Mr. Serious clicked his tongue in amazement. "It looks no different from the Current Circumstances. At least the modernized parts were done quite well. When I was first conscripted into the vanguard, I didn't even know it had sunk. Do you have any news?"
Tony took a deep breath, barely suppressing the urge to voice his thoughts. News? Yeah, that your esteemed mother just exploded! For God's sake, man, can you stop the fucking sightseeing, turn on the machine, and let's get out of here already?
As if hearing Tony's prayers, after what felt like an eternity of babbling, Mr. Serious finally managed to activate the instrument in the deep sea.
As successive green indicator lights illuminated, the heavy steel column at the top of the machine slowly rose. Then, with a tremor that shook the seabed, it drove deep into the rock below.
Fixing complete. Immediately, radar-like ripples burst forth from it, spreading out. These ripples met shockwaves from other directions and began rapidly transmitting signals to the research vessel above.
Then came a seemingly endless wait.
Bored out of his mind, he could only listen to the incessant noise from his companion.
He felt like having a smoke. If he couldn't light a cigarette, lighting up that noise source next to him would do just fine.
"Number Fourteen, report your status. Your partner just said you haven't spoken for a while."
"All normal. My teammate... um, is a bit too eager to show off." He sighed. "Damn my luck. If only I drank less, I wouldn't have ended up in this mess."
"We have a job for you," Command said. "We're about to conduct Source Substance activation experiments on this area to trace Stone City's Spirituality transformations before it sank. The Spirituality Mirror will be assigned to you for active observation."
"No problem."
He took a habitual deep breath and immediately felt a coolness on his forehead, as if something was continuously pouring into his brain, causing him to tremble violently.
When he opened his eyes, his pupils, behind the faceplate of his helmet, shot out beams of almost tangible light. As his gaze swept around, this fierce light pierced the dim depths of the sea.
Under the active observation of that light, the entire silent ruins of Stone City suddenly stirred. Countless scattered Source Substances rose from it, outlining final trajectories and contours.
The Yin Soul of this city awakened, revealing the final scene before its obliteration.
Amidst the countless surging trajectories, three entirely distinct outlines suddenly expanded rapidly, overlapping each other and enveloping the entirety of Stone City.
Sharp inhales of breath were heard from Command.
"What's going on?" Tony asked, enduring the excruciating pain in his forehead. "Are there any results?"
"Yes."
After a long, stunned silence, the lead analyst Scholar's expression twitched. "At the very least, it proves the sinking of Stone City was definitely no accident..."
"Please, don't beat around the bush. Be straightforward."
"..."
After a brief silence, the voice continued, "Through the Spirituality Mirror's observations, we've found traces left by the leader of Green Day... those outlines in your observation that look like beacon fires? Those are the Engraved marks his Soul left in the Border."
Tony was stunned for a moment. "You mean those Green Day psychos were behind this?"
"No..."
After a long silence, a sigh came from the other end. "Besides that, do you see that layer of Engraved marks covering the entire urban area like dark clouds? If I'm not mistaken, that should be the unique trace of the Element of Destruction, the Man in Grey."
"What the hell?"
Tony's voice involuntarily jumped an octave in disbelief. "Green Day and the Element of Destruction are colluding?"
"Actually... based on my guess, they were probably just passing through." The lead analyst Scholar in Command said in a strained voice, "The true cause of Stone City's destruction should be the third trajectory... You should be able to see it with your naked eye, right below you..."
Of course, Tony could see it.
It was the trace left by something unbelievably massive that had passed by.
A viscous, purplish-red substance covered almost the entire seabed, making it writhe like internal organs. Outlines as vast as mountain ranges were imprinted on the city's remains; even the depths of Hell couldn't erase the evidence of its passage.
Countless illusory flesh buds sprouted from the Source Substance, thrashing wildly, some almost brushing past his faceplate as they flew by.
He staggered back a few steps, nearly toppling over in the deep sea.
"You're fucking... kidding me..."
Tony no longer knew if he was lucid or if he'd been ensnared by hallucinations.
He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
What in the world is this? A nightmare?
"This is what truly destroyed Stone City's foundational structure."
Over the radio, the voice trembled slightly. "That thing... it's too vast. When it didn't deliberately restrain its Power, merely passing by was enough to completely warp Stone City's foundational structure... Such a profound outline... it must be at least a Ruler Level Owner of the Great Mob. But that's precisely why it's so baffling."
"What's so baffling?" Tony retorted irritably. "That it went out for a meal instead of ordering takeout?"
"No, Tony. It's far more extreme than that."
After a long silence on the channel, the voice said softly, "It wasn't going out to eat. It was fleeing for its life. It was already wounded... 'dying' would be more accurate. It was... on its last breath..."
Dead silence descended. No one spoke.
Only Tony felt a persistent ringing in his head, like sharp, mocking laughter shouting in his ear:
"Idiot, idiot, idiot..."
He'd always thought he'd figured out the problem, but he actually hadn't. Now, though, he knew the real problem had finally arrived.
But he wasn't sure he could handle this one.
A 'Ruler' that could destroy Stone City just by passing by... what could have forced it into such a desperate state?
It didn't take a genius to figure it out.
Motherfucker, we've got a fucking huge problem!