Ashes Of Deep Sea
Chapter 735 - Chapter 735 Chapter 732 Branch Point

Chapter 735: Chapter 732: Branch Point Chapter 735: Chapter 732: Branch Point Under the cold, obscure ancient stars, Duncan quietly gazed into the dark-red core of Navigator One, which resembled a giant eye. The entire world seemed to stand still at that moment, and in a trance, Duncan felt it–an inflection point, a divergence point deciding the direction of the entire world’s history was drawing near him.

In this silence, he recalled the intelligence he had heard from the “Tomb Guardian” after entering the Tomb of the Nameless King:

The Observer at the end of the timeline transmitted its initial and final message–the end of time had come, and the Usurping Flame had ignited the entire world.

After a long while, he exhaled softly, breaking the silence, “Do you think this is a bad omen? You want me to take over this world to avert such a future?”

However, the reply from the Mysterious Saint once again surprised him.

“No,” the dark-red core trembled as it uttered a calm voice, “I do not rely on any ‘revelation’ or ‘omen’ that lacks sufficient data support. In the absence of key information, it is not rigorous to simply judge partial, fragmentary data as ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ I do not know whether you will really set this world on fire or under what circumstances you will make that decision–there is insufficient data to conclude.

“I wish for you to take over all of this simply because, within the range of intelligence currently known, it is the most feasible and prudent plan to keep the Shelter going. Rather than a future incomprehensible and beyond judgment, I trust the calculations I make at this moment.”

Within the response of the dark-red core, Duncan heard a unique rationality and precision–that was intrinsic to Navigator One as part of the core mainframe of New Hope, stripped of the worldly title of ‘The Saint’ and the identity of being an ‘ancient god.’

In front of the Usurping Flame, at the historical divergence point, this ancient “machine”… was using the mode of thought it had learned at its inception to articulate its views and calculate the future of the world.

Duncan thought for a long time, and the dark-red core seemed to have infinite patience, waiting for his response.

After a lengthy pause, Duncan broke the silence in a soft voice, “If I truly take over, what will happen?”

The mountains in the darkness roared and trembled again. Amid a series of deep echoes, its “main peak” began to contract downward, while the dark-red core descended from the sky–like a star falling to earth, it rapidly expanded in the view of Duncan and Sherry, bringing with it an oppressive sensation that took one’s breath away as it came down from the mountain top to in front of Duncan.

At such close proximity, Duncan realized that the core was much larger than he had imagined–it was nearly the size of the Storm Cathedral of Pland, with the vast sphere’s surface possessing a crystalline texture. Deep within a layer of translucent red shell, one could see countless intricate lines and structures, with several lights flickering on and off near the core, surrounded and coursing with some kind of viscous substance.

“After you take over, all the flaws within the Shelter will be mended. In the entire Endless Sea, the many ‘pollutions’ and ‘distortions’ caused by cognitive shifts and out-of-control Observer effects will be recalibrated by your cognition–there will be no more dangerous nights, no more uncontrolled Transcendent anomalies devouring humanity, the sea will become safe, and the City-States will enter a new era of prosperity… This prosperity and peace will continue for an extremely long time within a foreseeable future… If this is what you desire, then it shall be realized.

“And you, will return as one of the ancient kings, to the position you rightfully belong to… You will become the fifth deity, guarding the mortal world alongside the Four Gods–and your rule will be more stable than any of ours because you will not become gradually mad or lose control like the other ancient kings… At least, according to the calculations of Navigator Two, your condition is more stable than any of ours.

“After that, you can continue to do whatever you wish–all things, including returning to the physical dimension, continuing your travels and adventures, as long as you are willing.”

“…It all sounds good,” Duncan fell silent for a few seconds before slowly speaking, “Isn’t there anything bad that will happen? To me, or to this world?”

“Within the known range of information, within my cognition, there isn’t,” the light within the dark-red core fluctuated, and the reply from the Mysterious Saint was unexpectedly simple and direct, “Everything will evolve in a positive direction, and according to my judgment, this should also match your wishes.”

“…Normally, this is the point where you should mention some minor risks or defects to make your previous words more persuasive.”

The dark-red core was silent for two or three seconds: “…Upon reconfirmation, there are no risks or defects.”

Duncan and the core once again lapsed into quiet, while Sherry next to him appeared a bit restless. Her gaze shifted back and forth between the captain and “The Saint.” After a good while, she muttered softly, “Captain, are you really going to become one of the gods? Even though it sounds impressive… I just can’t help feeling… it’s not quite solid…”

Duncan did not speak, simply continuing to quietly observe the enormous core. After a long while, he slowly began to speak, “…How exactly do I do it?”

The dark-red core was silent for a moment, then the light within began to brighten, “Ignite me.”

Duncan’s expression finally showed subtle changes, “…Ignite you?!”

