Transforming into Kanna on Terra

Chapter 107: Mystery in Rock Bay Town

"I just heard some interesting rumors, and I've been bored lately, so I came out for a stroll and to confirm them," Kal'tsit said, leaning back against her stool.

The Saint didn't expose Kal'tsit's obvious excuse.

"It's also true that we've intruded upon your presence uninvited. However, it's not easy for you to come to Iberia, and if the Inquisition took no action at all, you might find it suspicious. So... Dasohan, Dasohan, come here." The Saint beckoned to an Inquisitor by the door.

"Dasohan is a reliable Inquisitor. He will accompany you for the rest of your journey. I have other matters to attend to, so I will not disturb your travels in Iberia further. He has traveled through most of Iberia and is familiar with it. With him as your guide, the matters you need to attend to should proceed very smoothly." The man who entered was a middle-aged male around forty years old. His resolute eyes and upright posture revealed him to be a loyal warrior.

"Knock, knock, knock!" Before Kal'tsit could speak, Kanna began banging on the table beside her.

"Oh! Little one, do you have something to say?" Seeing Kanna's actions, the Saint asked with a smile.

Kanna stared intently at Kal'tsit, not saying a word.

"Say whatever you want, why are you looking at me!" Kal'tsit glared at Kanna impatiently.

Observing their interaction, a flicker of thought crossed the Saint's eyes. In his memory, Kal'tsit had always appeared as the dominant figure, rarely taking anyone else's advice. He was surprised to see a different side of her this time. Could this little girl be special?

"Hmph! You gave me permission to speak! Don't use this as an excuse to give me extra homework!" Kanna first said to Kal'tsit. Then, she turned to the old man called the Saint. "Old man, you see, Kal'tsit and I are both women. Arranging a man to accompany us isn't very appropriate, is it? Doesn't your... Inquisition have any women?"

Hearing Kanna's words, the Saint appeared to realize his oversight. He patted his head and said with a smile, "My apologies, that was my mistake in arrangement. I didn't consider your genders. How about this: Ilena, your travels in Iberia with Ms. Kal'tsit and this young lady will be accompanied by me!"

A Liberi woman around thirty years old entered after being summoned. She respectfully bowed to the old man and then stood quietly not far away.

Kanna nodded at this. Seeing the old man's demeanor, she knew Kal'tsit would have someone accompanying her throughout her journey in Iberia. So, rather than a man, it was better to have a lovely young lady... well, even though she ended up with an aunt, it was still better than an uncle.

After finishing his meal, the old man left the shop with his subordinates, leaving behind an expressionless Kal'tsit, Ilena who stood quietly beside her, and Kanna who was still "huffing and puffing" as she tackled the food in front of her.

In the spirit of eating as much as possible when someone else is paying, Kanna, unfazed by the shopkeeper's widening eyes from fear to shock, devoured ten large plates of stewed pig trotters.

After they left, he looked at the empty plates with confusion, unable to understand where all those pig trotters had gone when the little girl seemed unfazed by the end.

As they were leaving, he saw Kal'tsit talking with the Inquisitor named Ilena. After a short while, they reached an agreement, and the Inquisitor got into the back seat.

Resuming their journey, they drove rapidly towards their intended destination, Rock Bay Town, guided by Ilena.

Thanks to Iberia's vast territory, it took the vehicle nearly half a month to reach a point near Rock Bay Town.

The slightly salty and fishy air blowing from the sea blew away everyone's fatigue, and Kanna, who had been bored for the entire journey, finally regained her excitement.

Suddenly, the vehicle stopped. Kanna looked at Kal'tsit beside her in confusion. Kal'tsit merely lifted her chin slightly, indicating someone on the ground in front of the car.

Kanna poked her head out of the car window, and Ilena also got out.

Not far in front of the car, a girl in church attire was lying on the ground, unconscious.

Kanna's ears twitched. She listened to her breathing and heartbeat, which were stable. She then signaled a safe gesture to Kal'tsit and walked up to the girl.

"She's a missionary from our church," Ilena said after checking the girl's condition.

"She doesn't appear to have any injuries or signs of torture. It's more like she hasn't eaten in a long time and fainted from hunger on the road." Ilena skillfully performed an emergency check on the girl and breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's not far from Rock Bay Town, so why would a missionary collapse here?" Kal'tsit poked her lynx head out of the car.

Ilena shook her head in response.

Meanwhile, Kanna, after observing the girl's clothing, said, "I think she's from Rock Bay Town."

