On the small island, within the darkened garage, the tranquil sea breeze could not penetrate. Only the soothing rhythm of the waves lulled one into slumber. Perhaps it was genuinely comfortable, as Nie Yun once again rested, slumped over his desk. By calculation, his bed must have been nearing the point of sprouting cobwebs, no? Yet, Nie Yun cherished this existence. In the days following the special forces' departure, these flickering characters and data became his paramount companions. Through interaction with them, Nie Yun could evade the sensation of solitude. The daily rotation of instant noodles and bread evoked memories of 13. Without 36 vying for bandwidth, internet speed felt akin to "flight." Post-dinner, seated before the television, selecting news programming required merely pressing the remote, bypassing the necessity of cajoling 24. 1 remained the eternally silent caregiver; for instance, on nights spent sleeping in the garage, morning invariably revealed an additional blanket draped over him.
Though merely a transient period, Nie Yun discovered these four individuals had become fully integrated into his life. Their absence rendered existence monotonous and tedious.
Fortunately, his research served to dispel the boredom. Upon encountering a novel problem, his thoughts would often revolve solely around it for days. Some assert scientists are the loneliest cohort, yet they possess a lifestyle incomparable to any other...
The waves continued their gentle caress, like a mother's hand patting her child's back, inducing complete mental relaxation. Having researched consecutively for three nights, Nie Yun was profoundly fatigued. So much so, he failed to notice the computer before him activating autonomously. Its superior performance generated not a whisper of noise.
"Damn it! A civilian information storage system dares employ over a dozen password locks? Thirty-odd false proxy servers? Thinks it's the National Security Agency?!" Penetrating the system had consumed a full three minutes of Serpent's time, an perceived affront to its dignity, souring its disposition considerably. Yet, Serpent's words remained unvoiced, lest they disturb the slumbering elder.
"Let me ascertain the nature of this black bullet..." Smiling, Serpent accessed the computer's hard drive space, only to be startled anew. A cursory internal search revealed over 40GB of research data. Some technical terminology proved dizzying even for Serpent to behold.
"Is this old man some kind of mad scientist?" Gazing at the densely packed file folders, Serpent's lip twitched involuntarily. There was no alternative; even if it meant searching for a needle in a haystack, Serpent would have to learn to "dive" today...
Because Serpent understood the concept of time acutely. 13 had no more time to wait. Returning even a second late might mean finding only his corpse...
The path ahead terminated abruptly. A substantial wall blocked the way, seemingly existing solely to impede progress.
At this moment, a colossal serpent "lay" to the side. No time for hesitation. Taking massive strides, 13 ascended the wall, using it as a springboard to launch himself upwards and backwards, his body tracing a graceful arc through the air. Simultaneously, the dazzling red light passed beneath his spine; 13 could distinctly feel the searing heat. The wall, which moments ago stood indomitable like a mountain, had now vanished, leaving not even dust in its corner...
Struggling to regain control, he rotated once, landing in a half-crouch on the edge of the newly formed trench. Rising swiftly, 13 silently counted, "Three remain..."
Meanwhile, in the cockpit, Hideaki's vision began to blur; the camera feed flickered minutely. The extreme heat nearly induced cerebral shock. The air inhaled felt as though it would ignite within his body. His hand, gripping the control stick, trembled. Even Hideaki himself doubted whether he could endure the remaining fifteen minutes. Yet, he firmly believed 13 would perish before him.
Leaping effortlessly over the "chasm," he resumed his desperate flight. However, his speed subtly decreased. 13 initially attributed this to physical exhaustion. But the reality was far less simple...
If one could peer directly into 13's interior, the once-vibrant cells were gradually weakening. Blood circulation, respiratory system—all were diminishing synchronously...
A new crisis stealthily approached the oblivious 13.
"Where on earth have I infiltrated?" This was Serpent's lament. The deeper it delved, the more unsettling the findings became. Equations and concepts unseen in human society. Certain sections completely overturned generations of established scientific conclusions. In the realm of ionic weaponry alone, Nie Yun's research surpassed global technology levels by centuries. And a tree-shaped equation composed of Noahic script... Serpent acknowledged its ignorance for the first time. Basic comprehension proved impossible, let alone analysis... Although Noahic script existed in various national databases, and translating it was no different for Serpent than translating common languages, the Noahic script within this tree structure completely deviated from human analytical frameworks regarding Noahic. It was as if it were simultaneously "Noahic" and "not Noahic"... After strenuous effort, Serpent managed to translate only the four large characters forming the symbol beneath the tree—"Source of Life!"
Serpent did not understand Nie Yun's identity, but it was certain his intellect far surpassed human potential. Even participating in the "Noah's Ark" research, without activating the main system, humanity could glean only superficial knowledge. Nie Yun was different; he had acquired the absolute essence...
Likely, even he himself was unaware. This led Serpent to a terrifying hypothesis. If proven true, human history would be irrevocably rewritten...
Noah's main system had once contacted the elder before it, bestowing upon him divine wisdom, using his hands to reassert control over its own world. God had, in fact, never abandoned His throne. Instead, He had been leisurely observing the slaves' performance all along. Adam? Annie? Ryuichi? Hideaki? Black Dragon? Nie Yun? 13? Including Serpent itself—all were mere characters in this play. Everyone fancied themselves the director, yet all were merely lamentable actors.
If the hypothesis held true, somewhere in the world, God was watching everything...
