Shrouded Seascape

Margaret was soon seated on a sofa; the air of unfamiliarity shrouding her caused Charles to furrow his brows slightly.

A gaunt man in the shop was glancing around, his gaze filled with hints of lust. Upon noticing that Margaret was alone, he slowly slid toward her, and his hand darted out toward her chest with a predatory swiftness.

But before his hand could grasp Margaret's full bosom, a sharp grappling hook shot through the air and pierced the man's forearm with brutal precision.

"Ahhhhh!" the man screamed in agony as Charles dragged him out of the shop and onto the street.

Hearing the commotion, Margaret looked up. Her pupils were dilated, and her gaze unfocused as she let out a giggle.

Charles entered the shop once more, intending to help her up. However, several shadowy figures with red sashes on their shoulders materialized in front of him and blocked his path.

Margaret had her own guards; even if Charles had not intervened earlier, the pervert would have met a grim fate regardless.

"Charles," Margaret called as she stood up unsteadily. "Long time no see. What happened to your eyes and face?"

"Stop taking this stuff; it's bad for you."

"Bad? I think it's quite nice," Margaret retorted. She closed the gap between them and lifted a hand to caress Charles' face gently.

Staring at the scar that ran across her face, a hint of sadness surfaced in Charles' eyes.

"I have sent my men for expeditions, and the losses have been substantial. Yet, you have survived all these years of exploration. Frankly, I'm quite impressed," Margaret remarked.

"Margaret, I'm still of the same opinion. You need not join the expedition. As a governor, you should go back down to Whereto and stabilize your island. That's for the benefit of everyone."

"Is that so? Then why aren't you going down?" Margaret swayed unsteadily, looking as if she might collapse at any moment.

"Because I'm an exceptional explorer, and it's far more meaningful for me to be up here than down there. If no one takes the lead, the others will think that they're merely cannon fodder. Besides, my wife, Anna, can stabilize things on the island."

At the mention of his wife, Anna, Margaret's long eyelashes quivered slightly. Her voice rose a notch sharper as she lashed out, "Wife? You actually call that man-eating monster your wife? You're utterly out of your mind!"

"Looking at you now, I prefer the you from before," Charles commented.

Margaret burst into laughter for a brief moment before her expression turned cold, asking, "Who do you think you are, my father?"

Perched on Charles' shoulder, Lily couldn't stay silent any longer. Her voice was filled with indignation as she retorted, "How can you say that?! Mr. Charles clearly cares about you!"

Margaret let out a snort. "I don't need his concern! Governor Charles, you should focus on finding the darkness. If we don't find it, everyone will perish. But... that might not be such a bad thing, after all."

Charles gave no response. He gently cradled Lily in his hand while stroking the fur on her back before turning around to leave.

Watching Charles's retreating figure, Margaret clenched her ivory teeth as her chest heaved with suppressed emotions. After a while, she turned and left the shop, making her way to her residence. Though the room was small, it was located in the basement and offered excellent seclusion.

As soon as she sat down, the water in the cup beside her began to bubble violently.

"What are you doing?!" a hoarse voice that sounded as if obstructed by phlegm erupted from the water. "That was a perfect opportunity. Why didn't you take action!"

"Assassinate him within the Colossal Hole Fortress itself? Sorry, but putting the slim chances of success aside, even if I managed to kill Charles, I have no plans to trade my own life for his life. The island right beneath the Fortress is his as well," Margaret retorted, her voice laced with apparent annoyance.

The bubbling in the water eased slightly as the voice said, "You must do something. As soon as Charles is dead, we can make bigger moves down below. More of those who are undecided will then be swayed to accept the Great One's embrace."

"I'll try my best, but Charles has grown significantly stronger. He's probably at Level 10 now. With just my men, there's a good chance he'll be able to escape. I need all the men you can gather for the ambush."

The water went still for a couple of moments before it started bubbling once more. "I'll send the other undercover agents to assist you. Time is of the essence; you need to make a move soon! What if he truly manages to retrieve the darkness? In that case, the Great One will not be able to return!"

Margaret reached for the cup of water and lifted it to her eye level. "You haven't forgotten our promise, have you? On the day when the sea swallows all islands, you will turn everyone on Whereto into Deep Dwellers."

"Yes. As long as you fulfill your side of the agreement, we'll keep our word! We swear this upon the name of the Great One!"

***

On a bustling street, Charles strolled slowly with Lily as he reflected on his conversation with Margaret earlier. He felt that perhaps he could have done something for her, but upon reflecting deeper, he realized that he could do nothing at all.

Lily burrowed her furry head between Charles' fingers before looking up toward his chin and complained, "Mr. Charles, there's nothing fun on this street. It's so boring."

They weren't in the residential area. The shops on this street were catered for explorers and naturally offered goods and services appealing to the outlaws and not to Lily, like gun shops, brothels, casinos, and other vices.

Charles wandered over to a nearby shop selling cigarettes, which also had a small beverage stand in front.

"I'll have one cup," Charles ordered. He didn't even ask what they were selling and placed an order directly.

"Just a moment," the muscular woman with a brass nose ring replied. She pulled out a black, elongated fruit that resembled a bitter melon. Then, she scooped out the light purple insides onto a plate in front of Charles.

Next, the "bitter melon" rind was stuffed into a juicer. Lily's eyes widened in astonishment as a white juice was produced from the dark rind.

"Hey bud, is this mouse from the Explorers Association, too?" the nose-ringed vendor asked while pointing at Lily.

"You could say so," Charles answered nonchalantly. He scooped up a piece of the light purple flesh with a tin spoon and popped it into his mouth. The fruit didn't have much flesh, but it was sweet and pleasant, much to Charles' liking.

As Charles enjoyed the fruit, he observed the explorers going about their businesses on the street. Moving in groups, they entered various establishments, and there wasn't a single trace of sorrow on their faces.

"Everyone looks rather relaxed," Charles muttered to himself.

"Here you go!" The vendor handed Charles a cup of juice. "Why would these creatures be tense? They're too busy being happy. The Explorers Association covers all their expenses—liquor, fine dining, women, Comfort Fruits, and hallucinogenic mushrooms.

"The best of the entire Subterranean Sea has been sent up here to be at their disposal. They have everything they desire here."

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