Ashes Of Deep Sea
Chapter 607 - Chapter 607 Chapter 606 Bewitchment

Chapter 607: Chapter 606: Bewitchment Chapter 607: Chapter 606: Bewitchment Richard believed, at least in that second, that half of the people in the assembly hall were just as perplexed as he had been initially.

The other half had already roughly heard about this matter.

The “crown” of bones on the high platform emitted a clicking sound once more, the brain within the crown cage pulsating and extending its thoughts to every cultist present:

“Yes, she indeed used brute force to wield the Abyssal Hound as a weapon, an act so bizarre it seems somewhat ludicrous, yet do not underestimate or be careless, this power far exceeds your imagination. Moreover, she possesses even more peculiar traits.

“In our most recent operation, this heretic made an appearance as well, directly leading to severe damage to our ‘ally’. Current clues indicate that this heretic can resist the mental power of the Scions of the Sun, and her inner nature might have shifted away from humanity, or she might have already offered her soul to a higher Transcendent being–

“She summoned a kind of green flame and burned our allies with it, these flames are extremely dangerous, and this type of flame has also appeared before in Pland and Frost. Current intelligence suggests these perilous flames originate from that dreadful Ghost Ship.

“She is a follower of that Ghost Ship captain.”

The Saint paused, not mentioning the name of the Ghost Ship or its captain, but as his voice fell, a slight disturbance rippled through the entire hall, with annihilation cultists whispering among themselves. In their cautious, suppressed, hurried conversations, a series of veiled references were cautiously brought up, an invisible tension spreading throughout the gathering.

Richard breathed a sigh of relief–at least this time, most people’s attention had shifted elsewhere.

After a brief pause, the Saint on the platform continued, “Everyone present knows what happened in Frost–we encountered a major setback there, another Saint martyred in the flames, and we still cannot ascertain the full extent of that failure. ‘His’ power almost erased everything related to the Saint from the Frost region, including our brethren from the church, and the divine origins in the deep sea;

“In Pland, the same ‘erasure’ occurred: fire consumed everything, including both the Scions of the Sun and the ‘remnants’. None associated with the event survived ‘his’ retaliation, the entire City-State was locked down, then cleansed, as intelligence was cut off, and those who knew disappeared in the grind of historical dislocation, then the deep-sea false gods’ church took over everything…

“Under such thorough ‘cleansing’, very few pieces of intelligence could escape. We have spent a long time investigating the initial truth, only to confirm, it was that ship and its master who took action… That shadow, returned from Subspace, now stands against us.

“And now, we can confirm, ‘he’ has acted again, his followers directly causing significant losses in our recent operations.

“And there are more than one of his followers.”

The hall had now completely quieted down, an unusual tension hanging over everyone’s heads, the Saint maneuvering those black bones beneath his body. Under his control, the airborne light-and-shadow illusions began to change, the girl in a black dress transforming into another person–a widely known “Sea Witch,” Lucrezia Abnormal.

“What you saw just now was that heretic, possessing great power and a sinisterly peculiar modus operandi, but she is just one of the followers of that Ghost Ship captain, and certainly not the most powerful. Current evidence shows that the ‘Sea Witch’ has also returned to her father’s command…”

A buzzing noise rose in the hall, cultists whispering to each other, discussing the news lately circulated within the sect, while the Saint on the platform quieted down, slowly swaying those long stalks of eyes, watching the followers in the hall.

After what seemed like ages, a voice finally broke the silence, near the platform, a somewhat hoarse voice, “Saint, we recently received news that that fleet has been rebuilt, it seems…”

“It seems the news is true,” replied the Saint’s voice in everyone’s minds, “and there may be even more ‘followers’ emerging in that Dreamscape, but for now, the only ones we have clear information on are just these two–”

The air’s illusions shifted, the images of the “Sea Witch” and the black-dressed girl alternating in the projection.

“Lucrezia, the witch, mastering various witchcrafts and Curse powers, highly knowledgeable in the Transcendent realm, she has a powerful retinue and a likewise powerful Ghost Ship–The Dream of the Nameless might weaken her power to some extent, she probably cannot bring that Ghost Ship and her army of servants into the Dreamscape, but even faced only with her alone, you must remain highly vigilant.

