Shrouded Seascape

Chapter 802: Speculation

Sensing the hastened breathing of the man who claimed to be the Admiral of Hope Island in the darkness, the bald man pretending to be the skeleton couldn't hide the tremor in his voice.

"Uh… M-my child, go back. You don't need to think about avenging me. I'm happy enough to see that all of you are living well. I… I have to go now. The time's up."

As soon as the bald man's words fell, two other men lifted a black cloth to cover him and his glow-in-the-dark markings.

Instantly, darkness engulfed the interior of the tent.

The conmen held their breath as they silently prayed for their latest customer to leave as soon as possible. Now that they had stumbled upon an influential figure just like that, money was no longer on their minds. All they wanted to do was to hop on the next boat and flee far away.

In the pitch-black darkness, Bandages remained silent for a moment before he fished out a stack of bills and placed it on the ground beside him.

He then turned to exit the tent. Just as he lifted the tent flap letting the light illuminate half of his handsome face, he suddenly stopped.

"Tell me… What method… did you use… to communicate with…the dead?" Bandages asked in an eerily calm tone.

"According to… a close friend's… personal experience..he said that the…souls of those who perish at sea… all belong to… Fhtagn… Retrieving a soul… from Him… is extremely difficult."

The mustached man swallowed his saliva with much difficulty. He didn't have an answer to the question. They were just a bunch of conmen and nothing more.

Bandages seemed to intend to stay where he was until he got an answer. Seeing that, a firm resolve crossed the mustache man's face. He moved behind the bald man and frantically drew something on the latter's back.

Getting the order from his leader, the bald man, still covered in glowing pearl dust, emerged from behind the black cloth. He waved his arms dramatically as he proclaimed, "I am the Chosen One of the great God Sparkle! In the entire seascape, only She has the power to reclaim the souls of the dead from Fhtagn! Mortal! Do not delve into knowledge beyond your reach!"

At the bald man's latest proclamation, a wave of relief washed over the remaining conmen. Their leader was a genius indeed for coming up with such an explanation.

However, their joy was short-lived as the ground beneath them began to tremble violently. A colossal tree trunk burst from the earth; its twisting branches extended and lifted the entire tent into the air.

Amidst the conmen's cries and howls of fear, the tent was then shredded apart by the growing branches, and everything previously shrouded in darkness was exposed under the bright sunlight.

Now quaking in fear, the mustached man and his henchmen abandoned any thought of continuing their charade. Like a dam bursting, they confessed everything to Bandages, who was standing on one of the massive tree branches.

"Sir, we've only arrived on Hope Island for a week! All the money we scammed is all in that yellow box over there. Please let us go! We'll never do this again."

Bandages' silence stirred a sense of unease among the conmen.

Clinging onto a tree branch, the bald man frantically wiped the luminous pearl powder from his face and agitatedly tried to justify his actions. "It was all Johnson's idea! I have nothing to do with this! Sir, if you want to pin the blame on someone, blame him!"

Seizing the opportunity, the other henchmen were quick to follow suit. Each of them echoed the same sentiment and pushed the blame onto the mustached man.

Johnson trembled in rage at the betrayal, and his eyes were filled with murderous intent as he glared at his treacherous companions.

Just then, the massive tree branches beneath them slowly began to wither.

The once vibrant green trunk shriveled and darkened and gradually lowered everyone gently back to the ground.

Bandages regarded the conmen with a conflicted expression. "If only… if only you really could… I think… I'm starting to… understand now… why the captain… did what he did…"

With that, Bandages turned and walked away without saying another word.

The four conmen were left behind in their original spots, and they exchanged confused glances, not fully understanding the situation.

It took more than a full minute before the bald man lifted his right hand to slap himself half across the face. Feeling the sting, he turned to Johnson and exclaimed in excitement, "Boss! This is great! He didn't punish us at all!"

However, before he could truly rejoice, Johnson slammed his fist into the bald man's right eye. "You fucking traitor! How dare you sell me out like that! I'm going to kill you!"

***

Meanwhile, on the Ropelings' island, Charles stood in the middle of the multicolored forest. His gaze was filled with anticipation and unease as he looked toward the distant structures.

Norton had already ventured into the complex to look for his eyes. He had given Norton precise directions and instructions. Logically, everything should go according to plan.

Yet despite all that, Charles couldn't be completely at ease until Norton emerged from the buildings.

"Daddy, have you decided on your wish?" Sparkle asked. She was seated atop a colorful stone nearby and was swinging her legs idly.

Charles remained silent for a couple of moments before he answered with apparent uncertainty, "I guess so."

"Oh? Then can you tell me what it is first?" Sparkled continued, her curiosity piqued.

"Nope. But you can make a guess. Who knows? You might just get it right," Charles replied.

"Hmm…" Sparkle's brows furrowed as she pondered over what kind of wish her father would make.

"How about wishing for both Mommy and you to become gods?" Sparkle suggested. "Humans have short lifespans. If both of you become gods, we could be together forever like a real family."

"Gods…" Charles let out a soft sigh. "My dear girl, wishing to become a god isn't hard. But knowing your mother's personality, what do you think she would do next once she becomes a god?"

Sparkle didn't even have to spare a moment to think. She immediately answered, "Of course, she would keep pushing herself to become even stronger until she becomes the most powerful god out there. She has always been really strong-headed."

"Mmhmm. And if she becomes the strongest god, she will inevitably have to face those things. And when that time comes, what are the chances of her winning as compared to the Foundation?

"I'm not afraid of those gods; I'm just stating a fact. The Light God is powerful, isn't He? But according to the records of the Foundation, this man-made god only possesses a fraction of Fhtagn's strength—a thousandth at best. Anna's odds of winning are too low; she could die."

Charles' words triggered Sparkle's memory. She clearly remembered the fear she felt and the instinctive recoil of her physical body as she tried to go close to the surface. A bitter expression surfaced on her visage but she didn't retort Charles. Deep down, she knew he was right.

"Then how about we go to the surface? Don't you have three wishes? We could all leave the Subterranean Sea together," Sparkle said.

Charles shook his head. "It's not that simple. 005 said that the three wishes have to be different. And also, if Anna really made it to the surface, the surface might be done for."

Charles wasn't merely saying it out of pure speculation. He knew exactly what Anna's ability to alter memories was capable of. If she were to go to the surface with that kind of power, coupled with her personality, she would surely create havoc on the surface.

As much as Charles hated to admit it, Anna was, after all, a monster. A man-eating monster.

His family, along with over seven billion other humans, was still living on the surface. Charles couldn't risk that happening. He wanted to reduce the impact the Subterranean Sea had on the surface.

As their technology developed, humanity in the Subterranean Sea was on a slow march toward extinction.

If the people on the surface ever learned about the Subterranean Sea and everything that happened beneath, their fates would be tied to the doomed fate of the humans in the Subterranean Sea. That was something Charles never ever wanted to see.