reincarnation npc, but tomorrow's ark

"Hai Si." The Grand Inquisitor raised the lamp.

Bai Ye shook his head and took a step forward before Alfonso could speak:

“I can feel your pain. Whether it’s you or him.”

As he spoke, Bai Ye turned his gaze to Alfonso's arm, which had already shown signs of being inhuman.

No normal human could survive this long. The being before us has become part of the larger group, or rather, a part of its body has been assimilated by the group.

Chapter 171 Mercy

Bai Ye's actions caught the attention of Alfonso and Hai Si beside him. When Hai Si raised its head and met Bai Ye's gaze, its body suddenly froze, and after a moment, it began to scream.

Alfonso glared at White Night and questioned:

"What...what are you? What did you do to my first mate?!"

He wanted to say something more, but suddenly he pressed down on his own hand and struggled in pain as well.

The muscles in his face contorted from suppressing his impulses, the veins at his temples bulged, and one of the captain's hands had become shaped like a sea creature, with newly formed webbed membranes that were transparent and visible, and tentacled extensions that were constantly twitching and swaying.

"You have devoured their flesh and blood, a risky act. Only a very few can cross that insurmountable chasm, their will not be swallowed by the horde, and they retain their human reason. You have become an anomaly, sir, neither human nor Haisi."

"However, the sea creatures treat you as one of their large group. They allow you to continue preying on them, offering themselves to you so that you, a weak individual, can continue to survive."

Bai Ye explained why Alfonso was able to continue living for decades.

“Who are you...you drove away my prey and turned me into this..." Alfonso struggled against his arm, “It’s craving my thoughts, it’s surrendering to you.”

Bai Ye sighed.

He said softly:

"There's no turning back now, neither you nor it—"

"This is an irreversible process. Either you will be gradually swallowed up by the will of the masses, or you will die while retaining your human will. Because, given your arrogance, you obviously cannot accept a third option: coexistence."

The moment Bai Ye met the captain, he understood what kind of person he was.

“I can’t bear to see others suffer, so let me help you on your way. Under the witness of this Grand Inquisitor, you will die as a human being with honor,” Bai Ye said, speaking in a manner reminiscent of a villain.

"I am not human... then what are you?!" Alfonso roared as he questioned White Night.

Bai Ye raised his hand:

“I used to be a loser, a coward who ran away. But this time, I must succeed.”

Without waiting for Asofang to speak, Bai Ye pulled his hand out of the air, and the old captain's arm, which had become sea creature, and almost half of his body were detached from him. The moment they hit the ground, these organic tissues turned into inactive dust.

"Uh...ahem!"

The sudden turn of events caused Asofang to fall to the ground. With his life force completely stripped away from his sea-like body, he was losing his life.

Bai Ye sprayed bottles of medicine on his body, trying to prolong his life as much as possible before the final moments arrived.

“The Grand Inquisitor is perfectly lucid now.” Bai Ye then looked at Dario.

"Yes, I've never felt so good before..."

Asofang knelt on the ground, like someone who had just woken up from a dream.

“Asofang…” Dario spoke for the first time, showing respect to the old Iberian.

This is the Duke of Old Iberia, the commander-in-chief of the Grand Fleet, and the captain of the Stutifaira.

"Ahem, you're too late. The Inquisitors of the Church of England, with a few strange Agorians and a monster. A strange combination."

As Asofang spoke, he glanced at Goredia and the others.

He paused, then continued:

"So who is the Pope of the Church of England now? Carmen?"

“The Church of England has been reorganized into a tribunal; there is no pope, only saints,” Dario replied.

“Heh, not surprising at all. Before the old ship's doctor turned into coral, he and I speculated about the current state of old Iberia. I discussed many possibilities... I guessed it long ago.” Asofang collapsed onto the golden floor, then looked at Dario with a mocking expression. “So, you’ve now fallen so low as to be on par with such a monster? You think you can save Iberia with this guy’s power?”

"You're not allowed to talk about Bai Ye!" Skadi suddenly shouted, drawing her weapon.

“They are just like you, nothing has changed, everything is for their country.” Bai Ye pressed down on the weapon in the girl’s hand, and then continued, “As for me, I don’t care about your opinions, I just want to do my own thing. I don’t care about your misunderstandings or suspicions.”

He didn't want to waste any more time; Bai Ye just wanted to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

The man before them was merely an old man immersed in the past glory of Iberia; he had been lost and intoxicated for far too long.

“Ha…” Alfonso shook his head and pointed to the ceiling. “Up there is the captain’s cabin. Young people of the Church of England, I hope your crazy ideas will not become a harbinger of destruction.”

