Chapter 254. Tentacles
Emerging from n0v@lbin☆, this material harbors clandestine details.
Anna was lounging in a deck chair next to a huge circular swimming pool while flipping the pages of a black leather-bound book. The characters on the pages were twisted and seemingly sinister; they subtly writhed as she read.
Gurgle gurgle.
Small bubbles gradually began to rise and pop as they reached the surface.
Anna cast a glance at the pool, and a light smile suffused her visage.
Woosh!
A dark shadow leaped out from the water and flew straight toward Anna.
It was a gigantic green eyeball.
A tentacle slithered out from beneath Anna's skirt and struck the eyeball with precision, sending it back into the pool.
The bubbling intensified. Another eyeball emerged from the water and flew toward Anna, only to be promptly batted away again.
This continued for several rounds. More eyeballs appeared in the air, and more tentacles extended from Anna. The two sides seemed to be evenly matched in this strange game.
However, as soon as the door in the distance opened and the Haikor Tribe entered the scene, the chaos in the pool calmed down in an instant.
"Did you bring what I asked for?" Anna asked as she rose to her feet.
A Haikor giant presented a black box to Anna. The slightly trembling box was huge, almost half the size of Anna herself.
"That many? Feeling particularly generous, aren't you? I remember what I gave you wasn’t worth this much," Anna said as a hint of delight crossed her delicate face.
"We need your help. This is an advance payment," the leader of the giants replied.
Anna had already extended a hand to grab the box but retracted it upon hearing the comment. "If it's too difficult, I won't take it."
"The Governor of Albion Isles has acquired power that shouldn't belong to him; it's a power that shouldn't exist in our world. We want to see his downfall."
A green, glowing tentacle cautiously emerged from the water and tapped lightly on the tree trunk. It seemed to be checking something.
With a loud crack, the branches that resembled rusted iron shattered, and a terrifying creature emerged from within the shell.
Anna had undergone a drastic transformation. Her previous tentacles with gray tendrils were no longer octopus-like; they now resembled withered, charred tree trunks.
The charred tree trunks were hollow and empty, but sinister glints of light shone in the gaps of her hollow tentacles, and it seemed as though something else had partially replaced her flesh and blood.
The Dioite member had grown nearly twice its original size and looked even more fearsome and horrifying than before.
With a hiss, Anna's tentacles danced wildly. She opened her mouth filled with sharp fangs and let out a frenzied roar.
Witnessing her mother's actions, the creature in the water tried to mimic her. Seven or eight tentacles emerged from the water and flailed rapidly within the room. A scene of utter chaos and distortion quickly unfolded.
***
October 3, 12th Year of Crossing Over
We're on our way home. Despite having added preservative roots to keep the water fresh, the water in the water tank has started to stink. Fortunately, the crew's morale was still considered stable. After all, they are close to getting home.
Once they reached Hope Island, that would be the end of this voyage for them.
But for me, I wasn't particularly satisfied with this expedition. The Foundation's main island has sunk, and I didn't manage to find 319.
The only clue I have now is that 319 has fallen into that pitch-black abyss, and I need to fish it out from those depths.
The depth seems daunting, and there's no guarantee that there is nothing else lurking in that hole. I need to think over this carefully.
Also, I'm very bothered by the actions of that underwater creature. I wonder whether it was a pure coincidence that it repelled whatever came out from Door 3 or if it was deliberate.
I feel that the creature seems to bore me no ill will. But why would such a terrifying creature in the water help me?
It seemed to possess some sort of "divinity" as well. Could it be the offspring of a Divinity?
As of now, the most plausible explanation I can think of is the mark of Fhtagn on me.
Having jotted this line, Charles paused and placed down his pen. He lifted a hand to touch the scar-like tattoo on his neck. After a moment's pause, he continued writing.
Forget it. What's done is done. No use dwelling on it. Whoever or whatever it was, I probably won't encounter it again.