Deep Sea Hunter, but Deep Sea Titan

The pitch-black giant claws were wrapped around the blue proliferating tissue of the sea creature. The former Sarkaz bell ringer had completely lost his human form, leaving only the body of a beast. It contained a hint of the wild figure of the Sarkaz ancestors, but was even more deformed and blasphemous. The blood-red maw split to the limit spoke of an insatiable appetite.

"Roar!"

The bell-ringer let out a mournful and sorrowful roar, transforming into a dark phantom that leaped out of the deep pit that had bound it for countless years. After its beastly body crashed to the ground, its massive jaws embedded themselves deep within, swallowing Havel whole.

Then, the hungry bell ringer relentlessly devours any organic matter it can perceive, until the last drop of blood flowing in the slaughterhouse is absorbed.

Claws sliced ​​through the stone ceiling of the basement like butter, chitinous tails destroyed the church pillars, and the blinding sunlight drove the bell ringer into a frenzy. The townspeople, driven back by the brass giant, discovered a terrifying beast covered in blood behind them.

Ahead lay the surging sea, and behind lay the bottomless abyss. The bell ringer impatiently opened his massive maw and swallowed these townspeople, who were no longer worthy of being called "human," as if he were having a lavish buffet. The townspeople of Chaoshi Town, who had survived on the flesh and blood of their compatriots, had at this moment become an insignificant part of the bell ringer's insatiable appetite.

Countless pieces of flesh and blood nourished the beast's body, and uncontrolled Sarkaz magic was released randomly and chaotically, draining every bit of organic matter in the surrounding environment.

When its cloudy compound eyes spotted the bronze giant, the hungry beast slowed its movements. Only he, only he, was not food in its eyes, but a cliff that prevented it from feasting.

Meanwhile, Lotin also discovered this dangerous, twisted creation. Laurentina was focusing her senses to anticipate its actions, and the next "clearing of the waterway" was ready.

Chapter Thirteen: Never Before Has Such a Beautiful Flash Ever Been

The deformed creature before them was different from the "Abyssal Dreamer" they had encountered in the fortress. The "Abyssal Dreamer" was more like a device for creating mental attacks, a glass cannon, whose physical strength was only barely enough to support the strange bell emitting special sound waves.

But this hunched beast, which has some of the ancient Sarkaz charm, is different. Its body has gained terrifying muscle density under the nourishment of countless flesh and blood, and it also has the ability to release some kind of chaotic Sarkaz sorcery.

A strange sense of disgust rose in Loting's heart. The swarm did not have the "malice" that most intelligent creatures would say, but the swollen compound eyes of this behemoth exuded a strong sense of hatred, just like Loting hated the Fool who had betrayed him.

The predator encountered a reef and struck a cliff. Loting cast the anchor according to the predicted information. Judging from the trajectory, this "clearing of the waterway" would hit perfectly. The giant beast's claws turned into afterimages, and at the cost of forcibly enduring the impact of the giant anchor with surging energy, it gripped Loting's anchor tightly.

The black energy tendrils drained the already numb townspeople until only skin and skeletons remained. The shattered giant claws were being repaired by the proliferating chitin, and it roared as it began to wrestle with the brass giant before it.

"Pull it over here!"

The terrifying metabolism that created an extremely high muscle density gave this pitch-black monster unimaginable strength. Lotin also mobilized all his strength to fight against it. The brass giant's eyes shone brightly, his feet sank deep into the cracked stone floor, and the thick iron chains began to tremble and tighten.

"Hehe, cutting... cutting is a very enjoyable thing."

Laurentina had somehow picked up the power circular saw left behind by the judge. She grinned and ran along the chain connecting the anchor, swinging the circular saw that roared once again.

The behemoth struggled to raise its head, its hard horns colliding head-on with the circular saw, sparking dazzling flames. Facing the behemoth's terrifying jaws, Laurentina showed no fear, but rather became even more excited, her circular saw beginning to slowly cut into the behemoth's horns.

Skadi launched a fierce attack from behind the behemoth with her greatsword, while she had to dodge the randomly scattered Sarkaz magic. These land-dwellers' tricks could cause unimaginable pain even if they only grazed her skin.

