CHAPTER 1014: CHAPTER 207: SHATTERED TRUTH

The black raven flapped its wings and flew toward the outline on the sea, carrying a note addressed to Andrea near the harbor of the small town.

On the second floor of a coastal cottage, Andrea, who was watching the distant sea, approached the small town. When the unseen raven turned into a black dot and flew back toward the town, landing in the room, Ophelia closed the window and returned to Lu Li, who was recounting the events.

"So was it the [Lighthouse] or the [As Dreamers] at work?" Puxiu wondered about the thin mist only Lu Li could see, and why he suddenly disappeared: Lu Li had woken from a dream... No, Lu Li had woken from a second layer of the dream, arriving at the first layer.

"Maybe both."

The Lighthouse could uncover illusions, making Lu Li aware it was a dream. The Dreamwalker could manipulate the dream, allowing Lu Li to kill enemies within it.

Even in the boundless and indescribable imagination of the dream, great entities still possess terrifying power.

"If you... grasp... entering... dreams, you will no longer... be unable to... fight against... certain... existences."

Although his physical body remained weak and shackled Lu Li, with the power to control dreams, he could now deal with enemies. Especially after the Lord of the Deep’s power on his rib and Puxiu’s dream power were removed, they seemed absorbed by the [As Dreamers], causing incomprehensible changes to the Cursed Title.

It could be good or bad.

Puxiu suggested entering his or Ophelia’s dream tonight to practice. Ophelia added: "If... you... allow... entry... into... my dream."

In any case, despite the many constraints of dream-entering powers, Lu Li was no longer just a standard Exorcist capable only of melee combat with the Spirit-Calling Gun and his left hand.

Taking advantage of the half-hour gap before nightfall, Lu Li and the believers searched the houses around the town for dangers and useful items.

Or rather, items that could be stored for the merchant to sell.

The merchant Anthony, standing nearby, refused a faded door panel eagerly brought by a believer from a house. Lu Li designated the items: books, newspapers, Homogeneous Items, food, and intact tools.

Although furniture could indeed be traded through the merchant, Lu Li did not want to waste their only three merchants selling furniture. At least not now.

The split mountain of rocks already had a hundred-meter gap, with fragments constantly falling from the other end, drifting farther away.

Perhaps by the time they set off at dawn, they wouldn’t be able to see the other half of the rocky mountain on the sea.

Lu Li knew that the island was part of the continental shelf, but science could not explain the problem of the island "drifting" away. From a mystical perspective, it made more sense: the God of the Deep Sea suppressed Saint Lina Island, keeping it from being torn apart by the Shattered Power of the Silenon Archipelago. But after the remains merged, losing the suppression, the power cursing the Silenon Archipelago resumed its influence here.

Lu Li quietly surveyed the surroundings of the street, while the believers bustled in and out of the houses like bees.

He felt as if he was missing something.

"Mr. Lu Li, doesn’t that mean you can’t rely on the God of the Deep Sea for power anymore?" Puxiu suddenly interrupted Lu Li’s thoughts.

"I’m afraid so."

If the God of the Deep Sea hadn’t changed from the awakening consciousness, Lu Li wouldn’t hesitate to place his trust in a companion. But after the God of the Deep Sea departed, He was no longer the God of the Deep Sea of the covenant—someday, after merging the remains, He would overlook his promise to Lu Li, forcibly drawing him into belief.

Terrifyingly, by then, Lu Li might not even realize it, only to fervently and joyfully prostrate himself and gratefully thank the Ancients for the gift.

The Mother of the Marsh was also not a suitable choice. She was still weak, and even with the entire Swamp Forest, she possessed only weak power as an Alien God. In the Barren Lands, she could hardly protect a small town.

His thoughts returned to the present. The promotional posters in the small town were right about one thing: most of the townspeople were middle class.

The believers brought back a large pile of books that Puxiu couldn’t resist jumping into and rolling around.

Professional books of various academic disciplines took up half the pile, while the rest were mostly Geography Records, history books, story biographies, and a few notebooks.

Lu Li skimmed past the book covers with titles, opening those notebooks.

Many notebooks were used for accounting and recording daily routines, providing Lu Li with some understanding of the pre-shattered Silenon Archipelago events, though dozens of notebooks would keep Lu Li occupied for a long time.

[...Returning to our homes, I found it hard to sleep. They didn’t see it, but I did... it was the god’s body, and what flowed was not the river but the god’s power...]

The casually flipped pages drew Lu Li’s attention, prompting him to go back and read the diary thoroughly.

It was the diary of a Professor of Archaeology from the Barren Lands, describing the occasional exploration of caves by townsmen, and only he sensed the remains.

The diary ended abruptly with his decision to investigate the god’s body and power after the disaster struck the Silenon Archipelago.

"Which house was this found in?"

A believer pointed to the far side of the street, several houses away.

"Was there anything unusual there?"

Getting a negative response, as the twilight turned gloomy, Lu Li took the oil lamp and entered the house.

"Do you suspect... this is... the home of... the one who ate Him?" Ophelia guessed.

"Yes."

The facts proved Lu Li’s suspicion right. In the second-floor bedroom with blocked windows, he found a photo frame with a couple’s photograph.

The husband’s blurred face in the photo was slightly distorted but identifiable as the man from the dream.

Lu Li paused at the distortion on the photograph itself. The god could not be seen; he was so close to succeeding.

Returning to the street allowed Merchant Anthony to pack away the items collected by the believers, and Lu Li and his group returned to the coastal cottage.

"Mr. Lu Li, I seem to not feel well..."

With a book draped over his back and two tails pressing it to prevent it from slipping, Puxiu suddenly frowned and said.

"What’s... wrong?"

Ophelia crouched down to ask.

"My chest is in pain... as if being torn apart..." Puxiu twisted uncomfortably.

Ophelia moved aside the book and saw a glaring, blood-seeping scratch on his sparse fur, circling his chest as if it intended to slice him open.

"Is there... a curse in the house?"

Ophelia released her aura, instinctively wrapping it around Puxiu.

Observing Puxiu’s wound, Lu Li understood what he had overlooked.

The Shattered Power exerted on the Silenon Archipelago would also manifest on them. Due to Puxiu’s weakness, he was the first to have issues.

"The problem is in the Silenon Archipelago. It causes things here to shatter... We need to leave."

Lu Li said. Before Puxiu’s problem worsened, they retreated to the beach, boarded a small boat, and set sail on Andrea, forced to navigate through the deep sea at night as the Mist of Strangeness approached.