Chapter 2343 – Material Gathering
As I pondered this, I recalled that Amelia’s Clinic was once located in the Dream World. Back then, it felt as if the clinic was submerged in the deep sea, with echoes of the ocean all around.
Samantha’s phantom was an unspeakable aquatic creature, resembling both a squid and an octopus, yet clearly neither. The item she gave us to maintain our sanity in dreams was called the Seal of the Deep Sea.
Furthermore, in the Deep Ones’ village, I could sense waves of inexplicable fluctuations emanating from the villagers lying in their beds within the simple, damp dwellings. These fluctuations were very similar to the aura I’d observed on those trapped in nightmares at the clinic.
It seemed Samantha might have a deep connection to this place. Even if not directly involved, asking her shouldn’t be wrong. Her experience would surely provide me with valuable advice and assistance. Perhaps I should return to Amelia’s Clinic to see her, and pay Amelia a visit as well.
As the flies I had released exploded upon seeing the bizarre and unspeakable statue, many of the mixed-blood Deep Ones awoke. they scoured the area for any potential intruders, but found nothing.
Of course, I left no trace. The flies were all formed by the Glutton Divine Power. When they exploded, they automatically returned to my Divine Power, rejoining me without leaving a single trace.
After searching for a while and finding no intruders, the Deep Ones questioned the guards on patrol, who confirmed they hadn’t seen any. They assumed they were just groggy from sleep and returned to bed with a shake of their heads.
In reality, the moment the flies exploded, I had already departed at lightning speed. By the time they woke up to investigate, I was observing them from afar with my God’s Eye. Once I confirmed they hadn’t discovered anything, I leisurely moved away.
The village of the mixed-blood Deep Ones’ descendants yielded nothing. The next clue was the Lord’s castle in the Navy Fortress. Since arriving at Saint Port Island, I had re-established contact with the maggots I had placed inside the Sea Monster Corpse with Older Brother Jayad.
In fact, I already had a connection with them previously, but at most, I could only sense their location. Now, I could synchronize my vision and tactile senses with them. I saw a hold full of filthy Sea Monster Corpses, and the stench of blood rust mixed with rotten fish assaulted my nostrils.
According to previous intelligence, consuming Sea Monster Cells would affect the body, causing human bodies to mutate, impacting their mind, causing them to hear whispers, and instilling an uncontrollable longing for the sea. However, it would also grant them superhuman aquatic and underwater breathing abilities.
Yet, the maggots had also consumed a lot of Sea Monster Corpses in the past few days without any reaction, not having been eroded at all. I quickly realized that this was due to my Gluttony Authority, which the maggots also possessed.
Gluttony could consume anything, digest all things in the world, and even Sea Monster Cells would not affect the maggots in the slightest. I hadn’t considered this.
Therefore, if I wanted to further experience the Sea Monster’s thoughts and whispers, there was likely only one method: directly transplanting Sea Monster Cells into the maggots. This was something I was most adept at.
As for where to obtain active Sea Monster Cells, I also had an idea. When Older Brother Jayad and the Yellow King believer investigated the entire island previously, they had found many individuals who were half-mad or mentally unstable. These were people who had consumed Sea Monster Cells. The first one who had locked himself at home was a prime example.
The Yellow King believers hadn’t contacted all of these individuals. To lure out the members of The Deep Sea Church who had bestowed their gifts upon them, they couldn’t beat the grass to startle the snake. The Yellow King believers deliberately avoided contact with some of these individuals, choosing instead to observe them.
However, perhaps due to an informant, after observing them for several days, none of these Mutants contacted them. Some even experienced withdrawal symptoms due to the lack of guidance, and their mutations and mental instability worsened.
I had my sights set on one such person. Night Bird had also observed her. I remembered the location. As I approached her home, I could already feel fluctuations emanating from her room, much like those of a Sea Monster.
My God’s Eye penetrated her room. The pathetic little girl was tossing and turning in bed, her expression ferocious, as if she were having a Nightmare. Her body also showed signs of mutation, such as developing soft skin resembling a jellyfish in some areas.
She was a pearl diver, who would dive into the sea to pry open giant clams for pearls, a common material for Mages and Alchemists. She also harvested goose barnacles underwater; they were a delicacy.
This was undoubtedly a dangerous profession. Every year, pearl divers drowned. Moreover, the work was also highly dependent on luck; opening a clam was like opening a loot box. One might find a clam full of pearls, or one might find nothing at all.
The bosses were indifferent to their safety, only urging them to dive for pearls. If they were unlucky and found nothing, they would have no dinner and might even be whipped.
Under immense pressure, one day she unexpectedly met a kind old man who told her that by consuming this, she could swim and breathe in the sea safely, have unlimited time to gather pearls, and no longer need to fear her boss’s scrutiny. He told her she could have a new life.
At that time, the pearl diver did not believe his words, nor did she understand the significance of unlimited underwater activity and freedom from her boss. She was simply too hungry. Thus, when the old man offered her that piece of “fish meat,” she ate it without thinking.
After that, she became this way. The old man never returned, and the pearl diver could indeed move underwater and collect a large number of pearls. However, her personality became increasingly reclusive and withdrawn, and she talked to herself all day.
This was all information the Yellow King believers had gathered. The clues came from acquaintances of several pearl divers, and one was her colleague, also a young pearl diver. She was the first to notice the mutations in her good friend, as they had to undress to dive.
I directly used the Lord of Murder’s Divine Spell to pass through the wall. As I approached the bedroom door, I heard the girl muttering, “Embrace… the glory…”
However, as I got closer to the bedroom, she suddenly woke up, her eyes widening as she glared at me. Such sharp senses! Even with the Lord of Murder’s Divine Spell to erase my aura, I was still detected as I approached her.
But it was too late. By the time the pearl diver opened her eyes, I had already reached her bedside. While her mind and vision had not yet returned to their normal state, I had already covered her mouth and nose with a towel.
It was laced with a potent anesthetic, enough to put an elephant or even a monster to sleep within seconds, let alone a little girl who hadn’t fully woken up. Soon, her eyes became unfocused again, and she fell back asleep.
