Alka's clone shattered amidst the monsters' assault. Outside, Alka opened his eyes and gazed into the nearby mirror.
Sofia and the other two were also watching.
Alka's clone in the mirror had already been shattered, and the two twisted, humanoid monsters of flesh and blood clearly possessed normal human intelligence.
After Alka's clones shattered, they seemed to be communicating with each other. However, they didn't speak, simply staring at each other, likely using something other than verbal communication.
They stood there, conversing for a moment, before each of them separated and merged back into their flesh and blood.
Observing this scene,
The three turned to look at Alka beside them.
"These two monsters..."
"One of them is at the peak of Stage 5, and the other has already reached Stage 6."
Alka said nearby, then added, "Not only that, but if we fight them inside this den of flesh and blood, they possess exceptional concealment.
They can move freely through the surrounding flesh and blood, making them vulnerable to surprise attacks if we're not careful."
After hearing Alka's brief summary, the three nodded.
"Although our operation was fruitful, we've likely alerted the enemy, given that we've penetrated deep within their territory," Pororo said.
Sofia also nodded. "Perhaps they're already thinking of ways to enable these flesh and blood monsters to break your invisibility."
"This information is very useful. Let's leave for now," Alka said.
In any case, we definitely can't stay here any longer. There's no point.
Because it's very likely that the tunnel they just opened has been moved.
After all, the flesh looked quite free.
They remained invisible on the way back, and the flesh monsters still didn't notice them. Soon they returned to the temporary camp at the harbor.
Looking at the fresh corpses in the camp, it was clear that new monsters had arrived.
Watching the soldiers in the camp either collecting the cut pieces of flesh or throwing them away, it seemed they knew the monsters would come to recycle them.
They could also see that the camp was being set up, clearly indicating they would be staying a while longer.
As soon as the three arrived at the camp, they saw Matlisa Simon, Anris, and the two members of the Spell Council he had brought with him.
They were gathered together, still dissecting new monster corpses.
The original one had been thrown aside, cut into pieces and looking extremely miserable.
The one being dissected was the most deformed of the monsters.
Seeing Alka and the others return, Jason walked over and asked, "You've been away for so long, it looks like you've gained something."
Alka nodded, "A little, actually."
Then he looked at Matresa and the others and asked, "How was it? Did they gain anything?"
"Yes, according to their autopsy analysis, these monsters aren't held together by ordinary magic or spells.
In addition to the effects of some treasures, there's also something akin to divine power."
"Divine power?" Alka asked.
Jason nodded, "After all, it was the work of the followers of the evil god.
But what's interesting is that the evil god's power generally doesn't take effect so easily in the Infinite Sea. They were surprised by how smoothly it took effect."
Alka didn't know much about this, so he could only nod casually.
Waiting for them to finish the autopsy, they seemed to have reached some conclusions.
He then waved his hand, ordering the surrounding soldiers to destroy the bodies. Clearly, they were no longer planning to dissect them; their interest was already piqued.
Seeing this, Alka stepped forward and said, "Let's gather the intelligence now."
Hearing this, it was clear that Alka had obtained some important information, and Anris nodded.
"We accidentally discovered a vascular channel leading to the interior of this giant mass of flesh and blood. I followed him inside and discovered a cavity similar to that for storing organs.
Those flesh puppets, likely controlled by the mother, dumped the collected flesh and blood into something resembling a stomach digestive system.
In the cavity, we found what looked like organs. Most importantly, I was attacked by intelligent flesh puppets, powerful indeed.
A fifth-stage perfected one and a sixth-stage beginner."
Hearing this, Anris's eyes widened.
How long had they been separated?
Isn't it a bit too soon for Alka and the others to get this much information?
Without waiting for their question, Alka continued on. A mirror appeared before him, and then, like a screen, images began playing.
Everyone's attention was riveted on the scene.
The scene showed Alka entering the pipe, following the flesh puppets deeper inside.
They watched as Alka recorded everything within the chamber, and finally, it shattered under the siege.
"From this image, this giant flesh structure seems more like a building than a living thing," Simon remarked.
Everyone nodded.
It certainly gave them that feeling.
The massive chamber inside was like a functioning factory.
Anris frowned beside them and couldn't help but say, "What I'm more concerned about is whether those two flesh-and-blood monsters were transformed from humans, or whether they were synthesized by these monsters themselves?"
"If it's the former, it's fine. But if it's the latter..." At this point, he couldn't help but shake his head. The consequences were simply unimaginable.
