"How is the situation?" Rembrandt stood on a high platform temporarily built with wood, looking down at the cleared space by the firelight.
Two layers of stone platforms with twisted patterns, but without the stone pillar.
"There is a cult altar here, and it should be the source of influence on the crew of the August Lion." The first mate stood at the back, looking through some records submitted by his subordinates.
About 60 nautical miles away from Bahar Island, the August Lion suddenly stalled and drifted with the waves. After confirming that it was safe, Rembrandt personally boarded the "cursed battleship" and then discovered that it was All the crew members fell into coma.
After handing over August Lion to other Royal Navy fleets who came to support, June Gemini decided to immediately turn around and head to Bahar Island to investigate.
Relying on the ability of "shielding spirit" of consultant Calvin, the God's Favorite, Rembrandt and the first mate led fifteen sailors to land on the island and found some slaves gathered on the coast. They broke through the illusion and found the stone that was about to be covered again by the soil. tower.
After Calvin determined that there was no power that could affect the human spirit on the island, Rembrandt ordered his subordinates to clear the open space.
"A total of 19 corpses were found. Judging by their clothing, they must all be pirates. The fatal injuries on 7 of them were gunshot wounds to the head." The first mate continued to report the situation, "According to Mr. Fore's test, it was the same gun with the same caliber. Nine-millimeter Army-issue revolver.”
"Major Austin?"
Now the entire new First Fleet knows that the captain of the August Lion, Austin, was transferred from the army.
"Let Mr. Calvin restore the scene." Rembrandt walked off the platform. One of his purposes on going to the island was to find the missing Austin. No trace of his activities during this period was found on the August Lion, so he has a lot of clues. Probably still on the island.
Calvin is a favored person of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. He has completed two oracles and gained the two abilities of "Shielding Spirit" and "Scene Restoration". He has been Rembrandt's right-hand man since the rapid response fleet.
At this time, Calvin was standing in the center of the stone platform on the second floor, where Levi's body lay. He is a well-groomed old gentleman. His suit vest and trousers are wrinkle-free, and his leather shoes are still shiny even here.
Seeing Rembrandt walking towards this side, he nodded slightly and said proactively: "Mr. Captain, this is the most critical position of the entire altar. Logically speaking, there should be something here."
"What's the meaning?"
"There should be something here, maybe a table, a chair, a pillar or something else. In short, something is wrong here. This altar is not complete now." Calvin gently rubbed his chin.
"Leave these to the professionals of the church, they are more professional than us." Rembrandt just glanced at the place Calvin pointed and looked away, "We now need to restore the scene of this altar. , see what happened?”
"No problem, Captain, but gods may be involved here, and there may be defects when restoring. If I am affected by evil gods, remember to wake me up the old way."
Generally, the so-called gods of cults are just powerful mythical beings without divinity. However, the sea is vast and no one can be 100% sure that there are no gods other than the seven righteous gods.
After explaining the precautions, Calvin asked everyone to exit the stone platform area and stood on the edge of the stone platform, raising his hands flat and closing his eyes.
A few minutes later, a hazy light rose from the ground, very conspicuous in the dark night.
The light quickly enveloped the area of the stone platform, then gradually rose higher, and finally turned into a white cylinder, with some figures emerging from it. It was exactly the scene during the day.
Figures flashed, and some people who were obviously slaves were busy around. After an unknown amount of time, a pirate captain and a man in a robe walked onto the altar. The ability to restore the scene was limited. Rembrandt could not clearly see the specific appearance of the two people, but he could vaguely identify the captain as the corpse in the center of the altar, while the man in the robe seemed not to be there.
After a few more minutes, the scene suddenly began to flash and distort, and the white light turned into flowing mist. Calvin began to tremble, as if he was suffering from great pain.
Rembrandt frowned, which indicated that divine power was involved.
Before he could wake up Calvin, the scene suddenly returned to normal, but it seemed to have skipped a long time. The altar in the scene was being bombarded, and stunned pirates and slaves who had no time to run away kept falling. .
After the bombardment, only two people were left standing. Rembrandt recognized them as the pirate captain and a slave.
The slave took advantage of the few seconds when the captain was not paying attention and ran up to the latter and took out a revolver.
Rembrandt raised his eyebrows, walked into the light, and stood next to the two figures. The slave did not hesitate to shoot and end the captain's life, then turned back to search for survivors on the stone platform and dealt them a fatal blow. The figure didn't hesitate for a second when he fired, whether the target was a pirate or a slave, and he seemed to be smiling.
