Manager, give me a membership card too!

"Should we leave the hotel and go somewhere safe?"

Jill gave a wry smile as she repeated the sentence to herself. If she could, she would also like to know where exactly was a 'safe' place.

As a newcomer to Innsmouth for the first time, just like Nyaruko and the others, she knew nothing about the area beyond the hotel, only the surrounding terrain. Forget about any 'safe' place; she'd be lucky to walk two hundred meters without getting lost.

Just as the policewoman was racking her brains trying to figure out where they should go, a somewhat hesitant voice came from beside her.

"If you're looking for a safe place, perhaps I know a place that might meet your expectations."

Upon hearing this, the three ladies, young and old, all turned to look in the direction of the voice. Suddenly, they were stared at by three pairs of eyes, especially by Nyaruko's terrifying gaze, which made him feel a chill run down his spine as if he were facing some kind of mortal enemy. Paul almost instinctively shivered and quickly began to explain.

“I spent a long time in Innsmouth today, exploring many places, and I have a fairly good understanding of this old town.”

"The houses here are mostly low and made of wood, making them ineffective for defense. Only the Marsh Smelting Plant, which is responsible for smelting gold, and the Innsmouth Fire Station, which is not far from this hotel, are the most fortified and suitable for defense."

"Especially the Innsmouth Fire Station; that building is new, very tall, and has metal bars on the doors and windows for security. It's much safer than this hotel if you choose that location. Most importantly, there's a telephone there."

Jill, who had been listening quietly, suddenly changed her expression and subconsciously asked:

"Where is a telephone that can contact the outside world?"

Paul nodded, confirming his statement:

"Although I didn't see it with my own eyes, when I was collecting materials about this town next to the fire station, I heard the phone ringing and people talking on the phone inside the room. I'm sure I'm not mistaken."

Hearing this, Jill nodded in satisfaction, pondered for a few seconds, and then whispered:

Will you shoot?

Paul's expression immediately turned somewhat awkward, but he still nodded with a hint of hesitation.

“I learned a little from my father before, and I can fire a gun, but I’m not good at it.”

Jill didn't say much upon hearing this, but instead picked up an M1903 Springfield rifle that she had taken from the mixed-race people and handed it to Paul.

"Take this for self-defense, and don't fire it without my permission. I don't want to die at the hands of my own people."

After handing the gun to Paul, Jill turned around and looked at the two girls behind her.

"Nyaruko, Sakura, we need to leave here. Once we get to the fire station, I'll call the Boston authorities and request that they send the nearest rescue team to help us. If all goes well, they should be here before dawn. Then we'll be safe."

Saying things that even he himself didn't quite believe, Gil led Nyaruko and Matou Sakura, following behind Paul, the living map, and quietly (*) left the now deathly silent hotel through the back door, heading into an even darker alley under the cover of night.

Meanwhile, on a main road in Innsmouth with a direct view of the sea, thousands of merfolk gathered together, holding torches high and shouting the names of their father Dagon, mother Hydra, and the great Cthulhu.

As they shouted, more and more mixed-race people gathered from all over the town onto this main road, and their numbers gradually broke through four digits and started to grow towards five digits.

The louder and more devout their shouts, the more hybrids joined their ranks. And the increase in hybrids made their voices grow even louder, their prayers echoing through the sky even outside Innsmouth.

Finally, when the loud prayer reached its limit, the entire town suddenly fell silent, as if it had been preordained. Apart from the heavy breathing of the mixed-race people, it seemed that nothing else could be heard.

Among the now quiet mixed-race group, a figure dressed in a dark purple silk robe, wearing a dark purple veil and secured with a strangely shaped triple crown slowly left the other merman mixed-race groups and arrived at a specially reserved circular open space.

The figure was tall and slender, with a uniquely graceful and alluring figure. Unlike her companions, she did not have an ugly Innsmouth face, but rather the face of a normal white woman. Her appearance was even more stunning than that of those big stars on television, and she exuded a unique beauty that made people involuntarily captivated her.

The allure was so magical that even several ordinary humans, who were tightly bound by ropes in a circular open space, couldn't help but show expressions of infatuation when they saw her. Even after seeing the tentacles and suckers hidden under the purple-robed girl's silk clothing, they still smiled and stared intently at her every move with a dazed expression.

