「Ding! High-energy biological magnetic field detected! Judged to be a fifth-level powerhouse! Subject, please be cautious!」
At that moment, the Chip suddenly popped up a notification window, startling Leilin slightly.
「Looks like I can't leave even if I wanted to now!」A strange smile curled at the corner of Leilin's lips, though on the surface he put on an expression of complete ignorance. After saying goodbye to Belinda, he turned to leave.
「Wait! He cannot leave!」
Just as Leilin was about to depart, a massive wave of soul force rippled outward, carrying astonishing intensity and will.
A transparent figure gradually emerged from the sea surface. The strange, transparent distortion enveloping its body slowly dissipated, revealing an enormous Evil Eye.
This Evil Eye was different from the Geger Leilin had encountered before. It possessed three massive vertical eyes of varying designs and even differing sizes, arranged in a strange triangular formation, with several thick, fleshy pink tubes connecting them. Pure white tentacles hung straight down to the ground, serving as the Evil Eye's legs.
And a sense of ancient, formidable power radiated continuously from the creature.
「This Evil Eye is probably an Elder Evil Eye in the extreme old age stage!」Leilin evaluated silently.
Adult Evil Eyes possessed strength equivalent to ordinary third-level Wizards, while these extreme-old-age Elder Evil Eyes often wielded power at the Morning Star level.
This particular Elder was even more special, because beyond its racial strength, it was also a powerful ritualist! The impartial force of judgment flowed ceaselessly from its body, making Leilin narrow his eyes slightly.
「Could this Evil Eye be the leader Belinda mentioned earlier? In that case, doesn't its ritualist rank amount to the fifth level?」
A fifth-level ritualist's status granted this Elder Evil Eye strength no less than an ordinary Radiant Moon-level Wizard. What was even more terrifying was that because the creature's body was thoroughly branded with the power of the Eye of Judgment, even the Chip could not scan its specific data.
「Greetings, Lord Beikelake!」Belinda knelt down respectfully, and at the same time tugged at the hem of Leilin's clothes.
「Greetings, Lord Beikelake.」
Leilin merely offered a slight bow, putting on an air of arrogance that drew a flicker of displeasure in the Elder Evil Eye's massive vertical pupil.
It turned its gaze toward Belinda, and a tremendous soul fluctuation carried a wave of furious emotion, heavy with reproach: 「Belinda! Your actions today have truly tarnished the glory of our Lord! Both the fall of the Iyas Port outpost and your reckless behavior just now are proof of this!」
「Lord Beikelake!」Though still kneeling, Belinda straightened her back: 「I accept responsibility for the fall of Iyas Port, but letting Nick leave was perfectly reasonable. He may not be a follower of the Lord of Order, but he is a descendant of the Mother of Sovereignty…」
「And your own kin!」the Elder Evil Eye added coldly: 「Belinda, I warned you long ago not to show too much goodwill toward your mixed-blood kin, or you would only bring disaster upon yourself!」
「Lord Beikelake, I can vouch for Nick — he is on our side. At the port, he even helped me…」
Seeing a red glow flash in Beikelake's eyes, Belinda gritted her teeth and pledged firmly.
「Fine! I'll grant you this request! Heh heh… Let's hope fortune continues to smile upon you. Otherwise, my collection will need to gain a pair of crimson vertical pupils!」
Beikelake then twisted its body around and turned to look at Leilin: 「Oh! No — that would be two pairs!」
Being threatened by a fifth-level powerhouse, coupled with the earlier mockery and distrust, an ordinary person would have been either consumed with rage or paralyzed with fear.
Leilin, of course, was nothing of the sort. Though on the surface he wore the expression of an indignant man flushed with anger, inside he was analyzing with perfect calm: 「The speed at which it appeared here is far too fast — which means it was already nearby. It's likely the overall commander of this operation, while Belinda is the person in charge of the Iyas Port sector…」
As Beikelake and Belinda conversed, a massive number of sea folk — merfolk, octopodes, and vicious sharkmen — surfaced from the ocean in dense ranks. They wore specially crafted leather armor and carried spears, cleavers, and other weapons. There were even dedicated spellcasters wielding staves, all arranged orderly into columns, forming a vast army arrayed behind Beikelake.
「Children of the Lord of Order! The evil forces of chaos have seized Iyas Port and even slaughtered the faithful followers of our Lord, committing unspeakable atrocities! What must we do!」
The Elder Evil Eye turned around, its massive soul fluctuations radiating outward in all directions.
「Destroy them!」「Punish them!」「Burn them all!」
Countless sea folk raised their weapons and roared in unison.
「Excellent! You are all devout followers of our Lord!」The Elder Evil Eye's vertical pupils seemed to brim with red veins: 「Now I give the order — mobilize all forces! Target: Iyas Port!」
「Hurrah!」「Hurrah!」「Hurrah!」「Hurrah!」
The thunderous battle cries of the sea folk were powerful enough to scatter the dark clouds in the sky.