reincarnation npc, but tomorrow's ark

Turning his head, the captain of the deep-sea hunters glanced at Skadi and Laurentina lying to the side and couldn't help but sigh. It seemed he had embarrassed himself again. His former team members had probably witnessed those unspeakable scenes. If it were in the past, Gretia would probably be furious by now; with her past pride, she certainly wouldn't have let this go unpunished.

However, Goredia now appeared quite calm, which surprised even herself. In fact, Goredia found herself feeling a faint sense of relief deep down, as if by doing this she had completely integrated into the group.

“Now, the bloodlines of the Deep Sea Hunters are completely connected…” Grandia murmured to herself as she looked at Skadi and Laurentina’s sleeping faces.

She couldn't help but reach out and touch her neck. The previously stiff and itchy area had returned to normal, and even the scales had disappeared, as if the process of her undergoing sea transformation was just her own illusion.

"This is so much more comfortable than before. This feeling is addictive..."

……

"Cough cough!"

After a moment of distraction, Goredia regained her composure. Although the treatment process was indeed pleasant and highly effective, she clearly hadn't completely lost her senses. After all, they were currently in the deep sea, carrying the mission of ending everything. Continuing to conduct group treatments underwater would be futile.

Looking around, Greta realized that Bai Ye was not in the room; she had overlooked this before.

"It seems I've been too lax."

Goredia got up and then realized that her body had been cleaned. As if she had thought of something, a slight blush rose on her face again.

After a moment, she composed herself and slowly walked out of the room.

……

"morning."

Bai Ye glanced at Gretia and, seeing that she seemed fine, felt relieved. He then continued to peruse the documents on the terminal.

Although Luna had already read through all of these things, Baiye still wanted to learn about them himself.

Grandia walked to Bai Ye's side, and Bai Ye turned to the side, giving her half of the screen.

Grandia stared intently at the screen, while Bai Ye couldn't help but turn his gaze to her.

Completely different from her expression during treatment in the room, Kingia now looked serious, a stark contrast that amused Bai Ye. He hadn't expected to see such a wide range of expressions on Kingia's face.

Looking at Goredia's profile, Bai Ye couldn't help but drift off into thought.

……

"So this is the origin of the Sea Si..." Goredia looked at the screen with a complicated expression. She hadn't expected that the life forms that nearly brought Agor to the brink of extinction were merely tools left behind by a previous civilization to clean up the planet's environment. Nor had she expected that Agor had gotten involved with these things entirely of its own volition.

Indeed, it is arrogance that destroys civilization.

The Deep Sea Church also played a role in this, and the series of disasters and invasions that followed were all orchestrated by them.

"Is there a solution to this problem?" Goredia asked, looking at the screen.

"..." However, Bai Ye did not answer her.

Somewhat puzzled, Goredia turned her head and found that Bai Ye was staring at her.

Only then did Bai Ye come to his senses. He smiled somewhat embarrassedly, and then subconsciously retrieved the question he had just received from Gretia.

"...Didn't you see enough before?" Gretia asked quietly, her words carrying a hidden meaning.

……

"Luna said the answer to the problem might be down there." Bai Ye changed the subject, pointing to the ground beneath his feet.

"Luna?!" Grandia was stunned when she heard Bai Ye's words. Upon hearing this word, the silver figure she had seen in the mysterious underground space of the core city command tower immediately appeared in her mind.

However, they are currently in the deep sea; how could there possibly be Luna here?

"Luna is indeed here..."

As Bai Ye spoke, a silver figure appeared out of thin air, standing in front of Goredia.

“Luna has always been there, and our connection has never been broken. It’s just that the system in this lab is closed, so she can only take over the system after we enter here,” Bai Ye explained.

“Your relationship is really special…” Goddess said abruptly.

"Don't worry, Miss Goddess, I won't bother you when it matters most." Luna, who was floating in the air, suddenly spoke.

She seemed to be deliberately teasing Gretia, leaving the deep-sea hunter captain speechless.

"That's roughly the situation for now. We need to delve deeper," Bai Ye replied. "Luna has already marked the places we need to go next..."

After a pause, Bai Ye looked at Gretia and asked:

"Aren't they awake yet?"

"Not yet, looks like we'll have to wait a while longer." Goredia said with a hint of helplessness, then couldn't help but complain, "We've been so reckless... This is the ocean floor."

"I hope all of this can end smoothly," Bai Ye sighed.

