Looking at the cave ahead, it was almost identical to the one from the comics. The only difference from his memory was the texture of the circuit boards, but otherwise, everything matched perfectly.
"Wow~ Such a dark and eerie place, pitch black. I love it," Perona giggled as she floated around.
"Don't stray too far, Perona," Reed said as he stepped into the cave. "Enel, release!"
"Two hundred million volts!!!"
A blinding bolt of lightning exploded in the cave, the current spreading wildly along the circuit patterns etched into the floor. Though slightly different from the original comic, the mechanism activated, and the entire cave instantly bathed in golden light.
Crackle Boom!
A deafening roar shook the ground. The patterns on the walls lit up like veins, and then
Click, click, click…
Countless "Little Elder" robots, long dormant within the stone walls, suddenly opened their eyes. One by one, they emerged, blinking and turning toward Enel.
"A miracle… truly a miracle!" Lieutenant Specey shouted, overwhelmed with excitement. He and his three companions fell to their knees, bowing frantically. "A god-tier leader has appeared!!"
Tesoro stared at the ancient structure.
"Captain, it seems… we accidentally activated an ancient city. You knew this all along, didn't you?"
Reed scanned the surroundings, his blood mist slowly drifting through the air. In truth, he had already spread the mist to every corner of the city. A faint, amused smile tugged at his lips. "Interesting."
Stimulated by the electric current, the entire cave gradually "awoke." Dark corridors glowed with soft light, the circuit patterns on the walls pulsing like living veins. Reed was certain that these circuit designs had never appeared in the cover comics. The ground trembled more and more until
Rumble!
Deep within the cave, a massive stone door slowly rose, revealing the ancient city hidden behind it.
"Wow~" Perona floated in midair, her eyes sparkling. "This is breathtaking!"
The city's architecture was striking and unusual. Towering spires and domed palaces were etched with circuit-like patterns, reminiscent of Roman-style design. The streets were packed with tiny activated robots, all turning in unison toward Enel, their electronic eyes full of reverence.
As everyone knew, these newly awakened "Little Elders" were initially slow to react. They saw four robots, dressed differently from themselves, worshipping a single figure.
"Oh? If you believe in religion, so do I."
"The God Boss has appeared! Long live the God Boss!"
Enel: "…? Why aren't they afraid of getting shocked?"
Reed looked at Enel and smirked.
"Toys, power banks, ha!"
Enel bared his shark-like teeth, glaring at Reed.
"Captain, you just said something extremely disrespectful to a god, didn't you?"
"Welcome back, God !"
The voice echoed through the city, magnificent and commanding.
Enel: "…Hmm?"
Moria peeked from the shadows, grinning.
"Hehe~ Enel, you've truly become a 'god' now. Your subjects here, I doubt they could leave without you. An indispensable deity indeed."
A vein bulged on Enel's forehead.
"Stop talking nonsense!"
Reed ignored their bickering and walked straight toward a massive mural at the city center. It depicted winged Moon People standing atop a platform, overlooking countless robot soldiers working below. At the top, an ancient inscription read:
"Bilka The Eternal City."
"Bilka… is there a city called Bilka in the Blue Ocean too?" Reed muttered. Though he already knew the mural's contents, seeing it in person still left him awestruck.
The mural detailed the city's history:
The Moon People, winged and bearing strong resemblance to Sky Island residents, had built a highly advanced civilization here. They created countless robot soldiers to maintain the city's operations. But as resources dwindled, the Moon People were forced to leave their homeland, seeking a new world the Blue Ocean.
There, they established an island. A golden wind lifted the island into the sky, eventually carrying the two factions to Sky Island. Their robot soldiers were abandoned, left to wait for the awakening of a "god."
Of course, this was all Reed's speculation. Enel would be the closest to solving the mystery, but unfortunately, it seemed he had no interest in such matters or perhaps, if he truly cared, he wouldn't be Enel.
"So…" Tesoro rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Could it be that the Sky Island people are descendants of the Moon Island inhabitants?"
Enel crossed his arms, frowning.
"Hmph, this god doesn't care about history at all!"
It should be noted that on this satellite, Reed drew far less attention than Enel. Unsurprisingly, solving the food problem had earned the populace's support.
At that moment, Lieutenant Specey rushed over, pointing excitedly toward the city center.
"Boss! There's something there!"
Everyone followed his gaze
At the highest platform in the city's center floated a massive blue crystal. Something seemed sealed within it, radiating energy that made hearts race…
Reed narrowed his eyes as the blood mist silently surged.
"Looks like… we've found the real treasure."
"Enel, charge quickly! Charge now, charge now." Reed stared at the blue crystal. "Let's see what treasure lies inside. My God, is this our first true pirate treasure hunt? Before, we only relied on plunder."
Enel muttered, "Hmph, this god isn't an energy bank…" Yet he raised his hand and released a blinding bolt.
"Two hundred million volts: God's Judgment!"
The moment the lightning struck the crystal, the entire ancient city of Bilka shook violently. Tiny cracks appeared on the crystal's surface, and a column of light shot skyward, illuminating the Moon's surface.
Within the column, an ancient stone platform slowly rose. At its center, a faint veil of blood-red mist hovered, barely perceptible. Reed recognized it instantly it was his own blood mist.
"This is… my power?" Reed's pupils contracted. He had never been to the Moon, yet this life force was undeniably his. He could feel his blood mist sustaining it, while the surrounding circuit patterns supplied energy. His first thought: what had he done in the future? He could not remember.
At the center of the stone platform lay a crystal coffin. Beneath the transparent lid rested a white-haired girl in a pure white gown, her hands crossed over her chest, her face serene, as if merely asleep.