The behemoth's crystallized tail hammer shattered the ground where Skadi stood. The blow that should have hit the behemoth's body was redirected to its tail due to the shift in its center of gravity, and the muscular tail was split in two.

But as more townspeople were drained of their biomass, the behemoth's body began to regenerate and recover at an incredible speed.

Laurentina glanced at Loting's posture out of the corner of her eye. She immediately jumped off the chains to the side, because Loting had given up on continuing to wrestle with the giant beast. Instead, he used the brute force of the giant beast pulling on the chains to transform himself into a terrifying heavy artillery shell and fly towards the opponent.

Loting used almost all of his gold in the wrestling match to craft the "Eternal Catalyst," an item known as the "lunchbox" in League of Legends.

It can provide:

Health: 350

Mana: 300

Passive - Eternal: When you take damage from a champion, you recover mana equal to 7% of the damage dealt before the discount; when you spend mana, you recover health equal to 25% of the mana cost, up to 20 health per second per cast.

Loting prepared to engage in a close-quarters, attrition-based battle with the behemoth, relying on his E skill to eliminate the living health packs around it, and then using Aftershock, Biscuits, Bone Plating, and Font of Life to violently exchange blows with it.

Sure enough, with a muffled thud, the heavy brass giant slammed down on the beast, successfully knocking it to the ground.

The "Overgrowth" talent only determines the number of minions and monsters killed, not the quality of the targets killed. Therefore, Lotin, who killed a considerable number of Originium Bugs and Terrorfish, had around 980 HP with the help of the Meal Box.

After unleashing a devastating anchor strike, the deep-sea titan's rage was ignited. The surrounding hatches and shields violently neutralized and annihilated the Sarkaz sorcery, while Lothin's second attack swiftly slammed into the behemoth's head.

The bronze giant never deliberately adopted a defensive or parrying stance, but instead focused on concentrating its power into a single point to cause maximum destruction. The bone plating rendered the behemoth's first three tearing attacks ineffective, while "Titan's Wrath" greatly depleted the behemoth's energy, significantly slowing down the frequency with which it cast spells.

The giant claws left terrifying cracks in the diving suit, but as Lotin slammed the ground, unleashing three shockwaves, these cracks gradually healed, and the damage dealt to him was converted into mana. In practice, the action of unleashing "Dark Currents" isn't unique; the important thing is to inject destructive energy into the ground or water.

The behemoth greedily devoured life force, only to find that the nearby fallen townspeople had already been shattered and blasted away by the three shockwaves, leaving it with very little biomass to absorb again.

Skadi and Laurentina immediately understood Lotin's intention and turned to drive away any living creatures they could find, forcing the giant beast to starve itself.

The battle between the behemoth and the giant was extremely savage and brutal. The giant claws and the giant anchor slammed into each other's bodies at the same time, causing the two behemoths to each take a half step back. Then, as if nothing had happened, the two collided again. The impact caused by the aftershocks hindered the behemoth's movements and gradually put it at a disadvantage.

"The ocean is boundless."

Lotin mocked the tenacious beast, for no matter how tenacious it was, it could not possibly defeat the deep-sea titan that represented the wrath of the boundless ocean.

The biomass stored by the behemoth is being consumed every moment, while the power of the brass giant seems inexhaustible.

Another anchor struck, shattering its long horn. The giant beast roared to the sky, howling and venting its frustration.

Fear had outweighed its insatiable hunger and desire. It began to hesitate, to retreat, and finally screamed as it turned and fled toward the hill. Lotin believed that it had probably reached a point where it had to resort to using rotting corpses to replenish its biomass.

"It's too far. If we could get there, your giant anchor could pull that beast back."

Laurentina pointed to a spot in the air. The opportunity was fleeting, and Lotin didn't have time to think. He used the "Flash" effect to teleport into the air and then threw out his anchor.

The anchor became embedded in the beast's body, dragging Lotin down into the hillside cemetery.

The behemoth was already badly wounded, and the brass giant's diving suit was covered in horrific bloodstains.

