One of Us!

Karen looked at the golden retriever glaring hostilely toward the sea, then looked up at Kevin's puppet standing beside him and asked, "Kevin, can't your puppet talk?" Purr's puppet spoke up, "His can't." "Was that feature not included?" Karen asked, puzzled. "Yours can talk." Purr replied, "There's nothing wrong with the puppet. He just can't speak." "Can't speak?" "You can think of it as a restriction, or perhaps a curse." Karen shook his head. "But I've heard Kevin talk before—that one time." That time, Raniedal tried to seize the chance to reclaim his body, only to be caught right out of Karen's chest by the contingency Karen's grandfather had prepared in advance, after which Mr. Hoffen sealed him into the dog's body. "Probably because his state was different back then. Now the stupid dog has a physical body. When we got the puppets to test them out, he couldn't speak through the puppet at all." "Is that so? A curse laid down by some god?" Just then, Kevin turned his head to look at Karen. The bared fangs from earlier vanished, replaced by a goofy grin, and he trotted over to rub against Karen's leg. "What does 'fundamentalist Sea God cultist' mean?" Karen steered the conversation back on track. "Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof, woof!" "Kevin says it's the most primitive, purest method of advancement for followers of the Sea God Religion," Purr translated. "Because in their mythological narrative, the Sea God's original form was a sea beast. So to follow in their god's footsteps, believers undergo a transformation of their own bodies. In their eyes, only by doing this can they draw closer to the emotions of the ocean, sense the sea's might, attune themselves to the sea, and comprehend the true essence of the ocean espoused by the Sea God. From these eggshells, it looks like this batch of believers completed the transformation not long ago." Karen asked, "Was the Sea God like that too?" Outside Raniedal's third window, Karen had witnessed Raniedal slaughtering the Sea God. The Sea God's body had been colossal; whether it was the giant beast Dorons or the sea beast Aselos, both would appear petite before the body of the Sea God. "Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof, woof, woof!" "Kevin says yes and no," Purr said. "Because the Sea God shed his body several times. Even Kevin has never seen his original appearance or form. It's likely sealed away somewhere, or long lost, like a snake shedding its skin. The true Sea God Religion has already collapsed and splintered, much like the Light remnants today—it's nearly impossible for them to receive divine oracles from the God of Light anymore. It's even more so for the Sea God Religion, whose core lineage of faith was severed long ago. So reasonably speaking, for all these ages, this path for fundamentalist Sea God believers has been completely blocked off. Now they've reappeared and even completed their bodily transformations, meaning something has shifted. Against the grand backdrop of the gods' return, that one wants to return as well!" "Wasn't the Sea God already suppressed and killed?" Karen asked. "He can still return?" "Woof!" "What a god fears most isn't death, but... being forgotten." Karen nodded. "Alfred, how many eggs are there in total?" "Young Master, there are nine in total. One died inside, so eight must have hatched." "Will all eight look like this?" Karen asked Kevin. "Woof, woof!" "When they first hatch, yes. But after a few days, a layer of gel coats their bodies, making them look not much different from ordinary people." "Eight. So these eight took control of Wood's family and attacked Gendy's squad. What kind of strength do these hatchlings usually possess?" "Woof, woof!" "There's no specific measure. It's just a stage of progression, much like how the difference in strength between Inquisitors can sometimes be vast." "Alfred, go cut off that thing's head so we can bring it back for the captain to see. Be careful." "Yes, Young Master." Alfred slid down into the pit, pulled a dagger from his sleeve, sliced off the failed evolver's head, and climbed back up. Karen said, "I don't think there's any need to scout further. Let's head back and wait for the rendezvous." When they returned to the rendezvous point, none of the other three teams had returned yet. "When we fight later, will your puppets be a hindrance?" Karen asked. "A little," Purr nodded. "So we promise to keep our distance. If things take a bad turn, the stupid dog and I will ditch the puppets immediately and run. We won't be a burden." "Woof!" Evidently, Purr was worried Karen might make her and Kevin retreat into Aselos's belly ahead of time. "Know your limits," Karen cautioned, not insisting they take shelter first. The members of the three scouting teams returned one after another. Neo spotted the human head beside Alfred, reached out, picked it up, and turned it over in his hands. "A fundamentalist Sea God cultist?" "Captain, that thing is a believer of the Sea God Religion?" Fanny asked in bewilderment. "Yeah, it is." Neo went on to explain what it was, then turned his head to ask Karen, "How many eggshells were there?" "Nine. One got stuck in the egg and didn't make it out—the one in your hand." "Oh? That means eight Sea God cultists are active on this island." Karen was curious how the captain recognized it, but now wasn't the time to ask. He guessed it likely came from Mr. Philias's memories. Next, the teams pooled their intelligence. Smuggling ships were still docking to unload and load cargo as usual, and even the brothels in town were open for business. The docks, all normal; the town, all normal. There were no signs of outside invaders. Neo analyzed, "I suspect these eight Sea God cultists ended up on Corona Island due to an accident of