Ignoring the infatuated expressions on the faces of the ordinary people, the purple-robed girl, propelled by countless tentacles beneath her, slowly circled the area, seemingly performing some kind of ritual, or perhaps simply admiring the crazed and infatuated expressions on the faces of the ordinary humans, a hint of undisguised killing intent flashing in her eyes.

Finally, the purple-robed girl stopped in front of a woman who appeared to be in her early twenties. Seeing the woman's infatuated expression, the purple-robed girl used her left hand to slightly lift the woman's chin, making her look directly at the woman's fairly pretty face. Then, she slowly drew a sharp, golden dagger from her right side and, without hesitation, plunged it into the woman's chest, shouting loudly:

"The freshest flesh and blood are offered to the great Cthulhu!"

Upon hearing her shout, all the remaining mixed-race individuals erupted in commotion once more.

"The freshest flesh and blood are offered to the great Cthulhu!"

Chapter 407 Nyarko and Matou Sakura's Unexpected Journey (Part 9)

Chapter 407 Nyarko and Matou Sakura's Unexpected Journey (Part 9)

The cold blade pierced the skin, penetrated the muscle, bypassed the bone, and precisely struck the heart that was beating faster with excitement.

The tender flesh was no match for the gleaming blade. Large gushes of crimson blood gushed out along the path of the blade as the heart pumped unconsciously. The pale red mist of blood drifted and dripped onto the bodies of the surrounding hybrids, further fueling the monsters' emotions and making their shouts even more frenzied.

Two tall, strong merman hybrids approached the purple-robed girl and took the woman, whose face was deathly pale from blood loss, from her arms. Each of them dragged her by one arm toward the beach not far away, leaving a trail of crimson blood that stretched all the way to the dock.

Finally, with a splash of water, the woman who had been stabbed in the chest by the girl in purple robes sank into the waves of Innsmouth's centuries-old harbor and disappeared.

Unfortunately, what awaited her was not eternal peace, but another bloody feast.

Almost the instant the woman fell into the water, the water near Innsmouth Harbour 'boiled'. It wasn't boiling in the physical sense, but in the literal sense.

Splashes of water, white waves, sounds.

Countless figures, shimmering with an eerie glow under the scarlet moonlight, swam excitedly beneath the surface of the water at the dock, greedily and wildly enjoying this sacrifice that had come every few decades, and craving more.

A single woman is simply not enough to satisfy their almost inexhaustible desires and thirst.

In less than a minute, the boiling water in the harbor calmed down.

Immediately afterwards, countless scarlet eyes peered through the shallow seawater at the hybrids on the shore, seemingly waiting for the next delicious sacrifice, or perhaps observing these 'descendants'.

As if sensing those scrutinizing gazes, the mixed-race individuals on land straightened their bodies, as if they were being inspected.

In fact, they were indeed being inspected by them, by their ancestors, their kin, those beings of the same blood, known as the 'Deep Ones'.

Deep-diving beings are near-immortal creatures. Unless they suffer external damage, these beings can live for a hundred years, a thousand years, or even ten thousand or a hundred thousand years.

Perhaps among these deep-sea divers hidden beneath the surface of the harbor are the fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers, great-great-grandfathers, and even more ancient ancestors of these hybrids on the shore, quietly observing their descendants.

The thought of possessing endless life, a strong body, and terrifying power in the future excited the hybrids on the coast. The gloom and resentment of having to hide in the dimly lit room because of the need for 'transformation' quickly dissipated, replaced by anticipation for the future.

Among all the mixed-race individuals, the girl in purple robes received the most attention.

Because she is the person with the noblest bloodline among these hybrids, the child born from the union of the great Father God Dagon and a human woman, the high priestess with the blood of 'gods', the queen of all hybrids, and their undisputed leader.

Seemingly sensing the admiration and longing in those gazes, the purple-robed priestess smiled and nodded. While licking the blood remaining on the sacrificial dagger with her pink tongue, she wriggled her tentacles and 'walked' towards the next target for sacrifice.

Even after witnessing the death of their companions, the remaining humans showed no fear on their faces. Instead, their eyes were filled with longing and desire as they gazed at the purple-robed priestess's beautiful face, a face that combined innocence and allure, possessing two contradictory beauties, with an almost greedy look. They couldn't look away for a second.

