Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

Chapter 47: Everything is Within the Plan

"Nini, come here."

Hughes glanced at the Sirens in the distance. Now that he had signed a Symbiotic Contract with all of them, he suddenly realized that he could communicate with them directly through a Mind Link.

Perhaps due to the sheer number of contracts he had signed, the intensity of the Mind Link had greatly increased. Although the range had not expanded much, he could now communicate even through obstacles.

Of course, the distance could not be too far, but it was enough to cover the battlefield before him.

Watching the Sirens surrounding the monster, coordinating with each other and providing mutual cover, he suddenly had a bold idea.

The Sirens were now highly loyal to him and would execute his orders directly. And since his commands could reach all of them instantly, did this mean he could micro-manage them?

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Hughes asked Nini, "Can your Flesh Magic withstand direct pollution exposure? How much energy does it consume?"

"The consumption is very high. With our abilities, we can only maintain it for a short time." She pointed at the Sirens who were taking turns charging at the monster. "But as long as we coordinate well, short-term maintenance is not a problem."

"Alright, then I'll follow you. Let's get a closer look."

"Huh?" Nini was stunned. "Isn't that too dangerous?"

"If we encounter trouble, you can take me away immediately. You are much more agile than the enemy, and my plan requires me to get closer."

"What plan? Wait, I mean, no matter what plan it is, you cannot take such a risk! We don't need your plan; we can still win!"

Nini's eyebrows furrowed, and she crossed her arms over her chest. She had made up her mind, no matter what, she would not let Hughes take any more risks.

"But what if my plan can save Monica?"

Nini's expression froze.

"Ash, there's a problem! She's getting stronger too fast!"

A clansman shouted towards Ash.

Ash frowned. The monster that Monica had transformed into was even more troublesome than she had anticipated.

The clansmen were taking turns wearing it down, but instead of weakening, it was becoming stronger.

And the Sirens had limited stamina.

Although they were still in good condition now, this battle of attrition was not in their favor.

It seemed that she had to take some risks.

Just as Ash made her decision, she suddenly caught sight of a blonde-haired Nini carrying Hughes.

Sirens were significantly larger than humans. Nini carried Hughes with two hands, leaving her other four arms free to move.

The added weight of Hughes barely affected her mobility.

However, her expression was rather peculiar.

"...What are you two doing?"

"Ash, I will take command from here!"

Ash did not hesitate for even a moment and nodded immediately. "Alright."

"Step back a bit and coordinate with me later!"

"Also, catch this!"

Nini tossed an object toward Ash. She raised her hand and caught it, it was a shield.

It was the tower shield that Nora carried. Earlier, Hughes had called Nini over specifically to retrieve it.

The shield, which had been enormous for Nora, fit perfectly in Ash's hands.

"I’ll tell you what to do in a moment!"

Hughes stopped speaking and closed his mouth.

He needed to communicate with almost all the Sirens simultaneously through the Mind Link, leaving no energy for speaking aloud.

Suddenly, the Sirens all heard Hughes' voice in their minds as he began assigning tasks.

The loose encirclement they had maintained around the monster abruptly tightened.

The monster, which had been constantly harassed, suddenly realized that no one was attacking anymore.

It immediately charged at the nearest Siren, who turned and fled.

But after chasing for a few steps, the monster suddenly found itself unable to move forward.

Several Sirens had rushed in from both sides, activating their Flesh Magic to block it.

As it turned to look to the sides, more Sirens charged from behind.

The monster was completely surrounded, trapped in the center, unable to move.

Dark pollution screeched as it splattered in all directions, but it slid off the Sirens' bodies.

They had all activated their Flesh Magic, rendering the monster unable to harm them, at least for now.

The massive monster flailed its twisted limbs, attacking the surrounding Sirens frantically.

But Flesh Magic inherently negated most damage, and even when struck, the Sirens turned pale for a moment before quickly recovering.

The Symbiotic Contract allowed them to channel their vitality through Hughes, instantly healing any wounded Sirens.

The mountain-like monster was actually held down for a moment!

Nini did not participate in the encirclement. She carried Hughes, swiftly maneuvering around the monster until she found a blind spot in its vision.

"Now!" Hughes shouted.

Nini stopped moving, then slightly tilted her body. With her left three arms firmly gripping Hughes, she swung him backward slightly.

In the next instant, her entire body erupted with muscle power. Like a bowstring being released, she spun once and hurled Hughes forward with tremendous force!

Hughes shot towards the monster like a cannonball!

Time seemed to slow. The monster sensed movement behind it and turned, catching sight of Hughes in the corner of its eye. Its twisted limbs roared as they swung toward him.

A towering figure appeared beside Hughes, Ash, holding up the tower shield, blocking the monster’s attack head-on!

The mountain-like monster's limbs carried unimaginable force. Even with all six hands bracing against the shield, Ash was still pushed back step by step.

She let out a low growl, her body tensed like a panther, muscles bulging as she held her ground, forcing open a gap for Hughes.

Pollution poured down the sides of the shield like a storm crashing against a tiny umbrella, immediately drenching Ash. She had already overdrawn her magic and could no longer use Flesh Magic.

Yet, the pollution simply slid off her body, it was Flesh Magic!

She glanced at her serpentine tail. A hand was gripping the tip.

It was Nini!

Right after throwing Hughes, Nini had reached out as Ash charged past, managing to grasp her tailtip.

Ash was moving too fast—two of Nini’s hands had missed, but one was enough!

As long as there was physical contact, she could cast Flesh Magic for another!

Normally, Sirens had little energy left to maintain Flesh Magic for others, requiring several to gather just to sustain one.

But Nini was safely positioned, away from pollution exposure, allowing her to focus solely on sustaining Ash!

The Sirens’ long, slender tails proved invaluable. Ash was drenched in pollution, yet the distant Nini, holding her tailtip, remained untouched.

"Everything is going smoothly. Now, it’s up to the Lord."

Nini and Ash exchanged a glance, then looked at Hughes, their faces filled with worry.

Nini had protected Ash with Flesh Magic, but Hughes had none!