Chapter 620: High Priest of the Deep Diver
But even though the altar was so magnificent, the creature that looked like an ant on it also attracted everyone's attention.
This creature looked similar to the bodies of the dead deep divers.
But the clothes on its body looked particularly gorgeous, and there seemed to be an inexplicable charm flowing on it, making people unable to look away.
It stood alone in the center of the altar, with its back to the submarine, as if it was performing some kind of ancient ritual.
The gorgeous clothes fluttered gently with the weak ocean current, flashing a faint light, as if woven from countless tiny bioluminescent bodies, mysterious and solemn.
The team members stared at the creature, and their heartbeats accelerated involuntarily.
This was the first time they had seen such a strange scene.
A living deep divers, wearing strange clothes, standing on a huge altar, this scene was beyond all their imagination.
"Is this... their priest?"
A team member whispered in a private channel.
The extreme shock in their hearts calmed them down, and their vital signs gradually became balanced strangely.
"Maybe, looking at his attire, he doesn't look like an ordinary deep diver."
Another team member responded.
A gleam of light flashed in the eyes of the supreme commander, and he realized that this creature might be the key to their trip.
He immediately ordered.
"Team member G, prepare the submarine's external mechanical arm, we are going to try to contact it."
After a little hesitation, team member G acted quickly, controlling the submarine's mechanical arm to slowly extend.
The atmosphere in the submarine became more tense, and everyone held their breath and stared at the screen intently.
Just when the mechanical arm was about to touch the creature, the creature suddenly turned around, with no expression on its face, and its eyes were as deep as the abyss of the deep sea.
It seemed to notice the existence of the submarine and slowly raised its hand.
The team members in the submarine felt a strong vibration, and a strange sound came from their headphones.
It sounded like the sound of waves in the sea, and it seemed to be a whisper of some language. This sound echoed directly in their minds, making them feel dizzy.
The supreme commander immediately gave the order.
"Everyone, put on your earmuffs immediately and don't listen to that voice!"
The team members hurriedly put on the specially prepared soundproofing equipment, and the strange sound was immediately isolated.
But their hearts were still full of shock and confusion.
What exactly was that creature doing?
Why could it directly affect their consciousness?
On the submarine's monitoring screen, they saw that creature slowly reaching out to the submarine, as if inviting them to participate in this mysterious ceremony.
The tense atmosphere in the submarine reached its peak with the voice of that creature.
Although the team members had prepared themselves mentally and knew that the deep diver had the ability to communicate with humans, the appearance of this voice still shocked them.
"Is this the sincerity of you humans?"
The deep diver's voice was dry and out of tune, but it was clearly transmitted to the ears of every team member.
The team members looked at each other, their eyes full of confusion and uneasiness.
They couldn't understand how the voice of this creature penetrated the solid shell of the nuclear submarine, passed through their protective clothing, and even passed through the soundproof earplugs, and rang directly in their ears.
To be precise.
This sound seemed to have passed through all physical barriers and directly entered their minds.
Similar to.
Spiritual communication and telepathy in fantasy novels?
The supreme commander remained calm, knowing that in this situation, any panic could lead to irreversible consequences.
"We came here to understand you and this sea area, and most importantly, we want to apologize to you."
The supreme commander tried to communicate with the deep diver.
The deep diver slowly lowered his head, as if thinking about something.
After a while, it raised its head again and looked at the submarine.
"Your arrival disturbed our ceremony."
Its voice was still dry, but there was a hint of unquestionable majesty in its tone.
The team members' hearts tightened, they knew that every movement and language of this creature might contain deep meaning.
Ceremony?
According to previous understanding, the ceremony performed by this deep diver high priest was to guide Cthulhu's subconscious to destroy human civilization!
The supreme commander made a quick decision.
"We apologize and are willing to make up for our presumption with the greatest sincerity."
The deep diver was silent for a moment, then slowly waved his hand, as if to signal the submarine's mechanical arm to stop moving forward.
