300-302

Chapter 300: Living Up to the Reputation 

"What a handsome man!" 

Janice blurted out, her eyes sparkling with excitement, completely forgetting to take photos. 

Seeing his young, beautiful wife praise another man right in front of him made Jack quite unhappy. 

However, as a successful person, Jack wouldn't get angry directly. Instead, he examined the young man inside the elliptical object, looking for something to criticize. 

But even Jack, a man with normal preferences, had to admit that the man with his eyes closed in front of him was simply too handsome. 

Then, the more Jack looked at the man, the more familiar he seemed, as if he had seen him somewhere before. 

Just then, the captain spoke up in surprise. 

"Isn't that Roy Blake, the guy who just won the gold medal in the heavyweight boxing competition at the Olympics a few days ago?" 

There were others on board who had watched the Sydney Olympics, and they all recognized Roy. 

It couldn't be helped; Roy was so handsome that basically everyone who had watched the match would remember him, regardless of gender. 

Finally, Jack also recognized Roy. He had also watched the final match of the Sydney Olympics heavyweight boxing competition. 

"It seems like it really is him! How did he end up inside this thing?" 

Everyone exchanged glances, trying to figure out why Roy would be inside such a sealed, gray elliptical object. 

Then, the captain, who had a particularly wild imagination, thought of another possibility. 

"Could he have been kidnapped by aliens for some experiment and then sent back?" 

In that era, there were quite a few similar news stories in Europe and America, with many people claiming to have been taken by aliens and then returned. 

Although these news stories were eventually proven false, many people strongly believed in such tales. The captain was likely one of them. 

Jack noticed that his wife Janice was still staring intently at Roy, not even blinking. Feeling increasingly annoyed, he couldn't help but prod her. 

"Janice, what do you think?" 

Her husband's voice brought Janice back to reality, but she didn't detect the displeasure in Jack's tone. Her gaze remained fixed on Roy's face. 

"I was wondering if he's still alive?" 

This made everyone present pause collectively. Until now, they hadn't even thought about checking if Roy was alive or dead. Everything they had discussed before seemed a bit ridiculous in retrospect. 

The captain looked at Jack. 

"Boss?" 

Jack stroked his chin. Although he didn't have a good impression of Roy because of Janice, it wasn't to the extent of wanting him dead. 

"Let the ship's doctor check him out then!" 

The ship's doctor immediately stepped forward to examine Roy's body. 

"His pulse and breathing have stopped, but his heart is still faintly beating!" 

This discovery surprised everyone greatly. Jack couldn't quite understand how a person's heart could still beat when their pulse and breathing had stopped. 

"Doctor, is this guy alive or dead?" 

The ship's doctor provided an answer. 

"I suspect this gentleman is in a state of suspended animation. Most of his physiological functions have shut down, with only his heart maintaining basic vitality." 

Upon hearing this, Janice seemed a bit anxious, an attitude that made Jack frown. 

"Doctor, can you save this gentleman?" 

"I can try, but I don't know if I can save him." 

Saying this, the ship's doctor had already begun attempting to give Roy first aid. 

At this point, Jack put his arm around Janice's waist and forcefully led her away. 

"Alright, dear, let's not disturb the doctor while he's trying to save someone! Everyone else, you can go too. Don't forget you have work!" 

Since the boss had spoken, the crew members dispersed, though two remained to help the ship's doctor take Roy to the infirmary. 

When Roy regained consciousness, he saw an unfamiliar middle-aged man shining a medical flashlight in his eyes. 

"Who are you?" 

Roy's sudden awakening startled the ship's doctor because he hadn't even started the formal first aid yet, and Roy had woken up on his own. 

"You're awake! I'm the doctor on this ship. You can call me Bruce." 

Roy had been unconscious for too long and was still a bit groggy. He tried to sit up but couldn't. 

"Don't move around! I suspect you have decompression sickness. Were you diving before?" 

Decompression sickness refers to the condition where, after leaving a high-pressure environment, the body's decompression process is inadequate, causing nitrogen in the bloodstream to form bubbles and blood clots, which can severely impact health. 

Severe decompression sickness can potentially lead to death. 

Roy's fight with the Kraken happened in the deep sea, which could indeed be considered diving. However, his physical fitness was incredibly strong, and decompression sickness wouldn't be enough to kill him. 

