They're All Dead...

Maria could clearly see the guards beside her immediately stiffen and bow after Heratia revealed her identity.

Beside them, the couple who designed the dome also stepped forward and observed the situation inside the separated cabin through the camera.

"A hole about three centimeters in diameter, with a difference in diameter between the outer and inner openings... it looks like something sharp pierced through from the outside to the inside..."

The engineer next to him wiped the sweat from his forehead; his face was also pale.

Clearly, none of them had anticipated this would happen.

"Did we encounter any reefs?"

The woman frowned, her shyness vanished, and a sharp aura emanated from her, revealing the composure of a professional.

"It doesn't seem like... If it were an encounter with a reef, it would usually result in a scratch or break, but this one with only a hole is more like a high-speed stab."

The people around them answered that they didn't know where the question came from either.

"The damage isn't severe at the moment, thanks to the fact that various special circumstances were considered in the initial design. The ship is currently unharmed, but we can't let the seawater continue to flood in... The pressure difference between the inside and outside means this small hole will eventually become a large breach..."

Heratia frowned, a hint of unease in her eyes, as she observed the situation.

Meanwhile, the couple on the side had already begun discussing how to fix it.

It must be said that professionals are professionals. Although there are some differences between emergency hull repair and dome design, both need to deal with high water pressure. After a brief discussion, the two of them came up with a solution and had someone carry it out.

Not long after, the damage to the ship was resolved without any major incident.

This made everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

But the matter isn't resolved at this point.

So far, the way things unfolded is still too strange.

"This problem has never occurred before..."

The maintenance worker in the Engineering Department scratched his head.

They had encountered situations where the ship's hull was damaged unexpectedly before, but this was the first time they had ever encountered a ship that was directly penetrated by a single point. That's why they needed to seek outside help.

Fortunately, there was no serious injury.

"But we don't know the reason yet... Maybe we should head back while things are still okay?"

Someone offered a suggestion, but it made both Maria and Heratia frown.

They knew that Jiake Nanle was about to fall, and going back now would be more like sending themselves to their deaths.

"No..."

Heratia shook her head.

Thanks to the special nature of his identity, the people present did not have much of an opinion on what he said.

The person who initially suggested returning was simply offering an idea.

After all, ships undergo thorough inspection and maintenance before setting sail, so theoretically, such a problem should not occur.

Perhaps... it really was just an accident?

For example, what if the metal has reached its expiration date?

Everyone looked at each other, then shook their heads and remained silent.

Inside the cabin, pressurized air began to churn, quickly expelling the seawater that had rushed in. Then, the group went back inside to conduct an inspection.

Maria and Heratia arrived at the leak that had been pierced. After observing for a while and confirming that it was completely safe, the group gradually left.

Maria and Heratia also entered the room.

Upon entering the room, Maria gave an affirmative assessment.

"It was vandalized..."

"Is that really the case?"

Heratia did not question Maria's words; instead, she simply sighed and nodded.

"But... who would do such a thing?"

"No... it should be, who could do such a thing?"

Heratia sat to one side, her brow furrowed.

It's important to understand that while submarines traversing numerous underwater cities are certainly less robust than ships on long voyages due to their different purposes, this doesn't mean they're as fragile as paper and can be easily penetrated by anyone.

Who is this person, with both the ability and the motivation to act in this way?

Maria quickly provided the answer.

"Seaborn..."

"Seaborn?"

Heratia was taken aback, then her expression suddenly changed.

She stood up, frowned for a moment, and then let out a long sigh.

"You mean, Seaborn's living area has already extended this far?"

"... No, it's people infected by Seaborn."

Maria shook her head slightly, giving an affirmative answer.

"Although I can't discern any difference in their auras, I know that Seaborn hasn't yet appeared to be too similar to a human... But I did sense Seaborn's lingering aura inside the cabin just now... It's possible that some Infected are among us..."

"... like Malitus?"

"Similar."

"..."

Heratia's steps were unsteady.

After thinking for a moment, she looked at Maria.

"Shall we take action?"

"Certainly..."

Maria nodded.

