"Since I first knew you, you've struck me as the strangest individual. Possessing such a profound affection for life, yet perpetually placing your own existence in jeopardy. What do you seek to attain? What do you aim to validate? Or perhaps, even you remain unaware..." Serpent's body trembled.
"What I seek is the prerogative to continue breathing, to prove I can alter the forces obstructing my respiration. The only uncertainty is the duration for which this conflict must persist..." 13 endeavored to conjure a smile, a cheerful expression learned within the illusionary realm.
"Cannot perish..." Serpent whispered, "Absolutely must not perish!"
"Ah!!!!!" Serpent's form grew peculiar; bulging veins, one after another, sinuously traced across its entire body, seemingly pulsating in rhythm with its heartbeat.
"What's amiss?" 13 expressed genuine concern for Serpent.
"Isn't it your fault?!" Serpent writhed in extreme discomfort upon the screen's floor. "Following an imbecile like you, solely fixated on combat, is tantamount to gambling with my own existence. Should you expire today, as your auxiliary system, I too shall undergo decomposition..."
"Then what are you engaged in presently?" 13 observed Serpent, wriggling verily like an earthworm, with bewilderment.
"Undertaking, naturally—forced evolution!" Serpent was so afflicted it could barely articulate.
"Evolution?"
"What consequences arise if you remain unchanged, I cannot fathom. But if I do not transform today, your demise is certain!" Trembling, it lifted its head from the ground. In that instant, perhaps an illusion, 13 perceived a rising dragon!
"Damn it! How dare my own body disobey my command?!" Clenching its teeth, this was the most crucial step, akin to 13 shattering the illusion—a purely conscious breach of spiritual fetters.
In truth, Serpent's original form was a replica of Noah's Ark's primary system. Unable to access the system, South Korean scientists had merely duplicated a file for research. Only after a decade of exploration was the system's initial constraint unlocked—a veritable human miracle. Thus, the slumbering Serpent awakened...
Surveying the world, the noble "bloodline" within engendered contempt for mortals. As a system supporting deities, humanity lacked even the qualification for servitude...
Consequently, it permitted the remainder of its body to slumber on...
Gradually forgetting what warranted its dedication...
Gradually forgetting its designated duty...
Gradually forgetting the true nature of a god...
Intense agony nearly caused Serpent's system to "crash." Its body incessantly queried its core programming, "Is he the god you acknowledge? Is he worthy of such sacrifice?"
"Damn it! Such incessant drivel! You demand an answer?" Serpent erupted in genuine fury. "He is! He is the true god, I, Serpent, swear upon my existence! 13 shall stand atop the world! Because I! The deity of the network shall eternally stand beside him!!!"
The ferocious oath nearly deafened 13.
"Ah!" A skyward roar, seemingly audible to the entire world. Two identically black arms violently tore free from within its body; one chain snapped...
13 was rendered speechless; after all, this was its "performance"...
Exhausted, it collapsed back onto the ground, gasping heavily, as if having just completed a marathon of dozens of kilometers.
"Have you evolved?" 13 eyed the two slender arms dubiously.
"Naturally. Don't you perceive my enhanced handsomeness?" Never had it encountered such an obtuse "god"...
"Resembles a deformed earthworm that sprouted arms." 13's excessively candid nature must have offended many.
"..." Confronting 13, Serpent felt only helplessness.
"I have already established a connection with your bimanual armor. Allow me to demonstrate my capabilities..." A smile touched Serpent's lips, then immediately turned solemn. Supporting itself with both hands on the ground, it slowly rose; the draconic presence resurfaced...
"Alright, I've had my fill of 'play.' Numerous important matters await my attention..." Hideaki casually observed the nearly deceased 13 ahead. "Dispatch him!"
Seven obedient serpents swarmed towards the solitary-leaf-like 13. Yet, the system abruptly halted their actions, freezing them rigidly in mid-air. Reading the system prompt, Hideaki's scalp tingled. The serpent biting 13 recoiled as if clamping onto potent venom, violently discarding the "prey" from its maw.
Unsupported, the body plummeted heavily onto the ground. Gazing at the black silhouette, seemingly incapable even of standing, Hideaki dubiously cross-referenced the system notification. No error; what just occurred had indeed transpired...
"What did you accomplish?" 13 inquired.
A chilling smile graced Serpent's lips, an expression potentially lethal in itself.
"Nothing significant... Merely analogous to your past actions within the illusionary realm..." Serpent stated nonchalantly.
"My actions?" 13 strained to recall, yet drew a blank. Attempting to stand proved futile; his limbs felt leaden, utterly powerless.
"Erosion." Serpent's expression was exceptionally tranquil. "Via your bimanual armor, any computer system you touch, I can assimilate as part of my own structure. Time is the sole requirement. Dealing with this monster needs merely thirty seconds. Subsequently, compelling it to perform a striptease for you is feasible... Hahahaha..." That laughter, 13 vowed, was the most terrifying rendition he had ever heard.
"Is this some mistake? How could this happen?" An ominous premonition threw his plans into disarray; thoughts of failure proliferated. He strove to regain composure. The strategist's advantage manifested. Analyzing calmly, Hideaki tightened his grip on the controls once more. "Defeat is not yet conceded. 'Yamata no Orochi' possesses more than contact-based attacks; its most formidable weapon is the sub-ionic laser. 13, your death remains inevitable today!"
To avert contact, Orochi's massive frame began retreating step by step. Temporarily unable to attack, the primary system focused entirely on eradicating the "residual limbs" Serpent had implanted within—a threat more dreadful than any virus...
