Ashes Of Deep Sea
Chapter 722 - Chapter 722 Chapter 719 Both Sides of the Main Gate

Chapter 722: Chapter 719: Both Sides of the Main Gate Chapter 722: Chapter 719: Both Sides of the Main Gate Sherry’s consciousness had jolted awake from a collapsing dreamscape, and she opened her eyes in the darkness to find herself still lying in what resembled a thorn bush of dark shrubbery.

Low murmurs and bizarre growls seemed almost within earshot, about to penetrate her brain, while a chilly airflow spread like nauseating tendrils from the gaps in the shadows as if to lick her skin. Something outside the shrubbery, a group of writhing entities with fluctuating sizes and indiscernible solid outlines, had scented the presence of living flesh and crossed great distances to find this hiding spot–a gluttonous feast was about to begin.

Sherry twitched her arm slightly, and the stiffness and numbness throughout her body made any movement exceedingly difficult, but she felt a slight warmth spreading from somewhere inside her body, rejuvenating the corpse she had become just moments before.

She strained to lower her head and saw that her heart within her chest had completely stopped beating, and in just a few seconds, it had shriveled and withered into a clump of black residue; however, a faint greenish flame quietly burned on the surface of that debris, eerie yet warm.

That limited warmth restored some strength to her, and she slowly struggled to her feet.

Unwittingly swinging her arm, the broken black chain on her right arm scraped against the ground, making a noise that was not very loud but piercingly abrasive in this quiet dark place.

The murmurs and growling outside the shrubbery paused briefly, then suddenly transformed into a horrifying howl!

Countless swelling shadows rose from the shattered ground outside–an array of grotesquely shaped Profound Demons took form in their frenzy, rushing to the feast!

The Spiritual Fire spread and burned through gaps in the bones, the black debris in the chest having fully transformed into an incessant flame. Sherry took a deep breath, aware of the noise outside, the fear of death and an inexplicable restlessness rising simultaneously in her consciousness. She gasped softly, her peripheral vision catching sight of two hearts that had fallen to the ground.

After a moment’s hesitation, she reached out, picked up those still-beating “hearts,” and her eyes flickered darkly then lightened with a blood-colored glow.

The sound of something breaking came from the edge of the shrubbery; a gigantic beast tore through the barrier of the hiding spot, its heavy steps and hunger-laden growls reaching Sherry’s ears.

But she seemed not to hear the sound already above her head, did not feel the breath already blowing on her face; she merely bowed her head, slowly placing the two hearts within her chest cavity, murmuring to herself in a whisper, “Dad… Mom… don’t be afraid…”

The sensation of the heartbeats returned to her chest, a sense of “being alive” made the last remaining stiffness and sluggishness in her limbs finally recede completely. Sherry propped herself up, a series of cracking sounds bursting from within her, and swiftly growing layers of bone spurs around the dark ribs protected the two hearts and a cluster of flames–she raised her head in the darkness, her body slowly elongating, and a demon skull surfaced in her vision, grotesque and covered with spikes.

A huge slit tore through the hiding place’s shrubbery, a massive floating skull maliciously gazing down at its prey surrounded by countless menacing shadows–Messengers of Death, Smoke Dust Jellyfish, Chaotic Horrors…

A-Dog had always said that if you encounter them alone, you must run.

But this was the Mysterious Deep Sea, where there was nowhere to flee–they were everywhere.

“Sherry, don’t be afraid…”

A Messenger of Death was the first to strike, this chaotic dimwitted demon finally losing control over its innate hunger and aggression as it let out a sharp, piercing shriek. Its wings suddenly expanded into a cloud of darkness, swooping down towards the shrubbery wrapped in its corrosive cloud–

Then, following a dull piercing boom, a black multi-jointed bone spur, like a sharp sword, stabbed towards the sky, penetrating the Messenger of Death directly!

Next came one bone spur after another–the dark skeleton, like some twisted asymmetrical appendage, extended from the shrubbery. First stabbing towards the sky, then bending downwards, supporting a giant body stepping out from the shrubbery.

Her limbs elongated, dark bone fragments overlapped like a suit of personal armor, interlocked and sprawling, sharp bone spurs and blade-like structures grew from the joints of her arms and legs, flickering with dim blood light. The shattered chest covered with thorn-like bone fragments housed two slowly beating dark-red hearts, and countless limb-like bone structures extended from her back, resembling huge skeletal wings yet also like ominous appendages. A pair of these limbs bent down from the sky, propping her high off the ground, enabling her to oversee the gathering Profound Demons from all directions.

