Chapter 702 - 444: World Serpent (2)
This colossal snake could leave a ten-kilometer-deep crater in the ground.
But that didn’t mean this was its limit; after all, its terrifying size was plain to see.
Not only did it possess overwhelming physical destructive power, but it also had a highly independent, intelligent consciousness.
In terms of threat Level alone, it was dangerous enough to rank among the top three most hazardous of all the Foundation’s contained objects.
The only silver lining was that, according to current observation data, this behemoth had remained suspended in the outer orbit of Kapu Star ever since appearing hours ago, showing no signs of entering the atmosphere.
This behavior was quite similar to the operational pattern of Wish Star.
Both seemed to follow some kind of as-yet-undeciphered pattern.
The problem, however, was that no one knew how long the activity cycle of this Alien Origin Body was.
What would it bring the next time it appeared?
As they contemplated this,
the other personnel began to voice their opinions.
However, since there was too little information, they didn’t have any particularly good solutions.
The meeting continued.
However, the focus of the discussion shifted to their stance on the World Serpent.
The group discussed using nuclear weapons, activating GN-001’s reality-reset button, and even requesting help from other humanoid, sentient Alien Origin Bodies that could be communicated with.
Proposal after proposal was submitted, then rejected.
The reasons were either because they would be ineffective or because the risks were too great.
After all, its sheer size was a major obstacle.
Containing it was a near-impossible task.
Making contact rashly could lead to severe consequences.
Just then,
someone spoke up.
It was a young man with a few streaks of white in his hair.
He was looking at the projection screen.
The planet, encircled by the serpent’s shadow, was frozen on the display.
"Lord Kalu, you mentioned earlier that the Twelve-winged Angel Statue, codenamed LB-727, and the Weeping Girl, codenamed LB-296, disappeared along with it.
I’d like to know, have those two missing Alien Origin Bodies been located yet?"
Hearing this,
Kalu frowned.
"No. Ever since they vanished, the energy signatures belonging to those two Alien Origin Bodies have not appeared on the anomaly radar again."
At this point,
he glanced at the white-haired young man.
"Vine, are you suggesting you suspect the disappearance of these two Alien Origin Bodies is related to this World Serpent, codenamed GN-109?"
"It’s not a suspicion."
Vine shook his head.
"The disappearance of these two Alien Origin Bodies is undeniably connected to the existence of this World Serpent. In fact, they’re very likely inside its stomach—the nearly ten-kilometer-wide crater left behind already proves this."
Upon hearing this,
everyone couldn’t help but look at each other in dismay.
It wasn’t unheard of for an Alien Origin Body to devour another.
But they could not be killed.
Because Alien Origin Bodies themselves possess the indestructible Trait.
But regardless of their thoughts, no one interrupted him.
His voice continued.
"Based on an analysis of the available clues, the World Serpent possesses a certain degree of intelligence.
Therefore, I believe its choice to lock its attack on the location of the Twelve-winged Angel Statue was no accident.
I even suspect that the reason this World Serpent appeared was for that very statue."
He then laid out his theory.
For instance,
why did the World Serpent not attack any other location, but specifically the containment site of the Twelve-winged Angel Statue?
It was all too much of a coincidence.
Of course, he didn’t know the reason why.
Furthermore, these were just his speculations and could only be taken as a reference.
"Of course, I’m not saying this because I think those two Alien Origin Bodies are dead. I’m more inclined to believe they’re trapped somewhere. After all, Alien Origin Bodies can’t be destroyed."
At this,
Vine shook his head.
"However, if my theory holds, we might be able to try and establish a channel of communication with this World Serpent.
After all, from what we’ve seen so far, it hasn’t shown much aggressive intent.
If we can reach an understanding, it might even help us deal with other troublesome Alien Origin Bodies, ultimately forming a mutually beneficial, symbiotic relationship."
After Vine’s explanation,
a flicker of consideration appeared in everyone’s eyes.
The idea was a good one.
But actually implementing it would be a huge challenge.
CLAP. CLAP. CLAP.
The crisp, slow sound of clapping suddenly rang out, sounding particularly jarring in the enclosed conference room.
Everyone’s gaze immediately snapped to the front of the room.
It was Kalu.
The chief researcher, usually so cold and detached, was now clapping slowly, a strange smile playing on his lips.
What was even more terrifying, however, was that his eyes were no longer human. They had transformed into a pair of Crimson snake pupils—cold, demonic, and seemingly capable of piercing one’s very soul.
"Not bad."
His voice was still gentle, but it carried an inhuman quality.
"To deduce so much from such scattered pieces of information... you truly are a talent."
The moment Vine’s gaze met those Crimson snake pupils, he felt as if he had plunged into a boundless cosmic abyss.
A sense of insignificance washed over him like a tide—it was the shudder of an ant gazing up at the stars, the instinctive fear of a common creature facing a higher being.
His body trembled uncontrollably, his teeth nearly drawing blood from his lower lip.
"You... you’re the World Serpent..."
Vine seemed to realize something.
His pupils contracted violently.
The words seemed forced from the depths of his throat, so hoarse they barely sounded human.
𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂
The entire conference room fell into a deathly silence.
The color drained from everyone’s faces at a visible rate. Someone instinctively tried to back away and flee, but froze in place the moment they lifted their foot.