Hearing Kanna's words, the other two looked at her with strange expressions.

"Her shoes," Kanna reminded them.

Looking down at the girl's shoes, Ilena suddenly understood. "Her socks don't have much dirt on them, and her shoes are quite clean, indicating she likely just washed them and hasn't walked much. The nearest city here is Rock Bay Town, so this girl must have come from Rock Bay Town."

At this point, the three became even more puzzled. Under what circumstances would a missionary leave town and then "faint from hunger" so close by?

Everything seemed rather unreasonable.

"It's not far anyway, let's go into town and take a look," Kanna said helplessly, seeing Kal'tsit and Ilena exchanging meaningful glances again.

"Ding dong!" At this moment, the system, which had been silent until now, finally stirred and issued a new quest.

As Ilena carried the girl back to the rear seat of the car, Kanna quietly sat back in the car and looked at the quest log.

[Quest: Leave Iberia safely with Kal'tsit using only one system skill. Reward: One random enhanced skill upon completion.]

Kanna was stunned when she saw the reward. Previous quests had either granted a random skill, a specific skill, or a powerful skill. The concept of a "random enhanced skill" was new to her. It seemed to be stronger than a random skill but not quite reaching the standard of a powerful skill.

The condition for obtaining the skill was also very interesting: she could only choose to use one system-learned skill before she and Kal'tsit left Iberia.

This was a clear indication that using skills in combat was not recommended. Heaven itself was prompting her to engage in close combat or use weapons for melee fighting.

Chapter 108: Cold Salad Flower Madness

Iberia, a coastal city. Using combat methods other than melee and close-quarters combat is not recommended. All these conditions combined already hinted at the enemies they would likely face.

In response, Kanna simply looked in the direction of the sea and licked her lips. Although those things in the sea looked strange, it was common knowledge that the stranger they looked, the better they tasted. She wondered what the texture of these seafood dishes would be like.

At this moment, Kal'tsit glanced at Kanna. Seeing her drooling towards the sea, she thought Kanna's gluttony had struck again. She merely shook her head and said nothing more.

After all, compared to Kanna's sudden craving for seafood, the missionary girl who abruptly appeared on the road was more concerning to her. Before leaving Rhodes Island, Specter had repeatedly mentioned "Rock Bay Town" and "the Deep Sea" while holding her hand, indicating that the situation in Rock Bay Town might not be optimistic. However, after the 'Great Silence,' even the Sargon people had lost contact with the depths of the sea. It was Specter's sudden mention of the Deep Sea that had prompted her to come here.

Therefore, as they were about to enter Rock Bay Town, the sudden appearance of the girl felt inexplicably strange.

"Achoo!" Kanna suddenly sneezed, causing Kal'tsit to glance at her. Had this little one discovered something again?

She had been focused on her quest log and hadn't noticed. As Kanna's attention shifted, she suddenly sensed a new smell in the car. It was similar to seawater, but more complex. If Kanna's nose wasn't so sharp, most people would have overlooked this scent amidst the sea breeze.

She knew without turning around that the girl who had fainted earlier was behind her, just by the sound of her breathing. So, this new scent naturally came from the girl.

Considering that the girl lived by the sea, it was normal for her to carry the scent of the ocean. Kanna didn't pay it much mind, her mind still filled with thoughts of cold-tossed sea flowers, blanched curious eggs, and other new seafood dishes...

About half an hour later, after turning a corner, Rock Bay Town appeared before their eyes.

"Rock Bay Town is one of the few coastal towns that still has a lighthouse. Or rather, this place wasn't always near the sea. After the 'Great Silence,' the sea level rose, submerging the entire area in front of Rock Bay Town and turning it from a seaside city into a coastal one." Looking at the town before them and the shining lighthouse within, Ilena explained to Kal'tsit and Kanna, who were visiting for the first time.

"Let's go to the convent first. We can take this child there," Kal'tsit said.

Ilena nodded at Kal'tsit's words. "Okay, and we can use the convent as a base for the time being. No matter what you need to do, Ms. Kal'tsit, having a stable rear base will always be a comfortable thing."

"Alright! Then I'll leave the communication with the convent to you, Ilena." Kal'tsit didn't commit either way.

But they didn't notice that when the convent was mentioned, the unconscious girl's body twitched.

The vehicle soon drove into Rock Bay Town. Upon seeing Ilena on the car, most people appeared very nervous and quickly pulled their playing children back into their homes.

"Am I that scary in the eyes of these people?" Kanna asked, looking at the street that had quickly become empty.

