Deep Sea Embers

From the cabin to the assembly hall, you need to walk through a long corridor and a staircase sloping downwards - this is a large ship that can not only accommodate a large number of believers, but also provide venues for various ceremonies and festivals. , for those Annihilation cultists who follow Holy Lord Netherworld, being able to board this ship is even an honor in itself.

Most believers do not have this qualification - they are not qualified to board the ship, or even know about its existence. They can only hear the secret rumors during private gatherings with other compatriots, and hear rumors from other gathering points. Here are a few words about the ship:

There is a ship, which carries the will of the Holy Lord and allows the Lord's glory to patrol the sea. It is a symbol of the sect's noble cause and the key to the next era full of glory...

Richard, who was wearing a black robe, walked slowly along the seemingly endless corridor. From time to time he met other church members who were wearing black robes. Occasionally, someone would greet him, but he only gave the minimum response. Sailors wearing coarse cloth smocks appeared in the corridor, with symbolic chains hanging around their necks, bowing respectfully and cautiously to every man in black robes who passed by - these sailors were also believers of the Holy Lord, but their qualifications were mediocre and they were not qualified. Unable to withstand the power of the devil, he can only be responsible for secular work here and serve those "priests" who have truly gained power.

The lights in the corridor are not dim, but the dark colors and depressing style still give people an overall sense of dimness. Iron-black candlesticks with complex patterns are placed on the gray-white walls on both sides. Among these decorative candlesticks There are classical-style oil paintings hanging in the room. Large areas of dark colors are used in the oil paintings to outline scenery that does not resemble the real world, as well as distorted and weird figures. There are also dark red curtains hanging from the roofs on both sides, covering those Darker, more ominous corners.

Followers of Yousu believe that the darkness of chaos is the "hue" of the Holy Lord and the "base color" when this world was born. They use this style to decorate their gathering places in order to seek to move towards the deep sea in the real world. "Get closer" - they think this will please the Lord.

The dark and depressing decorative style could not hide the luxury and elegance of the decorations themselves. Richard knew that the construction of this ship cost an astonishing amount of wealth, but someone always paid for this consumption - officials who wanted to extend their lifespan, and those who were influenced by Businessmen suffering from illness, nobles seduced by power, their offerings when begging for mercy from the Holy Lord built everything on this ship.

The Church of the Four Gods and the authorities of various city-states have created a set of solid rules for the so-called "civilized world". These rules are like an iron wall, which protects mediocre and dull ordinary people very well. However, no matter how tight the iron wall is, there are loopholes. In the past, It has existed for thousands of years, it exists now, and it will exist in the future.

The assembly hall has arrived.

A heavy door at the end of the corridor is open. Behind the door is an extremely spacious and bright hall. A dome supported by thick pillars towers high. A gorgeous chandelier with a triple structure hangs from the roof, and the light illuminates the entire space——

Due to specific practical considerations, this hall cannot of course be kept in a dark environment like other places. The builders here can only use various decorations and furnishings to show their worship to the Holy Lord, regardless of whether they are The tentacle-like reliefs on the surface of the huge pillars, the paintings on the wall at the end of the hall that look like dark branches symbolizing the profound Holy Lord, or the various strange sculptures displayed along the walls, all together outline this mysterious, depressing and... And a majestic "worship" atmosphere.

Richard walked into the hall, walked among his compatriots, pulled down the outer edge of the hood again, and then moved his eyes upward to look at the high platform in the center of the hall.

That’s where the “Saints” are.

The saints are already there.

The awe-inspiring devotee, the pure one who is closest to the "Lord" in this suffocating world, the compatriot who has walked the farthest on the deep path, is raising his eye stalks from the edge of the platform and scanning the room The believers gathered inside.

He occupies almost half of the entire platform, and his huge body is like a "crown" made of intertwined thorns--fearsome black skeletons are staggered and stacked on the platform like a bird's nest, with a star in the middle of the bones. The slowly wriggling brain is nearly two meters in diameter. The bones outside the brain form a cage-like structure. The nerve cords extend from the gaps in the cage, and the ends form eye stalks. On top of this "skeleton" The outer edge of the "Crown of Thorns" slowly moves and looks around, and at the top of the "Crown" is a dark chain.

