Chapter 1046 Project Number 07
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My mom gently touched the silver tablet as she started reading the words one by one.
"Project Number 07. Code Name: Apollo. Date: Year 286942 After The Departure. Status: Failure. Description: After attempting the recreation of a Divine Weapon using the souls of the mortals imbued with the Divinity of Sunlight, the project has become an utter failure. Our creations are too weak to take on the power we've refined for thousands of years… However, it has become an unexpected unlimited resource of Sunstone Crystals. Note: It appears the Sunstones have been cursed by the Souls inside, further experimentation is needed to confirm if it is safe for consumption."
"And then there's… this other part." My mother was trying to calm herself down, trying to make sense of these cold words attached to a silver tablet. "The Failure… Destroyed… Souls have been taken. Sunstone… Pain. Respite… Death? Overcome… Berserk… Malice. Escape."
While the first part seemed to have mostly the entire text, the other was too damaged, and that's all she could read about it.
It seemed that while the first text was more like a technical and cold analysis of their experiment, the second was some sort of report.
Or something even worse…
"So they were really trying to make a Divine Weapon…" My father sighed. "To think they would go as far as sacrificing hundreds of people for just a mere experiment…"
"We are not people to them." Said Shade. "We are a resource, something they make and use to create something else… That we are living in the surface of this planet, and have managed to create so much, it is all thanks to their own mistakes. It seems… we were nothing but slaves to them."
"They have sure changed a bit since then, I feel like they've grown desperate because of the creation of the Heroes." Said Nepheline. "It makes me wonder… What are they aiming for now that things have come this far into the future? Are they simply planning to keep things as they are?"
"It feels like they wouldn't, seeing how active they were. They love to do things, to move places, to conquer…" My mother said. "Although all of this is ancient by now, it makes me feel like they're planning something, even now."
"Well… It is all just hypothesis at the end." Sighed my dad.
"To think these are the Gods my ancestors loved and respected so much…" Pyuku sighed, clenching his fists tightly. "They're monsters! I hate this… I have all of this!"
He was really furious, releasing a powerful Aura.
"I know it is painful to know, but this is very old… We have to give these souls a favor and help them find peace." I said. "Will you help?"
"…I will." Pyuku nodded. "It's the least I could do… As a fellow former experiment of the Gods."
"…" Nephi remained in silence as she heard everything, she didn't look too well either.
"I know the memories you regained brought a lot of pain, and that they might have a connection with what we've discovered…" I said, holding her hand.
Nephi looked into my eyes in surprise.
"But let me tell you that whatever these Gods did, it doesn't affect you. You don't have any fault on any of this. And even if they left you behind, we're here with you." I patted her shoulders.
"Master…" Her mechanical eyes seemed sorrowful, but she couldn't cry. "Thanks… for being with me." She hugged me tightly, resting her face on my shoulder.
She was a rather silent girl and must have a lot of things inside of her head. She's probably the oldest person in our entire group based on her memories.
And even these memories are blurry, like the fragments of a life she doesn't remember having.
"I wish things could be different…"
She sighed for a bit, as I patted her back.
"Me too. But… Well, this is what we go. We have to tough it up and keep moving forward." I smiled back at her. "Hey, we're not alone at least, right? We share the pain together, so it doesn't feel as terrible, hahah."
"Your attempts at cheering me up this entire time are commendable, master…" Nephi smiled. "Thank you for trying your best… I'm fine now. Knowing that I am not alone, somehow makes me feel stronger."
"It does, isn't it?" I smiled brightly at her. "Now, how about we keep on moving- Oh, want a snack? I've got some cookies."
"Cookies… Like the ones from breakfast?" She asked.
"Yep, like the ones you always ate from MY breakfast!" I laughed, giving her a handful.
She took them happily and started snacking on them while we moved forwards.
Aquarina swiftly appeared behind me, asking for cookies as well.
"Okay, okay, I'll give you some too. I made them, so they have an extra ingredient I added." I gave her to them.
"Hmm, they're still warm!" She happily ate them. "What's the extra ingredient?"
"Elixir." I smiled. "They're Healing Cookies, I've got more of them. They can restore Stamina, Health, and Mana quite considerably. And are easy to eat even after having eaten a big meal an hour ago. Everyone can have some!"
I shared them with everyone to raise their morale. The grim text quickly faded away from our minds as we enjoyed the sweetness of these snacks.
And we felt more decided to end the suffering of the souls trapped inside of these ruins.
"It sure is lonely around here…" Zack said. "No monsters at all!"
"Oh, but there are more of these silver pieces!" Lara said.
As we moved forwards, we found no more enemies, but silver-
colored tablet fragments.
"There's another over here…" Luck said.
"I found one stuck on the crystals of the ceiling." Aquarina said, bringing another.
Everyone kept finding a fragment, I found two myself.
After roughly half an hour, we faced a huge metallic gate, sealed with circuit-like inscriptions inside.
It was still sealed with divine power, but there was a small crevice on it, where all the fragments we found fit perfectly.
And they formed some sort of key-shaped silver item.
FLAAASH!
The circuits lighted up, and then released beams of bright light, generating some sort of holographic screen.
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