Chapter 2258: Hybrids
We saw the mixed-blood Deep Ones, and although these people had strange appearances, overall it was a peaceful and prosperous small fishing village. We couldn’t even see any weapons, making it impossible to connect these villagers with the pirates who robbed ships.
However, Jayad still noticed some clues. He said, “There are not only mixed-blood descendants here, but also true Deep Ones. I don’t know if they were mixed-blood or pure-blood in the past.”
As he spoke, he pointed to one person. Everyone looked over in confusion and saw that he was pointing to an old man carrying a fishing net full of fish. He didn’t look like a Deep One at all; in fact, his facial features looked more normal than those around him.
Some Yellow King believers were still puzzled when the two Demon Hunter girls beside them frowned and looked at the old man seriously. Soon, the blue-haired girl exclaimed, “He really is! He’s actually a Deep One!”
“Yes, he is indeed a Deep One. He might be a transformed hybrid, hiding in the fishing village using the Disguise Technique,” the Snake Priest said after using Spirit Vision.
He was very familiar with this. All Snake People disguised themselves to blend into human society. They used their unique racial spells, the Snake Skin Cloak, also known as the “Visage Devouring Technique.”
Not long ago, I also used the Disguise Technique to disguise my Guardian Deity as a Researcher to infiltrate the Research Society. Major Otherworldly beings, especially those with bizarre appearances, often infiltrate human society using disguise techniques.
The Disguise Technique is not a single spell but a general term, equivalent to Transfiguration or Shapeshifting. In fact, many mage schools and Otherworldly beings have developed their own Disguise Techniques based on different principles, some so powerful that even Spirit Vision cannot penetrate them.
Under these circumstances, it’s normal for Deep Ones who master the Disguise Technique to have infiltrated the fishing village inhabited by hybrids. The residents there must know its origin.
Just as everyone was observing the old man, he suddenly felt something, looked up in the direction of the Yellow King believers, but only saw trees and wild grass swaying in the sea breeze. Not a soul was visible.
The old man frowned, thinking he might have been mistaken. Besides, there were quite a few villagers around who were interested in Deep Ones, and it wasn’t uncommon for them to sneak glances.
The Yellow King believers had already retreated into the woods just as the old man looked up. Jayad said, “There is more than one Deep One in that village. I saw at least five. They are all mixed in with those hybrids, and it seems they are directing those mixed-blood descendants to labor. Their status should be relatively high.”
“You’re right. This fishing village still maintains contact with the Deep Ones in the sea. They must be procuring medicines and weapons for them,” the Troupe Leader affirmed.
Deep Ones are very wealthy. With money, and by obtaining a settlement near the trade zone’s port and connecting with human society, it’s simple to buy anything they want.
“Yes, they do use treasures from shipwrecks to purchase weapons and medical supplies from surrounding merchants, even potions and scrolls. However, since the mixed-blood Deep One descendants have been granted residency by the Lord, it is illegal for us to hunt them,” the blue-haired girl said.
This is what you call a double standard, but they really couldn’t do anything to these mixed-blood descendants. As long as they didn’t personally participate in the plundering, it was difficult to produce evidence of their harm to humans.
“By the way, you mentioned earlier that these mixed-blood descendants of the Deep Ones crawled up from the sea. Who were their human parents? It couldn’t be…” the General Manager suddenly thought of something.
“Yes, their parents were all humans attacked and missing by the Deep Ones. They were captured to bear children for the Deep Ones. Some were released back to shore, but they have been completely brainwashed into loyal servants of the Lord of R’lyeh,” the Silver-haired Older Sister also said.
I also investigated. The Lord of R’lyeh is the sworn enemy of the legendary Hastur, the master of the Deep Ones, Cthulhu, an Outer God sleeping in the deep sea.
I heard that the Lord of R’lyeh has many sects, most of which are irregular Wilderness Faith, mainly concentrated in coastal villages and cities, or some primitive tribal minorities. The most believers are in North America.
Thinking that those captured people were forced to engage in such acts with ugly creatures like Deep Ones, I felt some sympathy for them. Whether male or female, they would likely suffer psychological trauma.
“There’s nothing else to see here. We can’t possibly go deep into the fishing village to observe. But, where is the brothel you mentioned?” a Yellow King believer asked. The dilapidated fishing village didn’t look like it had a brothel.
“It’s over there. They wouldn’t build a brothel in their own village; it’s for external services, and the environment in the village isn’t good,” the Silver-haired Older Sister replied.
The fishing village where the mixed-blood descendants lived was constantly filled with the foul smell of fish. They made a living by fishing and had accumulated so many dead fish and conchs in the village, which naturally caused this peculiar odor.
We could smell the fishy odor even from this distance. It was unbearable. It’s easy to imagine that if a brothel were opened in their own fishing village, no customers would be willing to patronize it.
Therefore, the mixed-blood descendants built a street a little further away from the fishing village, or to put it plainly, a Flower Street. Compared to the dilapidated state of the fishing village, this place could be described as luxurious and brightly lit.
The Flower Street, free from the damp and foul smell of before, was very clean and tidy, with a large number of guests. Besides brothels, it also had facilities like bars, casinos, and inns for tourists. Of course, all of them were run by mixed-blood Deep Ones.
Compared to the dirty and messy port area, this place looked even cleaner and more orderly. It was only about a kilometer away from the fishing village, indicating that the mixed-blood Deep Ones merely preferred the damp atmosphere of the sea, and the Flower Street was deliberately created to appeal to human tastes.
Furthermore, it also showed that the Lord of Saint Port Island was even worse than a group of fishermen. At least these mixed-bloods, if they truly wanted to, could create a beautiful and clean street.
Since there were many guests here, the Yellow King believers didn’t need to hide too much. They simply walked into the Flower Street. They had all concealed their aura and should not be easily discovered.
But what if they were discovered? At worst, they would fight directly. After all, they were already sworn enemies. They firmly believed that these mixed-blood Deep Ones might be the targets they were destined to eliminate.
Then they saw the Deep Ones’ brothel, where there were many little girls, dressed very cutely. Although their skin was a little tanned, it more prominently displayed a seaside charm.
These girls, around 13 to 16 years old, stood by the street, soliciting customers. Apart from their slightly larger eyes, there were almost no discernible features of Deep One hybridization.
