Chapter 254. Tentacles
Anna was lounging in a deck chair next to a huge circular swimming pool while flipping the pages of a black leather-bound book. The characters on the pages were twisted and seemingly sinister; they subtly writhed as she read.
Gurgle gurgle.
Small bubbles gradually began to rise and pop as they reached the surface.
Anna cast a glance at the pool, and a light smile suffused her visage.
Woosh!
A dark shadow leaped out from the water and flew straight toward Anna.
It was a gigantic green eyeball.
A tentacle slithered out from beneath Anna's skirt and struck the eyeball with precision, sending it back into the pool.
The bubbling intensified. Another eyeball emerged from the water and flew toward Anna, only to be promptly batted away again.
This continued for several rounds. More eyeballs appeared in the air, and more tentacles extended from Anna. The two sides seemed to be evenly matched in this strange game.
However, as soon as the door in the distance opened and the Haikor Tribe entered the scene, the chaos in the pool calmed down in an instant.
"Did you bring what I asked for?" Anna asked as she rose to her feet.
A Haikor giant presented a black box to Anna. The slightly trembling box was huge, almost half the size of Anna herself.
"That many? Feeling particularly generous, aren't you? I remember what I gave you wasn’t worth this much," Anna said as a hint of delight crossed her delicate face.
"We need your help. This is an advance payment," the leader of the giants replied.
Anna had already extended a hand to grab the box but retracted it upon hearing the comment. "If it's too difficult, I won't take it."
"The Governor of Albion Isles has acquired power that shouldn't belong to him; it's a power that shouldn't exist in our world. We want to see his downfall."
Anna let out a chuckle as she covered her mouth with the back of her hand. "He is the overlord of the Northern Seas right now. I'm just a normal member of the Dioite Tribe. I can't do such a task."
She walked to the edge of the pool and lifted a pale right hand. A tentacle emerged from the water and wrapped her hand before swaying it.
"You could seek help from others. Like Charles, the Governor of Hope Island, for example, or your other tribe members."
Charles? Anna turned around immediately, and her smile was no more. It was replaced by a stone-cold expression. "I've told you not to involve my man in our dealings. He has nothing to do with this."
The moment Anna spoke with a hint of hostility in her voice, a mass of glowing tentacles intermingled with green eyes slowly rose from the pool behind her.
A chilling atmosphere instantly hung down heavy in the room. The Haikor giants felt an involuntary shiver down their spines. The leader raised a hand in a struggle.
"Get your daughter to go back down! If you continue, don't blame us for completely ending our cooperation. Without the power of our god, you will forever remain as an ordinary Dioite."
"Tsk." Anna clicked her tongue dismissively before clapping her hands lightly. The tentacle monster behind her gradually submerged back into the seawater.
The giants collectively let out a sigh of relief. "You don't have to involve Charles. Just ensure the downfall of the governor of Albion Isles using any means. This is just a part of our compensation. Once you fulfill this task, we can give you much more than this."
With that, they placed the black box on the ground and swiftly pivoted on their heels to leave.
Anna was now left alone in the vast, empty hall. Standing in the same spot, her brows furrowed together in deep thought.
The black box trembled incessantly before eventually falling to the ground with a thud. The loud sound immediately drew the attention of the existence in the pool. A tentacle emerged from the water's surface and writhed toward the box, coiling itself around the black object.
A pale hand gently tapped the tentacle. "No, you can't eat this. It's for Mommy."
Hearing Anna's words, the tentacle obediently retracted into the pool.
With a click, the black box was opened. A blob of black gel containing a myriad of colors leaped out. Finding itself in an unfamiliar environment, it rapidly grew legs and scurried away.
However, its speed was insignificant to Anna. Anna reverted to her true form, and a tentacle darted out to smack the creature to the ground.
The mass, now split into two parts by the tentacle's impact, rapidly grew more limbs. It seemed intent on escaping.
However, Anna had no intention of letting it escape. Her cross-shaped yellow pupils rapidly flickered, and her tentacles whipped around violently. Moments later, the mass on the ground was sucked into her gaping maw.
After consuming the creature, Anna didn't revert to her human form. She stood motionless like a statue.
As a bizarre crackling sound echoed through the space, a layer of rust-colored thick shell began to grow on Anna's body. The shell expanded rapidly, and soon enough, a twisted, monstrous tree stood in the center of the hall.
A green, glowing tentacle cautiously emerged from the water and tapped lightly on the tree trunk. It seemed to be checking something.
With a loud crack, the branches that resembled rusted iron shattered, and a terrifying creature emerged from within the shell.
Anna had undergone a drastic transformation. Her previous tentacles with gray tendrils were no longer octopus-like; they now resembled withered, charred tree trunks.
The charred tree trunks were hollow and empty, but sinister glints of light shone in the gaps of her hollow tentacles, and it seemed as though something else had partially replaced her flesh and blood.
The Dioite member had grown nearly twice its original size and looked even more fearsome and horrifying than before.
With a hiss, Anna's tentacles danced wildly. She opened her mouth filled with sharp fangs and let out a frenzied roar.
Witnessing her mother's actions, the creature in the water tried to mimic her. Seven or eight tentacles emerged from the water and flailed rapidly within the room. A scene of utter chaos and distortion quickly unfolded.
***
October 3, 12th Year of Crossing Over
We're on our way home. Despite having added preservative roots to keep the water fresh, the water in the water tank has started to stink. Fortunately, the crew's morale was still considered stable. After all, they are close to getting home.
Once they reached Hope Island, that would be the end of this voyage for them.
But for me, I wasn't particularly satisfied with this expedition. The Foundation's main island has sunk, and I didn't manage to find 319.
The only clue I have now is that 319 has fallen into that pitch-black abyss, and I need to fish it out from those depths.
The depth seems daunting, and there's no guarantee that there is nothing else lurking in that hole. I need to think over this carefully.
Also, I'm very bothered by the actions of that underwater creature. I wonder whether it was a pure coincidence that it repelled whatever came out from Door 3 or if it was deliberate.
I feel that the creature seems to bore me no ill will. But why would such a terrifying creature in the water help me?
It seemed to possess some sort of "divinity" as well. Could it be the offspring of a Divinity?
As of now, the most plausible explanation I can think of is the mark of Fhtagn on me.
Having jotted this line, Charles paused and placed down his pen. He lifted a hand to touch the scar-like tattoo on his neck. After a moment's pause, he continued writing.
Forget it. What's done is done. No use dwelling on it. Whoever or whatever it was, I probably won't encounter it again.
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