Chapter 546: The Extreme Conjecture
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.com
In the dimly lit laboratory, Lucretia’s eyes were fixed on the mechanical puppet laid out on the table. Opposite her, Alice stood with a face contorted by anxiety, trying to avoid eye contact. Next to Alice was Duncan, his expression unreadable and stoic as ever.
The silence in the room was thick and heavy, stretching on until Lucretia finally broke it. “Let me get this straight,” she said, her tone filled with disbelief, “You’re suggesting that Luni took her own head off?”
Duncan, trying to maintain his composure, responded, “The circumstances were… unexpected. I was taken aback as well.”
Lucretia glanced at Duncan, briefly catching what might have been a flicker of embarrassment on his normally stern face.
“I… I apologize,” Alice mumbled, breaking her silence. She bowed her head slightly, nervously playing with the hem of Duncan’s shirt. “When I realized Luni was a puppet, I mistakenly thought all puppets functioned the same. She… she wasn’t designed to have a removable head, was she?”
Lucretia turned her gaze to Alice, the notorious “Anomaly 099,” once feared and treated with utmost caution. “It seems Luni assumed she was no different from you,” she commented coolly, “But I never intended for her to have such a… peculiarity.”
Suddenly, Luni, headless on the table, stirred. Her detached head blinked and spoke, though her voice was slightly distorted, “Mistress, could you reattach my head? I deeply regret the inconvenience…”
Lucretia sighed and picked up some tools from the table. As she began working on Luni’s neck, she asked, “What made you blindly mimic Alice?”
Luni’s head, looking around despite being detached, responded with a soft crackling voice, “Luni sees Alice as a new companion introduced by the old master.”
Lucretia paused, processing Luni’s words, then resumed her work without further comment.
Alice, fidgeting, cast a nervous glance at Luni’s separated head, “Will we continue to be friends?”
Luni’s head blinked, “Of course. Once my mistress completes my repairs.”
A hint of joy flashed across Alice’s face, but then she realized something, “You don’t have a stutter when your head is apart!”
Luni explained, her voice clinical and detached, “That’s correct. My head is self-sufficient. My creator equipped me with a comprehensive vocal mechanism inside my head, so my cognitive functions remain unhindered without my body. Unlike you, if something happens to my neck, I can’t heal myself.”
Alice took a moment to understand the depth of Luni’s words. After a brief pause, she nodded and commented, “That’s… truly remarkable.”
Duncan observed the unusual scene before him with a blend of astonishment and incredulity. The oddity wasn’t just in the existence of a puppet capable of detaching its head; it was the fact that they had stumbled upon another peculiar puppet, creating an opportunity for such an uncanny friendship. He hadn’t even introduced Alice to the assortment of unusual “crew members” aboard Bright Star. Imagining the potential chaos Alice could cause, he shuddered.
As Lucretia engrossed herself in mending Luni’s mechanical intricacies, she felt a sudden pang in her chest. She looked around, trying to discern the source of this unexpected sensation, but another pressing issue soon demanded her attention.
“About the ‘eyeball’ documented by Master Taran El,” she began, addressing Duncan with a grave tone befitting her alias, the “Sea Witch”. “We’re in agreement that revealing this to the masses is out of the question. But what about the Four Divine Churches?”
“I plan to notify them,” Duncan replied, momentarily shelving his previous bemusement to assume a serious demeanor. “But I’m wrestling with how best to broach the topic and whether we need to liaise directly with their upper echelons. The crux of the matter isn’t just that ‘Vision 001’s core takes the form of an eye ensnared within an artificial orb.’ The enigma of Vision 001 has always confounded us, and its actual form could defy all sensibilities. What’s crucial is the distinct appearance of that eyeball.”
Lucretia paused her meticulous work, a deep crease forming between her brows. “By its appearance, do you mean it resembles the… ‘Creeping Sun Wheel’?”
“The essence of the Creeping Sun Wheel embodies an ancient deity, its majestic form embraced and seared by a radiant solar halo. Its many tendril-like extensions are overshadowed by the prominence of a single, massive eyeball,” Duncan explained, the weight of a haunting memory evident in his voice. “I remember that eye all too well — it felt as though our souls connected, if only for a fleeting moment.”
Lucretia shifted uncomfortably at her father’s recollection. She hesitated, then cautiously ventured, “Discussing the legends of ancient deities while sailing the deep blue…”
“Concern yourself not,” Duncan interrupted with a dismissive gesture, “Even if its infamous ‘gaze’ is attracted to our whereabouts, it would be solely fixated on me. After all, I’ve long harbored the desire to meet it once again.”
For a moment, Lucretia was speechless. Throughout her extensive travels across the boundless oceans, she had witnessed innumerable marvels, met eccentric personalities, and been privy to many taboo topics and occurrences. Yet, it was rare for such forbidden subjects to be broached with such unabashed audacity.
The weight of the past and the palpable shift in their relationship left her feeling as though she was navigating unfamiliar terrain. There was a realization that adjusting to her father’s new state would require patience and understanding; it wasn’t just about reacquainting herself with him but essentially learning how to engage with him anew.
