Deep Sea Hunter, but Deep Sea Titan

"You also enjoy that feeling of being superior and being worshipped?"

Greta frowned; she had expected Lotin to demand a more substantial price.

“My power will indeed be enhanced by those gleaming gold coins that fall to the ground, Archon.”

"I hope so. By the way, that horned lady claims that she has found a more efficient purification method inspired by Agor technology."

Of course, Goredia wouldn't study the giant beast with her naked eyes, especially since that would be too disrespectful.

Therefore, she is still forced to define the powers of the behemoths as supernatural abilities.

But the millet did find a way to purify the land from the drawings drawn by Goredia and the islanders' technology unsealed by the court—a method that Goredia refused to classify as technology.

The model was validated in the giant heart created by the millennium—rebuilding the ecosystem directly by giving it life, while the islanders' technology mainly improved the energy efficiency of the giant heart.

After all, it was millet that gave the behemoth's heart true life, and this simulated source of the behemoth's power is now providing her with power in return.

It's unscientific and unreplicable, but it can solve the immediate problem without placing too much burden on oneself.

The millet planted this method in the pale, saline-alkali land of Saltwind City, and it was indeed effective; the primitive and simple ecosystem is recovering.

Lotin, however, saw a more destructive use for this power.

Would it be more effective to use it directly on Haisi?

Chapter 227: The Place of Departure

"You mean, you want to try using this power directly to deal with the monsters in the sea?"

Millet's power relates to the concept of cause and effect in the cycle of the four seasons. She used this power to cleanse herself of the pollution of evil spirits, and also to revive the land in the Iberian desert that had been squeezed into a desolate wasteland by the sea.

However, Shu has never tried using it directly to drain the enemy's life force.

Human thugs don't need her to use her power in this way, and evil spirits and demons can hardly be considered true beings.

"Extremely simple and brutal, and extremely complex and opaque. When Isamara is inactive, large groups are quite insensitive to both types of damage."

Lotin clearly remembered that in the Sealing World Destruction storyline, which was blessed by Isamara, the territory of the Ursus Guard caused great trouble for the Great Legion. Even when the Great Legion was at its most aggressive, it took them two months to adapt to the corruption of the demons.

The power of evil is a typical example of a black box.

"Your power is incomprehensible to these monsters, which further delays their adaptation and evolution."

Conversely, if Lotin could restore Haizi to a state where it was within the control of a more advanced civilization, he could even use Haizi to fight against the evil forces.

This situation is one of self-resolved dilemmas.

"I hope you can try it within the limits of ensuring your own safety."

"After all, Miss Shu should focus on self-cultivation in the Scroll of Mountains and Seas, and must not act recklessly like she did in the Great Wilderness City."

Luo Ting feared that this dragon girl, who trusted hard work too much, would become too obsessed and ruin herself.

"Of course. Thank you for your concern."

Of course, Shu was not the kind of person who was indecisive or overly kind-hearted. She would rather plant the monsters that were harming the world in the fields to fertilize them.

“My dear, now that you’ve put an end to my obsession, it’s time to start thinking about your own things.”

“Granfalo, on that ship, you set sail from this place.”

"I will face it with you."

Laurentina had seen Lotin's memories, so she knew Lotin's real name, knew about the sailor's experiences on the Fool's, and knew that it was one of the few wounds her lover had.

That shameless betrayal turned this once hopeful sailor into what he is today.

“And another bishop is here too, my sister.”

His gaze swept across the streets of Saltwind City. Lotin could discern the state of the punitive troops stationed there, from initial doubt to current admiration. Lotin watched as these Iberians gradually changed their attitude.

"I will always be by your side, my dear."

Skadi also knew that Lotin had suffered a shameful betrayal on the ship of the Buoregan, something that was one of the few obsessions in his heart.

As for the Doctor, Lotin rarely mentioned these things to her, but the Doctor could still understand the atmosphere of the scene.

"The next place seems to be important to you."

"Whatever is there, I will face it with you."

"Just as you held up my past before Theresa."

The doctor thought that no matter how dark and hopeless that experience was, she was willing to support Loting as Loting had sheltered her.

These three are, up to now, the only three people in Terra whom Lotin is willing to truly believe in and open his heart to.

While others may pique his interest or even earn his respect, or he may find more collectibles that satisfy his desires, the depth of their bond will still make a difference.

