The black sun hangs high

Chapter 321 Shrimp?
While Hugh was busy asking questions of the scholar Leger, the magical rat swarm on the entire Windless Ship also began to mobilize.

Under the manipulation and command of the Ernst family's will, a considerable portion of the rat swarm was dispersed to focus on monitoring Leger and his apprentices and assistants, the dwarven delegation, and the communication cipher used to contact the outside world.

These objectives were determined by Hugh and the family's will, and were the most critical and important objectives on the entire Windless.

Of course, locations such as weapon and magical item storage areas and food freezers, which could trigger large-scale chain reactions, were always under Hugh's surveillance.

But as Hugh had explained to Verine earlier, he still couldn't figure out the Black Sun Society's specific plans and objectives on the Windless.

As it stands, the "parasite" that the dwarven mission has suffered seems to have had a very limited impact. Research on the "skin worms" that are the result of the dwarves' skin mutations has not yet begun, and Hugh and the others do not even know what kind of impact these creatures might have on those they parasitize.

On the Windless, the Black Sun Society once again demonstrated its unique advantages—their plans and members were sufficiently secretive and mysterious. As long as the specific personnel were not exposed, they could operate entirely in the shadows and allow those hidden dangers to erupt at the most opportune moment.

Fortunately, although the enemy was in the dark while we were in the light, Hugh and his team quickly established a cooperative relationship with the Legal Committee that controlled the Windless. Although they could not pinpoint the exact target, they were able to take control of all the subtle key points in the most violent and thorough way.

The next step is to conduct a thorough investigation.

In other words, the two sides have entered a phase of competing on efficiency and patience.

Not only Hugh, but even Vera was already used to this form of struggle. As a result, a large number of instructions and orders were conveyed out in an orderly manner. The mages and sailors of the Legal Committee, who were collaborators, did an equally good job in this regard. After confirming that Hugh was an "expert" in fighting the Black Sun Society, they readily followed the advice given by Hugh.

Richard and the other members of the Dawnblade appeared rather nervous. This was their first real "combat," and the pressure it put on them was considerable. The vast ocean and surging waves outside the Windless were anything but reassuring.

Just as the Windless adjusted its course and prepared to head towards the nearest port of the Principality, Hugh also finished interrogating the apprentices and assistants of Leger.

Compared to Leger, who carried some scandals and secrets, his assistants and apprentices knew far too little.

The assistant who was somewhat suspected and had been sent by Leger to buy spirits was actually very clean. He was the son of a fisherman from the coast, had been an alchemy apprentice for a time, and was a simple and honest man with no trace of magic or magical power on him.

When Hugh asked about the two bottles of wine, he answered everything he knew, even briefly recounting his bargaining process with the goblin shopkeeper.

"It's pretty certain that those two bottles of wine were selected by Leger's apprentice in the shop based on price, and that buying the wine was actually something Leger came up with on the spur of the moment... In other words, there was a great deal of uncertainty about the shop he chose and the wine he received."

“If Leger and his assistants and apprentices are all innocent, then the problem with these two bottles of wine most likely occurred after the wine was sent out… This would narrow down our list of suspects.”

Thinking of this, the images of those dwarves naturally came to mind, with the face of the female dwarf Yena being particularly clear.

His premonition was confirmed almost immediately.

When Hugh arrived at the location of the dwarven delegation, he found that the large cabin they were in was noisy and chaotic. The dwarves' distinctive lisp accents were mixed with the voices of others, making the already uneasy atmosphere even more turbulent.

"what happened?"

A member of the Dawn Society who was also present immediately replied, "Someone has fainted... It's the female dwarf. We're calling a doctor."

"..."

Hugh glanced at the chaotic figures ahead, his brows furrowing. Then, with a forceful wave of his hand, magical lines began to form at an astonishing speed.

Immediately afterwards, several invisible magical barriers rose up like walls in the crowd. The magical construction of these walls was very crude, even appearing somewhat violent and barbaric, but they were extremely effective barriers at the moment.

Therefore, in an instant, the dwarves who were arguing with the sailors and mages were pushed aside by Hughes with brute force, and then Hughes saw Yena's figure.

The dwarf woman, who had been lively and energetic just moments before, now lay on the floor in the middle of the cabin, her eyes closed, her face pale, her mouth slightly open, her body twitching occasionally, accompanied by a disturbing groan.

Hugh was certainly not a qualified physician; his treatment methods had always relied heavily on healing magic and his own powerful magical perception.

By perceiving and locating the problem, removing or destroying the hidden dangers, and then infusing a large amount of life force with healing magic...

This is a treatment method that is quite characteristic of Hugh's personality.

Hugh approached Yena, and his magical perception enveloped the dwarf once again. This time, under Hugh's deliberate control, his magic began to penetrate directly into Yena's body.

Soon, he noticed something unusual that he had not noticed before.

Perhaps it was the parasites formed from the dwarf's skin that created his preconceived notions, or perhaps the strange thing inside the female dwarf possessed some special power, concealing itself so well that Hughes couldn't even detect its presence during his first quick examination.

Yes, during this ongoing deep perception, Hugh suddenly discovered that a power extremely similar in nature to the "Color of Life" was evenly distributed deep within the female dwarf Yena's body. It was flowing with her blood and deeply merging with Yena's muscles and bones.

