The captain of the ship reached out.

Chapter 21 From the Deep Sea

This is……!?

Libitt suddenly opened his eyes wide and looked in front of him.

Inside the cabin, the densely packed, purplish-black mushrooms seemed to have suddenly come to life.

The tentacles twisted and wriggled wildly, casting bizarre and grotesque outlines in the dim light of the [fluorite].

An indescribable murmur echoed in my ears.

Libitt felt as if he were being stared at by countless eyes, with no secret he could hide from.

Faced with this bizarre scene, Libit was not surprised but delighted, his eyes shining, and he immediately knelt down in front of the mushrooms.

"By the Lord of the Deep, your loyal servant, Ribit, listens to your teachings!"

what?

What, the Lord of the Deep?

This...this isn't right, is it?

Horn, hidden deep within the mushroom, felt strange.

This script is different from what he expected!

His intention in making this commotion was to intimidate Libit and facilitate future "win-win cooperation."

but now……

This one-armed man seems to have mistaken himself for the Lord of the Deep?

"Alice, have you heard of that name?"

Horn asked himself the question.

"[Lord of the Deep]..."

Alice's [Powerful Memory] once again played a crucial role: "That looks like an ancient god worshipped by the Loy people?"

"The book says that He came from the vast and boundless deep sea, was active in the last era, and now rests in the depths of the ocean."

"The book also says that the decline of the Loy people may also be related to the long slumber of the Lord of the Deep..."

That sounds pretty impressive.

But how could Libit mistake the god he worships?

Oh, right!

Alice remembered something.

"The Lord of the Deep is described in the book as a soft-bodied creature with many tentacles—it does look a bit like Mr. Horn!"

Is that how it is?

Although it still feels a bit far-fetched, it's a good thing that Libit identifies himself as the Lord of the Deep.

At least we don't have to go through all that trouble to coax him anymore.

Horn poked Alice with his tentacles, signaling her to continue speaking.

That's right, that sentence was actually spoken by Alice!

Who told Horn not to unlock his voice ability yet?

Alice will have to do it for me.

However, because she hadn't spoken for so long, and with so many mushrooms in between, her voice sounded rather strange.

the other side.

Libitt, kneeling on the ground, felt somewhat uneasy.

Why is the Lord of the Deep suddenly silent?

Could it be that my attitude was not respectful enough, which displeased Him?

Fortunately, the hoarse voice, indistinguishable in gender, soon rang out again from the mushroom swarm.

"Libit, I know your name and your situation."

Libit pressed his forehead to the floor and pleaded earnestly.

"Please help us escape our predicament and punish these despicable invaders."

"...So, what's the price?"

Upon hearing this, Libit was stunned.

He suddenly remembered that the Lord of the Deep was not a benevolent deity, and there was no reason for him to grant the requests of his believers.

Libitt should not have forgotten this.

However, upon suddenly encountering the avatar of the Lord of the Deep today, he became too excited and lost his composure, which led him to say things he shouldn't have.

Libitt's forehead was covered in cold sweat as he spoke with difficulty.

"My lord, please forgive my intrusion."

Horn likes employees who can fill in the blanks with their own imagination.

The reason he avoided discussing this issue was simply because...

I can't do it!

Horn was eager to get rid of Bazel and his crew so he could rightfully become the owner of the ship.

This is simply a matter of insufficient strength!

Horn naturally didn't offer any further explanation, but simply extended a tentacle and landed on Libit's head, preparing to deliver a shocking blow.

[A Gift from the Source of Life!]

In that instant, Libitt vaguely heard the sound of surging waves.

A mysterious and invisible force washed over his body like a tide, dispelling the fatigue of the whole day.

After the tide receded, Libitt felt refreshed and stronger, and even his wounds didn't hurt as much.

This is……

A gift from the Lord?

In that instant, Libitt felt nothing but gratitude!

"Remember, every gift from fate comes with a price tag..."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Waiting for...instructions..."

The sounds inside the cabin gradually faded away.

Libit looked up and found that the mushroom in front of him had returned to its previous appearance, sitting obediently in the same spot.

It was as if nothing had happened.

Has the Lord's will temporarily departed?

Libitt guessed to himself.

Yes, the Lord's true form is probably still asleep, and can only interfere with the present world briefly in the form of a projection.

Even so, Libit's mood was completely different from before he stepped into the cabin.

hope!

He finally saw a glimmer of hope for revenge!

Chieftain, Maiev, wait for me. I will reunite with you after I have completed my mission...

May you find rest in the Lord's embrace.

With a solemn expression, Libit placed the bodies of his tribesmen into the mushroom grove, then turned and left.

Wait until the door is closed.

"Alice, you did a great job."

Horn rubbed the silver-haired girl's head with his tentacles as encouragement.

She expressed herself very accurately, and even added an impromptu performance.

"Hehe, I'm glad I could help Mr. Horn."

Alice's face flushed, and she said with lingering reluctance, "It's a pity that it only lasted a few words before it ended."

The little girl actually seemed to be enjoying herself quite a bit.

no way.

She hasn't spoken normally in so long!

Since I finally have someone to talk to, of course I want to say a few more words.

Moreover, playing Mr. Horn is indeed very interesting!

Horn also noticed this problem.

Even a mentally mature adult would likely find it unbearable to spend so many days in such a closed and dark cabin.

Alice's ability to persevere for so long is truly remarkable.

It seems I need to arrange a short meeting for the employees.

Maintaining the mental health of employees is also a very important part of company building!

……

……

Swamp forest.

The morning sun shines down, and dewdrops fall from the leaves, refracting into tiny spots of light.

In the largest and most spacious swamp, accompanied by a string of bursting bubbles, Tam quietly emerged from the mud and began to leisurely bask in the sun.

The sunlight is most comfortable at this time.

It's not too sunny, and the temperature is just right.

Moreover, the swamp has become much quieter recently because the buzzing of those annoying poisonous bees has stopped.

Tamm was very satisfied with this.

Although it is not afraid of poisonous bees, it is helpless against them; those stingers can cause it some trouble.

It would be best if they disappeared!

However, there seems to be a new kind of moving mushroom nearby, always sneaking around its territory, I wonder what it's up to.

Tam's assessment of them was—

Their combat strength is very weak.

It tastes bland and has little flavor.

They don't smell as sweet as mosquitoes.

Those little mushrooms better not bother me again.

Otherwise, Tam will show them who the true ruler of this swamp is!