Chapter 75
Miel didn't have time to examine the wall carefully, but based on the burn marks on the wall and the glass fragments on the ground, it was not difficult to guess that someone had used alchemical fire here.
Someone or an organization in Yuecheng discovered the existence of monsters and wanted to confine them to this abandoned factory. So they bought a large number of slaves and forced them to build a wall here. However, they were attacked by monsters in the process, and a conflict broke out between the two sides.
The result of this conflict can be seen from the current situation here - there is no one in the entire factory, and there is no sign of life.
Cthulhu picked up Miel and flew in the direction of the tentacles. A pair of blood-red membranous wings spread out behind him, but they were not used for flying.
When Cthulhu flies, especially when Leon flies, he neither uses wings nor magic. Miel guessed that he used some kind of power like thoughts and mental strength, and his wings were probably used for defense more often?
The surrounding scenery quickly receded, and the wind blew on Miel's cheeks. Miel could feel the scorching temperature and stench in the wind, making him feel as if he was being hugged by a corpse that was still warm.
Miel's stomach was twitching and his soul was screaming in fear. He didn't know what he was about to face. He imagined the most cruel and tragic scenes in the world without hesitation.
However, when he arrived at the deepest part of the factory and saw the swamp-like "creature", he felt that everything he had imagined was extremely childish, not even one ten-thousandth as terrifying and disgusting as that "creature".
It was like a pool of boiling broth, constantly emitting sticky bubbles.
The limbs, eyeballs, and tentacles of different creatures rolled around in this pool of broth.
The broth was light grey, and it truly was like boiling water, cooking and dissolving everything. Those strangely shaped limbs struggled painfully within its body, but would eventually be dissolved, devoured, and assimilated.
Miel took a long time to find his voice: "These creatures... are still alive?"
"Yes." Cthulhu replied calmly, "It is this thing that has been devouring nearby lives. However, the bodies and souls of the lives it devours do not perish; they are simply crushed and melted. They are all still alive and even conscious."
Miel raised his hands to cover his mouth and nose. His head was dizzy, but he tried hard not to faint.
His body was crushed and became part of this huge broth, but he still retained his consciousness... Just imagining this situation made him tremble with fear.
Suddenly, a deformed creature jumped out of the pool.
Cthulhu immediately flew high with Miel, but the creature ignored them and rushed away from the pool as if running for its life!
It looks like a human hand with eight fingers, and its skin is covered with tumor-like bumps. It uses its fingers instead of feet and runs wildly on the ground!
However, before it could run out of Miel's sight, a tentacle stretched out from the pool, quickly caught up with it, wrapped around its body, and pulled it back into the pool.
Then it melted in the pool, struggling painfully like the rest of its limbs.
"It seems it won't even let go of the creatures it created," Cthulhu added calmly. "This factory is connected to the sewers of Moon City. Some of the creatures born here managed to escape into the sewers, and thus the monsters in the sewers appeared."
As he spoke, two tentacles stretched out from the pool and quickly attacked the two people in the air!
Cthulhu flapped one of his wings violently, and with a "snap" sound, he slapped both tentacles back like a slap!
The air vibrated, the pool rippled, and the huge eyeball in the pool rolled. After staring at Cthulhu for a while, the pupil rolled again and turned into pure white of the eye, looking like it was rolling its eyes at Cthulhu.
Miel closed his eyes, not wanting any details of the pool to invade his vision. Every extra glance was a challenge to his remaining sanity.
He forced himself to speak: "Cthulhu, seal it...what do you need me to do?"
"Well... first of all, I must say that the seal I'm talking about may not be what you understand." Cthulhu responded, "The seal does not imprison it here, but rather transfers it to another time and space, such as to an abandoned planet at the end of time... You can think of it as a lifeless wasteland. However, its movements will not be restricted by this. If it has the ability to return, it can come back. If anyone wants to transfer it back, our efforts will be in vain. Even so, you still want to seal it?"
"Of course." Miel answered without hesitation.
Separating the monsters from the people of Liye Continent was exactly what he wanted.
Just like a shepherd uses a fence to separate sheep from wolves, the existence of the fence will not make the wolves disappear, but it can protect the sheep from being taken away by wolves.
What Miel wants to protect are the people on the Liye continent, those who have not been devoured by monsters.
However, Tyndall had different views and ideas.
"No...don't do this..." He tried to stop Miel.
Miel looked in the direction of the sound and saw Dindel kneeling trembling not far from the pool, with his head lowered and his hands supporting the ground, and the lantern placed aside.
Miel had never seen Father Dindle so embarrassed.
It's like they've exhausted all their physical strength and are barely maintaining a trace of consciousness, or they've suffered a serious injury and are only holding on to their last breath.
Miel thought he was frightened and said to Cthulhu: "Before sealing this pool, take Dindel out first..."
Before he could finish his words, Dindel interrupted him loudly: "No! Don't do this! Don't... don't let them suffer any more."
Miel: “…”
It took Miel a few seconds to realize that the "they" Dindel was referring to were those in the pool...
Miel realized that when he chose to "seal" the pool, he was actually making the decision to abandon the creatures in the pool.
