Eldritch Horror Theatre

In all fairness, this newly emerged voice possessed poorer singing technique than the fishmen.

Yet the moment it rang out, it seemed to carry the authority of a suona. The decadent melodies spilling from the fishmen's mouths instantly waned in intensity.

Even their frantic pursuit seemed to falter.

"What is that? The fishmen seem afraid of it."

Lane, who had just been displeased by Fu Qian's suggestion to rest, instantly perked up.

"It certainly looks that way."

Fu Qian, in an equally good mood, voiced his agreement.

"I've heard an old saying. All things in nature keep each other in check; wherever a venomous beast lurks, its antidote can be found within seven paces."

"With so many fishmen gathered, it isn't surprising that their natural predator is here too."

The listening onlookers bore conflicted expressions, but their confusion was quickly washed away by the welcome turn of events before their eyes.

"We still don't have the slightest clue how to leave, and we've burned through a lot of energy. Shouldn't we head in that direction and take advantage of the voice suppressing the fishmen to rest for a bit?"

Lane pondered for a moment before turning to the group with the proposal.

In a moment of crisis, this willingness to pool everyone's ideas struck the perfect chord.

But upon careful thought, it really didn't mean much.

Aside from a select few lunatics, no one on the ship wanted to continue fleeing for their lives like this.

"I know this thing might not be friendly, but as long as it's hostile toward the fishmen, it should give us plenty of opportunities to relieve the pressure on us."

"That sounds very reasonable."

Surprisingly, even the worrisome lunatic actually agreed this time.

His tone of agreement even sounded entirely sincere.

"...Then it's settled."

Given the man's earlier behavior, this agreeable stance actually left them feeling a bit uneasy. Still, Lane gritted his teeth and made the final call.

...

"They really do seem a bit afraid."

A moment later, Rachel, who had been staring intently at the stern, finally spoke up with irrepressible excitement.

Her tone perfectly captured the mood of the rest of the crew.

Sprinting at high speed in their new direction, they had left the rainstorm zone and risked passing through more than one patch of fragmented sea.

Fortunately, even without testing the waters with the Harmonica beforehand, they still hadn't encountered any lurking monsters.

The voice that intimidated the fishmen, while not continuous, rang out from time to time, sounding closer and closer.

Although the pursuing fishmen still hadn't given up, their speed had noticeably slowed.

"Does Mister Fang think we should get a bit closer? Or should we just circle around this area?"

In an excellent mood, Lane looked at Fu Qian with a smile and asked for his opinion.

...

Does he think I'm in a rush while they aren't, and he's finally found a bit of a relative advantage?

Fu Qian shook his head inwardly.

It was no wonder he could command a group of cutthroats. Lane was indeed a ruthless character. The moment he realized he held a slight advantage, he instantly decided that to resist external threats one must first pacify internal troubles.

After all, everyone's previous actions were nakedly self-serving, and up to this point, Fu Qian had not suffered any losses.

If this continued, the disparity in their strength would only widen.

Lane certainly wouldn't mind tossing him out as cannon fodder once he secured an absolute advantage. Therefore, Fu Qian decided he couldn't afford to mind doing the same.

"I suggest we don't stop. Continue advancing at full speed."

Glancing at Rachel, whose face was looking rather grave, Fu Qian broke his usual pattern and gave a completely direct piece of advice.

"That doesn't sound like your style, does it?"

Before Lane could respond, one of the team members sneered.

"I thought you would suggest stopping to play another tune on the Harmonica."

It was an obvious jab at Fu Qian's previously overcautious advice.

And judging by the reactions of the surrounding crew, he wasn't the only one thinking it.

After all, even though the fishmen were strong, this team could clearly handle a few isolated ambushes if it came down to it.

Testing the waters not only wasted time, but without the Harmonica earlier, the fishmen might not have closed the distance so quickly. No matter how they looked at it, the move had completely backfired.

Studying the fierce-faced team member, Fu Qian tried to put himself in the man's shoes for a moment, then nodded.

"It was merely a suggestion. You are free to stay here; after all, the weather is quite pleasant right now."

He wasn't exaggerating. The patch of sea they were currently in was worlds apart from the previous storm zone. Not only was the sun peeking through the clouds, but even the breeze was remarkably gentle.

"It really is good weather."

Under Fu Qian's gaze, his demeanor might have seemed mild, but the memory of his earlier slaughter flashed uncontrollably through the fierce-faced man's mind.

Even though he perfectly understood what Lane was trying to do, he didn't want to face this murderous god's potential wrath alone. The fierce-faced member subconsciously shrank back.

However, not wanting to appear weak, he casually strolled over to the ship's rail and looked out over the water, adopting the posture of someone admiring the view.

"I wouldn't mind drifting around here for a while at all."

"The fishmen don't seem to have completely given up yet. Just to be safe, let's slow our pace and keep moving forward for a bit."

Lane's tone left no room for discussion. As he spoke, the ship visibly slowed down.

Rachel's face instantly darkened.

Ah—!

Yet in the very next second, a bloodcurdling scream briefly drowned out the suona-like authority of the voice.

A giant Spike several meters long burst straight through the fierce-faced man's chest from behind.

Its exaggerated length, coupled with the spray of fresh blood, made him look like a piece of meat on a giant skewer.

The attack came without warning. Before the others could react, the fierce-faced man was hoisted into the air by the Spike and dragged backward into a giant maw that had breached the surface of the water.

And on that massive, stingray-like head, there were over a dozen identical maws.

How could this...

The sudden appearance of such a monstrosity in these peaceful waters was nothing short of shocking.

"Watch out!"

Fortunately, Lane was incredibly experienced. He immediately abandoned any thought of a rescue and abruptly accelerated the ship.

However, accelerating a ship still took time. A moment later, several more miserable screams rang out. From the nest of maws on the head breaching the water's surface, several more Spikes shot forth, each skewering another victim.

It was obvious that the crew members had tried their best to dodge and defend themselves after Lane's warning, but the armor-piercing power of those Spikes was truly terrifying. Every defensive measure they deployed was rendered completely useless.

Even after swallowing its prey whole, the monster refused to let the rest go. It relentlessly tailed the ship, its Spikes thrashing and spraying a foul green slime. Wherever the slime touched the hull, the wood rapidly corroded.

That was just bad manners.

In this critical moment, Fu Qian finally stood up, his eyes locking onto the ferocious, monstrous head.

Leaving after you've had your meal—that is basic politeness.

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