The grey-cloaked figure's body jerked violently, unable to suppress a scream of agony.
Yet the smile on his face did not vanish; instead, it became increasingly manic.
"Follow me... what you seek is just behind..."
The writhing sands swallowed him completely, dragging him toward the center of the island.
In the blink of an eye, the grey-cloaked figure vanished from everyone's sight.
Only a shallow mark remained on the beach, as if no one had ever stood there.
【Warning: Contamination concentration rising sharply】
【Sanity: -2, 52/70】
His Sanity had dropped another two points.
If it dropped this much just on the outskirts, how terrifying would the source of contamination at the island's center be?
Lu Yuan did not hesitate; he took a bottle of intermediate holy water from his backpack, unscrewed the cap, and drained it in one gulp.
This was everyone's shared quota; drinking large amounts of holy water in a short time would cause the effects to weaken, which was why the church had provided intermediate holy water or higher from the start.
【Sanity: +8, 60/70】
A wave of clarity flooded his mind, and even the recovery speed of his damaged Sanity Barrier accelerated slightly.
"Get away from the beach!"
Alice's voice suddenly rang out.
In the next instant, Lu Yuan felt a tightening around his waist as he was hoisted up.
The wind whistled past his ears.
By the time he regained his senses, he was already standing on the deck of the Abyssal Hunter.
The others were just as quick, scrambling back onto the deck.
Alice let go, her eyes fixed intently on the ground below.
Lu Yuan followed her gaze.
The beach was moving.
The entire expanse of sand looked as if something were pushing it up from below, churning in rhythmic waves.
Something was writhing beneath the sand.
It was moving incredibly fast.
It seemed to be searching for something.
Searching for the exact spot where they had just been standing.
"...The Angel has sent no warning."
Philip's voice was tense, his brow furrowed.
As a priest who worshipped the Angel, he was exceptionally sensitive to the aura of Eerie and mutated creatures; he could usually scent them without even getting close.
But whatever lay beneath the sand could bypass the Angel's blessing; either it was an Eerie far beyond his transcendent rank, or it had nothing to do with the Eerie in the first place.
"There is something wrong with this island."
Alice's voice was heavy.
Her sixth sense had been screaming in warning since she stepped onto the island, but she couldn't pinpoint where the danger was coming from.
Now she knew—the danger was beneath their feet.
It came from the entire island itself!
"Then we shall level it."
Marcus's voice suddenly cut in, his tone flat.
He then gave a wave of his hand.
One of the Descendants seemed to receive an order and immediately turned toward the bow.
A moment later, the Abyssal Hunter began to vibrate slightly.
The ship's hull slowly rotated until the bow was pointed directly toward the direction where the grey-cloaked figure had disappeared.
Then, Lu Yuan witnessed a scene that made his pupils contract.
The armor plating at the bow of the Abyssal Hunter slowly split open with the sound of grinding gears, and two pitch-black cannon barrels extended from within.
The surfaces of the barrels were covered in intricate runes, gleaming with a cold metallic luster under the sunlight.
Just by looking at the runes, Lu Yuan knew these were weapons specifically designed to combat the Eerie.
【Detected Forging Inscription knowledge; insufficient knowledge, acquisition failed】
"The Ascension Society certainly has many toys," Alice remarked with interest.
Evidently, she was curious to see just how much power these two cannons possessed.
Marcus's lips curled slightly, but he did not respond.
For this mission, the Ascension Society would accept nothing less than success; consequently, they had brought plenty of equipment along.
The ship's steam engine began to accelerate, white vapor billowing from the smokestacks as the entire vessel trembled.
The power output climbed steadily.
"Fire."
Marcus's voice remained calm.
Boom!
The first shell whistled through the air and slammed into the nearby beach; with a deafening blast, geysers of sand mixed with black liquid erupted into the air.
Something writhed and struggled within the crater, letting out a piercing shriek.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The bombardment did not cease.
The two barrels fired alternately, blasting a path from the beach deep into the island's interior, carving a scorched trail along the route the grey-cloaked figure had taken.
The sand churned even more violently, as if the entire island were trembling in agony.
Yet the shelling did not stop; instead, it grew even fiercer.
Only when the barrels began to glow red and scalding steam hissed from the vents did the Descendant cease fire.
"Overheated," the Descendant's voice rasped through his mask with a mechanical edge. "Need to cool down."
Marcus nodded, his gaze falling upon the scorched path.
Lu Yuan followed suit.
With the shelling over, the beach finally revealed what had been hidden beneath.
There were countless tiny tentacles, resembling blood vessels or perhaps the roots of some plant.
Originally buried beneath the sand, they were now blasted into tattered pieces, their severed ends still writhing slowly and leaking black ichor.
【Target Observation: Extension of ██】
【Characteristics: No active aggressive instinct, but highly corrosive to living beings】
【Warning: This is merely an outer extension; the core remains deep within】
As the greyish-white text flickered before him, Lu Yuan's expression darkened; whatever was hidden on this island seemed far more terrifying than he had anticipated.
Furthermore, these things seemed to pervade the entire beach.
No, more accurately, they likely pervaded the entire island.
"This island..." Philip's gaze was grim. "It's actually alive?"
No one refuted him.
Alice remained silent for a moment, her gaze sweeping over the group.
"Do we turn back, or go deeper?"
Her voice was calm, but the weight of the question was felt by everyone.
Marcus was the first to speak.
"Continue."
There was no hesitation, no deliberation, as if he had been waiting for this very question.
"That grey-cloaked figure seemed to know our movements in advance; I need what is in his head." Red light pulsed in Marcus's mechanical eyes. "Furthermore, the source of the ore that attracted the Iron Whale is right here. The Ascension Society will not abandon this place."
Alice countered, "The cannons are overheated and cannot provide support for a while. If we encounter danger after going deeper, how do you plan to handle it?"
"We still have the Arbiter," Marcus replied dismissively. "That is enough."
"Continue."
Philip's voice suddenly spoke up, his tone resolute.
Everyone turned toward him.
"The Angel's gaze does not reach this place," Philip said calmly. "That in itself is the greatest warning."
He raised his hand to press the holy emblem on his chest, his eyes fixed on the pitch-black island.
"An existence that even the Angel cannot peer into—the Church cannot simply ignore it."
Marcus arched an eyebrow. "Oh? The priest is more decisive than I imagined."
"It is a duty," Philip replied, glancing at him. "And the Angel's revelation."
Alice looked toward Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan merely nodded to signify his agreement.
After all, the source of his Strange Dreams was here; if he didn't clear things up now, by the time he returned, he would likely end up just like Dr. Laisen.
(T/N: ██ indicates forbidden information)
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