Shrouded Seascape

As the ritual proceeded, everyone unconsciously put a hand on their forehead.

They all seemed to be in pain except for Anna. Something was drilling into their minds, and it was unlike the inscrutable whispers; something more violent was making its way into their heads.

"Ah!!! My head! My head hurts!!!" The watching followers retreated fearfully, and some with weaker will simply ran away.

The black flames extinguished just then, and the terrifying aura that had permeated the air above everyone vanished into nothingness. Everything returned to normal in an instant.

The naked Li Lu slowly stood up from within the array, looking blankly at her surroundings.

Anna stared at Li Lu with some anticipation. The ritual involved an array that Fhtagnists would draw to summon Fhtagn's will. When Charles' crew members went mad, the Fhtagnists used the same ritual and array to cure the crew members' madness as part of the deal.

Dipp's madness was cured, but it had a side effect—the target would become a Fhtagnist, and they'd dedicate their entire life to serving Fhtagn. If Anna were to borrow the Foundation's naming conventions, the side effect was a D4 memetic infection.

Those infected would worship Fhtagn unconditionally, and their purpose in life would be to awaken Him.

However, Anna's goal was to infect Li Lu with the D4 meme. Since Li Lu managed to infiltrate deep into their congregation, there was no guarantee that there weren't any other intruders.

If everyone except her was subjected to the same ritual, the congregation would become impenetrable. It would be impossible for outsiders to infiltrate their ranks.

Fortunately, the ritual was not that difficult to perform. However, there was one problem—was the ritual going to work on the surface world? They had tried the same ritual several times before, but it all ended in failure.

Li Lu's ritual was the furthest they had gotten in their previous attempts.

"How do you feel? What are you thinking about right now?" Anna asked Li Lu with interest.

Li Lu covered in wounds turned to look at Anna. Her pupils were quivering as she slowly said, "High Priestess, I... I feel different."

Anna's heart leaped with joy, and she rushed toward her, asking, "Tell me, what do you feel? Do you feel like worshiping a higher being?"

Li Lu shook her head in confusion. Just as everyone focused their attention on her lips, waiting to hear what she'd say, her muscles suddenly tensed up, and she lunged at Anna like a leopard.

Li Lu's movements were surprisingly agile for someone who seemed to be incapable of fighting. Her right foot kicked off of the ground, and she lunged at Anna with her right elbow raised. She swung it fiercely toward Anna's neck.

"Die, you foul bitch!" Li Lu roared. She had done a great job concealing her skills, so everyone was caught off guard by the revelation that the seemingly gentle office lady was actually a skilled fighter.

A mere glance at the oncoming attack was enough for everyone to tell that it had enough force to kill Anna. Everyone was truly surprised by her actions, including Roy.

It was too late for Anna to dodge, and she made a split-second decision to raise her right arm. She barely managed to raise her shoulder and defend her neck from the attack.

A grotesque cracking noise echoed; the attack was so powerful that the thin Anna was sent flying away. The black-robed devotees instinctively reached out to catch the airborne Anna. ŘÂꞐO͍฿È𝘴

Bang!

A deafening gunshot echoed, and a flower of blood bloomed on Li Lu's right chest.

She was a skilled fighter, but there was no way her skill could make up for the difference between flesh and firearms. In an instant, multiple guns were pointed at her, sealing all of her escape routes.

Li Lu would surely die in the face of so many guns, but Anna decided to spare her life once again.

"Don't kill her; I still have some use for her," she said as she emerged from the worried crowd. Her right shoulder was drooping. Clearly, the bones inside had broken from the attack.

Li Lu dared not move in the face of so many gun barrels, but she glared at Anna with undisguised fury and hatred. Anna shook her head in disappointment. This is bad. She isn't under Fhtagn's influence at all.

The ritual has failed again. I think I should just attempt that ritual again once when we reach the Indian Ocean.

"One day, I'll pay you back double for this suffering!" Li Lu snarled. She then sprawled out on the ground, clutching her bleeding wound.

Anna ignored her threat and ordered the nearby devotees. "Tell the doctor to stop her bleeding. Make sure that she won't bleed to death."

The devotees rushed forward, restraining Li Lu at the joints and carrying her away.

"High Priestess, are you okay?" Roy asked, sounding worried as he stared at Anna's broken right arm. He wasn't the only one trying to use this chance to become closer to the High Priestess, so Anna was soon surrounded by a crowd of people.

Anna felt inexplicably disgusted at the fawning faces before her. She held her arm and turned toward the side door that led to the church.

The High Priestess' injuries could not be taken lightly, so the ship's best doctors followed her. They administered painkillers and splinted her arm.

"High Priestess, please rest and focus on recovering for the next four months. If possible, it's best not to do anything at all," one of the ship doctors said as he secured Anna's arm using white bandages.

However, Anna's thoughts were elsewhere; she was busy thinking about her next course of action. I'm in an unfavorable situation. Li Lu has been professionally trained, and an organization capable of training someone like her can't be taken lightly.

There is no signal out here, so I'm safe right now, but this ship will eventually have to dock. I've caught their attention, and they're not going to let me go that easily. I must resolve this issue before it spirals out of control.

The key to making any real progress here is that traitor, but how can I make her talk?

The ship doctor smiled awkwardly in the face of Anna's silence. Moments later, he picked up his equipment and retreated quietly with his assistant.

Left all alone in the dimly lit room, Anna frowned deeply, pondering over the answer to her predicament. Before she could fall into deep contemplation, however, the door was pushed open from the outside.

Li Long walked in, and his wretched face reflected surprise.

"Stand back; the smell of sweat on you makes me feel sick. So why did you come here? Did anything happen?"

Li Long hurriedly stepped back before saying, "High Priestess, the doctor treating that woman has discovered something unexpected. He doesn't know how to proceed, so he sent me here to consult you."

"Something unexpected? What is it?"

"That woman is pregnant!"

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