Shrouded Seascape

"They don't care, but I do. I need to know all the secrets the Foundation holds. What exactly is 005? Is it Edikth?"

Facing Feuerbach, Charles asked the burning question in his mind. The Foundation surely knew far more about 005 than he did.

Under their current predicament, intelligence about the Divinities could be even more valuable than raw power, especially since he had once been the Chosen One of Edikth.

At the question, Feuerbach couldn't help but let out a dry chuckle. "Captain, there's really no need for you to know those things. You know how this world functions—the more you know, the faster you die."

"I've seen the Foundations' previous records. You've communicated with 005 before. If you guys didn't die, why would I?"

"What difference does it make whether you know or not? I really don't want to go back and forth and have memories injected and extracted from my mind. It's genuinely unpleasant," Feuerbach complained.

Charles himself had encountered several Divinities, but he had never heard of one that communicated with humans. He was desperate to know about these beings, their purpose for coming to Earth, and whether they were responsible for the annihilation of the surface world a thousand years ago or not.

Feeling helpless, Feuerbach parted his lips to speak. However, his expression suddenly froze and his smile faded while a metallic blue glint shone in his eyes.

"According to the long years of tracking 005 by Her followers in the Subterranean Sea, we can only conclude that 005's power originates from the depths of outer space. Upon conversing with Her, She identified Herself as Tawil At-Umr, not Edikth."

"What did you talk about?" Charles asked. He didn't care who was controlling Feuerbach now as long as his questions were answered.

Charles had anticipated to hear some earth-shattering secret, but the response left him utterly perplexed. "Initially, she talked about many trivial matters, like the education of my children and how She empathized with my insomnia. Also, She even debated the theory of relativity with me for three hours."

"That's it? Are you making this up?" Charles' voice was laced with apparent skepticism. These topics sounded more like those that would come up in a casual chat with a neighbor rather than with a divine being.

"If you think we're lying, you're free to decide for yourself if you want to believe us or not. She has always approached us in a human guise. We tried to extract more information from her about what you guys call 'Divinities,' but she never directly answered our questions.

"As compared to grand, existential issues, She very much prefers to answer trivial questions related to everyday life."

This wasn't the answer Charles expected. He pondered for a brief moment before lifting his gaze. "What does She look like?"

"A human woman wrapped in black bandages. Sometimes she holds a cat, sometimes she doesn't."

The description took Charles by surprise. He remembered could still remember that scene. That woman had appeared in his dreams twice. He had crossed paths with Her before but had never known Her identity as 005.

Just as Charles was about to follow up with another question, a memory surfaced in his head. It was something Pope Lylejay had said when he had broken the seal over the Light God.

"The Feaster. He and his master, Tawil At-Umr had seized the soul of my Lord, which made it impossible for Him to escape through the Dome Door."

005 Tawil was the master of the Feaster! If that woman was the human manifestation of 005, then was the cat Her pet? That meant…

The next moment, Swann, the Chosen One of the Feaster came to Charles' mind. He recalled Ronker, the colossal fusion of machinery and flesh.

However, he noticed details he had previously overlooked. Apart from the grotesque, bloated flesh all over its body, the most striking feature was its giant feline-like pupil.

As soon as the realization dawned upon Charles, other relevant details began to emerge in his mind.

When 005 first appeared before him, She wasn't holding the cat in her arms. However, the second time he saw Her, she was holding the cat. That cat was the Feaster!

When the Feaster had descended upon the island, the entire population of the Albion Isles, numbering close to ten million, were sacrificed. And He didn't actually intervene directly. If a pet was that powerful, as His owner, 005's power's was surely beyond human comprehension.

A profound sense of helplessness washed over Charles. In the face of Divinities, humans were truly not even worthy of being mentioned.

"It seems like you've met her before. What did she say to you?" The blue eyes in the holographic projection looked at Charles with a calm gaze as the entity behind them awaited his response.

Suppressing his emotions, Charles looked toward the controlled Feuerbach. "She didn't say anything. Both times, she appeared in my dreams and was just standing at a distance and watching me."

"005 wouldn't casually approach anyone. There must be a reason for Her to approach you."

Charles shook his head in disagreement. "She's a Divinity. Humans are insignificant to Her. What reason could She have to seek me out?"

"Perhaps she's merely curious. After all, your experiences are unique compared to other humans."

Charles was taken aback by the reply. "Curious? Would Divinities be curious about anything?"

"Not under normal circumstances. But 005 is different. She's not from Earth; She hails from the depths of space. She's not like the other Divinities."

"005 isn't from Earth? Then are you implying that 002 and 003 are from Earth?"

A hint of displeasure crossed Feuerbach's face. "We are neither God nor some omniscient being. We are also seeking the answers to the questions you just asked."

"I personally think there's a connection between 002 and 005. Could the extinction on the surface have something to do with their arrival?"

"That's merely subjective speculation on your part. Unless you provide a coherent, logical set of evidence, such claims are meaningless."

Charles thought for a moment before he asked another question. "What exactly was 005-3 then? Why does It have such bizarre abilities? Be it my wife, who is a master of mind control, or Lily, who possesses the power of the Light God, they were both affected by its brainwashing."

"The 005-3 you encountered is a part of 005. You can think of it as one of 005's fingers. According to 005 Herself, She was curious about what 002 was, so She extended a finger from below toward 002.

"But when Her finger touched the periphery of 002, Her finger started escaping Her control and stopped responding to any of her calls.

"Most of 005's power remains in the depths of space, and according to Her, She only brought nine fingers with Her. To conserve Her strength, She decided not to reclaim the finger that was influenced by 002."