CHAPTER 266: CHAPTER 265: 1 TWIST AND TURN

At this moment.

Even the lizards not affected by the potion were powerless to resist, swept into an even more frenzied whirlpool by their crazed companions!

Battles and mutual consumption among the same sex! Battles and mutual consumption among different sexes!

One moment, chunks of flesh and severed limbs were flying everywhere; the next, they were swallowed by ravenous kin.

Stomachs were full one moment, and the next, overcome by sleep, they ended up in the stomach of another kin in a dream.

It turns out that the "Frenzy Potion" not only affects humans but also works exceptionally well on most creatures with flesh and blood.

Chomp! Chomp! Chomp!...

Roar! Roar! Roar!...

Meanwhile, the red smoke gradually spread with the sea breeze, and its concentration slowly decreased, with some drifting toward the "Storm Horn."

But before that.

"What we’re doing is wrong! Even lizards have the right to survive!"

A young sailor looked at the grim scene on the shore, his eyes filled with infinite empathy, and spoke out righteously with his chest held high.

"That’s right, the Goddess teaches us to be compassionate!"

"All living beings in this world are equal!"

"It’s too much; they’re guests from the Otherworld!"

"..."

Afterward, more and more crew members stepped forward to voice their agreement.

Their eyes welled with tears, offering infinite sympathy for the lizards’ tragic fate.

Even the coldest and most heartless crew member on the ship seemed possessed by a Saint during this time, "kind" to the point of... creepy!

However, witnessing all this, Aiven wasn’t surprised.

Because.

Under the immense pressure of the crisis earlier, Aiven’s potential exploded.

Not only did he timely concoct the "Frenzy Potion," but he also conquered another mountain in front of him—the "Wise Man’s Potion" that governs humanity’s "Super-Self" consciousness.

If only with the "Frenzy Potion," Aiven would definitely have ordered the crew to cover their mouths and noses with wet cloth, all hiding in the lowest cabin. Now, with the "Wise Man’s Potion," which acts as an antidote, there’s no need for such trouble.

However, speaking of which, if not for the antidote being diluted, greatly reducing its potency.

These Saint-possessed folks might have already jumped ship and swum ashore to "feed the tigers," sacrificing themselves heroically for the continuation of the lizard family.

Being a Holy Mother is easy enough to spout words, but drinking the "Wise Man’s Potion" truly requires action.

Fortunately, they didn’t wait long.

The thin threads of smoke quickly spread over the ship, shrouding everyone.

Ah—

They all shivered.

These iron-blooded soldiers gradually returned to their senses, recalling what they had just said, each face flushed with shame, eager to crawl into the cracks in the deck.

"The crisis is over? They’re busy fighting, so they shouldn’t bother us, right?"

The similarly recovered Milan looked towards the shore, the long shadow of the warship’s main mast already extending to the lizards’ side. Yet, in their frenzy, they paid no heed to those intruders on their nesting grounds.

Because emotions like "hatred" are too high-level, and those filled with basic desires long ago had no room for such emotions.

Hoo—

At this point, seeing his strategy truly effective, Aiven exhaled deeply; fatigue, accumulated from concentrated effort all day, rushed in like a tide.

"Everyone, check your posts; I’ll go rest a bit...."

Aooooo!!!!!!

A terrifying roar made Aiven turn abruptly.

He saw two gigantic lizards slowly "rising" from the pure black sand in the middle of the ring-shaped coral reef’s two opposing semicircles, simultaneously roaring thunderously.

At this time, the last remnants of sunlight stubbornly lingered on the horizon.

But at the moment the two giant beasts appeared, their shadows seemed to engulf the entire ring-shaped coral reef.

In Aiven’s eyes, their appearance resembled the battling "Shadow Lizards," but their size was magnified tenfold, standing over twenty meters tall and, with long tails, extending over thirty meters.

One of the beasts had a pure black bone crown formed by six twisted spikes on its head, like the majestic crown of a King. The other beast lacked horns, slightly smaller in size, following the general rules of the animal world, indicating it might be the former’s mate.

After a few consecutive roars, seeing their "subjects" fighting obliviously, the two giant beasts simultaneously focused their gaze on the "Storm Horn" moored in the lagoon.

Though newly emerged on the island’s surface, their intelligence was clearly high, instantly aware of what transpired on their territory.

Even though the distance was nearly two kilometers, everyone simultaneously felt a chill down their spine.