After all, Roy had survived for several days in a state of oxygen deprivation, let alone simple decompression sickness. 

You could say Mr. Blake was truly becoming less and less human. 

"Where... where am I?" 

"You're on the oil tanker North Pioneer. We're heading to an oil well in the Pacific Ocean." 

The ship's doctor answered Roy's question while examining his body. 

"Did you save me?" 

"No, the person who found you was Mrs. Janice, and the crew members brought you onto the ship." 

The doctor took out a syringe, ready to draw blood for examination, but his hand was stopped by Roy just as the needle was about to enter his arm. 

"No need for examination, my body is perfectly fine." 

As he spoke, Roy directly sat up, even though his body was still a bit unsteady. 

He couldn't let the doctor draw his blood, otherwise the doctor would discover that the needle couldn't pierce his skin at all. 

"Didn't I tell you not to move? Your body is very weak!" 

"I'm really fine! If you want to help me, just get me something to eat!" 

The main reason Roy was able to survive these past few days was that during his fight with the Kraken, he absorbed a large amount of life energy with his Dark Touch. This life energy sustained Roy's basic physiological functions. 

However, after several days, the life energy was almost depleted. If Roy had drifted for a few more days, he might have actually died. 

"No! For the sake of your health, I must draw blood and examine you!" 

The ship's doctor couldn't believe such an unscientific claim. He held Roy down, trying to force the blood draw. 

With no other choice, Roy directly kicked the doctor over and jumped off the sickbed. 

"Sorry, Mr. Bruce, I don't like people touching my body." 

This was the power of super self-healing; it only took a few minutes for Roy to shake off the negative reactions from being in a state of suspended animation. 

Before, it would have taken Roy at least several hours to recover to this extent. 

However, the price of super self-healing was that it made Roy even hungrier. He felt like he could eat several cows right now. 

The ship's doctor looked at Roy in surprise. 

"How did you get up so quickly?" 

"I'm an athlete, I have a good physique. Is there any food? I'm starving!" 

In the North Pioneer's mess hall, many people stared in disbelief as Roy ate because the guy had already eaten enough food for all the crew members for a whole day, and he was still eating non-stop. 

This kind of appetite would undoubtedly win any competitive eating contest. 

Everyone was wondering why Roy ate so much, but his stomach didn't change at all, as if everything he ate went to another dimension. 

"Another serving!" 

The chef didn't respond immediately because Roy was eating too much, which might affect the crew's meals later. 

Just then, Jack walked in with Janice. 

Janice's eyes lit up again when she saw Roy. 

Yeah, Roy's clothes had exploded when he transformed into his demon form, so now he was wearing the ship's work uniform. 

But the drab work uniform couldn't hide Roy's handsomeness. Janice was almost instantly captivated by Roy, her eyes filled with fascination. 

Fortunately, Jack didn't notice Janice's expression and gaze this time. He was just surprised looking at Roy and the huge stack of plates in front of him. 

"What on earth is going on? He's awake so quickly? And what's with all these plates?" 

The head chef walked up to Jack awkwardly and explained what had happened, leaving Jack quite speechless. 

"You called me over for this? How much did he eat?" 

"He ate an entire day's worth of food reserves!" 

Hearing this, Jack was as stunned as everyone else. 

"What did you say? A whole day's worth? Are you kidding me?" 

"Boss, it's true, everyone in the mess hall saw it!" 

Jack was a bit speechless. He looked at Roy, whose figure was still standard, even perfect, and then looked at his own single ab... 

How could there be such a big difference between people? 

Shaking off the gloomy feeling from his face, Jack sat down across from Roy. 

"Still not full?" 

Roy nodded. He was only about half-full right now, and the hunger was still very strong. 

"Head chef, keep making some food for this gentleman." 

"Boss, but the food reserves..." 

"Didn't we prepare a month's worth of food reserves for this trip? There should be plenty for the round trip. Go make him something to eat!" 

Ships in ancient times had to prepare food in advance for long voyages and usually prepared a bit extra to prevent any unexpected situations at sea. 

However, modern ships don't prepare too much food when going out to sea, as navigation is very advanced now, and the safety of going out to sea is incomparable to ancient times. 

