Ke-style law enforcement officers

Chapter 577 The Swollen Woman
"I couldn't see what it was..."

Milo recalled the appearance of the half-face hidden behind the black folding fan beneath the water's surface.

He was somewhat puzzled, because the ancient cults and races most closely associated with the "sea" in his mind were the Great Monarchs and Deep Ones, beings who were neither human nor fish.

But what he just saw was a girl with distinctly Eastern features.

And the black folding fan that partially covered her face was clearly something from the rich Far East.

But her captivating beauty and expressive eyes were completely out of place amidst the surrounding filth and had absolutely nothing to do with the ugly, sludge-covered, half-fish race.

It's like suddenly finding a nun in a pleasure house. (But that doesn't seem so out of place.)
Recalling Chandler's judgment about "ghosts," Milo could vaguely sense that while the Pohnpei Peninsula appeared calm on the surface, undercurrents were surging beneath the reefs. It wasn't just the Ravens, Crow, and the Dream Visors who were vying for power, but also some strange and ancient forces from the Far East.

It seems unlikely that we'll be able to easily find Crow this time.

Clearly, the various factions secretly vying for power are all eyeing the silent R'lyeh. They are all coveting the "Snail City Text," including the illusion of the Eastern girl appearing in the water. Chandler's judgment was correct; it is highly likely that it is preventing the natives from achieving a soul resonance with R'lyeh.

In fact, if it were just an illusion, Milo wouldn't have given it much thought.

However, the hostility conveyed by the illusion was undeniably real, and the girl's gaze made Milo feel a chilling and threatening intent.

Then there's the widely accepted claim that one of the most powerful Great Old Ones slumbers in the mansion of R'lyeh.

The "ghost" that has appeared now is able to prevent R'lyeh from resonating with the will of the natives, and has also made Milo of the Shadow Sequence feel threatened.

It must be at least Shadow level or higher.

...

"It's so lively..."

Milo shook his head.

The voyage was indeed helpful in broadening horizons and gaining knowledge. We had only traveled a short distance before we came into contact with three Great Old Ones: Dagong, Kelpie, and "Ghost".

Who knows what other heavyweights will emerge next?

It seems that not only the old town of Nanwei has a large population with simple and honest folk customs, but the local customs and traditions here in the colony are also quite similar.

No wonder the raven chose to cooperate with the colonial army after betraying the church...

……

The most urgent task now is to find Crow; Milo isn't here for any textbooks.

But finding Emma requires entering the Abyss, and only Klaue knows how to enter the Abyss. Klaue and Raven both want to kill each other, and they are currently hiding. Only the "Snail City Text" can lure Raven out, but an unknown Great Old One from the East is blocking their way.

"It's a little bit complicated."

The "ghost" with its grayish-yellow background had completely disappeared; Milo never saw it again.

Meanwhile, the indigenous people at the reserve camp were still performing chanting rituals, but even though they were using the correct and complete version of the incantation, they were unable to resonate with R'lyeh, because the "ghost" was still in this area of ​​the eastern sea, blocking the connection between the underwater and above-water wills.

At this moment, Milo stood alone on the beach, gazing at the vast ocean with a troubled expression.

"So what exactly is this...?"

……

same moment.

Rebecca, from a port town on the western part of Pohnpei Island, muttered something similar to herself—"So what is this thing now..."

She infiltrated one of the most luxurious mansions near the port, the private residence of Sir Raffles of the Solomon faction.

By controlling most of the business in Pohnpei, a key eastern maritime transit port city, Raffles amassed a wealth unimaginable to ordinary people. Like many high-ranking members of the colonial army on expeditions, he lived a life of luxury no less extravagant than the nobility within the country, owning private ships, factories, and businesses. If it weren't for the limited size of Pohnpei, his estate would likely have been even larger.

...

However, even during the day, the careless gardeners and guards at Raffles Manor were completely unaware of Rebecca's intrusion.

It was nearly noon, but Raffles himself had not yet recovered from the effects of the alcohol he had consumed the previous night.

The first thing Rebecca did after entering his room was to open the window to let the annoying smell of smoke and alcohol dissipate. Then, with her back to the man and three women lying on the bed, who were as still as dead fish, she calmly began to study the documents piled up on the desk.

As for the question, "So what is this thing?", it was a muttered comment she made after seeing one of the naval operation reports and related information documents.

It concerns a military operation taking place in the eastern sea, specifically in the coastal area of ​​the indigenous reservation on the Iloa Forest side.

The report, which Raffles had casually piled on his desk, was marked with a totem symbol exclusive to the naval high command, indicating that it was a classified document. In addition to the classification level, a black hat-shaped seal appeared in the list of the operational units. This was something that law enforcement personnel would not be unfamiliar with; it was from a mysterious special force that had emerged in the colonies in recent years, namely the Hunter Organization.

The actions and results reported in the documents, as well as the related information and wealth gains, are quite astonishing.

For certain purposes, the navy and hunters joined forces to intercept a merchant ship from the Far East in the eastern waters.

According to the report, all unrelated persons on board the ship were killed on the spot.

Only a few members were captured alive.

The basis for judging whether something is "irrelevant" or "related" lies in the ancient Eastern script tattoo under the left armpit of the crew member.

The literal meaning of the tattoo is roughly—a swollen woman.

It's not hard to deduce from the words that these people with unusual tattoos come from a special cult in the Far East.

...

The report also included many interrogation reports from the colonial army, which had not yet been submitted to their superiors. Among them were specially developed photos of prisoners, the contents of which were extremely cruel and bloody. Those who were detained had basically been tortured beyond recognition.

Moreover, the photos all appear to have been taken in dark underground environments, with the glaring flash effects making those desperate eyes reflect a terrifying light. The bizarre tilted shooting angles and the uninhibited close-up shots of faces and wounds all challenge the bottom line of humanity.

Compared to those inhuman and brutal interrogation methods, Rebecca's usual beatings and kicks to suspects in the interrogation room were nothing.

……

What Rebecca found even more perplexing was that the Hunter Organization clearly had clairvoyants. If they wanted to extract information from these members of the Eastern Order, they could simply give them a quick death and then use their necromancy to spy on them. The information obtained that way would be more accurate and truthful, making the elaborate torture and interrogation completely unnecessary…

All indications suggest that both Solomon and Monsieur simply wanted to torture these poor sailors; the purpose of torture was torture itself, not a means of interrogation.

...

While flipping through the documents, she suddenly stopped because in the corner of one of the photos, Rebecca could clearly see half of a girl's face hidden in the shadows.

The girl's gaze was fixed on him.

To be precise, they were staring at the photographer's lens...

(End of this chapter)