Despite the low underwater visibility and the complex topography filled with aquatic plants, making it difficult for fish to be detected by predators, the group of spiky Devil Fish was still unmistakably visible in the micro identification of the Data Visualization.
A stream of data, labels glided across the view, removing useless information like sea water temperature, brightness, sea water flow speed, and so on.
In the Data Visualization, not only were the locations of each Devil Fish labeled, but their outlines were also projected onto the retina.
Without rashly alarming these big fish, Aiven quietly returned to the surface. Treading water slowly beneath his feet, he gently adjusted the position of the raft, moving directly above the center of the Devil Fish group.
He took a light breath, then swiftly pushed four or five large stones loaded on the raft into the sea, quickly retrieved a long, thick iron plate and an iron rod from his backpack, and Aiven followed the stones back into the water.
Underwater.
The moment Aiven plunged into the water, he held the iron plate in one hand, tightly grasped the iron rod in the other, and with all his strength, struck them heavily together. The stones fell slower in water than in air, but sound waves travel much faster in water than in air.
"Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong..."
Almost simultaneously, the loud noise and the stones fell onto the heads of the Devil Fish.
Startled by the sudden "attack," the naturally timid Devil Fish's trailing spines instantly turned red, raised high, and shot out fiercely.
Their fins stirred the sea current, raising a cloud of sand from the seabed, and the group of Devil Fish vanished without a trace.
Floating on the surface, Aiven waited for the sand to completely settle before diving back to the seabed and indeed found three or four red spines quietly lying on the seabed. As for the others, who knows where they were fired off to.
Success!
Aiven was delighted; he initially just wanted to give it a try, not expecting such a crude tactic to actually fool them.
Acting directly, he effortlessly harvested two long and two short red spines.
As auxiliary materials for potion-making, although these spines are used sparingly, they are irreplaceable. Now with these acquisitions, there's no need to worry about shortages for the next few years.
"Since I'm already out at sea, I might as well gather the other materials needed for the Black Sea Potion. Most of the Black Sea Potion's ingredients can be found in the Black Sea region; hopefully, I'll have some harvest today."
Since he didn't open the shop in the morning, Aiven decided to spend the entire day here. He aimed to find the potion formula's bizarre components that are nearly impossible to buy in a pharmacy on his own.
So Aiven began to repeat the process of diving, observing, returning, changing places, and diving again. It must be said that the biodiversity in Leopold's sea area is quite rich. By the afternoon, he had found materials like the Blue Sea Star, unique seaweeds, and Black Sea Urchins.
The last main ingredient he was missing was... shark teeth.
This time, Aiven didn't encounter any sharks, and he wasn't too keen on meeting one, especially when alone on a raft...
Because in Leopold's waters, sharks are occasionally caught by fishing boats, and all he had to do was wait at the dock. Even if they aren't fresh, he could find some at places nearby where fish waste is discarded after processing, though those would be less effective.
The collection task was mostly complete.
However, to Aiven's surprise, there were quite a few "unexpected delights" while gathering ingredients: beautiful shells, a rusty copper key of unknown origin, and even a small red coral and several substandard pearls.
Though not worth much, they gave him a unique sense of satisfaction. In high spirits, Aiven seemed to be turning his herb-gathering trip into a treasure hunt.
Continuously searching, without realizing it, Aiven had already drifted far from the initial waters, and the color of the sea gradually deepened.
"Whew!"
Emerging empty-handed from the water, Aiven glanced at the slanting sun and decided to make one last dive, whether or not he found anything, he would head back.
Years of training with the Knight's Breathing Method allowed Aiven to hold his breath underwater much longer than ordinary people, enabling him to dive deeper. He could reach places no ordinary fisherman could.
Intent on testing his limits, clutching a stone, Aiven descended along the ever-elongating seabed until his vision gradually became limited, and he had to rely on Data Visualization to barely see before he stopped.
Even the Extraordinary power couldn't let Aiven stay underwater for too long, so he made the most of his time searching for possible "treasures."