Perhaps this fusion had progressed to a critical point, or perhaps it was Hugh's invasive magical perception that stimulated them. Just as Hugh was about to observe their properties further, this strange entity suddenly began to change.

They began to shrink inward at an alarming rate. This shrinkage caused extremely horrifying changes to the body of the dwarf Yena.

"Yena! Yena!"

Among the dwarven delegation standing nearby, one dwarf, who clearly had a very good relationship with Yena, cried out in alarm, "Mel! What has happened to her body!"

No one answered him.

Because now everyone can see that the female dwarf's limbs are beginning to wither rapidly, like plant roots that have lost their moisture. Yena's limbs shrank by two sizes in just a few seconds, and her originally healthy skin became shriveled and terrifying.

Hugh had intended to use healing magic to delay this terrible and deadly process, but before he could even construct the magical model, the contraction had already reached its final stage.

Within seconds, those strange powers, remarkably similar to the "Color of Life," condensed into the depths of the female dwarf's torso, carrying with them her original life force. They then coalesced into a sphere resembling an embryo between her internal organs and flesh, causing the female dwarf's body to tremble violently.

The process was clearly extremely painful; the dwarf let out two screams, but then her face became natural and gentle, even revealing a chilling smile.

The Fate Roots, with their profound understanding of illusions, hallucinations, and mind manipulation, relayed their judgment to Hugh at this moment. They believed that the female dwarf was clearly under some kind of subtle mind manipulation, in which she was probably completely unaware of her physical problems and could not feel any pain.

The life force that originally belonged to the dwarves became nourishment for the "embryo" at this moment. As the shriveling continued to spread, a huge bulge bulged out from the body of the female dwarf Yena. This change also stirred up some waves in Hugh's spiritual world.

"Everyone, disperse and take up your weapons."

Hugh's voice remained calm. Although he had received a warning, he did not sense any alarming threat from this terrifying change.

The moment he gave the command, the transformed Hound's Fang appeared in his right palm, while the Black Sun Scepter in his left hand was immediately imbued with dense magic, transforming the scepter, which could serve as a magical medium, into a weapon capable of inflicting fatal damage on its target.

Just like the clichéd scenes that Hugh had witnessed before arriving in Vaan, the embryo that had been parasitizing the female dwarf's body since some unknown time completely tore apart its host's flesh the moment it was fully grown. However, in the process, it did not cause the host much pain.

The mental control seemed to be a kind of "mercy," which allowed the poor dwarf to die smiling in a dreamlike and warm world. Inside her cracked body, a strange shadow, half the size of a human and covered in blood, broken bones, and debris, stood up shakily.

Many people present began to vomit, not because of the blood, but because of the method and form in which this bizarre creation was born.

This creature looked like some kind of giant shrimp, with a curled-up body and a blood-stained shell that faintly revealed a mesmerizing color. Several long, narrow limbs extended down from its abdomen, while many soft, fleshy tentacles hung down from the front of its body.

Perhaps because it was newly born, it couldn't even stand up straight. The limbs it stepped on in the dwarf's flesh wobbled as if they would fall to the ground at any moment.

"laugh……"

Hugh heard the palace hound inside the metal disc suddenly let out a vicious breath.

A somewhat complex emotion was conveyed to Hughes. He realized that the court hound had no interest in hunting its target, but at the same time, it did not let its guard down... and even showed some disgust and resistance.

Born from the power of "Color of Life," the monstrous shrimp steadied itself, and two eyes connected by fleshy tendrils slowly rose from its sides. Its complex gaze, unlike that of ordinary creatures, swept around, passing over the tense faces and the guns that could fire deadly bullets at any moment. But in the end, it landed on Hugh.

Hughes cannot make a direct judgment on the creation before him, but one thing he is certain of is that this peculiar life form, which is shaped using the human body as its incubator and the "color of life" as its foundation, is not the same as the flawed creations like the offspring of the Dark Abyss.

Hughes detected a unique aura in it, similar to that of a newborn animal.

Even the two eyes attached to the fleshy tendrils revealed curiosity and exploration of the outside world.

Compared to Hugh, who was in an absolutely calm state, the onlookers, especially the dwarves, were troubled by a complex mix of emotions, including panic, grief, and anger. Bardoza, the leader of the dwarven delegation, gripped an exceptionally large crystal gun tightly, aiming the muzzle at the strange figure standing amidst the flesh and blood of his companions, his fingers trembling slightly.

Most dwarves are warlike and like to go out as mercenaries. They have seen blood and should not be frightened by the scene before them.

But for some reason, Badosa found that when he looked directly at the eerie figure, especially at its carapace that "flowed" with psychedelic colors, the fear and tension in his heart began to amplify uncontrollably, and his finger, which was originally firmly on the trigger, began to tremble slightly.

"What's going on here?"

Badosa silently asked himself the question, but he couldn't get the answer. He wanted to look away from the strange color, but whenever he had such thoughts, he couldn't help but look at the smooth carapace covering the back.

The flowing, strange colors held an astonishing attraction for most of those present.

The only one unaffected by this luster was Hugh.

Having experienced a series of disasters caused by the offspring of the Dark Abyss, Hugh had become wary of the peculiarities of such ancient creations. With his keen and meticulous perception, he sensed that everyone in the cabin—dwarves, sailors, and members of the Dawn Order—seemed to be affected by the power of this "prawn"...

(End of this chapter)