<h4>Chapter 522. The Tide Has Turned</h4>


    While Charles'' lips moved to answer the octopus heads'' questions, his mind raced desperately for a way to escape his current predicament. Truth be told, panic was starting to set in. He had considered various scenarios, but not this—being trapped in a situation where he couldn''t even choose to end his life.


    However, he also knew that the more critical the situation, the more important it was not to panic. Just as new ideas popped into Charles'' head and were repeatedly dismissed, Anna''s voice suddenly sounded in his mind.


    <i>"Charles, can you hear me?" </i>


    Anna''s soft whisper ignited a spark of hope in Charles'' heart.


    <i>"The thing controlling me is called the Old Sign, right? Do you know of anything that can counteract it?"</i>


    There was a moment of silence before Anna responded in a strained voice.


    <i>"There''s no way. The power of the Old Sign is the power of rules; everything in this world must adhere to itsws.</i>


    <i>The only exception to this is if the summoner voluntarily relinquishes the newly established rules or the summoner dies. Otherwise, nothing else can break the Old Sign''s hold."</i>


    Charles'' expression darkened. Neither option seemed feasible under the current circumstances. At this rate that he was divulging information against his own will, he would soon expose the location of God Fhtagn. And, if the Fhtagn Covenant learned of how to unseal the <i>door</i>, that would spell great disaster!


    Not only would he have lost hisst bargaining chip, but the Fhtagn Covenant would surely do everything in their power to awaken their god.


    As Charles continued to speak, cold sweat started beading on his forehead.


    <i>Stay calm. Think. There has to be a way out of this.</i>


    Suddenly, a spark of inspiration struck him.


    <i>"Anna! Erase my memory!"</i>


    The next moment, Charles stopped talking. His lips parted, but no sound wasing out.


    "And? What happened next?" Octett urged as his hand holding the pen halted in ce.


    However, a hint of confusion surfaced in Charles'' gaze as he said, "I can''t remember anything."


    His memory had beenpletely wiped clean by Anna.


    Charles had hoped that this trick might alleviate his predicament, but the two octopus heads beside him quickly sensed something amiss. They lifted their writhing tentacles and inteced them. Suddenly, a spray of crimson blood burst from Charles'' earholes.


    "There''s something in his head!"


    The intertwined tentacles slowly retracted out of Charles'' ears, bringing with them Anna''s tentacle, which was gruesomely coated with pink brain matter.


    Charles almost fainted from the intense pain; his eyes rolled back as his body convulsed violently.


    Just as Anna''s tentacle was about to bepletely extracted from Charles'' mind, a sh of golden light burst from his pocket and lunged at the nearest octopus head. It was Lily, and she was determined to protect Charles.


    "Don''t you dare harm Mr. Charles!" Lily screeched. But before she could even dart a meter forward, she was abruptly suspended in midair.


    "Hah. A mouse," Octett scoffed. "To think that Governor Charles actually kept a golden mouse as a pet. What a unique creature; it can even talk."


    The other octopus heads erupted into fits ofughter upon hearing Octett''s jest.


    "ytime is over. It''s time to get serious," Octett said as a tentacle shot out to coil around Lily; he was going to crush the little intruder.


    Just as the tentacle tightened itself around Lily, a blinding white light burst forth from within her body.


    For the first time, panic and fear were evident in Octett''s voice. "This aura.... It''s the Light God! This mouse is the Light God!! Retreat!!"


    Filthy bubbles frothed, and the twelve octopus heads instantly vanished from the light.


    <i>"Anna, now''s our chance! Have Sparkle take me back!"</i>


    At Charles''mand, Sparkle appeared next to him, wrapped herself around him and swiftly teleported back to the airship.


    Charles had barely set foot on the airship when Anna pounced on him in her monstrous form. Her tentacles coiled around Charles so tightly that he could hardly breathe, but he was finally freed from the Fhtagnists.