……

The two remained seated in front of the terminal in the "Deep Blue" laboratory, continuing to read the data within. They tacitly refrained from waking the remaining two Deep Sea Hunters.

They had been deep in the sea for far too long, lost contact with the others, and were under immense pressure. Under these circumstances, a proper rest was a rare treat, and neither Bai Ye nor Goredia would allow it.

The team was able to regroup once Skadi and Laurentina also woke up.

"Huh? So the Ocean Seed is used to modify the environment?" The two were also extremely shocked after learning the truth.

"Okay, that topic is over."

As Bai Ye spoke, he walked to the passage leading into the depths:

"The way forward starts here. Titi, help me open this door."

Because the deeper entrances were physically blocked, even Luna, who had access to the laboratory system, was helpless; they could only resort to brute force.

Bai Ye used high temperature to melt the metal valve, and everyone opened the door properly.

The passage to the depths of "Deep Blue" is now before them.

Chapter 191 The Source

(Dust White Forbidden Zone 1.8 PV is out, I have to play it now, it's so exciting)

-------------------------------------

After Baiye opened the passage to the depths, the physical blockade against Luna was reopened. This demonstrates that the physical firewall is still very effective, even capable of blocking Luna, who has no physical form.

The rejuvenated deep-sea hunters are now refreshed. After receiving treatment from White Night, the pheromones remaining in their bodies help them resist the influence of the newborn and the resonance of the horde.

Therefore, compared to before, the Deepsea Hunters were in much better condition; in fact, they looked even more energetic than Bai Ye. Bai Ye, on the other hand, looked slightly tired. After all, it was a one-on-three healing session, and she also had to face the formidable physical strength of the Deepsea Hunters.

In the past, when it was just Skadi and Laurentina, Bai Ye could handle it, but now there's also Gladys. Fortunately, Gladys is a novice, so dealing with her is quite simple and relatively easy. Bai Ye couldn't help but start to worry about what would happen in the future, after all, Gladys couldn't stay a novice forever.

……

After thinking about a bunch of random things, Bai Ye and the hunters searched the research institute, living quarters, and office area. They found a lot of scattered documents and items left behind by a previous civilization. Some of these items looked like high-tech creations, and Bai Ye picked out a few interesting ones and put them in his inventory.

These things might just be everyday items for people from the previous civilization, but what they contain is extremely valuable to Bai Ye and his people.

However, these were certainly not the focus of this operation, so Bai Ye didn't bother to thoroughly search the area; there would be plenty of opportunities later. He simply collected whatever he found interesting as he passed by.

Speaking of which, Bai Ye has already corrected many of his old habits from his time as a player, such as the hoarding tendencies typical of hoarders and his obsessive-compulsive tendency to collect everything. These habits, which he developed as a newbie, have been largely retained after his transmigration, but he is slowly correcting them.

For example, right now, even the impulse that's etched into Bai Ye's DNA makes him want to explore every area and corner of the entire laboratory and take away everything of value.

……

After passing through the corridor, Bai Ye arrived at the "garden" of the "Deep Blue" laboratory. This place resembled a botanical garden, seemingly a recreational area used by pre-civilized humans. The one standing before Bai Ye looked particularly "recreational."

The plants throughout the garden are thriving. This laboratory, located deep underwater, has been abandoned for at least tens of millions of years, yet the vegetation remains lush and verdant. Logically, this is clearly incredible.

Moreover, the laboratory's systems had been completely shut down, and the life support systems were not functioning properly, so there was certainly no environment available for plants to grow luxuriantly.

Soon, this unusual phenomenon was explained.

Goredia pointed to the plant in front of her and said with a hint of disgust:

"Don't touch these things, they are all terrifying fish."

The original garden has long been destroyed; this place has been occupied by large groups of ferocious fish that have mimicked, or rather, evolved into plants.

In the center of the garden, a "big tree" rises from the ground and extends out of the laboratory.

“‘The Deep Blue Tree’…” Luna appeared beside the group, her gaze fixed on the giant tree before her.

“The huge corpse you saw earlier, wrapped around the outside of the lab, was actually a dead primordial being. When it was alive, it was a being of the same rank as Isamara inside you,” Luna said, pointing to Bai Ye’s right arm.

"And the tree before you, the 'Deep Blue Tree,' is its core organ. Theoretically, it is already dead, but the instinct for survival still drives it to grow and nourish the multitude."

No wonder so many sea creatures and dinosaurs forage here. This dead behemoth has also created a unique whale fall. Although it is dead and still conscious, the "Deep Blue Tree" has never truly perished. Its body still possesses the instinct for survival, and thus it continues to grow.

