In Ark Simulator, why do I always get a tough start?

Chapter 149 Facing the Deep Sea Church: The Countdown to Collapse

Church of the Deep.

A word that might be unfamiliar to those living on the land, but to Agor and the people of Iberia, it is a malignant tumor.

To Agor and Iberia, the Deep Sea Church was a group of fanatical believers who had not been assimilated by the Sea Siblings, but who were extremely fervent in their advocacy of the Sea Siblings's ideas.

They arbitrarily concluded that Haisi represents the future direction of life evolution and is the most perfect life form in the world.

Among them were also fanatics who were obsessed with the ability of the Hai Si horde to "share all thoughts and emotions," and wanted to find the value of their lives through this ability.

Each member of the Deep Sea Church has their own reasons for joining this cult.

But the only constant is that the "evil god" they worship will devour all the nutrients of this planet and assimilate all life into its own.

Those who join the Deep Sea Church are inevitably traitors to humanity.

That's why Goredia and her group were so incredulous and heartbroken.

They just couldn't understand how Brandos, who created the Deepsea Hunters, would become a follower of the Deepsea Church!
"Church of the Deep Sea?"

However, when Brandos heard Gladys's vehement accusations against him, he gave a mocking smile and said:
"No. I have no interest in their fanatical worship, and I have no liking for Haisi."

"I did this to save Agor and prevent Haisi from becoming a threat to Agor."

"fart!"

I sensed that the city beneath my feet was becoming increasingly turbulent, and even the "dome" above my head was beginning to crack to some extent.

It is easy to imagine just how terrifying the number of Hai Si is outside the "Dome" and how frenzied their offensive is.

The city was teetering on the brink of collapse, and in such dire circumstances, almost everyone had given up hope.

However, looking at that person who was still putting on a grand show, saying that he had come to save Agor, he was surprised.

Wei Yanwu, who had prepared himself for this battle to be the last of his life, could no longer maintain his composure. Brandos roared angrily:

"The soldiers at the front are fighting bloody battles to protect your civilization and country, while you bunch of guys enjoying peace in the rear not only don't support them, but you even dare to betray your country?!"

"After countless soldiers' blood was shed in vain and countless families were torn apart, how dare you stand here and brazenly call yourself a savior?!"

"Insect! Traitor!"

Wei Yanwu gripped his opium pipe tightly, his heart surging with long-dormant rage, and roared:
"What face do you have to stand before us? What right do you have to call yourself Agor!"

"Traitor...heh, perhaps."

However, Brandos had clearly already guessed what Wei Yanwu was going to say in response to his rebuke.

Far from being angry, he accepted the silent rebuke from Wei Yanwu and his compatriots. After a slight smile, he calmly said:

“But even so, I still insist that I was forced to become a traitor.”

"...Brandus, one of the founders of Deepsea Hunters, who created the adaptive junction that could prevent Deepsea Hunters from becoming completely subterranean and stabilize their humanity and subterranean genes, actually dares to say that he was persecuted and had to betray them?"

Following Brandos's words, Kal'tsit summoned her Mon3tr, entering a state of readiness, and coldly whispered:
"These words, if taken as testimony, would probably not be very convincing."

"—You're right, Dr. Kal'tsit, but that's the truth."

Brandos's smile faded slightly, and under everyone's gaze, he turned his attention to Chen Qi, who remained silent but stood on the energy transmission device, ready to deal with the crisis.

"It's all because of you, the emperor of the land."

"Without you, I would never have stood with these fanatics of the Deep Sea Church, nor would I have been tainted by their current sins."

"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Chen Qi subconsciously stopped in his tracks and cast an intrigued look at the traitor Agor.

Is this matter related to him?

"……What do you mean?"

Finally, after hearing Brandus's slander against Chen Qi, Greta and Jian stepped forward with slight frowns and questioned Brandus.

The others did not understand Brandos's words either.

Why did Chen Qi, who was expected to deliver a devastating blow to the Hai Si group and buy twenty years of breathing room for Agor and even the Terra civilization, become the "culprit" in his mouth?
"Greteia, Skadi, Laurentina."

