Death… And Me

Chapter 4401: Secret?

[Even I can’t decipher that array up there,] Sister Orb commented. [However... it doesn’t give me the feel of a slaughtering array. In fact, I can’t sense anything related to a harmful effect coming from it.]

Rean gave a slight nod as he looked at the barrier surrounding the airplane and then at the array on the ceiling. ’It does seem that way, but it doesn’t change the fact that we were lured here, just like I suspected outside.’

’No helping that,’ Roan replied without sounding particularly concerned. ’We accepted the risks the moment we decided to come inside. Besides, we still have a trump card if things truly get out of hand.’

That was the one thing giving the twins’ group confidence. Now that Sister Orb had awakened, the Sanctuary was available again. Since it could erase Godly Pressure altogether, there was a chance it could interfere with the arrays controlling this tower and perhaps even provide them with a way to escape if necessary.

Meanwhile, the airplane continued ascending. When it reached the ceiling, the entire surface lit up once again, opening exactly like the entrance they had used to enter the Light Pillar Structure. The countless threads of white and golden energy pulled the airplane through the opening, carrying it into the next floor.

The moment they emerged, everyone finally saw the source of everything.

’It really does resemble the core inside the Sacred Relic,’ Celis was the first to comment through the twins’ group’s soul connection as he looked at the enormous sphere ahead.

[The principles appear to be very similar,] Sister Orb agreed after analyzing it for a moment. [It is also connected to its own Great Void Echo, using that Echo to manipulate the Godly Pressure of the Celestial Plane. There is a very good chance this structure also generates its own Godly Energy. If my assumption is correct, it is the source that powers every guardian core and every worker core throughout these ruins.]

Harksha obviously couldn’t hear any of that conversation. Instead, she carefully observed their surroundings, her body tense and ready to react at any moment. ”There aren’t any guardian cores here either.”

Roan nodded after taking a quick look around. ”Let’s wait and see what the core intends to do.”

Finally, the airplane came to a halt directly in front of the gigantic sphere.

Unlike the core inside the Sacred Relic, this one wasn’t sealed behind countless layers of arrays. White and golden energy continuously flowed throughout its enormous body, and the amount of power gathered inside was so overwhelming that even standing several dozen meters away made everyone instinctively hold their breath.

Then, without any warning, several streams of energy extended from the enormous sphere and wrapped themselves around the guardian core Rean had embedded inside the airplane.

No one even had the opportunity to react.

The guardian core was forcibly pulled out of its compartment and floated toward the enormous sphere. The energy pulling it even created a hole in Rean’s airplane, much to his displeasure. ’Why does everything in this shit place have to make holes in my baby?’

Fortunately, Rean had already stored a considerable amount of Godly Pressure before coming here. Although the airplane lost its direct source of disguise, the reserves immediately took over, preventing the camouflage from collapsing.

Still, Rean quickly calculated the remaining reserves.

”At most...” he muttered. ”An hour.”

Unfortunately, that no longer seemed to matter.

The moment the guardian core reached the enormous sphere, it reacted. A large holographic projection appeared before everyone, filled with countless lines of numbers and unfamiliar words.

At first, none of them understood a single thing since everything was written in that ancient language.

However, only a few seconds later, the symbols shifted and rearranged themselves.

The entire interface automatically changed into the modern language used throughout the Besgol Region.

-Core #9992853R has lost its connection with the Nexus Core. Identified the cause. Accessing registries.-

Rean’s eyes widened.

”Shit! It hacked my airplane!”

Everyone immediately looked toward the control console as countless windows opened one after another. The airplane’s entire operating system had been seized without Rean issuing a single command.

”Should we destroy the controls?” Roan immediately asked.

”No!” Rean answered without hesitation. ”Without the control system, the disguise array will stop working.”

There was nothing they could do except watch.

Line after line continued to flash across every screen inside the airplane as the Main Core searched through every array, every inscription, and every log recorded since the airplane had been created.

After several long seconds, the messages finally stopped changing.

A new line appeared.

-Airplane Mark-Seven Autonomous Multi-Layer Godly Pressure Concealment, Light-Bending, Air Vibration Suppression, Long-Range Godly Creature Detection, Adjustable Celestial Thruster Propelled Strategic Reconnaissance, Transportation, Emergency Extraction, and Gravity-Assisted Beverage Creation-Preservation Aerial Vessel-

A brief pause followed.

