I, Lord of Prayer

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The home invasion and murder case that occurred last night at 7 PM in Baoli Residential Area has been successfully solved. The perpetrator, Wang Moumou, has been arrested by the Qunxinghui (a criminal organization) and sentenced to death...

The port explosion was caused by illegal sublimation activities. If you see any of the following individuals, please contact the Stars Association while ensuring your own safety...

The investigation into the suicide of Financial Services Bureau Director Qin Zewan is being expedited. So far, 21 people, including a deputy director, have been apprehended. Please see the detailed report below…

Yesterday, after a six-year hiatus, a globally renowned singer released a teaser trailer for his new album on social media, announcing its release in a month. Related topics quickly trended on social media.

That concludes tonight's news. Thank you for listening. This report was brought to you by our reporter, Yu Wenbo. ♝💙 ❻➈𝓈𝓱у乂.𝕔𝓸𝕞 💲😎

The night was dark.

The torrential rain came without warning.

The ocean was swept by howling winds and torrential rain, with waves crashing endlessly. Flashes of light occasionally streaked across the dark clouds, presenting a fleeting yet terrifying scene between the sea and the sky. In the face of the power of nature, everything seemed so insignificant.

However, on the turbulent sea, a large ocean-going cargo ship belonging to Southern Shipping was navigating through the storm.

The incredibly powerful waves crashed against the ship, yet they couldn't budge it an inch. The entire ship remained as stable as a mountain, without the slightest sway. In addition to its tonnage, this behemoth-class cargo ship was equipped with eighteen giant alchemical matrices, enough to navigate normally on the most challenging sea environments.

In the seemingly unobstructed restaurant, the crew members listened to the news on television while hurriedly finishing their dinner.

"This rain is really strange. We just set sail and this happens. What bad luck," a new crew member muttered while eating a chicken leg.

"Hey, calm down, we encounter this kind of situation all the time. Last time we were in South America, we even encountered a sea monster on the way, one of those giant octopuses that are tens of meters long. When one of its tentacles came down, it was like an earthquake..." The middle-aged crew member sitting opposite him gestured with his hand.

"And then?" the new crew member asked, his eyes wide with curiosity. He had just become a seaman and was most interested in such strange and unusual things.

"Then we activated the counterattack matrix and fired the cannons to kill that octopus. Technology and alchemy, cannons and spirits—these are all good things."

The middle-aged crew member clicked his tongue in reminiscence, his mouth practically watering. "Octopus legs are delicious whether fried or grilled, but they get greasy if you eat too much. After we went ashore, we sold the leftovers and made a lot of money."

"Huh?" The new crew member was somewhat incredulous. Shouldn't the ocean be the domain of sea monsters?

"Kid, what era do you think we live in? Southern Shipping is a world-class shipping company, each deal worth over a billion dollars. How could we not be heavily armed? Whether it's high-tech equipment or alchemical equipment, the ship has it all. We even have three second-tier Ascended Beings. In a pinch, it can even be used as a warship..." The middle-aged crew member boasted incessantly about the cargo ship's advantages. 🏆♤ ➅➈ˢ𝓱Ữ𝓧.c𝑜м ☯♗

In fact, there's no need for him to boast. As a world-class shipping group, even the smallest fishing boat under its umbrella is equipped with a defense matrix that would make countless captains envious. Most importantly, the price is extremely low. You can enjoy this benefit simply by joining the Southern Shipping Group.

"Brother Du, what else have you encountered over the years?" The young new crew member spat out the cleaned chicken bones and asked impatiently.

"There are so many! Have you heard of Leviathan? You know Kraken, right? The siren who sings to bewitch sailors, the Atlanteans who live in the sea, the ghost ships with mysterious legends all over the world... I've seen them all." As he spoke, Du Ge became beaming and unconsciously puffed out his chest.

These experiences are invaluable honors for any seafarer.

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"So many?!" The young crew member gaped in astonishment.

"The restricted areas aren't just on land, kid." Brother Du lit a cigarette and said slowly:

"Compared to land, the ocean is much larger, and therefore has more forbidden zones. The Endless Sea is the most famous forbidden zone on the ocean, as is Atlantis... Although I don't know exactly what forbidden zones are, I'm certain that the appearance of those extraordinary creatures is related to forbidden zones."

"Have you ever encountered anything dangerous?" the young crew member pressed.

