We agreed to set sail, so you'd become the ruler of the deep sea?

Chapter 289 The Instigator, the Truth, and Edward
In the previous "cycles", Shane had always thought that the white light that flooded his vision and body was a sign that the space was "resetting".

It's like the cutscene when you die in a video game.

But now, upon closer reflection, it seems that the white light was composed of a violent, mysterious force.

Moreover, the timing of each appearance of the white light varies slightly.

In the first cycle, the white light appeared last, only emerging belatedly after most of the Diamond Starship had been submerged.

In subsequent cycles, the white light appeared earlier each time.

Sometimes, shortly after hitting an iceberg, a white light appears.

This was clearly influenced by Shane's actions.

"Wait, could that not actually be a white light, but... a man-made explosion?"

"Or, some kind of powerful magic?"

Xia En frowned, pondering to himself, "Those who wanted to destroy the Diamond Star must have noticed my actions."

"They were worried that things might change if they delayed, so they brought forward their plans?"

Although this was just Shane's guess, the information he gathered during these "cycles" solidified his belief.

It's true that Shane misjudged the target of breaking the deadlock earlier.

However, the process of "recycling" itself is not without value.

"Therefore, the key to preventing the sinking of the Diamond Star lies in finding the source of this massive explosion..."

Xia En immediately thought of the muffled thud coming from the cabin.

Finding the source of the muffled sound might lead us to the culprit who caused the sinking of the Diamond Princess.

After clarifying her thoughts, Shane first spent some time waking up the confused Joey and helping her recognize her identity.

Then, he placed his hand on the wall inside the room.

In the last "cycle," Shane had already re-established his connection with the ship.

However, this connection was not broken even as time "reset".

Xia En guessed that this was because his bond with the Diamond Star originated from the depths of his soul, and naturally could not be easily erased.

Touching the walls of the cabin, Xia En could vaguely perceive some scenes inside the ship.

Large ships like the Diamond Star have intricate and complex interior spaces.

If I had to find my way on my own, I don't know how much time I would have wasted.

This is why Shane's control on the Diamond Star was not perfect, which is why he had to resort to this clumsy method.

—If he were on the Black Swan, his senses would be all over the ship, and he could even pinpoint the location of every wave that hit the hull.

Not long after.

Xia En's gaze was fixed on an area near the engine room in the lower deck.

There is no other reason.

An unusually large number of people have gathered in this area.

Among them were several extraordinary individuals from the secret paths, seemingly holding a clandestine gathering.

The gathering itself is highly suspicious.

Especially with the Diamond Star about to face disaster, it's hard not to suspect that these people have gathered together for some special purpose.

Upon discovering the suspicious target, Shane did not hesitate and immediately led Joey to the lower deck.

Having made contact with the Diamond Star, Shane seemed to have activated a full map cheat, clearly discerning the surrounding routes.

Less than five minutes.

Xia En and his companion then arrived near the gathering area.

The lower decks of the Diamond Star are quite spacious, with not only living quarters for the crew but also large storage areas.

Don't forget, this ship was originally designed to escape a flood that swept the world.

To provide for the living needs of so many crew members, the Diamond Star's storage room is naturally incredibly large.

Meanwhile, the location of this secret gathering was in one of the empty storage rooms.

stomping on...

Before Xia En even entered the hall, he heard footsteps beside him.

Two young sailors walked out of the corridor.

Judging from his appearance, he seems to be only fifteen or sixteen years old, still just a teenager.

However, they were pale and thin, their clothes were tattered and covered in dirt and dust, and their disheveled faces had wounds that looked like whip marks.

Xia En's gaze sharpened slightly as he guessed the identities of the two boys.

Clearly, they were the "little bastards among the untouchables" that Luther had described.

These were the civilians living on the lower decks of the ship.

However, judging from the appearance of the two boys, the living conditions of the commoners in the lower cabins were obviously not very good.

Not only did they lack sufficient food and water, but they also appeared to have suffered some degree of abuse.