-...-

-Resumed to Mark.-

Rean slowly raised his middle finger toward the enormous sphere. ’Fuck you!’

Another line appeared almost immediately.

-Average Array Level: Does not qualify to be given a level.-

Rean’s expression twitched. ”I hate this thing already.”

Yet the Nexus Core ignored him completely.

-Searching for traces of the ancients...-

-None found.-

”Traces of the ancients?” Harksha frowned while reading the message. ”The ruins themselves are ancient. Is it referring to something even older than these?”

No one had an answer.

Before anyone could think further about it, another message appeared.

-Life forms not registered within the Kaval Great Void Identification System detected.-

-Quantity detected: 10.-

Silence immediately filled the airplane.

Ten! Exactly ten cultivators were inside the airplane!

There was no longer any doubt. The disguise had been completely seen through, and everyone instinctively prepared themselves for battle.

If the Nexus Core had truly identified them as intruders, the guardian cores could arrive at any moment.

’Get ready,’ Roan warned through Godly Sense.

His hand quietly moved, already prepared to activate the Sanctuary if necessary. If it could interrupt the Nexus Core’s control over the arrays, they might still have a chance to escape.

However...

Nothing happened.

Instead, another message appeared on the holographic screen.

-Engaging autonomous AI for interaction.-

The countless lines of text immediately vanished.

Moments later, they were replaced by the projection of a humanlike face.

Then, for the first time... The Nexus Core actually spoke, although it was somewhat robotic.

-Who are you?- Its voice echoed calmly throughout the entire chamber. -How did you manage to strip Core #9992853R of its Nexus Control Seed?-

Everyone stared blankly at the projection.

”So...” Kentucky muttered. ”Now we’re talking to an AI...”

No one knew whether that was good or bad.

Still...

It was certainly better than being attacked immediately.

Unfortunately, none of them had the slightest idea what this so-called Nexus Control Seed actually was.

At least...

Not until everyone looked toward the guardian core floating beside the enormous sphere.

Harksha immediately turned toward Rean. ”Was... that something you did to the guardian core?”

Rean had already reached the same conclusion. ”Most likely.”

He stepped forward until he stood directly in front of the projection before speaking calmly. ”Hello, friend. My name is Rean. I was indeed the one who captured Core #9992853R.”

He gestured toward the guardian core. ”I developed an array capable of separating its Godly Energy into Celestial Energy and Godly Pressure. During that process, another type of energy remained after the separation was complete. I believe that third type of energy is what you are calling the Nexus Control Seed.”

Harksha immediately narrowed her eyes. ”So that’s the secret you refused to explain.”

”Not exactly.” He glanced back at her before continuing. ”I wasn’t hiding the existence of that third energy. As I told everyone before, making that guardian core function required a little secret from my own Great Void, so I couldn’t reveal everything.”

He let out a helpless sigh. ”Unfortunately... it doesn’t look like I can keep hiding that fact anymore.”

Turning back toward the AI, he asked, ”Am I correct?”

The Nexus Core had already integrated the Besgol language into its own database, allowing it to understand every word Rean spoke. ”Correct.”

Rean nodded. ”Then yes. I was the one who isolated that energy.” He immediately continued before the AI could misunderstand him. ”However, that wasn’t the purpose of my array.”

”You’ve already examined my airplane’s systems, so you should know that separating the remaining third energy wasn’t the intended result. The disguise array was my true objective. I only required the Godly Pressure stored inside the guardian core.”

The AI answered almost instantly. ”Incorrect. Extracting the Godly Energy from Core #9992853R required complete isolation of the Nexus Connection Seed from the Nexus Core network.”

”For exactly fifty-seven seconds, the Nexus Core lost every means of communication with Core #9992853R. That communication loss most likely enabled the extraction of its Godly Energy.”

”The airplane’s operational records contain no explanation for that fifty-seven-second interval. This AI requires clarification.”

The chamber fell silent.

Rean no longer answered immediately.

After all...

Those missing fifty-seven seconds were caused by the Sanctuary.

Now the question remained.

Should he reveal its existence?

Or should he continue hiding that secret?