Eddie's room was on the 15th floor. The Blake family had booked him the legendary presidential suite—proof that their collaboration was progressing smoothly.
There was no need for a keycard in the presidential suite. A dedicated attendant stood at the door, and after verifying his identity, opened it for him. Eddie stepped inside, ignoring the luxurious decor, and headed straight for the bedroom.
But just as he reached the doorway, a curvaceous woman appeared with a seductive smile!
Still tipsy, Eddie's mind was hazy. At the first sight of her, he thought he had entered the wrong room.
The woman was stunning—classic Western beauty with golden hair and fair skin. She wore sensual lingerie, her long legs wrapped in sheer black stockings, and her feet adorned with eight-centimeter peep-toe heels. Every movement exuded allure.
"I'm sorry, I might have..." Eddie began apologetically, but then he remembered Little Blake's lewd grin and the parting words: "I've prepared a special gift for you."
In an instant, everything made sense. He hadn't entered the wrong room at all.
The woman parted her lips sweetly and said, "Sir, your bath is ready. Will you be bathing alone, or shall I join you?"
As she spoke, she ran her pink tongue over her luscious lips, the gesture so provocative that Eddie felt an immediate physical reaction.
Eddie was no ascetic, no moral crusader, and certainly no saint. With a beauty like this before him, he would normally never let the opportunity slip by.
He didn't pretend women like her were dirty. Were actresses in showbiz any cleaner? Yet rich men still chased after them like moths to a flame.
But tonight was different.
Tonight, he had more important matters at hand. He couldn't risk exposing the secret of the "Heart of the Ocean," even slightly.
So, he asked the woman to leave.
Lying on the bed, Eddie clutched the ambergris-carved apple tightly in both hands, letting his consciousness drift back to the depths of the ocean surrounding Farewell Island.
As the consciousness of the Heart of the Ocean emerged, the sculpture warmed in his hands. His whole body relaxed as if soaking in a hot spring after a long day—utterly blissful.
After about a minute, the sensation faded, and Eddie realized that his oceanic awareness had sharpened. He could now move faster through the water, perceive life more sensitively, and see farther.
If before he moved like a pedestrian, now it was as if he was riding a bicycle—several times faster.
The surrounding fish seemed to notice something too. A school of Atlantic cod shimmered toward him, swimming joyfully within his sensory field.
As his awareness drifted, the cod followed close behind. More fish sensed the mysterious energy and joined in, forming a chaotic procession as they swam toward the coral zone.
The coral reef had expanded. The cup jellyfish was also growing. Eddie sensed it was about to divide, so he infused it with energy.
The jellyfish rapidly split. The original body stretched over six or seven meters, resembling a sea serpent. Nearby fish scattered in fear, while several colorful blue-spotted stingrays darted in.
These rays, known for their vibrant appearance, usually grew up to a meter long. These were juveniles, their bodies marked with large oval blue spots and striped tails swaying like flags.
With the Heart of the Ocean's awareness amplified, Eddie felt a surge of excitement. He swam around the coral zone, blending some of his energy into the water before heading northwest.
His goal was simple: expand the reach of his marine consciousness.
Countless fish were drawn toward him as he drifted aimlessly through the sea, revealing the ocean's rich biodiversity like never before.
After a while, he spotted over a dozen tiny turtles paddling toward him. The largest was only palm-sized, with sleek black shells dotted with golden specks.
Eddie recognized them instantly—Spotted Turtles, a rare North American species. Miniature and endearing, they'd become popular pets in recent years and were now under protection due to overhunting.
Without hesitation, Eddie channeled more divine energy to invigorate their fragile lives.
The turtles were hiding near a river estuary where the seawater was still clean enough to support them.
Eddie followed the river upstream, quickly realizing it flowed past his own fishery. Beyond it lay the Kambal Mountains.
Glacial waters from the mountains were pristine, and to his delight, the Heart of the Ocean absorbed energy from them with ease.
His awareness traveled higher until it reached a familiar small waterfall.
Where there was water, his marine consciousness faced no obstacles. Flowing upstream, he reached the top—where a furry head suddenly popped through the surface.
It was a little brown bear, blinking its beady black eyes as it searched around, seemingly aware of the energy but unable to pinpoint its source.
Eddie laughed. It was the same loud-voiced cub he and Creeper had encountered earlier that day.
But now, the cub looked worse for wear. Its eyes were dull, its fur dry and rough—obviously starving.
Eddie enveloped it in divine energy. Immediately, the cub's eyes brightened, and its vitality surged. It couldn't help but throw its head back and howl into the night sky: "Awoo! Awooo!"
Leaving the cub behind, Eddie continued upriver, gathering power from the snowy stream as he went.
All night long, he lingered in the creek, immersed in its rejuvenating waters.
By six in the morning, Eddie woke up refreshed, energized—and as vigorous as ever.
He stretched lazily, but a shower of dust and fragments scattered over the bedding.
Looking closely, Eddie realized it came from the ambergris sculpture—it had crumbled.
Clearly, the sculpture had contained energy that strengthened his marine consciousness. Once depleted, it turned into nothing but waste.