"Sigh, there's nothing that can be done. After all, the 'Abyssal Church' is causing trouble everywhere. To eliminate these cultists, the Inquisition has always adopted a high-pressure policy. As soon as they discover 'Abyssal Church' members appearing in an area, they will conduct very strict searches there. Although under such searches, the remnants of the deep sea have nowhere to hide, it also brings considerable fear to the common people." Although Ilena's voice carried a hint of a sigh, her tone was steady and firm, and she didn't believe the Inquisition's actions were wrong.

"Abyssal Church?" Kal'tsit knew a little about this organization, but from Ilena's words, the influence of this cult was much stronger and more stubborn than she had imagined.

"This church is a cult group founded in Iberia by 'Sea Creatures' and their worshippers after the 'Great Silence.' By the time we discovered it, it had already spread throughout Iberia.

They believe that compared to humans, 'Sea Creatures' with their collective consciousness are a higher life form, and individuals should selflessly contribute to the 'species' to achieve the evolution of the 'Sea Creature' collective. These cult members call each other 'compatriots.' Their ultimate goal is to expand the boundaries of the 'ocean' and assimilate all land races into 'Sea Creatures.'

To this end, they secretly build bases for human experimentation in various strongholds, conducting cruel human experiments, seemingly trying to combine humans and 'Sea Creatures' to cultivate stronger individuals." By the end, Ilena was grinding her teeth.

"Then your officials are really something..." Kanna complained, looking at the empty street.

After all, for the common people, before they saw the true face of the "Abyssal Church," they would only think of it as a new sect, and the Inquisition's strong suppression would merely be seen as a dispute over religious beliefs.

Moreover, after the "Great Silence," Iberia's economy had almost collapsed, and many places were beyond the government's reach. When survival was in dire straits, a little food was all it took to make a group of "ignorant people" change their beliefs.

The current situation was that the country had no money to lift the poor areas out of poverty. Under the pressure of survival, people would naturally believe in the "cult" that allowed them to live. The government's repeated, forceful, and completely unexplained suppression of "cults" only required a little instigation from those with ulterior motives to widen the gap between the Inquisition and ordinary people.

In the end, it became like this: ordinary people avoided the Inquisition like the plague. Although they were protecting them, they were becoming increasingly distant. This situation could only be attributed to the poor judgment of the higher-ups. Matters that could be resolved with simple communication were instead met with arrogance and cryptic pronouncements to prove their competence, ultimately leading to an unpleasant outcome for everyone.

In Kanna's opinion, if Iberia's entire government was filled with practical, straightforward individuals like W, who disliked riddles and were blunt, then this damned "Abyssal Church" would have been driven back into the sea long ago.

However, riddles were a part of Terra, and Kanna was used to it. For example, the old lynx beside her often bullied her for not being smart enough, using all sorts of obscure allusions and stopping mid-sentence to deliberately mess with her.

This was also why Kanna, throughout her journey, often did things that made Kal'tsit uncomfortable, even digging up several Rhodes Islands with her feet.

Chapter 109, Chapter 102: Rock Bay Town Convent

Ilena didn't refute Kanna's criticism, because before she became an Inquisitor, she also wondered why they couldn't explain things clearly to the public. But after visiting the prison, she understood the horror of the "Abyssal Church."

Even the slightest weakness or hesitation could lead to infiltration. Therefore, to ensure the purity of the Inquisitor corps and minimize the chances of Inquisitors being corrupted, they had to make decisions that completely separated them from the public.

"Uh, where are we?" At this moment, the unconscious girl also woke up.

"We are in Rock Bay Town, and we'll reach the convent in a few minutes. There's no easily digestible food in the car. Once we get to the convent, we'll have them prepare something for you," Ilena said.

"Rock Bay Town Convent, I see... I still... can't escape..." She didn't utter the last few words, but Kanna, who had been watching her lips closely, read her lips.

Her face was pale from weakness, and after a fleeting look of disappointment in her eyes, only determination remained. Therefore, Ilena beside her didn't notice her strangeness.

Soon, the car arrived at the convent. As they entered, they saw only a few scattered people inside, looking somewhat flustered.

Upon seeing the car arrive, the few people inside exchanged glances, and then one of them walked into the convent while the others gathered around.

"Hello, this is the Rock Bay Town Convent. How may we help you?" one of them asked.

"Hello, this is my identification. This lady and I have some matters to attend to in Rock Bay Town, and we hope the convent can arrange two rooms for us. Also, we found an unconscious girl on the way; she looks like she belongs to you, so we brought her back." As she spoke, Ilena stared intently into the other person's eyes.

