CHAPTER 976: CHAPTER 169: ANDREA’S AWAKENING

Darkness, mist, and the unending waves of the sea.

The creaking, decaying wooden bridge, the grim dragon bones piercing the eternal night sky, and the sinister aura surging from the deep sea.

The ship under construction is everything to the Fugitive Church, for which they have nearly turned Rodest Port into a lair. So when the sinister aura of the eternal night sailed into the bay, they quickly identified it as a ship... cursed with pollution.

The Heretic leader returned with blueprints from the Twisted Vine camp, ready to deal with the mysterious ship of unknown origin in the bay, when a letter from the mysterious ship arrived—

It was an ordinary letter without any pollution power, detailing the connections between Lu Li and Mayor Matteus, and mentioning a ship named "Andrea" in the process.

"Assisting in the search for Katerina and Andrea" was also part of the transaction scope.

In the biting wind and snow, Lu Li and his companions boarded a small boat and, led by the heretic leader, sailed into the dark ocean toward where Andrea was stranded.

Lu Li, Ophelia, Puxiu, Merchant Anthony, and Bishop Jone boarded one wooden boat, while the Tentacle Cultist and his subordinates followed on another, with Believers of the Shadow Church surrounding and protecting Lu Li.

Despite the fact that the wind and waves alone could overturn them.

They gradually approached the polluted waters, and the obscured stench reminiscent of Himfast reemerged, with lead-gray water dark as an abyss.

Woo——

A distant horn sounded from deep within the mist.

All present could feel the warning and fragility of the horn’s sound.

The charred body of Ophelia glowed a dark red, angry for Andrea.

"Andrea! It’s us!"

The leader who emerged from under the cloak waved and shouted.

The shout penetrated the mist, and before long, a second horn sounded, turning into joy.

The heretic leader ahead had already stopped, speaking amidst the frequent "clucks" of the Sanity Value Counter: "Getting any closer, humans, will be affected."

Ophelia ceased rowing.

They were still hundreds of meters away from Andrea.

Lu Li stood up in the swaying wooden boat, taking out the Ancient Statue Fragment he acquired from the sanctuary, and raised it high in his palm.

The warm light blossomed from his palm, dispersing the eternal night, the mist, and even the harsh winter, illuminating everything within a hundred meters around them.

The Cultists on the wooden boat couldn’t help but glance, then avert their gaze, for the scorching consciousness-light was unbearable, as well as due to their longing for its brightness and warmth.

Lu Li looked into the depths of the pitch-black sea surface.

A corroded, mud-covered dark ship lay quietly submerged in the sea.

Dozens of slender fishing spears dragged like tentacles were attached to the hull beneath the sea.

As the light occupied the darkness, the shadowy outlines surrounding Andrea seemed to dive into the deep sea, disappearing.

At the moment Lu Li saw Andrea, part of his sanity was eternally eroded by the sight, madness waiting silently at the end not far away.

Deeply gazing at the elegant figure only he could see, standing on the ship’s deck, Lu Li asked the Tentacle Cultist on the other boat: "Do you have a way to remove the pollution?"

"It’s just insignificant pollution..."

The Tentacle Cultist replied.

The heretics who attacked Andrea did not pursue them, as the remaining pollution was not troublesome for them.

The Tentacle Cultist rowed closer to Andrea.

"I... will also... help."

Ophelia could evaporate the accumulated water in the cabin, and she entrusted to Bishop Jone and Puxiu: "You... go back. Protect... Lu Li!"

The light between the fingers began to dim, Lu Li was no longer of use here.

"Even death cannot stop our loyalty to Lord Lu Li." Bishop Jone placed his hand on his chest.

Under the embrace of the Shadow Church Believers, the wooden boat returned the way it came.

The Ancient Statue Fragment in Lu Li’s grasp, though no longer held high, still illuminated everything within dozens of meters around, including beneath the sea surface—

A large deep shadow slipped beneath several wooden boats, the waves it stirred making the boats rise and fall.

Something had set its eyes on them.

"Servants of the Lord, release——"

"Wait a moment."

Lu Li stopped Bishop Jone from shouting, staring at the large shadow encircling them in the sea.

The long-lost inspiration allowed Lu Li to sense a desire from it.

Not a desire for Lu Li, nor for them, but for the Ancient Statue Fragment held in his hand.

With his right hand clutching the Ancient Statue Fragment extending outside the boat, Lu Li gently placed it into the icy cold seawater.

The glowing Ancient Statue Fragment gradually sank into the bottomless sea, and not long after, that wandering shadow’s outline approached, swallowing the sinking Ancient Statue Fragment.

At the moment the light disappeared, the outline of the giant shadow seemed to turn over, revealing a trace of white underbelly.

Lu Li held onto the wooden boat as the sea beast’s departure caused waves, gradually becoming calm; it had left with what it desired.

Afterward, they returned safely to the port.

Andrea’s curse and pollution would take some time to clear.

Nearing dawn, a heretic rowed back, sailing out their only boat to tow Andrea from the bay.

After a long while, two boats silently docked in the dark mist.

Seeing Andrea again, Lu Li’s sanity was no longer corroded; her curse and pollution had been completely removed.

But Andrea was still severely damaged. The fishing spears seemingly thrown with force pierced the hull, still lodged in the ship’s body, and pulling them out would only accelerate sinking—unless those holes could be repaired.

If at Vena Ice-Free Port, repairs could be done at any time, but at Rodest Port, there was only a group of cultists with differing beliefs.

However, the Fugitive Church, having constructed the dragon bones and acquired the blueprints, should be able to barely undertake the repair work.

After calculating Andrea’s damaged parts and sending them to Vena Ice-Free Port, three hours later, Merchant Anthony brought out stacks of methods for repairing the ship.

Lu Li handed them to the Fugitive Church, which also served as their remuneration for repairing Andrea.

Due to the severe injuries, Andrea soon fell into a deep sleep, though not for long.

During this time, the Twisted Church sent another team to protect Lu Li, while simultaneously hoping to ally with the Fugitive Church—the Twisted Vine Church, the Shadow Church, and the "Fugitive Church," an alliance between the three churches.

The Heretic leader regretfully declined the offer, for reasons simpler than expected—they intended to set sail to unexplored seas in search of a truly safe continent after constructing their ship.

However, until their departure, this cooperation and friendly relations could be maintained.

On the third day awaiting Andrea’s awakening.

Everything did not transpire as the newspapers said, that the fog tide and eternal night would dissipate today. Noon bore no difference from midnight, and the temperature dropped even lower, with frost creeping over the port’s waterline.

Except for Lu Li, everyone else exhibited impatience and anxiety. They had wasted too much time.

With each passing day, the possibility of recovering Katerina dwindled even further.

Finally, in the afternoon, Andrea awoke from her slumber.

Lu Li and his companions boarded the large ship, asking the leader to translate what they had encountered.