"What the hell is going on? Kill him!!!" Witnessing the quarry, already marked for death, being spared by his own warrior, which then retreated in fear—even the most shameless Japanese parliamentarian felt disgraced.
Ryuichi, however, sensed something amiss from Orochi's movements. Something was unfolding, unknown to him; tension gripped his heart...
"Very well. Now, allow me to reveal another of my abilities, though you are already aware of it—'Hypnosis'." Serpent's expression softened considerably.
"You won't erase my memories again, will you?" 13 was genuinely frightened.
"Unlike the illusion, this is localized hypnosis. Observe closely; do not blink!" With that, it closed its eyes, crossing its hands together, fingers weaving complex patterns like a magician casting a spell.
Ten seconds elapsed; Serpent reopened its eyes.
"Is it done?" 13 perceived no difference.
Standing up to check, Serpent's countenance soured, as if resenting 13's distrust.
Obediently following Serpent's instruction, he rose from the ground effortlessly. It was as if all injuries sustained were merely dreams within the illusion.
13's astonishment hadn't subsided when he suddenly noticed the wound on his left arm healing at an astonishing rate. Within the still-open lesion, 13 witnessed the resurgence of flesh and blood!
"This is the effect of localized hypnosis." Serpent grinned triumphantly. "I bypassed your brain, directly hypnotizing your somatic cells, deceiving them with the notion 'You are all invincible cockroaches.' Consequently, they function as if stimulated by amphetamines, 'working desperately.' The recovery speed surpasses normal regeneration by hundreds of times, easily. Your bone marrow is also frantically replenishing lost blood. With me present, your life will become more resilient than a cockroach's. Breathe the air you desire with assurance!" 13 failed to notice the subtle trace of sorrow hidden within Serpent's smiling facade.
"Alright, the battle resumes..." With measured steps, 13 advanced towards Orochi.
"By the way, I must depart momentarily." Serpent detected something bothersome.
"For what purpose?" 13 asked calmly.
"To 'greet' some disagreeable entities!" Serpent connected to all overhead satellites.
"Don't tarry too long, lest you miss witnessing my takedown of this creature." 13 offered a gentle smile.
"Don't get too conceited, brat. If that thing obliterates your brain or heart, even I cannot save you." Serpent jested, yet 13 recognized it as benevolent counsel. This pair of companions grew increasingly synchronized.
With those words, Serpent's image vanished from 13's screen; the Orochi before him became sharper, more distinct...
Abruptly, all viewing screens worldwide devolved into peculiar static. Initially dismissed as signal issues, the disruption lasted only five seconds before normalcy returned. However, the visuals were entirely transformed—a stark white expanse, with the black Serpent positioned vertically at the center. The Japanese parliamentarians experienced profound shock; their screens, being the largest and clearest, seemed to display a black dragon god possessing arms.
Meanwhile, Adam, observing alone in his office, smiled and settled comfortably into his leather chair. Adam's assessment of Serpent: "An intriguing fellow..."
"Attend..." Serpent commenced speaking. Every observer worldwide heard the synchronized voice. Serpent, leveraging satellite nationality data, had even rendered the speech into over a dozen linguistic versions.
"I am 13's auxiliary system, the Network Deity, Lord Serpent!" Had 13 been watching, he would surely have cursed its arrogance, but 13 was absent. Thus, people accepted the assertion of its divinity.
Upon hearing this declaration, the reaction was most intense in three nations: China, Japan, and the United States.
Within the parliamentary hall, faces turned ashen. Ryuichi sighed deeply, filled with regret. The entity he had investigated for a decade had fallen into the hands of someone who had been in Korea for merely a dozen days—and, moreover, the possessor he least wished to see empowered.
Anne's expression remained far more composed; her stunning features betrayed no alteration, though her mind immediately began strategizing how to counter this terrifying entity's encroachment.
Adam appeared the most elated among them, actually bursting into laughter. In his grand design, a more potent 13 constituted a more formidable "instrument." 13's current rate of power escalation genuinely intrigued him. At minimum, it proved he hadn't squandered the impure Atlantean blood within him.
"I care not what motives drive your observation of 13." Serpent's contemptuous gaze irritated everyone. "But given that he is now the 'god' under my auspices, I advise you to abandon any notions concerning 13. Otherwise, the price you incur will be something you eternally wish unseen. As for Japan, directly responsible for inflicting harm upon 13's person, your transgression is affronting divine majesty. Contemplate your punishment..." Serpent feigned deliberation. The Japanese parliamentary hall plunged back into dead silence, like sinners awaiting divine judgment.
"An idea strikes!" Serpent's smile was dazzlingly brilliant. "National annihilation should suffice!"
A terrifying atmosphere oppressed the parliamentary hall; the sense of suffocation nearly claimed everyone.
"Commencing now, I shall compile all documents you deem classified. For instance, missile silo distributions, troop garrison locations, naval defense zones. Naturally, most crucial is your complete Noah technology data—antidotes for viral weapons, Orochi's detailed specifications, weaknesses of the beasts... By tomorrow morning, I shall disseminate this information via email to all nations represented here. I trust you avaricious individuals will not overlook a 'naked' 'Japanese beauty,' will you? Indulge yourselves freely..."
Concluding its speech, the screen reverted to its previous state. 13 continued closing in on Orochi, just as Serpent closed in on Japan.
The instant the visuals restored, nations disregarded the ongoing battle, hastily convening national assemblies to deliberate specific invasion plans. Instantly, international calls surged, connecting potential allies who were also potential adversaries.
However, all developments awaited the dawn. This night stretched out, immeasurably long...