Shrouded Seascape

It was yet another day on the World's Crown, and Nene opened her eyes slowly on her bed. After washing up, she followed Donna out to work in the fields.

She had grown a bit taller—just a bit taller. The work in the fields was still a bit too strenuous for her, as she was still a child. The work was even more grueling considering how it was currently harvest season.

A tiny hill of half-ripe bananas was on the ground next to Nene. They had cut the bananas down and had been waiting for the governor's trucks to come and collect the bananas.

The bananas had somehow stopped growing when the death light disappeared; fortunately, Donna had completed her mission, and her efforts over this year hadn't been wasted.

Soon, several cars drove over, and soldiers alighted from the cars. Soon, the laborers got to work, loading Donna and Nene's bananas onto the trucks under the supervision of the soldiers.

"Here~ This is yours, a total of 2,460 Echoes." A slightly arrogant-sounding voice echoed, and a fair hand placed a stack of slightly worn paper bills in Donna's dirty hands, whose fingernails were filled with grime.

Donna seemed uncomfortable as she turned to the man in front of her. The man had braided red hair flowing down the back of his head.

"Mr. Registrar, isn't this a bit too little? According to our agreement, we are supposed to receive more." Donna pointed out.

The man cast a contemptuous gaze upon Donna. He was clearly looking down on Donna, as she was but a mere farmer.

"'A bit too little'? Why would a commoner need so much money? Also, it's not like we didn't leave you a portion of your harvest. Besides, haven't you read the newspapers? What time is it now? Have you still not heard of the news at the very least?"

The man drew a line on the notebook in his hand and turned to walk toward the passenger seat of the truck next to him.

"You are now working for the great Governor of Hope Island! He's a hero who is going to save mankind. We must support him unconditionally. If he fails and the sea level rises, you won't be alive to spend the money that we've given you, regardless of how much it is."

The car engines roared to life, and the cars' exhaust pipes belched out black, thick smoke, causing Nene to cough violently upon taking a whiff of the smoke.

Donna pulled her daughter back into the fields. Recalling the registrar's words, a hint of bitterness flashed in her eyes. "The death light is gone, but a more serious issue has come. Just what is going on in this world..."

"Mommy, what are you talking about?" Nene asked with a look of curiosity on her sweaty face. She knew nothing about the impending disaster, as Donna had refrained from telling her.

In fact, Donna herself wasn't really clear about the details. She had only heard it from her neighbors.

Apparently, the sea level was rising. The big shots above had gathered together to resolve the issue. It was said that they were going to a place called the "surface world" to find something. They just had to find it, and the world wouldn't be flooded.

The media outlets were saying that they would definitely find what they were looking for on the surface, but Donna did not believe them at all. She believed more in God Sparkle, who had already helped her many times.

Donna returned home and wiped away her sweat with a towel. Then, she pulled her daughter in front of Sparkle's portrait and prayed earnestly.

Nene hadn't been saying anything, but she was actually confused.

Why was Donna praying to Sparkle? Sparkle was clearly her friend, not some god.

Moreover, Donna had told Nene not to make any wishes to Sparkle. When Nene asked why, Donna had told her that wishes had to be used when it was absolutely necessary and could not be used casually.

Soon, Donna finished praying, and she opened her eyes to cast a fervent gaze at the crude portrait hanging on the wall.

Then, Donna prayed in her heart, God Sparkle, if all islands somehow end up sinking one day, please take my daughter away and ensure her survival. I'm sure it's just a trivial matter to you, and you can definitely do it...

The sinking of all islands throughout the Subterranean Sea was a catastrophe for humans, but a god could definitely ensure the survival of a single human being. Donna truly believed that God Sparkle could save her daughter by then.

Donna prayed some more, and once she was done, she took Nene's hand and walked toward a small alley in the harbor district, which contained a market for selling goods.

There were bananas at home now, but people couldn't eat just bananas alone.

The harbor district of the World's Crown was still bustling, but the people coming and going seemed to have gotten skinnier and haggard compared to before the death light's advent.

Donna walked up to a fish stall, which radiated an intense fishy smell. Donan inquired about the price and frowned upon hearing the response. "How come fish have gotten so expensive? It's not like it's black rye flour. There are fish everywhere in the sea, so how come they're so expensive?"

The fish vendor sitting beneath a portrait of Sparkle yawned lazily and retorted, "You make it sound so easy. If fish can truly be found everywhere in the sea, why don't you go and fish? What, you can't? Do you even have a boat?

"Do you even know where you can find schools of fish? How about the size of the net? Do you know which size is appropriate to capture what fish?"

Donna saw the fish vendor's smug eyes and pulled Nene away with a look of disdain.

"Hey, stop browsing! The prices have gone up. My fish are the freshest and cheapest in the market!"

Donna frowned and thought about their budget. Food prices were indeed soaring in price, so Donna knew that she had to be thorough and meticulous when it came to budgeting. Otherwise, they'd run out of money even before next year's harvest season.

Donna briefly entertained the thought of wishing for food from God Sparkle, but she instantly rejected the idea. It was absolutely not allowed, as her wish was for God Sparkle to save her daughter once Nene was in danger.

A question popped up in Donna's mind just then. Where had the food that they had painstakingly nurtured gone? How come all governors had a penchant for hoarding food rather than feeding their residents?

All of a sudden, Donna felt a hand reaching into her bosom and retracting quickly.

Oh no, my money! Donna exclaimed, her heart tightened instantly. The mere thought of losing a year's worth of hard-earned money in the blink of an eye made Donna feel cold all over. Her legs weakened, and she staggered, turning around with difficulty to shout at the pickpocket.

Before she could let loose a shrill cry, however, she noticed that her wallet was still in her bosom. The wallet hadn't disappeared, and Donna found a piece of paper next to the wallet.

It seemed that the "pickpocket" was a stuffer rather than a stealer.

Donna looked around and found too many passersby; Donna couldn't possibly find the culprit among them. Donna had on a strange expression as she pulled her daughter to a corner and took out the piece of paper from her bosom.

The piece of paper contained white text written on a black background.

Friends, I'm sure your governor has been saying that they are doing their best to resolve the rising sea levels, right? Also, they've been saying that they are working together to prevent that tragedy from befalling everyone, right?

No, they are lying. Trusting them is a big mistake. Rather than working together to prevent a tragedy, they're working together to deceive you! Mere mortals cannot possibly stop the return of the Great One!

Only by joining us—joining our Fhtagn Covenant—can you—

Donna didn't even bother reading any further. She tore the paper into pieces and threw it to the ground. Then, she pulled her daughter along with her to walk down the alley. "Fhtagn? I only believe in God Sparkle!"

Donna and Nene had just found themselves in front of a mollusk vendor when a gorgeous woman accompanied by several men and women walked past her from behind. She seemed invisible to everyone on the street, despite her outstanding appearance. Everyone dispersed instinctively, opening a path for her.

"Arandi, this place needs to produce a bit more food. Work harder; there are so many people rushing to Annarles Island. I'm afraid that we'll end up having not enough food for everyone."

The woman was none other than Anna, and she was all smiles as she strolled leisurely around her territory.

Arandi was the current Governor of the World's Crown, but his eyes were filled with a zealous light reminiscent of cultists as he stared at Anna with a flushed face.

"As you wish, Esteemed Governor! Your wish is my command! As long as it is within my ability, you can rest assured that I will do my best!"

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