Shrouded Seascape

When Charles returned to the battlefield where he had fought the 1189-1 entities, he was met with pandemonium. The air was thick with a nauseating mix of blood, gunpowder, and scorched flesh.

A large half of the once expansive tunnel had collapsed. The survivors huddled together on the other side, surrounded by corpses; it was a picture of absolute devastation.

While Charles was battling the spider from the inside, those outside had paid a heavy price to keep the colossal creature at bay. Less than half of the original group remained. Even the crew of the Narwhale had dwindled to just around ten.

Under the guidance of several ship doctors, the less injured explorers assisted the severely wounded. As for the dead, they had no time to deal with them.

Upon noticing Charles' return, a wave of relief and joy ignited among the crew.

Battered and bruised, Dipp rushed toward Charles with tears streaming down his face. He thought that his captain was gone for good.

Crying uncontrollably, Lily clung to Charles' leg.

Charles felt a pang in his heart as he stared at them.

"It's fine now. Everything's alright now. By the way, where's Bandages? I don't see him anywhere," Charles asked as he tried to suppress his own overwhelming emotions.

At Charles' question, the crew collectively glanced toward the right. Eventually, Charles found Bandages lying behind a mound of rocks, though with only half of his body remaining.

The remaining half of his body wasn't torn apart; it was deflated and lay limp as if it had been run over by a steamroller. Everything within had been crushed into a mushy blend of bone, tendons, and muscle, which were slowly seeping out of his wounds.

Tattered and torn, Bandages' eyes were shut tight. He lay still, gray and lifeless, appearing more like a corpse. He seemed to have passed on.

Charles knelt down on one knee and reached out a trembling right hand. He placed a finger under Bandages' nose, where a thin trickle of translucent brain fluid was leaking out. He felt no breath.

"Don't… worry… I won't die… that easily…" a raspy voice croaked from Bandages' lips. He opened his bloodshot eyes and looked at Charles.

Bandages' voice pulled Charles out from the depths of despair, and a wave of relief washed over him. He trembled slightly before finally managing to say, "I'm glad you are okay."

The corners of Bandages' lips curved up into a weak, forced smile. He raised a trembling finger and pointed it toward a corner.

A group of green centipede-like creatures could be seen. Some were standing guard while several others wriggled in and out of the giant spider's flesh to drag out the dead bodies within.

"That person… from the Foundation… didn't escape… I made someone… watch her…"

Charles looked at the strange creatures for a brief moment before gently patting Bandages on the shoulder. He then stood up and headed toward the group of green centipede-like creatures.

As soon as Charles arrived before the green centipede-like creatures, one of them stepped forward and started scribbling on the ground. "Captain, you are alive; that's great."

The way the green centipede-like creature had addressed him made Charles realize that he wasn't T. Only a crew of the Narwhale would call him "Captain."

"Who are you?" Charles asked.

"Captain, I'm Norton. Sorry. I didn't fire those shots. Those monsters had swapped my body for theirs."

Seeing the text on the ground, Charles' eyes widened slightly. He turned to look at Anna behind him. "Since you managed to switch me back earlier, are you able to do the same for him?"

Anna tilted her head to the side. She pondered for a brief moment before replying, "I can. But according to what I've gathered from the memories around here, you bit off the head of his original body. If I switch him back now, he'll die instantly. There's no way he can return to his old body."

A hint of distress crossed Charles' face. He recalled that when he was in his green centipede form, he had indeed bitten off a person's head, but he hadn't realized that the person was Norton.

Unfortunately, the situation was so dire at the time that he couldn't have held back, even if he had known that he was facing Norton.

Hearing the conversation between Charles and Anna, Norton shook his head. "Captain, it doesn't matter. The old me wasn't of much help to you. But with this new body, I can at least be of some use."

Charles knew Norton was just trying to comfort him. No one would willingly choose to become a monster. He forced a strained smile and then turned his gaze to the green centipede that was watching them.

Although the green centipede-like creatures looked alike, Charles had an inexplicable feeling that the one in front of him was T.

"Charles, you are actually still alive! I must say I'm really surprised. When I pulled you out, I thought you were dead for sure," T wrote on the ground with her sharp claws. "How did you manage to switch back to your original body? If you had that ability, why didn't you use it earlier?"

Charles didn't really feel like answering the question. He didn't want to let the Foundation know too much about Anna. After all, the Foundation's policy had always been to contain or eliminate any creature that posed a threat to humans.

"What about your body?" Charles asked.

"I don't know. I didn't find it. It's probably damaged during the battle."

T herself seemed indifferent about being permanently stuck in a monster's body. Perhaps she was secure in the fact that the Foundation had the technology to switch her out.

"Let's talk business then. What's the Foundation's progress? Do you guys have any idea of the rough location of the darkness?"

T shook her head and continued writing on the ground.

"I understand what you are implying, but it's not going to happen. The Foundation will never cooperate with outsiders. In fact, even speaking with you guys is against our protocols. If not for our current extreme circumstances, you and everyone aware of the Foundation's existence would have already been hunted down by our mobile task forces."

"Why?! Are you still concerned about your precious secrecy, even at a time like this? If things are allowed to continue at this rate, the last human civilization will face extinction!

"Isn't it the Foundation's mission to protect all of your humanity? Why aren't you guys doing anything then? Not even simple rescues?"

The anger in Charles' voice was unmistakable. T's green, deformed head drooped slightly.

Realizing the tension in the air, Charles took a deep breath to calm himself. He softened his tone and continued persuading, "T, we've fought side by side. You saved my life once. I know you're different from your other members, who don't possess even a hint of empathy.

"The denizens of the Subterranean Sea really need to collaborate with the Foundation. Only by working together and sharing information can we quickly find the darkness.

"The islands in the Subterranean Sea are gradually disappearing into the seawater. Every second we waste means more lives lost below.

"Look at the corpses around us. We are all fighting for our lives to ensure the survival of our kind. We don't want to die."

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