some sort. The reason is simple: Corona Island is far too close to Wien, and Wien has always been part of the traditional sphere of influence of our Church of Order." Peige asked, "Wait, does our church have a feud with the Sea God Religion?" Neo glanced at Mr. Kevin... or rather, the golden retriever he was leading on a leash, and said: "The Sea God Religion fractured toward the end of the last era. Whether our church had a feud with them is pointless to dwell on now, since the orthodox Sea God Religion vanished long ago. As with the Church of Light, we can simply label them 'remnants.' The real issue is that incubating these eggs requires human blood sacrifices. At set intervals, fresh human blood must be smeared across the shells to ensure the life inside receives sufficient vitality. That sort of behavior is something our church cannot permit. Given a choice, who would commit murder right next door to a police station? "Combining that with the current situation on the island, I suspect they were indeed the ones who ambushed Gendy's squad. What they wanted was the cargo Gendy's squad was escorting. As far as I know, it was a shipment of imported natural mash, a specialty of the Berry religion. The Berry religion has an abysmal reputation and isn't allowed to preach in most places, but certain materials are genuinely needed, so they can't be traded openly. It had to be smuggled in through private channels, with a Whip of Order squad escorting the shipment. Natural mash might be exactly what they need right now. Given that one failed to hatch due to malnutrition, those that made it out of the other shells are likely malnourished as well. "However, when they launched the attack, they probably didn't know the escort was a Whip of Order squad. I don't think any faction would dare intentionally attack the Church of Order on Wien's home turf, especially at a time like this. After that, they took control of the mayor—Mr. Wood, who runs this smuggling island. I suspect they're holding Mr. Wood's wife and daughter hostage." Memphis spoke up, "They want to escape." "Yes. I believe that's their motive for controlling the mayor: to use his connections to quickly arrange an ocean-going vessel." Gray asked, "Captain, that doesn't add up. Shouldn't they have fled immediately? If there are only nine—no, eight of them—a small boat could leave right away." "Nine eggshells with eight hatched doesn't mean there are only eight people. Did those nine eggs form a group and drift across the sea here on their own? Someone had to haul them over. Besides, we only saw the hatched eggs; maybe others haven't reached their time yet. It's not that they don't want to leave immediately; they need a vessel large enough, fully stocked with supplies... and perhaps even living humans to serve as a blood bank. So for the next phase of our investigation—Karen, you know Mayor Wood, right?" "Yes." "Take your two friends and your manservant into town and try to make contact. The rest of you, come with me to comb through the docks again. Focus on damaged ships that have been moored for a long time without departing. Shouldn't be hard to find. Smuggling ports are all about fast turnarounds—ships don't like lingering, so long-term moorings are rare." "Captain, if I go make direct contact, what if I spook them?" "Even if you do, there's no helping it. We still don't know their exact numbers or strength. If we spook them early, we might still have time to pull off the island and call for reinforcements. Bottom line: go ahead and do what you need to. For all we know, they'll be the ones panicking. Their first instinct upon fleeing would definitely be to head for their original ship, which might give me a chance to set up an ambush." "Understood, Captain." "All right, let's move. Maintain contact via signal flare. Fanny, give them to Karen." Fanny handed Karen three signal flares, which he could fire from his spell pistol. "Firing one flare means the enemy is too strong and we need to retreat. Firing two or more means we can take them down and have the green light to go all out." "Understood, Captain." ... Even after nightfall, the town remained bustling. The people staying or working here neither lacked money nor hesitated to spend it; gold fueled the clamor. Karen and his group entered a tavern and took a private room on the second floor, positioned diagonally opposite Mr. Wood's office building. "Your captain really knows a lot," Purr said while eating. "And the way he assigns missions is pretty quirky too." "He's always like that, but it's always effective," Karen said, watching the office building. "One flare means retreat—only a brilliant commander could come up with a rule like that." Purr leaped onto the windowsill with a piece of dried fried fish in her mouth, then promptly spat it out. "Oh, someone's coming out." Two black-robed figures exited the office building and walked straight into the tavern. Soon after, each emerged carrying a large keg of liquor and left. Just then, another four or five black-robed figures emerged from the office building. When the two groups crossed paths, they exchanged a few words. Karen could see that both groups had bandages wrapped around their faces, exposing only their eyes. A moment later, those four or five black-robed figures walked out of the tavern, each carrying two large baskets of food. "The captain was right. There must be quite a few of them. The eggs in that pit might have just been one batch." "Want me to go in and scout?" Purr offered. Karen shook his head. "I'd better go myself." "I'm a cat. It's much easier for me. Who pays attention to a cat strolling along a windowsill?" "I'm not comfortable with that." "You care about me that much, little Karen?" "If something happens to you, we won't be able to summon Aselos when