Chapter 365: We Come in Peace [Part 2]
Wheeze was about to make a move when Cillin stopped it with a pat to the head. It was because the Predator’s unusual reaction had brought up a memory. He proceeded to take out one of Wheeze’s most treasured possession—a ball.
“What the meow? Why did you bring out my ball?!” Wheeze hurriedly trapped its precious between its claws. The ball was rare enough in the Mist Bodhisattva Empire, but in GAL? It was literally one of a kind. There was no way it would allow any harm to come to it.
“Let go. I’m just experimenting.”
“No way! What if blackie damages it?”
Cillin noticed that said “blackie” had grown even warier upon seeing Wheeze’s protectiveness over the ball.
Cillin tried pulling the ball out of Wheeze’s claws to no avail. So, he said, “How about this: you play with the ball right here where no harm can come to it. It looks like blackie is afraid of it probably because it instinctively recognized that it’s the skin of a thousand-year-old viper.”
Wheeze’s ears flicked once as it glanced at the teeth baring, frill flapping Predator. Then, it sent the ball sailing toward a nearby building before catching the rebound with its tail.
The Predator’s gaze followed the ball like it was affixed to it. In fact, it backed up a few steps and growled when the ball was thrown.
By now, even Lung and the others noticed that the Predator was wary of the ball. Big Rock shot Lung a meaningful look—what is that thing, boss?
Lung glanced back—I don’t know either.
While everyone was watching the Predator, Czedow had circled to the back of another building. It was at that moment a second shadow—another Predator—flashed into view.
“Uwoooo! Stop! Stop! We come in peace! Please don’t kill it or me!”
A strange cry erupted from the same direction. There was no way it belonged to Czedow.
Who is that?
Lung immediately motioned his men to take a look.
The first Predator had abandoned Cillin and rushed toward the voice as well.
Cillin was greeted by an odd sight when he made it to the scene. Czedow was currently holding a man—he didn’t look like a standard human, but he could almost be mistaken as one—by the neck. A pair of growling Predators were flanking his left and right and growling menacingly at him. A third Predator had swallowed on Czedow’s upper torso and bitten him right through the stomach. The only reason it hadn’t swallowed him whole was because Czedow had blocked it with its arm.
It was no wonder that Lung and the others were wearing strange expressions on their faces.
Meanwhile, the strange man Czedow was holding slapped the Predator’s head repeatedly while urging, “Let go! Let go already!”
The Predator let out a couple raspy noises of displeasure, but it ultimately let go and retreated to the man’s sides. Many eyes widened when they saw that Czedow’s upper torso from the head all the way to the stomach were riddled in holes. Just how many rows of teeth did a Predator have?? It looked like Czedow was caught in an iron maiden or something!
However, even more surprising was the fact that Czedow wasn’t bleeding at all. Big Rock and his colleagues could only watch in disbelief as the holes on his body shrank until they were gone completely. It was almost as if he hadn’t been turned into a bee hive a moment ago.
“Who are you?” Cillin asked.
The strange man scratched his finger-sized hair with a webbed hand and replied in an embarra.s.sed manner, “My name is Cyrea, but everyone calls me Cycy.”
The reply was short, but it revealed a lot of information.
First, the man had spoken in the common language of GAL and the dialect of Sector H. Second, his use of the word “everyone” revealed that he wasn’t alone. Third, there was a high chance that he and his companions were most likely the denizens of this underwater city, and fourth, they and the Predators were very friendly to one another.
Czedow didn’t let go, and the others were too busy arranging their thoughts. After seeing no reaction from Cillin’s group, Cyrea added in a frustrated tone, “I really didn’t do it on purpose. I just wanted to know what happened outside.”
Cillin motioned for Czedow to let Cyrea go before replying, “We come in peace as well. Please tell your companions to lower their weapons.”
Lung motioned for his men to lower their weapons. Cyrea glanced back and forth between them and Cillin, scratched his left hand a little, and tilted his head in thought for a moment before he finally waved at the buildings nearby.
Some parts of the buildings began turning transparent until they resembled windows. A number of people—like Cyrea, they all had thick hair and webbed hands—were crouching behind the windows, and they were all armed and ready to attack at a moment’s notice.
One of these aquatic people yelled, “Cycy, ask them if they are invaders without the key. If they are, then we should inform the guards to kill them all.”
Cillin’s group: “...”
Is it really alright to declare something like this out loud?
Cyrea turned back toward them and asked, “Sure! So, are you guys invaders without the key or not?”
Lung facepalmed for a moment.
Are they really intelligent beings?!
After he had recollected himself, Lung answered, “We are not invaders. We were led to this place by the key, and I have placed it inside that place.” He pointed at the hill before continuing, “I couldn’t have been able to elevate this underwater city to the seabed without it, could I? Speaking of which, were you guys living under the sea bed?”
Cyrea nodded excitedly. “That’s right! After the city first sank into the ground, it had never risen again until now!”
He then waved at the direction of the buildings again and shouted, “Hey! They definitely came over with the key!”
A door opened on the roof of the buildings after they had obtained the confirmation they needed. Most of them looked to be youngsters, and their eyes were filled with expectation for some reason.
A couple of Predators moved up to them immediately. They really were extremely friendly with each other.
Lung couldn’t help a sense of incredulity when he saw the Predators brus.h.i.+ng affectionately against the denizens and wagging their tails like pet dogs. He had always believed that a sea beast that couldn’t be tamed by a tamer was untameable by anyone else, but that not anymore.
Lung shook his head to clear his mind before turning his attention to Czedow next. He gave Czedow’s arm a curious squeeze before b.u.mping him with his elbow. “So? How does it feel to be half-swallowed by a Predator?”
Czedow thought for a second before answering, “Its mouth stinks.”
Lung: “... that sounds like quite the experience alright.”
They were just pondering what to do next when the denizens parted away to reveal an old man. He was holding a bottle that made Lung’s heart rate quicken the moment he set his gaze on it.
Could it be?
The old man ran up to them and stared for a moment. Then, he looked at Lung’s group and asked, “Are you guys here for G.o.d’s Tear?”
“Er, yes!” It was such a blunt question that it caught Lung a little off guard.
“Who wants it?”
“Me.” Lung pointed at himself.
“This is G.o.d’s Tear!” The old man immediately pa.s.sed the bottle to Lung and looked at him expectantly. “Now, drink it!”
Big Rock and the others were immediately suspicious, but they couldn’t deny feeling a strange connection to the bottle for some reason. It almost felt like they were communicating with one of their tamed sea beasts.
Big Rock wanted to inspect the content of the bottle, but Lung stopped him and said to the old man, “I heard that G.o.d’s Tear gives its consumer the power to reform a sea beast.”
“That is correct!”
“But I also heard that it doesn’t have a 100% chance to succeed.”
“That is also correct!”
“So, what happens if I fail?”
The old man replied with a kind smile on his face, “You’ll die.”
Lung: “...”