Pioneer of the Abyss - Book 3 - Chapter 5 (Patreon)

For those of you who are reading this on a website that is not Patreon, please stop. You're reading a pirated version. Instead, if you would be so kind, please click on the table of contents link below and go to my Patreon instead. Or even read it off of Royal Road, which is free.

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Table of Contents

By the way, I finished moving into my new house. I'm just dealing with everything I have to deal with for the new house now. Like filling it with furniture for example.

Click the following link for the 1331 word chapter 5:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ril8MBa-FgW4PtfZju5M7kLn9Ordo66Z83vLOP58edk/edit?usp=sharing

Or you can read the unformatted version below:

Aqua

What I find when I reach the planet is rather awe-inspiring. Especially for me, who hasn’t been in outer space for a very long time. The last of which being a school field trip.

The planet of Kanal is enormous. Larger than any planet I’ve ever seen in my life.

It’s not just that I find awe-inspiring, though. What’s also awe-inspiring are the space stations scattered around the outside of the planet. Many of which have elevators that lead down to the surface waters.

The dangers of the deeper waters aside, there isn’t much danger closer to the surface. Simply because of the highly advanced security technology used by the people on the planet. Technology that can easily wipe out the monsters that get anywhere near the surface.

Of course, that’s just the monsters that get close to the surface. There are plenty of areas deep down in the ocean that destroy a lot of larger technologies just from being down there. Whether due to the water pressure or some sort of energy in the water.

And, something potentially even more important than that, if they go firing off some incredibly powerful blast designed to go deep down into the water, there’s a good chance it’ll cause damage to the cities themselves. Not to mention the people living in them.

So they aren’t going to blast those weapons just to kill some deeper ocean monsters when it’ll end up massacring their own people.

Especially when those deep ocean monsters rarely come to the surface.

Most never come to the surface, in fact.

They can’t even evacuate the cities to kill the deep ocean monsters because the planet makes most of its income through fishing and tourists. Since ocean planets, from what I researched on the way here, are always incredibly popular tourist spots.

And they can’t really go telling all of the incredibly rich tourists on their planets to just up and leave so that they can blow fish up, potentially with some of the cities said rich people invested in along with them.

I can tell just how many tourists there are here simply by looking out the window at the enormous number of ships coming and going from the space stations. Which is quite a sight to behold.

Our ship takes a different path, heading straight towards what looks like a private hangar within the largest station. And when we enter the hangar, I find a lot of people just gathered in a large grid saluting towards our ship through the ship’s windows.

What the heck…?

I glance at Vir, only to find him just as straight-faced as always before I return my attention to the people waiting in the hangar. Then I eventually just shrug and head towards the currently-opening ramp that is slowly extending down to touch the ground beneath this ship. But, unlike the cheers that I heard in the last large ship I entered, this one is dead silent. Just with all of the people saluting.

The hundreds of people in the massive grid all look stern but excited at the same time, with many of them glancing at me despite trying to look extremely serious. Meanwhile there are a few people standing stiffly at the front of them all who look directly at me as they shout, “Attention!”

Everyone in the hangar loses any of their previous excitement – outwardly at least – before they stiffen up and fix any issues with their posture.

“Welcome Aqua Azuranth to Kanal!”

My eyes widen at the loud shout echoing from every corner of the hangar from every last person in here.

Holy shit…

They really pulled this many people here just to welcome me…? And how did they even know I was coming here? Did Rhett or Mom tell them?

One of them probably did.

Why are they here anyway?

The people in the grid put their salutes down to clasp their hands behind their backs. And the people in front step forwards, making their way over to me before they stop again.

“It is an honor to welcome you to Kanal, Lady Azuranth. My name is Lana Dectov, and I am the Chairwoman leading the Board of Kanal,” the woman at the center of the trio declares with a smile forming on her face. “You likely don’t realize the aid you will be giving us in dealing with the monsters deep under the waters. Or the promotion your livestreams will bring us. But we thank you regardless.”

Oh. That explains it all.

It’s interesting how they’re doing this fancy greeting even without me livestreaming it.

I’d understand if they did this just for publicity hoping I would livestream it, but I’m not livestreaming, and they’re still doing this. Which means they likely genuinely mean to thank me.

Which is nice.

I look behind the three at the large grid of people before I glance at the two people on the side of the chairwoman. One of whom is a gruff looking man and the other an apathetic looking man.

“Welcome, Aqua,” the gruff man says. “My name is Bernard Holva. The Supreme Commander of the Security Board here in Kana. If anyone bothers you during your time here, just tell me and I’ll deal with them.”

A faint smile forms on my face as this guy’s image reminds me strongly of a certain cranky grandmother that is left running a mall that used to be her convenience store.

The type who acts grumpy and cranky all the time but is actually a softy inside and cares.

I think there was a word for it on one of these planets, but I don’t remember what it was.

On that note, I didn’t think about it before, but his words just reminded me that people bothering me could genuinely become a problem. Since I’ll be livestreaming from time to time while I’m here.

It wasn’t a problem on Oceana, since Oceana was blocked off from the rest of the Alliance. Making it so that none of my viewers could actually come see me in person. But now it is a genuine potential problem.

After all, there’s nothing stopping people from going straight to where I livestream.

Well, unless I’m like ten thousand meters deep into the water. Then they might have some issues getting down there.

I turn my focus onto the last of the three as she introduces herself with just a few words, claiming to be in charge of the financial board here on Kanal. She also mentions that I can go ask her for assistance if I need any aid dealing with local businesses or living space problems.

Like getting a hotel to stay at for example.

“Your assistance is appreciated,” I tell them with a smile, genuinely meaning it when I say that.

Free help when dealing with nuisances is always welcome.

After our initial introduction, the chairwoman turns to indicate the large grid of people behind her as she says, “These people are all staff and crew spread across Kanal who wished to welcome you upon your arrival. We couldn’t fit even a fraction of them in here, so we just chose the people with the highest positions on our planet.”

Oh. That’s why there are so many people here who actually seem excited to see me.

On a side note, what about the people who were left out and unable to arrive?

I think on that for a moment before just shrugging.

Meh. Whatever.

“Let me show you to your accommodations, then Bernard can explain the different layers of the ocean and what monsters appear in them,” the chairwoman says before I begin following her through a large path that suddenly splits open between the people in the grid.

Nice. More conveniences.

I couldn’t find as much detail about the different sections of the ocean here as I would like. So this will be very helpful.

Wait, accommodations?

What accommodations?