The billowing black clouds were like waves on an upside-down sea surface. Thunder light surged in the clouds, as if a storm was approaching.
Although the weather is as bad as the rainy season, the severe cold of winter is also kept out.
Andrea stopped at the edge of the gray town where she could vaguely see it through the fog.
Going forward, they may be exposed to the eyes of the beings entrenched here.
The lair is always the safest place, but it is also the most dangerous place for those who are enemies of it.
Before discussing how to break into Innsmouth and bring back Catalina, the people on Andrea observed the town that dispelled the fog.
The buildings along the hill are densely packed together, and the large crumbling houses give the town a lifeless and ominous look. Two semi-spires stand on the mountainside, one of which broke from the waist and collapsed. The remaining spire and the other two spires
Stretching towards the starry sky, as if wanting to contact the secrets beyond the starry sky.
What captures everyone's attention on Andrea is the weeds and trees between the shore and the gaps between houses, the figures walking on the narrow winding streets, and the factories with light smoke emitting from their chimneys by the inlet that flows into the ocean.
Source of algae left around Catalina's hospital room becomes clear
It makes sense that plants still grow in the waters of this land, after all, even the eternal night and the strange fog cannot invade it.
Regardless, it's a bad idea to head straight for the small town of Innsmouth.
Ophelia observed for a while and then turned her attention back to Lu Li, who was holding a telescope and looking out.
"Found...what?"
"Human."
The moving telescope revealed eyes as dark as the deep sea.
Without exception, the people walking in the streets of the small town are all human-shaped silhouettes, wearing civilian clothes that can roughly identify their occupations.
Like Katarina, are they believers in distorted consciousness?
But maybe not. No one knows if there is a group of weirdos who have the same habit of dressing as humans.
They need to get closer.
Andrea approached the coastline along the edge of the mist. The strange fog was dispersed to a large enough range that they could not disturb the distant town. They approached the shore and were half-stranded on the seabed more than a hundred meters away from the beach.
Five wooden boats carrying everyone descended from the side of the boat one after another and fell into the dark sea with surging waves.
Bishop Jon grabbed the oar and waited until the other four wooden boats dispersed to surround them before he began to row the oar.
Lu Li held the oil lamp and tilted his head to look at the sea. The ink-like sea water reflected the faint light and could not see anything.
However, if the pagans approach, Bishop Jon and the Tentacle Cultists will immediately notice them.
When we were still fifty meters away from the coastline, a series of terrifying sounds of thick knuckles rapping against the hulls of several wooden boats were heard. It was just a false alarm, as some garbage was floating on the offshore sea. For example, debris that looked like shins and
Dead fish carcass.
Lu Li grabbed the monocular and looked at the center of the storm's eye. He was even worried that he would be noticed if he stared for too long. He only stayed in the town for a moment and then turned to the sea.
A horizon-like, undulating black line slightly above the waterline emerged on the distant sea surface.
It's called Devil's Reef. It used to be a reef with all kinds of strange legends, but now it seems that the legends about it are not just based on rumors.
The wooden boat beneath me suddenly shook violently and hit the shoal.
The followers of the Church of Shadows in black robes were the first to disembark, and they were like a group of black ghosts in the sea breeze.
For some reason, everyone who stepped onto the gray-brown beach felt strangely anxious and uneasy, as if something unknown was about to happen.
The followers of the Church of Shadow quickly smeared the magic circle on the beach, and the tentacle cultists and their men wandered anxiously. As hostile pagans, they felt even more deeply.
Lu Li set foot on a beach that did not welcome them. The rough gravel was filled with broken shells and fish bone spurs. Walking barefoot on the beach would definitely result in bloody injuries.
"What...what to do next?" Ophelia asked.
Lu Li was still thinking. The figures in the town he saw through the telescope gave him a new idea: sneak into the town.
No one objected, but disagreements arose over the details of the exchange.
Even without counting the ancient gods whom the Tentacle Cultists believe in and the transcendent hatred of the Lords of the Deep, cultists are hostile to each other.
Because of faith, but also because of distrust.
Even if there are indeed humans in the town of Innsmouth, they are believers in the Lord of the Deep Sea.
Whether the Shadow Church or the unknown ancient Church of God approaches it, it is tantamount to starting a fight, even though they are here for this purpose.
Only Lu Li and Ophelia, as unbelievers, are suitable to approach the town.
Not even Pusius can.
The point of disagreement is whether Lu Li wants to enter the town.
Everyone agreed that Ophelia was enough. As a wraith, her immunity to pollution was higher, and her power was also restrained against these pagans who were obviously more closely related to water.
But Lu Li wanted to enter the town of Innsmouth by himself, and even Ophelia agreed.
"Wisdom...is also important."
Even if the humans in the town could communicate, it would be troublesome for Ophelia to communicate.
With Lu Li's insistence, no one objected anymore.
The Tentacle believers didn't really care about Lu Li's life, but the Shadow Church believers who did care about Lu Li's life didn't dare to question or stop him.
They will stay on this beach and arrange a magic circle to meet Lu Li and Ophelia.
Lu Li hung the holster on his waist, and the black coat that fell down concealed the outline of the psychic gun.
"Mr. Lu Li, you will definitely be able to bring Miss Catalina back!" Pusius's face shone with firm trust.
Ophelia waved to him and followed Lu Li towards the distant town.
When the disaster is blocked out, the edge of the mist maintains a rather primitive ecology, with dense dark green shrubs and trees stacked in layers and entangled by thick python-like vines, forming a forbidden area like an abyss that no one dares to step into.
The forest was eerily quiet. There were no insects, no birds and beasts. It was like a green and silent hell. This made Ophelia, who had not seen real plants for more than 20 years, unable to yearn for it.
Lu Li was different. The cursed title of "Tree Whisperer" made him only feel the vitality of the dense forest and the closeness that seemed not to exist.
Unfortunately, they were not weird and could not tell Lu Li any information about the town of Innsmouth.
As we get closer to the town whose outline gradually becomes clearer in the distance, traces of human existence begin to appear around it.
Dead wood piles and messy footprints.
But there are a lot of disturbing things mixed in with it.
For example, there are huge whale-like skeletons stranded on the shore, and messy flipper-like footprints on the beach.
Despite this, Lu Li and Ophelia didn't meet anyone or pagans on the way, as if they were all hiding in small towns or in the bay.
Only the quiet sound of the waves intensified the disgust in my heart. I don't know if this uneasiness is just a psychological effect, or if it is really caused by the approaching town.
Anyway, they have arrived at this small town called Innsmouth.
