574 Heavy
Their actions and expressions don't align with the typical behavior of people engaged in intimate moments?
Though Jenna had witnessed such scenes in the past, she hadn't delved into the intricacies of others' intimate interactions. Upon hearing Anthony's words, she promptly sided with the Spectator's perspective.
Anthony continued, "Lugano's body language indicates clear resistance. His current condition is highly abnormal."
Resisting, yet not breaking free… There's a lack of intense movements, even though Lugano is a Sequence 8 Beyonder with a strengthened physique. This situation is undeniably peculiar… What kind of Beyonder powers could cause this? Jenna swiftly sifted through the information about potential adversaries for this mission.
Most of it had been compiled by Franca, with a small section supplemented by Judgment and Madam Magician.
As these thoughts raced through Jenna's mind, a realization quickly dawned on her: Marionettist!
A Sequence 5 Marionettist from the Seer pathway!
According to Franca's description of Marionettists, these Beyonders could lurk in the shadows, silently transforming their targets into autonomous marionettes from a distance.
And Madam Magician's additional information included this: "A Marionettist manipulates a creature's Spirit Body Threads. A skilled Marionettist can establish initial control of the target's Spirit Body Threads in five to 10 seconds, slowing down thoughts, movements, and stiffening the body."
Lugano's current state perfectly matched the characteristics of a Marionettist's initial control over the Spirit Body Threads!
Jenna lowered her voice and said to Anthony, "Loki…"
The enemy with the codename Loki was none other than a Marionettist!
Anthony immediately grasped Jenna's conjecture and nodded affirmatively.
"No need to rush. It takes a Marionettist several minutes to completely transform the target into a marionette. We have a chance to rescue Lugano."
As per the information, forcibly taking Lugano away, pushing him beyond a certain limit, or triggering him could help him break free from the Spirit Body Threads or enhance his resistance to such manipulation.
Certainly, the most direct approach would be to locate Loki's true form and launch a direct attack on the enemy, preventing him from concentrating on controlling Lugano's Spirit Body Threads.
Jenna caught Anthony's implication.
Don't hurry to rescue Lugano. Find Loki's true form while Loki hasn't detected us!
The two of them had posed as a couple and checked into Solow Motel's suite the previous night.
Once Loki was identified, dealing with a peculiar, insidious adversary with formidable abilities might be beyond their capacity. However, they could create a significant disturbance and "report" to the Fertility Order, responsible for local Beyonder matters. Lumian had already coordinated with Noelia in advance.
Jenna nodded and reached for the fluorescent powder, preparing to conceal herself.
But in the next moment, she abandoned the idea.
She recalled the information's warning: Marionettists can directly perceive the Spirit Body Threads of different creatures. Most invisibility effects wouldn't work on them.
Moreover, Loki was currently manipulating Spirit Body Threads.
How to locate Loki? Jenna pondered with a strong sense of urgency.
…
In the sealed waters, aboard the betrothal ship.
Lumian first witnessed the mountain-like azure waves surging, only to realize that they had frozen in the air, as if subjected to a sudden freeze. The surroundings emitted a violent aura, obliterating everything in its path.
The sea's fury? Lumian's heart skipped a beat.
Similarly, he couldn't fathom what had gone awry. It seemed that the Ring of the Sea Queen had only unlocked the first half of the seal and hadn't manifested the second half of its stealing effect.
Nevertheless, following the completion of the ring-making ritual, the ring was indeed placed on the dilapidated stone platform. Lumian and Juan Oro had retrieved it together.
Previously uncertain if the Ring of the Sea Queen had been swapped, Lumian now knew it hadn't. This was evident as the Ring of the Sea Queen had further opened the seal. A counterfeit ring, lacking the previous ritual, wouldn't exhibit a similar function.
Could it be that someone moved the Ring of the Sea Queen during the hour in the basement, preventing it from completing the eroding power's duration? Or perhaps the critical stone platform in the basement was destroyed in advance, hindering the completion of the ancestral ritual? Unlikely. How could the first scenario elude the attention of Juan Oro, me, and the sea spawn surveillance? The second scenario shouldn't be inconspicuous. It would undoubtedly be discovered by the sea spawn… As Lumian's thoughts raced, he suddenly felt a slight erosion from the destructive aura surrounding him.
His mind instantly connected to something.
Vaguely, Lumian "saw" the dark-blue seabed, nearly pitch-black. He "saw" a peculiar object partially embedded in rocks and gravel.