we retreat." "..." Purr had no reply. "Young Master, someone else is coming out. Just how many people are holed up in there? Aren't those food and drinks enough?" "They might have living captives inside. Alfred, come down with me." Karen stood up and laid his pistol and signal flares on the dining table. Purr gave him a nod, indicating she understood. Karen and Alfred then stepped out of the private room. ... "We are guests invited by the mayor. As for our identities, don't go poking around. Pointless curiosity can bring you big trouble." "Of course, of course, understood." The tavern owner apologized with an obsequious smile. He had made the mistake earlier of asking why it had been only them entering and leaving the office building over the past few days. "Is there any more liquor?" "Yes, yes, back in the storeroom. I'll fetch it right away." "Santos, wait here. I'm heading back first." "Understood, Boss." In the hallway at the base of the stairs, Santos was left standing alone while the owner went to the storeroom to haul out the liquor. Suddenly, Santos's body jerked, and his hands instinctively clutched his head. At the corner of the stairs, his eyes glowing red, Alfred said immediately, "Young Master, his willpower is too strong. I can't suppress him silently." Karen was somewhat surprised. Even an errand boy hauling goods could resist Alfred's mental domination? What level of strength did this entire group possess? Karen's form dissolved into black mist and drifted down the stairs, coalescing behind Santos. Caught up in resisting Alfred's mental attack, Santos showed no reaction to Karen's appearance. Karen reached out, pulled back the man's hood, and slashed the Sword of Arius across in a horizontal strike, decapitating him cleanly. The faintly crimson Dark Moon energy on the blade cauterized the wound, preventing any blood from spilling. Karen tossed the sword and head upward first, which Alfred caught, and then slung the corpse over his shoulder and ran upstairs as well. Before long, the tavern owner hauled out a keg of liquor. "Huh? Where did he go?" Having already changed into the black robe and wrapped his face with bandages, Karen walked down the stairs, hoisted the keg, and exited the tavern. ... "Incredible. I can't believe he could stomach the bandages from that man's face," Purr remarked through the window, watching Karen walk down the street toward the office building. Wrapping their faces in bandages truly wasn't meant to hide their identities; beneath the bandages were twisted, rotting faces. "During a mission, Young Master doesn't mind such things. I also wiped them down as best I could for him." "Fine, but this infiltration method is so cliché." "Young Master wants to confirm Mr. Wood and his family's whereabouts and safety first." "Uh-huh, I know." Purr's puppet began chambering signal flares into the firearm. "Young Master's gait seems a bit strange?" Alfred asked, puzzled. "Heh." Purr took a glance and laughed out loud. "The keg must be too heavy." ... The keg was too heavy. Without using spells to boost his strength, lugging this keg around purely on muscle power was genuinely difficult. Halfway there, Karen had to set the keg down to catch his breath. Just then, a pair of hands reached over and grabbed one side of the keg. Karen looked up to see someone also dressed in a black robe with a bandaged face. The person gave the keg a slight tug, and Karen took hold again. Lifting it together made it much easier. Is the team spirit in this group really this good? Everyone loves helping each other? But why didn't they even collect the body of the guy stuck in his eggshell? Karen noticed five or six more people in black robes and bandages walking down the street, all carrying kegs or food. Pushing open the front doors, Karen and the stranger carried the keg inside, with the others following behind. In the foyer behind the doors, two black-robed men leaned against the wall. As Karen's group passed by, one of them remarked, "Wait, didn't fewer people go out earlier?" The other black-robed man called out to Karen's group, "Hold on, you lot. Stop." All of a sudden, the black-robed men around Karen whipped out guns and blades from beneath their robes and lunged straight at the two guards. Blue armor instantly manifested over the two guards. The spell bullets and weapon strikes only knocked them back without taking them down, and the commotion immediately alerted the entire office building. "Boss, we're here to rescue you!" Karen heard the robed man carrying the keg with him shout—and in the very next breath, slash a blade straight at Karen without hesitation! Damn it! You guys are disguised too! Karen scrambled backward, dodging the strike. Right then, nearly ten black-robed figures rushed out from the upper floors, the basement, and other rooms on the ground floor, swiftly launching attacks on the intruders. The genuine black robes were formidably skilled. Coated in their Sea God's Armor, their offensive was ferocious, and the impostors were quickly cut down where they stood. They had succeeded in sneaking inside and launching a surprise attack, but they had overlooked the vast gap in strength between themselves and their opponents. Karen couldn't help marveling inwardly: the captain truly had foresight. These people were indeed exceptionally capable. Of course, if it were only the people before his eyes, Karen wouldn't have been particularly afraid. But when the clash began, he had sensed three potent wills sweeping down from upstairs. Above them were far more powerful beings. Having finished off the other impostors, the two gatekeepers stepped toward Karen, preparing to attack, since he had walked in alongside the impostors. Sea God's Armor instantly materialized across Karen's body. He said calmly, "One of us."