Chapter 6: The Ocean’s New Denizen and a Divine Legacy

The entire process, from the twelve colossal energy bodies enveloping the Blue Star to their sudden disappearance, unfolded in mere minutes. Many who were deep in slumber barely registered what had transpired.

Nevertheless, the world had been plunged into a frenzy. Countless journalists vied to report on the event, while various self-proclaimed experts and scholars began pontificating across forums, their pronouncements nothing more than baseless chatter designed to garner clicks.

Simultaneously, government agencies mobilized vast resources to launch investigations. Yet, they felt utterly lost, for humanity’s understanding of the cosmos was woefully inadequate.

Confronted with phenomena that defied scientific explanation, even staunch atheists began to question their worldviews. Suddenly, governments worldwide found themselves grappling with how to assuage public anxiety, struggling to articulate an explanation for these utterly inexplicable supernatural occurrences.

Some were deeply distressed by these events, while others found themselves quite pleased. Religious figures proclaimed it the work of God, a divine warning against humanity’s environmental destruction, or even the dawn of the apocalypse.

There were also those who delighted in the fact that public attention on this celestial anomaly far eclipsed discussions about viral outbreaks. The ‘Expert King’ of Country M, for instance, openly lauded the development.

Meanwhile, the true architect of this monumental event lay trembling at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, utterly paralyzed by fear.

****

Beneath the waves, in a certain region of the Pacific.

At this very moment, Lin Ling sat dumbfounded on the ocean floor.

She could hardly believe that a mere kick had propelled her from the inland city of Cangyang City all the way into the ocean. Normally, seeing the sea required a two-hour plane journey.

Consequently, she dared not make any sudden movements, terrified of inadvertently triggering a tsunami.

That would be truly awkward.

Yet, to her astonishment, she discovered she could now see everything clearly underwater and even breathe effortlessly within it!

No, to be precise, she seemed perfectly fine even without breathing. In some respects, she appeared to have transcended humanity, despite retaining her human form.

Her hair and eyes, too, possessed an otherworldly quality. They were, undeniably, stunningly beautiful.

Caught in this perplexing predicament, Lin Ling reluctantly addressed the Light Cluster in her mind:

“Hey, what do I do now? This body you made is impossible to control! I can’t even move a muscle right now!!!”

“Don’t ‘hey, hey, hey’ me,” the Light Cluster’s slightly displeased voice echoed in Lin Ling’s mind. “Call me Mother Goddess, Mom, Matron, or even Mama—anything but ‘hey’! Show some respect.”

“A god?”

“Something like that. Many civilizations prefer to call me the Creator or the God of Creation. Your siblings also refer to me that way in private.”

Although she had roughly surmised the Light Cluster’s identity, hearing it confirmed directly still left Lin Ling somewhat astonished.

“Uh, then, if you please, what should we do now? I can’t stay in the ocean forever, can I? °(°ˊДˋ°) °”

Lin Ling remained highly resistant to calling it ‘Mom’ or similar terms. Despite this, she felt an inexplicable sense of trust towards the Light Cluster.

However…

An inexplicable silence followed.

Lin Ling: ‘???’

“Hello?! Are you there, boss?!…?”

“Boss!?”

“Great Creator!!!”

…

“Ugh!”

Receiving no response after a long moment, Lin Ling could only sigh in resignation.

“Mom! What do we do?!” Her face flushed crimson with shame as she uttered the word. Yet, Lin Ling felt a deep satisfaction, as if this was the name she was always meant to call the Light Cluster.

This left her with another strange, inexplicable sensation.

“Ah! My good daughter!” The Light Cluster’s voice finally resonated in Lin Ling’s mind.

It was that same irritatingly playful tone. However, Lin Ling felt not a hint of annoyance; subconsciously, she was even a little pleased.

“While I desperately want to teach you how to control this, I’m out of time. This Light Cluster is merely a fragment of my consciousness, and it cannot be sustained for much longer. My true self is guarding something, and I cannot leave it for now. You must learn to control this power on your own.”

“I apologize, my dear daughter.” A hint of reluctance seemed to lace the Light Cluster’s words now.

Hearing this, Lin Ling couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness. “Why? What’s happening…?”

However, before Lin Ling could finish speaking, she was cut off.

“Time is running out. I cannot remain on this planet any longer, or ‘those things’ will notice me. Some matters, we can discuss when we meet again. Oh, and I’m leaving this for you; it will help you learn to control this power. Also, until you’ve fully mastered your authority, do not leave this…”

As if disconnected, the Mother Goddess’s words abruptly ceased.

Simultaneously, the Light Cluster within Lin Ling’s consciousness dissolved into particles of light and vanished from her mind.

‘It’s gone, then…’

Just then,

An myriad of peculiar white light points instantly materialized around Lin Ling.

They swiftly coalesced before her, forming an egg.

Alas, Lin Ling’s attention was not focused on it.

With the disappearance of the Light Cluster, Lin Ling’s sense of loss intensified. She shed tears helplessly, like a child abandoned by its mother.

‘What a strange feeling…’

The body’s instinctive reaction puzzled Lin Ling greatly. Suppressing the feeling of desolation, whose origin she couldn’t pinpoint, Lin Ling gradually shifted her focus to the egg-like object.

‘It won’t hatch into a bird, will it?’

Just as Lin Ling pondered this,

“Kapa!”

Accompanied by a crisp cracking sound, the eggshell gradually dissolved into fragments of light, fading into the deep sea.

Immediately afterward, a fluffy, snow-white kitten scrambled out. Its cuteness was such that Lin Ling’s heart nearly melted.

WTF?!

‘Aren’t cats viviparous?’

However, Lin Ling had no time to continue her internal monologue. A massive verbal bombardment was already assailing her vulnerable ears, pouring forth incessantly from the kitten’s mouth.

“Guidance Assistant 001, the strongest AI personally crafted by the Creator, at your service! I shall assist you in mastering your powers and instruct you in understanding the knowledge of this world, cultivating you into an elegant and powerful lady worthy of the Battle Sovereign title…”

…

…

‘This cat… I should stew it.’

After a long while, recalling the traumatic experience of being lectured by a teacher for seven or eight hours straight, Lin Ling’s expression gradually darkened. She stared at the seemingly harmless creature before her with the gaze one might reserve for a dead cat.