Calling out the names of these deep-sea hunters one by one, Brandos's tone was filled with compassion as he spoke softly:

"You probably don't know how many deep-sea hunters I've seen, even after installing the adaptive contacts I designed, have their genes assimilated by the sea creatures and then be mercilessly killed."

“I tried my best to save so many deep-sea hunters, but in the end, apart from you and Ulpian, no one else could escape the fate of being assimilated by the sea creatures.”

"Day after day, gradually, in the hearts of the Agor people, the deep-sea hunters, who should have been heroes, became beings who were only a hair's breadth away from the Sea Heirs."

"For this reason, I have hated my incompetence countless times."

"Why can't I save these hunters who should be heroes? How can I save them from the fate of being turned into sea monsters?"

"...This is our fate."

As Brandos whispered about everything he had seen, Skadi and Laurentina, seemingly recalling their comrades who had fought alongside them, fell into a deep silence.

Only Goredia, with her unwavering will and fearlessness in the face of temptation, answered calmly after a moment of silence:

"We were prepared from the moment we became deep-sea hunters."

"...The exact same answer as my dearest friend, Ulpian, Goredia."

However, Brandos gave a bitter smile upon hearing this and said calmly:
"But I can't just stand by and watch you become victims."

"I don't want to see more and more people like you, one after another, making pointless sacrifices for a victory that can't possibly be won through violence."

“I don’t want to see you being regarded as outsiders by Agor, as monsters who could be turned into Haisi at any time, regardless of whether you can drive Haisi away or not.”

"Until one day, I witnessed a miracle."

At this point, Brandos's tone became more excited, and he said, word by word:

"This miracle comes from my good friend, Ulpian."

"Captain?" Skadi blinked her innocent eyes upon hearing her captain's name, unaware of how this matter was related to her long-lost captain.

“Yes,” Brandos continued, “During my last surgery on Ulpian, I unexpectedly discovered that the Haizi gene in his body and the human gene… had coexisted.”

"Ulpian, as one of the first deep-sea hunters, should have been one of the hunters most severely affected by the sea... yet he found a way to coexist with them, which is extraordinary."

“The other deep-sea hunters are seen by Hai Si as enemies who have devoured their brethren. Hai Si tries his best to tear the hunters apart, just to save his brethren who have been ‘devoured’ by them.”

“But Ulpian is different.”

"Yet he was accepted by Haisi, but he retained his rationality and genes as a human being."

“The coexistence of Ulpian genes has given me a possibility.”

"One possibility is that Haisi and Agor can coexist!"

"—You want to modify all the Agorians, enough to make Haisi inject the genes they consider his own kind into their bodies?"

Now that he had said all that, everyone understood Brandos's plan, and everyone was astonished by his dangerous and audacious scheme.

“That’s impossible.” Grétia rejected Brandos’s point of view almost immediately.

“Why not?” Brandos replied with a smile.

"If I can get Haisi to see the Deepsea Hunters as family, I might be able to get Haisi to see Agor as a friend."

“At least, I have seen this possibility...until the emperor arrives.”

When Chen Qi was mentioned, Brandos quickly wiped the smile off his face, his tone turning indignant as he spoke, word by word:

"The arrival of this emperor has rekindled the Agorians' plan to create new deep-sea hunters."

"To integrate the emperor's genes and create stronger, more stable, but more victims who are destined to be devoured by the Sea Si."

“I tried my best to persuade Governor Heratia to abandon this dangerous plan... but all I got was a cold rejection, and I was not even able to see the governor once.”

"I will not allow such an experiment to succeed."

Brandos whispered resolutely in his eyes:

“I will not allow more Agorians to choose violence to challenge an enemy they can never win.”

"Only coexistence, only coexistence, is the true meaning of saving the Agorians."

"Therefore, you must die here, Emperor of the Land."

"Only if you die will Agor not suffer any more unnecessary sacrifices."

"—Are you done talking?"

However, Brandos's impassioned speech was met with a belated question from Chen Qi, who was already standing at the center of the energy transmission device.

Only then did everyone notice Chen Qi's posture.

Surprisingly, the emperor's attention was not on Brandos for even a second the entire time.

He simply kept casting spells, constantly repairing and patching up the damaged parts of the "dome" to prevent more sea creatures from flooding into the city and causing a greater crisis.

