For the people on the ark, everything they’re witnessing feels like theological depictions of the Genesis; on either side of the ark lies an endless ice world, with the vast ocean reduced to just a single passageway, beyond which the cracking ice walls open the curtain to myths, revealing the other side of the stage before their eyes.
They see the wounds on the sea surface, and instead of blood, what flows out are writhing, interwoven tentacles.
The deck is silent, no one speaks.
Everyone seems to have lost the ability to speak; they only feel suffocated, unable to fathom how to traverse this ocean full of tentacles.
Only "AI" Gray starts recording.
At this moment, he becomes the scribe of the mythical age, recording words that cannot be deciphered by common sense onto paper.
The wounds are increasing at a visible rate, and soon the tentacles will occupy the entire sea.
"He is very angry..."
The voice of Octopus-faced Ulta spreads through everyone’s minds, laced with whispering and fear, easily imagining the fate that will await Ophira once the Aelium they serve emerges from the deep valley.
This goes against the content on the village stone tablet.
The stone tablet says they are Guardians, ready to lend a hand to Ophira and even the entire Western Continent if necessary.
Ulta is setting up the summoning ritual on the ark’s deck according to the plan he and Ethan agreed upon. Days ago, they delved deep into the summoning ritual, Ethan believed that essentially the summoning ritual is like opening a door and letting something behind it come out.
Their plan is to release Aelium, their master who will become a crucial force against the impending doom prophecy.
But now, Aelium has corrupted.
Ulta perceives the pustules on the tentacles; just meeting its gaze floods him with negative emotions.
This leads him to another speculation.
Could the content on the stone tablet be wrong? Their master was not willing to enter the deep valley back then, and he suddenly recalls the altar in the underground research facility of Ophira, someone had sealed the altar within the walls, covering everything, denying all records concerning Aelium.
Ethan notices Ulta’s odd demeanor and pats his shoulder from behind.
Their octopus-faced friend’s state looks somewhat off, emitting black air all over, his tentacle-like mouth writhing continuously responding in an incomprehensible language to the tentacles, making Ulta feel like he would suddenly turn and unleash a powerful magic to pierce through the ark’s deck in the next moment.
"Do not stare at those sores!"
The first instant he regains his senses, Ulta issues a warning to everyone.
In less than a minute, his mind struggles between light and darkness and nearly leans towards the dark side until his shoulder feels strength and he sees Ethan.
Ulta remembers his mission.
They must seal the crack in the deep valley once more—just like the Master of Tides and their served Aelium once did!
Their master has been corrupted by the Evil God, so now he will let those lost wills continue.
The nobles on the deck are dazed and confused; their brains still blank, unable to look at anything.
This journey is too sudden, leaving them no choices.
But as they see the wounds on the sea, they instantly understand they must depart immediately.
"The ritual is set up."
Ulta says, looking at Ethan’s back, suddenly feeling a bad premonition.
Ethan hasn’t told him the plan afterwards, only saying "leave it to me," and now, he’s standing at the center of the ritual, like a hero from epics about to charge onto the battlefield.
Ulta has read many such stories recently, this is the most popular genre in Ophira.
To achieve victory, heroes often need to make great sacrifices; to Ulta, Ethan has long become a mentor-friend-like existence, always gaining inspiration from conversations.
"Remember our discussion about the teleportation ritual?"
Ethan reminds him, "Essentially, this ritual is meant to open a door to release what’s behind it, but similarly, it can also send things from this side in."
Instantly, Ulta understands Ethan’s plan.
It’s a craziest scheme to the extreme, making him almost blurt out, "You’re going to the deep valley!?"
Things develop worse than they imagined, Aelium corrupted will not welcome him on the other end, instead it will attack him the moment he breaks into the deep valley.
"This is also part of the plan."
Ethan senses vibrations from the seafloor, all tentacles conveying the same thought—it wants to come out.
"Open the door, or else the second wave of tsunamis is coming." ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ novᴇlfire.net
"Yes, listen to him, quickly listen to him!"
A senator suddenly urges, seeing a worse scene.
It’s a tentacle much larger than the others; when it bursts out from the sea surface, it unleashes waves as high as several floors, even as mere mortals they can vividly perceive something is about to come out.
They also see the cracked sky, their familiar world shattering at a visible rate.
Ulta steels his heart and recites the ancient incantation passed down on the stone tablet.