Looking as far as the eye could see, even though sunlight was scarce here, apart from the seabed's reefs and gravel, there were still fish and crustaceans of various colors and shapes roaming among the rocks. The extraordinary world clearly fostered resilient life to match it.
"What's that?"
Soon, under the guidance of data visualization, Aiven discovered a shell in the crevices of the rocks, a shell larger than a pumpkin.
The shell was covered with various parasites, almost merging with the nearby rocks. Without the help of data visualization, Aiven wouldn't have noticed it, even if he passed right by.
He took the dagger strapped to his lower leg into his hand and inserted it into the shell's crevice, prying it forcefully. A soft pearly luster flowed out, one, two, three... A total of three sizable black pearls, one large and two smaller, were pried out with the dagger.
Although Aiven wasn't particularly knowledgeable about this era's jewelry, he had basic common sense. Even with the lowest estimation, these three stunning black pearls were worth at least one hundred Golden Lions.
Given the prices of this period, a six-year-old warhorse at its peak was worth no more than a hundred Golden Lions. For a knight, owning a robust warhorse was more prestigious than owning a mid-range sedan in the previous era.
Considering an ordinary person's income, a high-earning noble attendant typically earned three Silver Bulls per month, which could be converted into one Golden Lion.
It was imaginable how large this fortune was.
Suppressing his excitement, Aiven carefully placed the loot into the small pouch at his waist, discarded the stone, and prepared to surface again.
Lost in his euphoria, Aiven evidently forgot that he was in the perilous depths of the sea and not a well-serviced jewelry store.
His ascent was suddenly halted by a slight tightening around his ankle.
Aiven initially thought he was entangled by seaweed, but when he tried to pull away and couldn't, a chill ran down his spine.
Blub, blub...
Turning around, Aiven was horrified and almost let out his breath.
A gigantic octopus, its body resembling the red-brown rocks, had somehow stealthily approached Aiven. The thick tentacle over three meters long coiling around his ankle was a shocking sight.
In the face of this abrupt change, Aiven didn't struggle futilely like an ordinary person. His training since childhood taught him that panicking before a stronger enemy would seal his fate. It was true when facing a Ferocious Mountain Cat, and it was true today with the giant octopus.
The giant octopus was evidently impatient. After ensnaring its prey, the other tentacles anchored onto the rocks, slowly dragging Aiven downwards, intending to drown him in the deep sea before enjoying its feast.
In this critical moment, one escape strategy after another sprang to mind, only to be quickly dismissed.
But no matter how quick his thoughts were, they were no match for the deeply ingrained combat instincts of an Apprentice Knight. Driven by a powerful survival instinct, Aiven didn't resist the octopus's pull. Instead, he used this force to push off the rocks and launch himself downward.
He knew it was impossible to outrun this cunning predator underwater. The only chance for survival was to kill it! After all, it was just an enormous ordinary sea creature, not a Ferocious animal. The outcome was not yet determined.
The giant octopus, though intelligent, couldn't guess what Aiven was planning. Seeing him voluntarily approach, it opened its remaining tentacles wide, awaiting its prey to deliver itself before feasting with devouring joy.
Using the momentum, Aiven, now extremely close to the giant octopus, could see the terrifying beak-like mouth among its tentacles. Hesitating no longer, his strong legs kicked hard, accelerating his body again.
Before the octopus's outstretched tentacles could react, Aiven was already up close to its head, meeting the gaze of its two large yellow eyes.
The suction cups on its tentacles and the color spots under its skin were clearly visible.
With a slight smirk, Aiven's dagger unhesitatingly pierced between the octopus's eyes, targeting its neural center.
Gruh—
Ignoring the dying struggles of the flailing tentacles behind him, Aiven darted for the surface. If he waited another half-minute, he wouldn't need the octopus to eat him; he'd drown in the depths himself.
He burst out of the water and climbed onto the raft, carefully securing all his loot before grabbing the oar and paddling swiftly towards the beach as if escaping.
The ocean was perilous for someone like him; barely leaving the shallow waters had almost cost him his life. But Aiven firmly believed that one day, he would conquer the vast Black Sea and even explore the distant, more magnificent, and fantastical landscapes!