"Also, I have to thank you for allowing Garcia and me to be free in the final moments."

As Asofang spoke, he turned his gaze toward Baiye.

He knew very well that there was something extraordinary within this man. Carmen's decision to bet on him was naturally based on her own reasoning. In his view, that old saint, while not quite qualified, was not a fool either.

Asofang's first mate, known as Garcia's Heir, climbed up to the old captain's side. It was also a monster, yet it retained human emotions. It wasn't entirely part of the group.

“We should go.” Bai Ye had no interest in lingering any longer. He took out the keys. “Mr. Dario, you can contact them now. You should retrieve the ship. Before we set off, we want to see what message Breogan wants to send to Agor.”

The deep-sea hunters followed White Night out of the hall, while Dario remained behind, watching the last survivor on the ship turn to stone.

The White Night took their lives, but it also allowed them to experience the feeling of being alive for the first time in all the torment they had endured over the decades.

This is also a form of kindness.

……

"Your abilities are getting more and more terrifying... I originally thought there would be another fierce battle," Laurentina remarked.

“The deeper I go into the ocean, the stronger my abilities become.” Bai Ye looked at his right hand. “But… everything comes at a price.”

If it weren't for Luna's seal, Bai Ye might have had to constantly struggle against the wills of a large group. In that case, there would probably be no need for a conspiracy; the clash at the nascent level would have triggered an even more terrifying disaster.

"Never mind all that for now... At least let's find the treasure trove left behind by Breogan."

Goredia interrupted the conversation.

written request for leave

I got Tess, I'm totally dizzy, I need to take a day off.

………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………

Chapter 172 Old Popsicle

(Tess's skin can actually be cast off, that's amazing!)

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Millions of giant scales will merge into one and soar into deep space. The ocean will be painted with light, waxing and waning, never drying up.

The death and passing of life will merge into one, and then even this illusory constellation will not obscure the light of life. We will live in such an ecosystem. We are all part of a magnificent cycle. Life is born, life gives, life seeks value, life passes away, and the cycle repeats itself.

The community never considers the death of an individual as the "end," believing that life, even after its end, remains part of a magnificent cycle!

"We multiply, therefore we are infinite; we fear no death, therefore we are perfect. Resist, struggle, until the day hope is extinguished..."

The cultists of the Deep Sea Church chanted blasphemous doctrines across the Iberian lands, merging their lives into the masses. This was the moment they had longed for.

……

"What are they whispering about? Mr. Tears, do you have any pigs in your head?"

"Can you please stop using 300-year-old jokes like 'chopped chili fish head'? Did you come out of a cryogenic hibernation pod?"

"Yes, it was just thawed last year."

"Wow, old popsicles, I remember another batch has thawed over the years. Thanks to you guys, many lost old jokes have been revived. By the way, were you guys really frozen for 300 years?"

"I am less than 200 years old. If we go back a few decades, there probably won't be many that can be thawed. Our technology was pretty good back then. If we go back a few decades, they would probably be popsicles by now."

A small team of players lurked behind a reef not far away, using the game's built-in chat function to pass the time while waiting for the best opportunity to wipe out the cultists.

Since a large number of players flooded into Iberia, Carmen, following White Night's suggestion, made detailed arrangements for this force in order to maximize its effectiveness.

Many players have been assigned to the defense zone along the winding Iberian coastline, where they will be the first line of defense against the sea monsters landing. This is also the most intense battle zone, where battles can break out at any time.

However, the players here weren't the strongest; some were even newbies who had just reached level 10, though this group was the most numerous. The sudden influx of players into the defensive line greatly relieved the pressure on the defensive zone. Moreover, the number of players would only continue to grow.

They set up teleportation points in each defense zone, and some large guilds even took on the entire defense of a zone. Under the command of the guilds, the players easily withstood the first phase of Hai Si's offensive.

If a breach appears in the defenses, or if pressure is felt, players will call for reinforcements. After all, not all players choose to play the battleground mode; for them, this event is just one of several playable options. Many players prefer exploring new areas, engaging in PvP, or completing missions in other regions.

However, as the battle intensifies, more and more players are drawn to this area, and popular posts are analyzing the manpower shortages in each defense zone. Although no area has fallen yet, players are already feeling the pressure from the Sea King. These endless, tireless, and fearless monsters are completely different from the enemies players have encountered in the past.

Fortunately, Bai Ye also provided firearms to new players. They've made progress in hacking and developing weapons for the Rainbow Squad from another region. After all, with Luna around, mass-producing these primitive weapons, which are almost indistinguishable from Earth's past technology, is a piece of cake. Although their lethality against Hai Si is limited, their numerical advantage and ease of operation allow new players to participate in this event.