Hearing this, Alka said, "During the battle, I didn't sense any trace of them using any treasures.
They seemed to be fighting solely with their physical bodies, which had reached this stage of strength."
Otherwise, Alka wouldn't have been able to hold out for so long against the two monsters. After all, it was just an ordinary mirror clone.
To be honest, it wasn't as powerful as Alka's dream clone. After all, Alka's dream clone could completely replicate his body, but it needed to exchange it with his real body.
Without the fifth and sixth stages of treasures, it was unclear whether this was good news or bad news.
However, Alka's own perception suggested that those monsters were more likely transformed from humans.
The transformation might have given humans greater physical strength.
This was Alka's conclusion based on his own observations.
They exchanged ideas for a moment.
Alka came over with Lucelia on his shoulder.
Then he quietly said, "Lucelia, please help me find any of the gods from the Golden Age who might be connected to this flesh and blood."
Hearing this, Lucelia looked at him. "Are you suggesting that the god these people worship might be a fallen god about to be resurrected?"
Alka shook his head, then nodded. "No, I do suspect the gods of the Golden Age. But I don't suspect those gods who have fallen or are about to be resurrected. I suspect those who are watching us from the heavens right now."
"Watching us?" Lucelia's eyes widened at this.
Because she instantly recalled the conversation Alka and the others had had some time ago.
‐ That was when the Moonlight Goddess appeared on their deck.
‐ From that moment on, they knew the once-traitorous gods had likely returned, filled with malicious intent.
‐ They would, in the sky, draw upon their past knowledge and familiarity with this world. The powers they had forcibly seized from this world would begin to influence it, adding to its chaos.
‐ They wanted to wipe it out once again, more completely.
‐ "Just now, when I entered the Flesh Nest, I noted down the powers used by the two monsters. After comparing them, I found that they matched perfectly with the power used by one of the gods I had seen in the sky earlier."
‐ Of course, there were still suspicions based on what Jason had just said.
‐ If it were an evil god, its power wouldn't be unimpeded in this world, wielding it so smoothly.
‐ Hearing this, Lucilia understood completely and nodded.
Then, a spatial rift appeared nearby, leading to a smaller world. Lucelia slipped through.
She landed directly inside the library.
The library looked much the same as before.
Ghosts of various scholars wandered the library, flipping through various books and conversing with one another.
Around the library, ghostly knights on warhorses could be seen patrolling the space, piercing through walls and bookcases.
A female ghost sat at the front of a tall knight's warhorse, cradling a book, riding alongside him, intently reading.
Lucelia quickly reached a specific book and retrieved it.
"The Catalog of the Betrayer"
As the name suggests, this book was written by the remaining members of the Saviors, who were still focused on repairing the world after its destruction.
It contained a catalog of the various gods who had betrayed the world, discovered during the War of Gods. Of course, there were certainly some that hadn't been discovered, but they had discovered almost everything.
It contained a brief introduction to each god's worldly power and actions.
If you're specifically searching for rebellious gods, this is the perfect catalog. Find the name, and then, based on the name and deeds, unravel the mystery.
Lucille quickly immersed herself in her reading.
Outside.
Sofia glanced over Alka's shoulder, then around, but didn't see Lucelia. He asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Where's Lucelia?"
"I asked her to go to the library to find something for me."
Sofia nodded in understanding. Clearly, Alka had discovered something.
At this time, Anris came over and said, "I'm going to lead the team to see what's happening underwater with these tentacles spreading out."
Hearing this, Alka nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "Pororo, Matresa, Julia, the three of you come with us."
The three nodded.
This kind of thing was indeed very suitable for them.
Then they followed Anris onto their ship.
As for Alka and the others, of course, they had to stay in the camp. With the camp established, they had to stay here and also leave a ship here.
…
They had already been here for two days.
In those two days, they had basically explored the island thoroughly.
Sofia even drew a map of the island.
But the map didn't show anything beyond the white dot of light.
Alka looked at the map.
In addition to their location, the map also showed the precise outline of the flesh and blood, even its various features were precisely marked.
For the past two days, Sofia had been observing the flesh and blood while cloaked in invisibility. He even deployed some flesh puppets, scattering their flesh and blood in various locations.
Based on this information, they located the pipes leading to the interior, discovering three in total.
However, this time, Alka did not enter in person, but instead used a mirror fragment to control the process remotely.
They discovered that each chamber was located in a different location and was not connected, indicating that there were multiple such digestive chambers.
One of these digestive chambers was connected to the tentacles on the seashore. This one was larger than the others and was constantly operating.
