Saiyan stowaways on the Ark

Goredia, after years of painstaking research, gathered information about the Deep Sea Church and the Sea Heirs.

Finally, a breakthrough was achieved, and then a trustworthy collaborator was found—that is, a partner.

The original plan was to lure her to Saltwind City with some secrecy, so that they could eliminate their enemies from within and without. However, due to unexpected circumstances, the plan was changed to find Hai Si and launch a direct attack.

The changes to the plan already made Goredia believe that the chances of the plan succeeding were not high.

But the behavior of the two people who came to help only made her lack confidence.

One is busy looking for seafood.

One of them mingled with the locals.

Just when she felt she could only rely on herself this time, the two told her that "the matter was already settled."

Goredia's current feelings are as complicated as someone who has meticulously prepared a board game script, only to have it defeated by two unorthodox players using a chaotic and unpredictable method.

While everyone was happy, she still felt a subtle dissatisfaction from a personal perspective.

"He has a great misunderstanding of Haisi. In the end, Haisi is just a despicable ecological structure that sacrifices the self of the lower class to achieve the glory of the higher Haisi."

Greta listened to everything she had missed.

From the encounter with the messenger, to the awakening of the people, and then to the bishop being beaten to a pulp by Skadi.

After hearing these words, she seemed to be lamenting that this bishop was unqualified both as a human being and as a sea creature.

"Although he always praised the Hai Si race, he never actually looked down on things like the Terror Fish. What he wanted to become was only a high-ranking member of the Hai Si. He never thought that after becoming a Hai Si, he would be exploited like those converted individuals who only had instincts left, or that he would slowly become the disgusting creature he longed for from the lowest level."

Tomat, who was listening nearby, thought of another concept that was often used to satirize.

"It sounds a lot like something like 'spiritual Colombian'."

Of course, 'Colombian' can be replaced with any country, class, or faction on Terra.

“A person who only thinks about ‘becoming powerful’ without thinking about ‘how to forge power’ is a pathetic fellow no matter how strong he is—especially since he doesn’t seem that strong. In short, he is pathetic.” Grandia continued, “Moreover, his use of power is also wrong. Whether Haisi has intelligence or not, he knows that his power is still within the biological realm, and the instinct to perpetuate the race is more important than the influence of emotions. But he is a very emotional fellow, especially when he is flattering Haisi.”

Goredia spent a lot of time with Quintus and, through Agor's or the Deepsea Hunter's perspective, came to understand more about his tragic and hateful nature.

However, this does not mean there is any possibility of empathy or sympathy.

It can only be said that it is precisely because I understand him well that I realize his despicable nature, and therefore I feel even more disgusted and dissatisfied with why I missed these opportunities and couldn't join in to make him even more vulnerable.

"I don't know him well. After all, Hai Si and this guy both appeared suddenly and were wiped out after little interaction."

This happens many times; some guys who practically have the villain written all over their faces suddenly appear where the operators are carrying out missions, and it's not just Tomat who steps on landmines with such precision.

However, these people usually fail miserably before they can even finish their self-introductions, lacking even the warm-up skills of most operators.

Even Tomat, who proposed the enhancement plan, felt that the effect might be a bit too good, but it was all a good thing.

At least now I don't have to personally intervene to resolve certain issues without causing harm, unlike before.

"But what you said makes a lot of sense, it's just that the way you're earnestly lecturing while building toilets is really..."

The scene shifts abruptly; the two who were originally discussing serious matters are actually handling various objects in a construction site-like open space.

Their attire was nothing like that of the Adaklis people who were kidnapped from the Sargon rainforest and brought to the big city to work as cheap labor.

Wearing a long skirt and a uniform, she doesn't seem suitable for doing physical labor at all.

But their ability to lift several tons of boulder with ease is enough to dispel any doubts.

It's the third day since we dealt with the bishop and Haisi.

On the morning of the next day, the young female judge arrived in Saltwind City. Although she didn't know what they originally intended to do, she breathed a sigh of relief after hearing that Hai Si and the bishop had been dealt with.

Then, at Tomat's request, permission was granted for the three to carry out post-disaster reconstruction work here.

Fill in the pits, clear the ruins, and rebuild the buildings.

Perhaps Tomat and Skadi are more adept at destruction, but Goredia is a professional who can easily handle both architectural theory and actual construction.

"...I can't accept that everything is over without me doing anything. I'll just consider it as helping Skadi clean up the mess, even though it was always her own captain who helped her before."

Under the sunlight, Grétia seemed unwilling to admit defeat, even though no one was really competing with her.

As for why there was sunshine—it was because the persistent dark clouds that had been hanging over Saltwind City had dissipated.

According to Goredia, it was because the evil that had been entrenched in this place had retreated to the deeper parts of the sea.

This also indirectly proves that the only high-level sea creature in this region was the "messenger" who was cooked and eaten.

Without a superior sea creature as a leader, they will only choose to wander aimlessly, prioritizing their survival, and thus stay away from the seashore where there are creatures that can kill them.

However, Goredia was also very curious: what exactly did the mindless terror fish see that made them want to retreat as a whole?

The dark clouds dispersed, the sun shone down, the tides became regular, and the sea breeze became refreshing.

Next, more plankton will gradually multiply and become nutrients for normal scaly organisms.

Without the threat of the tarantula, the ecosystem here will gradually return to normal.

It may take a long time, but at least we can wait for its arrival.

During most of the day, Goredia, like a foreman, directed the local labor force to build more and more new buildings little by little.

At mealtimes, Tomat would lead a group of people who could swim to the coast, which should have been off-limits, to catch piles of fresh scaled creatures, and occasionally catch a few tarantulas that couldn't escape in time.