But there was no way... Anyone who saw this pool and the limbs tumbling in the sticky liquid would have this thought - they were hopeless, there was no way they could be saved.
If he could, he would have ended their lives and let them rest in peace, but he couldn't.
Well, at least don't let it create more victims.
Miel sighed: "Father Dindel, you know, we can't save everyone."
"But those people, those souls... they are calling for help." Dindel said in a trembling voice, never looking up. "They are colorful, but fragmented... They are in pain..."
Miel was stunned again, then remembered that Father Dindle could see the color of souls.
What color is this pool in his eyes?
How many souls have been churned in this pool, yet still exist?
How many people's consciousnesses are floating in this pool, praying for salvation or death?
Facing this pool, Dindel couldn't even utter the words "rest in peace in dreams".
But……
Again, they can't save everyone.
Someone always has to make a choice.
If Dindel can't do it, then he will do it - Miel pursed his lips and said: "Cthulhu..."
Before he could finish his words, Cthulhu took action, flying towards Dindel while extending a black tentacle from behind his waist.
After seeing the tentacles of the Shoggoth and the tentacles extending from this pool, Miyer liked the tentacles of Cthulhu more and more.
But just as Cthulhu was about to use his tentacles to roll up Dindel and forcibly take him away, Dindel looked up and shouted: "No——"
There were twelve eyes on his raised face!
Every eye was a sad violet, staring at Miel.
Cthulhu's tentacles paused, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he seemed reluctant to touch Dindel in this state.
There were no tears in Tyndall's eyes, but his voice was filled with sobs: "Saving people like this is the meaning of my existence! If I can't even save them, then why am I still alive? Why haven't I died yet?"
"Miel, I'm sorry, I scared you again..." Dindel raised his hands to cover his face, closed his twelve melancholy eyes, and his voice became softer, hiding deep fatigue. "Miel, I beg you, don't seal them, at least not today, I beg you, give me some time..."
Miel looked at him with mixed feelings.
The last person to plead with him like this was Rocas.
Rocas is out to save Amira, while Dindel is out to save the shattered souls in the pool.
Miel could understand the position of Amira in Rocas's heart, but he could not understand the importance of the people in the pool to Dindel.
The phrase "It's impossible to save everyone" was first said by Tyndall.
Tyndall said it himself: I want to save everyone, but I can't save everyone. I can only save as many people as I can.
He clearly knew that his power was limited, so why was he...
“Miel, although I haven’t been able to help you in any way along the way, and perhaps I am not qualified to make any demands on you, but…” Dindel put his hands back on the ground and lowered his head.
Seeing that he was about to kowtow to him, Miel quickly said: "Okay, I promise you."
There is no need to rush to seal the pool. After all, judging from the efficiency of the pool in devouring life, the number of creatures that can escape is limited. The creatures that escape basically only forage for food in the sewers and will not be able to invade the city for a while.
"Thank you." Dindel breathed a sigh of relief, then said, "Then, Miel Akunila, please go back and rest first and leave me here alone."
Miel frowned: "This is dangerous... Please don't do anything stupid."
"I won't," Dindel responded. "You know, one day I will dedicate my life and soul to my Lord, my great Lord of Dreams, Atlachnacha. So, no matter what, I will not become part of that pool. Please believe me, I can protect myself."
"...Okay." Miel didn't know what else to do except respect him.
He lets Cthulhu carry him out of the factory, leaving Dindel behind.
He returned to the hotel, to his room, and lay down on the bed, hoping to sleep off his remaining sanity.
However, in the dream, there was still that pond and those broken limbs.
He had a nightmare that left him physically and mentally exhausted for the first time in a long time.
When he woke up from the dream, he opened his eyes and saw Cthulhu sitting at the table, deep in thought, and the Shoggoth huddled together, shivering.
Miel:?
"What happened?" Miel sat up from the bed and asked tentatively.
He thought Cthulhu and the Shoggoth were quarreling.
However, Cthulhu's response was: "Things are getting a little complicated."
Miel: "What?"
Cthulhu: "Just open the window and take a look."
Miel hesitated and walked to the window and opened it.
It was pitch black outside the window.
This is not surprising, after all, he is now in a dark area where there is no sunlight all year round.
However, when he tried to use light magic to illuminate the darkness outside, he found something wrong.
No light can penetrate the darkness outside the window, because the darkness outside the window is not simple, lightless darkness, but is filled with thick black fog.
A shadowy black fog obscured everything from view.
Suddenly, as if sensing the light, countless brilliant eyes opened in the black fog.
Thousands and thousands of colorful eyes, big and small, densely packed together, all turned to Miyer and stared at him.
Miel slammed the window shut, and after a moment he found his voice: "Cthulhu, I'm still dreaming, right?"
Cthulhu: "Unfortunately, this is reality."
Miel: "What is this?"
Cthulhu: "I told you about the nameless mist, Nyogsohep. It descended here, covered this place, and swallowed it up."
"...I decided to get some more sleep."
Miel said, lying back on the bed and closing his eyes.
The problem with the pool hasn't been solved yet, and now there's a black fog again...
This city is beyond saving.
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The author has something to say: How is everyone's sanity? [covering face and peeking]
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