Besides the blood that originally belonged to it, Alka and his companions also discovered a constant flow of fish meat brought from the ocean and dumped into the digestive tank.
This means that the reason this flesh and blood is constantly expanding is that it's all sourced from deep-sea fish.
Indeed, compared to the creatures and humans on the island, the various sea fish of the ocean are incredibly powerful, capable of boosting their strength purely through magical and physical strength.
However, their combat effectiveness after this boost isn't very high. Their vitality concentration is high, and their numbers are countless.
It's indeed a very good source of flesh and blood.
Remember, this is the Infinite Ocean, a world of oceans.
Bororo and the other two, who accompanied Anris on their reconnaissance, also brought back more information.
For example, within the waters, the flesh and blood monsters dangled at least hundreds of tentacles. These tentacles released different types of flesh and blood bait for catching, and each catch yielded a variety of powerful sea fish.
Bororo even witnessed a sea monster with a fifth-stage magical power concentration being completely bound and devoured alive. Compared to their apparent calmness, the rapid predation within the sea was the true path of these flesh and blood's expansion.
After careful observation, all of these actions didn't seem instinctive. Clearly, some being or intelligent being within this flesh and blood was meticulously controlling it.
At this moment, Alka and the others had gathered in the captain's cabin.
Lucelia was standing at the table, speaking to the others.
"Based on my investigation, the evil deity they worship is probably a deity from the Golden Age.
Olerunis—the God of Rebirth."
"The God of Rebirth?" Jason repeated with a puzzled expression.
He was more than just puzzled. He couldn't help but stand up and point at the mass of flesh and blood outside the window, which occupied half the island. He said, "I really can't figure out where that thing was born."
Honestly, a name like Flesh Twist or Flesh Disaster might be more appropriate for this deity.
Hearing this, Lucilia shrugged helplessly. "No matter his appearance, at least in the Golden Age, he was indeed called that.
And the power he displayed was the control of flesh and blood. In that era, he would use this manipulation to restore the defects of his followers, and even add useful extra limbs.
Just like those flesh monsters, with an extra eye, an extra pair of ears, and so on."
Hearing this, everyone probably had a rough idea in mind.
The so-called rebirth might be similar to physical rebirth. After all, this god can precisely control the flesh. And real life is carried by the body.
"According to records, during the war, this hostile god also used this flesh and blood method to quickly create cheap cannon fodder."
He created most of the cannon fodder, and their appearance was somewhat similar to the flesh monsters we've seen.
However, judging by the illustrations in the book, they're more like the kind Alka encountered.
Then a book appeared in her hand, likely borrowed from the library.
"Decoding the Mystery of Flesh and Blood."
"This book specifically researches and deciphers this deity, and was written by the Crystal Dragon King himself at the time.
Most importantly, it emphasizes that much of the information in it was sourced from the Holy Mother."
As she spoke, she flipped open the book and pointed to the signature below.
The signature was the Crystal Dragon King's abbreviated name.
After all, dragon names are long, so writing them down wouldn't require a book; just the name would suffice.
"According to what's said above, these flesh and blood couldn't have appeared out of thin air." They all have a medium, meaning that other flesh and blood must coalesce before new flesh and blood can be created.
Flesh monsters are divided into two types. One is soulless, controlled by the Matrix.
The other is his followers, transformed and strengthened by the Matrix.
And these island-like tumors are the Flesh Nests."
At this point, she looked at the crowd.
It was clear enough without further explanation.
The so-called first type, the flesh monsters that constantly wander the islands, lack intelligence. They only attack frantically when their instincts are triggered by the sight of an enemy.
The other type is incredibly powerful, the kind Alka encountered in the Flesh Nest.
This type is indeed transformed from a normal intelligent life form.
"This even illustrates the weaknesses of these flesh and blood monsters. It's difficult for these monsters to possess overly unusual powers." All powers and attack methods derive from flesh and blood. Unless a believer is a divine being themselves, they cannot even control the power of the rules, no matter how much power they weaken.
"That's why the book concludes later that most creations are soulless shells. Simple, automated killing tools, and the enhancements given to believers simply enhance their physical abilities.
This physical enhancement grants these monsters the ability to instinctively control their own flesh and blood, but they lose some of the ability to use spells through magic.
Among the gods and their powerful believers, they are ultimately cannon fodder, mere annoyances.
They possess a powerful killing power only against those mortal tribes unwilling to worship the gods."
Hearing this, everyone fell silent, pondering this information.