The object was unnaturally massive, surpassing the Fertility Order's cloister and the Governor of the Sea's residence combined. It bore a silver-gray hue, with sleek lines resembling a colossal spindle missing its front segment. At that moment, the side of the object gleamed with a radiant starlight. Together, they appeared to form a circular, transparent door.
Through the door, Lumian "saw" a particular scene inside.
Silver-gray metal walls were densely covered with special holes, resembling hives.
In some nests, black foam bubbled as thin, bristle-covered Batings Black Insects crawled out. Some nests contained more than ten compartments, with a wrinkled Little Devil lying inside, seemingly deceased and disintegrating into various forms…
As this peculiar and horrifying scene etched into Lumian's mind, he snapped out of his stupor. He couldn't be bothered to ponder April Fool's actions. He swiftly deliberated on how to prevent the sealed object from going berserk and breaking free entirely.
The extracted power has yet to cause any harm…
It appears to be suppressed by Juan Oro at the expense of his life…
If I can seize this window of opportunity to steal the released power and distribute it to everyone with a sea bloodline, there's a chance of completing the sea sacrifice segment and allowing the sea prayer ritual to succeed…
Stealing…
In an instant, Lumian contemplated two solutions:
Firstly, he could immediately seek help from Mr. Fool, an expert in this area, with Termiboros as a precedent. Secondly, he could utilize the Lie earring, a mystical item that had gained the ability to steal others' powers on the stone platform meant to honor the ancestors.
Lumian swiftly discarded the first option, considering April Fool's involvement. With The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings backing them, seeking Mr. Fool's assistance might not yield a response. It could potentially be a time-consuming effort.
As for the second method, Lumian sensed a strong feeling of inevitability and an undeniable sense of coincidence.
Lie had recently acquired the ability to steal someone else's power—and here it was proving beneficial in a critical moment!
Without the luxury of time for careful analysis, Lumian made a swift decision.
Put aside coincidences and inevitability for now. Resolving the current predicament was the most pragmatic approach!
He then retrieved the silver Lie earring from his pocket.
Typically, such items couldn't be brought onto the betrothal ship—they would surely be discovered by the sea spawn. However, this time, Juan Oro had communicated with the sea spawn in advance, stating that he and his assistant intended to pose as deputy hosts and board the ship to guard against any potential mishaps.
The sea spawn placed their trust in the president of the Fisheries Guild more than anyone else while the traitors were still at large. Their intelligence wasn't particularly high, and they were especially protective of the sea prayer ritual.
Clutching the Lie earring, Lumian extended his spirituality.
He immediately perceived the surrounding starlight and sensed their presence.
Lumian subconsciously extended his hand and twisted his wrist.
A plethora of starlight cascaded down, rushing toward the Lie earring and enveloping him.
At that moment, a person materialized in front of him. She wore a black nun's uniform, her face expressing profound sorrow.
She appeared like a colossal whale suddenly leaping out of the sea without warning.
It's her? The source of Derangement? Lumian finally recollected something he had forgotten.
There was indeed such a person on the ship!
In the next instant, he sensed the humanoid Sealed Artifact becoming unusually weighty, so heavy that the surrounding void slightly bent. It was so heavy that all the starlight surged toward her like the sea. The weight was so immense that the betrothal ship began to sink, and the nearby seawater was pushed aside.
Silently, Lumian witnessed the sea around him morphing into a translucent azure mountain peak, looming over them as they descended to the seabed. It resembled the walls of a deep well, and the well mouth, formed by these walls, grew more distant with each passing moment.
…
Four hours ago, at the edge of the foggy sea, Nolfi said to Charname, "You have to listen to me completely from now on. Otherwise, it will be very dangerous."
"Sure." Charname nodded. "But before that, we need to communicate openly."
A smile gradually spread across his face.
Batna, who stood beside Nolfi, asked curiously, "What communication?"
Charname produced a metal canister and looked at Nolfi.
"This is an agent that can make people speak the truth. I want to know if you have a secret collaborator. If so, who is it? Don't worry, it's not poison."
Charname unscrewed the lid and took a sip to demonstrate his sincerity.
Nolfi fell silent.
"If I don't understand the corresponding details, it'll be challenging for me to follow your instructions," Charname began to instigate. "We're already here. We could enter those waters at any moment and destroy the underwater palace before the sea prayer ritual. Are you truly willing to give up?"
Nolfi remained silent for a moment before accepting the metal canister and taking a big gulp.
Charname's heart ached as he withdrew the bottle and patiently waited for the medicine to take effect.
