Chapter 922: Chapter 115: Belfast
Belfast.
Created by MacDonald I himself, once the backbone of the Ailen Peninsula, and like most cities in the human world, it was destroyed by strangeness.
This did not bring safety. Hundreds of thousands, millions of people in the face of the strange were like children digging an ant nest.
The prosperity of the Ant Kingdom would only make the children more eager to dig down.
On the eve of departure, Mayor Matthias subtly hinted to Lu Li not to have faith in Belfast’s ruin, as it no longer resembled the city of twenty years ago.
He was worried the current state of Belfast might strike Lu Li.
Unfolding the intelligence on Belfast, it indeed was terrible. Strangeness, anomalies, the Heretical Church, cultists, and possibly survivors occupied the city, with no order and civilization, filled with chaos and death.
Like an old sewer, but even worse.
There was no powerful strangeness controlling the side branches there.
The investigators dared not delve deep into Belfast, and the dire situation there might not even be one-tenth described in this intelligence—
Rustle—
He tucked away the intelligence and handed it to Katerina’s outstretched hand. She took it to Puxiu and said, “Read it to .”
“No human settlents found in Belfast; the harbor is occupied by an unknown organization, buildings in the whirlpool at the edge of the ruins, strange snowy streets, an island occupied by dense giant eggs, twisted streets co alive—”
Outside the newly installed glass of the Captain’s Cabin, the lead-gray sea stretched to the horizon.
The smokeless furnace in the heater emitted warmth, and the tuna specin on the wall had been replaced with a larger, more lifelike one.
The Captain’s Cabin was the only refurbished area. Rust was removed, parts were replaced, making it seem brand new.
Limited to the Captain’s Cabin.
If you looked out from the deck, you would only see the corroded deck and rust crawling over every inch of the steel ship’s body.
Lu Li once again looked at the intelligence about Anna, while Katerina listened to Puxiu reading, and the Evildoer leaned against the now purely decorative ship’s helm, gazing into the distance.
The boss’s head poked out from under the hood; it liked to observe.
“Is this your first ti at sea?”
Katerina asked, as the Evildoer had maintained this posture since boarding the ship.
About a week ago, it was Katerina’s first ti at sea too.
“No. I sailed a few tis in the strait years ago when invited to join Vena Ice-Free Port.”
After a mont’s pause, the Evildoer’s deep voice slowly sounded.
“I’m wondering whether we’ll encounter the Abyss of Fragnts, the world’s gutter, or the Sinking Sea, or which one will co first.”
“No trace of survivors, either hiding very deeply or not at all—Abyss of Fragnts, the world’s gutter, Sinking Sea? What is that, Mr. Evildoer?” Puxiu tilted his head to look at the Evildoer.
“Keep reading.” Katerina rustled the intelligence.
“Oh…Belfast is more dangerous than the wilderness, akin to the wild forbidden zones and the Heretical Church—”
Puxiu read while perking up his ears, his attention drawn to the Evildoer.
“An unfathomable whirlpool seascape, like a chasm waterfall on the sea, a rugged sea like a mountain ridge.”
The Evildoer showed signs of collapsing.
“Too abstract.” Puxiu muttered.
“Saying it too clearly would create more pollution, and I’d prefer to live a few more minutes.” The Evildoer lazily replied. “We can discuss it when we encounter it…after all, there’s nothing we can do.”
Katerina subconsciously touched her abdon quietly.
“The investigators were discovered when trying to get closer to the bay, and retreated safely. That’s it!” Puxiu exclaid.
Katerina handed the paper to Lu Li, left the sofa, and opened the door to the Captain’s Cabin.
The cold sea wind poured into the warm Captain’s Cabin, and after squinting and gazing for a mont, Katerina closed the door: “The ship escorting us from behind has left. I thought they would take us to Belfast.”
“Vena Ice-Free Port’s warships can’t go on expeditions.” The Evildoer did not hide his disdain for the confidence in Vena Ice-Free Port.
Curses, plagues, intangible strangenesses, gunpowder and cannons couldn’t solve these things.
The real reason might be that the warship couldn’t keep up with the big ship, and after repairing the leaks, the big ship’s speed got close to 20 knots; it could be faster if not for the sake of stability.
The Evildoer’s words reminded Katerina of sothing, so she asked Lu Li: “Why didn’t you agree to that wealthy man nad Nurei?”
The aristocratic rich man from Vena Ice-Free Port never got a chance to contact Lu Li, and so people even resented Mayor Matthias for obstructing them.
Upon departure, so sharp-witted fellows approached, inquiring if Lu Li was interested in cooperation as he headed to the port, with so even proposing to invest in him to establish a settlent in Belfast.
That Nurei fellow.
“I have no plan to establish a settlent.” Lu Li said.
Katerina felt regretful: “The last Exorcist establishing a settlent sounds aweso…many hopeless people would likely choose to join, right? We even have this big ship…what’s it called again?”
“First, you have to be able to defend the settlent.” The Evildoer sneered at Katerina’s naivety.
“You could cooperate with the church of the Barren Lands,” Katerina shrugged and shifted the question: “Why refuse the mayor’s offer to send the Judiciary Guard to protect you?”
“I just want to find her.”
“Feelings make one lose reason,” Puxiu sighed and added, “I read it in a book once.”
“Reading it in a book again?” Katerina’s tone was sowhat peculiar, managing a forced smile. Since following Lu Li, this excellent Hunter on the wilderness, Bee Sting, seed to have beco more sensitive.
“Looks like our Great Exorcist has gotten swept into the whirlpool of love and can’t break free.”
“It’s feelings, not love,” Puxiu objected to Katerina’s distortion of Lu Li’s words.
“Anna just sounds like a woman’s na.”
Katerina glanced toward Lu Li with an inquiring look, but did not receive an answer.
A woman whom Lu Li had been searching for since his return from the depths, yet never spoke of.
As night fell, they stayed in the safety of the Captain’s Cabin. During this ti, the boss conveyed to Lu Li that the ship had caught sothing, right on the deck.
Carrying the oil lamp through the dense mist, they found a few fish at the edge of the deck.
“Complete fish!”
Puxiu exclaid, he had never seen fish so clean. No limbs, no tentacles, no parasites, except for the scales shedding, they were just like the fish in books!
Thus, dinner beca grilled fish instead of canned food.
During this ti, Puxiu asked Lu Li about the ship’s na, and the boss patted Lu Li at this mont: “She said the old na had long been lost and asked you to give it a new na.”
“Andrea.”
Lu Li said.
Humm—
The distant horn echoed in the deep sea, as if cheering for its new na.
The voyage continued for three days without encountering the three troubles the Evildoer spoke of.
On the morning of the fourth day, the Mist of Strangeness surged back into the deep sea like a tide. Lu Li stood on the deck, gazing into the distance.
The end of the thin mist revealed the vague outlines of a mountain range.
The Ailen Peninsula had only one mountain, Sugard Mountain.
“Belfast…”
The faint whisper seed to drift away with the wind.
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