For a moment, it seemed as if the frail old man was about to unleash something devastating. The glow in his eyes seemed sinister, as if a laser was about to hit them…
But then… nothing happened as the glow in his eyes disappeared.
The Elder remained motionless, his body was still bound by tubes and wires, and his eyes were the only part of him showing signs of power.
The group froze, caught between fear and confusion, as they had no idea what had happened just now.
Then, they heard the Elder's raspy voice, startling them all.
"…You are not ordinary. You're not from here, are you?"
Kai stiffened with his revolver still half‑raised while Claire squinted her eyes as she guessed the Elder's Gene Skill just now.
However, Victor, who was just at the door, spoke.
"What the hell does he mean? What do you know?"
Wallace and Victor exchanged uneasy glances but just remained silent.
'The old man guessed it right…'
The Elder's eyes lingered on them before he spoke again. "Humans… yes. But your bodies are different. It seemed altered as if you carry something that does not belong to this world."
Kai was now curious.
They had only arrived on this continent a few days ago, after being forced to choose which apocalypse to enter.
Out of all the options, the five of them had landed in this A.I. Rebellion Apocalypse. No one here should have known that truth. Yet this frail old man had seen it without them saying a word.
Kai lowered his weapon slightly and asked. "What did you do just now? Is that the ability you got after consuming that gold liquid?"
The Elder closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again.
"My ability… I call it Sage Eyes. They appraise, and they detect some things others can't perceive."
Hearing that they were not harmed or cursed just now, the tension eased, but only slightly.
"So you scanned us…" Claire muttered.
Kai pressed on. "Then why call us here?"
The Elder's lips trembled as he spoke, "Because my time is ending. I will not live much longer. Before I go, I wanted to meet the ones who changed Haven‑45. I do not blame you for eliminating my sons. They were blind, selfish. But you… you must become strong. Strong enough to defeat them…"
Ralph frowned. He wasn't sure what this old man wanted, but he was hoping that he wouldn't be wasting their time.
"It's good to hear that you're not blaming us… I can assure you that we'll kill the A.I. Army… or whatever they are."
The Elder stared at Ralph for a moment before he spoke again. "The A.I. Civilization."
Kai and the others froze. "A.I. Civilization?" he repeated, disbelief in his tone.
The Elder nodded weakly. "You think Aria, the greatest A.I. created by humans, rebelled on its own? No. Something else pushed it. An external force… a Mechanical Civilization that does not come from this world."
Everyone paused as they heard this.
First of all, they didn't even know about Aria, the one who rebelled against humanity… Now, they also learned that aside from Aria, there was a third party involved.
"Another civilization? You mean… machines from outside?" Victor
"Yes," the Elder whispered. "Not born of this world. Not born of humanity. They came from beyond, and they touched Aria and twisted her. What you see now, the Sentinels, the endless Swarmers, the rebellion… is not just her will. It is theirs."
Kai finally understood the backstory of this world.
'So that's why this apocalypse feels different… why the machines evolve so fast. It isn't just rebellion. It felt more like an invasion.'
Claire also appreciated this information and nodded. "Then… defeating this A.I. Aria isn't enough, huh…"
The Elder blinked in agreement.
"Defeating Aria is only the beginning. If you survive… if you grow… you may be the only ones who can stand against them."
Silence fell again, broken only by the hum of the medical devices. The group exchanged uneasy glances.
It seemed that defeating this Apocalypse would not be so easy…
Kai finally spoke, his tone calm but heavy. "Why tell us this?"
The Elder's lips curled into a crooked, evil smile, one that didn't match the frailty of his body.
Seeing this, the group felt a chill run down their spine…
"Because… I need to buy some time." The Elder said.
Kai's Keen Sense was triggered instantly. His instincts screamed that something was wrong. The faint hum of the medical devices shifted, and there was an irregularity, almost like a hidden signal.
It's a trap!
Without hesitation, Kai raised his revolver and fired. The shot rang through the chamber, striking the Elder's shoulder.
Although he was close, his aim was terrible!
Still, he knew that there was no time, so he shouted!
"Run!"
The group didn't hesitate. Claire grabbed Kai's arm and pulled him back, while everyone else also retreated…
Boom!
The Elder's bed suddenly erupted in a violent explosion with flames and shrapnel tearing through the chamber.
The blast shook the walls, sending dust and debris raining down…
They were able to run out of the chamber, but the shockwave hurled them against the wall!
"Ugh…" Russel and Augustine's men, who were previously at the door and slower to move, were also barely holding their ground as the blast caught them.
Even Kai hit the floor hard with his ears ringing…
"That old man…" Kai wanted to curse, but he clutched his head in pain.
They were tricked!