Industrial Cthulhu? It's Cthulhu Industrial!!

Chapter 54 The Curtain Is Rising (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
On the twentieth day after leaving the Misty Sea, the Britannian fleet was still sailing on the ocean.

It was strange. After losing the consciousness lock, people were aware that time had resumed its flow. But as they looked at the dark ocean, it was as if the consciousness lock had been re-established, leaving them blankly repeating their previous actions.

Holy light, purchased from the Vatican, rose in the darkness, illuminating the surrounding barriers and fleet, forming a magical barrier like a city wall, propelling them forward in the darkness. Since countless curses and powers originated from the night and darkness, proceeding cautiously under the starlight was both natural and correct. Then they scattered their offerings and began calculating the current area of ​​the storm sea.

Their method was simple: after scattering the entire fleet, they released various offerings in all directions, like scattering grain. Because these offerings lacked senses and digestive systems, they wouldn't drown even if they entered the ocean, and could be used as beacons. Their remains and the sacrificial rituals would converge into a massive, resonant production matrix, continuously emitting exploratory ripples in all directions of the ocean, surveying its entire area. As long as there was no divine interference, this method of exploration was exceptionally effective.

But what no one wanted to face was that although their instruments marked the topography of the ocean and the distances they had traveled, no one dared to believe the numbers were real. On a calm, even mirror-like ocean, the fleet moved forward silently, scattering glistening offerings, mired in deep fear.

"The twentieth cycle... After leaving the Misty Sea, we entered the Stormy Sea. The underwater hydrological environment we detected is the same every day."

The naval captain, looking at the readings on the instrument, was already starting to sweat profusely.

Those who specialized in operating the equipment were the ones who truly understood just how terrifying this incident was. Although they had recovered and replenished their supplies at the Misty Islands and regained reusable seeds and resources, anyone who had tasted plant flour knew what was truly terrible. Everyone desperately needed to reach a coastline again for further rest. However, the underwater ripples couldn't be faked; they had been sailing for so long, each time in a cycle.

Whether moving left, right, up, or down, the instruments and the images transmitted back by the radar showed that all the seabed sections resembled square, rocky blocks, constantly spiraling outwards. Absolutely, every single one was like this; no section was an exception.

This vast yet tranquil storm was utterly calm; there was no storm, not even a breeze, and no waves whatsoever. But beneath the ocean, countless replicas of rocks, submerged in the water, spiraled endlessly downwards, layer upon layer, towards the deepest depths. Many even had a terrifying hallucination: that they were actually constantly moving downwards, like a bacterium falling into a toilet bowl. They couldn't feel the powerful whirlpools, yet they were forever advancing downwards, as if traveling to the deepest hell of the world.

There was no sound, no wind; apart from the turning of the sun and moon, it was as if they had reached the end of the world, an endless, pure curtain. No one knew why it had become like this. No one could understand why they should continue. They could no longer sense the existence of the Misty Islands, nor did they know what the meaning of their voyage was. But at this moment, the naval captain was extremely grateful for his choice.

He made a deal with that benevolent deity, and the image of the lighthouse in his mind remained vivid. As long as he closed his eyes, that magnificent and benevolent lighthouse would always guide him in the right direction. His course was correct, because he truly felt the lighthouse growing ever farther away from him.

As long as they are certain of this, then no matter which way they go, it won't be a mistake. What they were meant to do was explore uncharted waters.

But the current situation is really too creepy...

Looking at the perfectly accurate images transmitted from the instruments underwater, the naval captain could still feel an immense sense of pressure brewing within him.

Who exactly is it, and what kind of terrifying power could allow the sea area, after a twenty-day voyage, to forever maintain such a well-ordered, seemingly pre-cut, prismatic stone pillar shape? What earth-shattering, unspeakable secrets are hidden beneath those stone pillars?
Their previous exploration of Paradise and Paradise had seemed like a joke, a place inhabited only by fantastical creatures and humans worshipping some incompetent gods. But now, they were witnessing terrifying signs completely outside their understanding. Seemingly friendly, unknown deities; the great beacon forever shining in their minds; and endlessly replicating storm seas—what awaited them next?

Unaware of this, the fleet relentlessly continued its advance, shattering all the beautiful scenes before them.

However, as the voyage reached the next point, the naval captain's eyes suddenly lit up as he spotted a completely new presence on the ocean.

The object was inconspicuous, even easily blending into the sea surface. However, compared to the twenty days of identical, monotonous seascapes, this place still stood out too much. The naval captain quickly issued orders to all ships to proceed at full speed towards the strange location.

Meanwhile, the Britannia's pure white fleet spread its wings and began to sail and float in the illusory space, rapidly heading towards the singularity. Soon, people discovered the situation at the singularity. It wasn't the ruins of the powerful empire that had mysteriously held its ascension ceremony behind the Storm Sea, shrouding the entire world in a massive storm, as they had imagined. Instead, it was a shadow they were very familiar with.

"The statue of Our Lady of Salvation... is the symbol of the Vatican. They have been here before."

As the building grew larger and larger as it approached on the ocean, the naval captain immediately recognized its origin.

It was a huge sculpture that didn't gleam with any light. A kind-looking woman was holding a bottle and gazing gently at the ocean, as if she were watching the Britannian fleet.

