Chapter 5 Strange Fish

"Soldiers, maintain order! Bring over the fisherman who caught the strange fish. Everyone else, clear the way. Your lord is here."

Connor gave a simple order, and the sheriff of the port shouted and dispersed the crowd. The soldiers tried to stand up straight and make their old armor look as shiny as possible.

People dispersed in a noisy manner. This place was remote and Hughes' predecessor had rarely left the manor. The people's disgust and fear were more towards the tax collectors, and they were more curious about Hughes, the nominal lord.

Facing these gazes filled with curiosity and fear, Hughes dismounted and walked forward. In the center of the crowd, there seemed to be a large black mass on the ground.

It was too far away to see clearly what it was. Zeus only felt that it seemed to be still wriggling, and at the same time an uncomfortable feeling was slowly enveloping his heart.

Slippery and slimy, like trying to catch an eel wriggling on a chopping board.

Hughes followed the crowd and walked closer, looking up and down at the things in front of him.

It was a mass of rotten flesh that kept twisting and wriggling.

The fishy smell was like a fly that got into the nose, loudly proclaiming its presence every second. The limp limbs were covered with swollen, white exposed flesh, like blisters burned by boiling water, or swollen, pus-oozing wounds.

It was like a balloon that was about to burst, and the pus in the body was about to explode at any moment.

And this "balloon" is as big as a horse.

Now Hughes understood why the fishermen called it a monster. He also felt that nothing other than monster could describe this pile of rotten meat. He would rather call it a swollen monster than a strange fish.

Zeus suppressed his nausea and turned to look at the butler, only to find that he still looked calm and composed.

Feeling Xius's gaze, the butler stepped forward and whispered:

"Master, this is the kind of monster that can occasionally be seen in the deep sea far from the mainland. It floats on the surface of the sea, but it usually doesn't live long before its flesh and blood bursts open and it quickly decays."

Xius frowned and said vaguely, "Probably not."

"No, it is safe. This strange fish is not dangerous and brings nothing but disgust. It is not aggressive. Sailors often wonder how it survives in this world."

How did they survive in this world? This question was meaningless. Since this monster was harmless, we should just ignore it.

Having said that, it was the first time that Zeus saw it, and he looked at the monster with interest.

Indeed, it had difficulty moving. Even as a marine creature, it did not look like it could move in the water, and its swollen and twisted limbs did not seem to be of any use.

So how did it evolve into this?

It seems ridiculous to talk about evolution after traveling through time. Perhaps there is no theory of evolution in this world. Perhaps all creatures in this world were created directly by gods. Perhaps this monster is a creation of magic. But as a Blue Star native and an engineer, Zeus is still subconsciously analyzing the way the monster in front of him lives.

Even the imaginary Godzilla had legs for moving forward and teeth for tearing apart its enemies. Was the monster before him really just a meaningless, inexplicable twisted creation? Hughes frowned, endured the feeling of nausea and observed the rotten meat in front of him. Slowly, a strange sense of familiarity emerged in his heart.

Familiarity? Strange, this extremely ugly and disgusting creature, he seemed to have some impression of it?

Why do I feel like I have seen similar creatures in my previous life?

Swollen limbs. Disgusting appearance. Suddenly, an idea flashed in Zeus' mind, and the chaotic and vague thoughts combined into a clear answer.

"This is a fish from the deep sea." Xius said.

"Fish from the deep sea?" The crowd that was originally whispering fell silent, and even the monster's painful struggle seemed to stop.

"Yes, they originally lived in the deepest ocean, where there is huge water pressure, so they also need huge pressure in their bodies to balance. Once they come to the surface or shallow sea, the pressure in their bodies will turn them into this kind of monster."

"Look at the swollen limbs and bulging flesh. This is the reason for the sudden change in pressure. They are just ordinary fish in the deep sea. Well, ordinary big fish. It's only when they come to a different environment that they become so ugly and terrifying."

He had seen similar photos of deep-sea fish in his previous life. They were creatures called blobfish, and had once been voted the ugliest creatures in the world. They looked disgusting and ugly - but that was on land.

The blobfish in the deep sea looks like a completely normal fish. Not only does it lose its swollen appearance, it also becomes black, looking exactly like an ordinary fish.

The more Zeus spoke, the smoother his words became. He organized the little inspiration in his mind into a complete idea. He excitedly said to the fishermen around him, "We will also become horrible and disgusting in the deep sea. The wood there will be as hard as steel under the pressure of water. The monster in front of you is normal in its environment. That's why this kind of strange fish can only be found in the deep sea."

The people around were talking about it in amazement. They were all ignorant fishermen who had lived on boats all their lives. To them, Zeus was no different from the high and mighty king. So they accepted his statement with awe and agreed that it was just an ordinary fish - as for the part about water pressure, it was hard to say how much they could understand.

The butler beside Xius stood there in a daze, and for the first time, shock and thought appeared on his calm face.

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He had actually seen some deep-sea fish. The ugliness and weirdness of deep-sea fish had always been feared by sailors, who believed that this was some kind of divine punishment. He also had a vague understanding of the concept of water pressure. When snorkeling in the sea, the deeper he dived, the more he felt his whole body was squeezed. That might be the so-called "water pressure."

But is this "water pressure" really so strong that it can turn wood into steel? He has only heard of such miracles in church.

If water can do this kind of thing, then can humans also find a way to use water? Butler Connor showed struggle and confusion on his face, as if some shackles were crumbling.

Hughes smiled. He was not afraid of opposition and questioning. Doubt was never the opposite of truth, but its component.

"This is what I saw in the Royal Library. I have read many books and know many things. This knowledge is extremely valuable, but I will tell you all about it. In my territory, knowledge will never be shelved!"

The surrounding fishermen began to cheer, and the soldiers and sheriffs saluted. They did not quite understand the use of this knowledge, nor did they know what this sharing represented. They just subconsciously praised the lord's generosity.

Hughes responded to people's enthusiasm with a smile. He actually wanted to say more. He planned to build schools and open factories on this island, so that the torrent of iron and fire would sweep across the world.

But that is all a matter for the future. Now he is just an ordinary lord, and any force around him can crush him to death like a bug.

What's more, he was killed by the church in his previous life. Thinking of that mechanical figure, Zeus' smile became a little gloomy.

In a corner where no one noticed, the strange fish suddenly twitched.

(End of this chapter)