Fortunately, Jack's trip this time was to an offshore oil rig near Antarctica, and since there were no places nearby to resupply, they were very well-prepared with food and freshwater. 

The head chef still listened to Jack and went to make food, while Jack started chatting with Roy. 

"My name is Jack Davis. Are you Mr. Roy Blake, the heavyweight boxing champion from this year's Sydney Olympics?" 

Roy wasn't surprised that he was recognized. The ship's doctor and head chef had both recognized him earlier, and they even asked him for autographs. 

"Yes, I am Roy Blake." 

"Mr. Blake, can you tell me why you were found floating on the sea wrapped in a gray elliptical object?" 

This was something everyone on the ship wanted to know. 

"Actually, the Santiago, the cruise ship I was on, was shipwrecked. I found a strange object on the ship and crawled inside. I drifted at sea for several days until you found me." 

The fact that Roy was on the Santiago had been reported in the newspapers, so this matter couldn't be hidden. 

Upon hearing this, Jack was very surprised. 

"Santiago? That largest luxury cruise ship in the world? It was shipwrecked?" 

"Yes, there are probably only a few people left alive from the entire ship." 

Roy didn't believe that under the Kraken's strangulation, there could be any other survivors from the Santiago. Those who escaped with him at the time were probably all the survivors. 

Hearing this, Jack's expression became a bit anxious. 

"Then do you know how Charles Weyland is doing?" 

Roy looked at Jack in surprise. 

"Mr. Davis, you know Charles too?" 

Jack nodded. 

"Charles is my business partner. We collaborate on many investments, and we've also been good friends for many years. How about you?" 

Roy examined Jack carefully and realized that his age seemed to be not much less than Charles's. It was indeed possible that they were friends. 

Since he was Charles's friend, it was simple. 

"I've been dating Serena recently." 

Roy directly brought up Serena, and Jack didn't doubt it at all. His attitude also became much more enthusiastic. 

"Oh, so you're Serena's new boyfriend. How are Charles and Serena doing?" 

"I saw them get on a lifeboat, they should have been successfully rescued." 

Jack breathed a sigh of relief. 

"Mr. Blake, I will use the satellite phone to inform the outside world about the Santiago's accident, but please forgive me, I cannot immediately send you back to land because I still need to inspect the oil well under my name." 

"Mr. Davis, you and your wife have already made me very grateful by saving me. There's no need to specially cancel your trip to take me to land." 

At this point, the head chef had finished preparing the food and served it. Jack stood up, no longer interrupting Roy's meal. 

"Mr. Blake, take your time eating. I'll go make the call now." 

With that, Jack left the mess hall in a hurry, even forgetting to take his beloved wife Janice with him. 

And so, the ravenously eating Roy felt a beautiful young woman sit down across from him. 

He glanced over, almost choking. 

"Eat slowly, don't choke!" 

Janice handed Roy a glass of water and even walked behind him to gently pat his back. 

"Thank you!" 

After swallowing his food, Roy looked at Janice with a strange expression, constantly sizing her up. 

Isn't this Kelly Brook? 

Kelly Brook should be one of Britain's most successful football WAGs and Page 3 girls. She successfully entered the film industry through her relationship with her boyfriend, Jason Statham (郭达·斯坦森 - Guo Da·斯坦森, commonly associated with Jason Statham in this context). 

Although she could only play revealing roles in low-budget films, transitioning from a football WAG to the film industry was quite a leap across a chasm. 

However, Roy's biggest impression of Kelly Brook was still that pair of "big treasures" (referring to her chest). 

He took a quick look – indeed, they lived up to their reputation! 

Roy's strange gaze seemed to cause a misunderstanding for Janice. A shy expression appeared on her face, and she lowered her head, acting like a young girl who had just started dating. 

"You... why are you looking at me like that!" 

"Sorry!" 

Roy quickly averted his gaze, focusing on the food. 

Janice (Kelly Brook) 

Chapter 301: Still Wakes the Deep 

Actually, the outside world already knew about what happened to the Santiago on the same day it occurred. 

The crew member on the bridge at the time managed to send out a distress signal, and many people on board had satellite phones, so they were bound to be discovered quickly after losing contact. 

So, by now, there might even be rescue teams heading to where the Santiago sank to start salvage operations. 

The most obvious sign of this was the stock prices of all the holding companies under Charles plummeted, and the companies owned by the billionaires on the missing list also saw varying degrees of decline. 