Despite the fleeting glimpse of confusion in Lucretia’s eyes, Duncan took a deep breath, pausing to gather his thoughts. He then inquired, “Lucretia, do you remember the entity referred to as the ‘intruder’ in Taran El’s dreams? They called it the projection of the Sun Offspring.”
Lucretia nodded, “Indeed. You mentioned its eerie resemblance to a smaller form of the ‘Creeping Sun Wheel.’ You also highlighted an exchange between yourself and this ‘Sun Offspring,’ emphasizing how its subordinates scoured the dream, seemingly in search of something.”
Duncan nodded, “Exactly. At the heart of Vision 001 lies an ‘eyeball,’ eerily mirroring the nucleus of the ‘Creeping Sun Wheel.’ Mere hours after quelling Vision 001, the Sun Offspring and its underlings trespassed into the ‘Dream of the Nameless One’ via Taran El’s subconscious. Their actions suggest a clear link between the two occurrences.”
“For ages, adherents of the Black Sun have claimed their deity as the sole ‘True Solar God,’ condemning our sun as a ‘False Sun.’ Most dismissed these as fabrications—ramblings of a sect manipulated by the hypnotic pull of the Black Sun. Yet, during the sun’s recent eclipse, Taran El unearthed an unsettling truth: encapsulated within Vision 001 lay an eyeball, echoing the foundational structure of the ‘Creeping Sun Wheel.’”
“Furthermore, regarding the invader known as the Annihilator who breached the ‘Dream of the Nameless One’— from the intelligence I’ve gathered, the core purpose of the Annihilation Cult diverges markedly from the Suntist’s objectives. Their quest is anchored in the pursuit of the ‘Original Blueprint,’ crafted before creation by the enigmatic Nether Lord. The ‘Book of Blasphemy’ suggests this ‘Mysterious Nether Lord’ once guided the Cretean Clan, possibly playing a pivotal role in creating Vision 001. Therefore, one could argue that the contemporary Vision 001, or the ‘False Sun’ as deemed by the Suntists, stands as a testament to the Nether Lord’s genius—a shard of the primordial design.”
“This insight might explain the alliance between the Annihilation Sect and the Sun Cult. Though their goals converge, underlying tensions simmer.”
As Duncan unwound his thoughts, he searched Lucretia’s eyes for validation. “Considering this intricate web of information, where do you stand?”
Lucretia was temporarily paralyzed by the weight of Duncan’s revelations. Her demeanor transitioned from pensive to apprehensive. After a moment, she murmured, “Even a devout Black Sun worshipper might deem our conversation radical.”
Duncan exhaled with a mix of bemusement and exasperation. “It’s funny; I encountered such sentiments recently. Sometimes I wonder: if we peeled back all the layers of our world’s history, would we find truths even more bizarre? If so, the most avant-garde cult beliefs might seem mainstream.”
Caught up in the profundity of the conversation, Lucretia found herself momentarily adrift in contemplation. Her gaze slowly descended to the experiment table, meeting Luni’s eyes.
Sensing the need for a break, Luni said, “Mistress… shall we proceed? Maybe you should step aside for a moment and recharge. We could summon Rabbi to lend a hand…”
Gathering herself, Lucretia inhaled deeply, setting aside her thoughts. As she reached for her instruments, she quipped, “Rely on Rabbi? I’d rather not. He might stash your head somewhere, thinking it’s a ‘cotton’ treat. Stay put; your head’s reattachment won’t take long.”
Luni simply responded, “Oh.”
…
Simultaneously, in the grand office of Wind Harbor’s chief official, Governor Sara Mel gingerly unfolded a freshly delivered missive. As her eyes moved line by line, the ancient elf’s countenance gradually shifted to one of deep concern.
The parchment bore the symbols of the Four Divine Churches. Remarkably, it wasn’t a proclamation from one faction but showcased the emblems of all four pontiffs, sanctified by the blessings of their respective deities, and addressed to every maritime city-state.
Its crux suggested the collaborative construction of an advanced alert mechanism, a joint endeavor involving the city-states, the church, and the Explorer’s Association. The primary objective was vigilant surveillance of any anomalies above and beneath the sea to prevent another ‘Frost Crisis’ and stay vigilant against the stirrings of primordial deities.
Furthermore, the church had resolved to redeploy a fraction of its patrolling armada from border regions to central zones, ensuring prompt responses to any crises.
While these agenda points raised certain apprehensions, they were still within the purview of typical protocols for city-state leaders.
Yet, what truly unsettled Governor Sara Mel was a seemingly innocuous yet pivotal footnote:
“Each city-state must be alert for any signals from the legendary ‘Vanished’ or its fleet. Should the ‘Vanished’ operate near city-state waters, aggressive engagement must be avoided. Depending on circumstances, assistance may be extended.”
he is rewriting his myth as we speak. it was only a question of time.
That’ll get quite fun if the Gods are outside of his abilities influence… In that case they’d see the timeline get twisted and would try to stop him.
So that’s an option for a later ark: Gods vs Reality Manipulation
legenary or Legendary?
I would have remarked that I would kill the Sun God if it posed a threat beyond a certain level, just to see Lucretia’s reaction. Also, because I most likely could.