For the large group, the value of this carcass lies in providing a continuous, almost inexhaustible source of nourishment. Every newborn sea creature and terror fish, whether it be its parent or its unborn offspring, is fed by this giant tree.

"It's just like the face of a dead prince..."

In the second year of the Yuanhe era… ah, no, on the “Night of the Black Knife,” “Golden” Godwin was assassinated, becoming one of the first of the Deadborn. His soul was destroyed by his destined death, but his body survived thanks to the blessing of the Golden Law. Thus, his remaining body became a twisted existence, constantly growing and mutating, and the severed skin of his face swelled to an enormous and bloated size.

The giant tree standing before Bai Ye now is a similar existence.

"It can no longer be called the 'Deep Blue Tree,' nor is it the core 'Deep Blue Heart.' It's something else entirely," Goredia said, suddenly realizing.

Unexpectedly, the second newborn they encountered was already dead.

“Let’s call it… ‘Spreading Branches’…” Bai Ye looked at the giant tree’s ever-spreading and growing branches and gave this behemoth a straightforward name.

“‘Spreading Branches’, that name… is indeed quite ordinary,” Goredia said without hesitation.

"puff--"

Laurentina couldn't help but laugh after hearing this.

Goredia looked at her with some confusion, wondering what this crazy nun was laughing about.

Laurentina looked at Greta with a helpless smile and said:

"Captain, you really don't know Bai Ye's naming aesthetics. To get such an ordinary name with nothing strange about it is already an exceptional performance by him. If it were any other time, the name would probably be even stranger."

"..." Bai Ye opened his mouth, but did not refute it, because he really had nothing to say.

Skadi smiled as well. Clearly, as the first deep-sea hunter to meet and establish a relationship with Bai Ye, she was the most qualified to speak on this matter. Although Skadi was a simple-minded hunter, she was certainly not stupid; she had at least experienced Bai Ye's taste in naming things.

“Now, we have a solution to the problem,” Luna said from the side.

As she spoke, her silver eyes looked at Bai Ye:

“Isamara…use her to enter this… well, ‘the spreading branches’, so that she can take over this nascent body as her will, become a new nascent being, guide the Sea Child away from the land, dispel all hostility, and end the crisis.”

Clearly, Luna also used the name Bai Yeqi used, so it seems that this thing has been officially certified.

“It is indeed a feasible solution…” Bai Ye looked at the colossal object before him, then shook his head:

“The nascent beings are indeed similar to beast lords, but even the nascent beings cannot be above the horde; they are merely a part of the collective will of the horde.”

He paused, then looked at Luna and asked:

"Who was the originator of the great 'Silence' catastrophe that triggered the past?"

"It is not the 'Deep Blue Tree' before you. It died long ago and represents the power of growth."

[Growth]: "Project: Growth. Goal: To provide nutrients and produce resources."

Bai Ye continued Luna's words:

"That's not Isamara either. The 'Corrupted Heart' represents migration."

Luna nodded:

"Therefore, the culprit that caused the Great Stillness is called the 'Original Lifeline.' That one who was born represents the power of existence. He does not have a huge physical form like Isamara or the Blue Tree, but He is an existence that can be killed almost forever."

The "Original Lifeline" is a symbol of the ocean's continued existence, a rich accumulation of microorganisms. It is one with the ocean, almost omnipresent; the entire ocean is its essence. Unless the ocean dries up, there is no way to defeat it.

“I see. This is why the Church of the Deep Sea can easily reach this newborn being… In the past, they once lured this behemoth into madness, which led to the Great Tranquility.”

The answer is obvious.

“In truth, the Deep Sea Church’s real purpose isn’t just to drive Isamara within you into madness; a mere nascent being isn’t enough for them,” Luna said. “What they truly want is to drive the Primal Lifeline back into madness and induce Isamara to awaken.”

Goredia continued:

"Once the two 'newborns' merge, they will trigger a cataclysmic silence. In that case, the destruction of Agor and the era of the Sea Heirs, which the deep-sea bishops have been longing for, will be just around the corner."

"It seems these cultists are more naive..." Laurentina sneered.

"It's alright. Now we know their true intentions, but they are still kept in the dark and don't even know that Isamara has been switched."

Yes, even now the Deep Sea Church still hopes that Skadi, who is being held by Isamara, will awaken, but they have no idea that Isamara has already arrived at White Night.