Volume One, Chapter 67: Gatanjeu

The two of them remained suspended in midair, unmoving, gazing into the distance.

“What…?” Huimei’s eyes flickered, a hint of suspicion and surprise in her gaze.

Why… aren’t they moving?

Daigu’s eyes snapped open, a look of bewilderment crossing his face.

Could it be that they’ve decided not to destroy the Earth after all?

A strange, tense atmosphere suddenly settled over everyone’s heads.

Everyone looked up, staring curiously at Torekia and Bareru, their minds filled with questions.

What’s going on? First came despair, now this—what sort of game are they playing?

Everyone was perplexed, unable to comprehend what was happening.

As for the two in question, at that very moment, they were wholly absorbed in upgrading their Evil God System.

Torekia believed that artificial intelligence ought not to be limited to auxiliary functions alone.

If developed to its utmost and endowed with power, perhaps it could become something akin to Gilbaris.

Of course, for one as obsessed with madness as he, how could he ever allow his own system to be weaker than Gilbaris?

If he were to create something, it must be unique—an ultimate artificial intelligence that embodied his very philosophy.

Bareru stood silently behind Torekia, his expression calm.

Yet, in his eyes gleamed a trace of curiosity… What exactly was this “element of darkness” that his lord had spoken of?

...

Time slipped by in silence, and at some point, the sky had grown dull and lightless, black clouds blotting out the sun.

Within the Victory Team’s hastily assembled base, Huimei’s face was grave as she asked, “Have you figured it out?”

“No,” Norui replied, shaking his head. “It seems this black mist is emanating from the depths of the Pacific Ocean. With our current detection equipment, the range is too limited for deeper investigation.”

“Damn it!” Xincheng slammed his fist on the table, raising his head in anger to glare at the two towering figures in the distance. “It’s all that bastard Torekia’s fault—otherwise, how would we have ended up in this predicament?”

At the mention of “Torekia,” the team’s expressions all shifted, growing uneasy.

Indeed, with the base destroyed, all equipment and facilities had been lost as well.

Even the newly developed Artedis was not spared.

“But it’s been days now—why haven’t the two of them moved at all?” Daigu voiced his doubt.

Since the destruction of the TPC base, neither Torekia nor the mysterious alien had taken any further action; they remained suspended in the sky.

That, in itself, was highly suspicious.

“Who knows,” Xincheng said with a self-deprecating laugh, his voice weary. “Maybe he’s just toying with humanity. What do you all think?”

The team fell silent.

Indeed, judging by the power Torekia had already demonstrated, he possessed more than enough strength to rule Earth and enslave humanity.

Yet he had not—choosing instead to linger in the sky, as though waiting for something.

Waiting…

Rina seemed to recall something. She lifted her head to glance at the darkened sky, then spoke with a shiver in her voice, “Do you think Torekia might be waiting for this?”

As she spoke, Rina pointed upward.

The others looked up as well.

The black clouds enveloping the Earth had persisted for three days.

In those three days, no aliens had appeared, nor had there been any sign of monster activity. It was indeed strange.

“Satellite images from Delta Space Station are in!” Norui cried out, excitement in his voice, and immediately projected the satellite photos onto the screen.

As everyone turned to look, a collective gasp filled the room.

In the image, Earth was completely shrouded in black clouds—seen from afar, it looked like a dead star, bearing no resemblance to the familiar blue planet.

“Could this be his doing too?” Daigu asked.

At the mention of “him,” all eyes turned to Torekia.

Indeed, only Torekia seemed capable of orchestrating such a spectacle.

Huimei thought for a moment, then shook her head. “I don’t think so. Since last time, neither he nor that mysterious alien has moved. There must be someone else behind this.”

A chill swept through the team.

Torekia alone had already driven the Earth to the brink of despair. Should another being of equal strength appear, would the planet not be doomed?

And from the look of the black mist, it was clearly targeting Earth.

Or perhaps, targeting Torekia.

“In any case, our duty as the Victory Team will never change,” Huimei said. “From now on, we’re at level one alert. Until the Gale Team’s reinforcements arrive, we must prepare for the worst.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

The team straightened, determination blazing in their eyes.

Meanwhile, in the sky, Torekia’s brow furrowed in displeasure.

“Eliminate it,” he commanded.

Bareru started, then asked in confusion, “My lord, do you mean…?”

He sensed no energy fluctuations nearby.

As for the black clouds, he paid them no heed—such tricks were easily within his own abilities, and hardly worth the effort.

Torekia gave no answer, his frown deepening.

Alarmed, Bareru hastily expanded his consciousness, enveloping the entire planet.

At last, in the depths of a certain ocean, he detected a faint ripple of energy.

“So that’s where it is,” Bareru murmured, his form fading away.

“The alien has vanished!” Sato, who had been observing Torekia and Bareru, suddenly shouted.

No sooner had his words fallen than Norui’s voice rang out, “A powerful surge is rising rapidly from the depths of the Pacific!”

Static crackled on the screen, which switched to a view of the Pacific Ocean.

The waters churned violently, schools of fish scattering in panic.

All eyes were fixed on the ever-darkening shadow beneath the waves.

“It’s a monster!” Daigu cried out in alarm.

The others tensed, their stares locked on the screen.

With a thunderous crash, the sea parted, and a monstrous creature burst forth—its body massive and grotesque.

Its back resembled a spiral shell, pocked all over with dense black holes. Its eyes were set beneath its mouth, and its tentacle-like limbs sprawled across the ocean.

A roar, like the crazed bellow of an elephant, erupted from the beast’s maw—a sound that shook the heavens and echoed to every corner of the Earth.

“What… is that?”

As the Victory Team stared in horror, a black dot appeared in the distant sky.

“It’s that alien!” Rina cried out.

Bareru’s figure grew rapidly clearer as he drew closer.

He gazed down at the monster floating on the sea, astonishment flickering in his eyes.

So this planet still harbored a beast with such overwhelming presence!