The building showed no signs of wear and tear, appearing exceptionally clean and tidy. The brass gleamed with a pale golden light, remaining motionless, simply gazing lovingly upon all those on the sea. Even the arrival of the Britannian fleet failed to alter the radiant sculpture. It appeared to be just an ordinary sculpture, even bearing a time stamp at its base.

The army lieutenant colonel who was called in to examine the case quickly drew a conclusion after taking a look.

“The Holy Light Church erected this statue here almost four months ago… They must have known all along that the storm here would dissipate.”

"That's normal, after all, the earliest people the wise men from the East communicated with were them. It's normal that they had some inside information that we don't know. But it's strange, why is there no blessing from the Virgin Mary on this sculpture? They should be giving blessings here."

The naval captain looked at the man-made object he hadn't seen in twenty days and muttered to himself in confusion:
"Isn't this exactly what the Papacy excels at? By creating statues to invoke the blessings of the Virgin Mary and the Holy Son, they gradually expand inwards and outwards using the influence of the Sanctuary. Not only do no one die, but the people in all the occupied territories are almost never allowed to riot for other reasons. At the same time, it can be used as a place for angels to descend and for angel deployment. Each region is a whole. This is the Papacy's advantage... So why haven't they bestowed any blessings?"

Is it that you don't want to? Or... can't?
Looking at the enormous sculpture, probably hundreds of meters tall, that still seemed huge next to the fleet, the Britannian commanders were somewhat puzzled.

"Sir, we've found some marks beneath this sculpture. You can come and take a look..."

"Let me see..." Taking the record from the messenger, the naval captain blinked, activated her recording mode, and immediately began analyzing all the data and related information recorded on the scroll. Soon, an even more horrifying scene slowly unfolded in her mind.

The sculpture, hundreds of meters tall, was surrounded and contained entirely of deformed human bodies and skeletons. These winged, humanoid creatures, all headless, were crammed into the sculpture and its surroundings, their flesh and bones forming a landmark on the stormy sea. All of these grotesque, headless bodies of the dead raised their hands high, pointing in the same direction.

The naval captain could sense that they were pointing in the direction of the area to the upper right of the location of the Great Lighthouse, which was also the target that Britannia was exploring.

These headless angels could not speak, their bodies turned to stone, silently forming a beacon in the calm, waveless sea. The naval captain, observing this scene, remained silent for a moment before issuing his orders.

"Everyone, follow my command and proceed in the direction directly behind the sculpture. We have uncovered the Papacy's conspiracy, and we cannot allow Britannia to fall behind in this great age of exploration. Those hypocritical Papacy members have already established a coordinate system here with the people they brought. We must not allow these despicable missionaries to continue spreading their ideas! Their position should become our wings!"

"Let's set sail now! We don't care about the course; we must conquer the New World before the Papacy!"

After issuing orders to the soldiers, the naval captain took one last look at the benevolent-looking giant statue before silently returning to his cabin.

The sculpture simply watched with a mixture of benevolence and indifference as the fleet once again departed, heading towards that indescribable realm of terror. Months ago, the fleet that had built this colossal sculpture had already set sail in that direction, and now it was doing so as well.

Each of them harbors the ambition to explore a new world, but ultimately, each is trapped within this terrifying world. Because for ordinary people, that new world is pure hell.

No human can escape from hell, not even the gods of other races.

"...Hmm, so you're all stuck here together? Gods, fleets, explorers, how interesting. I'm a good person, I'll get you out of here. But I'm just a human too, I can't just take you back."

"????"

"Oh, you mean this?"

Seeing the Spirit of Nature pointing at the Silver Gate with a blank expression, Li Ang patted his head and said with a smile.

"The Silver Gate is just a means of communication. If you were to come out from inside, you would be subject to the hidden erosion of the world, and it would dissolve sooner or later anyway. I'm only using this thing to communicate with you superficially; I can't actually rescue you or anything like that. The communication is thanks to my cheat system. I'm just a human; I can't do what supernatural beings like you can do."

"It's ok!"

The Spirit of Nature gritted its teeth, demonstrating a resolute attitude.

"I am a spirit of nature, merely a hidden cycle in this world, and I can endure it!"

"Huh? When did I say that the world I was referring to was this pathetic and insignificant planet beneath our feet?"

"..."

The Spirit of Nature stared blankly at the human in the Silver Gate who looked somewhat handsome, yet showed no signs of anything unusual.

His eyes were calm yet confused, but from the corners of his brows, the spirit of nature could fully sense a kind of turbulent emotion emanating from his soul, from his very life.

A pure arrogance toward them.

"Don't worry, it'll be quick. Wait a moment, I'll just point you in the right direction. Anyway, I can roughly figure out where you are based on the presence of your aura, so I should be fairly confident in my map-finding skills... As long as the other party isn't human, I should be able to handle them."

"Li Ang... what exactly are you...?"

"Still talking about this? I've already said I'm human, I just have some kind of cheat code."

Stepping out of the winding space, Li Ang, surrounded by undulating ripples of space, looked at the incredulous Spirit of Nature and said with a smile.

"Let's go, we still have to rescue people. I'll try to get you out as quickly as possible. What's inside the Silver Gate is much more interesting than your struggles. Although it's not as exciting as the efforts of my people."

(End of this chapter)