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Chapter 365. Hook

"I\'ve helped you so many times, and yet you still refuse to trust me. Your personality is truly unlikeable," the Pope remarked.

Taking the marker pen back from the Pope, Charles replied, "I don\'t need you to like me. Just remember to abide by the contract."

As the Pope\'s figure disappeared from view, Lily looked up toward Charles.

"Mr. Charles, thank you for doing so much for me. You really didn\'t have to," she said, her voice choking with emotion."

"No, I have to," Charles whispered softly as he stroked her furry head.

A small wave of relief washed over Charles now that the Pope had signed the contract. He was tired of the old man\'s empty words with no evidence to prove.

He hadn\'t forgotten Tobba\'s warning for even a single moment. His latest action was not solely for Lily\'s sake but also to test the Pope\'s true intentions.

The Pope\'s willingness to sign the contract indicated his genuine interest in finding the surface world. By extension, Charles was convinced that, at the very least, their goals were aligned—for now.

"Mr. Charles, do you have any other things on today? Lily asked as she nuzzled his hand with her tiny head.

Charles initially intended to make a trip to the prison to get updated about the human-relic fusion work. However, staring into Lily\'s expectant gaze, he decided to clear his schedule that instant.

"No, I\'m free. Where do you want to go?"

"I... I\'d like to go get a little kitten!" Lily chirped in excitement.

"Alright, Let\'s go find you one."

A radiant smile appeared on Lily\'s furry face.

Mr. Charles knows that I\'m close to my death and is treating me so nicely. He has never given in to my requests this often. How I wish this would last forever...

As a matter of fact, finding a cat on Hope Island proved to be a somewhat challenging task. After all, one could get fined for harming mice.

Eventually, Charles sent out every available police officer for the job, and they discovered a litter of newly weaned kittens at the pier. They seemed to have been abandoned by an island visitor.

From the litter, Lily chose one black and one white kitten. Their fluffy appearance and quivering ears melted her heart. She excitedly pounced on them and giggled as she buried her face into their fur.

The kittens were clearly startled by the white mouse before them and tried to retreat. But Charles was right behind them and gently nudged them closer ahead.

Squeak~ Squeaaak ~

Lily let out a couple of squeaks toward the table, and a large swarm of mice scurried into the room. They swiftly climbed onto the table and picked up the two kittens before rapidly heading to the door.

Clearly frightened, the two kittens meowed continuously but were powerless to escape their situation.

"Mr. Charles, they are probably hungry! I\'ll get them some food from the kitchen!" Lily commented in enthusiasm as she dashed out after the group of mice.

The moment Lily was gone from sight, the smile on Charles\' countenance vanished.

He had utilized every resource he could get his hands on. If there was still no solution to be found, then it might really mean that there wasn\'t one at all.

His current mission was different from his search quest for the surface. Power and influence offered no advantage for his current circumstances, and he could only sit and wait.

The sense of powerlessness stirred up the traces of frustration within Charles.

To ease the stifling weight on his heart, he headed toward his underground training room, where he spent the rest of the day.

He devoted his everything to hours of intense physical training in an attempt to vent all his frustrations through the rigorous exercise.

When he could finally compose himself, it was already late into the night. Drenched in sweat and panting between breaths, Charles reached out for the glass of water next to a dumbbell. It was then that he noticed an unusual yellow eye within the glass.

"Governor Charles, it has been a long while," a voice sounded.

"Who are you?" Charles was not the least fazed as he stared at the intruder with an icy glint in his eyes.

"Four years ago, you only managed to procure your exploration vessel after taking our commission for a million Echo. Have you forgotten about it? I\'m Hook, the one who contacted you back then."

Clank!

The glass cup in Charles\' grip shattered in an instant. He turned and headed toward the adjacent bathroom.

Before he could take a few steps, however, the voice called out once more, "Do you not want to save your mouse crewmate?"

Laced with a tantalizing promise of hope, Hook\'s words compelled Charles to turn around. The water he had spilled earlier had pooled on the floor to create a mirror-like surface. Reflected within this makeshift mirror was a grotesque and terrifying figure that melded human and octopus traits into a nightmarish hybrid.

Charles couldn\'t be bothered to wonder why Hook had assumed this hideous form after four years. Instead, he jumped straight to the point, "Do you have a way?"

"Of course. Our God is omnipotent. Saving a human soul is nothing but a trivial matter," Hook answered.

"State your conditions." Charles knew well that Hook wouldn\'t have come all the way to Hope Island just to offer him a solution as an act of goodwill.

"Governor Charles, you\'re still as smart as usual. I\'m sure you\'ve already interacted and seen the true colors of that arrogant old fart, Lylejay. That cunning old gigolo with a pea-sized brain is extremely vicious and cunning. He never trusts anyone, and he is as dangerous as the Shadow Bloom Sea Serpent."

Hook\'s vehement criticisms directed at the Pope allowed Charles to immediately understand what the former would ask of him.

"Why should I help you go against the Pope? If my memory didn\'t fail me, your Covenant instigated the Deep Dwellers to launch an attack on my island just very recently."

"No, no, no," Hook was quick to deny. "It was those monstrous sea creatures and that massive fleshy monster from the depths that assaulted your island. It has nothing to do with the Fhtagn Covenant."

Charles scoffed internally at Hook\'s attempt to absolve themselves from the incident. Had it not been for Dipp\'s firsthand account of the situation, he might have believed it.

"We don\'t need your forces. Most of the ships under those light cultists are docked at Skywater Island after that most recent war. We just hope that you will be able to hold those ships back when we strike the Divine Light Grand Cathedral. You don\'t have to sink them; just delay them."

"I have a contract with the Pope. If he dies, with whom do I uphold it?"

"We know about your agreement with him as well. Our spies have informed us of the bound contract. However, that wouldn\'t be of any concern. Your task is to help him search for the surface world, but it didn\'t specify anything if he needed to be alive. We\'ll hand over his corpse to you. You wouldn\'t be breaching the contract in that case."

Charles pondered briefly before he asked, "What are you guys planning?"

Hook laughed with a hint of malice. "The Divine Light Order is damaging our reputation, using public opinion against us, and seizing our dioceses. Without a response from us, the world might soon overlook the real power of our Covenant."

Not wanting to make a decision at this moment, Charles replied, "I\'ll consider it."

"Alright, take your time. When you are ready to contact us, just spill a glass of water before you. Also, there\'s one more thing—Lylejay has been castrated."

Caught off guard by the sudden intelligence, Charles asked, "How does that concern me?"

"It doesn\'t. But joyful news ought to be shared." Hook\'s voice slowly faded, and the water puddle returned to its clear state.

Pulling out his pocket watch, Charles realized that it was one in the morning. However, instead of returning to his bedroom to rest for the night, he headed toward the main gate of the Governor\'s Mansion.