But to be honest, Shane wasn't surprised by this.

During the Age of Exploration, the lives of low-ranking sailors were indeed not considered very valuable, let alone their human rights.

On those ships that transported slaves, the lower decks were so crowded that each slave had barely any space to live.

They can only defecate and urinate in the same place, and are only given the bare minimum of food.

The mortality rate during transportation is alarmingly high.

Although the Diamond Star was not a slave ship, the oppression of commoners by nobles was still evident.

However, understanding is one thing.

Just imagine the exquisite, even luxurious, decor of the upper decks, and the wealthy and aristocratic people coming and going in the restaurant...

Then compare it to the shabby and desolate appearance of the lower cabins.

Xia En couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions he couldn't quite describe.

A jumble of thoughts flashed through Xia En's mind as she carried Joey and took a step into the shadows of the corner.

In an instant, shadows rippled like water, gently enveloping their bodies and blocking the view of outsiders.

"Ok?"

The taller of the two boys turned his head and looked around, asking with a question in his mind.

"Did you hear anything?"

The other boy shook his head: "No."

The tall boy thought for a moment and said, "Then I must have misheard."

"But... are you really sure? Once we step through this door, there's no turning back."

"I figured it out!"

The boy being questioned looked serious, his eyes filled with resentment and hatred: "Why should those noble lords decide who gets to board this ship?"

"Why can they eat meat and fish like this, while we can only eat black bread and drink dirty water from stinking ditches?"

"Anyway, the great flood is coming soon, and my father and sister won't survive anyway, so I might as well take all those gentlemen to the sea to feed the sharks!"

"If we're going to die, we'll die together!"

By the end, the boy's tone was filled with a chilling murderous intent.

Clearly, this resentment was not accumulated in a single day, but rather over a long period of time.

Upon hearing these words, Xia En, who was in the shadows, suddenly realized what was happening.

At that moment, he finally understood who was behind the destruction of the Diamond Star.

civilian!

It was these commoners, whom the nobles looked down upon, who decided to drag the Diamond Star, along with the noble lords on board, into the deep sea!
From the boy's words, it wasn't hard for Xia En to understand.

Unlike the nobles, who generally didn't believe in the "world-ending flood," the lower-class servants and commoners were unusually convinced of the coming flood. This is quite understandable upon closer examination.

The more miserable a person is, the more hopeless their days seem, the more they yearn for the end of the world.

This is not only an expectation of self-destruction, but also a hope that a disaster will disrupt the existing order, giving them the opportunity to climb upwards.

It seems that these ordinary people paid a huge price to get on this "Noah's Ark".

Meanwhile, their families were unable to board the ship—such as the boy's father and sister; they became "the abandoned."

This will undoubtedly cause many people to harbor resentment towards the nobles.

In addition, the huge difference between the upper and lower cabins of the Diamond Star, the contrast between luxury and shabbyness, is bound to cause dissatisfaction among many people.

If someone were to add fuel to the fire at this point, it's hard to imagine what these ordinary people would do.

It seems to be to confirm Shane's conjecture.

Suddenly, a shout erupted in the empty storage room.

The two boys exchanged a glance: "The pastor must be preparing to hold a ceremony."

"Let's go in quickly!"

After saying that, the two walked into the storage room.

Using the shadows as cover, Shane and Joey followed closely behind.

Upon entering the hall, one sees at least dozens of sailors standing there, gazing in one direction with slightly fanatical eyes.

In the middle of them was a high platform that protruded from the ground.

An elderly man with white hair and a mask stood on the high platform, seemingly saying something to the sailors.

This must be the "pastor" the boys were talking about.

This is more than just like a cult gathering; it's clearly the scene of a cult rally!

"Our Lord saw that the sins of mankind on earth were great, so He declared that He would use a flood to destroy all living things on earth, that there would be no one who could escape death!"

"This is a purification of our souls, and also a purification of the world."

