I planted a sacred tree in Tokyo.

Chapter 539: Not Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 539: Not Leveling Up Alone
"Gurgle?"

"It's too late to be afraid now!!"

In the twisted ruins, a laughing prisoner punches the 'Deep One' in front of him, knocking him down.
Fists the size of casserole dishes rained down, brutally shattering the 'Deep Diver's' scales and sending flesh flying everywhere.

With each powerful punch, the 'Deep One', its skin torn and bleeding, collapsed into a pool of blood. Even in death, it couldn't understand why this human possessed the aura of its kind, and even had the same power as the 'Deep Ones'.

This unscientific!

That's right, the world of deep-sea divers is based on science.

Unfortunately, 'science' couldn't save him, just as his strength was no match for this human.
“Hahaha~~!!”

Bang!Bang!Bang!
The fists continued to fall, one after another, until the poor 'Deep Diver's' head was violently crushed into the soil, leaving only its human-like body twitching.

"Hey, Audero, stop whipping the corpse."

It wasn't until a prisoner came over and reminded him that the prisoner named 'Audero' stood up.

"Fighting is fun!"

Shit, you're the one having fun, not us!

The other prisoners cursed inwardly. The grief they once felt for Odero's near-death experience was long gone; now they felt only envy, jealousy, and hatred: they wished they could take his place.

Fuck you, that's superhuman power!

It's no wonder the other prisoners have this mentality; in this extraordinary age, money is nothing but soft sand, power is nothing but fragile marble, and only extraordinary power is eternal.

Just like now, Luigi, the shadow 'Taylor', and this Odero formed a triangular formation, forcefully scattering more than a dozen 'Deep Ones'; the remaining prisoners were thrilled to see this—unfortunately, with their tattered power armor, they could only play the role of the vulnerable 'princess' being protected.

"Be careful not to be overwhelmed by the power,"

One of the prisoners gave Audrey a sour look.

"The boss said that the power obtained in this way will retain a part of the original owner's consciousness."

"Hahaha, let him come!"

However, the spirited prisoner Audero, now immersed in his own 'powerful' strength, how could he possibly be afraid of this?
"If I can destroy a living 'Deep Diver,' why would I be afraid of a ghost after death?"

joke!

The appearance of 'ghosts' in island nations is nothing new.
The whole world knows that those 'ghosts' are the lingering echoes of souls after death; while they are immune to physical damage, they can be hurt by 'heroic' emotions.

"I feel incredibly strong right now!!"

The prisoner named Audero bent his arms and made a bodybuilding gesture, his bulging muscles gleaming with a cold light.

This is his ability, 'Phantom Scales,' hidden on his skin like an invisible suit of scales, which can also deflect certain attacks: the power of the 'Deep Diver.'

For the 'overconfident' Audero,
Luigi, who had finished his fight on the other side, glanced at it but didn't say anything.

To save Audero, he used the knowledge of the 'Desecrating Slate' in his mind to create a 'supernatural ability' for him to take.

In this way, Audero immediately possessed all the abilities of a 'Deep One'; a fatal wound that would be deadly to a human was not so lethal to a transcendent being. But behind all this—

"Every gift of fate comes with a hidden price."

Luigi muttered to himself in a low voice.
This quote comes from Stefan Zweig's novel *Marie Antoinette*. It refers to the famous Queen of France, who famously asked, "If ordinary people can't afford bread, why don't they eat cake?"

The moment she was born, it was decided that she would enjoy wealth and luxury, and ultimately:
He was led to the guillotine.

Luigi lowered his eyes. Besides being subject to mental interference from the 'original owner', this method of obtaining extraordinary power had an even greater hidden danger!

"Boss, look at these Deep One corpses, aren't they..."

A prisoner rubbed his hands together and approached, his face full of obsequiousness.

His meaning was clear: he wanted Luigi to turn these 'Deep Divers' into those swim bladders.

Then they ate it, instantly becoming superhumans, punching the Deep Ones and kicking the 'Shadow Men,' and after they fought their way out, they also slaughtered those 'Cult' guys.
"Let's rest for a bit, then we'll go."

However, Luigi did not respond, much to the disappointment of the remaining prisoners.

In their view, since this 'boss' has the ability to easily turn people into superhumans, why not let them become superhumans as well?

"Ah,"

Audero gave a noncommittal chuckle.
He strode away from the distraught prisoners.

"Boss, let me clear the way!"

After saying that, the burly man walked to the front of the group, swung his arms and strode out, like a lion surveying its territory, or like some arrogant and domineering troll.

Whatever the reason, the leader granted him power, but ignored the desires of others.

This means that he is the boss's 'closest person'.

