A silhouette climbed out of the sewer and stepped onto the wet bluestone road.
The seawater falling like rain made the gray-black streets look like late autumn. There was no one around, except for a few figures passing by at the intersection in the distance.
The fire burning in the distance formed a haze under the rain curtain, and the sound of sirens echoed in the air.
A sharp whistle sounded suddenly accompanied by chaotic footsteps, and a group of policemen ran after the thief holding the jewelry that was constantly falling.
When the policemen who were following behind and picking up the stolen goods gradually moved away, Lu Li emerged from the shadows of the alley and looked at their leaving figures.
Police are struggling to deal with unrest across the ice-free port of Vena.
Walking in the opposite direction from where they left, Lu Li saw citizens walking calmly on the street holding umbrellas in groups of two or three in a wide street with a view of the bay, as if the riot had nothing to do with them.
Next, Lu Li saw more similar scenes. Citizens who were looking panicked and wanted to leave with their luggage and families, couples snuggling in the viewing area overlooking the bay. People snatching products from the product windows, and drivers driving steam cars leisurely among them.
Everything in the ice-free port of Wiener merges into a strange contrast between calm and surge.
Citizens are not yet aware of the 24-hour countdown.
Now, this time is less than 4 hours.
"Here's this umbrella for you."
A lady with long brown wavy hair took the initiative to talk to Lu Li, brought her umbrella close to Lu Li, raised her head strangely and asked, "Have we met before? I feel... you are very familiar."
"No."
She is a stranger to Lu Li.
"I think so. Not many people have black hair and black... You are an exorcist." The lady was stunned as she thought of the answer and suppressed the exclamation back in her throat.
She then put the umbrella into Lu Li's hand and said seriously: "Take it. The trial court wants you. Run and get out of here!"
"What did the trial court tell you?" Lu Li took the umbrella but did not leave. He added, "About the water film surrounding the city."
"They said that weird things have surrounded the city, and it is safe to stay in the ice-free port of Vina...Is there a problem?"
The lady looked around nervously, but this frequent looking around only made her look more suspicious.
The Tribunal concealed the God of the Deep Sea and also concealed the countdown.
"Do you know where the Ancient One is?" Lu Li asked.
"The Ancient One...?"
"The God of the Deep Sea, the culprit of all this." Lu Li looked at the fluorescent water film.
"...You might be able to go to the port and have a look. There are soldiers everywhere there. But be careful, they are looking for you."
This is indeed a clue: soldiers versus weirdos.
However, they did not find the God of the Deep Sea in the bay when they came. It is also possible that the gathering of soldiers had nothing to do with him: "Are there many soldiers elsewhere besides the port?"
The lady shook her head in confusion.
Lu Li thanked her and walked to the city hall with his umbrella.
As time passed, Lu Li began to see the Inquisition Guards patrolling the streets more and more frequently.
Whether it was related to protecting the city hall or not, the Inquisition already knew that Lu Li escaped from the dungeon.
Lu Li stopped in front of the checkpoint set up by the trial. The lights of the city hall could be seen from here, but layers of checkpoints blocked the road, blocking Lu Li's progress.
With 3 hours left, Lu Li had no time to break through the city hall or find other helpers.
After stopping for a moment, Lu Li turned around and left before the guards at the checkpoint spotted him in the distance.
…
Knight Vino turned his head and stared at the tall figure holding an umbrella standing in front of the guardrail of the coastal street.
He knew Lu Li would come, but he shouldn't show up.
Taking a deep breath, Knight Vino pointed to the distant street and shouted over the port: "I found the Exorcist!"
The orderly port periphery became chaotic, and the hidden trial guards rushed out of the houses and bunkers, running towards the direction pointed by the knight Vino.
Here is the trap.
Lu Li, who was watching from a distance, thought that Knight Vino was arrested by the trial. Even if his innocence was proven, he shouldn't stay here.
In any case, Knight Vino helped Lu Li clear the perimeter of the port, allowing him to enter the interior of the port covertly.
The huge port searchlight shines on the sea near the port, which may be Lu Li's destination.
The port was deserted, and Lu Li quickly found out why.
The port workers staying here exude the smell of tide that is stronger than the sea water. They hold fishing spears and block the road to the mainland, speaking vaguely.
"Why are outsiders...close to here?"
"Resolve the invasion of the God of the Deep Sea." Lu Li answered.
Hatred and ferocity appeared on the workers' faces, and they raised their harpoons: "Desecrate the ancient abominable creatures..."
The pollution of the God of the Deep is beginning to take shape.
"I am a guest of the God of the Deep Sea, and this is a token." Lu Li changed his words and took out the sea beads condensed around his neck.
The worker believer trembled and knelt down: "Please forgive me for being rude, the master who is above me is right in front."
Lu Li continued to move forward, put away his umbrella, and reached the sea area in front of the pier illuminated by searchlights.
The sea swelled, expanded, and slowly raised an indescribable shadow.
The waves spread, the ships in the port rolled and retreated, the piercing sirens echoed in the ice-free port of Wiener behind them, and ant-like figures ran around in the distance.
The huge searchlight is like a lit match in a house, illuminating an insignificant corner of Him, while the figure looking up at the pier is even smaller than dust.
"Mortal, you are the god of the deep sea, tell me your purpose." He lowered his head and looked at Lu Li and chanted in a low voice.
"You shouldn't have converted the Wiener Freeze Harbor."
Lu Li knew that he remembered him, which was the reason why he could be received: "Human beings are the last intelligent life on the known land. They only gather in Midnight City and Weiner Freeze Port. If you transform here, half of the human population will be missing."
"The ants cannot see the tsunami in the distance..."
"What do you see on the other side of the World Back Mountains?"
What happened there was what drove the God of the Deep to attack the city.
"...corruption and death."
"So you want to transform humans to gain power?"
"It's about killing humans..."
People always have the illusion that gods protect them. But the ancient ones who are regarded as gods never care who breeds this land. Human beings? Previous generations? Intelligent life from earlier? They only protect the world.
"Lu Li...what are you going to do?"
Lu Li's name echoed in the city accompanied by the low voice of the God of the Deep Sea.
"Stop you." Lu Li replied calmly.
"This is... betrayal!"
The angry God of the Deep Sea raised his oppressive claws that were bigger than a battleship and grabbed Lu Li.
The expected conflict did not occur. The tip of his claw gently touched the sea pearl worn by Lu Li who did not avoid it. The latter shattered into fluorescent light and the giant claw slowly retracted.
The God of the Deep Sea, exuding a god-like indifference and obscurity, slowly sank into the sea. With the unusually spreading waves, he swam out to the ice-free port of Vina.
The water film dissolved and collapsed silently, bringing a brief and rapid rainstorm to the ice-free port of Wiener, and then condensed due to the cold envelope.
Feather-like snowflakes fall, coating the city with tranquility.
Wiener does not freeze the port and the crisis is resolved.