[Vol. 7] Chapter 39: Expanding Whispers
In fact, the countless tiny tentacles that made up the body of the [Deep Sea Ghosts] seemed to act as individual entities, constantly moving at different speeds, making the sight alone enough to give anyone chills and cause their skin to crawl.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
More than a dozen rusty harpoons were thrown from afar. The merfolk bodyguards at the front blocked and deflected them. Without a word, the two sides, who had been enemies for a long time, immediately began fighting fiercely.
Even though these creatures, whose bodies were filled or even overtaken by the tentacles, looked strange and unsettling, their physical strength was clearly not on the same level as the elite troops Queen Anies had brought. While they didn’t retreat immediately, they were quickly forced back, and a path was cleared.
"Move forward! Move forward! Don’t get caught up in the fight! Our goal is not to wipe them out! Everyone, stay close!!!"
Rashid, leading from the front, shouted commands. Despite his seemingly refined appearance, it was clear that the title of Pirate King wasn’t earned just by reputation. While he wasn’t at the legendary level yet (especially without the "[Book of Truth]"), he was more than capable of dealing with these tentacle-formed creatures.
What was interesting was that... he was using holy magic, which seemed to fit a Holy Knight-like class, combining both magic and combat. This was especially effective against these undead-like beings.
Violet didn’t rush to intervene at this stage. She simply observed the environment and the strange creatures while moving with the group. Occasionally, she would toss a few low-tier healing spells to assist the injured, providing valuable support.
She was searching for the true source of the strange power in this area, the heart of the [Ghost Sea].
Indeed, Violet could feel a very unusual influence from the environment, something that wasn’t energy or a mental attack. It felt more like a law wrapped around this land, or rather this sea. A polluted law, similar to the spiritual energy from the Ancient Spirit Realm, though with some differences.
This influence spread through “information”, and the form it took was the incomprehensible whispers. But whether it was whispers or information, these things didn’t appear out of nowhere. There had to be one or more core sources.
If she could find the source of this power, perhaps she could break the environmental corruption of the [Ghost Sea]. She might even trace it back further to understand the true formation of this island, which was similar to, but different from, the [Eastern Sea Pearl]’s royal palace.
"The ‘inner’ world and the ‘outer’ world… I feel like I've seen something similar before, but which one is real and which one is just a reflection... Heh, who can say for sure?"
The black-haired girl’s soft murmur didn’t reach anyone’s ears. Up front, Rashid cleaved through a “Ghost” holding a rusted trident with his sword. A brilliant golden light burst from the blade, burning away the countless tentacles that made up the creature’s body into charred remains. He then turned around, shouting again.
"We need to move faster! The [Book of Truth] is restless! I have a bad feeling about this..."
Before he could finish, however, a strange, indescribable energy suddenly howled out from the center of the island, sweeping over everyone present!
“Ugh...!”
The moment the energy engulfed her, Hongyan, who had been so agile and skilled in combat, froze. She immediately placed a hand on her forehead, feeling pain. The deep, clear gaze in her eyes, honed by years of sword practice, began to darken, as though shadows were rising from within, turning into whispers and murmurs that surrounded her ears.
"W-what is this? Captain, I... I think I’m hearing strange voices!"
"My hand! My hand's turning into a monster! Cut it off! Hurry!!"
"Shut up, shut up! Ahhh, be quiet!!!"
It wasn’t just Hongyan. Many of the merfolk warriors, loyal to the royal palace, suddenly became frenzied, as if struck by some sort of mental attack.
Those with stronger willpower or mental resilience, like Anies and Alex, displayed pain but only temporarily lost their ability to move. However, more merfolk warriors fell to the ground, clutching their ears, unable to stop the low, mournful wails coming from within.
Even worse, some were driven to madness, as if seeing terrifying hallucinations, and in panic, they began hacking at their own limbs with their weapons. Before their comrades could stop them, blood splattered as they inflicted severe wounds on themselves.
As they descended into madness, the protective gear they wore, including their necklaces and magical items made from mind-clearing materials, began to flicker violently, cracking with terrifying patterns. It seemed like they might break apart completely at any moment.
The once well-organized team was now in total chaos.
Luckily, the "Ghosts" rushing from all directions seemed to be affected by the same energy, as they suddenly dropped their weapons and knelt down in unison, as if in worship. They all turned toward a common direction, paying their respects, which gave the merfolk a brief moment to breathe and regroup.
"Damn it, is it starting to arrive now...? There's no choice."
Protected by the [Book of Truth] and unaffected by the strange energy, Pirate King Rashid gritted his teeth. He sheathed his sword, opened the ancient book that had no visible content, and began to chant.
"O great origin of all beginnings, I pray to you."
"You are the embodiment of dawn and hope, the first ray of light in the world, the master of all beauty and light."
"Please grant us the light of purity, heal our wounds, clear our minds, dispel the evil within our hearts, and bring forth new life!"
"[Purify - Sacred Prayer]!"
“Whuum~~~”
Golden light poured from Rashid’s [Book of Truth], scattering as countless pure light particles that enveloped everyone around them. It calmed the madness on their faces, healed the injuries from self-inflicted wounds, and even those severed limbs began to regenerate slowly in the light. The situation quickly came under control.
"Hmm..."
Violet, who had almost stepped in, raised an eyebrow.
As a priestess who had mastered holy light magic to the highest level, she could immediately tell from the effect and the aura that this was at least a Tier 6 spell, something only a high-level expert could cast. But Rashid was clearly not even close to legendary status, so how could he possibly use such an ability?
Was it a special privilege granted to him by the [Book of Truth]?
But then again, the [Book of Truth] likely only provided the energy needed for him to cast a spell beyond his level. It probably removed the burden and backlash, but if Rashid didn’t understand the chant for [Purify - Sacred Prayer], he wouldn’t have been able to use it at all.