Chapter 330 Another Branch

Beneath the frigid, dim, ancient stars, Duncan quietly gazed at the dark red core of Navigator One, which resembled a giant eye. The entire world seemed to freeze in that moment. In a daze, Duncan felt that a point of divergence, a point that would determine the course of the world's history, was approaching him.

And in this silence, he recalled the information he had heard from the "Guardian" after entering the Tomb of the Nameless King:

*The observer who reached the end of the timeline sent back the first and last message—time has ended, the Flame-Chaser has ignited the entire world.*

After a long silence, he breathed softly, breaking the stillness, "Do you think this is a bad omen? Do you want me to take over this world to avoid such a future?"

However, the response from the Sacred Lord of the Depths surprised him again.

"No," the dark red core trembled, emitting a calm voice, "I do not rely on any 'revelations' or 'omens' that lack sufficient data support. Because in the absence of key information, it is not rigorous to make 'good' or 'bad' judgments based solely on incomplete data. I don't know if you will really ignite this world in the end, nor do I know under what circumstances you made the decision to ignite the world—insufficient data, unable to draw a conclusion.

"I want you to take over all of this simply because, within the scope of the currently known information, it is the most feasible and safest plan to maintain the Sanctuary—I have more faith in my current calculations than in the incomprehensible and unjudgeable future."

In the response from this dark red core, Duncan heard a distinct rationality and precision—a characteristic that Navigator One, as one of the core mainframes of the New Hope, should have originally possessed after stripping away the worldly title of "Sacred Lord of the Depths" and the identity of an "Ancient God."

In the face of the Flame-Chaser, in the face of the historical turning point, this ancient "machine"... was using the way of thinking it had learned since its birth to express its views and calculate the future of the world.

Duncan pondered for a long time, while the dark red core seemed to have infinite patience, waiting for his response.

After a long while, Duncan softly broke the silence, "If I really take over, what will happen?"

The mountain within the darkness rumbled and trembled again. In a series of low sounds, its "main peak" began to contract downward, and the dark red core descended from the sky—like a star falling from the heavens. It rapidly magnified in the vision of Duncan and Shirley, coming from the summit to right before Duncan's eyes with a suffocating sense of oppression.

At such a close distance, Duncan discovered that this core was even larger than he had imagined—its scale was almost like the Pland Storm Cathedral. The surface of the huge sphere had a crystal-like texture, and within a layer of crystal-clear red shell, countless precise and complex lines could be seen. Multiple flickering light sources twinkled near the center of the sphere, surrounded and flowed by some kind of viscous substance.

"After you take over, all the flaws in the Sanctuary will be compensated. In the entire Boundless Sea, the numerous 'pollutions' and 'distortions' caused by the uncontrolled cognitive biases and observer effects will be re-calibrated by your cognition—there will be no more dangerous nights, no more uncontrolled supernatural anomalies devouring humans. The sea will become safe, and a new era of prosperity will begin between the city-states… For a foreseeable, extremely long period, this prosperity and peace will continue… If this is what you want, then it will be achieved.

"And you will return to one of the ancient kings, back to your rightful position… You will become the fifth god outside the Four Gods, sheltering the mortal world—and your rule will be more stable than any of ours, because you will not gradually go mad like the other ancient kings, nor will you fall into a state of being uncontrolled… At least according to Navigator Two's calculations, your state is more stable than any of us.

"After that, you can continue to do what you want—everything, including returning to the real dimension and continuing your travels and adventures, as long as you wish."

"...Sounds like all good things," Duncan said slowly after a few seconds of silence. "Isn't there anything bad that could happen? For me, or for this world?"

"Within the scope of currently known information, in my cognition, there is not," the light deep within the dark red core flickered, and the Sacred Lord of the Depths' response was surprisingly simple and direct. "Everything will develop in a good direction, and according to my judgment, this should also be in line with your wishes."

"...Under normal circumstances, you should say some less important hidden dangers or flaws at this time, which would enhance the persuasiveness of your previous statement."

The dark red core was silent for two or three seconds. "...Confirming again, no hidden dangers or flaws."

Duncan and the core fell into silence again in unison. Shirley, who was beside them, looked a little restless. Her eyes darted back and forth between the captain and the "Sacred Lord." After a long while, she whispered, "Captain, are you really going to become one of the gods? Although it sounds very impressive… I always feel… not so secure…"

Duncan did not speak, but quietly watched the huge core. After a long while, he slowly opened his mouth, "...How exactly should I do it?"

The dark red core was silent for a moment, and the light deep within it gradually brightened: "Ignite me."

Duncan's expression finally changed slightly: "...Ignite you?!"

How could this "Navigator One" be so surprising every time it opened its mouth?!