What an ironic scene.

The people of Agor, facing a crisis that threatens to destroy the entire city, are still here discussing vague and unrealistic methods they believe will save Agor.

Chen Qi, who was not from Agor, acted like a true emperor of Agor at this moment, doing his utmost to save the city from falling.

"Sorry, I'm really too busy to listen to your philosophical discussions."

“I am not the king of Argoll, therefore I have no right to judge you, Brandus.” “—But I do have a straightforward way to prove whether your coexistence plan is correct.”

Chen Qi's reply was so cold and indifferent, as if everything Brandus had just said was worthless to him.

He merely glanced coldly at Brandos behind him and said succinctly:

“I sensed that you have Hai Si’s genes within you.”

"I believe you've already experimented on your own body, injecting the gene you believe can coexist with Haisi, right?"

Facing the silent Brandos, Chen Qi's lips curled into a familiar, cruel smile as he spoke, word by word:

"So, verifying your method is very simple."

"This city can't hold out much longer; it's only a matter of time before Hai Si floods in."

“Since you believe that you can coexist with Haisi, they will regard you as a fellow countryman.”

"Then, when the sea monsters surge in later, I will personally throw you into the sea monster pile."

"You will witness firsthand whether those sea creatures will cherish you as one of their own kind, or treat you as an insect in the skin of a sea creature and devour you mercilessly."

That simple sentence suddenly made Greta, Clementa, and their group, who had been speechless after being berated by Brandus, feel exceptionally enlightened!
However, having no time to pay attention to the clown whose face had turned slightly pale, Chen Qi continued casting his spell while immediately giving orders to those around him:

"What are you all standing there for? Are you really going to just watch this city fall and so many Agorians die?"

Seeing that no one had reacted yet, Chen Qi grew slightly impatient, and his imperial aura surged forth once more as he shouted sharply:

"Activate the energy transmission device for me! Now!"

"--yes!"

Finally, Chen Qi's words elicited a response from Clementine, who immediately activated the energy transmission device, channeling all the city's energy into Chen Qi's body.

A moment later, feeling the overflowing energy within his body, Chen Qi once again conjured an astonishingly terrifying spell in his hand and roared fiercely:
"Haisi?"

"Without my permission—do not even think of invading!"

"boom!!"

In an instant, the powerful magical fluctuations caused the entire city to tremble slightly.

The next second, the "dome," which was already close to breaking and had even been breached in several places by Hai Si, was completely enveloped by an extremely powerful spell!

This new layer of magical protective shield is even more difficult for the Sealings, who have never been exposed to magic before, to break through than the "Dome"!
The city, which was on the verge of collapse, almost immediately regained its stability and managed to stand firm before Hai Si Chao.

But Chen Qi, who was struggling to hold on, knew very well that this was far from enough.

"Clementa!"

"exist!"

Upon hearing Chen Qi's call, Clementine, who was already in a state of confusion and temporarily lost, responded almost reflexively.

The next second, she heard the decree issued by this emperor from the land, truly to save the city and the lives of the Agor people.

"In fact, I could have ignored the safety of you Agors."

"The ocean is not my territory. The fact that we were swallowed up by the sea has nothing to do with me."

However, Chen Qi's first cold and ruthless words made Clementa feel as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

But the next second, Chen Qi, gritting his teeth slightly, changed his tone, speaking in a cold voice with a hint of reluctance but also resolute determination:

"But now the city is about to fall, and all the people I love and cherish are in the city."

"The marine protozoa are rampant and too close to the land. If they were to overrun the land and attack the land, the consequences would be unimaginable!"

"Therefore, even for my own benefit, I have no choice but to stand with you!"

"I will not let a single sea creature leave me, not for the sake of the ocean, but for my deepest love!"

Knowing full well that relying on the city's energy supply was the best opportunity to resolve this marine crisis, Chen Qi coldly gave the order:

"The city's energy may run out at any time, and I cannot hold on like this for long."

"I need you to immediately take Agor's army into the city and wipe out all the enemies of the Deep Sea Church, and transfer the Agor civilians to the refugee camps!"

Chen Qi gritted his teeth slightly, supporting the protective shield while his mind raced for a solution, and at the same time, he issued the absolutely correct command:

"With Hai Si able to launch such a rampant attack, there must be more than just one insect in this city."