The light was starting to dim—Calvin wasn't going to be able to hold on.
Before the scene exploded, Rembrandt saw the figure turning to look in his direction, and then showing a smile. Even the face was obviously blurry, but Rembrandt saw the smile truly and clearly.
The scene had completely collapsed, but Rembrandt was still standing quietly. The first mate's face changed slightly as he stood on the edge of the stone platform, thinking that he had been mentally disturbed.
"Retreat! Leave this place to the church people, let's go first." Rembrandt strode down the stone platform and at the same time issued an order that no one could understand.
In the scene restoration, there were definitely more than 40 corpses left on the stone platform, including some slaves, but now there are only 19 corpses left on the stone platform, and not a single slave! Perhaps the sacrifice was not interrupted by the bombardment, or perhaps there was something else on the island. Moreover, that guy... Rembrandt actually had a creepy feeling when he recalled that smile.
"Send a message to the military department and investigate Austin. This person may have problems. If necessary, we can unite with the church."
"How to become stronger?" Austin looked at Mariano standing in front of him. He didn't know if it was Mariano's special display. He obviously felt that the two of them were closely connected by something. The sense of connection with Wu also became extremely obvious, and this feeling made Austin choose to trust her for the time being.
She is not as tall as Sophia, and her face is smaller. Her facial features are not as profound as Sophia's, but more delicate. Her hair is flaxen, and her dark blue eyes are cold. Although she was also undoubtedly beautiful, she had no sense of sanctity, which Austen suspected might have something to do with her reputation as a traitor.
"Sophia." Mariano stretched out her hand and waved on the wall, and the scene in the captain's room suddenly appeared on the wall. Sophia was lying motionless on the bed.
Austin seemed to see the little golden fish trapped in the water balloon again.
"Swallow her and you will become stronger." Mariano also looked at Sophia in the picture, with no emotion in her dark blue eyes. "Her current state is just similar to mine, between soul and body. , very unstable.”
Austin recalled the scene of him carrying Sophia through the woods, and the image of the black anemone crossing her forehead.
"No, I don't understand. What do you mean?"
"Your state is also unstable. I can feel that if you devour her, you may be able to solve your own problems and become stronger."
Austin twitched his lips, wondering how he could be stable with 26 negative traits. At the same time, he said: "You didn't understand why I became stronger when I devoured her, and how should I devoure her?"
“She is not only a goddess of Poseidon, but a fragment of His humanity.”
Austin felt as if he had been hit by a giant hammer, and was stunned on the spot without reacting.
What fragments of humanity? What are you talking about?
"Although it is a fragment of human nature, it is also tainted with a trace of divinity. As long as you swallow it and absorb it, you will be the closest to a god among mortals." Mariano turned her gaze to Austin's face and paused for a few seconds. " You may even have the opportunity to go one step further and replace Him... becoming a new generation of Poseidon."
Hearing this, Austin's breathing stopped and his heartbeat seemed to miss a beat.
Become...a god?
There seemed to be something burning in his chest, and even the air he exhaled was burning.
Mariano looked at him quietly and said nothing more.
His brain was filled with chaotic thoughts, and the figure on the wall seemed to be some kind of catalyst, constantly stimulating Austin's brain nerves.
A ball of water appeared in front of him, with the little golden fish inside.
I don’t know how much time passed, and I don’t know how long this silence lasted, before Austin spoke: “No, I can’t do it.”
His voice was hoarse, as if his throat had been burned by the hot breathing he had made earlier.
"The plan was rejected."
Austin's back was turned to Marianu. Marianu couldn't see his expression, but she just tilted her head slightly, a little confused: "This is the fastest and most suitable plan for you at the moment."
"I said no." Austin's voice was cold and commanding.
"As you wish." Mariano shrugged. She had a contract with Austin, and the other party was actually her master. She just made a small suggestion, and if she didn't, it would be rejected.
"Don't mention this again in the future."
"Understood." Mariano got into the wall, took one last sneak peek at Austin's back, and then rolled her eyes.
Austin was still looking at the wall, even though there was no picture on it.
A few minutes later, he sighed, sat back on the bed, and murmured: "I can't count on the artifact. At present, it seems that these two and I are in the same group. Why don't you ask them?"
"Wait a minute." Austin suddenly remembered something crucial, took a deep breath, and solemnly took out the brown notebook from the inner pocket of his windbreaker.