After a moment of silence, a sneer appeared on the face of the High Priest of the Deep Diver.
It was a mockery beyond human emotions, as if he had never really regarded humans as equals.
"You humans have always been very cunning, why should I trust you?"
The High Priest's voice was like an undercurrent on the seabed, low and full of danger.
"Instead of asking you to apologize, it would be more convenient to completely destroy you."
The Supreme Commander frowned, he knew that the current situation was much more difficult than he expected.
He had to find a way to convince this creature, otherwise all of them might not be able to leave this mysterious sea.
But as far as the current situation is concerned, human beings can no longer be described as "disadvantaged" in this negotiation. They simply don't even have a trump card to play.
"We did make mistakes, but destruction is not the answer."
The supreme commander kept his voice as calm as possible, but his heart was filled with turmoil.
"We are willing to learn, we are willing to listen, we are willing to understand, and we can be friends as long as you are willing."
A strange light flashed in the high priest's eyes.
Is that interest in the proposal?
Or is it disdain for weak creatures like humans?
No one can judge.
It was silent for a moment again, and then slowly walked down the altar. Each step seemed to leave deep traces in the years deposited on the seabed.
"friend?"
There was a strange rhythm in the high priest's voice, as if he was mocking the powerlessness of the word.
"Isn't your human history a history of betrayal and deception? How do you prove that you will not betray us again?"
"From your perspective as a human being, the only lesson you learn from history is to never learn from history."
The supreme commander took a deep breath, knowing that this was a critical moment and any wrong decision could lead to catastrophic consequences.
"We are willing to provide anything you need, as long as it is what we have, it can be used as compensation for this time."
His words echoed in the submarine, and all the team members watched with bated breath the reaction of the high priest.
Everyone knew that this was a bet on whether they could gain the forgiveness of this powerful creature.
The high priest's eyes narrowed slightly, as if examining the sincerity of the supreme commander.
At this time, its gaze is profound, as if it can penetrate people's hearts, leaving people with nowhere to hide.
After a moment, it said slowly.
"Does what you have meet our needs?"
The supreme commander did not hesitate, he answered firmly
"Yes, we are willing to share our knowledge, technology, and resources with whatever you need. As long as we can provide it, we will not be stingy."
The high priest remained silent. He turned around and walked back to the center of the altar, seemingly deep in thought.
The team members in the submarine looked at each other, their eyes full of anticipation and anxiety.
After a long time, the high priest finally spoke, his voice low and powerful.
"I need your promise. You must promise not to dump any harmful substances into the ocean again!"
The supreme commander responded immediately.
"We promise that from now on, humans will respect your territory and there will be no further infringements."
The high priest nodded slowly, and his eyes swept over the faces of each team member on the submarine, as if confirming the determination of each of them.
"Also, I need your territory on land."
What?
Everyone was stunned.
The supreme commander's eyes widened instantly, and he let out an incredible groan from his throat.
This request exceeded everyone's expectations and could even be said to be extremely ridiculous.
Land should be so remote and unfamiliar to deep divers. Why would they be interested in land?
The atmosphere in the submarine was extremely tense, and everyone held their breath, waiting for the reaction of the supreme commander.
The supreme commander took a deep breath and tried to calm down his emotions.
His mind raced, trying to find a rational explanation for this ridiculous request. But no matter what, he had to deal with the situation.
"High Priest, your request is really difficult for us to understand."
The supreme commander's voice was as calm as possible, but his heartbeat was speeding up uncontrollably.
"Land should be useless to you. May I ask, why do you need our land?"
An imperceptible smile flashed in the high priest's eyes, as if he was enjoying the feeling of controlling the situation.
"Land is really not of much use to us."
Its sound flows slowly.
"But this is an exchange, a proof. If you can make such a sacrifice, then your promise may be worthy of our trust."
That's right.
Although they are deep divers who like to live in the ocean, it does not mean that they cannot survive on land.
The supreme commander frowned, knowing that this request was almost impossible to fulfill.
