Shrouded Seascape

Chapter 788: The Foundation

A2, a humanoid robot with mechanical parts…

T6, a spider-like creature the size of a small house with a mountain of brains wrapped in spider silk on her back…

K9, a humanoid figure towering at four meters with two raven heads and draped in a trench coat…

O5, an old dog hovering in mid-air with numerous growths shifting and squirming constantly on its body…

N8, a bloated, portly humanoid tightly bound with iron wires…

V3, or rather Pede, the two massive beings riddled with holes of varying sizes and had three giant eyes each…

Lastly, there was the massive, translucent skull—the central computer—hovering in midair.

There were also other figures behind them, and every single one of them had a unique, bizarre appearance. Undoubtedly, they were members of the GK Council.

Charles stared blankly at them. His mind began to race as he tried to decipher their decision. Why were they so intent on giving him this final chance of survival? Was this some sort of scheme?

The central computer's indifferent words interrupted Charles' thoughts. "Charles, you've won. No matter what forces you've made use of, you still emerge victorious.

"Perhaps the path we envisioned all along had been wrong. Perhaps, under your leadership, humanity will be able to forge a new and different path."

Though Charles wasn't afraid of death, it was better news that he didn't have to die. He pondered for a brief moment before he parted his lips. With feigned sincerity, he said, "Alright, if you get me out of here, I'm willing to take over the torch."

As soon as Charles' words fell, K9's four raven eyes narrowed as he stepped forward. After a moment, K9 turned to the central computer and declared, "He's lying!

"Judging from his micro-expressions and body language, he's only saying this to make use of us to get out! He's just a selfish piece of trash! Anyone would be a better choice than him!"

Evidently, unless Charles genuinely agreed with the Foundation's principles from the bottom of his heart, K9 could easily discern the truth behind his words.

T6 moved closer toward Charles. Staring at him with her dozen blood-red eyes, she implored, "We are all about to die, my friend. Please accept this last request of us before our deaths."

Despite having fought alongside T6 before, his expression swiftly shifted as he replied, "Since you've figured it out, there's no point in pretending then. You're wrong. I'm not as noble as you are. You kept saying we are the same type of people, but the truth is, we're not."

A hint of sorrow underlined T6's voice as she continued her persuasion. "Charles, we truly are the same type of people. What you did on the surface previously is no different from what we've done. You have to carry on and take over the Foundation."

"How many times do I have to say it? No, I won't do it!" Charles roared, his voice laced with annoyance and frustration. He wasn't sure if his emotions were from T6's insistence or the steadily increasing volume of the chanting in his ears.

The central computer floated toward him, and in a calm and unwavering tone, it declared, "No, you will."

"The hell I will!" Charles shouted; his rage was instantly ignited by the central computer's cold certainty.

Fury blazed in his eyes as he raised a finger and pointed at the central computer.

"Do you really think you've got everything calculated? Even now, in this current predicament, you still believe you are the gods of the Subterranean Sea? Bullshit! Do you think a simple psyche analysis can predict every decision I'll make? I'm a human, not a machine! Have you forgotten the feud between us?

"You might have forgotten, but I will never forget it! You kidnapped me and dissected me!

"You targeted my daughter, my wife, my crew! You used my genes to create an island full of abominations! And you wanted to wipe out the entire Subterranean Sea! I remember every single one of those things you have done!

"And now you think saving one life—my life—is enough to wipe the slate clean? Dream on! I don't agree with anything you've done! Let me make this clear. Even if I were to die, I would never strike any sort of deal with the Foundation! Never!"

Meanwhile, their surroundings were starting to collapse. Even the flesh on their bodies began to wither and crumble. 004 was close.

However, the central computer remained silent in the face of Charles' accusations. As its translucent body began to gradually dissolve, Charles found himself being lifted up into the air.

"This isn't a deal; it's the absolute truth. You will do it, regardless of whether you agree or not," the central computer stated calmly.

The fire inside Charles burned fiercer the calmer the central computer sounded. His boiling rage seemed to consume his entire being. He was extremely abhorred by the central computer's sheer arrogance and its assumption of knowing his own thoughts.

"I will not!"

However, the central computer said nothing else; its translucent body began to emit a soft, ethereal glow.

A purely mechanical tone sounded, "Energy decomposition initiated. Self-authorization complete. All energy directed to (+)—2—RY transmission tunnel. Target: one male human. Destination: Shattered Heart Isles. AI Omega, signing off."

With those final commands, the central computer's translucent form dissolved completely. The next moment, a nearby wall melted away to reveal a black hole. A fierce, howling wind erupted from within, and the hole opened into a shimmering, ethereal gray space.

Suspended in the air, Charles struggled violently to no avail. He shouted in agitation, his voice a raw cry of defiance, but his words were blown away by the relentless wind. Helplessly, his body swiftly floated toward the black hole.

The GK Council's final glimpse of Charles was his face contorted in fury, seemingly shouting as he lifted his half-flesh, half-metal prosthetic arm and defiantly pointed them a middle finger before vanishing into the vortex.

K9's two raven heads twitched sharply before he exhaled a breath of frustration. "Even until the very end, his attitude remained unchanged."

T6 walked up toward him and placed a massive spider leg on K9's shoulder as a comforting gesture. "No. On the contrary, I believe that such an extreme reaction indicates a higher possibility of doing it.

"Besides, we've done all we could. Even if he chooses not to take up the torch, we can still rest in peace knowing that we did our part."

Just then, the ground beneath them trembled violently. Every living being aside from the GK Council members exploded in a gruesome spray of flesh and blood. The very fabric of space and time around them began to tremble violently; their bodies also started to disintegrate.

The members of the GK Council all lifted their gazes upward at the gaping hole in SITE 6's roof. The opening had been covered with a layer of sinister, slithering scales. The scales undulated ominously as the entire structure of SITE 6 began to blur and fade from reality.

It was 004. Under Its influence, the GK Council members felt their memories and wills being rapidly overwhelmed. A primal fear that transcended even the fear of death gripped their hearts. Before such an overwhelming god, any resistance would be utterly futile.

T6 summoned every ounce of strength in her to stand up. The brains encased in spider silk on her back began to burst one after another, and azure fluid began to seep out of her dozen red spider eyes.

Her vision was gone, but T6 turned her eyes defiantly at 004 above them. As her venomous mandibles trembled, her usual calm voice was laced with intense emotion for the first time. A human's cry, filled with unyielding determination, sounded from the spider.

"We fight in the dark so people can live in the light! We fight to protect mankind from anomalous entities!"

"They say our experiments are cruel and inhumane, but our endeavors are necessary for mankind's survival!"

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