Chapter 2162: A New Blessing

The deity raised his right hand, and a colorful bubble slowly emerged. The deity smiled as he watched the bubble; even the darkness could not suppress the colors of this strange creation representing the "dreams of childhood":

"I once promised you that I would give this to you once you found the truth. Now, it is yours."

The bubble slowly flew toward Xia De and entered his chest.

After a second, "She" said gently:

【Newborn children do not know that a naive childhood is the happiest time of their lives. When looking back at their beginnings from the other end of life, who knows how many will smile, how many will weep, and how many will long to return to that bittersweet age with only a few worries.】

【Outlander, you have felt a "miracle."】

【Outlander, you have obtained a new blessing - Childhood Dream. When you fall into a dream, the power of beauty and innocence will help you overcome difficulties.】

Although the blessing was somewhat vague, since it was a permanent blessing in a constant state, Xia De liked it very much.

"Thank you for your help."

He bowed to the deity in thanks, and the deity pointed to the pitch-black, undulating sea:

"Perform the final fishing. The direction to leave is above. I will use a ray of light to guide you. Fly upward, and take them to touch that ray of light."

Xia De thanked him again and took Miss Elether's hand, telling her not to hide behind him:

"Deity, you have saved this newborn child. May I ask if you are willing to let her become your believer?"

The witches naturally understood what Xia De meant, and the somewhat naive blue-eyed girl was surprised but did not refute Xia De's idea.

The deity, who looked like a child, maintained his smile:

"I do not forbid anyone from believing in me, nor do I oppose anyone praying to me, just as the three ladies behind you once did in their childhood... This is the freedom of mortals."

Even though Miss Elether did not understand the significance of doing so, after Xia De squeezed her palm, she still said to the deity with restraint:

"I am willing to believe in you... Thank you for waking me from the dark, dreamless world."

"You have more than me to thank. May you also become the final ark of this dark world."

The deity sent his blessing and signaled to Xia De that he could begin the final fishing.

Xia De then bent down to pick up the thin fishing rod and looked at all the girls beside him. Miss Theresa with her blonde hair, Miss Maxim the maid, Professor Evans with her slight gray hair, and Miss Elether with her black hair—all four reached out their hands, grabbed the rod together with Xia De, and after Xia De nodded, they stood straight on the floating board. Under the black, oppressive sky, they cast the hook toward the turbulent sea.

The "plop" of the hook hitting the water was completely drowned out by the wind and rain, but the massive force that subsequently came from the ocean almost caused the five of them to fall into the sea.

Thick steam fog appeared above the heads of the five. The humming of bells and the sound of steam whistles finally suppressed the wind and rain for the first time. In the steam fog, the twelfth, eleventh, and tenth-tier golden stairs extended layer by layer toward the rear-left, directly behind, and rear-right, reaching higher behind them. The strange golden luster seemed to break through the limits of the "lightless" world, and in the direction the stairs extended, three brass-colored rings appeared, spinning rapidly, and were then pierced in sequence by the three golden stairs.

The three life rings collided and rubbed against each other while spinning, creating sparks. At the end of the three golden stairs, in the thickest part of the steam fog, a massive seven-ring life ring covered in golden cracks was simultaneously pierced by the three golden stairs, as if those stairs were the destination of Xia De's life ring.

The light emitted by the golden stairs and the life rings finally illuminated everything on the floating board for the first time. The power erupted by the five people casting spells together was also gradually shaking the massive force coming from the seabed.

Finally, as the light above their heads grew brighter and the five retreated bit by bit, the fishing line rose from the sea inch by inch, until the highest mast finally revealed itself from the pitch-black sea.

"Everyone, pull together! It's coming out!"

Accompanied by Xia De's voice, the five pulled backward with all their might. At this moment, the fishing line, which hadn't been very long, seemed to be infinitely extended. After the mast and the massive chimney gradually emerged, the dark shadow of the deck finally appeared under the water.

Strange, rumbling sounds continued to erupt from the seabed, and in the pitch-black sky that had been completely devoid of light, several black lightning bolts suddenly streaked across. The rain grew heavier, and the entire lightless world seemed to be trembling because of their actions.

Xia De was already regretting not turning Little Mia back into a toy beforehand. But now he couldn't spare a hand. While the "Power of the Red Dragon" was pushed to its limit, he felt as if he were squeezing every inch of muscle and every bone in his body to generate power.

Finally, the massive cruise ship *Glorious Messenger*, which had sunk in the lightless sea, emerged completely from the ocean. The entire ship was intact. When that behemoth floated beside the tiny floating board, it was like an ant standing beside a mountain. And when the ship tilted toward the floating board with the surging waves, even Professor Evans wanted to flee immediately.

