Deep Sea Embers

Chapter 713: Shirleys Unsettled Spirit

“This entire island… it’s far more than just a island. Everything we see here, from the stones beneath our feet to the soil we’re walking, those structures that resemble trees, it’s all part of the same ancient god…”

“The Annihilators living here, they’ve adapted to use the island’s resources. They construct their homes from the materials provided by the island, build ships from its timber, feed themselves with food grown in its soil, and spend their days immersed in arcane rituals of summoning demons. They’re stupid enough to bind their fates to the island itself…”

“Also, there is no more living people left here. Everyone has been consumed by ‘it’… These dumb cultists, they’ve triggered something and awakened ‘it’…”

As Shirley spoke, she sat huddled at the edge of the square, her knees drawn up to her chest, her voice intermittently breaking the silence. The terror was palpable in her voice, a clear sign of the deep seated fear and unease that now plagued her mind. The brief exposure to the island’s hidden “truth” had been a traumatic shock to her psyche. Although she had been rescued in the nick of time by the captain, the experience had left a lingering effect on her, a buzzing sensation in her brain, as fragmented and blurry “memories” involuntarily flickered through her consciousness.

Meanwhile, Dog stayed close to her, nuzzling against the girl’s thigh in an attempt to provide some solace. This seemed to be working, as Shirley gradually began to regain her composure.

Sitting protectively next to her, Duncan tried to shield her mind from the corrosive knowledge, his curiosity piqued. “They awakened something inside the island? What exactly did they do?”

Shirley paused, her mind a whirlwind of chaotic memories. She had been inundated with information earlier, fragments from the “memory” of this sentient island. At the time, it was too much to process, understand, or even differentiate. But now, these scrambled memories were slowly rising to the surface of her consciousness, some coherent pieces beginning to make sense.

“They… they dug too greedily and too deep.”

“At the island’s heart, there’s a passage that leads underground,” Shirley explained, her brows knitting together as she clung onto the fragments of memory she could recall. “It all started when the sun vanished from the sky…!”

“The sun disappeared?” Morris echoed her words, his gaze shifting subtly as he exchanged knowing looks with Vanna and the captain.

Energized by matching the voices she “heard” to the chaotic visions she had seen, Shirley quickly continued, “Yes, exactly then! When the sun vanished, this sacred island remained bathed in daylight, and the cultists were all in an alert state… They then received some kind of divine message and began to dig at the island’s center… There was a cave there, its depths filled with dark, ominous rocks. They dug fervently downwards until they discovered a chamber, but it was hermetically sealed…”

Shirley momentarily hesitated, her voice tinged with uncertainty: “They were desperate to gain access to that chamber, but it seems they couldn’t even breach its entrance or make contact with the door before calamity ensued…”

Amber, the youthful storm priestess, drew closer, her interest piqued by Shirley’s account: “Are you suggesting that the island’s inhabitants, these cultists, met their demise due to activating some sort of ‘defensive mechanism’ inherent to this ‘living island’?”

Shirley’s initial instinct was to nod in agreement, but a sudden recollection made her pause, shaking her head instead.

“…No, it wasn’t a ‘defensive mechanism’ that ended them…” She slowly pieced together the fragments of “information” swirling in her mind. After several moments spent organizing her thoughts, the “truth” dawned on her, “Their demise was caused by a… ‘knowledge’…”

Before she could elaborate, Morris interjected sharply, “Don’t say it!”

Simultaneously, Amber swiftly retrieved the storm goddess’s amulet from within her clothing and pressed its tip into her palm, while the typically reserved and silent death priest captain produced a sacred ash box. Additionally, over twenty sailors began to urgently shield themselves with various amulets and religious relics.

Morris quickly fortified his mental defenses and adorned himself with Lahem’s amulet and a vibrantly colored stone bracelet. Only then did he seem to relax slightly, signaling Shirley to continue, “You can go on now.”

Taken aback by the flurry of protective actions around her, Shirley asked tentatively, “…Is all this really necessary?”

With a grave expression, Vanna nodded affirmatively at Shirley, “Yes, it is. This ‘knowledge’ you speak of instantly claimed the lives of all the Annihilators on the island. Even though it seems connected to their rituals, such ‘knowledge’ might still pose a grave danger.”