As for those guys? Hmph—

Do you even deserve to follow the boss?!
And so, with Audero leading the way, Luigi walking in the middle, and several prisoners with 'resentful' faces behind them.

The team has once again embarked on a journey away from 'R'lyeh'.

As for the shadow 'Taylor'?
He had already hidden in Luigi's shadow, using his 'spirituality' to heal his injuries.

This city is so magnificent that it can no longer be described as a 'city'. Its area is comparable to that of an island, and if you include the surrounding sea, it is no less impressive than 'Sun Island' in the north.

And because buildings and the earth are constantly moving—

That's right! The buildings in this city move on their own. They have witnessed mountains shifting and churches rising, and the terrain changes randomly at any time. This is why they haven't left yet.

With modern technology, getting 'lost' is practically impossible.
However, everything in the city has been distorted. Even though their power armor can record their movement trajectory, it is blocked by the altered terrain, and now they only have a general direction.

"If we keep going like this, when will we finally be able to leave?"

"Yes, we are just ordinary people, and our walking speed and physical strength are very limited."

The conversation between several prisoners could be heard behind him, and how could Luigi, walking in the middle, not understand the implications of their words?

but--

This is because I don't want to harm you.

Luigi sighed inwardly, focusing his attention on the fog in his mind.

The stone slab floated within the soul, or rather, the 'spiritual body,' as if it were meant to be there. However, Luigi knew very well that such a thing would never exist in the 'spiritual body' of a normal person.

Desecrating the stone slab!

The gift, or perhaps the curse, bestowed upon him by the 'Father of the Sea'.

Using the knowledge on the stone tablet, Luigi can condense the supernatural beings who died in this city into 'supernatural characteristics'.

Simply by consuming this 'extraordinary characteristic,' one can gain all the abilities of the corresponding extraordinary being—it's incredibly simple and straightforward!
However, such a convenient ability naturally comes with enormous side effects.

First, it is impossible to break through on one's own efforts.

To advance, one must hunt down a higher-ranking, specific-attribute extraordinary being and consume their 'extraordinary characteristics' to improve.

Secondly, every promotion comes with enormous risks.

Not only do the slain supernatural beings' residual wills constantly interfere with and backfire on the user; but this suddenly acquired power itself possesses formidable corrosiveness and distortion: this is easy to understand, as the 'Father of the Sea' is known for its distortion, indescribability, and unbearable nature.

Even for these prisoners,
I also know that on the battlefield in the Pacific before, the island nation's "Internet God" almost perished on the spot after just one glance at the "Father in the Sea".

Third, those who consume 'extraordinary characteristics' will also release the corresponding extraordinary characteristics upon death!
That's the scariest part.

Anyone who takes 'supernatural abilities' will become someone else's prey.

For a normal superhuman, killing a powerful enemy is not a wise move: not only does it risk injury or even death, but there is also a high probability that it will end up with nothing.

However, killing someone who has taken 'supernatural abilities' will immediately grant you all of their power, or at least most of it.

Luigi believed that if others knew this property, he, and Audero—

They will all become targets for hunting around the world!

A mobile, humanoid 'supernatural potion,' complete with various extraordinary abilities—who could refuse? Who would refuse?!

So, aside from saving Audero, he didn't create another 'supernatural ability' to prevent other prisoners from becoming targets of the hunt.

but:

"Wait a minute, Boss Luigi!"

Ever since he rescued them, the prisoners have called him Boss, and whether he admits it or not, he is the leader of this small group.

One prisoner gritted his teeth and finally chose to confront the situation.

"I can swear an oath too!"

"I am also loyal to you, and I will never hesitate to obey your orders!"

The prisoner walked toward Luigi, who had stopped, and knelt down on one knee.

"Therefore, please grant me strength!"

"Humph!"

With a cold snort, Audero, who was walking at the front, strode back.

“If the boss is willing to give it, then it’s yours; if the boss doesn’t give it, do you want to steal it?” As he spoke, the prisoner clenched his fists, cracking his knuckles, waiting for Luigi to nod before tearing his ‘comrades’ to pieces.

Ever since Luigi saved him, he and these prisoners were no longer the same kind of 'being': he was a superhuman! How dare these mere ordinary people coerce him?

court death!

"Audero, step back."

Luigi raised his hand and waved, and the muscular, bare-chested Audero immediately stood obediently behind him.

"It's not that I don't want to give you power, but that this power comes at a great cost."

Upon hearing Luigi's explanation, the prisoners' eyes lit up.

Sure, as long as you're willing to communicate, it's easy to talk.

I'm afraid the boss won't speak up.

"We don't care!"

