Enforcer Manual
Chapter 768 - 766: Envoy_1

Chapter 768: Chapter 766: Envoy_1

The increasing number of floating debris on the surface of the water nearly drove the sailors of the Tidal Church into madness, pacing back and forth on the deck, repeatedly requesting to return to port.

"The Emperor" of course could not possibly fulfill his wish and continued sailing through verbal and forceful threats.

This perhaps was also one of the advantages of being at sea; the sailors who had boarded the "pirate ship" could not desert easily. Only after one sailor became exhausted from hopping around on the deck did "The Emperor" approach him and ask, "Has the sky in this sea area always been like this?"

He had never seen such a bizarre sky anywhere in the "outside world."

The crimson sky and the orb that seemed never to rise or set made it impossible to discern whether it was day or night.

However, he vaguely remembered that the unknown sea areas he had witnessed in the Spirit Troupe were not like this.

"No, of course not."

The sailor’s tone had changed, and his gaze darted frantically around the ship. "It’s the Master—He is angered!"

Even the Believers of the Tidal Church had never witnessed the Master in anger. Or to be more precise, those who had borne the brunt of the Master’s fury no longer existed in this world. They could only learn about incidents related to the Master through the Church’s records, which told of how He had once sunk an entire nation into the seabed, erasing their civilization from the annals of history.

"Let’s head back before the Master notices us!"

The sailor pleaded almost beguilingly.

"The Emperor" once again ignored his suggestion. Seeing that the sailor was on the verge of a breakdown, he sent him to get some sleep in the cabin.

The voyage was still very long; this was just the beginning.

Diago remained at the edge of the deck the whole time, looking down at the objects that occasionally drifted toward them, following instructions given by the Father God.

Via the floating wreckage, he could imagine just how fierce the battle had been.

Aside from chunks of flesh from unidentified creatures, he found many scattered mechanical parts.

The endless sea seemed to suspend the sense of time’s flow. Diago didn’t know how long he had been sailing; all he knew was that when the monotonous scenery changed, it might have been several hours later, as the dazzling orb was obscured.

Above the cloud layer, a massive entity loomed above their heads.

It appeared out of nowhere—the strange steel airship stood above the clouds like a throne.

The roar of engines and explosions were non-stop.

They seemed to be locked in fierce battle with something unseen, as colorful beams of light momentarily lit up the entire sky. Diago was entranced, even the special effects in movies could not replicate the scene before him, and those scattered mechanical parts were falling from the airship above.

Further ahead, the sea itself began to change.

Countless tentacles formed defensive arrays.

Diago turned and saw clearly the true face of the enemy battling the steel airship.

It was just an eye-opening, but that eye was large enough to cover the entire sky; compared to it, the steel throne sitting in the clouds seemed so insignificant.

"The Emperor" came out onto the deck upon hearing the noise and saw everything that was happening.

He saw something strike the steel throne, and that seemingly invincible fortress crumbled instantaneously. The detached mechanical parts rained down like a torrent, falling toward the sea surface along with a group of old-fashioned military robots.

Their bodies were made of metal, filled with various weapons.

As they neared the sea surface, the writhing tentacles caught them, secreting a corrosive liquid that dissolved metal in a matter of seconds, then dragged the remaining parts down to the seabed, as if they were trophies.

"The Emperor" didn’t know where this Mechanical Army came from, but he knew they had been defeated.

The crumbled steel throne could no longer maintain its position in the air, and the remaining parts continued to fall under the pull of gravity.

This place was a battlefield.

The tentacles emerging from the sea did not cease their activity just because of the throne’s downfall. The eyes on the tentacles now turned toward them.

It was the look a predator gave when it saw its prey.

"It’s over, too late, everything’s too late."

The sailor, who had arrived on the deck at some point, collapsed there, his eyes filled with despair.

He knew his fate, and that of the ship.

Eventually, these tentacles would devour everything that fell onto the sea surface.

"Stay on the ship, do not leave."

"The Emperor" advised Diago, having anticipated all of this upon setting sail—the creatures inhabiting the unknown sea regions would not let them traverse their territory easily.

"I will try my best to cover you as we move through this region... what are you doing?"