The panting behemoth seemed to have lost its will to fight. Temporarily freed from its frenzied appetite, it seemed to remember something. It frantically twisted its blood-dripping head, as if searching for something, and limped to a stop in front of a tombstone.

"Caselodo the Bell Ringer".

"This monument is dedicated to the heroes of Chaoshi Town."

The giant beast frantically dug into the bell ringer's grave, and a broken and corroded bell was lifted from the earth.

The giant beast let out a mournful roar, sharp and long, echoing throughout the entire cemetery.

"It's a disaster."

"That's terrible!"

The giant beast lay on the ground in despair, its head touching the earth, using its disfigured vocal organs to express the last wish of the bell ringer, Casellodo.

“Hero of Chaoshi Town, you should not be treated like this.”

"Until death do us part."

At this moment, Lotin learned the truth: Casserodo, the Sarkaz bell ringer who sounded the alarm when the cult arrived, was ultimately betrayed by the townspeople of Tidestone Town whom he was protecting. Tortured to the brink of death, he became a victim of the cult's blasphemous research and was forced to become a man-eating, crazed beast.

Two victims betrayed by the Iberians stared at each other.

Lotin finally swung his final anchor, filled with anger, feeling sympathy and regret for the Sarkaz.

This blow completely shattered the behemoth's head, freeing the hero who protected Tidestone Town from endless torment.

The remaining body of the behemoth began to crystallize, turning into a pitch-black Originium crystal clock frame.

The setting sun shone on the brass giant's diving suit, but it reflected no light; the filth and blood had long since obscured the gleaming brass.

The rusty, broken bell emitted a solemn chime, echoing around the now deathly silent town of Chaoshi.

Skadi and Laurentina, who were running at full speed, heard a loud, vulgar Iberian curse mixed with a thick Yan accent.

Chapter Fourteen: The Diving Suit Killer and the Agor Cult

Lotin rested against the giant anchor. Inside his diving suit, the Agor sailor was already panting heavily. The bell ringer was the most dangerous opponent Lotin had encountered so far, forcing him to fight with all his might, even at the cost of his life.

Fortunately, his "fate" was indeed very tenacious. "Overgrowth" gave Lotin a blood volume far exceeding his level. He ate a sandwich cookie and gradually restored his condition to a relatively healthy state.

"It's all over. Another enslaved soul has found peace."

Laurentina poured a bucket of water over Loting, washing away the blood and revealing a bronze sheen that shimmered in the setting sun. From Loting's vicious curse, she had already guessed what had happened. Although she had been forced to, she had glimpsed Loting's memories, and the salvage worker's hatred for betrayal had left a very deep impression on her.

"it's not finished yet."

Lotin checked the 300 extra gold coins in the system. At the bell ringer's pleading, he ended the Sarkaz's suffering as the man wished. This tragedy was just one of countless horrific scenes that followed the Great Tranquility across the Iberian land.

The Inquisition attempted to atone for the sins committed by the Iberians during the Golden Age due to selfishness and greed with the most fanatical doctrines, but it was all too late. These belatedly enlightened Iberians were now tasting the bitter fruit sown by the Golden Age.

The current plight of Iberia is both a natural disaster and a man-made catastrophe. Wasn't Iberia during its golden age akin to the Agorean sea on land?

The hunter, the nun, and the salvage worker walked through the now silent street, past the withered cherry tree.

The church had been destroyed by the bell ringer, but the statue of the saint holding a gun remained intact.

The solemn and dignified statue of the saint appeared even more repulsive to Lotin, so the giant anchor fell, and the statue of Sakota, sculpted as a saint, turned into unrecognizable fragments.

Neither the state religion nor Lateranism has ever truly recognized such insignificant figures as they are, those crushed by the wheels of time, as those who are truly qualified for salvation according to their doctrines. These insignificant figures could be Lotin, the salvage operator of the Fool, or Caselodo, the bell ringer of Tidestone.

"There are still sins that have not been settled."

Lotin kicked away a piece of gravel, and memories of the day he sank flashed through his mind. On the Fool, hailed as the pride of the Iberian Golden Age, the sailors who witnessed the mooring lines being cut simply watched Lotin sink, just watching helplessly.

