CHAPTER 691: THE HOWLING DEPTHS (II)

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’It’s like the element of space here was replaced by water, and it behaves that way too. Yet even so, everything remains functional. Truly an out-of-this-world phenomenon,’ Cedric mused as he continued his observations.

The Howling Depths was more unique than the Profound Heaven Realm. In fact, it made the latter look rather ordinary in comparison.

It’s incredible, really. Even he couldn’t imagine just what kind of events took place here for all of this to happen. Moreover, he also doesn’t understand how this place was preserved like this, especially after a long time, because this realm has been around for a long while.

In here, it’s easy to differentiate between the locals and the tourists. The locals swam freely in the waters, completely unafraid and not even baffled by their environment. Meanwhile, the tourists are all inside their own underwater vehicles, hoping that the strong and chaotic currents won’t destroy their chosen vessels.

The locals weren’t just limited to strange creatures either. Cedric has seen humans here too. Although most of them evolved, growing scales, gills, fins, etc. to adapt to their environment, Cedric knew that they’re human. The fluctuations he sensed from their soul couldn’t be wrong.

In addition though, he also felt that the locals here—strange creatures and humans—didn’t seem too fond of tourists like him. They’re avoiding the vessels quite obviously. Either by making sure to keep their distance from the path they’re taking or simply swimming away whenever they see one.

It’s like they don’t want outsiders to come to their place, yet since the council has spoken, they could only bow their heads and tolerate their presence.

’Their behavior truly attracts the curious ones. The more they stay away, the more it seems that they’re hiding some explosive secret, which could be a fatal temptation to those with little to no inhibitions or no regard for privacy,’ Cedric mused to himself once more.

Unlike others, he really wasn’t concerned too much about the real story of this place. Sure, he was interested, but he’s not going to go out of his way to terrorize the locals just to get what he wants. He’s not that desperate nor that curious about this place. If he could figure it out on his own, cool! If he couldn’t, then no big deal. It’s not like he’s staying here forever anyway.

Although, it’s really not that hard to imagine that the secret everybody kept or sought out had something to do with the unique environment they’re in.

Obviously, a whole solar system submerged underwater was something that doesn’t happen normally. Hell, Cedric saw a sun out there. No, it wasn’t a dud. It’s a real and well-functioning sun underwater! Like, how is that even possible? And the planets? How are they still floating about and not yet crushed or swept away by these chaotic depths?

These were just a few of the curiosities here. Everything in here was too bizarre, even more so when the environment was sustained and flourishing despite the very obvious difference. So anybody who gets a little too curious would definitely want to know how all of this came to be.

Swoosh! SWOOSH!

"Hmm?" Cedric’s expression condensed all of a sudden.

It’s not like something huge happened. In fact, he’s probably the only one in the entire entourage who sensed it happening, especially because it was too faint and elusive.

But his senses wouldn’t betray him or lead him astray. He did sense a sudden and very brief shift in the currents.

Just then, the current stilled at one moment before reversing from its original direction and then returning to its original flow. It happened in an instant, within a span of microseconds, too fast for ordinary evolvers to sense, but it did happen.

But if he were to tell this to anybody with a few working brain cells, they’d probably think that he was messing with them. Because if that truly happened, then there’s no way they wouldn’t feel it.

The sudden stillness and reversal of the current flow should have an obvious effect on their surrounding environment. At the very least, the submarine should’ve shaken at the sudden shift, hell, it wouldn’t have been surprising if it was even damaged. That’s how it should be, if what Cedric sensed truly happened.

But it didn’t. The submarine was fine. Nobody else from the entourage felt the same thing he felt. The tour continued as if nothing had happened at all.

Yet again, there’s no way he sensed it wrong. Cedric was incredibly perceptive when it came to the sudden shifts in his environment. That couldn’t have possibly been the wind, either.

So? What exactly was going on?

And as if confirming that he indeed had not sensed it wrong. The locals around them suddenly strayed from their original path.

Cedric’s mind was subconsciously drawing their pathing as he observed the surroundings; that’s how he was able to tell that they were deliberately avoiding the tourists. So, even the faintest shift from their supposed path couldn’t escape his senses.

It wouldn’t have been a big deal if it were just one or two who did it. But all of them swerving away from their supposed path in a subtle manner? That’s definitely not normal. Something was definitely up, and Cedric was almost certain that it had something to do with what he felt just now.

Alas, it was too brief. He was caught off guard, and before he could even analyze what happened exactly, the phenomenon was already over. And due to its mystical ways, it didn’t leave behind a trace or anything he could work with.

Sure, there were the locals who behaved differently afterwards, but like stated earlier, terrorizing the locals just to fuel his curiosity wasn’t on Cedric’s list.

Because of this, Cedric chose to keep quiet. He didn’t tell anybody of what he sensed just now; they probably won’t believe him anyway.

However, he inwardly declared that that’s the last time this place catches him off guard. It has sparked enough of his interest that he will seriously start paying attention now, and he will definitely not miss anything strange happening again.

And as if testing his resolve, there was another shift. And just as he declared, he did not miss it this time.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Groan!

"Oh..." Cedric did not expect that.

The sudden stillness, reversal, and reversion occurred again. This time, Cedric was paying close attention to it and analyzed it closely. Because of this, he was able to sense more about that strange phenomenon, and he even noticed a few additional things just now.

On top of the sudden stillness, current flow reversal, and then its reversion to its usual flow, Cedric also heard a deep groan, which reverberated to his soul.

It sounded deep, ominous, and...aggrieved. It sounded like a threat and a request at the same time, which was truly strange.

He then observed the locals who were swimming about, and just as he expected, they, once again, changed their pathing. This time though, Cedric noticed that some of them might not even be aware that they’re doing this.

It’s like they were being manipulated subconsciously to do this. However, there are also a handful of them who looked more intelligent and knew what was going on, but they obeyed anyway.

"Can we pause for a moment here? I’d like to go out for a bit." Cedric sent a request to the acting captain.

This definitely surprised the entourage. Cedric didn’t blame him since his request was indeed a little too sudden and impulsive, even. But he couldn’t help it. This was just too interesting.

The acting captain hesitated for a bit. He definitely had an inner war about whether to follow the request or, at the very least, advise this VIP to wait just long enough for them to reach the next checkpoint for safety.

Alas, this wasn’t his first rodeo with VIPs, and he knew better than to get in their way when it comes to things like this. So, against his better judgement, he acquiesced to the request and parked the submarine for a while.

Cedric didn’t waste time; he hopped out of the submarine. His entourage originally wanted to slow him down to at least secure him. They didn’t want him to go out there enduring the raging depths and currents of the Howling Depths with nothing but his clothes and bare flesh, but Cedric reassured them that he’s going to be fine.

And he was.

This is where the entourage realized that they’re underestimating their client too much because they all watched as he calmly strode out of the submarine as if this was just another disembarking procedure to him.

The raging current and the crushing depths of this place didn’t even shake him. There were no visible traces of discomfort or pain on his face or in his body language. He was perfectly fine.

Then, they all just stood there and watched as their client stood not too far away from the submarine with his eyes closed.

They had no idea what he was doing, and they didn’t want to disturb him to ask.

About ten minutes later, Cedric opened his eyes, revealing an enlightened gleam in them. He smirked and walked back into the submarine.

But before he returned to his room, he handed a piece of paper to the acting captain of the ship and said,

"Follow this path. There’s something I’d like to see on the way."