Each of them longed for more of his favor, and for this reason, they put aside their differences and revealed their true feelings to Luo Ting, expressing their love and unwavering support for their beloved.

In Ling's view, Luo Ting was indifferent to everything except a few specific matters.

But this matter was of particular importance to returning to the seaside town of Granfalo.

This brought Ling back to her senses, slightly rousing her from her carefree state.

What kind of event could have disturbed the mind of someone as powerful as Gonggong?

The changing coastline has rendered the "Eye of the Iberian Sea" no longer a lighthouse by the sea, but this towering and magnificent structure remains the key to finding the Fool.

It is a symbol of an era, and even Lotin once benefited from that glorious era to some extent.

With the great stillness of the golden age fading away.

He was the last salvageer of the golden age.

"Granfalo".

The situation here is much better than in Saltwind City; basic order can still be maintained. The importance of the "Eye of Iberia" made this a salient that the Inquisition tried its best to maintain before the counterattack began.

This place is quite close to the sea and the heart of Iberia.

Of course, with the coastline extended, this place no longer faces the malice from the ocean. The same is true for the central courthouse not far away.

Lotin's move to alter the coastline itself alleviated Iberia's immediate crisis.

The Fool set sail from here, and on that ship, Lotin first made contact with this familiar yet strange world.

But the world's rejection of him was almost, no, it had already killed him.

He had informed Carmen beforehand that he had found the key to the "Eye of Iberia," and he came here with the intention of witnessing the Fool's demise firsthand.

This is one of the few desires he has in this world.

The counter-offensive and the coastline have strengthened the Punisher Legion's control over the area, and they are ready to storm the Eye of Iberia under Nautilus's leadership.

The journey from Granfalo to the Eye of Iberia has seen several Retribution Legions fall here. The monsters swarm towards this place like madmen, and despite paying a heavy price, the Retribution Legion has never been able to reach this legacy of the Golden Age.

The mobilization of the army terrified the local residents. The court's desperate measures, while deterring the corrupt, also terrified its own people.

Ordinary Iberians had no clear understanding of the monsters in the sea, and reducing panic to avoid further complications was always the strategy of the Inquisition.

A strong, elderly man stared at the army marching down the street with hostile eyes.

He had not seen Iberian soldiers behave with such swagger in a long time.

After the failed attempt to repair the Eye of Iberia, he, Thiago, the mayor of Granfalo, never again saw the Inquisition's men operating in his town with great fanfare.

Countless skilled craftsmen were summoned here to repair the "Eye of Iberia." With the recovery of lost territory, Iberia gained this capability, and the outposts set up in the chapel to monitor the repair workers were also restored to operation.

"Outsiders. They're all outsiders. The Inquisition's army has arrived here!"

A flustered local male resident roared at an Agor man in a green robe in a moldy alley.

“We must hurry. Our brothers and sisters in Saltwind City have lost all contact, and the ominous geology has once again severed our link with the messengers of the sea.”

The Agor man in the green robe was incredibly excited; time was not on his side.

"We must first seize control of the Eye of Iberia... or destroy it!"

The power of the command made it difficult for these fallen beings and those who had come ashore to communicate effectively over long distances using neural signals. The Fallen of Granfalo were unaware of the specific details of the defeat of the Saltwind Bishop.

“Let more people join us. We have a wider path to choose from, far better than anything Iberia has promised, and far better than this land.”

He wanted to provoke the residents here into the clutches of the abyss, so that the Iberian people and the Punishment Army would perish together.

As long as they hold out until Hai Si's heavenly soldiers land, everything will be alright—this is the wishful thinking of these traitors.

But they couldn't wait any longer.

Because a pair of eyes has already seen through the filth hidden among the Iberian people.

The Eye of the Seasons, now known as the Mountain Barrier, is enough for Loting to spot those hidden enemies.

Those who didn't know how to restrain their killing intent and were directly judged as hostile units by the system were directly vaporized by the [Sunfire Aegis], which was large enough to cover an entire city in its gigantic state.

This fallen man, who wanted to drag more people into the abyss, suddenly and bizarrely "combusted" in the face of the new recruit. He rolled on the ground in agony, trying to extinguish the flames, but all his struggles were in vain.

