Shrouded Seascape-Chapter 1078. Others

A hint of understanding flashed across Anna's countenance as her lips curled into a knowing smirk.

"All that high and mighty talk about loyalty and duty. But now that you finally feel the blade, you start to back out, huh? Indeed, it always hits differently when the knife's cutting into your own skin."

Roy's voice raised a notch in agitation. "I can sacrifice everything for IMF—but not my child! What kind of parent could stand by and watch their own kid die?!"

Silence fell upon the car. The only sound was the low hum of the engine.

After a long while, Anna finally broke the silence. Her tone was clearly much softer and gentler.

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

"You're a good father. But unfortunately, the same can't be said about everyone. Not every bastard who makes a kid deserves to be called one."

With evident agony on his face, Roy continued, "I have filed report after report to prove that Tobba isn't a threat. But the higher-ups ignored all of them. They even sent people to watch me.

"When Tobba knocked on my door out of nowhere that night, I couldn't take it anymore. My request isn't overly outrageous. All I wanted was for him to grow up safely."

Warmth and affection filled Roy's eyes as he turned to look at Tobba.

Tobba then turned around to meet Roy's gaze before flashing a bright, innocent smile. "Thanks!"

Anna extended a hand toward Roy. "So, our interests are aligned now, aren't they? That makes us allies from now on. We're just a bunch of pitiful folks huddling together for warmth under the IMF's threat."

Roy scrutinized the woman in front of him. She was a complicated person, and he really tried to read her—to guess how much of her words held truth and how much was manipulation. However, he couldn't see through this woman who was a monster beneath her human skin.

Just then, Li Lu leaned in and whispered something into her husband's ear.

Roy then straightened up and asked, "Can I ask what your plan is going forward?"

"After this, we will mainly operate around Subterranean London under the disguise of hunters. We will lay low and watch the IMF and the other opposing forces fight each other.

"This will be their show while we stay in the shadows and secretly grow stronger while they bleed themselves dry," Anna answered.

"As for the next step after, we'll reassess and decide when one side comes out on top. No matter what, only the ones with the stronger power get a say."

A bitter smile tugged at Roy's lips. "Does your power include those who survived that ritual in the Indian Ocean? With your temperament, would you be willing to let the IMF off just like that?"

A hint of annoyance crossed Anna's face. "Just answer if you're in or not. Or are you planning to crawl back to the IMF now, hand your son over to them, and beg for mercy?"

"You know," Roy started. "From the very beginning, I felt that you were different from those zealots. You only care about yourself."

Roy then pulled every ounce of strength in him to lift his hand and clasped Anna's hand. "I'm in. As long as your goal isn't to annihilate the world, we'll pledge loyalty to you."

With that, Tobba's family formally pledged their allegiance. Anna's once weakened power was starting to return.

Jackal slammed on the accelerator; the massive off-road vehicle zoomed across the desolate plains. The falling snow soon covered every trace of their tire tracks.

***

Back in the Subterranean Sea, Lily sat on the ground, her arms curled around her knees as she silently gazed at the scene ahead. Fleshy, blood tentacles had invaded the buildings in the distance.

Fueled by bioelectricity, the entire island pulsed with life. Lights were lit, and the machinery groaned back to life.

Humans with bulging eyes and grotesquely swollen heads—so large they had to hunch forward just to support the weight—shuffled in and out of the buildings. They were there to help Charles gain full control over the island's technology.

At the docks to the edge of the island, the three Sottom Kings—Tobba excluded—were being dragged off a warship. The captain leading this navy was none other than Governor Bandages of Hope Island.

The long, luminous blue captain's coat draped over the black wrappings on his entire body looked exceptionally matching.

Since he was here, naturally, he already knew what Charles was planning.

Bandages approached Lily and studied the frail girl before saying, "Regardless…this works or not… thank you… for your…sacrifice… I'll make sure…your parents…are well taken care of…

"No wonder…the captain…of the other plane…let you aboard his ship…You're… a good kid…"

"Thank you, First Mate," Lily replied. She tried to force a smile, but now, she already couldn't quite remember how.

She could no longer return to the past. The old Lily was no more.

She used to feel a strange distance between herself and Charles and the others. There was always something that seemed to set them apart. But now, she was finally the same as them.

"Can you ask Mr. Charles to come here? I've already chosen the other six candidates."

"Speak. I'm listening." The ground beneath Lily's feet slightly trembled. The entire island was now fully under Charles' control.

Lily pondered for a moment before she parted her lips and said, "Can I choose the Lilies from the other planes?"

No matter which plane it was, a Lily was still a Lily. If she selected other versions of herself, at least it could be ensured that the fused Light God would be consistent in terms of temperament, mindset, and soul.

"I would advise against that. If you were to merge with versions of yourself who hadn't experienced the harsh reality of the Subterranean Sea, you would just end up being a weak, indecisive, useless coward.

"A Lily who had never turned into a mouse is just an ordinary human. In some other planes out there, some Lilies ended up as pirates, but you… you are unique."

Lily's plan that had taken root in her mind was dismissed so effortlessly, just like that. She couldn't help but feel a little sorrowful, but she didn't have the luxury of time to mourn over it. She needed to find the other six candidates as soon as possible.

"You'd better hurry," Charles urged. "This island holds profound yet valuable knowledge. Because of it, my time is greatly shortened. I need to leave by this afternoon."

Out of nowhere, she was being thrown the problem of finding six others to merge into one to become the Light God. Time was really rushed and where was she even supposed to start finding?

Anxiety ran through Lily as she stared down at the island beneath her feet. She was eventually at her wits' end and asked, "Do you have any suggestions?"

"You could try these," Charles replied. The moment his words fell, the dark waters began to churn violently as the ghostly remnants of Project Dawn—tethered together like a string of drowned stars—were pulled up to the surface.

"Them?" Lily's eyes widened as she stared at the glowing spectres.

"Compared to alternate versions of yourself from other planes, I believe these are a better fit. After all, you share the same origin."

"But… they're already dead. They don't even have physical forms."

"That's not a problem. I can fix it. I just need to borrow a little something from you."

A portion of the divine energy within Lily that originated from the Light God was being pulled out of her. Threads of it streamed into the ghostly spectres.

They began to glimmer before they slowly started to blaze and merge into what looked like a miniature sun. However, when Charles reached into them, the light gradually dimmed.

When everything was finally over, the radiant sun in the air had become a pulsating mass of flesh. It emanated a crimson glow that could corrupt and cause mutation.

"Done," Charles declared. "They're alive for now. And with a physical form."

"But…that's only five. We need seven to fuse into the Light God."

"I've already considered that. The Foundation didn't know they were created. We're going to need a lot more materials."

As soon as Charles' words fell, a glimmer appeared in the distant darkness. The light grew closer and brighter before eventually stopping right in front of Lily.

She recognized it immediately. It was Dawn One that hovered above Hope Island.