Morris chimed in, “Typically, when an investigator stumbles upon forbidden knowledge and survives, the safest and most professional approach is to transcribe the information in a ‘secret language’ on parchment blessed by the four gods. This method helps to dilute and filter out the corrupting aspects of the knowledge — are you familiar with the ‘secret language’?”

After a brief pause, Shirley admitted, shaking her head, “…Okay, I’m not.”

Morris gestured reassuringly, “No problem, go ahead and speak.”

Shirley, slightly eased by the interruption, took a moment to organize her thoughts. She then repeated the cryptic sentence she had “heard” earlier —

“Humanity is a variant of highly differentiated shadow demons, and those dwelling in the deep seas are primitive templates incapable of being endowed with wisdom.”

The square was enveloped in silence for a few seconds after that sentence.

Alice was the first to react, her eyes wide as she looked at Shirley, “…Is that all?”

“That’s it,” Shirley confirmed with a nod, “Just this single sentence… But upon learning this ‘truth’, those cultists were almost instantaneously transformed into these… grotesque and abhorrent forms.”

Shirley relayed this with only partial comprehension, and Alice listened with a similar lack of full understanding. However, Duncan’s expression slowly turned contemplative, as if grasping something more profound.

He rose to his feet, muttering thoughtfully, “This is more than a mere sentence… This revelation holds significant implications.”

Amber, with a solemn expression, traced the holy symbol of Gomona on her chest, murmuring a prayer, “May the Goddess have mercy…”

Morris’s expression showed a hint of skepticism, “…The notion of humanity being a variant of shadow demons is quite a stretch, even by the standards of the Annihilation Cult’s bizarre beliefs.”

Vanna, reflecting on past experiences, added, “We’ve come across such ‘extreme’ theories before. Remember the ‘Blasphemy’ manuscript?” She said this with a wry smile, then cast her eyes over the marines from the Tide and the Resolved.

Their faces showed a range of emotions – surprise, contemplation, confusion – but none displayed any signs of panic or distress.

These sailors were rigorously trained for frontier operations; maintaining psychological stability and resilience were key traits in their line of work. Given the often bewildering and surreal nature of the frontier seas, being unfazed by outlandish information and knowledge was almost a prerequisite for them.

“No wonder those humanoid figures we saw floating in the sea had an aura reminiscent of shadow demons…” Amber mused aloud. “There were tales of ‘the Nether Lord creating all things during the third Long Night’, but I never made the connection between humans and shadow demons in this context… If this theory holds any truth, it might explain the Annihilators’ ability to ‘summon’ and their symbiotic relationship with the shadow demons…”

As she pondered this, her gaze inadvertently fell on Dog, who was lying next to Shirley’s feet.

Feeling her stare, Dog lifted its head, “Don’t lump me in with those cultists or my less enlightened kin. I’m a cut above the average shadow demon. I’d say my intelligence is on par with a high school graduate, maybe even edging into city-state college territory…”

Shirley, puzzled by Dog’s comments, asked, “…Dog, what are you trying to say?”

Dog replied in a low voice, “I’m not sure, the captain’s been teaching me these things…”

Amber looked at Dog, her expression a mix of intrigue and amusement, “I had heard stories about a shadow demon with sentient mind, but seeing it in person is another story… My apologies, I didn’t mean any offense.”

Dog huffed, “None taken, but remember, I’m with the captain…”

Unfazed by Dog’s comments, Duncan checked to ensure Shirley was alright, then redirected the conversation, “Let’s leave the debate about humans and demons for later. Right now, we need to focus on our next steps.”

Turning to Shirley, he asked, “Do you recall the exact location where the cultists were digging?”

Shirley nodded confidently, “Yes, I remember it clearly. I can even guide us there.”

Duncan declared, “Our next objective is the ‘chamber’ those cultists unearthed.” His gaze then shifted to Amber and the marines, “But we’re faced with a decision – are you prepared to venture deeper? The territory ahead might be more perilous than this port area.”

Amber’s expression hardened with resolve, “Captain, we’re not fragile like canaries. We’re seasoned in handling ‘anomalies’ on the frontier, including entities as bizarre as this island. We have our own expertise and methods for dealing with such situations.”

Observing her determination, Duncan remained silent for a moment before finally nodding slowly.

“Alright, then we proceed deeper into the island.”