She was indeed prepared to take action.

She did want Aegir and Seaborn fight, but she didn't want a one-sided battle... she needed a stalemate.

However, the Seaborn cucumbers' innate ability to infect makes them invincible from the very beginning.

By simply expanding the scope of infection, a large-scale conversion of infection can be achieved even when there is no response in Aegir.

By then, even if the Aegir react, they will likely lack the strength to muster a counterattack.

This is why Maria chose to let Jiake Nanle fall.

Only a major event like the sudden, silent 'disappearance' of an entire city could attract the attention of the Aegir... This is what Heratia and Maria said.

If it were just a crisis breaking out in a single city, the Aegir would at most think it was just internal strife.

If there's to be sacrificed, then the entire city must be sacrificed!

Although Maria was cold-hearted, she wasn't truly indifferent to life.

On the contrary, having died countless times, she values the preciousness of life more than anyone else.

She simply had the courage to make that decision.

"If this group continues on to the next destination with the main group, then Seaborn might realize that Jiake Nanle is not the only Aegir camp... Right now, they are like children, simply exploring the world without realizing much."

"What we need to do now is to confine it to the area around it."

Maria spoke, then slowly rose, preparing to begin her hunt.

Heratia, standing to the side, looked somewhat helpless.

"You're not just planning to kill them like this, are you?"

"Um?"

Maria's expression showed a rare hint of doubt, as if she didn't think there was anything wrong with her actions.

Heratia had no choice but to pull Maria aside and explain to her.

"Our identities are both very special now; we're already under close surveillance. If you cause any more killings here, our movements will likely be restricted when we reach the next stop..."

"Although we can get out quickly given our status, we will inevitably encounter resistance if we try to influence Aegir's decisions and actions afterward... No one will be willing to believe us... unless they truly realize the danger posed by Seaborn."

As Heratia spoke, she showed Maria the external cameras.

This made Maria frown slightly.

However, she quickly understood what Heratia meant.

"You want my actions to be 'reasonable'?"

"At least, it should be reasonable in their eyes."

Heratia spoke, her eyes flickering...

406

Chapter 406 They're all dead...

Inside the cabin, the lights flickered and swayed.

Although the problem of leaks in the ship's cabins has been resolved, most people still have concerns.

Many people chose to stay indoors and minimize going out until the end of the voyage.

This reaction resulted in the entire ship becoming quiet, with very few people venturing out.

Especially in the latter half of the night, as time passes and more and more people fall asleep, the lights gradually dim.

Heratia couldn't even make out the faces of people a meter away; further away, there was only a blurry blur of light and shadow.

It looks quiet and deserted...

Taking a deep breath, Heratia remained silent for a few moments before taking a few more steps forward, her gaze fixed straight ahead.

Half of his face was faintly visible in the darkness.

She glanced back again, and after confirming that there were still no targets around, she silently reached into her pocket and pulled out a vial of bright red blood.

This is what Maria gave her.

It was said that this substance, refined within her body, posed no threat; she only needed to apply it to certain areas of her body to attract Seaborn's attention.

Just as Maria didn't understand some of the Aegir technology that Heratia was talking about, Heratia also didn't quite understand what Maria was talking about.

Extraction from within the body?

Why did Maria describe herself as some kind of reactor?

But none of that matters anymore.

In any case, Maria herself was a mysterious person, and Heratia really didn't care if Maria had any new things escaping.

After a brief discussion, the two decided that Heratia, who appeared more delicate, would act as a means to lure the enemy out.

Maria knew that since the tree had appeared to deal with those in Great Ones, the Seaborn it spawned must also be sensitive to the aura of those in Great Ones.

Maria's blood is the best bait for them.

Only...

"Has it not appeared yet?"

Heratia smeared a little more blood on her wrist and walked around for a while.

After still not seeing the target, he couldn't help but shake his head.

I really don't know if the other party is too patient, or if they are too impatient.

In the empty corridor, she could hear nothing but the sound of her footsteps.

This further exacerbated her inner unease.

After wandering aimlessly for almost half an hour, the situation finally took a turn for the better.