America's stock market even experienced a small crash because of this. Who knows if someone got the news and started shorting the market. 

But none of that had anything to do with Roy. He was still on the tanker, sailing towards Antarctica. 

All this information was what Jack told Roy after contacting the outside world using a satellite phone. 

In short, a terrible storm of public opinion was waiting for Charles. Hopefully, he could withstand it. 

However, Jack told Roy that Charles hadn't shown himself yet, so he likely hadn't returned to land. 

As dusk settled, Roy stood on the deck, watching the sunset in the distance, filled with mixed emotions. 

Just then, a voice came from behind him. 

"In two more hours, we'll reach the offshore drilling platform." 

It was Janice speaking. 

Ever since Roy woke up, Janice had been constantly showing him concern and asking about his well-being, clearly showing interest in him. 

This made Roy very awkward. Although he was indeed a womanizer, he wouldn't go after the wife of someone who had helped him; that would be truly low-class. 

But Janice was just too forward, which left Roy feeling quite helpless. 

Fortunately, Jack knew that Roy was Serena's boyfriend, and Roy's attitude towards Janice was very cold, so he didn't suspect anything. 

This time was the same. Roy completely ignored Janice, but the woman still came over, practically pressing against him, trying to get a reaction. 

Of course, it might also be that she wanted to press something else against him. 

"Roy, do you know why Jack is rushing to the offshore drilling platform? I heard the workers on that platform are on strike, which is why Jack is hurrying there to negotiate with them." 

Janice didn't seem to mind Roy's cold attitude. She blinked and continued talking. 

"He was just throwing a tantrum inside because the drilling platform wasn't answering his radio calls." 

Roy's heart skipped a beat. Could something else have happened? 

These incidents seemed to be happening a bit too frequently! He had only been awake for a few hours! 

Janice went on. 

"Jack says the workers on the drilling platform are trying to show him who's boss. Good thing he brought security from the military company. Roy, do you think there will be bloodshed when we get to the platform?" 

"I don't know." 

Roy definitely didn't want any bloodshed. Right now, he just wanted to get back to dry land safely and didn't want any more accidents. 

But Janice's attitude seemed like she was looking for a show, which made Roy a little confused about what she was thinking. 

A woman's heart is especially hard to guess. After all, Roy's success with women mainly relied on his looks, not on guessing. 

Janice chatted with Roy for a few more minutes, but Roy remained distant and indifferent. Janice felt she was getting nowhere and left, looking a bit unhappy. 

It was spring in the Southern Hemisphere, and daylight hours weren't too long yet. Dusk quickly ended. 

After dark, Roy returned to the cabin and didn't stay outside exposed to the wind. 

But there was no one in the cabin. Roy searched around and found everyone gathered in the mess hall. 

He saw Jack, fists clenched, giving a pep talk to the oil tanker crew. Behind him stood two men in black that Roy hadn't seen before. 

These two men in black must be the military company security Janice mentioned earlier. They seemed to dislike being seen by others and had stayed in their rooms the whole time. 

Even when they spotted Roy, they didn't show themselves. 

Their appearance now must be to lend Jack some support. 

Roy listened by the door for a while. Jack's main point was that he hoped the tanker crew would stand with him when they reached the offshore drilling platform and prevent the striking workers' actions. 

Unfortunately, the crew members were uninterested in Jack's words. Even if he spoke with passion and saliva flying, it wouldn't help. 

The wages Jack paid weren't enough for the crew members to moonlight as riot police. No matter how much he said, it was useless. 

Helpless, Jack could only promise the crew members an extra bonus, which finally sparked their interest. 

"Now, go prepare some clubs. When we reach the offshore drilling platform later, just follow my command, understood?" 

"Understood." 

The crew members answered Jack weakly, then dispersed. 

At this point, Roy came over to Jack. 

"Jack, do you need my help?" 

Jack waved his hand, a smile on his face. 

"I've handled many similar worker strikes. It'll be resolved quickly and won't affect our return trip." 

Jack thought Roy was in a hurry to get back, which was why he offered to help. 

Roy shrugged. He genuinely suspected something might have happened on the drilling platform and wanted to help, but unfortunately, Jack didn't know his capabilities. 