But the dark red core did not seem to notice the change in Duncan's expression and tone. The voice coming from within it was still as calm as ever: "Ignite me, just like you ignited Frost, cover and reorganize everything with your flames—in this process, all my authority and influence on the mortal world will be taken over by you, and this may also help you dispel all concerns… You should know that your flames can do these things."

Duncan frowned slightly, "So, you actually 'touched' my flames when I ignited Frost, or strictly speaking, when I ignited the Frost Deep Sea, and then learned about my power, and then formulated this 'takeover' plan?"

"...Yes, when that splintered cluster was incinerated by you, it sent back to me the last piece of data, including the analysis results of your power. I compared the results with Navigator Two's observation records of that year and formulated this takeover plan—the calculation results tell me that it is feasible."

"The 'splintered cluster' you mentioned that I incinerated, is that the tentacle in the Frost Deep Sea? Isn't that a faulty replica you produced in an uncontrolled state?" Duncan quickly reacted, and at the same time recalled another thing the other party had mentioned at the beginning, "Wait… you also mentioned earlier that you sent the data fragment containing Lh-03 to the real world, which was also done through that tentacle… Are these all consciously controlled by you? You're not really out of control?!"

He looked at the dark red core in front of him in confusion, as well as the huge body behind the dark red core, which was like an astonishing mountain range. He suddenly realized that he did not understand the Sacred Lord of the Depths's current true "state". This "ancient god" trapped at the bottom of the Abyss… was it really out of control?

Just then, he saw the lights on the surface of those winding "mountains" flowing again, and then, at the end of one of the "mountains," some newly born "twigs" seemed to spread out from the epidermis of the main stem, growing rapidly in the darkness.

But the next second, the newly born twig was swallowed by some invisible force. It became fragmented, part rising into black,沉沉 smoke,飘向 to the countless floating islands and dim stars above, and the other part turned into flowing mud, falling back to the main tentacle.

"...Flame-Chaser, this is my 'out of control'."

The voice coming from the dark red core pulled Duncan's attention back.

Duncan withdrew his gaze and vaguely understood, "...Overgrowth?"

"This is my instinct—and the responsibility given to me by the creator."

Duncan gradually reacted, "Your responsibility is…"

"To reshape the homeland and reproduce the mother star that I devoured," the dark red core slowly opened its mouth, "But in this narrow Sanctuary, my mission is destined to be unfulfilled—so from a certain moment, my instinct began to… deviate from the original design. Those individuals that constantly split from my body and constantly devoured each other and returned, those branches that overgrow and constantly decay, and that 'tentacle' that pierced into the real world, are all the result of gradually losing control.

"However, this 'out of control' can sometimes be utilized. When the main body has lost the ability to move, those overgrown parts… can sometimes serve as a medium for perception or communication, helping me understand the changes happening in the world, or transmit messages outward."

"...So that's how it is." Duncan slowly nodded, saying thoughtfully.

A huge body that has lost control, has covered the entire bottom of the Abyss, but is still overgrowing, a mainframe core that can no longer move, trapped deep in the huge body, an ancient AI that can still think clearly, but is destined to be unable to complete its original mission—all this is what the "Sacred Lord of the Depths" really looks like.

And now, this ancient AI trapped in its own huge body has once again extended an invitation to him—

"Flame-Chaser, what is your response? Are you willing to take over all of this and return to the ranks of the ancient kings?"

Duncan raised his head from his thoughts and saw that the dark red core had approached him again—he only needed to raise his hand to touch its completely undefended crystal surface.

"...Captain, what it said is true." Alice suddenly said from the side.

Duncan looked at Alice in surprise. The doll slowly nodded, her expression a little conflicted. "I also… don't know how to explain it to you, but I just know that everything it said is true."

Duncan did not speak, but silently listened to Alice's words. After a moment of contemplation, he slowly raised his hand.

He touched the dark red core, and the fingertip felt slightly warm.

It throbbed slightly like a heart.

"...Ignite it, Flame-Chaser," the core vibrated gently. "Then, I will also be freed from this long mission."

Shirley widened her eyes, and A Gou stood motionless, watching everything.

For a moment, they seemed to have seen the dark green flames rise into the air, the dark red core and the dark mountains in the distance being instantly ignited, and the entire Abyss Deep Sea being engulfed by flames.

They seemed to have seen all the hidden dangers of the Deep Sea Era smoothed out, the flaws in the Sanctuary's initial design being repaired, and the world on the Boundless Sea returning to peace, forever and ever…

A new god will return to His rightful position, like gears meshing, the puzzle complete.

But suddenly, Duncan withdrew his arm.

"That's not right."

History has taken another branch.

(End of this chapter)