Even with the golden sacrificial dagger piercing her chest and blood flowing freely from her body, the sacrifice chosen by the priestess showed no sign of pain on her face. Instead, she radiated a strange 'happiness'.

As the second splash rose, the harbor docks came alive once more. Countless ugly and twisted hybrids surrounded the beautiful purple-robed priestess, chanting bizarre prayers that were impossible for a human throat to utter, while dancing wildly.

"I"a! I"a! Cthulhu fhtagn!!"

"I"a! I"a! Cthulhu fhtagn!!!"

"I'm a! I'm a..."

'boom!!!!'

Just as the sacrificial ceremony was reaching its climax, a loud bang, like a muffled thunderclap, broke the course of the ceremony.

The purple-robed priestess, who was holding aloft a golden sacrificial dagger stained with blood, ready to pierce the heart of the third sacrifice, froze, instinctively looking in the direction from which the voice came.

What came into view was thick smoke and flames shooting into the sky, as well as a tall building that was burning fiercely.

The priestess, her actions interrupted, frowned slightly in displeasure and looked at the tall, half-blooded man beside her. She opened her cherry-pink lips, revealing a set of sharp fangs that gleamed with a cold light like a shark's, and uttered a strange syllable that was neither comprehensible nor understandable to humans.

"what happened?"

The strong and tall mixed-race man bowed respectfully and responded in the same shrill and eerie tone:

"It's the Gilman Inn. A few outsiders came over today. The person in charge of driving the intercity bus did something sneaky and trapped them in Innsmouth. They were originally going to capture them and sacrifice them to the Father God, Mother God, and the great Cthulhu. Now it seems that something unexpected has happened."

"An unexpected complication has arisen." The priestess's expression was not good. She had been preparing for this sacrifice for several years. As long as she successfully presided over this sacrificial ceremony, she could gain the favor of the Father God, immediately transform from a hybrid into an eternal Deep One, and go to the holy R'lyeh to serve as the handmaiden of the great Cthulhu.

But now everything is over. The sacred ritual has been disturbed and is no longer as perfect as before. She no longer expects the Father's favor, but only hopes that He will not punish her, so that she can safely pass through her growth period, successfully evolve into a Deep One, and gain endless life.

As for Cthulhu's handmaids, there's probably no hope for them.

With a resentful spit, the purple-robed priestess gritted her sharp fangs and growled in a low voice, almost as if forced out of her throat:

"Find those people and bring them to me. Note that I want them alive! Only by personally sacrificing these troublemakers to the Father God can I atone for my sins!"

"Yes, a sacrificial ceremony."

Respectfully bowing his head, the tall hybrid, upon receiving the order, summoned several equally tall and strong hybrids, each as large as a moving door, and they rushed towards the burning Gilman Inn.

Watching her trusted followers gradually disappear into the distance, the purple-robed priestess did not continue the interrupted sacrificial ceremony. Instead, she knelt respectfully facing the sea, murmuring softly. She needed to wait until those who had offended the Father God were captured and sacrificed on the spot before she could continue the ritual.

After waiting for about ten minutes, the priestess did not see the figures of her confidants. Instead, she heard several muffled booms, just like before.

Looking at the even more intense flames near the Gilman Inn, the purple-robed priestess's face was so gloomy it could drip water. She slightly raised her body, waved her arm, and a group of half-bloods beside her silently hurried towards the Gilman Inn.

Then......

boom!

boom!

boom!

One explosion after another and flames rose up near the Gilman Hostel, creating spectacular fireworks while also dampening the morale of the mixed-race people and gradually cooling down the originally vibrant atmosphere.

Hearing the faint wails and screams around her, the purple-robed priestess felt an intense hatred for the Innsmouth man driving the intercity bus. While secretly resolving to sacrifice him to Dagon, she waved her hand again, directing a group of half-bloods towards the vicinity of the Gilman Inn.

The priestess had only one attitude towards the outsiders who had disturbed the sacred ritual.

We demand to see him alive or dead!

Just as the purple-robed priestess's emotions were turning into rage, several hundred meters away from the Gilman Inn, Gil and his party also turned their gaze away from the magnificent fireworks in a small alley.

