Shrouded Seascape

Charles lifted the cup and took a sip. Surprisingly, the juice tasted pretty pleasant. Despite having the appearance of a bitter melon, it was not bitter at all; instead, it was a perfect balance of sour and sweet.

He lifted Lily up to the rim of the cup, and the small mouse eagerly lapped at the juice.

"True, those folks have always been living life on the edge. They are unfazed by death," Charles remarked.

The vendor then leaned in closer and whispered, "There's another point you shouldn't forget. Before, they were the only ones constantly under the threat of death. But now, everyone in the Subterranean Sea shares the same predicament as them; they feel a greater sense of equity now."

Charles let out a chuckle and responded in Chinese, "Bù huàn guǎ ér huàn bù jūn a."[1]

"What did you say?" the vendor asked, feeling rather puzzled.

"Nothing. Give me another cup, please. Both my mouse and I had enjoyed the drink," Charles replied as he downed the last of the juice in his cup.

Charles savored this rare moment of peace. However, it didn't last for long as a commotion from the direction of the Colossal Hole Fortress's entrance broke the calm.

Perhaps the others have made a discovery? Charles was slightly startled.

"How much is it?" Charles asked as he stood up; he was going to head over to investigate.

"It's free," the vendor replied, waving her hand dismissively. "Didn't I tell you? Everything here is free. The Explorers Association covers all expenses. If you like it, feel free to come back for another cup anytime."

The vendor then reached out a hand to pet Lily, but the latter dodged her hand.

Readily accepting the goodwill, Charles dashed forward and shot his grappling hook into the air to catch the rooftop opposite. As the chain retracted, he propelled himself onto the rooftop and spotted an amphibious steamship entering through the main gates. There was also a writhing, bound creature on its deck.

Charles pushed off against the ground with his feet and leaped toward the direction of the ship.

Soon, Charles landed squarely on the ship's deck. He directly approached the pregnant captain and asked, "Where did this thing come from?"

"We found it six hundred kilometers to the west, Governor. This creature doesn’t seem to be from the surface; I noticed the Hope Island's Navy emblem on it,” the captain replied.

"Hope Island's Navy emblem?" Charles reiterated before he scrutinized the creature more closely.

The bizarre creature was a grotesque amalgamation of machinery and flesh. Upon closer inspection, it vaguely resembled a primitive propeller plane, though parts of it had been fused with flesh. The pilot's head appeared to have been liquified, with its original facial features now smeared across the plane's exterior.

The triangular mouth still constantly muttered incomprehensible words, forming a horrifying sight to onlookers.

Wait! The first time we came to the surface, one of the scouting helicopters didn't return. Could this be him?!

Charles made swift contact with the Hope Island Navy through telegram and confirmed that this was indeed the missing aircraft.

"Governor, he seems to have lost his sanity. But the word 'darkness' was being picked up amongst all his disjointed words," the pregnant captain reported.

A flicker of excitement stirred in Charles. It had been over a year since they had first ascended to the surface. It was plausible that the missing scout had been wandering around all this time and had indeed encountered the darkness.

Charles dashed toward the amalgamation and shouted, "Soldier! This is Charles, can you hear me?!"

Charles reiterated several times before the creature finally responded, "I... I want to go home... No.... It hurts... Mommy..."

"Governor, it reacts to questions, but normal communication is probably beyond its capability now. I think we need some kind of relic that can probe into its memories," the pregnant captain suggested as she rubbed her belly.

"There's no need for a relic. I have someone who can do the job."

Soon, Sparkle teleported Anna over. However, Sparkle still showed visible resistance against the surface. She displayed that resistance even when using her powers to teleport her mother over.

Anna's finger came into contact with the creature, and her elegant brows furrowed slowly. "He seems to have encountered some very unfortunate events on the surface. Poor thing."

"Is there anything useful in his memories?" Charles asked, his voice laced with anxiety.

"Be patient, and let me have a look first. This poor thing is in quite a mess; it's probably missing half its soul, too," Anna said and closed her eyes.

The explorers on respite slowly gather around the amphibious steamship. Their sixth sense was telling them that a significant discovery was about to be unveiled, and the atmosphere gradually tightened with anticipation.

Under the watchful eyes of the gathered crowd, Anna's eyes opened once more. She turned around and flashed a captivating smile toward everyone on the ground.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are in luck," she announced. "This guy's memories contain clues about the darkness. It lies to the west and has transformed into an entire sea!"

Upon hearing the news, everyone erupted into cheers. Some even let out bursts of laughter as they threw their hats into the air. No one wanted to die, and finding the darkness meant the survival of the masses. Moreover, it meant that they could get rewards and islands!

Instantly, a festive mood descended upon the Colossal Hole Fortress. Joy painted everyone's faces as various transport vehicles began heading west. The number of departures was so great that it caused a temporary traffic jam.

If it had been mere guesswork earlier when the god of the Haikors claimed that the darkness was in the west, they now had tangible evidence and could say with a hundred percent certainty that the lost darkness of the Subterranean Sea was located in that direction.

"Where exactly is the darkness located?" Charles pressed for details.

Anna shook her head. "I'm not sure. His memories are fragmented and there weren't any landmarks. I only managed to deduce the direction based on the helicopter's compass. He was heading west.

"Why? Are you feeling the itch to rush out and seek death again?" Anna teased. A smirk played on her lips as she observed Charles' excitement.

"Cars have limited mileage; they can't explore that far. We are lacking in amphibious steamships too. And the Narwhale being one, can go much farther and—"

Before Charles could complete his sentence, Anna placed a palm against his lips. "No need to explain anything to me. You're the head of the family; do as you wish."

Charles planted a gentle kiss on Anna's soft and delicate fingers before turning and leaping off the deck. "My dear, thank you so much! I'll have to trouble you to take care of things down there."

Anna rested her hands on the ship's railings as she watched Charles slowly disappear from her view. After a long moment, she let out a deep sigh and said, "So what if we find the darkness? We would still have to live at the mercy of the Divinities. I can't help but feel resentful."

After Charles quickly reported his exploration coordinates to the Explorers Association, the Narwhale set off immediately.

Though their respite had been cut short, the crew didn't complain, especially now that they had concrete clues about the location of the darkness.

As the Narwhale steered out of the giant gates of the fortress, a pair of visible eyes leaped down from a rooftop and whispered something in Margaret's ear.

Margaret nodded slightly and stood up to face the several explorer captains seated in front of her. They varied in age and appearance, but their presence here signaled their unified purpose.

Among them, the three kings of Sottom were present; holding a plush toy in her hands, a cruel, cold smirk appeared on 134's face.

"The Governor of Hope Island has set off. It's time for us to move," Margaret announced.

1. It's not the scarcity but the uneven distribution that troubles people. ☜

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