He was getting ready to clear a path for the ship but caught sight of Diago blocking his way. Diago held the bag that was filled with seaweed rice balls at the start of their voyage, dumping them all into the sea along the side of the ship.

This child... could he really be thinking of bribing the tentacles with these rice balls?

"The Father God wants us to leave quickly; if we keep staying in a place like this, his thalassophobia will kick in."

Diago solemnly conveyed the Father God’s latest instructions.

A deep-sea phobia?

Diago’s explanation once again took the "Emperor" by surprise; he always felt the Father God described by the other didn’t seem like a deity high above but rather like a living person.

"Is it he who told you to toss all these rice balls into the sea?"

"The Father God said these are the toll, after all, this is their territory."

The "Emperor" looked down to see tentacles emerging from the seabed, dragging the rice balls into the depths. However, it seemed they were not satisfied with just that, as they greedily entangled themselves around their boat.

The sensation of turbulence underfoot lasted only a few seconds before those tentacles crumbled into powder before their very eyes and dispersed into the air.

The "Emperor" also observed other anomalies occurring between the sea and the sky.

Mechanical components fell like raindrops, frozen in mid-air, and the rolling waves also came to a halt. The eyes on the tentacles continued to glare menacingly at them, yet they remained still and didn’t move again.

Only their boat continued to sail in this world of stillness.

Back in The First Region, he had also fallen into a similar situation.

"The Father God also said if they chase us after taking the toll, it would be too much."

"What exactly is this...huh?"

It was only when he finally grew accustomed to the scene before him that he realized the boat had already docked, unbeknownst to him.

Mist obscured their vision, true to its name; this island was eternally shrouded in boundless fog.

There was no harbor on the shore, and apart from them, not even the shadow of a living creature could be found.

The crew, who had been in despair, suddenly sprang up from overwork, tumbled and scrambled to the edge of the deck, and, throwing caution to the wind, flipped overboard. They landed heavily on the ground, staggered up, and then burst into the fog ahead without looking back.

This was the Misty Archipelago.

The "Emperor" felt somewhat dazed; he had never thought that he could reach the other side of the unknown sea so smoothly.

"What did your Father God say?"

He looked at Diago, curious about the real reason the "Father God" had sent this orphan to the Misty Archipelago alone.

"He said we should find a place to settle down first, he needs to leave for a while."

"Leave? Why?"

"Because..."

Diago suddenly fell into silence; it seemed that he found it hard to speak. Under the "Emperor"’s inquisitive gaze, he finally stammered out, "Because the Father God has strained His back, He needs to move around, loosen up a bit."

Then, the two tacitly fell silent and walked side by side into the depths of the fog.

It was not until fifteen minutes later that they encountered people again.

In the depths of the desolate island lay a small town, where all the houses were simple wooden structures put together by the people, loosely structured, appearing from afar like a camp temporarily built by survivors stranded on a deserted island.

The townspeople were very surprised by the arrival of the "Emperor" and Diago but nevertheless welcomed them warmly.

According to the townspeople, around the perimeter of the Misty Archipelago, there were many such settlements like theirs, which the Tidal Church collectively referred to as the "Flesh."

When the "Emperor" asked for the names of the residents, they all indicated that they didn’t have names, nor did they need them.

"Flesh" was a generic name for these people, representing their identity.

From the moment they were born, they were meant to be offerings to the Master of the Tides; when necessary, they were bound onto fishing boats and sent out to sea as sacrifices.

In return, the Master of the Tides would protect the inhabitants of the Misty Archipelago, keeping them safe from pirates and sea monsters, as well as allowing them to sail freely between the Misty Archipelago and Silvermoon Harbor.

"But...aren’t the sea monsters brought here by the Master of the Tides?"

Diago’s eyes widened in shock.

In his view, this could hardly be considered protection.

This blunt counterquestion sent the townspeople into a state of terror, reflexively correcting him, "No, it’s under the Master’s protection that we’ve lived to this day, we should feel grateful."

...

Once the townspeople had gone, Diago spoke with complex emotions, "They’re just like the fish that are raised in the harbor."

He found it hard to imagine what life is like without a name from birth and being treated as an offering.

However, looking at everything in the town, he suddenly understood the true intention behind the Father God sending him across the unknown sea to this island.

He gazed steadfastly outside the door, "The Father God wishes for me to liberate them."

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