The salvage worker, abandoned and forgotten by the Iberians 60 years ago, has returned from the abyss. The fact that the Deep Sea Titan chose to slaughter the Sealings first does not mean that the sins committed against him by the Iberians can be forgiven.

After gathering the necessary supplies, they left the town of Chaoshi, which was supposed to be destroyed.

"There's no need to fight anymore. Get down here now, you mad nun."

Loting couldn't help but marvel at how quickly this mad nun's courage had increased, all after she had merely reported a location during the recent hunt—

“I am praying for you, Mr. Nautilus.”

"They must pay...they must..."

This crazy nun was making a prayer gesture, but she was muttering curses.

However, he liked hearing this curse, so he decided not to bother with the crazy nun this time.

Laurentina sat on the brass giant's shoulders, a knowing smile on her face, because she knew she was about to hear another interesting story.

"The fortress was destroyed, the town was massacred, and countless brave warriors died tragically."

In a safe zone far removed from the influence of the Great Tranquility, in a church resembling the Mediterranean style of Earth, the Grand Inquisitor, with a lantern hanging from his waist, is studying a report.

The punitive expeditionary force used drones to repeatedly explore the desolate area and discovered that Chaoshi Town, where they were scheduled to be stationed, had been completely annihilated, and a fortress that they were preparing to recapture had been almost completely destroyed.

These punitive scout units were attacked by a swarm of tarantulas on their way back to the safe zone. By the time they reached the safe zone, only one in ten remained, and their mental state was on the verge of collapse. Because of the long shooting distance and severe interference, the images stored by the drones were extremely blurry.

In my memory, a figure about 4 meters tall was wielding an exaggeratedly giant anchor, smashing it down on the Iberians around him who showed no obvious signs of physical mutation.

As for the people beside and on his shoulders, some punitive soldiers said they were Agorians, while others said they were Liberians. It was difficult to verify the truth, since they were only observing from a distance via drones.

“Professor Dario, this is the only survivor from the scout unit who can still speak normally.”

A petite Liberian girl led a pale-faced disciplinary soldier into the reception room.

"Thank you for your hard work, Elena."

"You've worked hard too, brave warrior."

Grand Inquisitor Dario paid tribute to the surviving punitive soldiers whose sacrifices have enabled Iberia to survive to this day. But how long can Iberia endure such immense sacrifices?

"Sirs, what I am about to say may be unprecedented."

The weakened scouts took a deep breath and gazed at the Grand Inquisitor and the Judges seated at the other end of the mahogany table.

“Our judges are all professionally trained, and no matter how bizarre your description may be, we can calmly verify it.”

Elena flipped through a stack of journals and prepared her fountain pen.

"Initially, the stealth drone that flew the furthest used a long-range camera to see two people dressed in foreign clothing with no obvious racial characteristics and a 4-meter-tall person wearing a brass diving suit walking out of the collapsed target fortress."

"A 4-meter brass diving suit?"

When Grand Inquisitor Dario heard this, he frowned slightly. The standard diving suits of the Iberian army had been updated and had become much smaller.

The 4-meter brass diving suit was a compromise product of Iberia's one-sided pursuit of high output and deep-diving capabilities when they had not yet fully understood Agor's related technologies, resulting in the inability to miniaturize the power components.

Conservatively estimated, this diving suit is an outdated model from nearly 60 years ago.

"Then we were attacked by the tarantula and were forced to suspend our observations."

Up to this point, the survivor was still able to maintain a semblance of emotional stability.

"We have found another suitable location for the takeoff of stealth drones, near Chaoshi Town."

"Then, we observed that they also appeared in Chaoshi Town."

"While the lack of outward appearance doesn't confirm whether the townspeople of Chaoshi Town have fallen into corruption, however..."

“They clashed with the judge who had gone missing some time ago and the townspeople, and then the cultists attacked our camp.”

"The cultists attacking the camp say that Nautilus has discovered us and will take our lives in exchange for the collection of tithes!"

After the scouts repelled the attack of the cultists and the terror fish, they found that the town of Tidestone had been completely wiped out. With heavy losses, the scouts had no choice but to retreat.

"Nautilus?"