She slowly turned her head, keeping the human facial features, her eyes hollow and increasingly filled with blood light.

A hoarse, piercing screech came from beside her–the Messenger of Death impaled by the sharp bone spur struggled violently upon Sherry’s “long legs” for a few moments before turning into a quickly dispersing cloud of dust and a small pool of slowly flowing mud, gradually absorbed into Sherry’s bone spurs.

Sherry slightly furrowed her brow, watching the position where the Messenger of Death had dissolved, lifted the bone-jointed limb in the air and shook it vigorously, “…Disgusting, unpalatable…”

After that, she turned her head and looked at the Profound Demons that had gathered around her but were momentarily confused and stagnant due to the sudden change. Bending slightly, she said, “Have any of you seen a strange Abyssal Hound? It’s called A-Dog–it’s my friend.”

The horde of Profound Demons hesitated for a moment, and some crisis instinct in their simple minds spawned the option of retreat. However, just moments later, their desire to attack overwhelmed the fragile “rationality.”

The bizarre floating skull covered in spikes suddenly opened its jaws, a massive cloud of corrosive gas formed instantly, and hurled directly at Sherry.

Then came the Death Birds swooping down from the sky, the Abyssal Hounds running and screaming on the ground, and countless odd monsters that not even Sherry could name–these instinct-driven Profound Demons charged forward, screaming, roaring, and storming toward the “invader” on their territory!

“I just knew it,” Sherry muttered with irritation, and the next second, her figure suddenly transformed into an illusory shadow–

She swept through the fragmented land like the wind, her bone spurs, resembling giant skeletal wings and curved limbs, piercing through the air and stabbing toward every demon bold enough to approach–there was no strategy, no knowledge of spells, just basic speed and strength she’d just mastered as she plunged into the countless swarms of demons.

Her approach to battle was simple and crude–just like the first time she swung a chain and hurled A-Dog at the enemy.

…

Lucricia looked up at the black stone door that even she, a seasoned “Frontier Scholar,” found astonishing, and it took her a long time to look away.

“They really dug up something incredible,” the sea witch lamented, “These heretics always manage to create a mess they can’t control–as always.”

“This is the point of connection between the Mysterious Deep Sea and the real world,” Duncan said from beside her, “Based on what I sense, there’s a ‘overlap’ of multiple dimensions here, not just the realities stacked together, but also a part of the Mysterious Deep Sea directly overlaid here. Sherry and A-Dog, due to their nature being too close to the profound, ended up falling ‘over there.'”

Lucricia nodded, then expressed some concern, “Are you sure this is feasible? I don’t mean your power to open the gate, but… if ‘The Saint’ can’t hold on, and the gate closes prematurely, how will you get back? On the other side of the gate is the Mysterious Deep Sea, which we hardly know about, even for you, getting lost ‘over there’ could be…”

“No worries, I’ve considered this problem,” Duncan interrupted Lucricia’s concerns, “We all know that at the very center of the Mysterious Deep Sea is The Saint, and right below His ‘throne’ is the passage to Subspace.”

Lucricia’s expression changed subtly, “You mean?”

“To punch a small hole, which likely won’t disrupt the balance of the whole Mysterious Deep Sea too much. After all, the breach created by Homeloss in the Mysterious Deep Sea was larger,” Duncan said casually, “If I can’t return the same way, I’ll come back through Subspace. ‘The Saint’ probably won’t mind too much–if that doesn’t work, I might as well call Homeloss to crash through again.”

Lucricia: “…”

Duncan just waved his hand, “Let’s begin.”

Seeing her father prepared, Lucricia didn’t say anything more. She nodded slightly and then moved to the open ground in front of the gate. She pointed her short baton at the ground and tapped it lightly twice.

A puff of smoke that seemed like a magic trick from a stage show burst forth, and as the smoke cleared, the grotesque, spider-cage-wrapped “brain” reappeared in front of Duncan.

“The Saint” slowly woke up.

At the edge of the bone cage, the stalked eyes, as if reviving from slumber, twitched and shuddered, finally taking in their surroundings and the impassive Duncan standing nearby.

Almost instantly, the creature, no longer remotely human, fully awakened. It struggled as if attempting to stand but was unable due to the restraints the witch had imposed earlier, managing only to vibrate the surrounding air and emit a chaotic, piercing roar: “What have you done?!”

“We haven’t begun, just getting ready,” Duncan stepped toward the “Saint” and stared calmly at the disgusting collection of eye stalks, “You can start praying now–to your lord.”