To get from the cabin to the assembly hall, one needs to walk through a long corridor and a downward sloping staircase - this is a very large ship, which can not only accommodate a large number of believers, but also provide venues for various ceremonies and festivals. For those Annihilation Cultists who follow the Holy Lord of the Deep, being able to board this ship is even an honor in itself.

Most believers were not qualified to board the ship, or even to know about the existence of the ship. They could only hear secret rumors during private gatherings with other compatriots, and hear fragments of information about the ship from other gatherings:

There is a ship that carries the will of the Holy Lord and allows the glory of the Lord to patrol the sea. It is a symbol of the noble cause of the sect and also the key to open the next glorious era...

Richard, dressed in a black robe, walked slowly in the corridor that seemed to have no end. From time to time, he met other church fellows in black robes. Occasionally, someone would greet him, but he only gave a minimal response. Sailors in coarse smocks appeared in the corridor, with symbolic chains hanging around their necks. They bowed respectfully and cautiously to every black-robed person who passed by - these sailors were also believers of the Holy Lord, but they were mediocre and could not withstand the power of the devil, so they could only be responsible for worldly work here and serve those "priests" who had truly gained power.

The lighting in the corridor was not dim, but the dark colors and depressing style of the decoration still gave people an overall dim visual feeling. Iron-black candlesticks with intricate patterns were placed on the gray-white walls on both sides, and between these decorative candlesticks hung classical-style oil paintings. The paintings used large areas of dark colors to outline the scenery that was not like the real world, as well as portraits with distorted and strange faces. There were also dark red curtains hanging from the roofs on both sides, covering up the darker and more ominous corners.

The followers of the Abyss believe that the darkness of chaos is the "hue" of the Holy Lord and the "background color" when this world was born. They use this style to decorate their gathering places in an effort to "get closer" to the Abyss in the real world - they believe this will please the Holy Lord.

The dark and depressing decorative style could not conceal the luxury and sophistication of the decorations themselves. Richard knew that the construction of this ship consumed an astonishing amount of wealth, but such consumption was always paid for by someone - officials who hoped to prolong their lives, merchants suffering from illness, and nobles tempted by power. Their offerings when begging for mercy from the Holy Lord built everything on this ship.

The Church of the Four Gods and the authorities of the city-states have created a solid set of rules for the so-called "civilized world". These rules are like an iron wall, which protect ordinary people who are mediocre and dull very well. However, no matter how tight the iron wall is, there will be loopholes. There were loopholes in the past thousands of years, there are loopholes now, and there will be loopholes in the future.

We have arrived at the assembly hall.

A heavy door at the end of the corridor was open, and behind the door was an exceptionally spacious and bright hall. The dome supported by thick pillars was towering, and a gorgeous chandelier with a triple structure hung from the ceiling, illuminating the entire space.

For practical reasons, this hall certainly cannot maintain an overly dim environment like other places. The builders here can only show their worship of the Holy Lord of the Deep through various decorations and displays. Whether it is the tentacle-like reliefs on the surface of the huge pillars, or the paintings on the wall at the end of the hall that symbolize the Holy Lord of the Deep and look like dark branches, or the various strange sculptures displayed along the walls, they all together outline this mysterious, oppressive and majestic "worship" atmosphere.

Richard walked into the hall, walked among his compatriots, pulled down the edge of his hood again, and then raised his eyes to look at the platform in the center of the hall.

That’s where the “Saints” are.

The saints are already there.

The awed devout, the purest one closest to the Lord in this suffocating world, the fellow who had traveled the furthest on the Deep Path, was raising his eyestalks from the edge of the platform and scanning the assembled believers in the room.

He occupied almost half of the entire platform, and his huge body was like a "crown" made of thorns - terrifying black skeletons were stacked in an interlaced manner and piled on the platform like a bird's nest. In the middle of the skeleton was a slowly wriggling brain with a diameter of nearly two meters. The bones outside the brain formed a cage-like structure, and nerve cords extended from the gaps in the cage, forming eyestalks at the ends, which slowly moved and looked around the outer edge of this "crown of thorns of bones", and at the top of this "crown" was a pitch-black chain.