The majesty of the cruise ship needed no further description; the upright masts, the chimneys belching black smoke, the tall hull, and the dense layers of portholes said it all. It is worth mentioning that this strange cruise ship seemed alive at this moment; the surface of the hull was covered with fine dragon scale marks, and on both sides of the deck, there were clearly a pair of massive, curled-up wings.

"There weren't these on the ship originally."

The panting Professor Evans explained. Xia De nodded and looked at Miss Elether. The blue-eyed girl closed her eyes, and after her false body disintegrated into seawater, her soul turned into a ray of light and entered the massive cruise ship.

*Aung~*

A cry that almost stopped Xia De's heart came from the deeper parts of the ocean, and then the pitch-black seawater, which had already been surging, began to vibrate as if it were boiling.

Accompanied by the first tentacle, which was like a pillar reaching to the heavens and impossible to look at clearly or carefully, rising from the sea, everyone understood that the evil entity of the deep sea that had also arrived in this sea area—the Seven-Tailed Player—had awakened.

Dense, swollen human hands finally reached out from the seabed at this moment. Driven by the power of the evil entity, thousands of swollen hands slapped the pitch-black sea surface, and the chaotic sounds actually formed a pleasant tune amidst the wind and rain.

"Cover your ears, hurry!"

Professor Evans shouted loudly, grabbing Miss Theresa with her left hand and Miss Maxim with her right. After noticing Xia De's hand on her shoulder, the four of them turned into a ray of light that wasn't dazzling and flew toward the deck of the giant cruise ship, leaving only the deity who had picked up the fishing rod sitting on the floating board, watching them in the faint light of the campfire.

At this time, the rocking sea surface had caused the *Glorious Messenger* itself to sway even more violently. After the witches and Xia De stood firm on the deck, Miss Elether's figure appeared before them as if out of thin air:

"Please help me defend against attacks from below. Stand firm, we are leaving!"

Accompanied by the wings on both sides of the ship unfolding into massive blue dragon wings, the cruise ship lifted off the water and flew toward the sky without warning.

Professor Evans didn't hesitate to raise her hands and shout spells. A golden protective shield emitting flowing light instantly enveloped the top of the cruise ship, and then it was met by three black thunderbolts striking down from the dark sky.

Amidst the rumbling sounds, although the professor's shield wasn't broken, the *Glorious Messenger*, which had been flying steadily, began to sway violently. At the same time, thin tentacles ejected from below, invisible from everyone's perspective, climbed onto the deck in the rain, firmly sucking onto the ship and attempting to pull the entire vessel back down.

"Miss, Mr. Hamilton, hurry and cut them!"

Miss Maxim said hurriedly. After a golden greatsword appeared in her hands, the maid performed a jumping slash, cutting one-third of the tentacle. This strange art was clearly the "Sunlight Greatsword."

Miss Theresa didn't step forward but instead chanted and summoned a large book with a verdant color from the void; this was a type of spiritual weapon. Accompanied by the incantations she chanted, various positive buffs were continuously added to the witches and Xia De.

No one withdrew their golden stairs or life rings. As the three high-tier witches cast their spells, the light erupting on the deck was almost blinding.

But this was still not enough. The speed at which the tentacles appeared below and the speed of the lightning strikes from the sky far exceeded the limits of everyone's defense. After another "rumbling" sound, it was as if a cannonball from the ocean hit the starboard side of the cruise ship. Miss Elether, who was struggling to control the ship's flight on the deck, groaned, and the ship began to tilt and fall downward.

"Oh no!"

"I'll protect the underside, Miss Elether, fly upward quickly!"

Xia De withdrew the Moonlight Greatsword in his hand and stopped paying attention to the tentacles at the edge of the deck. As he spoke, he forcibly turned Little Mia into a toy, and then, ignoring Miss Theresa's obstruction, he jumped directly from the deck toward the pitch-black sea surface covered in swollen human hands.

And in the next second, brilliant silver moonlight rose from beneath the ship. Before the witches could react, a heaven-shaking dragon roar drowned out the increasingly loud singing of the evil entity.

*Aung~*

With wings flapping, first a glowing dragon head, and then a giant dragon radiating soft moonlight, appeared beside the *Glorious Messenger*. Not only Miss Theresa, Miss Maxim, and Miss Elether, but even the well-informed Professor Evans was stunned:

"Dragon Transformation? Wait, what breed of dragon is this?" ===== CHAPTER 2163 =====