    "Quick, tie me down! I''m still under their control! My body will execute whatevermand they issue," Charles warned.


    A hint of coldness flickered across the basketball-sized eye in the middle of Anna''s monstrous form. "Don''t worry, that''s a minor issue. How dare they scheme against my man. These bastards are surely tired of living!"


    The wail of a ship''s horn tore through the air to signal Charles'' safe return. Without anything holding them back, the Hope Ind Navy went all out. The anti-aircraft cannons roared to life, aze with fury as their fiery breath sent giant columns of water skyward.


    Both forces shed once again with unyielding ferocity. This time, no one called for a pause, and the sea was soon dyed crimson with blood.


    For the first time, Anna revealed her true formidable power in front of Charles. Her tentacles thrashed violently across the water''s surface and lifted a barnacle-d sunken ship to the surface.


    The Deep Dwellers on board attempted to surge forward, but a single icy nce from Anna was all it took for them to turn their weapons upon themselves and drive them into their own necks.


    By now, a veritable zone of death had materialized around Anna. Anyone who dared to approach would bepelled to kill themselves in the most desperate ways imaginable. A sunken ship could barelyst ten seconds against her as she unleashed carnage upon the Fhtagnist forces.


    Clearly, Charles was not the only witness of Anna''s formidablebat power. The Fhtagn Covenant saw the spectacle, too. Immediately, two Deep Dweller Elders were sent to confront Anna.


    Yet just then, Sparkle blinked into the scene and enveloped an Elderpletely.


    The ensuing chaos was hidden from Charles''s view as a massive tentacle surged from the depths and coiled itself around the airship. It tugged hard and tried to drag the airship into the choppy waters. However, the ship''s hydrogen-filled gasbags resisted, buoying it against the pull. The crew on board rallied fiercely and tried to bomb the invading tentacle into pieces.


    Chaos reigned over the tumultuous seascape as the two factions shed with relentless ferocity. Ever so loyal, Dipp stood guard next to Charles with a group of elite guards to ensure thetter''s safety.


    Meanwhile, Octett had continued his attempt to regain control over Charles with his verbalmands but it was to no avail. Charles was bound tightly, and his limbs had even been injected with muscle rxants. Even if his body wanted to move, he wouldn''t be able to go anywhere.


    The octopus heads swiftly changed their strategy and pushed toward the airship in an attempt to rescue Charles. But soon, their focus changed once more as newer, graver threats emerged.


    After sacrificing onerge and two smaller airships, one of the vessels finally broke through the encirclement and positioned itself over the Divinity''s Land.


    As it hovered in the air, it dropped giant, wobbling cannonballs that plummeted toward thend. A massive tentacle surged up to strike the cannonballs away. Yet upon impact, the cannonballs cracked open and unleashed a fiery rain over the Divinity''s Land. It wasn''t just gunpowder within the cannonballs. They were incendiary bombs mixed with whale oil and white phosphorus.


    As the incendiary bombs fell, the Divinity''s Land swiftly turned into an inferno. Two octopus heads lifted their tentacles, calling upon the seawater to douse the mes. However, it proved to be futile.


    This was no ordinary fire. The burning whale oil clung to the water''s surface and emitted an acrid smoke that filled the air. Wherever the currents flowed, the fire spread. The situation was worsening as the Divinity''s Land was turned into a burning maelstrom.


    When Octett finally managed to down the airship, the gas bag ignited instantaneously. The vessel transformed into a colossal fireball and plummeted into the Divinity''s Land, intensifying the ze.


    Regardless of who would emerge as the final victor of this conflict, it was clear that the Fhtagn Covenant would suffer greater losses. The battle hadpletely degenerated into chaos.


    To worsen matters for the Fhtagn Covenant, dozens of skeletal and turtle-shell vessels belonging to the Sea of Mist appeared in the distance. It seemed that the Haikor Tribe was going to partake in the battle.


    "Wait! Charles! Let''s... Let''s continue our deal!"