Shrouded Seascape

Despite being an agent and having been professionally trained in interrogation and resistant to fear, the sight before Li Lu scared her to the bone. Watching Anna casually slice off a strip of her calf muscle, stuff it into her mouth, and chew it as if it were ordinary food pushed her past the edge.

On the sidelines, the first mate who had been watching the scene could hold it in no longer. He was just about to stand up when old Captain Roger stopped him. "Hold on. Don't make any moves yet. I think things aren't that simple."

"You want me to continue waiting? Can't you see she's eating her?!"

"And what do you want me to do about it? Don't forget our situation! Do you really think we are in charge of this ship?" Roger said with a darkened face.

"No matter who they are, we need to find a way to save ourselves first. Once we're out, we'll figure out the other matters."

Roger knew right now that he couldn't afford for the relationship between them and Anna to be strained even further. If he were to really step on Anna's tail, they would probably all end up dead on this ship.

While Roger and his crew were in a tense whispered argument, the interrogation was still continuing. The doctor who had been pushing Roy's wheelchair was now trembling as he carefully stitched together Li Lu's freshly carved wound with a fine gut thread.

Meanwhile, Anna calmly slit another cut on Li Lu's right arm and drew out a second strip of muscle.

"I guess… it has indeed changed. I can't taste anything anymore… Maybe cooking it would help? Or should I add some soy sauce?" Anna muttered to herself.

Due to the blood loss, Li Lu's face was drained of color and pallid. Yet, in her weakened state, she remained defiant, unwilling to give in.

"Whatever you are, no matter how many you have with you, we will find you. You can't escape. Victory will always be ours!"

"Oh? Those words do sound a lot like something the Foundation would say…Seems like it really might be them," Anna concluded as she pulled the blood-stained boning knife out of Li Lu's wound and stood up.

Suddenly, Anna forced the blade forward into Li Lu's mouth, cracking a few teeth along the way.

Under Li Lu's horrified gaze, Anna carefully dug into her jaw, hooking a small, pliable capsule wedged against a back molar.

As Anna stared at the familiar suicide pill, a glint of realization flickered across her gaze. She had gotten the answer she wanted.

"High Priestess, why don't you hand her over to me? I have ways to make her spill everything," Li Long suggested eagerly. His gaze then turned onto Li Lu with undisguised lust.

Anna shot him a disdainful glare. "Don't think I don't know what sick things go through that dirty mind of yours. If you ever bring up things like these again, I'll castrate you without hesitation."

Li Long stumbled back in fear; he knew Anna didn't speak empty words.

"Take her somewhere secure and lock her up. Treat her and make sure she doesn't die. I still have use for her," Anna instructed before she turned to leave without sparing Li Long a single glance.

As she passed by Roy, she gave the man in the wheelchair a cold look before she continued into the ship's cabins.

***

Lily slowly opened her eyes and stared at the bright yellow ceiling above her. For a moment, she couldn't register where she was.

"Oh, right. I'm back. Back to where I belong…" Lily muttered to herself as memories from before flooded her mind.

Setting off on the prepared vessel, Lily was sent back to V12 Containment Point. She walked through that empty corridor and finally crossed over to her own world once more.

Upon emerging from the building, Lily took out a compass and took flight in the direction of her home. However, with the vast sea distance, it was impossible to reach Hope Island in a single flight.

Guided by her map, Lily had decided to take a brief respite and touched down on the Coral Archipelago.

Tossing off the covers, she slipped her small feet into her shoes and headed to the washroom to freshen herself up.

The inn appeared rather new, with the washroom walls being lined with pristine white tiles. It was surprisingly polished for a dockside inn.

Perhaps in the entire Subterranean Sea, this might be the only inn in the harbor district with such refined decoration. This was the exact same inn that Anna had gifted Charles, only for the latter to sell it off later to fund his expedition for the Land of Light.

After washing up, Lily returned to her room, and breakfast arrived soon after. She took her tray with her and opened the bedside window. As she feasted on her hot food, she took in the lively view of the docks outside.

The crowd in the harbor district seemed eternally the same—laborers, merchants, fishmongers—yet they changed with each passing moment

As Lily watched them, she felt like she was gazing at a living, breathing painting.

Soon, Lily's gaze drifted onto a young girl who had just emerged from a clothing shop. As the girl clad in a new second-hand dress twirled in joy, Lily looked down at her own outfit.

She pondered for a moment, and a thought flitted across her mind. I'm finally going home. Should I get a new dress too?

But…this was the same dress I wore when I fell into the sea. If I change into a new outfit, will Mommy and Daddy still recognize me?

Just as Lily was stuck in a dilemma over her outfit, her eyes suddenly lit up when she saw a sleek golden car sped into view. She had caught a glimpse of a familiar face in the back window. It was Second Mate Nico with his distinctive makeup look.

"I could ask Mr. Nico! He's the expert when it comes to fashion!"

With a light push of her feet, Lily floated out of the window and glided over to the moving car.

Just as an excited Lily flew alongside Nico, she had barely spoken a single word when a cold gun barrel was pressed against her temple.

It was Nico's signature weapon, a silver pistol with intricate engravings. Gripping the weapon in his hand, Nico turned to meet Lily's gaze. His gaze was clearly filled with wariness as he stared at Lily, who had appeared out of nowhere.

Seeing the unfamiliar look in Nico's gaze, the light in Lily's eyes dimmed. She had made a mistake. The Nico in front of her wasn't the same Nico who had been her close friend and confidant. This Nico belonged to this world and didn't know her at all.

"Little girl, it's best not to pull frightening stunts like these. My gun could go off by accident," Nico said, reholstering his gun. "Also, flying is forbidden on this island. But since you're cute, I'll let it slide this time."

With that, Nico's car sped up and left Lily behind.

By this point, Lily's spirits had dampened, and the thought of new clothes no longer interested her. She headed back to the inn, gathered her things, checked out, and set off on the final leg of her journey.

Enveloped in a warm, soft, golden glow, Lily glided across the sky like a comet. Her dazzling color was too eye-catching in the darkness, but she didn't run into any dangers. After all, her speed was now incredibly fast—far beyond anything she'd managed before. Those creatures in the darkness didn't stand a chance of catching her.

Especially with constant practice, Lily could now harness the energy inside her with ease.

As she followed the rails in the air, Lily finally arrived above Hope Island. She took an aerial view of the island glistening like an emerald oasis under the sunlight. Her parents resided here.

"Daddy, Mommy, I'm back!" Tears glistened in her eyes as she gathered every ounce of courage within her and dove toward the island below.

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