Since that was the case, he would just find a way to repay this favor after they reached the drilling platform. 

An hour later, they could already see the lights of the offshore drilling platform in the distance. Jack sent another radio message, but there was still no response. 

Offshore drilling platforms are usually high above sea level. After the tanker docks, people can't just climb up directly; they need to communicate with the platform and have an elevator lowered. 

Jack was furious. He ordered all the crew members on the ship to gather and prepare. Then, after the tanker approached the offshore drilling platform, he sent a signal requesting entry to the platform, but there was still no response. 

(Offshore Drilling) 

Now, Jack was absolutely livid. 

"A bunch of damn poor folks, daring to pull this stunt on me!" 

Calling them "poor folks" insulted most of the people present. On the tanker, apart from Mr. and Mrs. Davis and Roy, there were probably no rich people. 

As a result, the crew members' eyes towards Jack became less friendly. 

Jack realized he had said the wrong thing and quickly corrected himself. 

"I've already given those workers sufficient wages, but they still want to strike. It's just too much! Captain, is there still no signal from the platform?" 

The captain wiped the sweat from his brow, the situation making him nervous. 

"Yes, not a sound. There isn't even anyone greeting us." 

Jack clenched his fists, glaring at the offshore drilling platform through gritted teeth. 

"Damn it! They're actually that united! No more waiting, we'll use the lifeboat to get onto the platform directly!" 

Normally, there are also stairs leading up from the bottom of a drilling platform, but a large ship definitely can't get close, so they can only use a lifeboat. 

The problem is, if they use a lifeboat to get onto the offshore drilling platform, they certainly can't bring many people. 

Jack started to suspect this was exactly what the drilling workers intended. 

"What a bunch of cunning guys!" 

Excluding the two mandatory military company security guards, Jack could only take a maximum of 7 more people onto the offshore drilling platform. 

Janice wanted to join Jack's team and go up to the platform to watch the excitement, but Jack didn't want his wife involved in this matter. 

Even though Janice kept pestering and begging him cutely, Jack didn't agree. 

After that, Roy also suggested going up to the platform together. 

"Jack, take me with you. I also want to see what the offshore drilling platform looks like." 

Jack looked at the burly Roy. At least his build was very intimidating. 

But Roy was a guest after all, and Jack felt uncomfortable asking him for help. 

"Roy, once I deal with those workers, you can come up to the platform and see. There's no need to go up at this moment." 

After some consideration, Jack still refused Roy. 

Roy felt helpless but couldn't do anything about it. 

Finally, Jack carefully selected seven of the most robust-looking crew members with the fiercest appearances. Each of them grabbed a wooden club and got into the lifeboat, heading towards the offshore drilling platform under the cover of night. 

"Hope nothing has happened." 

Roy looked at the quiet offshore drilling platform, feeling a vague sense that something might have already happened there. 

"Roy, what are you saying hasn't happened?" 

After Jack left, Janice started approaching Roy again, certain areas with obvious advantages brushed against his arm subtly. 

"Nothing, I just hope nothing happens to Jack, since he helped me." 

Hearing this, Janice started pouting prettily. 

"Roy, you're so mean! You call Jack by his name but call me Mrs. Davis. Are you deliberately trying to distance yourself from me?" 

This made the surrounding crew members' gazes even more ambiguous. 

Roy was truly speechless. His attitude was already very clear, yet Janice was still asking something she clearly knew the answer to. 

"Mrs. Davis, I think..." 

Roy hadn't finished speaking when Jack's voice suddenly came through the captain's walkie-talkie. 

"Monster! There are monsters on the drilling platform! Come save me..." 

Roy immediately ran to the captain, snatched the walkie-talkie, and asked. 

"Jack, what's happening? Hello! Hello!" 

There was no more sound from the walkie-talkie, no matter how much Roy called out. 

Then, Janice suddenly pointed at the sea outside the window and gasped. 

"Look! The ocean below the drilling platform is glowing!" 

Everyone rushed to the windows to look at the sea. Indeed, the ocean below the drilling platform was emitting a colorful, eerie light. 

This sight was actually quite beautiful, if they hadn't just heard Jack's scream. 

Now, there was only fear in the hearts of the others in the cabin. 

"What on earth is happening?" 

The captain was at a loss, unsure what to do for a moment. 