The dark chain extended from the brain in the skeletal cage, floating in the smoke, and then returned between the thorn bush-like bones, forming a closed-loop structure, and this structure is exactly what "Saints" are like. "Symbol of" - he has crossed over from the lower stage of "a symbiosis contract between mortals and demons". Now, his contract points to himself, and there is very little of his human essence left. That awe-inspiring posture is full of profoundness. Demonic purity.

Richard glanced up at the saint, then lowered his head in awe.

The saint is almost crossing the final step. With just a tiny distance, his chains can disappear and he can realize the most ultimate pursuit of all Annihilation believers - to gain complete purity, enter the deep sea, and connect with the saints. The Lord is with you.

But this great compatriot still stays here, in this suffocating dimension of reality, because he still remembers his responsibility and wants to lead many compatriots with dull qualifications like himself to realize the eternal cause—— There is no doubt that this is worthy of admiration.

"People have gathered."

A deep, old voice suddenly entered the minds of everyone present. The assembly hall, which was originally buzzing with conversation, instantly fell silent, and a serious atmosphere enveloped the surroundings.

The saint on the high platform raised an eye stalk and looked at the entrance of the hall. The heavy door creaked shut and locked, while his voice continued to enter everyone's mind:

"The sun is about to set. In three hours, the Dream of the Nameless One will start again. Before this dream starts, we need to confirm the known information..."

Richard subconsciously tensed up his nerves and listened seriously to the voice coming from the saint.

He had that hot, itchy feeling again - coming from his chest, as if something was squirming slightly under the skin there, with fine fibrous structures growing and growing between the flesh and bones, slowly spreading. With.

He even felt that those fine fibers had spread to his lungs, spread to his heart, and continued to penetrate deep into his body.

Maybe it won't be long before I have enough cotton?

The pressure on his shoulders lessened at some point, and Richard vaguely heard a little girl's voice laughing softly in his ear, but soon, the saint's voice sounded in his mind again, Making his spirit focus again——

"...We have conducted several explorations into the Dream of the Nameless One, including sporadic infiltrations by compatriots scattered in the city-state, as well as exploration operations organized by upper-level priests. Compatriots, you should have received the news, In some of these operations ... we suffered setbacks."

As the "Saint" on the high platform spoke, the "Crown of Thorns" intertwined with bones made a slight clicking sound. Part of his black bones moved, and a slight stream of light gathered at the edge of the bone spurs and gradually flowed into the air. An increasingly real phantom formed.

These phantoms formed by the convergence of streams of light finally condensed and became clear, outlining the image of a girl wearing a black dress, with short black hair, and a decorative bell hanging around her neck. She looked a little thin, and her face was also slightly delicate and delicate.

The girl looks about fifteen or sixteen years old, and may be too thin. Her appearance may be a little younger than her actual age, and one of her arms, most of her shoulders, and part of her torso are in an obviously inhuman state. From the end of the skeletal structure, a pitch-black chain extends, and at the other end of the chain is a presence that is all too familiar to the Annihilation Cultists at the scene—a ghostly hound.

There was a slight commotion among the believers in the hall. Some people were discussing something in low voices, while others who knew the inside story in advance turned their gazes in the same direction.

Richard felt the eyes on him.

He pulled up his hood awkwardly, feeling a conflicting feeling that he should be proud of having brought back important information but was embarrassed and entangled in his heart.

Fortunately, the saint's voice relieved his embarrassment in time——

"...After some loss of life, one of our compatriots finally brought back valuable intelligence, and what you see is one of our enemies.

"Don't be fooled by her appearance, believers, she is not one of our compatriots, but an existence that is more depraved and taboo than pagans. She controls a powerful ghost hound through unknown means, but what is more dangerous is that she My power seems to be even more powerful than that of the Deep Hound - and my methods are vicious and my actions are strange and unpredictable.

"The compatriot who brought this information back is an outstanding one among us. He has rich combat experience and strong strength, but he was still seriously injured by the enemy's despicable sneak attack, and was even almost devoured by the enemy's strange and mysterious hound... You guys Be alert, because in subsequent actions, compatriots who enter the Dream of the Nameless One may still encounter this dangerous blasphemer again.

"What you need to be wary of most is this heretic's weird and sinister attack method. Her attack method is..."

The saint suddenly stopped.

It seems that even such a powerful and wise Pure One would be a little short of words when it comes to describing the power of that female heretic.

Richard pulled on his hood again - after returning, it was time to strengthen the hood.

And in his mind, he heard the saint's voice ringing again:

"...Her method of attack was to throw the dog out."