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"I don't like beating around the bush, Rebeke," Rowen said as he sat on the stone stool, re-igniting his cigar and exhaling a plume of white smoke. "Tell me everything you know."
"No way!" Rebeke's voice sounded muffled, his head facing the ground causing him to get a mouthful of gravel.
"Spit... Spit it out!" He struggled to turn his head, revealing a side profile with bloodshot eyes glaring fiercely at Rowen, his teeth sharp like those of a wild beast.
Combined with his wrinkled, emaciated old face, he looked like a mummified corpse crawling out of hell, menacing and terrifying.
"Ignorant mortal! You have no idea what lies within!" He spat out.
"Wait till my master arrives, you heretics will repent for your sins in the Nether River!"
"Oh..." Rebeke's fervent oath was met with Rowen's nonchalant response. After listening, Rowen turned back and asked, "Is Rebeke a follower of any sect?"
"I'm sorry, sir," The excavation team commander pondered for a moment, shaking his head. "Although Mr. Rebeke has settled in Alabasta for over ten years, he rarely shows himself, so we locals know very little about him."
Seeing Rowen's disappointed expression, the commander quickly added, "But I do know some clues that may be related to his transformation."
"Oh? Do tell," Rowen perked up, shifting his weight to one foot and pressing down on Rebeke's head, signaling the commander to continue.
"Yes, it's like this..." The young commander began his tale.
The desert's vastness always harbored mysterious stories.
Its unconquerable nature gave rise to as many legends as there were stars in the desert sky, and even the ruling Nefertari household, which had dominated the region for centuries, dared not claim to understand every Sand Dune.
The commander's story revolved around the legend of the Nether River in the desert.
Legend has it that an Underground Nether River exists in the desert, where the souls of the deceased sink into the sands, cross the Nether River, and journey to the realm of the dead.
Centuries ago, a small town was ravaged by the encroaching sands. Countless livestock were buried, wells dried up, and the people struggled to survive.
Facing the withered and broken town, the town mayor decided to relocate, leading everyone in search of a new homeland.
Such occurrences were common in the desert Kingdom of Alabasta.
Even today, they still happen from time to time.
Because the desert is never static.
It, like the sea, has its ebbs and flows.
The closer one gets to the uninhabited areas, the more unpredictable the environment becomes.
When the sands began to devour their living space, migration became the only hope for survival.
However, whether it was misfortune or something else, after leading the residents for ten days, the mayor didn't spot a single oasis marked on the map.
On this day, they faced a water crisis, and the weaker elderly and children were struggling to breathe. Faced with the pleading gazes of the residents, the mayor was deeply troubled.
That night, as everyone gathered to rest, someone suddenly exclaimed, "It's a river! There's water!"
"Wow, that's a huge river! We're saved!" Exclaimed someone.
Huā Lā La...! At the same time, the rushing sound of water startled everyone in the camp, young and old alike.
The mayor led the people to the sand dune, staring speechlessly at the surging, churning black river ahead.
He couldn't understand why a river would suddenly appear here. They were miles away from the coast, and even seawater couldn't reach this far inland without being swallowed by the desert along the way.
But that didn't dampen the joy in everyone's hearts. They eagerly grabbed water containers and ran towards the river to fetch water.
That night, everyone slept soundly for the first time in a long while.
The next day, the mayor rushed to the sand dune and, seeing the still-flowing river, felt ecstatic. He announced that they would build their new homeland right there.
Regardless of how the river appeared, in the desert, water is life. Without a water source, no living being can survive.
Now that there was a freshwater river nearby, only a fool would consider moving elsewhere.
The reconstruction work progressed smoothly. With a water source, life returned. As they watched the residents gradually recover and the livestock regain their vigor, the mayor breathed a sigh of relief.
But...
The good times didn't last.
One day, someone woke up to find that the veins under their skin had turned very dark, interspersed like ink between their skin layers, startling them. They quickly went to see a doctor for treatment.
However, the doctor couldn't offer much help either. After confirming that there was nothing wrong with the person's body, they reported the matter to the mayor.
Faced with this strange illness, everyone was at a loss.
Fortunately, the illness only changed the color of the blood vessels and didn't have any adverse effects on the body, so everyone gradually relaxed.
Until one day...
In the middle of the night, just as the mayor had fallen asleep, he suddenly heard non-human roars from outside. The town was thrown into chaos, filled with screams and eerie "hissing" sounds everywhere.
When the mayor went out to investigate, he found a group of pitch-black monsters chasing the residents.
They had a humanoid posture but with blood-red eyes, covered in viscous black fluid, and their palms transformed into blades.
After desperately killing one of the monsters, the mayor was horrified to discover that when the viscous fluid peeled away, it revealed a normal human body inside!
And he recognized that person.
It was the town's blacksmith!
The sword that killed the "monster" was also made by this blacksmith.
Monsters were once humans!
This earth-shattering news caught everyone off guard, and they became suspicious of each other, fearing that their companions might turn into those terrifying monsters at any moment.
No one knows what happened in the town afterward.
In the end, only a few survivors escaped and spread the news, adding another legend about the Nether River to the desert.
"I've heard this story too!" Said a young man in the excavation team, raising his hand. "My mother used to tell me this story to put me to sleep when I was a child. She told me that those people were actually already dead, and the reason they couldn't find an oasis was that they were in the realm of the dead, not the real world."
"Wow..." Rowen said, impressed. "Your mother is quite the storyteller!"
Now that's a terrifying story, isn't it?
However, this story also carries a moral lesson, warning people that although water sources are important in the desert, they should not be consumed indiscriminately.
The fact that the residents of the town in the story turned into monsters clearly indicates that they drank the water from the suddenly appearing river.
This is also an important lesson for children.
"Yes, the Nether River!"
At this moment, Rebeke suddenly looked up with a reverent expression. "Great Lord of the Nether River, ruler of the realm of the dead! Please show your power and take away these blasphemers!"
...
Silence fell over the surroundings, with only the sound of everyone's breathing echoing in the quiet underground space.
A few seconds later...
Boom!
A violent tremor startled everyone. When the workers turned around, they saw Rebeke being pushed into the ground again by Rowen, his mouth twitching frantically.
Oh...
Almost forgot, the most terrifying guy here now is "Soryu" Rowen!!!
"The nonsense Lord of the Nether River!"
"If it's so powerful, why does it have anything to do with the World Government?!"
"If it has the temperament, go rule the world, idiot!"
Rowen disdainfully blew out white smoke, stomped on Rebeke's head a few times, and completely shut his mouth.
Any god who doesn't show itself is just a paper tiger!
The "Lord of the Nether River" in Rebeke's mouth probably only has a special ability to turn people into monsters, maybe some strange parasitic virus.
And compared to the "gods" exaggerated by legends, Rowen believes more in his own fists.
If there really is a Lord of the Nether River, Rowen would rather have a go with him, to see if his strength after Awakening truly stands at the pinnacle of the world.
Hearing Rowen's words, the excavation team fell silent.
Well, it seems... that's the truth.
There are plenty of legends in this world about the living, but they have no connection to your Lord of the Nether River.
...