"Every unexpected situation can be deadly, but if I had to pick the most dangerous one..." Brother Du exhaled a puff of smoke, a solemn look of lingering fear on his face: "That was three years ago."

Even after all these years, he still wakes up from nightmares from time to time, dreaming that he has returned to that horrifying, bloody night.

"At that time, we took an order to transport goods to Europe... Well, you should know that those of us in the shipping business often smuggle things to make some extra money. That time, we took a job on the side to help someone transport a batch of goods over there."

During the initial inspection, the items appeared to be in perfect condition, but just as they were nearing their destination, the unexpected happened.

Brother Du took a deep drag of his cigarette and cursed:

"Damn it, there was a living taboo item in that shipment! It almost wiped out everyone on the ship!"

Later I learned that it was the forbidden item C-155, Miss Mary!

He recounted the terrifying experience with lingering fear: "It was the seventh day of the voyage. During dinner that evening, one of the crew members suddenly received a phone call."

"Hello, I'm Miss Mary, and I'm currently on the ship."

The person on the other end of the line only said that one sentence before hanging up. He told us about it in a strange way, and then the phone rang again.

"Hello, I'm Miss Mary, and I'm at the restaurant entrance."

The call ended after just one sentence. We were eating in the restaurant at the time, so we all looked towards the door, thinking it was a prank. Then the phone rang again; the crew member had already put it on speakerphone so we could hear the voice on the other end. 🐤🍟 ➅➈ⓢнυ𝓧.℃ⓞ๓ 💘💜

"Hello, I'm Miss Mary, and I'm right behind you."

As if recalling some terrifying scene, Brother Du's hand, which was smoking, trembled slightly.

"When we turned around, we saw a smiling doll holding a kitchen knife and wearing a red dress suddenly appear from behind the crew member. It was truly without warning, like it just appeared out of nowhere."

Before we could even scream, "Miss Mary" swung her knife and killed the unfortunate man, his blood splattering all over the restaurant.

Then it hid behind the body where we couldn't see it. When one of our Ascended went to check, Miss Mary was long gone. At the same time, another crew member's phone rang. He didn't press the answer button, but the call was forcibly connected.

"Hello, I'm Miss Mary, and I'm currently on the ship."

Yes, that's the same phrase again.

Brother Du took a deep drag of his cigarette and said in a fearful tone, "What followed was a complete massacre. Whenever the phone rang, it meant someone was going to die. It acted too quickly, choosing to eliminate them one by one. By the time we had all gathered together, there were only eighteen people left."

Even the Ascended Ones couldn't do anything about it, and rocket launchers couldn't destroy it. The ship was littered with corpses and blood... Nobody knew if they would be the next to die.

Fortunately, we quickly discovered its killing mechanism. It uses telephones to lock onto targets, so we all threw our phones into the sea and turned off radios, speakers, and other equipment. As long as no "telephone" rings, its killing mechanism will not be triggered.

So we spent several days on the ship with Miss Mary, and every night we were afraid to wake up and find her standing next to us. I wonder how many people were driven crazy by the immense mental pressure...

Once we reached the shore, we immediately reported to the Star Council, and they dispatched four third-tier Ascended to take Miss Mary in.

After finishing one cigarette, Brother Du lit another to calm his inner fear.

For a long time afterward, he suffered from doll phobia and was terrified of answering the phone. After finally overcoming it, he relapsed because he heard "hello" on the phone.

"The things you absolutely cannot smuggle at sea are forbidden items and cursed objects from the abyss, because you never know when they might go out of control. If something happens at sea, you'll be left with no one to turn to for help," Brother Du said earnestly.

"I understand." The young crew member nodded.

Suddenly, Brother Du's phone rang, the melodious ringtone startling the young crew member.

"Haha, don't be nervous, it's Lao Sun." Brother Du glanced at the contact person and answered the phone.

"Hey, Lao Sun, what's up?"

What? Ah Wei is missing? Didn't he go to check the cargo hold? Can't be contacted?

Brother Du was taken aback, then quickly nodded: "Okay, okay, I'll go find someone to take a look right away."

After hanging up the phone, he said in a deep voice to the other crew members eating in the restaurant, "Awei has gone missing while inspecting the cargo hold. Everyone grab your gear and come with me to look for him."

"Damn, I haven't finished my meal yet."

"Tsk, did that kid find somewhere to hide and watch porn?"

"..."