"I am not optimistic... I'm afraid that many key locations in this city have already been taken over by the Deep Sea Church!"

"So, your task is very important; you need to be fast and accurate, understand?!"

"Before the city's energy is exhausted and I can no longer sustain it, gather all the civilians together and protect them as much as possible, understand?!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

In such an urgent situation, Clementsa no longer cared about the difference between land and sea, and began to assemble all the troops in the city without hesitation.

"Gloria, Skadi, Laurentina!"

Chen Qi continued to give orders to the three deep-sea hunters:

“I will open a passage for you in the northwest of the mobile city.”

“I need you to clear a path large enough for the Agor civilians in the refugee cabins to reach land for refuge, understand?”

"A challenging task is right for us."

Goredia nodded and, without saying a word, led her two teammates to the northwest to prepare to confront the siege of thousands of sea creatures in the sea and fight for a chance of survival for her compatriots.

As for the remaining people, Chen Qi quickly gave orders, saying:

"Old Wei, Dr. Kal'tsit, you two take the Golden Law Guard and the Imperial Guard respectively and go to the residential area to help Clementa rescue all the Agor civilians as soon as possible."

"Third brother, what about you?!"

However, upon receiving his younger brother's order, Wei Yanwu realized something and asked, his eyes trembling.

But what responded to Wei Yanwu was his younger brother's resolute smile, devoid of any regret or confusion, as he said:
"Don't worry, I have Jian and Viviana here to protect my safety."

"I need to ensure that my spellcasting is not disturbed. Once the protective shield is breached, everything will be over!"

"Doctor, you can't command in this situation. Don't rush into the Sea Siege Group recklessly. I'm the safest person here!"

"...Mr. Wei Yanwu, now, all we can do is trust His Majesty."

Seeing Wei Yanwu still hesitant, Kal'tsit, who understood that Chen Qi's judgment was absolutely rational, coldly reminded him from beside him:

"The more we hesitate, the worse the situation will become for your brother."

"If we want to save him, we need to speed up and move forward decisively."

Kal'tsit's advice was indeed effective. After baring his teeth in extreme resentment, Wei Yanwu's beastly face leaped up using his lightness skill, roaring with suppressed grief and indignation:

"—Third brother! Hold on! You must hold on until your eldest brother returns!"

"...Yes, brother, I definitely will."

Hearing Wei Yanwu's roar in his ear, Chen Qi forced a smile. Despite being covered in cold sweat, he dared not relax for a moment and did his best to maintain the protective shield that was being attacked from all directions by countless sea creatures.

Because he knew very well that if he gave up here, it would not only destroy thousands of Agorians.

Everyone I love and care about most will die here.

This is a price he cannot afford, and an outcome he absolutely cannot accept.

Therefore, even if it costs me my life, I will keep this city going until the very last moment!
"I'm sorry, Viviana, the mace..."

"I might really be going to harm you all, and make you die here with me."

"—Ha, if we were afraid of dying, your daughter and I wouldn't have come in the first place."

However, when faced with Chen Qi's bitter apology, the mace that he drew with Viviana showed an unusually relieved smile.

Both she and Viviana knew very well that today might very well be their day of death.

But, just as she said, they had already made such a preparation before coming to the seabed with Chen Qi.

To die protecting the ones I love... that would be enough for me!
"Pray, cast your spell with confidence." Jian noticed several Agorians, suspected to be members of the Deep Sea Church, approaching them, and said coldly:
"Viviana and I will never let anyone get close to you and the Doctor."

"Yes."

Viviana drew her "Breath of Kings," facing all enemies who dared to approach with fierce resolve, and said:

"Dad, you and Mom have always been the ones who protected me..."

"Today, I will do everything in my power to protect you!"

Facing the approaching followers of the Church of the Deep Sea, Viviana, who held high the Breath of Kings, showed no fear whatsoever.

With her head held high and her brows furrowed in a cold, sharp gaze, she resembled a true empress more than ever before, even without any entourage around her!

"I am Viviana, Queen of Letania!"

"This road is blocked today!"

"Anyone who dares to disobey—will be executed!"

(End of this chapter)