The pitch-black chain extended from the brain in the skeletal cage, floating in the smoke and dust, and then returned to the thorn-like bones, forming a closed-loop structure. This structure is the symbol of the "saint" - he has already surpassed the low stage of "the symbiotic contract between mortals and demons". Now, his contract points to himself, and his human nature is almost gone. His awe-inspiring posture is filled with the purity of the deep demon.

Richard looked up at the saint, then bowed his head in awe.

The saint is about to take that last step. Just a tiny bit of distance away, and his chains will disappear, and he will be able to realize the ultimate pursuit of all Annihilation followers - to obtain complete purity, enter the deep sea, and be with the Holy Lord.

But this great compatriot still stays here, in this suffocating dimension of reality, because he still remembers his responsibility to lead many compatriots who are as dull as himself to realize the eternal cause - this is undoubtedly worthy of admiration.

"The people have gathered."

A deep and old voice suddenly entered the minds of everyone present. The assembly hall, which was originally buzzing with conversations, suddenly became quiet, and a serious atmosphere enveloped the surroundings.

The saint on the platform raised an eyestalk and looked towards the entrance of the hall. The heavy door creaked shut and locked, and his voice continued to be transmitted into everyone's mind:

"The sun is about to set. Three hours later, the Nameless One's dream will begin again. Before this dream begins, we need to confirm the known information..."

Richard subconsciously tensed his nerves and listened carefully and seriously to the voice coming from the saint.

He had that hot, itchy feeling again - coming from his chest, as if something was wriggling slightly beneath the skin there, and a fine fibrous structure was growing between the flesh and bones, slowly spreading.

He even felt that those fine fibers had spread to his lungs, spread to his heart, and continued to drill deep into his body.

★Illustration 2★

Maybe it won’t be long before I have enough cotton?

The pressure on his shoulders was relieved a little at some point, and Richard vaguely heard a little girl's voice laughing softly in his ear, but soon, the saint's voice sounded in his mind again, making him concentrate again -

"...We have conducted several explorations into the Dream of the Nameless One, including sporadic infiltrations by compatriots scattered across city-states, as well as exploration operations organized by high-level priests. Compatriots, you should have received the news that in some of these operations... we encountered setbacks."

As the "saint" on the platform spoke, the "crown of thorns" made of interwoven bones made a slight crackling sound, and some of his black bones moved. A faint stream of light gathered at the edge of the bone spurs and gradually flowed into the air, forming an increasingly real illusion.

These phantoms formed by the flow of light finally condensed and became clear, outlining the image of a girl wearing a black dress, short black hair, and a decorative bell around her neck. She looked a little thin, with a slightly delicate and pretty face.

The girl looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old. Perhaps because she was too thin, she looked younger than her actual age. One of her arms, along with most of her shoulder and part of her torso, were in a distinctly inhuman state. At the end of the rugged and hideous skeleton structure, extended a pitch-black chain. At the other end of the chain was a being that was very familiar to the Annihilation Cultists at the scene - a Deep Hound.

The believers in the hall were slightly shocked. Some were discussing something in low voices, while others who knew the inside story in advance turned their eyes in the same direction.

Richard felt the eyes cast upon him.

He pulled his hood up awkwardly, feeling conflicted inside as he should be proud of having brought back important intelligence, yet also felt embarrassed and torn.

Fortunately, the saint's voice relieved his embarrassment in time -

"...After suffering some casualties, one of our compatriots finally brought back valuable intelligence. What you saw was one of our enemies.

"Don't be fooled by her appearance, believers. She is not our compatriot, but a being that is more depraved and taboo than the pagans. She controls a powerful Deep Hound through unknown means, but what's more dangerous is that her own power seems to be even stronger than the Deep Hound - and her methods are vicious and her actions are strange and unpredictable.

"The compatriot who brought back this information is an outstanding one among us. He has rich combat experience and strong strength, but he was still seriously injured by the enemy's despicable sneak attack and was almost devoured by the enemy's strange Deep Hound... You must be vigilant, because in the subsequent operations, the compatriots who enter the Nameless One's Dream may encounter this dangerous blasphemer again.

"What you need to be most vigilant about is this heretic's strange and sinister attack methods. Her attack method is..."

The Saint suddenly stopped.

It seemed that even such a powerful and wise Pure One would be a little short of words when it came to describing the power of that female heretic.

Richard pulled his hood again - he should reinforce it when he got back.

And in his mind, he heard the saint's voice again:

"...Her method of attack was to throw the dog out."