Chapter 120: The Cruel Truth

On the ocean, the Provisional Human Federation.

Zasfei watched as the top experts from various nations gathered nearby, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"With a lineup like this, even that Malignant Wraith, with all its heaven-defying abilities, could never bring the Third Princess here to trigger the awakening of the Deep Sea. Hahaha!"

He held a bottle of red wine in his hand, still dressed in his swimwear. The smile on his face made it clear he was in an excellent mood today. It was hardly surprising; every human gathered here was a high-caliber Ghost Controller, some even serving as representatives. There was a fundamental difference between the Ghost Controllers of the Five Great Nations and those of smaller countries. These elite controllers possessed superior control over their energy, had mastered incredibly powerful combat techniques, and held vast experience in dealing with paranormal entities.

Moreover, the Lighthouse Nation had spared no expense, deploying their most advanced paranormal detection equipment. This technology was formidable; it would trigger an alarm the moment any paranormal energy fluctuations were detected within several kilometers. From the start, Zasfei had been entirely at ease. Several kilometers! Even an S-class paranormal entity’s perception didn't span that far. The moment it approached, the alarm would sound—let’s see what it could do then.

But the next second, his smile froze.

"This... why has the seawater turned red?"

Before he could process the sight, alarms began to wail one after another.

"My God! What on earth is happening?"

Several bespectacled Ghost Controllers from the Lighthouse Nation scrambled to operate the detection devices, their voices filled with disbelief. Countless people peered toward the water. As they stared at the crimson depths, terror washed over every face.

Beneath the seabed, countless horrific auras were spreading. If an ordinary person were to look down, they would see an unimaginably terrifying woman’s face staring back from the abyss. Her expression was blank, but her eyes radiated a hatred so intense it defied logic—a hatred deep enough to chill any soul to its core.

"It’s over! An uncountable number of paranormal entities have appeared on the seabed!"

At the words of the Lighthouse Nation’s controller, everyone’s heart leaped into their throats. An inexplicable surge of countless entities? What kind of situation was this?

By the time Zasfei regained his senses, he collapsed to the ground. "This... this is impossible. The Deep Sea... it has truly awakened!"

The next moment, the ocean rose like a demon, churning into massive, towering waves that hammered the shore as if trying to swallow everything in sight.

Just as panic began to take hold, the six S-class Ghost Controllers present trembled simultaneously and shouted, "Everyone, combat stations!"

The moment they spoke, a swarm of paranormal entities surged forward, riding the crest of the next wave. These entities varied in strength; the strongest were B-class, while the weakest had no rank at all. But their numbers were vast—a dark, suffocating mass that blotted out the sky with their malevolent aura.

The moment they emerged, the slaughter began. Before the humans could fully react, the entities charged, letting out a cacophony of bizarre, screeching sounds.

"Ahhh!"

With a human scream, the crowd finally snapped into action, clashing head-on with the creatures. Zasfei gritted his teeth, his expression one of pure fury. He couldn't fathom how the Deep Sea had awakened, but his priority now was survival. Without hesitation, he turned to flee toward the Sunset Nation.

Ambassadors from other countries were already relaying the news back home. After all, this wasn't their land; it would be foolish to lose their best combatants here. With the Deep Sea already awakened, the situation was beyond salvation; cutting losses was the only rational path.

In recent days, the Great Xia Nation had already published the secrets of the Deep Sea’s awakening as foretold in the *Book of Divine Words*. Once the Deep Sea awakened, the terrifying entities hidden within its depths would fully revive and assimilate the ordinary life forms of the ocean. And how many creatures lived in the sea? Far more than there were humans. That was when things would truly become interesting.

The battle ended with countless paranormal entities dead on the shore. Against such a formidable human formation, these creatures had essentially been sent to their deaths. Yet, despite the victory, no one wore a look of triumph. They understood that this was merely the first wave—a probe to test human strength. No one knew how many more were to come.

With the exception of the Sunset Nation’s personnel, everyone else began to retreat rapidly. Their own nations had coastal regions, and the entities would likely emerge there as well, making a retreat to higher ground necessary.

Within the Great Xia camp, an old man sheathed his sword and looked at a young man. "How many did you kill?"

"Didn't count. Plenty."

The young man’s face remained expressionless, though a hint of resentment flickered in his eyes. Seeing this, the old man shook his head faintly.

"Do not forget your duty. The Malignant Wraith is merely an ordinary entity. In the face of the world's grand design, such a thing is not worth mentioning!"

"Yes!"

The young man was Fan Tianxing. Ever since his senior brother had died, he had never stopped tracking the Malignant Wraith. He had raced to the Desert Nation upon hearing rumors of its presence, only to find it had already moved on. This time, hearing the terrifying legends in the Sunset Nation, he had rushed here, only to come up empty-handed once more.

"Let us go. Return to Great Xia. Though we failed to stop the awakening, perhaps this is a blessing in disguise—it only proves the credibility of the *Book of Divine Words*. As long as we follow its instructions, humanity will eventually triumph over these entities..."

Before the old man could finish, Fan Tianxing roared in fury.

"Must the hope of our entire civilization rest upon a tattered book?" His eyes were wide, his teeth clenched in raw anger. "From the very beginning, we have been manipulated! They take us 'representatives' away to be forcibly groomed to become so-called 'Seeds of the Gods'! Later, they sent my senior brother to his death to stop the so-called 'Red Moon Awakening'! And now, this!"

The old man did not answer directly, instead looking out at the sea. The vast, turbulent ocean had turned completely red, reflecting the crimson moon in the sky until the two merged into one.

Fan Tianxing followed his gaze. As a representative, he could clearly see the two powers belonging to the gods intertwining.

Silence reigned. He finally understood: in this game played by gods, all of humanity were merely pawns, and the *Book of Divine Words* was the method by which the gods moved them. If all of humanity were just pawns, what hope did a small figure like him have?

"Perhaps," he whispered, "nothing any of us does truly carries any meaning at all."