The boss's life was uncertain, and the only one seemingly in charge now was the boss's wife, Janice. 

But Janice had never encountered a situation like this and was staring blankly at the glowing sea. 

Finally, Roy stepped forward. 

"Captain, I'll go up to the drilling platform and take a look. You move the ship further away and wait for me!" 

"Huh? By yourself? How about we make a satellite phone call for help and wait for rescue instead?" 

The captain still wanted to be more cautious, but Roy's attitude was very firm. 

"Do as I say! Is there another walkie-talkie? Give me another one!" 

"Mr. Black, but how will you get up? There's only one lifeboat on the tanker!" 

"Of course, I'll swim over!" 

With a splash, Roy had already jumped into the sea. The deck of the tanker, over ten meters high, was no problem for him at all. 

Janice finally snapped back to reality at this point, rushing to the railing and shouting to Roy with tears in her eyes. 

"Roy, be careful!" 

Roy, who had dived into the sea, didn't hear Janice's words, but even if he had, he wouldn't have responded. 

This sea area was surprisingly warm, not at all like the ocean near the Antarctic Circle. 

As he got closer to the drilling platform, Roy could see a large amount of tiny, mysterious substances in the seawater. These substances seemed to be floating up from the seabed. The glowing ocean Roy saw earlier was actually the effect of these things gathered together. 

To be safe, Roy formed his Nephilim form and materialized a protective film with Chaos Energy to avoid direct contact between his body and these mysterious substances. 

This was a very wise choice. As Roy passed through the ocean filled with these mysterious substances, he could feel them attaching to the protective film like living creatures, seemingly trying to devour the Chaos Energy. 

Fortunately, the protective film formed by Chaos Energy was very strong. Until Roy reached the bottom of the drilling platform, these mysterious substances couldn't penetrate the film. 

Then, Roy tore off the protective film made of Chaos Energy, wrapped the mysterious substances inside it, and put them into his inventory, planning to take them back for research later. 

Exiting his Nephilim form, he immediately transformed into Ghost Wolf form. The Ghost Wolf's powerful sense of smell allowed Roy to detect a strange odor. 

A stench that was difficult to describe in words. Roy had never smelled anything like it before. 

He should find Jack first. 

Roy didn't dwell on the smell but pulled out his revolver and started climbing the stairs. 

The reason he didn't pull out the Executioner's Blade was mainly because he was afraid its appearance would scare others. 

However, Roy soon realized he had worried too much. When he reached the lower level rooms of the platform, he found they were completely dark and empty. There was no sign of Jack or his group. 

Roy took out the Hound Ring and started tracking Jack's location, discovering that the hellhound was running towards the largest building on the drilling platform, which was the main structure. 

Crew quarters, offices, and the mess hall were usually in this building, but to reach this building, he first had to get to the upper platform of the drill rig. 

Passing through the dark, empty lower-level rooms, Roy quickly reached the upper platform. 

It was as if a world war had taken place here. Various equipment and supplies were scattered haphazardly on the ground, and some areas were even on fire. 

What happened here? 

Just as he was thinking, Roy suddenly heard some strange sounds. 

Adapted from the horror game "Still Wakes the Deep," a pretty good game. 

Chapter 303: Beneath the Oil Rig  

Roy grabbed two people—Jack and a security guard—and leaped through the hole in the floor.  

"Ahhh!"  

Jack and the guard screamed in terror, a purely instinctive reaction to the sudden freefall.  

Just before they hit the water, Roy unfurled his gray Nephilim wings and pulled up sharply, preventing all three of them from crashing into the sea. An unprotected plunge from this height would have likely left Jack and the guard severely injured.  

"Roy, where’s my tanker?"  

"I told the captain to move it farther away to avoid being caught in the rig’s collapse."  

Jack glanced at the tilting offshore drilling platform and nodded.  

"You made the right call."  

Had the tanker stayed in its original position, everyone aboard would have died if the rig toppled over.  

"I’ll take you back to the tanker first!"  

With that, Roy tightened his grip on Jack and the guard and ascended higher into the sky.  

From this vantage point, the sight of the drilling platform was even more staggering. The glowing, multicolored substance—or perhaps organism—continued spreading across the water, its fluorescent reach expanding relentlessly.  