How could “Navigator One” always be so unexpected every time it spoke?!

But the dark-red core seemed completely oblivious to the changes in Duncan’s expression and tone. The voice emanating from within remained as calm as ever, “Ignite me, just as you ignited Frost, cover and reshape everything with your flame–in this process, all my authority and influence over the mortal world will be transferred to you, and this might also help dispel any doubts you have… You should know, your flame can do all these things.”

Duncan frowned slightly, “So, you actually ‘touched’ my flame when I ignited Frost, or more precisely, when I ignited the Frost Deep Sea, and it is then you understood my power and devised this ‘takeover’ plan?”

“…Yes, when that split cluster was destroyed by your fire, it transmitted its last data back to me, which included the analysis of your power. I compared this with Navigator Two’s records from the past and developed this takeover plan–the calculations tell me it is feasible.”

“The ‘separated cluster’ that you mentioned I destroyed, is that the tentacle in the Frost Deep Sea? Isn’t that the erroneous replica produced when you were out of control?” Duncan quickly caught on, also recalling another matter the other had mentioned before, “Wait… You also mentioned that you sent the data fragments containing LH-03 to the real world, which was also through that tentacle… Were all these consciously controlled by you? You weren’t really out of control?!”

He looked confused at the dark red core in front of him, and the mountainous enormity of its body behind it, suddenly realizing that he didn’t really understand the current “state” of the Mysterious Saint trapped at the bottom of the abyss. This “ancient god”… had it really lost control?

And then, he saw the “mountains” of winding growth on which the lights were once again flickering and flowing. Following that, at the end of one of the “mountains,” there seemed to be some kind of nascent “twig” spreading out from the surface of the main trunk, growing rapidly in the darkness.

But in the next second, that newborn twig was devoured by some invisible force. It split apart; a portion ascended into tenebrous smoke, drifting toward the countless floating islands and the dim starry sky above, while another part turned into flowing mud, falling back onto the main trunk and its tentacles.

“…Usurping Flame, this is my ‘loss of control.'”

The voice emanating from the dark red core pulled Duncan’s attention back.

Duncan turned his gaze back, somewhat comprehending, “…Overgrowth?”

“That is my instinct–also a duty bestowed upon me by the creators.”

Duncan was gradually catching on: “Your duty is…”

“To reshape my homeland, to recreate that mother star I consumed,” the dark red core slowly began, “but within this cramped Shelter, my mission is doomed to failure–from a certain moment, my instincts began… to stray from their initial design. Those entities that constantly differentiate from inside me and then devour each other, returning again, those overly-grown branches constantly in decay, and that ‘tentacle’ piercing into the real world, are all the result of gradually losing control.

“However, this ‘loss of control’ can sometimes be utilized. When the main body has lost its ability to move, those overly-grown parts… can sometimes act as mediums for sensing or communication, helping me understand the changes happening in the world, or to send out messages.”

“…So that’s how it is.” Duncan nodded slowly, seemingly lost in thought.

A giant form that had lost control, already covering the entirety of the mysterious abyss yet still overgrowing, a central core that could no longer move, trapped deep within the enormous body, an ancient AI that could still think clearly, yet doomed to fail its original mission–that was the true appearance of “The Saint of the Mysterious Deep.”

And now, this ancient AI trapped within its own massive body was once again extending an invitation to him–

“Usurping Flame, what is your response? Are you willing to take over all of this, to return to the ranks of the ancient kings?”

Duncan raised his head from his reverie, seeing the dark red core draw a bit closer to himself–just a hand’s reach away now, and he could touch its completely undefended crystalline surface.

“…Captain, it’s telling the truth,” Alice suddenly said at his side.

Duncan looked at Alice in mild surprise, and the doll nodded slowly, her expression somewhat conflicted: “I… don’t know how to explain it to you, but I just know that it is telling the truth.”

Duncan remained silent, just listening to Alice’s words, then, after a moment of contemplation, slowly raised his hand.

He touched the dark red core, feeling its slightly warm touch at his fingertips.

It pulsated gently, like a beating heart.

“…Ignite it, Usurping Flame,” the core sounded warmly, “and then, I too will be released from this long-standing mission.”

Sherry’s eyes widened, and at her side, A-Dog also watched motionlessly as everything unfolded.

For an instant, they felt as if they could see the emerald flames soaring into the sky, the dark red core and the distant dark mountains ignited in an instant, the entire Mysterious Deep Sea swallowed by fierce flames.

It was as if they could already see all the perils of the deep-sea era soothed, the Shelter’s design flaws repaired from the beginning, the worlds above the Endless Sea returning to tranquility, for a long, eternal time…

A new deity would return to the place it should occupy, like gears meshing, a puzzle completed.

However, suddenly, Duncan withdrew his arm.

“No, that’s not right.”

History took another path.