Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

Hughes quickly figured out the limits of Richard’s ability.

This ability could penetrate rock layers and other obstacles to observe from any angle, but its visual acuity itself was not outstanding.

It was only slightly better than the naked eye, mainly allowing for arbitrary angle adjustments.

In other words, when looking at dim areas, many details would be lost, making it inferior to the Sirens’ ability to see in the dark.

Additionally, the clarity of the image would degrade after penetrating solid objects, when trying to view textures inside thick stone blocks, the effect was not much better than an ultrasound scan.

Moreover, this vision could not penetrate seawater.

To Hughes, the ocean appeared completely pitch dark.

If he could monitor underwater enemy movements, it would have been an incredible ability.

Ash looked in surprise at the images Hughes transmitted.

If they weren’t in the middle of a battlefield, she would have really wanted to ask how he managed this.

『Focus on your fight, I’ll provide support for you.』

『Alright.』

Ash steadied herself, signaled the Sirens behind her with a hand gesture, and then led the charge.

This time, only five Sirens followed her, including Nini, who carried no weapons.

With Richard providing visual angles, Hughes could directly observe the battlefield.

The Sirens launched their attack from the murlocs’ blind spots, and Ash’s charge was like a hot knife slicing through butter, instantly splitting the murlocs into two groups.

Hughes adjusted his view, following Ash’s long blade as it cut through the murlocs’ flesh.

He watched their expressions shift from confusion to terror.

As with every previous battle, the murlocs’ formation was instantly torn apart.

Afterward, Ash and her team retreated slightly, maintaining a safe distance from the sea without fully leaving the battlefield.

This charge had yielded considerable gains.

Most importantly, Nini had captured three unconscious murlocs.

Nini immediately withdrew with the captives, while Ash, after waiting a moment and seeing the murlocs panic and flee, prepared for another assault.

In the distant network path, Hughes unknowingly furrowed his brows.

『Ash, last time after your charge, did the murlocs all run away immediately?』

『Yes, just like this time. They couldn’t put up any real resistance and simply fled back into the water.』

They directly escaped back into the sea?

Hughes zoomed in and carefully observed the expressions on the murlocs’ faces.

『No, that’s not entirely true. I just noticed that a few murlocs didn’t flee. Instead, they tried to fight back.』

『They just lacked proper weapons and were dragged along by the others, so they couldn’t make much of an impact.』

『And…』

Hughes zoomed out, quickly took a screenshot, and sent it to Ash in the group.

『Here, at your nine o’clock direction, behind that large reef, two of the murlocs that had fled into the water have already returned.』

『They’ve climbed back up. They still look terrified, but they came back ashore nonetheless.』

Ash fell silent.

These murlocs were extremely weak, like lambs to the slaughter in front of the Sirens.

Why would they dare to resist?

They didn’t even have many weapons.

Scattered across the battlefield were mining picks, shovels, and other simple tools.

And yet, the murlocs still managed to organize waves of landings on Castel Island, despite being so clumsy on land.

Suddenly, the sea surface rippled with a thick, tar-like viscosity.

Hughes immediately shifted his vision over, just in time to see a dark shadow, covered in spines, slowly rising.

『Ash, be careful! There’s a sea urchin!』

Hughes urgently warned.

He also sent over an image.

Ash glanced at it and immediately signaled the Sirens behind her.

The Sirens scattered.

From their practiced movements, it was clear they had prepared for this scenario in advance.

Hughes, seeing that they were ready, moved his vision back to the sea and observed the sea urchin monster.

This was Hughes’ first time seeing one.

The Sirens’ previous descriptions had been quite accurate, it really did resemble a sea urchin.

Countless long, sharp spines swept across the ground like swords, sending rocks flying.

At the center of the creature was a writhing dark mass, which, at first glance, looked like pollution.

But when Hughes zoomed in, he realized it was made up of swirling dark mist.

Hughes frowned as he examined the eerie structure of the sea urchin.

The spines, which should have been attached to the spherical core, were now suspended in the surging dark mist, like skeletal fragments hanging from spider silk.

Hughes stared intently at the sea urchin monster that had just surfaced.

Suddenly, his pupils shrank sharply.

The mist clinging to the spines began writhing violently.

Tendrils of dark smoke gushed from the central mass, wrapping around the spines.

Those spines, gleaming with a metallic sheen, began melting like wax, distorting and softening.

Beneath the dissolving spines, a writhing network of dark veins was revealed—

But these weren’t biological veins.

They were countless tiny dark worms clustered together.

That was entity pollution?!

In Hughes’ shocked gaze, the spines of the sea urchin monster split open.

Human hands sprouted from the cracks like budding plants.

He watched, horrified, as the densely packed spines transformed into grotesque, writhing arms!!

Each arm was different—

Some were the thick, veiny hands of laborers, others were the delicate, jewel-adorned fingers of noblewomen.

Even the tiny fingers of children were among them.

All the arms were covered in twisting, writhing dark tattoos.

The once uniform spines had become an uneven, grotesque, and eerie mass.

Before long, the sea urchin had turned into a monstrous ball of flesh covered in hands.

The distorted tattoos on the arms resembled the crazed scribbles of a lunatic.

The totem-like markings slithered beneath the skin as if alive.

All the newly grown arms convulsed violently, as if enduring unimaginable agony.

They strained outward, like desperate drowning victims grasping for salvation.

Hughes instinctively looked at the outstretched hands.

When he saw the palms, his heart skipped a beat.

Where the palm lines should have been, gaping, tooth-filled mouths had formed.

Luminescent blue tongues curled and flicked in the air, occasionally grasping at rocks or plants—

Then, without hesitation, they stuffed them into their razor-toothed maws.

『Ash! Something’s wrong! The sea urchin has turned into a twisted monster!』

Hughes shouted through the Mind Link, sending out a screenshot of what he saw.

In the cave, Ash’s eyes widened.

『This…』

『Watch out! It’s coming!』

Ash had already positioned herself as bait.

She didn’t hide her presence and stood openly on the shore.

The sea urchin monster—

No, the monstrous mass of hands—

Charged straight at her!