For humans, land is the basis of survival and the cradle of civilization. How can we hand it over so easily?
"High Priest, please understand that we cannot make such a decision."
There was a hint of pleading in the supreme commander's voice.
"We can provide other compensation, we can sign an agreement to protect the ocean and reduce pollution, but please withdraw this request."
The high priest was silent for a moment, and his eyes once again scanned everyone in the submarine.
"This is the bottom line for our deep diver family. If we can't do it, then you can continue to enjoy the praise of the gods!"
Its voice echoed in the submarine, and its words were like a cold knife, piercing everyone's heart.
The supreme commander's face darkened. He knew that this was no longer an ordinary negotiation, but a game about the future of mankind.
"Please give us time, we need to communicate with the higher ups."
He tried to buy time in the hope of finding a mutually acceptable solution.
The high priest did not answer immediately. His eyes were deep, as if he was thinking about something.
The team members inside the submarine waited nervously, knowing that this decision could change everything.
Finally, the high priest slowly spoke.
"You have thirty minutes."
Only thirty minutes?
This answer made the atmosphere in the submarine even more tense!
"We will give a reply as soon as possible." The supreme commander replied solemnly.
The high priest said no more, and it turned back to the altar to continue its unfinished ritual.
The team members in the submarine breathed a sigh of relief, but they knew that this crisis was far from over.
The supreme commander immediately organized a meeting among the team members to discuss countermeasures.
They hope to find a solution that will satisfy deep divers without sacrificing human interests.
Jiang Xiao was sitting in the command center of the Shanghai-Hong Kong base, staring coldly at the big screen in front of him.
The screen showed the tense scene inside the nuclear submarine. The team members sat in a circle and anxiously discussed countermeasures.
Seeing their chirping and grinding, Jiang Xiao snorted disdainfully.
"These people are really useless."
He curled his lips contemptuously and tapped his fingers lightly on the table, making a crisp sound.
Jiang Xiao knew in his heart that this incident was indeed the human beings in the ghost world who were at fault first.
It is because of their greed and ignorance that the deep ones are angry.
In his opinion, it would not be a bad idea to compensate part of the land to the deep divers.
After all, human history is one of constant war and struggle, and nature and other living things are always the victims.
He stood up and walked towards the podium with firm and powerful eyes.
"What are you waiting for? Let me tell you why not notify the submarine immediately and tell them that we are willing to compensate for part of the land and go out!"
His voice echoed in the command center, and everyone was shocked by his aura.
"but."
Jiang Xiao's voice suddenly turned cold.
"This compensation is not unconditional. We need to sign an agreement with the deep divers to ensure that they will not use this land to do anything harmful to humans."
"At the same time, we ask them to share their knowledge and skills in exchange."
There was an unquestionable determination in his words.
Everyone present knows that this is not just a compensation, but also a trial and balance of the forces of both parties.
Jiang Xiao's eyes swept over everyone, and his eyes were as sharp as a sword.
"If they don't agree, we don't have to force it."
"You must understand that you humans are not qualified to negotiate with others!"
The air in the command center seemed to freeze, and everyone felt the weight behind this decision.
yes
Human beings have no qualifications in this gamble.
As long as the deep divers are willing, they can let the power of gods slowly erode human civilization.
Even if humans have weapons of mass destruction.
However, the direct damage that can be caused at the depth where the deep divers survive can be said to be minimal.
certainly.
Human beings can use the same life span to bring the entire world of ghost stories into an ice age.
But if they do this, the fate of humans will only be worse than that of the Deep Ones.
Therefore, humans have no choice from the beginning to the end!
Jiang Xiao turned around and his eyes fell on the top leader of the Shanghai-Hong Kong base again.
There were no emotional fluctuations on the latter's face, only calmness and determination, as if he had already understood the result.
"Time is running out. Act now. We can be tough, but we have no right to refuse the demands made by the deep divers."
The leader gave the order calmly.
After a moment of silence, the voice of the supreme commander in the nuclear submarine came on the screen.
"Received, we will act as directed."