"How about that? Pretty good, huh? With just a few threads and some nails, I can make a simple tripwire mine. Those hybrids have no intelligence whatsoever; they simply can't detect the traps hidden in the corridors and passageways."

With a hint of pride, Nyaruko twirled the dark crowbar in her hand, her face beaming with a smile.

“In this way, we’ve attracted enough attention. Based on my understanding of the Dagon Cult, the ritual will be interrupted until we, the disruptors, are captured. This way, the civilians who were captured to be sacrificed will be safe for the time being. As long as you, Jill, can successfully call for reinforcements, those civilians will definitely be rescued.”

Upon hearing this, Jill slowly nodded and turned to look at Paul beside her.

How far is the Innsmouth Fire Station?

"We'll be there in two more intersections."

"lead the way."

The group did not linger, and quietly made their way to the Innsmouth Fire Station amidst the continuous explosions of grenades.

Along the way, they encountered many wandering hybrids. In order not to attract the attention of other hybrids, Jill and the others did not choose to fire their guns, but instead used kitchen knives 'borrowed' from the kitchen of the Jillman Inn and Springfield rifles with bayonets fixed to fight.

Although Jill and the others were not very skilled with melee weapons, thanks to Nyaruko's powerful vanguard, the group managed to reach the front of the Innsmouth Fire Station without any major incidents.

Looking at the three-story brick building standing quietly under the blood-red moonlight, Gil and Nyarlathotep exchanged glances and slowly walked into the half-open metal door.

The fire station was dark and quiet, with not a soul in sight. A faint, unpleasant fishy smell permeated the air, irritating Jill and the others' sensitive nerves.

By the dim moonlight streaming through the window, Jill surveyed the spacious lobby of the fire station, her gaze sweeping over the buckets and hoses used for firefighting before turning to Paul beside her.

Where is the phone?

"It's either the second or third floor. The noise I heard at the door came from upstairs."

Paul pointed to the dark staircase of the fire station and spoke with great conviction.

Gil nodded silently upon hearing this, then turned to look at Nyarlathotep and the others, saying in a noticeably lowered voice:

"You guys guard the main entrance on the first floor. Those ghostly things are everywhere and might find this place. It's best to block the entrance with something; that would be safer. I'll go explore the second floor and see if I can find a telephone to send a distress signal."

"understood."

Having assigned tasks to everyone, Jill glanced one last time at Paul (the only laborer), who was already moving rubbish, then took a hand-cranked flashlight (shaped like a hand gripper, which lights up when pressed quickly) from the fire station wall. Holding a gun in one hand and rapidly pressing the flashlight with the other, she slowly made her way up the stairs by the dim light.

The Innsmouth Fire Station has three floors.

The first floor is a lobby, where some firefighting tools and clothing are displayed. There are also a few small wooden tables in the corner, which are probably where firefighters rest during the day.

The second floor houses dormitories and offices. Due to the special nature of the fire station, it must be staffed 24 hours a day. However, these dormitories, with their doors wide open, are now empty, with only personal belongings and bedding piled haphazardly on makeshift wooden beds.

Jill carefully searched the second floor but couldn't find the landline phone she wanted. So, she cautiously made her way up the stairs to the third floor.

Compared to the spacious first-floor lobby and the somewhat cramped second-floor dormitory, the third floor of the fire station is much simpler, consisting of a porch decorated with plants and paintings, and a wooden door with the words "Director's Office" written on it.

Seeing the sign on the wooden door, Jill's heart skipped a beat. If there were any places in Innsmouth that might have a telephone—a luxury so luxurious—the only ones would be official organizations like the fire station and the town government.

Given the current prevalence of mixed-race people in Innsmouth, the town government would probably have been overrun long ago, making it impossible for them to force their way in. This is the only place where there is still a slight chance of success.

With a mix of trepidation and excitement, Jill slowly pushed open the door, revealing a spacious and luxuriously decorated office.

The policewoman paid no attention to the exquisite decorations and furniture in the room, but instead focused her gaze on a dark object on the desk in the center of the room.

Found it! Call!

Even with Jill's maturity and composure, a hint of joy couldn't help but appear on her face when she saw that square, black rotary telephone.