When the person first took Ilena's identification and realized they were facing an Inquisitor, their expression became somewhat nervous. But upon seeing the girl in the car, their expression changed from nervousness to surprise.

"Dona, everyone has been worried sick since you disappeared two days ago. The choir has been looking for you all over town. It's good that you're back..."

Her expression was purely happy, with no other emotions mixed in, which made Ilena lower her guard.

As for the initial nervousness, in Iberia, no ordinary person would not be nervous when facing an Inquisitor, so she directly ignored it.

"Lucy, I'm fine. Luckily, I met these kind people." The girl called Dona nodded with a weak smile and said to those outside.

"Miss Dona is very weak from not eating for a long time. Does the convent have any rice porridge? Preferably a little," Kal'tsit said, opening the car window.

The leading lady, Lucy, immediately instructed someone nearby, "Coincidentally, the convent serves porridge to the poor townspeople every day. We have fresh white porridge."

"Sister, Sister, can I have a bowl too!" Kanna said, extending her small hand.

"Of course, Katy, hurry and get two bowls of white porridge from the kitchen."

Hearing Lucy's words, Katy quickly walked towards a house not far from the convent.

Led by Lucy, the car stopped in an open space within the convent. Lucy pointed to the adjacent building and said, "This is the convent dormitory. The third floor is the dormitory for our nuns. Dona looks unwell; why don't you leave her to us? We'll take her back to the dormitory."

"Sister, she doesn't look like she's only been hungry for two days. Kal'tsit is a top doctor; why don't we let Kal'tsit take a look first?" Kanna said as Lucy prepared to take Dona away.

Hearing Kanna's words, Kal'tsit calmly walked to Dona's side and examined her. As if sensing she was being too hasty, Lucy nodded.

"No problem. Dona's health has never been very good in the choir. It would be great if Dr. Kal'tsit could cure Dona."

While they were talking, the woman named Katy walked over with two bowls of white porridge. On the other side, the main gate of the convent opened, and several monks hurried out.

Initially, the person at the front seemed somewhat impatient, but upon seeing Ilena in her Inquisitor attire, they all paused.

She then walked back over.

As Kanna walked up beside her, Kanna deliberately blocked the path in front of her. She then took the bowl of congee from the other's hand, sniffed it, and handed it to Kal'tsit behind her.

"The congee is here. The temperature is just right, you can drink it directly..."

Kal'tsit took the congee and silently handed it to Dona beside her. Kanna's words seemed innocuous, but they were actually telling Kal'tsit that the other party hadn't tampered with the congee.

After taking another portion, Kanna happily thanked the other party before hiding her small face behind the large bowl, her eyes looking at the people walking over.

"Hello, I am Brother Green, the abbot of this monastery. Is there anything His Excellency the Inquisitor needs? We in the Rock Bay Town monastery will do our utmost."

The abbot, Brother Green, appeared very calm, yet the fire in his eyes burned with fervor.

"That won't be necessary. We only need to stay at the monastery for a few days. I hope Lord Green can forgive our intrusion." Ilena calmly refused the other's offer of help.

"No problem. Assisting the Inquisitor in their investigation is the responsibility of every Iberian. I'll have someone prepare two empty rooms for you immediately. How about the first floor?" Although Ilena had refused his suggestion, his enthusiasm remained undiminished.

"That won't be necessary. I heard Sister Katy say that the third floor is the nuns' dormitory. We are all women, so arranging our rooms on the third floor would be fine."

While the first floor was convenient for coming and going, Ilena had felt a strange sensation ever since arriving in Rock Bay Town. Therefore, she decided to have their temporary lodging on the third floor, where the nuns rested. This would make it easier for her to gather information from the nuns' daily activities and lives.

"Uh! No problem. Katy, the accommodation for the Inquisitor and her friends will be entirely your responsibility." Despite being refused repeatedly, Abbot Green's expression remained unchanged. He turned and began giving instructions to Katy, who had been responsible for receiving Kal'tsit and her group.

"Yes, Abbot!" Katy bowed slightly and walked over to Ilena's side.

After Kanna and Dona had finished eating, they were led to the third floor by Katy.

Under Katy's arrangement, Ilena had a room to herself, while Kal'tsit and Kanna shared an adjacent room. To their other side were the rooms of Dona and Lucy, and Katy's room was on the other side of Ilena's.

Chapter 110: Chapter One Hundred and Three: Conspiracy!