"Boss, we don't care about any aftereffects!"

"Yes, even if I die suddenly tomorrow, at least I can survive today!"

Several prisoners started shouting, just like in the bodybuilding world of the past, where dozens of professional athletes die every year, and even more non-professionals; but everyone still uses all sorts of technology and strong drugs! To put it nicely, it's called 'adventure spirit'; to put it bluntly, it's about never giving up until death.

"you."

Faced with these excited prisoners, Luigi was momentarily speechless.

"Sorry, even if you say that—"

"Private Marseille,"

Just as Luigi was about to refuse the prisoners, a voice suddenly rang out.

Pfft

"Sacks at the bridgehead."

A large sword, as thick as a door panel, pierced through a prisoner's chest and pinned him to the ground.

? ? ! !
"watt--"

"This boy is..."

The prisoners who turned around were shocked, then enraged!
But upon seeing who it was, it was as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over them, instantly extinguishing their anger.

Even Audero, who had instinctively clenched his fist and charged forward, suddenly stopped in his tracks, unsure whether to advance or retreat.

The opponent was a boy from an island nation, wearing a long robe with black background and red clouds, his eyes closed, and carrying a huge black 'box' on his back; the weapon that killed Carlos was a giant sword that was two meters long and as big as a door.

This design is:

"Mr. 'Filial Piety' from the Dawn Organization?"

Luigi paused for a moment, then spoke in the island language.

As a top student, he is proficient in six foreign languages; he can communicate with people from the island nation without any problems without the aid of any instruments.

"Oh?"

"It's good that you can communicate."

Xiao drew the greatsword that had instantly killed a prisoner and looked up at Luigi.

"Could you please explain this to the others?"

“Your companion has been ‘replaced’ by an extraordinary being.”

After saying that, Xiao drew his 'decapitation sword': the prisoner on the ground wriggled and transformed into a monster with long limbs, a smooth head, and no facial features.

A faceless monster?
when? !

Luigi's pupils contracted, but he didn't even notice.

This city is more dangerous than he imagined! Even with the knowledge bestowed upon him by the 'Father of the Sea'.

Knowledge is, after all, just knowledge. Before it is transformed into power, it can easily be destroyed by violence. As the old proverb says: If a person does not accept something through reason, you cannot persuade him to give it up through reason.

Simply put: When a scholar encounters a soldier, reason is useless.

"Don't panic, everyone. Carlos—no, this monster replaced Carlos without our knowledge."

Luigi spread his arms wide, signaling to the other prisoners not to make any rash moves.

As for the real Carlos, there is no doubt—

Long dead.

“A wise choice, sir.”

Xiao's 'gaze' swept over Luigi's body from top to bottom, and he could tell that this person was a superhuman, and that he possessed 'Kra's' power.

However, the source of his power was meaningless to him: after witnessing the 'divine offspring' and the 'great demons', he didn't even care about the ordinary monsters in this city.

Although he was blind and didn't have 'eyes'.

"Could you tell me about your experience?"

Faced with Xiao Ping's calm proposal, Luigi neither refused nor dared to refuse.

He currently possesses a wealth of knowledge, but before he can transform that knowledge into power, the best way to survive against this powerful Ghost/B/Legendary level expert is to cooperate honestly.

"Yes, Mr. Xiao."

"About 6 hours ago, we were..."

As Luigi slowly recounted his experiences, he described how they were taken to this sea, encountered giant tentacles, shadowy figures, and a strange church.

Including the fact that he inexplicably gained extraordinary power at the altar.

Of course, the 'blasphemous stele' in my mind was not mentioned.

"That's it,"

With Xiao's strength, he could easily 'hear' a person's thoughts: he was certain that the person in front of him was not lying, and was not even afraid.

He's a talented person, it's just a pity—

American.

"Sorry to bother you, goodbye."

brush,

The next second, Xiao disappeared from the sight of the prisoners.

"he left?"

After a long pause, Audero swallowed hard and hesitated before speaking.

The power he gained from the 'Deep Divers' was nothing more than an ant in the face of these extraordinary beings: at most an ant with a slightly larger head.

"Yes."

Luigi nodded, his gaze falling on the smooth-skinned monster's corpse.

"you."

Are you really going to accept this power?

? !
"willing!"

"I would like-"

"Whatever the risks, let me take them!!"

Several prisoners, still reeling from their 'chance encounter with an extraordinary figure,' immediately began shouting in unison.

Luigi also realized that without power, they wouldn't even be able to get out of this place, let alone stop the unjust actions of the 'Holy Church'.

So--

"Okay, I'll give it to you."

"Thank you, for your blessings are immeasurable!"