If the tanker hadn’t been moved, it too might have been affected by this bizarre phenomenon.  

"Why… why is this happening?"  

Jack was devastated. Watching his life’s work crumble before his eyes was unbearable. He couldn’t bring himself to look, hoping it was all just a nightmare.  

"It’s like cancer!"  

Roy, however, had a different concern. He was more worried about the environmental impact of this strange, luminous entity. If left unchecked, who knew what horrors it might unleash?  

Looks like I’ll have to call an old friend I haven’t spoken to in a while.  

A few minutes later, Roy spotted Jack’s tanker several nautical miles away. When he landed on the deck with his gray wings spread, the crew stared in shock—and fear.  

This was exactly why Roy disliked revealing his supernatural form in public. Having so many witnesses to his Nephilim state was… problematic.  

If only I could alter memories like Elizabeth.  

"Roy… are you an angel?"  

Janice blurted out the question, unlike the others, who recoiled in terror.  

His gray wings did resemble the traditional depiction of angels—just the wrong color. Angels were supposed to have white wings, not gray.  

Roy ignored her and turned to Jack.  

"Jack, can I borrow your satellite phone?"  

Jack nodded frantically and rushed to fetch it.  

Once Roy reverted to his human form, he addressed the crowd.  

"Listen up. It’d be best if you all forgot what you saw today. For everyone’s sake."  

His tone carried an unspoken threat, sending a chill down their spines.  

Many immediately swore secrecy, vowing to take the secret to their graves.  

Roy didn’t believe them—some people couldn’t keep their mouths shut, especially after a few drinks.  

But as long as their stories weren’t picked up by certain organizations, most would dismiss them as drunken ramblings.  

So he added another warning.  

"And if any of you leak this… I will find you."  

The crowd fell dead silent. Only Janice continued staring at him with an odd expression.  

Soon, Jack returned with the satellite phone.  

"Roy, who are you calling?"  

"I’m actually an agent with the Federal Emergency Agency. This situation is complicated—it’s best handled by federal forces."  

Jack’s eyes widened in realization. As one of America’s wealthy elite, he’d heard whispers of secretive federal departments like the FEA.  

Then his mind raced to wilder theories—maybe Roy was the product of a government experiment.  

How else could a man shift between demon and gray-winged angel forms?  

Then again, the U.S. government had a reputation for bizarre projects. The wildest conspiracy theories often turned out to be true.  

Could anyone blame Americans for believing in them?  

The call connected quickly.  

"Director Olin, it’s Roy Black."  

"Black? I heard the San Diego sank. You’re alive?"  

So Gerald had been keeping tabs on him.  

"I’m fine. I’m aboard a tanker now."  

"Of course. I knew a shipwreck couldn’t kill you. By the way, what happened? The rescue team recovered the black box, and the data was… unusual."  

Gerald sounded confident in Roy’s survival.  

Then again, Roy had already taken down three Hell Lords—why would a mere shipwreck finish him?  

(And yes, Elizabeth counted.)  

Roy was surprised the black box had been recovered so quickly. Salvaging a vessel that size should’ve taken much longer.  

"The San Diego was attacked by a sea monster, but that’s not the issue now. There’s something worse happening here."  

Gerald’s tone shifted immediately.  

"What’s going on?"  

Roy detailed the situation at Jack’s oil rig. After a long silence, Gerald finally responded.  

"Black, that location is near Antarctica, in international waters. The FEA technically has no jurisdiction there. I’ll need approval from headquarters—maybe even the White House—before we can intervene."  

The FEA, like the FBI, primarily operated domestically.  

But just as the CIA sometimes meddled at home and the FBI occasionally worked overseas (as long as no one noticed), the FEA might bend the rules—if the stakes were high enough.  

Still, without immediate authorization, Roy was on his own.  

"Fine. I’ll try to contain the situation. Hope you guys move fast."  

"I’ll have the L.A. branch on standby. Once we get the green light, we’ll contact you immediately. Until then, it’s up to you."  

"I’ll do what I can."  

Gerald hung up.  

When Roy turned back, everyone was staring at him.  

"What?"  

Jack cleared his throat awkwardly.  

"So… what did the FEA say?"  

"They need authorization before acting. For now, I’m on my own."  

Roy gazed at the distant oil rig, deep in thought.  

