hurriedly covered the mouth of a girl who had lost control.

***

Amidst the mournful cries of the Greenland whales, the tentacles dragged them into the depths. The churning white water and spray on the surface took a long time to subside...