"Fire Picker."
On the ground, the researcher raised the broken glass container filled with blood and held it out toward Zane.
"To the future of the world."
Seeing that Zane remained silent and motionless, the researcher understood—it was his response to the earlier request. He nodded and added, "Thank you."
Then, as if reminded of something, he spoke again.
"You must be wondering why I'm doing this, right?"
He bent his arm, bringing the container in front of himself. With his other frail arm, he picked up the test tube he had been holding and poured its contents into the blood.
The solution inside was as valuable as an entire building in the heart of New Eridu.
"The Dead End Hollow, Lamia Hollow, and that battle earlier... You must've realized it by now—we're trying to create a god."
"Humans aren't born from gods. Gods are born from humans."
"'God' is just a name we give those things. Humanity doesn't need lofty, untouchable gods."
"The things we create are nothing more than tools for humanity... In that sense, we're not so different from you. It's just that we're far less capable than the world itself..."
Perhaps from speaking too much, the researcher let out two violent coughs. His smile began to falter, yet he still pressed on.
"Whether we succeed or fail, we'll press forward by any means necessary—betting everything we have. If we don't fly, we die…"
"We will control calamity. We will break calamity. We will grant human civilization a longer future..."
"Humanity, glory everlasting."
The radiant liquid fused with the blood, emitting strange strands of light. The researcher's body was already frail, but a smile remained on his face.
The heat and hope in his gaze were unmistakable.
"Shame... I won't get to see the results."
Still, since he had sacrificed his body and mind for this, the odds should be better than usual, right?
After all, he was a top-tier researcher...
Suddenly, colorful threads surged from the shattered container and quickly spread over the researcher's body.
The threads rapidly covered him from head to toe. Even his exposed face was soon completely enveloped.
In the final moments of his life, he gazed intently at the glowing mixture inside the container and murmured softly—
"To humanity's tomorrow."
Boom!
Nineveh dove straight down, her massive body slamming into the ground, as if determined to crush everything in the camp.
A wave of dust erupted. Zane swiftly retreated, creating distance before calmly taking position on higher ground, watching the dust swirl and settle.
The researcher's final words had shed light on many things—but that only made Zane even more curious.
It seemed he would need to have a proper talk with Major Xin later...
With a whoosh, the wind swept away the smoke. Zane finally saw the scene inside the base clearly.
Nineveh was thrashing violently, and the gusts had been caused by her movements.
"Is she... possessed?"
Zane raised an eyebrow. Nineveh looked like she was in intense pain, fighting something. A humanoid creature was merging with her.
"A Sacrificial Ghost? Doesn't quite look like one... but probably something similar. After all, that action..."
Understanding dawned. What he had almost done earlier was exactly what those others had tried—only this time, it looked far more terrifying, and the method was different...
The one in Lamia Hollow was born from an eggshell. The Dead End Hollow case, he hadn't seen personally, but by memory, it involved forcibly fusing with machinery.
This one...
The humanoid figure resembled a stream of white fluid, merging into Nineveh under Zane's gaze. In moments, it had completely disappeared.
Immediately after, Nineveh grew even more frenzied, smashing into the ground. Numerous colorful "cores" across her body flickered rapidly.
"Success or failure... what does it really mean?"
Zane crossed one arm over his chest, resting his chin on the other as he pondered. The researcher had revealed a lot... and yet, said almost nothing.
Big statements, but no specifics.
"Success means they control the god they created. Failure means they don't? That must be it... but this aftermath, what does it mean?"
As Zane mused, Nineveh gradually calmed down inside the camp. She collapsed to the ground, as if dead.
If it weren't for the faint glow from her core and subtle Ether fluctuations, Zane might have believed she had truly perished.
Strands of Ether gathered around her like a storm, forming what looked like a wind barrier. Energy continued flowing from this barrier into Nineveh. Zane attempted to breach the shield, but for any other being, it wouldn't be easy.
Time passed slowly. Eventually, the "cores" on Nineveh's body burst into radiant color, and she began to rise slowly from the ground.
Her ascent accelerated, and the bud atop her head—which had been mostly closed—gradually reopened.
The core at its center glowed brilliantly.
Nineveh stretched her body. The tentacles attached to her head danced in the air, their nuclei flashing intensely.
The wounds on her tail had vanished. At this moment, Nineveh appeared not just restored, but stronger than ever before.
Around her, small Ethereals rapidly formed, soon surpassing a hundred and still multiplying.
They fluttered chaotically in the sky, while on the ground, Zane watched in silence.
"Success... or failure?"
He was a man of his word. Since he had agreed to help finish this, he would see it through. Besides, Zane was genuinely intrigued...
Nineveh spread her arms and let out a strange humming sound.
Then, her attention locked onto the only other living presence nearby—Zane.
She turned to him, and he immediately noticed.
Without hesitation, Nineveh surged toward him, Ether concentrating at the core on her head—the same technique she had used against him before.
Zane stood still, watching her approach. He raised an eyebrow.
"So, it failed after all..."
Nineveh's massive form bore down on him, but Zane calmly raised his hand.