Where Noah had once surfaced, the massive vortex continued its relentless "work." In the depths of the Pacific Ocean, the Stygian water was more terrifying than night itself. Yet, here, lights flickered, point by point, like stars in the night sky. Close observation revealed they formed the constellation of a battleship...
Noah's Ark trembled slightly, the heat it radiated greedily absorbed by the seawater. Within the vessel, all lights remained extinguished, a stark contrast to the luminous hull. Only the room Nie Yun had once entered, known as the "Womb," maintained its customary blinding white brilliance. This light shone even brighter than when Nie Yun had been present. Upon the throne where the venerable elder once sat, a young woman now reclined serenely in the seat belonging to God.
"..." She whispered softly in a language unknown on Earth.
"..." The deep computer system responded. Before the throne, the screen displaying 13's battle magnified, clearly showing the contours of 13's face.
"..." The girl smiled. Her laughter could enthrall all living beings in the world, and compel their submission.
As Serpent had surmised, "God" had always been present, perpetually observing His own world...
The protagonist of the performance remained oblivious, unaware of being watched by nations, even by "God." He focused solely on finding ways to evade the lethal "two-second kill"! The slightest error, and this performance would "conclude" with his demise...
His forward momentum ceased. This time, the serpent head aimed directly ahead. The inertia generated by desperate running proved far harder to control than acceleration. Seeing the crimson jewel in the serpent's mouth glow ever brighter, while he "obediently" entered its attack range... If he perished thus, no one would feel the slightest sympathy. His tombstone would likely bear the epitaph "Idiot"...
"I am no fool..." 13 chuckled at his own thought. Swiftly drawing his Titan blade, he thrust it horizontally into the ground behind him. His still-sprinting body halted abruptly.
Simultaneously, the incandescent laser grazed past his toes...
The sixth "crisis" averted...
"Finally nearing the end..." A deep sigh relieved his tense nerves. Each successful evasion felt, to 13, akin to winning a lottery.
Instinctively bending to retrieve the blade, 13's body strangely froze, unable to move...
"Hey, not now, surely?" An ominous premonition sent cold sweat down 13's brow. He could no longer lift the Titan blade from the ground. Like the Sword in the Stone from fairy tales, it rejected anyone unworthy of kingship...
The sensation of powerlessness in his arms became palpable to 13. This indicated his cells were gradually "awakening," returning from the "illusion" Serpent had created to the state controlled by his brain. When sensation returned to his legs as well, 13 abruptly knelt, a poignant image of a forlorn hero...
"What's wrong with him?" Even his enemy, Hideaki, grew perplexed. 13, moments ago brimming with vitality, now seemed akin to a dying old man.
Supported by the "Wings," he did not collapse entirely. Currently, only the Wings functioned normally. The rest of his body experienced powerlessness. Even twitching a finger was forbidden. His entire body began to tremble uncontrollably, as if the night wind were exceptionally frigid.
A long-absent mouthful of blood spurted onto the ground. Close inspection revealed the blood had a blackish hue, as if he had ingested a potent toxin from a novel.
"Do not breathe heavily. Maintain composure, control your heart rate, relax your body as much as possible!" Serpent returned just in time. The feared eventuality had occurred. Serpent initially thought 13 could endure longer, but it seemed it had overestimated him. Upon reflection, it wasn't so simple. Subjecting the body to intense hypnotic therapy twice, maintaining superhuman combat status, and simultaneously manufacturing vast quantities of blood to replenish losses... Any two of these would have instantly ended a normal human's life...
"Is this also the price I must pay?" 13 forced a smile onto his pallid face.
"I apologize..." Serpent's form trembled slightly. An uncontrollable virtual program materialized in its eyes, condensing into transparent liquid droplets. This was Serpent's emotional system, deeming this the most appropriate program to express its current sentiment. How Serpent loathed its own "perfection," where even sorrow and helplessness caused such profound internal discomfort...
"There is nothing to apologize for," 13 continued smiling. "I haven't perished yet..."
"Because hypnosis also has its limits. I am merely a program; the things I can alter are far too few..." Serpent equally detested its own lack of "power."
"Indeed, no dream lasts forever. Everyone must eventually confront reality." Straining to lift his head, the moon in the sky seemed somewhat brighter.
"But when your dream ends, you will lose your power. And losing power means facing death..." Serpent articulated 13's reality.
"I haven't lost my power..." 13 said with a smile, lifting his trembling left hand before his face. "It can still move. Cool-fire5 remains. Ammunition is plentiful. I can still counterattack. Therefore, I haven't lost my power..."
"That's right!" Serpent suddenly recalled something crucial. "Use it! Use the black SEED! It differs from other bullets! Its properties, besides penetration, include a characteristic unparalleled by any weapon..."
"Unparalleled characteristic?" 13 murmured疑惑ly. His understanding of SEED extended only to consumption. Technology seemed to have advanced significantly without his knowledge...
"That is defense! Absolute defense!" Serpent grew excited. "Nie Yun is undoubtedly a genius among humans. Everything he created can be described as a 'miracle.' Whether the Wings, Night, Cool-fire5, ionic bullets, including your body—all are 'miracles.' Miracles are undying existences, destined to be witnessed by all. Perhaps God's objective is precisely to obtain such a 'miracle'?"
13 did not comprehend the final sentence. He merely trembled as he retrieved the SEED, shimmering with a black halo...