Chapter 181. Dawn One
Picking up the astonishment in Charles' voice, the gold-robed man let out a chuckle. "Of course. As the spokesperson for the Light God, His Holiness, the Pope has found a way to communicate with His Divine Being. Please follow me, the altar is this way."
Charles' eyes narrowed into slits. What in the world is that Pope up to? Does he really consider this thing as the Light God?
The Pope's wise gaze surfaced in Charles' mind. At the same time, a suspicion rose in his heart—there was something more nefarious at play.
Charles followed the Divine Light Order disciples as they navigated through the labyrinth of tilted skyscrapers. The worn asphalt underfoot was still visible, but now, after three years, it was overlaid with a variety of religious symbols.
He felt both strangely out of place and unsettled as he stepped through the sea of eerie triangular shapes.
The journey was short. Soon after, Charles found himself standing at a wide intersection with zebra crossings. On the road where no vehicles were in sight, a pyramid made almost entirely of gold dominated his field of view.
Gazing at the towering religious edifice, which stood nearly five stories high, Charles marveled at the opulence of the Divine Light Order. The amount of gold used in the structure could easily purchase an entire island in the subterranean realm.
Charles noticed two disciples, garbed in red latex, standing at the pinnacle of the pyramid. They appeared to be guarding something, and he assumed that the peak was likely the location for communicating with the Light God.
Just as he was about to move toward the golden flight of stairs, a disciple moved forward and halted him in his tracks. "Sir, please wait, though the Light God has anointed you as the Chosen One, you would still need to undergo a ritual before you receive His oracle."
Chosen One? What kind of title is this? Despite all his thoughts, Charles decided to remain silent and stood waiting by the side.
Very soon, a disciple clad in a black latex robe stepped forward. She started singing a hymn in praise of the Light God. As she sang, she climbed up the glimmering golden steps to the platform at the peak of the pyramid.
The song was melodious and pleasing to the ears. It clearly displayed the singer's extraordinary mastery of music.
Charles wiped the beads of sweat forming on his brows. In this scorching 40-degree Celsius heat, not even the most beautiful music could pacify the rising annoyance in him.
The song came to an end, and the singer had also reached the top of the pyramid. Just when Charles thought this macabre play was over, the singer stripped off her suit and exposed herself to the lethal sunlight.
"My Lord! All praises belong to You! Please take me to Your eternal kingdom!"
With her hands clasped in prayers, she sank onto her knees. Then, she made no other movements. The sunlight had taken her life.
Under Charles' gaze, the two red-robed figures to the side brandished daggers and rapidly dissected the corpse. He finally understood why their suits were red.
"Mr. Charles, the ritual is complete. This way, please," one of them said and moved aside to clear the path ahead.
Not even bothering to mask the look of disdain and disgust on his countenance, Charles ascended the steps toward the pyramid's apex. He had cooperated with the Divine Light Order for so long that he almost forgot that these zealots were deranged cultists.
As Charles reached the summit, he found himself staring at the grisly skeletal remains of the singer. Like some sort of gory art piece, her bones were arranged on an altar; fresh blood still clung to them. In the grasp of her skeletal hands was her freshly harvested heart, seemingly presented as an offering to the luminescent ring hovering in the sky.
Charles shook his head in incredulity. He looked upward and narrowed his eyes as he stared at the colossal, glowing ring in the air.
"Dawn One, can you hear me?
The massive triangle within the glaring halo started changing and emitted an unsettling buzzing sound like tinnitus. Immediately after, a majestic voice boomed overhead.
"It is I—the Light God. Mortal, what is your request?"
Hearing its response, tidal waves of surprise washed over Charles. He couldn't fathom that an artificial lifeform capable of such fluent communication was actually man-made.
Has the Foundation's technology advanced so much that they could create something like this?
However, Charles quickly calmed his thoughts and emotions. He noticed that the entity was using a different self-reference as compared to three years ago.
Light God? Charles was very certain that when he first ascended into this place, that thing hanging in the air was just a talking clock. How in the world had it become the Light God now?
Charles turned his head toward the disciples at the bottom of the pyramid and yelled, "What in the world have you lunatics taught it over the past three years?"
Seeing that the disciples beneath seemed to harbor no intention of replying to him, Charles turned around and faced the halo in the air.
He pondered for a brief moment before he started, "Fine. Light God it shall be. Do you know where the people who created you are?"
"Mortal, I'm the God of Light, the creator of anything under the light. I exist in the past, present and future. No one can create me."
Hearing Dawn One's response, a wry smile tugged at Charles' lip. He arched an eyebrow and said, "I'm not interested in hearing all your cosmic mumbo jumbo. Since you possess the intelligence, you should know well what I'm driving at. What happened to the Foundation? Have they all returned to the surface?"
As soon as Charles' words fell, a melodious music sounded from his pocket.
Charles was stunned for a split second before he reached into his pocket to pull out his cell phone and confirmed that it was indeed his ringtone.
He pondered for a moment before he answered the call with a thumb swipe and held the cell phone to his ear.
"Hello? Who's this?"
Dawn One's imposing voice resonated through the phone's speakers. "Who are you? Are you a descendant of the Foundation survivors from the calamity back then?"
Staring at the colossal halo in the sky, a surreal wave of disbelief surged within Charles.
Am I really having a phone conversation with the Light God?
"Answer my question first, and I'll answer yours. What is this calamity that you speak of?" Charles spoke into the phone.
The mantises had also mentioned a disaster before. Yet, at that point, Charles had assumed that it referred to a calamity on the surface world. Now, it seemed that it was specific to the Foundation itself.
"You cannot be a descendant of a survivor from the Foundation. Otherwise, you would certainly know of that calamity. It stands to reason that no one from the Foundation would have survived that disaster."
Charles felt as if he were being dragged into a vortex of confusing words. That thing in the air had been evasive and talking in circles but had never addressed his questions directly.
"What's your name?"
"I have many names. In my self-perception, I'm a living fusion reactor. In the past, they called me Dawn One. Now, I'm known as the Light God."
"Light God?" Charles let out a sarcastic laugh. "Was that what those lunatics taught you?"
"No. They teach me nothing. I just find it rather amusing to see them prostrate before me and worship me. You, as a human, should know how incredible it feels to be blindly adored and idolized. I like this feeling."
Charles cast a fleeting glance at the bloodied skeleton before him and couldn't help but feel sorry for her. However, he immediately readjusted his emotions and posed the most crucial question he had come here for.
"Do you know where the exit to the surface is?"
After a brief pause, Dawn One replied, "Why should I tell you?"
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