Chapter 189. DE1344
The other crew members gathered around with their watchful gazes locked onto Charles as he crouched to inspect the skeleton in further detail.
Every feature seemed ordinary—except for the golden tooth that stood out like a sore thumb. Charles pried it out and held it to his eye level to examine it closely. He noticed some sort of a pattern on the shimmering gold surface. Brushing his finger against the carving, it seemed to be the engraving of a naked woman.
"Do any of you recognize this mark?" Charles questioned as he held the tooth up for his crew to take a better look.
The crew craned their necks forward and exchanged glances. A newly recruited sailor raised his hand eagerly and answered, "Governor, I know. It's—"
"Call me Captain!" Charles snapped.
Startled, the sailor slightly cowered back and quickly corrected himself. "Captain, I recognize this mark. It's the symbol of a notorious pirate group. I heard from the victims of their raids that a golden tooth with such an engraving like this was their distinctive trait."
"Pirates, huh... Which area are they usually active in?"
"They are long gone, and no one knows how. But there are rumors that they offended the Governor of Whereto, and he wiped out these golden-toothed pirates a few years ago," the sailor replied.
The information held little value. Charles discarded the golden tooth on the ground with a flick of his wrist.
"Let's move. We continue our search," Charles commanded and led the group ahead.
Within the dark and gloomy building complex, Dipp expertly twirled a dagger with his left hand while using his right to scratch an itch on his neck. The terrifying surroundings had little effect on him. He even had the time to tease the companion walking next to him.
"Big guy, Mosicca is actually willing to let you come on this voyage?"
"I call the shots at home," James said as he rasped his fist against the solid walls to check if there were any hidden chambers.
"Tsk, the whole of Hope Island knows about your family situation. Drop that act~"
James' face turned a shade darker, and he remained silent, refusing to engage in further conversation with Dipp.
"Let's go, it's empty here as well." Dipp then rose to his feet and headed toward the exit.
Soon enough, the entire crew gathered once more on a smooth, paved path. Puzzlement filled their faces. They had searched every nook and cranny of the island, but they had found nothing. In their long history of island exploration, an experience like this was the first.
"Stay calm. We've got one place that we've yet to explore," Charles commented. All gazes followed him to peer at the looming, oppressive mountain in the distance.
As they approached the mountain, its details were gradually revealed before them. It looked nothing like a natural formation. The rock face was unnaturally smooth, as though a giant being had used a blade to carve and shape it with precision.
"Captain, there's a door on the left face." A bat swooped in with the message.
Constructed out of solid iron and covered in a layer of dark oxide, the door stood four meters tall and six meters wide. It eerily resembled the gaping maw of the mountain, if it had one.
Boom!
An explosion rang out. Yet, after the dust had settled, there was just a slight dent on the door's frame.
Silently, Linda stepped forward. After chewing for a moment, she forcefully ejected her stomach acid. A pungent, nauseating smell assaulted everyone's nostrils.
As Charles watched the thick liquid begin to corrode the iron door, a thought crept into his mind. Why would the Foundation occupy such an island? The surrounding whirlpools mean that this island is hardly habitable. Although, it would seem like a good location to keep prisoners.
But these are all mere speculations. I can't seem to figure out the motives of those guys. Could the Pope's words really be true?
Just then, a sudden silhouette materialized beyond the sizzling white smoke. Instantly, everyone tensed up and drew their weapons in synchronized haste.
With a rapid flourish of his cape, Audric dispersed the smoke. A mummified corpse appeared before their eyes.
Swoosh!
With a clicking sound, the chain of Charles' grappling hook retracted, dragging the mummy out with it.
"Lily, send your friends in to have a look," Charles instructed.
With a flurry of squeaks, seven or eight mice jumped through the corroded opening and swiftly vanished into the darkness beyond.
Making use of the time as he waited for the mice's return, Charles knelt down to closely inspect the mummified remains.
The attire on the body was unmistakably that of a sailor. Despite the desiccated skin, Charles could clearly perceive the raw despair etched on the face before the entity took its final breath.
The fingers were twisted to mimic the form of a claw. The nails had long fallen off, an indication that in his final moments, the man had frantically clawed at the steel door in a desperate attempt to escape.
Charles pried open the corpse's mouth and retrieved a golden tooth for a closer examination. The same engraving of a naked woman adorned it.
"This fellow has a golden tooth, too. He's with that pirate."
Casting a glance at the dark passage ahead, Charles turned to the blind vampire next to him. "Audric, are there any exits in this mountain?"
Audric shook his head. "No. I've circled and checked several times. This is the only one. Eyes can be deceived, but sonar never lies."
This iron door is at least half a meter thick. How did he even get in there?
Just as Charles was pondering over this question, a cacophony of squeaks echoed from within the doorway and soon, a colorful pack of mice emerged.
"Mr. Charles, there are many empty rooms in there. No signs of threat, not even a fly," Lily translated the mice's squeaks.
"Any documents or nautical charts?" Charles inquired.
Lily turned to her mice, and after a brief exchange with them, she returned her gaze to Charles and nodded. "Yes, there's a wall inscribed with some text."
"Let's go, have them lead the way."
Charles then followed after the mice with brisk steps and his crew members in tow. The interior was just as the mice had described. The layout resembled a vast office space but devoid of any furnishing or bodies.
The surrounding walls were made from thick concrete, reminding Charles more of a military facility than anything else.
"Where's the text inscription you mentioned?" Charles asked Lily.
"Over here," Lily cried out. "There are stairs leading to the 10th floor."
Their footsteps echoed through the dark, expansive stairway as they ascended.
Second floor, third, fourth...
Charles wiped his slightly sweaty palms against his clothes. Strangely, he would very much prefer to have some creature leaping out at them than to have this unnerving silence.
"Everyone, keep an eye on each other. Report immediately if you sense something amiss, or if someone's missing or if there's someone extra," Charles instructed.
The crew's acknowledgment echoed in the stairwell.
Not long after, they arrived at the 10th floor.
Charles' eyes landed on the text on the wall.
V12 Containment Site Safety Precautions
Any experiments involving Project DE1344 require the authorization of four doctorate-level scientists of rank A or higher.
Communication with any entity, termed 1344-1, that emerged from DE1344 is strictly prohibited. An exception applies only to negotiation specialists. The specialist must persuade 1344-1 to return to DE1344. If persuasion fails, a special task force should be promptly dispatched to eliminate 1344-1.
In the event of an AK-level apocalypse, DE1344 is the Foundation's last hope. All members at the V12 Containment Site shall serve as seeds of the Foundation and must proceed into DE1344.
A strong sense of unease weighed down on Charles' heart as he read the ominous words, especially the mention of an AK-level apocalypse. Previously, he had been skeptical of the Pope's gibberish nonsense. Now, a seed of belief had started to sprout within him.
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