Shrouded Seascape

Chapter 213. The Cure

"You don't have to speak out loud. Just think; I can hear you," an ethereal voice echoed in Charles' mind. As Charles floated amidst the colorful, translucent jellyfish swirling around him, he couldn't help but be overwhelmed in astonishment.

"These jellyfish are all me. Your surprise is shared. You're neither the first nor will you be the last to react this way," the voice continued. The glowing jellyfish then gathered together to form the hazy silhouette of a round face with feminine features.

Despite his shock, Charles had been hardened by his many experiences. He swiftly composed himself. The reason the Haikors worshiped these jellyfish as their Prophet was of no concern to him. He was here purely to get the information he needed.

Staring at the jellyfish for a brief moment, Charles carefully chose his words before he posed his question. "My wife said that you have a way to break the Divinity's Curse?"

"No, no, no. I don't have a way to break it," the voice answered instantly. "However, I do know of an existence that can resolve your troubles. Just go to it. And you are one lucky man. All these years, I've never seen someone survive after being cursed by both Teluningbla and Edikth."

Teluningbla and Edikth? Charles pondered over the two names. This was the first time he heard of the Divinities' names. Moreover, the Jellyfish Prophet seemed to possess a deep knowledge of them.

Memories of receiving the two powerful curses flashed through his mind. One was when he first arrived in this world and witnessed a colossal eye as vast as a football field. The other was from the chaotic vision of a semi-transparent hand that was large enough to grasp a gigantic butterfly.

He had no idea which of these entities was Teluningbla or Edikth, but he knew that both were formidable enough to drive a sane man mad with just a glance.

"Are you familiar with them? Have you seen them?" Charles asked another question.

"No, no. Jellyfish have no organs meant for sight. We can't see. Also, I would advise against looking at them directly; it's not a great idea. We have the special ability to sense what they emit involuntarily.

”Those things are much like the air humans exhale. Hmm? You bear Fhtagn's Mark, too? How interesting... The average human usually doesn’t get such treatment."

Charles frowned at the Prophet's words and instinctively touched the tattoo on his neck. The jellyfish possessed vast knowledge. It was no wonder the Haikor Tribe regarded them as their Prophet.

Suddenly, a thought struck his mind. If the Prophet knew about the Divinities, it might also know the location of the surface's exit! His heart raced at the possibility.

After Charles posed the question, the colorful human head in the water rapidly morphed into a rainbow dolphin. After it circled him a few times, the ethereal voice echoed in his mind again.

"In the passage of time, many have asked me the same question. The most recent one is a Dioite. And yes, she paid for your inquiry."

Anna was here?! Charles hurriedly asked, "And what was your answer?"

"My answer has always been the same: I do not know and do not wish to know. I do not wish to witness such a calamity again."

Before Charles could even attempt another question, the dolphin suddenly dispersed and reverted into a group of flickering jellyfish. A fluorescent blue jellyfish brushed past him and left a sting on his cheek.

"Charles, you’ve asked enough questions. It's time for you to leave," the ethereal voice sounded.

Anxiety rose within Charles. He had yet to ask the solution to breaking the Divinity's Curses!

"I can't directly tell you the location, or it will become alert. However, I can guide you to it. When you find it, state your request. I've taken care of its trouble for you; you won't run into any danger."

Suddenly, a bone-chilling cold jolted him, and a stifling sensation overwhelmed him. His eyes shot wide open, and he found himself suspended in pitch-black seawater.

The jellyfish were nowhere to be seen. The icy seawater entered his mouth, and his consciousness was slowly fading out. He was on the brink of dying from suffocation!

Charles burst from the pool with a splash, crashing onto the blood-red floor with a resounding thud. Soaked and disoriented, his body acted on pure survival instinct and coughed up the seawater he had swallowed.

The naked Haikor woman from earlier knelt next to him and gently patted him on the back with her massive hand that spanned over half a meter long.

Gradually, Charles' mind returned to normal. He shook his head to expel the water from his ears.

The giant woman said, "You've been down there for too long. The Prophet usually doesn't keep visitors for too long of a duration."

Charles wiped off the remnants of the seawater on his lips. He struggled to stand up and walked toward the pool. The Prophet had yet to answer his question. However, when he reached the pool, he realized that it was empty and was replaced by a dark, black hole.

Just then, Charles suddenly turned around to walk out of the scarlet hall. Strangely, he felt a mysterious pull from a distant location. He couldn't explain this feeling; it felt as though an internal GPS had been activated in his brain.

Charles then turned and regarded the deep hole with a look of astonishment. Recalling the Prophet's words earlier, he realized that he already had the answer he sought. That was the direction he needed to follow to break the Divinity's Curses.

He acknowledged the Haikor woman with a nod before he left the crimson room. As he descended the temple steps, his crew members swarmed around him as they bombarded him with questions of concern.

"All right, I'm fine. We've achieved our goal. Now, we just need to reach the next coordinates to consider this voyage a success," Charles spoke with a sense of ease. He trusted the jellyfish that it wouldn't lie. Anna seemed to have met with it and had also struck a deal with it.

Charles and his crew returned to the bustling port. Of course, they wouldn't return to their previous lodging. Without getting a guide, Charles directly led his crew to the largest inn in the area.

The towering innkeeper paid no extra attention to Charles' request and treated him and his crew just like any other regular guest.

To avoid any further trouble, Charles and his party stayed exclusively in the inn for the next five days. Apart from the two Haikor police officers who came in to briefly talk to them, they didn't interact with anyone.

It was ironic that in a foreign land, other species were actually much safer than their own kind.

Charles entered the vast shipyard with his crew in tow. The moment they entered, they were greeted by the sight of the Narwhale dangling beneath the ship bridge.

The dented hull had been mended, and the damaged stern was replaced with a mix of rugged white bones and crude timber. Despite the stylistically mismatched components, the ship looked evidently robust.

HOOOOOOONK!

The Narwhale let out a deep horn blast as if cheering at Charles' arrival. A slight smile appeared on Charles' visage as he patted the ship affectionately. "Old buddy, don't worry. We're back."