Before Ethan Brooks could finish speaking, Sarah interrupted him: “Is there anything to eat in the cave?”

Ethan Brooks shook his head with a wry smile. “It’s all things you can look at but not eat.”

“Damn it, this stupid dragon! I thought it understood what I wanted and brought me here to find food. I mean, how could there be such a good thing? Just as I started feeling hungry, a flying dragon appeared before me and took me on a free trip.”

“So it let you ride it willingly, too.”

Ethan Brooks already understood that this dragon, like the beast he had ridden, was here to bring the students to this place to learn the knowledge within the stalactite cave.

“Well, about that…”

A trace of embarrassment flashed across Sarah’s face, and he changed the subject: “Look, how majestic and beautiful this dragon is, and how obedient it is under my command! A hero and a mighty dragon, a perfect match!”

Ethan Brooks nodded calmly, secretly plotting about the flying dragon.

“Sigh, I really miss the breadfruit from my hometown.”

Sarah exaggeratedly rubbed his empty stomach and said to Ethan Brooks, “Friend, have you ever been to Congo in Africa? That’s a great place!”

The flying dragon let out a low growl, its back twitching impatiently. Sarah immediately wobbled, hurriedly grabbing the dragon’s neck with both hands and cursing, “Damn stupid dragon, what are you moving for?”

“Looks like it doesn’t want to give you a free ride anymore.”

Ethan Brooks said with a smile, finally giving up on the idea of making the flying dragon his breakfast. First, he might not be able to handle such a huge creature and could end up as its breakfast instead; second, whether the thick, scaly dragon meat was even edible was still a question.

With a “whoosh,” the dragon’s spiked tail suddenly shot up straight and swept fiercely toward Sarah. The latter let out a strange cry, leaping high like a monkey, flipping several times in the air, and landing beside Ethan Brooks.

The flying dragon soared into the sky, flapping its huge wings and disappearing into the clouds.

“Damn it, what the hell!”

Sarah looked up at the sky, muttering a few curses in African dialect, then said with a miserable face, “Aren’t you supposed to be smart? Can you do anything to help my starving stomach?”

“Let’s go somewhere else and look for food.”

Ethan Brooks said thoughtfully, then suddenly leapt into the water, breaking the surface without a sound, as agile as a big fish.

“Wait for me!”

Sarah cried out and followed after.

Chapter Ten: Murderous Intent Everywhere

The water was unfathomably deep, pitch-black with no sign of life. Ethan Brooks swam down hundreds of meters in one breath before surfacing, gasping for air.

Water splashed as Sarah’s head popped up not far away, shouting, “Damn, there’s not even a single fish here.”

Suddenly, Ethan Brooks’s expression changed slightly. He said in a low voice, “Don’t talk. Listen!”

A faint singing drifted from afar, magnetic and lingering, indescribably alluring, as if countless fine, soft threads were quietly binding their hearts. Sarah was utterly entranced; in his whole life, he had never heard such beautiful singing.

The two of them couldn’t help but swim toward the source of the song.

A glowing blue crystal-like rock gradually appeared in their sight.

The enchanting singing came from a woman atop the rock.

She had her back to them, her long green hair swaying like seaweed with the melody. Her upper body radiated a silvery white light, like a blazing white flame, flowing and rolling. Her lower body was fused into the blue rock, and through the crystal-clear stone, a long tail covered in golden scales could be clearly seen.

Thousands upon thousands of fish were gathering from all directions, swimming rapidly around the rock, as if drawn by the intoxicating song, dancing tirelessly.

Apart from the alluring singing, Ethan Brooks and Sarah could hear nothing else. The song was like an invisible net, gently enveloping everything. Sometimes mournful and plaintive, sometimes gentle and sweet, it stirred up the deepest pain and sweetness in their hearts, carrying their souls into a lonely yet wonderful dream.

A dazed light shone in both their eyes as they couldn’t help but swim closer, wanting to see the face of the singing mermaid who had her back to them.

A strange thing happened: no matter where they swam, all they could see was the mermaid’s back.

And the more they couldn’t see, the more obsessed they became, until they were circling the rock at high speed with the other fish, entranced by the song.

Day turned to night, and they had no idea how many times they had circled, still enjoying it endlessly.

With a soft “pa,” Ethan Brooks’s arm bumped into a plump silver fish, and for a moment, the gentle, lingering song faltered.

Ethan Brooks’s heart jolted, and he regained his senses for an instant, only to see a vast expanse of white around him—countless dead fish floating belly-up on the water. Sarah’s face was blank and foolish, still circling rapidly with the remaining fish.

The beautiful singing drifted into his ears again, full of a captivating magic, as if tempting him to keep swimming in this meaningless dance.