However, this was not yet the worst.

Following them, one giant beast after another emerged as if rising from the water, burrowing out from the island’s black sand. Counting them all, there were a total of thirteen.

Witnessing the island’s devastation, they let out mournful low growls.

At this moment, the "Frenzy Potion" had not yet completely dissipated.

But the density of the red smoke cloud was greater than the air, hovering in the low sky, and it couldn’t reach their chests.

Moreover, even if it could completely envelop them, Aiven wondered how much of the dose would be needed to produce a sufficient effect on such colossal creatures.

Adding insult to injury.

The last streak of twilight on the horizon gave up its final struggle, completely vanishing into the sea.

Night fell! Boundless shadows ruled the earth, the sky, and the ocean!

Without a word.

Those giant lizards looking like Godzilla, which seemed to rely on physical strength, gradually blurred in outline, their three-dimensional form slowly collapsing and flattening, transforming into a thin shadow.

A deep and icy fear surged once again into the hearts of all crew members.

These giant beasts didn’t need many; just one borrowing the shadows to come aboard would mean the overturning of the "Storm Horn" was just a matter of time.

The countdown to judgment, which had originally stopped, started again, and at... an unprecedented speed!

"Alas! I actually don’t want to use this thing."

Depended upon by everyone in the crisis, he didn’t know whether to be pleased with his growth or lament the lack of talented subordinates.

Honestly speaking, the firepower and personnel configuration of the "Storm Horn" were already strong. Among the trio of Extraordinaries were an Official Wizard and a Wizard Apprentice, a combination truly unmatched among Level 4 ships.

But even such a lineup couldn’t withstand the frequent encounters with these extraordinary surprises!

If it were another conventional battleship here, even if it were a Level 1 or Level 2 battleship without corresponding Extraordinary Power, they could only await death!

Thus, under the gaze of the entire crew, Aiven helplessly stood out again, gently sighed, and took out a piece of white silk fabric.

Acquired from the Great Pirate Basem, the [Ocean Treasure: Ghost Cloak].

Its effect is:

"Able to transform a person or even an entire ship into an ’ethereal ghost’ at night or in places without sunlight, concealing oneself while providing thirty percent Damage Immunity.

Moreover, in such a state, one won’t feel hunger, fatigue, or pain, as if time is temporarily frozen. But the cost is heavy, with one’s senses gradually fading away, nerves numbing, until eventually living becomes akin to being dead.

Warning: This process is irreversible!"

If one covets its convenience without knowing Moderation, over time, they will slowly turn into the "dried old bacon" in a tomb. Although alive, they are essentially dead.

The treasure is indeed a good one, but the side effects are truly too significant!

Even if used for a short time, it might not have a major impact, but the words "irreversible" are really quite terrifying.

Were it not for these side effects, Aiven, who owns two Ocean Treasures, would have long lent one to Uncle Gel. Especially since the primary functions of the "Mist Silver Lamp" and "Ghost Cloak" both lean towards Concealment, with some functions overlapping.

However, under the current circumstances, Aiven couldn’t care about that anymore.

"Bess, you guys escape first, try to fly further out!"

First, he called upon the Sea Birds staying on the ship to leave the "Storm Horn."

The smaller the body, the weaker its resistance to negative Status effects. Perhaps for normal people, the side effect wouldn’t be major, but it could directly claim the lives of these Sea Birds.

Goo goo goo...

Flutter flutter——

Subsequently, Aiven tied the "Ghost Cloak," which had been washed several times and scented, around his neck.

Snap——

He snapped his fingers.

The entire "Storm Horn" abruptly transformed into a ghostly phantom, disappearing from the sea surface.

The crew members on the deck felt this most starkly, and in the blink of an eye, they seemed isolated in another dimension, with everything outside stripped away.

Through a layer of ethereal barrier on the surface of the warship, looking outside, gray, black, and white complex lines formed a complete world.

The sea seemed transformed into an abstract painting, with twisted lines depicting the waves, leaving a patch of pure white;

The sky was a deep gray, like a thoroughly painted dome, indistinguishable between the sky and the clouds;

The original island became even more eerie, gray and black clusters and bunches of line fabrics, interwoven to form the shapes of rocks and soil.

It seemed not that they were isolated, but rather the entire outside world had undergone a strange "mutation," turning into a startlingly unfamiliar eerie Otherworld.

Could this be the world as seen through ghostly eyes?