A short while later, Brother Du led several crew members to the cargo hold, which was filled with goods that were about to be exported.

"Wei, Wei, are you here?"

"Where are you, Wei?"

The crowd shouted loudly in the cargo hold. Just then, someone twitched their ears and heard some faint sounds coming from afar.

Shh, I think I hear something over here.

The crew followed the sound and soon found an open container. The door was ajar, and it was pitch black. Everyone frowned, sensing that something was wrong.

In the silence, a faint sound emanated from the darkness of the shipping container; if you listened carefully, you could hear it…

That sounded like a cry for help.

"Help me...help me...it hurts so much..."

Several crew members with keen hearing involuntarily took two steps back, their faces pale: "That sounds like Ah Wei's voice, he's calling for help?"

"What's inside?" someone asked warily.

"It looks like it's just timber for export... Damn, could the captain be smuggling things behind our backs?"

boom!

As soon as he finished speaking, to the horror of countless crew members, the darkness inside the container rapidly expanded, gushing out like a torrent.

It was accompanied by a piercing scream, like a demon from hell being unleashed.

—Darkness descends.

The crowd screamed and tried to escape, but they were no match for the speed at which the dark torrent spread, and in the blink of an eye they were swallowed up by the surging tide.

The cold, viscous darkness seeped into every inch of body and soul, and the screams of the dead echoed in our ears, as if claws were scratching at metal plates, ravaging everyone's eardrums and mind.

In the darkness, everyone felt endless pain, coldness, and despair.

Some ascendants struggled with all their might to break free, but the dark curse that had materialized was something they could not contend with.

"Help me, don't go, don't go, it's so dark here, it's so cold..."

In the thick, churning darkness, the faces of the crew members emerged, gripping the Ascended One's entire body tightly.

In the darkness, more faces emerged, uttering cries for help.

"Don't go, save us, save us..."

"Please save me..."

"Don't go, don't go, this place is so scary..."

"Get out of here, all of you get out of here!"

The ascendant's eyes widened in terror as it struggled desperately, but to no avail.

Amidst the pleas of countless faces, the pulling of countless hands, and the endless murmurs, he gradually sank into an unfathomable quagmire and an abyss of despair.

Soon, a massive torrent of darkness erupted from the cargo hold.

It swallowed everything on the ship.

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"What's going on?"

In the office, Zhou Chen, who had been working with Jiang Che all night, jumped up from the sofa and went to Jiang Che's side, while the computer kept emitting piercing alarms.

"The exploration has detected a Level 5 curse contamination source at sea."

Jiang Che frowned slightly and immediately dispatched a squad of elite Ascendants, all of whom were at the third tier, to investigate.

A dozen minutes later, the news came.

When the elite team arrived, the source of the curse had already disappeared, leaving only a chilling aura of the curse. All the crew members on board had perished, their bodies vanished, and the source of the curse had yet to be found.

Meanwhile, Jiang Che, sitting in his office, had already taken in all the changes on the sea surface through observation and satellites.

One minute after the pollution source erupted, a dark ocean with a diameter of one kilometer appeared on the sea surface, and the aura of the curse was almost off the charts.

At one minute and forty-six seconds, the cursed ocean gradually dissipated for unknown reasons.

At two minutes and eleven seconds, the source of pollution was contained to the cargo ship.

Two minutes and nineteen seconds later, the source of pollution completely disappeared, leaving no trace in the detection system.

In less than two and a half minutes, the Level 5 pollution source, which could have caused tens of thousands of casualties, disappeared without a trace. Apart from the residue on the cargo ship, not a single trace could be found.

"This cargo ship belongs to Fu Qing and is also related to the Birdman..." Jiang Che tapped the table in deep thought. "There's reason to suspect that the Eternal Flame is trying to transport 'that thing,' but we can't jump to conclusions. Perhaps this is just a smokescreen; there are other ways to transport things besides sea freight..."

After much deliberation, Jiang Che ordered stricter controls and oversight of all modes of transportation, and prepared to use this as a pretext to investigate Fu Qing.

Then he looked at Zhou Chen: "Contact Birdman earlier today and ask him if he knows anything about it. I want to see what his attitude is."

"OK."

Zhou Chen nodded. This was most likely the work of the Eternal Flame. It seemed he had to speed up his infiltration of the enemy.

If Jiang Che's plan goes smoothly, then after agreeing to have dinner with Li Xiaoxiao today, he will face the final onboarding assessment.