Shrouded Seascape

Chapter 155. Descent

Wiping his sweaty palms on his shirt, Charles' mind raced.

A calamity? What calamity can there be on the Earth's surface? Unless mankind caused this intense heat?

"Surface dwellers, leave! Your presence above will only bring calamity!"

The gigantic mantises fluttered their wings and reiterated the same warning.

Surveying the area and noting that the six-meter-long monstrous mantises had them surrounded, Charles knew that their immediate priority was to avoid provoking them.

He contemplated his words before posing the question, "Who are you? Why won't you let us go up?"

Since these creatures could communicate, Charles thought that perhaps he could coax some intelligence out of them. However, the mantises displayed no intention to converse. Their wings fluttered more rapidly and at an increased volume.

"Surface dwellers, descend immediately! The past calamity was caused by your kind! The pact has ended! We'll never believe another word from your kind. Ever!" Each and every one of the mantises unsheathed their scythes.

"What calamity are you talking about? What happened on the surface?! I don't know which human you last contacted, but I'm not with them!" Charles roared, his voice laced with clear desperation.

The buzzing of wings ceased instantly. The mantises gathered into a circle and resembled statues suspended on the cliff. Time seemed to have frozen at that moment as both humans and the monsters remained still.

Just then, Charles felt the sunlight overhead further intensifying. Grabbing the rope with both hands, he swiftly ascended onto the balloon like a nimble monkey.

He stood still and looked upward with squinted eyes. Roughly three hundred meters away, a hint of blue with a corner obscured by the sun's silver brilliance entered his vision.

It was the surface world—where he originally belonged.

At the same moment, the mantises spread out their terrifying wings with a resonating buzz and menacingly lunged at Charles and his party.

Their sharp, scythe-like forelimbs pierced into the air balloon like slicing through tofu. As the sounds of tearing leather and cracked wood echoed incessantly in the air, the Sky Battler was soon torn apart. Some of its crew suffered the same fate in the process.

However, for some unknown reason, the mantises didn't target Charles. They clung to the surrounding cliffs and aimed their bud-shaped heads at Charles as he plummeted.

Charles rapidly twisted in mid-air. He was waiting for the Divine Light Order disciples to save him. However, he had made a miscalculation this time. The other survivors of the Sky Battler didn't fall with him. With unwavering determination, they flew toward the perilous tunnel.

"We must complete the mission entrusted by His Eminence! Long live the Sun God!"

From Charles' perspective, their current actions were akin to moths hurling themselves toward the fire.

As he fell out of the crevice, he looked toward the blinding light and saw a massive swarm of mantises descending upon the disciples.

At this point, Charles didn't have the luxury of time to worry about others; he was in free fall. From his altitude, even if he landed in the waters, it was no different from crashing into concrete.

Charles' hair rustled violently due to the forceful wind that howled past him. His mind raced in desperation for a way to save himself.

As the vast sea beneath him rapidly magnified, Charles took out the Bat Mirror and swiped his bloodied right hand over the glass surface.

A grotesque bat creature rapidly unfurled its wings and flapped with a fierce intensity to decelerate its rapid descent. Just when Charles was twenty meters away from the sea's surface, his descent was successfully halted.

Yet in the next moment, without warning, he was consumed by a sudden burst of red flames. The intense pain felt as though countless needles pierced every inch of his body.

Sunlight was the nemesis of vampires. A few seconds was all it needed for Charles to meet his end, not from a fatal fall but from a burning fire.

In his panic, Charles retracted his wings. Turning back into his human form, he plummeted directly into the icy cold waters.

Witnessing something falling from the rift above into the sea, distress gripped the heart of every individual on Hope Island. Those proficient in swimming immediately dashed toward the waters to save the fallen.

Soon, Feuerbach returned, supporting a barely conscious Charles into the shelter.

Leading a group of disciples, Hunn was the first to approach Charles. With evident nervousness underlying his voice, he asked, "What happened up there? Did you see the Light God?"

With his skin charred into an unnatural shade of black, Charles waved a hand feebly. "No. We were attacked by the creatures that dwell at the top of the cavern. They are blocking us from going up."

"What do they look like? Were there many?" Hunn continued with his questions.

However, any hope for a response vanished as Charles' head drooped to the side, and he sank into unconsciousness.

After an unknown period of time, Charles finally stirred and regained consciousness. He found himself lying on a pristine wide bed, and his body wrapped in thick layers of white bandages.

Even the slightest movement sent a ripple of pain coursing through his entire self.

"Don't move," Laesto's gruff voice sounded from Charles' left.

Mustering all the strength he could, Charles strained himself to turn his neck toward the voice and saw Laesto mixing some concoction. His gaze then landed on Bandages, who was seated at the side.

"Didn't I tell you not to move?" Laesto reached out to grab Charles' head and repositioned it such that the latter faced the ceiling once more.

"How long have I been out?"

"Seven days. Or maybe eight. You sustained severe injuries this time. A large portion of your skin has been burned.

Charles let out a weak chuckle. "That bad, huh? I guess I'll be sporting a few more scars then."

Hearing Charles' rather relaxed tone, a hint of confusion crossed Laesto's hideous visage. "For someone who suffered such serious injuries, you seem to be in a good mood."

The corners of Charles' lips slightly lifted as he recalled the alluring hue of azure blue he had glimpsed. For the first time in nine years, he saw the outside world. He couldn't discern it clearly because of the blinding light, but it was so breathtakingly beautiful.

"As long as I survived. It was worth it."

A scornful scowl appeared on Laesto's face. "Sure. Continue your ways. One fine day, you won't make it back, and then, I can finally alight from this damn ship."

Charles had no time for idle chatter.

He needed to immediately share what he had learned of the rift with the Divine Light Order disciples. Since those mantises were merely living creatures, dealing with them became much easier. They only needed to find a way to dispose of them to clear the path heading toward the surface world.

"Doctor, call Hunn over. I need to speak to him."

"Shush. You're in no state to meet anyone. Rest up first."

With that, Laesto then plunged a syringe containing a black liquid into Charles' arm. Before Charles could even retort, his eyelids drooped, and he fell back into a slumber.

Laesto hobbled out of the ward. At the door, a Divine Light Order disciple, who had been waiting for a long while, stood up immediately.

"Has Governor Charles come around?" the disciple asked, his voice tinged with anxiety.

"Why the rush! He's still out!" Laesto roughly pushed him aside and walked away.

Exiting the cramped corridor, Laesto stood on the Narwhale's deck. Gazing at the distant Hope Island bathed in bright sunlight, he took a swig from his tin flask.

"Why... didn't you... tell them... that... Captain has... come around?"

Laesto's eyes remained fixated on the island despite hearing the slow voice from behind him.

"Let him rest. Right now, the sick bed is the only thing that can make him stay still," Laesto answered before taking another gulp of alcohol.

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