Chapter 337: Dominator of the Deep Sea (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Port Xiaduoen in the dream, in the docklands.

The terrain here is, however, completely different from reality.

Just after stepping off the carriage, Aaron saw that the original buildings had been razed, and only a huge black ship near the dock remained, broken in half; the remaining half leaned against the dock, forming the main body of the "Shipwrecked Place" auction house.

Dilapidated, weird...

At the break, two rows of young, handsome men and women dressed in white shirts and black vests... stood like auction house attendants.

Aaron straightened his clothes, noticed that the "Evil Spirit" here seemed just like a living person, but didn't mind, and walked straight over.

Behind him, the carriage driver bowed respectfully to see him off, and Laya waved her little hand.

Some of them made no effort to hide their identities, while others huddled under pitch-black cloaks, filling up the small cabin.

"The atmosphere of this auction house is quite well-executed."

He put down his spoon and asked calmly, "What auction items do you have today?"

With no expression, he presented the invitation in his hand and was invited into the auction house, which was that half-section of the ship's hull.

Aaron sighed inwardly: "The deep sea?"

On the wooden wall behind the auction stage, there was a large hole, and a discarded, rusty ship anchor hung nearby.

Strangely, no one present felt stifled, as if everyone could breathe freely underwater.

Decaying decks, walls covered in algae and seashells, and the ominous and terrifying Spirituality contained within...

Tap, tap!

"'Damo'?"

Aaron picked up the rusted spoon and stirred the soup bowl, immediately scooping up an eyeball with blood-red tentacles.

For the current continental nations, the depths of the dark sea are places they can hardly reach.

Slap!

A figure in a black robe was already standing on the auction stage, having appeared from nowhere; a decaying octopus tentacle extended from beneath the robe, curled around the auction gavel, and produced a crisp strike.

And what to do in the deep sea?

The "Rancher" should also possess authority over mutation, evolution, and the like; if the ocean were treated as a testing ground, how many terrifying sea beasts would have been bred over the past thousand-plus years?

Aaron, however, had already gained some insight.

Gurgle! Gurgle!

Within this cabin, it seemed as if countless seawater had been poured in all at once; the void seemed to have turned into the seabed, with light twisting and rippling uncertainly.

Aaron was actually the first one; he chose a seat on the edge and sat down nonchalantly.

She had dull eyes, but a beautiful face, and every movement was quite polite.

Among the many presiding deities, the "Rancher" who governs June is a more evil, degenerate, and chaotic existence than the "Fallen Corona."

One group was led by a tall woman; she wore steampunk-style clothing and eyeshadow, giving off a very maverick vibe.

Finally, accompanied by countless strange howls from the deep sea, Aaron suddenly felt a surge of gloomy Spirituality.

Just as Aaron was deep in thought, two more groups of people entered the auction hall.

"So, it was the 'Rancher' playing tricks."

At this moment, the attendant who had previously led Aaron in stepped forward, lifted the silk cloth on the tray, and introduced in a sweet voice: "Lot number 1, a fragment of a figurehead from a shipwreck of the Fabri period!"

"Respected guest, the 'Shipwrecked Place' auction house is dedicated to salvaging treasures buried in the deep sea. Our auction items today include ancient spiritual relics, shipwreck documents, and the grand finale—the statue of 'Damo'!"

"A 'Mechanical Mentor'? Is it the Craftsman Brotherhood, or a Lamp Bearer from the Sunset School?"

Once, the "Alienated Offspring" it released had caused a disaster that destroyed an entire city.

More importantly, Aaron unconsciously moved his throat, smelling the sweet aroma of food.

"Yes, 'Damo' is the Dominator of the deep sea, the king of countless giant sea monsters... at the same time, it is also the 'Rancher's' most beloved offspring, and most perfect work..." the attendant said with a face full of adoration, then stopped speaking.

Behind it, a dozen male and female servants stood in a row, each holding different trays.

"In the past, Invis spent huge resources and finally opened up a shipping route to South Innis, and then there was no news of any other new routes... I originally thought the navigators of this era were too useless, but now it seems I wronged them a bit."

The attendant smiled, bowed, and backed away; not long after, she brought over a tray containing a seafood platter and thick soup.

"We only accept Spirituality here; once a guest's Spirituality is exhausted, we will extract your 'Dream'!"

But now, after being pulled into the dream, she could only helplessly become an attendant.

"With Invis's national strength, even maintaining one new route would probably be very difficult, right?"

Aaron arrived at the entrance of the auction house and saw a beautiful attendant with her hands placed on her lower abdomen, bowing gracefully: "The Shipwrecked Place welcomes your arrival, noble guest!"

Aaron even felt the other party looked familiar, as if he had seen her in a local newspaper; she should be the descendant of some noble or a socialite.

Another dozen minutes passed, and more Extraordinary individuals arrived one after another.

Around the auction stage, a dozen chairs with missing arms or legs were scattered about, giving the impression of a pirate loot-splitting meeting.

And another group of people wore uniforms, but they were not Secret Police from the Investigation Bureau, but agents from the Military Intelligence Department.

Aaron gave a mental thumbs-up and followed the attendant through a short corridor to a cabin.

Aaron asked curiously.

"If the abnormality of Xiaduoen is not controlled and continues to develop until June... it will cause a terrifying disaster; at the very least, everyone in this city won't be able to escape, right?"

Aaron listened quietly to the introduction and scanned the figurehead fragment, discovering it was a piece of pitch-black, heavy wood; having been washed by time, its original appearance could no longer be seen, but the historical aura contained within was definitely a favorite for any "Mystery Practitioner."

Both groups seemed to know something about this place; after arriving, they sat honestly, at most sizing each other up with scrutinizing gazes, but did not make a move.

It likes to herd living beings; in some religious texts, the Mortal World is the "Rancher's" pasture.

It places many weird creatures into the Mortal World to feed, grow, multiply, and be harvested...

This should have originally been a cabin or gathering place for some crew members, and it was not small in size; at this time, it had been arranged into the style of an auction stage.

Magical creatures on land might still be hunted, prevented from multiplying, or controlled to a certain extent through various means.

The onlookers were silent for a moment, and finally, someone made a bid.

A one-eyed man dressed like a pirate, using a wooden leg as his right foot, stood up and revealed a mouthful of yellowed teeth: "I bid 10 Turner!"

(End of this chapter)