This lump of flesh and blood, which had willingly fallen into depravity, quickly turned to ashes, and the same bizarre spontaneous combustion occurred everywhere in the dark corners of the town.

After Lotin's first round of burning, only two types of Fallen Ones remained—those who were adept at concealing their true intentions, even deceiving themselves.

Or perhaps they are timid newcomers, wavering and uncertain.

A large number of Punishers are enough to conduct a thorough search of Granfalo, and the area will soon be under strict military control. Neither of these groups can escape the full force of the Punishers under Lotin's protection.

Chapter 228: The Poet

The door of the Bitterscale Tavern was kicked open by the Punisher's soldiers, and the Inquisitor, lantern in hand, stormed into the tavern that sold only cheap alcohol. Work was a luxury for many in Granfalo; they were forced to extract meager sustenance from the barren land.

Abandoned shacks line the shore of the reef, a testament to the bustling activity that once filled the area. People came from all over to the town, hoping to reclaim a glimmer of hope for recovery after the disaster.

But now all that remains are dilapidated shacks emitting a pungent, rusty smell.

However, they will soon be dismantled and recast into materials for repairing the lighthouse, and the residents here will soon face a massive project.

The judge's lantern emitted a blinding light, a unique Originium technique of the Inquisition used to induce those affected to speak the truth.

However, this method was of little effect on the severely corrupted and degenerate. In their long struggle against the Inquisition, these degenerate cultists gradually learned how to resist the Inquisitor's lantern by relying on the adaptability of the Sea Child.

Countless hostile eyes stared at the Punisher soldiers and Inquisitors entering the tavern. The people of Granfalo harbored a natural animosity towards the Inquisition and the Punisher Army; the failed attempt to storm the Eye of Iberia had nearly caused the Inquisition to lose control of the town, and the townspeople viewed it as a betrayal by the Inquisition.

The newly joined townspeople had not yet acquired full capacity for resistance, and they were the first to slip up under the judge's lantern.

"The fire of judgment will dry up a person's soul."

This is an Iberian language that cannot be spoken casually in public. In order to fight against the vicious enemy, the court had to go to extremes that could frighten the people it was protecting.

Every Iberian knows what it means to be targeted by the Inquisition.

Fortunately, these townspeople still retained at least some basic rationality; they knew that in the face of cultists and monsters from the sea, only the Inquisition had the power to protect their basic safety.

Stimulated by cheap alcohol, they were able to temporarily forget their fear and focus on enjoying the sense of security that came from the removal of the cult members.

Elsewhere in this seaside town, the same scene continues to unfold.

Suspicion makes some people who have suffered more stubborn and extreme. In the houses along the narrow streets, Thiago's wary eyes peek out from the gaps in the curtains. They had experienced it more than a decade ago, and it was not unfamiliar to them.

The hope of reconstruction was trampled and crushed; it was the very court that abandoned the town, repeating its grand pronouncements in official rhetoric.

Thiago, of course, had no idea what kind of Waterloo the Punishing Army had suffered at the Eye of Iberia back then.

"When did the Punishment Army become so blind and barbaric?"

A Liberian woman who identified herself as a poet wore an elegant black and white dress, and her black veil hat had not fluttered in the sea breeze for a long time. The changes in the coastline made this place no longer close to the ocean.

As a result, the poet's inspiration gradually dried up.

She was confused; her nerves felt as if shrouded in a hazy mist, and she was in a state similar to being slightly tipsy all day long. Her senses became dulled, and her body felt heavy.

She was trying to understand what the behemoth approaching Granfalo was, and also searching for why her people had been burned to death by fire that appeared out of nowhere.

"And how many more will be sacrificed in the name of virtue? The courts have always sung the praises of sacrifice and risk."

Her words revealed a sense of disappointment—disappointment with the court, and even with people.

Her poems always subtly praise a great race of absolute equality, where there are no boundaries or barriers between individuals. For this race, sacrifice and risk do not need to be celebrated, because they are too commonplace.

Humans are keen to praise sacrifice and dedication because such behavior is rare and abnormal for humans, and it is a way to cover up the selfishness that humans experience most of the time. Therefore, in the face of this great race, humans need to bow their heads and accept baptism and teachings.

“Amaya…Bishop…”

"There are just too many Punishers; they're practically prying open every single brick in the Granfalow sewers."