The pastor said in a deep, calm voice, “However, those greedy and selfish nobles built this ship of sin in an attempt to escape the cleansing of the flood.”

"What selfishness, what blasphemy!"

"We cannot tolerate this, therefore we must resist!"

To be honest, Shane wasn't particularly interested in what this nameless charlatan was saying.

But under the masked old man's highly persuasive tone, Shane could clearly sense a change in the atmosphere of the hall.

People are becoming increasingly excited and enthusiastic.

Xia En suspected that the old man had used some kind of special magic while speaking, which made the sailors trust him almost blindly.

Suddenly, the boy who had just arrived asked.

"Pastor, can we really enter the Kingdom of God after we die?"

"of course."

The old man said with conviction, "If you give your life for my Lord, you will naturally be accepted by that warm, light-filled divine kingdom."

He spoke these words with utmost seriousness, clearly having already taken them to heart.

That's true; to fool others, you must first fool yourself.

However, upon hearing this, Xia En's expression changed slightly.

A divine kingdom of light?
Is it...

Xia En's gaze fell on the feet of the crowd.

On the floor, there was a huge magic circle that almost encompassed the entire storage hall.

Although it's called a magic array, it feels more like a large altar.

Xia En recognized some of the runes at a glance, he murmured to himself.

"The Hui Cult?!"

Indeed, based on Shane's experience of spending many days in the Radiant Lands, he could naturally see that these runes were inextricably linked to the Radiant Cult.

This means that this "pastor" actually believes in the Church of Radiant Light.
Xia En's first reaction was disbelief.

To be honest, during this time together, Xia En developed a considerable liking for Hui Jiao.

But right now...

In the dimly lit cabin, an old man wearing a strange mask softly chanted a strange incantation, and the faint firelight reflected the extreme fanaticism on people's faces.

The entire scene was filled with a strong sense of the eerie.

This is quite different from the light and purification described by the elderly.

Immediately afterwards, the magic circle beneath people's feet began to glow, licking their ankles and calves, clinging to them like living things.

The meaning of those runes is sacrifice!
It was obvious that the old man was prepared to sacrifice the lives of everyone here in exchange for a miracle.

Xia En naturally wouldn't stand by and watch this happen. Without hesitation, he emerged from the shadows and knocked the masked old man unconscious with a single punch.

"who?"

Everyone stared at him in astonishment.

Upon seeing the aristocratic attire, people's eyes immediately revealed intense hostility.

"It's those wicked nobles!"

"Kill him! Kill him!"

Although Shane felt sympathy for the civilians, his words were meaningless in the face of this group of already crazed people.

He took direct action and knocked them to the ground.

This battle can only be described as utterly devastating.

Just after everyone lost the ability to move, a familiar figure walked in through the entrance of the hall.

Edward looked at him strangely and asked, "Your Highness Shane? What happened?"

"Edward? What are you doing here?"

Shane frowned.

At that moment, he suddenly realized where the strange feeling he had been ignoring came from.

In each of his "cycles," he seemed to encounter Prince Edward.

The first two "cycles" are understandable.

After all, the first time was a coincidence, but the second time was when Xia En took the initiative to approach him.

However, during the third loop, when Shane was preparing to speedrun the dungeon, he unexpectedly saw Edward in the cockpit.

This seems rather strange.

This encounter was even more incredible.

How could Edward have happened to be in this storage room and just happened to witness the gathering?
There's no such coincidence in the world!
Thinking of this, Shane's expression turned serious, and he asked Edward.

"Who are you anyway?"

"who am I?"

Edward paused for a moment, then smiled.

After that smile, it was as if an invisible mask had been peeled off his face, allowing him to return to his true self.

Then, Edward took a monocle from his jacket pocket and slowly put it on.

Her movements exuded an indescribable elegance.

When he actually put on the glasses, his entire demeanor changed.

Edward bowed gracefully to Shane and smiled gently, "You can call me... [The Undertaker]."

(End of this chapter)