Deep One

"Most Deep Ones are devoted followers of that great being. They possess eternal life and are cold and ruthless. Aside from their rituals and reproduction, they generally don't gather together."

"That fishing village was where their mixed-blood descendants lived. Around the age of twenty, the mixed-bloods would start showing signs of Deep One traits. As time passed, the Deep One blood in them would grow stronger, until eventually their bodies and personalities were entirely transformed into Deep Ones. Then they would return to the seabed and begin their eternal lives."

"You mean even the mixed-bloods would become immortal over time?" Hu Wenxu suddenly grew immensely enthusiastic. Immortality—how many people longed for it? Now it was practically standard for an entire race. Just thinking about it made him want to dissect them.

"They may live long, but whether they're immortal is another matter. Left to themselves, they do have lifespans far beyond anything we can hope to achieve, but they can still be killed, and they aren't especially powerful. Of course, I'm talking about younger Deep Ones. The older they get, the larger they grow, and the stronger they become. Fortunately, the ancient Deep Ones all lurk in the depths of the ocean and rarely come out." Gao Xiaowen continued, "Besides, their longevity may not be due to their bloodline alone. Their faith might have something to do with it."

Those who had first received the calling were now divided into Merfolk and Deep Ones. The Merfolk had abandoned their faith, and their average lifespan was now only about two hundred years. That was long by human standards, but nothing compared to the Deep Ones' near-eternal lives.

None of the people present was stupid. With enough information, they could piece these things together. Lu Li, however, was particularly interested in the Deep Ones' society. A race of highly intelligent beings lived in the cold, dark depths of the ocean. Aside from rituals and reproduction, they usually spent the long stretches of time alone.

What did they do alone on the seabed? What were their homes and daily habits like? How did they communicate with other Deep Ones? These were all things far removed from Lu Li's former life as an ordinary person, and they particularly captured his interest. Unfortunately, he couldn't yet live underwater. Otherwise, he could have gone to see the Deep Ones' society for himself.

"The main thing to remember is that when we raid the village, we have to act fast. Most of them are about as strong as ordinary people before their blood awakens, and even those whose blood has awakened aren't that powerful. Just don't let the mixed-bloods get into the water. They become much stronger there." Gao Xiaowen gave them one last warning. She had been infected by a great being from a higher dimension, and her body, soul, and personality had all changed. She had also gained a great deal of information.

The players moved quickly and soon reached the fishing village they had visited before. It was already afternoon. Lu Li and the others rested to recover their strength, while the mixed-bloods who had gone out fishing began returning one after another. Deep Ones had a strange influence over fish, so catching them was easy. They didn't need to sail far out in fishing boats; by nightfall, they could usually return with a good haul.

As night fell and the mixed-bloods all gradually returned, Lu Li and the others finished preparing. They agreed to keep one or two mixed-bloods alive for questioning, then split up and set out.

In the pitch-black night, Lu Li walked into the fishing village with an eerie gait. Under the cover of the shadows, he seemed to vanish. He made no sound and gave off no trace of his presence. Even if he heard something he shouldn't and stepped on a branch or some other strange object while backing away, he could make sure it didn't snap or make a sound.

Lu Li first went to the house of the old woman who had sheltered them before. He quietly used his shadow to open the door and found a thin layer of dust covering the house. Judging by its thickness, no one had lived there since the day Lu Li and the others left.

"Did they take their anger out on her and dispose of her?" Lu Li went inside and searched, but found only worthless things. He left and slipped into a nearby house. The owner was sleeping with his wife in his arms. The shadow behind Lu Li rose and turned into a spike. It aimed at the man on the bed, then shot forward and skewered the pair.

After a quick search, Lu Li moved on to the next house where he could find a victim. At last, he spotted a mixed-blood with conspicuous Deep One traits. Fish scales covered his body, and fins had sprouted around his ears and elsewhere. He was fast asleep in bed. The two women beside him made it clear how exhausted the man must have been. Lu Li silently approached the bed, the shadow behind him...

Suddenly, a scream rang out in the distance. Lu Li froze. The mixed-blood on the bed stirred and woke groggily. His shadow instantly writhed out and coiled around him, restraining his limbs. As soon as the mixed-blood screamed, a shadow tentacle plunged into his mouth. Lu Li casually stabbed the two women beside him to death.

When he left the room, some of the mixed-bloods had come out with weapons like fishing spears. Lu Li found a fishing net, wrapped the Deep One mixed-blood in it, and bound it tightly. Then he unleashed his muscles and charged at one of the others. His unleashed strength was immense. Moving with an Assassin's eerie steps, he silently appeared behind the mixed-blood.

His powerful hands gripped the mixed-blood's head and twisted. The man's neck snapped, and he fell dead without making a sound. By the time the others reacted, Lu Li had already reached another mixed-blood.

Elsewhere, Gao Xiaowen's face was pale as she unleashed the power of the ghost implanted inside her. The Implant Path was the fastest of the three paths to develop its strength. Gao Xiaowen had implanted a ghost, and after only three dungeons, she had already gained the ability to control hair, use hair to curse, command pale ghostly hands, and even alter her body with yin energy. The Implant Path truly was the fastest-growing path in the early stages.

Gao Xiaowen's body, already altered by yin energy, had been transformed once more by the great being through the black monster as a medium. Now black strands of hair and pale ghostly hands would periodically emerge from uncanny places, grabbing the mixed-bloods and killing them in all kinds of cruel ways.

Some mixed-bloods realized their enemies were too powerful and tried to run toward the shore. There they saw Hu Wenxu crouching calmly by the water, the Coral Blade in his hand. At his feet lay a mixed-blood with Deep One traits, writhing in agony. From his chin down to his lower belly, his limbs and muscles had all been cut open, leaving his internal organs clearly visible. When the mixed-bloods arrived, Hu Wenxu wiped the blood splattered across his face and smiled. "Sorry about that. It was my first time dissecting this kind of creature, so I made him scream and disturbed everyone. But it's fine now. When I dissect you, I'll make sure you stay nice and quiet..."