Even in the darkness, the rig stood out—primarily because of its flare stack, which burned off excess gas during drilling.  

Now, the stack was completely engulfed in pulsating flesh-like tendrils, coated in those same glowing, rainbow-hued filaments.  

Suddenly, the ocean trembled again—this time, violently.  

And with it came another wave of hallucinations.  

Every single person on the tanker froze, entranced by the nightmare unfolding before them.  

Roy, having experienced this before—and with his high Willpower stat—shook off the illusion instantly. But the others weren’t so lucky.  

With no other choice, Roy resorted to punching everyone awake—except Janice, who got a lighter tap on the backside.  

(Jack’s debt was repaid. No need to hold back now.)  

Janice was the first to snap out of it, blinking in confusion before blushing furiously.  

"Roy, you—"  

"Shh. Not now."  

Roy proceeded to rouse the others. They all looked dazed, as if they’d witnessed something unspeakable.  

"Captain, keep moving away from this area—but not too far."  

Janice frowned.  

"Roy, what about you?"  

"I need to contain whatever’s happening on that rig. If we don’t act now, things will get worse."  

The glowing expanse was spreading visibly. Without intervention, the contamination would spiral out of control.  

"But—"  

Before she could finish, Roy shifted back into his Nephilim form and took off.  

The captain hesitated, then turned to Jack.  

"Boss… do we follow his orders?"  

Jack wanted nothing more than to flee. But if Roy survived and found out…  

After a tense pause, he gritted his teeth.  

"Do as he says. Take us 10—no, 20 nautical miles out. We’ll wait for him… for one day."  

As the crew dispersed to their duties, only Jack and Janice remained on deck, watching the distant rig.  

Roy flew straight for the derrick—the most heavily infested part of the platform, completely encased in pulsating flesh.  

"Let’s see what you really are."  

Roy forced the derrick open, revealing a grotesque, tunnel-like passage lined with meaty tissue, resembling a giant birth canal.  

Something was gestating inside.  

Retracting his wings, Roy encased himself in a shell of Chaos energy and jumped in.  

He fell for what felt like an eternity, tearing through countless glowing filaments before finally landing in a pool of oil.  

"Ugh, disgusting!"  

Swimming in crude oil was a first for Roy. He quickly spread his wings and took flight.  

The rig had been operational for years, leaving the reservoir cavernous enough for him to maneuver.  

The entire chamber was infested with the rainbow filaments, even floating within the oil itself.  

Noticing Roy, the tendrils began converging toward him. Thankfully, his Chaos armor shielded him from their hallucinogenic effects.  

"Disgusting things."  

Roy drew his Executioner’s Blade and slashed through the mass.  

To his surprise, some filaments recoiled.  

They’re intelligent?  

If these things possessed even hive-mind-level cognition, they were far more dangerous than he’d thought.  

From a human standpoint, they had to be eradicated.  

"Roy… come to us."  

A strangely familiar voice echoed in his mind.  

"Who’s there?"  

Roy activated his True Sight, scanning for the source.  

"We are here."  

The filaments parted, forming a tunnel.  

The voice seemed to originate from deep within.  

Another player?  

Roy flew forward. Behind him, the tendrils sealed his exit.  

Soon, he arrived in a dry, oil-free cavity.  

At its center floated a massive, radiant mass—the source of the filaments. It resembled a glowing dandelion, its "seeds" drifting outward.  

"Roy… come closer."  

The voice grew seductive—a mother’s lullaby, a lover’s whisper. It tugged at his will.  

But with 61 points in Willpower, Roy resisted.  

"What are you?"  

If you’re trying to tempt me, at least shape-shift into a 36E bombshell.  

A rainbow LGBT mascot isn’t doing it for me.  

As if reading his mind, the glowing mass shifted.  

From it emerged a stunningly beautiful woman, radiant as the sun.  

Roy had never seen anyone so perfect—even Elizabeth and Michael paled in comparison. She was tailor-made to his preferences.  

"Roy… come to me."  

She stretched out her arms, inviting him into an embrace.  

"Tell me what you are first."  

Roy remained wary.  

Despite her beauty, her eyes were hollow—lifeless, even compared to a silicon-based being like Claudia.  

"We have no name. But other civilizations… called us The Color Out of Space."  

The Color Out of Space  

(End of Chapter)