Chapter 342 - 157: Karel’s Whisper
"Wait..."
Wei’en’s calm voice, accompanied by the CLACK-CLACK of his hard-soled boots on the Sal metal, echoed through the dim, damp prison in the ship’s hold.
Eight wall sconces held candles of Dawn red. The candlelight flickered, perhaps from the gust of wind caused by his sudden appearance, or perhaps from the killing intent emanating from Clelia, casting the few figures in wavering, indistinct shadows.
The thick stench of blood, the salty tang of seawater, and the putrid smell of rotting flesh mingled in the prison, giving him the strange feeling that he was back in the Laos District.
"They deserve to die!"
Clelia froze, but her eyes remained locked on the cells before her. From the moment she heard the word "ugly," these "people" were already dead in her mind.
Wei’en walked in front of Clelia and grabbed her hand to stop her from taking any further action, his own eyes fixed on the "people" in the cells.
"You?" Clelia started, turning to Wei’en with a look of stunned hesitation. "Are you worried about me? Are they... dangerous?"
"Back up."
Wei’en didn’t answer her question. He simply pulled her back slowly, leaving no room for argument.
[You are targeted by the killing intent of the Deep Sea species—the Sea Crow. Evaluation: Oh... Reward: Survival Points +30.]
[Note: The Sea Crow is an intelligent Deep Sea creature with Extraordinary characteristics such as Curses, Immortality, and Death Omens.]
’Sea Crows...’
Wei’en noticed the value of the killing intent lock. ’It’s even higher than Henrik’s?’
’Intelligent Deep Sea creatures, a Deep Sea species?’
His expression shifted slightly as he looked at the strange humanoid figures in the cells. This was the first time he had ever seen an intelligent species other than humans.
"You should take Ronan and the others... and the ’spoils of war’... back to the *Ronan* first."
"Alright."
Clelia was not stupid, nor was she someone easily provoked.
Even while enraged by these people, she had cautiously maintained the connection to her main body, ready to escape at a moment’s notice.
But she still hadn’t expected Wei’en to wear such a grave expression. He had been completely calm even when facing Henrik and his men just moments before.
’It must be because of these bizarre "people" in front of us. They’re making him wary!’
After Clelia left, Wei’en maintained a cautious distance from the cages, observing the new species known as Sea Crows.
Although their name contained the word "crow," their appearance bore no resemblance to birds. They didn’t have the ugly, disgusting tentacles or the signature blood-red eyes of Aberrations.
On the contrary, their builds were human-like, and their features could even be described as handsome and beautiful.
It was as if these Sea Crows were all cast from the same mold. Aside from minor differences, their facial shapes, eyebrows, the height of their noses, and even the contours of their ears were all identical. It gave off an eerie feeling—’different faces, but the same bone structure?’
Beneath the iron nails pinning their brows, a faint mark was visible. At the bottom was a horizontal crescent moon, and above it, the shape of a sword hilt—’It looks like an anchor?’
They wore black robes, and where their skin was exposed, a layer of feather-like scales could be seen. The scales reflected a metallic luster under the dim candlelight and looked razor-sharp.
"Has another one come... another ugly man?" a "person" nailed up in one of the cages sneered in Wei’en’s direction.
"Russel, you should have just asked about the situation outside."
"Look at him. You can tell he’s a coward, just like Henrik. He definitely won’t dare to release us."
"Shut up. Are your brains clogged with rust from that nail? If you’d just..."
Wei’en ignored their conversation, instead turning to survey the prison’s internal structure. The layer of Sal metal under his feet, in particular, told him that the cells were equipped with extremely meticulous and strict defensive measures.
After a long moment, he identified the nodes and patterns of the Rune Array on the floor. Each cage sat atop a runic node, and the patterns connected them, extending to the Rune Core on the ceiling.
’Suppression, Fortification, Detection... Is that the runic pattern for Deep Sea species?’
While he was studying the Rune Array, the Sea Crows exchanged glances. Their scales trembled slightly, emitting a faint buzzing sound that, upon closer listening, seemed to contain some kind of pattern and rhythm.
’The aura of the Amorphous Mirage has vanished!’
’If we stay any longer, we probably won’t find him. Should we return?’
’We have no choice but to return now. Let’s hope the others can find him.’
’It’s a little sad, after waiting so long...’
’Eat him? I’m hungry...’
"This place can’t hold you, can it?"
Just then, Wei’en spoke up suddenly.
The moment the words left his mouth, five consecutive notifications of a killing intent lock flashed on his panel.
’An unsolicited confession?’
While secretly on guard, Wei’en also confirmed that the surrounding Rune Array did not have the power to imprison these Sea Crows!
’Hey, the ugly human spoke. Should we bother with him?’
"Idiot! He’s clearly noticed something is wrong with us!"
"Why do you say that?"
"Shut up! Are you trying to make people die of laughter?"
"..."
Hearing this conversation, Wei’en’s expression turned odd. ’Why do these Sea Crows seem... not very intelligent?’
However, he was more concerned with why these Deep Sea creatures, who were stronger than Henrik, would choose to remain in this prison, and even cooperate in making themselves look so miserable...
"Can you tell me your purpose?"
Wei’en asked. Seeing their astonished expressions, he quickly added, "Of course, it’s fine if you don’t. But what I can tell you is, I’ve slaughtered everyone outside."