At least the barrier to learning how to use firearms is much lower than that of traditional firearms in Terra.

Small-caliber firearms were completely abandoned, as their kinetic energy was still too weak for Haisi. Therefore, mass-produced weapons were large-caliber and had high firepower. Although these firearms were very primitive compared to Earth's current weapons, much like 21st-century humans seeing matchlock guns or flintlock guns, at least they weren't staffs, which might make them more familiar to players.

With these firearms as a supplement, the player's defenses became like a slaughterhouse, mass-crushing the sea creatures that came ashore.

However, the higher-level and stronger veteran players were not assigned to the defense line; their missions were more exciting and thrilling. Most of the high-level players were assigned to the Inquisitor's squads, where they would lead the Punishment Army as the vanguard to recapture the lost shipyards, lighthouses, and research bases one by one.

These places were either nests of terror fish or occupied by cultists during the catastrophe decades ago. Iberia needs to reclaim them and reuse them to secure future wars.

The most powerful players in the top tier were separated and formed into squads based on their familiarity with each other and skill combinations, but they were not incorporated into the recapture army. The mission of these high-level player squads was to hunt down high-value targets such as high-ranking Sea Hells, Deep Sea Church bishops, and cult leaders. They would enter the target's airspace using high-speed aircraft provided by Columbia, and then conduct decapitation strikes via airdrop.

Players have a special advantage in decapitation operations. After disengaging from combat, they can use their Hearthstone to return to their last teleportation point. This hit-and-run combat style, combined with the player's immortality, makes them extremely threatening as their strength increases.

Some high-level players, in their frenzy, would even resort to using highly reactive Originium explosives to take down advanced Sealings that were too resilient to kill before their guards arrived. However, Carmen later stopped this practice, fearing that Originium would cause the Sealings to evolve further under the stimulation.

In conclusion, as various systems came into place, players gradually demonstrated their value and strength. With the assistance of this force, Iberia's previously precarious defenses were strengthened almost overnight.

Even Saint Carmen had to lament that if they had sought help earlier, Iberia might already be reclaiming lost territory, instead of merely maintaining the defense of its coastline.

However, Kal'tsit was not so optimistic, after all, they had to face the entire ocean.

Chapter 173 A Useless Treasure Trove

(I have to go to work tomorrow, oh, I'm so tired)

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"I can no longer tell whether they built a palace on a ship or converted a palace directly into a ship."

Laurentina looked at the ship's decorations with a hint of speechlessness, marveling at the extravagant and ostentatious style of the old Iberian royal family before the Great Tranquility.

After the ship's captain, Alfonso, and his first mate died with dignity, Grand Inquisitor Dario remained where he was, while Bai Ye and the others decided to search for the things left behind by the islander, Breogan, before leaving.

At the very least, Goredia wanted to figure out what the key he left behind was for and what he had done on the shore.

So the group followed the captain's notes and drawings to find the secret room that Breogan had left on the ship.

The ship's cabins were divided into various halls and rooms, each with its own theme, such as "Leytania," "Victoria," and "Kazimir"...

Clearly, during its Golden Age, Iberia was undoubtedly a land power, thanks to its advanced maritime technology. In that era, tens of thousands of ships crisscrossed Iberian ports. The coastline was ablaze with lights—the lighthouses used by Iberia to guide ships—while its vast fleet roamed the seas.

During that era, Iberia conquered the Bolívar Plain, launched expeditions to Victoria and Letania, and reaped enormous war profits.

This ship is a microcosm of that era, an incomparably proud giant.

"The Great Tranquility is actually an exaggerated and terrifying description. Its real manifestations include the paralysis of communication systems, damage to various technological products, rising sea levels that separate lighthouses from the land, large-scale salinization of the land, and the expansion of seas that blockade the ocean."

At this moment, Bai Ye fully understood the truth behind the Great Tranquility.

"With the arrival of the 'Great Tranquility,' the entire country ceased its exploitation of the sea. Land salinization, seawater intrusion, and the flooding of the sea destroyed the Iberian traditional fiefdom political system and manorial economic foundation, and the royal family and nobles lost their ability to rule."

"That captain had already foreseen all of this; he truly is a remarkable person," Bai Ye commented.

“The cabin is so clean…” Skadi muttered to herself.

Bai Ye nodded:

"Because someone cleans it every day."

"clean?"

"Yes, that captain, for over sixty years, has spent his days hunting sea creatures, preying on them, and then cleaning the ship's hold, so it looks very clean, almost not like a ghost ship."

……