At night, Skadi would sit in the center of the bonfire built by the people and play Agorian music.

An elderly grandmother and a young girl danced together, while those who weren't good at singing sang off-key old songs together.

"Outsiders don't always make things worse here, do they?"

[Event] Beneath the Tide, Seafood abounds: Chapter Twenty-One: Skadi, Standing on the Earth

"A very idealized ending, so much so that the current situation would not have been possible without any of these coincidences."

On the fifth day, the male judge—who called himself the "Grand Judge"—arrived at the scene and was amazed by the speed at which these people had restored the building.

He also admitted that he hadn't appeared in the past few days because he was recovering from an injury, and that Skadi's punches had almost forced him into early retirement.

“These things were originally not allowed and were impossible to happen.”

Originally, the phrase "everything is in ruins and needs to be rebuilt" was not suitable for Saltwind City, because no one thought that this abandoned land could be saved.

Evil life, apathetic inhabitants, and powerless law enforcement.

But now, the former has disappeared, the latter has changed, new buildings are rising at an astonishing speed, and even the ocean has begun to conceive life again.

This city, which is neither allowed nor permitted to undergo positive changes, seems to finally be showing some signs of rebirth.

Even if everything goes too smoothly, making people think that such a good thing is impossible, or even if it is written into a story and considered to be a case of "deus ex machina"—this still does not stop people from trying to seize such a turning point.

“I cannot shake Iberia’s national policy. I cannot easily let these residents leave. As before, we must keep a close eye on the border to prevent anyone from spreading the ‘scandal’ you mentioned.”

The Grand Judge spoke calmly yet stubbornly about his duties.

Judge Elena, who was listening to everything, had some words stuck in her throat, but she could only sit upright and not interrupt her teacher's speech.

"'Scandal'? What kind of scandal?" In the newly built hut, sitting at the wooden table talking with the two judges, was Tomat. "All I saw was a group of angry people who personally killed the unforgivable bishop, then feasted on the monsters that should have been mutilated, and then, together with others, rebuilt the dilapidated city. What kind of scandal is that?"

"Please don't make fun of us. Admittedly, these are all stories worth telling, but I know very well that they still remember Iberia's inaction and the indifference of the judges."

Before the Grand Judge was a bowl of fish soup that he hadn't yet touched, whether because he didn't want to remove his mask or because he was afraid of the fish meat inside.

"...Does that even need to be spread? Your Honor, do you think someone who has left would go around telling others about things that everyone already knows, or about the legendary experiences they personally went through?"

The so-called concealment is just self-deception; everyone knows what happened in Iberia.

Thomas understood this, and the judge understood it even better.

"Just like you said, the good ending this time was purely lucky. If we continue to stay closed off like this, what will happen next time?"

The bishop was able to take advantage of the situation because of the unchangeable bad state of Saltwind City.

Staying inside will lead to death, and trying to go outside will also lead to death. People facing the threat of death can be firmly controlled by simply giving them what they need.

“We have been working to prevent the situation from getting worse—keeping people from spreading information and keeping outsiders from accessing it, and then continuing to operate within our means.”

On one hand, there is Iberia's international reputation, and on the other hand, there is the safety of the residents' lives. Judges have always prioritized the former, although they will not disregard the latter. However, the latter will always be the one sacrificed when making a choice.

"So now you're going to stop things from getting better?"

Thomas countered the question from the Grand Inquisitor, who seemed determined to stick to past practices.

"But now I'll do things beyond my authority to make this place better."

However, he changed the subject, responding to Tomat's question while slightly pulling down his mask, scooping out a spoonful of delicious dinosaur soup, and swallowing it.

“Elena, watch closely. This is also a necessary step for judges—to make their own judgments. Sometimes, if you feel that something is right, then take action to prove it is right, instead of doing nothing just because it might cause a mistake.”

The Grand Judge continued:

"I've slightly revised the report, applied for more sheriffs to come to Saltwind, opened the borders, and strengthened security. These will be implemented once the repairs are nearly complete. People can travel to and from Saltwind, but we will never allow bandits to enter here."

The Grand Judge pushed a sheet of paper, which resembled an official document and was covered with dense text, in front of Tomat.

“I will use my network to introduce some construction teams and business groups to make this city more like a city, and even use the red crabs that were originally abundant in Yanfeng City as a specialty product to revitalize the economy.”

As he explained, Tomat scanned the various clauses, nodding occasionally—in fact, he couldn't understand Iberian at all.

"Red crabs... ah, the kind that always get mixed in with the net when you're fishing?"

Thomas pointed to the red shells in the bowl; talking about food made him more proactive than talking about those things.

“It’s an introduced species from the East called Red Winter Crab, and it’s very resilient.” Tomat’s words led the Grand Judge to steer the conversation toward visions for the future. “It might become a famous dish in Saltwind City. If that day ever comes, please visit Saltwind City again.”

Although I'm not a romantic, it's a fortunate thing to be able to have some expectations for the future like this.

Even this small hut built on the shore for the convenience of fishing may one day become a popular tourist attraction.

After concluding their discussion about the future, he and Eleanor left together and went to the breakwater, accompanied by Thomas.

As for why it was only him, it was because Skadi had no interest in such negotiations, while Goredia was busy with various architectural plans—she seemed quite interested.

"But there's one more thing..."

The judge looked towards the spot where the cliff had once stood; neither the cliff nor the church remained.

The ruins, still not fully cleared, remain piled up there, mixed with the remains of buildings, along with that terrifying chasm.

But there was an area that had been deliberately cleared out, and in that place, a magnificent and enormous stone sculpture stood.

"Is this statue really going to be kept? Does the person involved have no objections?"