From high above, the sea at East Suburb Anchorage grew increasingly dark.
It was like a quick-dissolving ink block had been dropped into a glass of water.
"Go... bring her back!"
On the molly, the Octopus Man's facial tentacles writhed hideously, and a large number of sea monsters surged out of the ship's cabin, swimming towards the source of the pollution.
However, as soon as they approached the black water area, they were suddenly attacked by the scattered wreckage of the coal ship.
The wreckage was not as large as an entire ship, but it was small and flexible.
They transformed into a ferocious school of piranhas, crashing into the sea monsters.
In an instant, the edge of the black water was tinged with a murky red.
The Octopus Man perceived the scene beneath the water, his facial muscles tightening as if he were knitting his brows.
He raised a tentacle from beneath his clothing, about to wave his hand again to command the monster horde, but he was interrupted by a flying monster.
"Sshhh... Gas...."
After a brief, inhuman exchange of messages, he looked towards the western sea.
There, three steam-billowing steel warships were rapidly approaching him.
The Octopus Man turned and glanced at the unconscious Irene and Eric, finally lowering his arm.
The monster horde beneath the water quickly returned, and the molly slowly turned, heading back in the direction it came from, gradually disappearing below the horizon.
Beneath the water.
In her daze, Sophia felt herself slowly falling.
Closer and closer to that void black abyss where there was nothing.
The light in her vision also grew increasingly faint.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her slightly upward.
"Who?"
Just as she was momentarily stunned, another hand successfully wrapped around her waist.
Immediately after, a soft, warm sensation came from her mouth, bringing a warm current of air that poured into her mouth.
"Hold on... you can breathe..."
Blurred messages, along with the sensation of lips, transmitted to her mind.
She instinctively felt that she could actually breathe underwater.
The next second, she truly felt that she was no longer suffocating.
She opened her eyes wide, the murky black seawater dispersed, returning to its original hazy, mottled appearance.
"Andy.. Sir.."
Sophia was about to speak, but her mouth was again covered.
Li Andy's face was flushed, and he gasped for oxygen from her.
This... what was going on?!
"Don't talk... this is underwater breathing...."
Li Andy quickly transmitted a message, maintaining their close contact, and led the bewildered Sophia upward.
Sophia thought she was being revived by him injecting oxygen, but in reality, that breath he held for so long had very little oxygen content left!
In the real world, it wouldn't be able to save anyone!
However, this was not the real world, but the Mindscape.
Sophia herself was one of the Mind Sources!
Li Andy was very glad that Sophia was naive enough to easily believe his absurd lie without needing much preamble or guidance.
If it had been Youxi, who had many thoughts, he probably would have been exhausted.
Thinking of this, Li Andy took another deep suck of air, allowing the remnant fish swarm to gather and carry him and Sophia, bursting out of the water.
"Pfft—"
As the seawater splashed, their lips separated, and they looked at each other, their cheeks flushed with a rosy hue.
Sophia's mind was still buzzing, her small mouth slightly agape, completely at a loss.
Li Andy, on the other hand, licked his lips and calmly reached out to wipe away the sticky residue from the corner of her mouth:
"Don't savor it yet, we're still at sea."
"Savor it?"
Sophia froze, her earlobes instantly turning red, and she said angrily:
"You bastard! I didn't!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she froze.
'I... I actually cursed Mr. Andy?!'
'How dare I do this!'
Realizing her gaffe , Sophia quickly covered her mouth, her eyes welling up with tears, her heart pounding with anxiety.
'He... he won't dislike me, will he?'
At this moment, Youxi's anxious call came:
"Brother! Sophia! Are you two alright?"
At this time, Youxi was sitting on a piece of floating wreckage.
Besides her, there were also a few unconscious survivors around.
"I'm fine."
Li Andy raised his hand to show an "OK" sign, then activated his spirituality, causing the floating wood to drift closer, and then, holding the bewildered Sophia, climbed onto it.
"Whew—"
He lay on the floating wood, took another deep breath, and looked at the gradually clearing sky, asking,
"Where are those strange people?"
"They left to the east."
Youxi looked at the sea in that direction, her face filled with worry.
At this moment, there were only three warships at sea, two chasing the molly, moving further and further away, and one coming for rescue, getting closer and closer.
"Brother, Irene and Eric were taken away by them....."
"I know."
Li Andy nodded,
"Don't worry too much about them. Since the goal of those monsters is to 【Turn the False into the True】, they definitely won't kill the Mind Sources. 【molly Clan Leader】... is very likely also in their hands. Although it was a bit messy, we still got useful clues."
Youxi frowned, still worried:
"Then what should we do next?"
Li Andy pondered for two seconds, sat up, and looked at Sophia:
"Let her wake up first."
"Ah? Me?"
Sophia looked confused; she hadn't understood what the two of them were saying since just now. She always had a sense of déjà vu.
Li Andy looked at the drenched pretty maid, recalling the observations he had made of her during this period:
【From the phantom of vampires and wolves... to the immense strength that shouldn't exist at her current memory stage... and underwater, being able to change cognition just by physical sensation...】
Perhaps, the key to Sophia regaining her memories lies in her body's instinctive sensations.
But what kind of instinctive sensation could be so deeply impressive as to awaken blocked memories?
Li Andy told Youxi his conjecture.
After listening, Youxi's eyes brightened slightly, and the corners of her mouth gradually curved upward:
"There is! Absolutely profound!"
"What is it?" Li Andy couldn't help but ask.
He didn't have any memories of interacting with Sophia before, so he couldn't guess what it was for a moment.
Youxi's small face was slightly red, and she hooked her arm around his, whispering:
"Brother, don't sleep alone tonight."
Li Andy froze, a bold guess forming in his mind, and he instinctively swallowed a mouthful of saliva. His gaze involuntarily followed Youxi's, landing on Sophia.
Sophia shivered, having a bad premonition, shrinking her neck, not daring to look directly at the two of them.
What... what do they want to do?
At this moment, the floating wood shook more violently, as the rescue warship had already arrived nearby.
An elderly man dressed as a military officer stood on the deck, looking at the chaotic sea beside them, his brows tightly furrowed:
"What on earth... happened?!"