“The heretic claiming to be ‘Sara’ likely uses a pseudonym, appears very young, but this appearance might also be fake, possesses monstrous strength, an abnormal Demon Contractor, confirmed to be at least immune to mental contamination from the Scions of the Sun. Additionally, beyond what’s already known, this heretic has another extremely abnormal trait I am about to address–

“The Abyssal Hound accompanying her possesses intellect and communicative abilities.”

Instantly, the hall was again filled with turmoil, this time the discussions rising from all directions were even more numerous and widespread.

A rational Profound Demon?!

If these words hadn’t come from The Saint himself, the first reaction of the cultists present would have likely been–where did such nonsensical words come from!?

Richard stood silently among his peers, having anticipated this situation.

Had he not personally experienced that incredible scene, he would never have believed that an Abyssal Hound could speak human language, could communicate with him rationally–although the process was far from pleasant.

“The Saint, are you speaking the truth?” a cultist couldn’t help but look towards the high platform, boldly asking, “A rational Profound Demon?”

“Incredible, but the evidence is conclusive,” the pile of bones on the high platform slowly writhed, its surface enshrouded by a cage of bones, now shimmering with a faint light, seemingly a response charged with emotion, “Therefore, we must pay more attention to this special Abyssal Hound and its Contractor.”

The Saint raised his eyestalks, and unwittingly, his tone seemed to carry an uplifting force.

“The intervention of the Ghost Ship captain is a challenge for us. I will not conceal this danger from my peers, yet from the very beginning, our mission was destined to be fraught with peril. We cannot retreat, nor will we choose to. Our operations in The Dream of the Nameless will continue, and hence we will inevitably confront ‘his’ followers again.

“These ‘followers’ are strong, but not as strong as their master, and they are few in number. With proper preparation, these ‘followers’ are not undefeatable.

“Now, we have confirmed that at least one ‘follower’ carries crucial secrets–the rational Abyssal Hound. It is a mystery on our path to uncovering the truth, perhaps holding the final puzzle piece in our ascension.

“Find the one who claims to be ‘Sara,’ spare no cost, capture her and her demon–brethren, the task is arduous, full of danger, but believe me, it is worth your efforts. The path to pure ascension has finally revealed its true form to us, and the tough challenges are the proof of this path’s correctness.

“Brethren, don’t worry, we don’t need to confront the captain directly; we just need to find his followers, which is feasible… and once our mission is finally complete, once the era transition concludes, even the Ghost Ship captain will no longer be a threat to us. He will become an illusion left in the final second of this deep-sea era…”

The Saint’s voice resonated directly in everyone’s minds. Above on the high platform, the throne made of black bones creaked, its thorn-like bones and shell-like structures clashing like drumbeats. The vibrant brain, pulsating with layers of misty light, released a bewitching speech, stirring the spirits of everyone in the hall, slowly implanting the seeds of zeal within them–

This seed took root and sprouted, quickly fighting off the tense and fearful emotions previously brought up by the mention of the Ghost Ship and its captain. It even transformed this tension and fear into an inexplicable drive, solidifying their faith and mission!

Richard, gazing upward, absent-mindedly watched The Saint’s eyestalks swaying in the air, feeling the fervor and impulse throbbing in his chest. His conviction slowly solidified, the fear that had rooted in his heart after seeing those ghostly green flames gradually dissipating…

However, just then, a soft voice pierced his ears as if its owner was leaning on his shoulder, whispering directly into his brain: “Ah, he’s persuading you to go to your deaths… Rabi truly pities you…”

Richard abruptly “awoke” and, in a fleeting moment, felt a chill spread through his chest and up to his brain. He sensed that he had heard a suspicious whisper, a whisper from a highly dangerous entity…

But he merely blinked, and the warning in his mind dissipated.

He looked around somewhat puzzled, then raised his gaze back to The Saint on the high platform.

Why were his peers so excited, so fearless?

The Saint’s words were indeed factual, and his encouragement made sense, but what about the risks involved in the action? Had everyone chosen to ignore them?

Richard furrowed his brows, feeling that something was off. This hazy sensation… it made him feel as if he were caught in a strange Dreamscape. Although he was clearly awake at the moment, his thoughts were cluttered with a chaotic, obstructive mass, as if… his brain were stuffed with cotton.

But quickly, he forgot this doubt as new changes within the hall diverted his attention.

A sudden “heat” swept through the meeting hall.