Reborn as the Last van Ambrose-Chapter 145: They’re Soldiers

As they walked deeper into the excavated area, something caught Grim’s attention—a warm, golden light emanating from what appeared to be a tunnel entrance carved into the side of a massive structure. Unlike the cold blue bioluminescence they’d grown accustomed to in the depths, this light was inviting, almost beckoning.

"There," Grim pointed toward the glowing entrance. "That light—it’s different from anything else down here."

"It’s warm," Lin observed. "I can feel the heat from here. Weird, most walkways and entrances in the North Sea aren’t covered in water. It’s open, but this tunnel is full of water."

The tunnel entrance was large enough for them to swim through comfortably.

"Should we trust it?" Suanni asked. "In a place like this, light could be a trap as easily as salvation."

"Jiaolong’s trail leads this way," Xu Wu observed, noting disturbed sediment and recent tool marks around the tunnel entrance. "He’s been through here multiple times."

Ao Shun noticed some carvings in the wall surrounding the entrance of the tunnel. He studied the carvings around the entrance. He traced his finger along the carvings before speaking. "These symbols... they’re from the old texts. This tunnel leads to the true heart of the city."

They entered the tunnel in single file, swimming through water that grew progressively warmer and clearer as they followed the golden light deeper. The carved walls told an increasingly complex story—scenes of great cooperation between species, massive construction projects, and what appeared to be some kind of golden age of prosperity and knowledge.

The tunnel curved gently downward and forward, and after what felt like swimming for miles, they began to see the source of the golden light ahead. The tunnel opened into something so vast and magnificent that it left them stunned in silence.

Once they got through the tunnel they were out of water.

They emerged into a colossal underwater city.. Massive spires and domes rose from the sea floor, their surfaces gleaming with the same golden light that had guided them here. Bridges connected towers that reached toward the distant surface, while canals of flowing water ran between districts that stretched as far as the eye could see.

The architecture was breathtaking in its beauty and scale. Every building seemed to have been crafted by master artisans. Gardens of coral and sea plants had been cultivated between the structures, creating spaces of natural beauty within the urban landscape.

"This is impossible," Lin whispered, her voice filled with awe. "A city this size, this advanced... how has it remained hidden for so long?"

Grim walked closer to one of the nearest buildings, noting that the structures showed no signs of decay or erosion. The golden light seemed to emanate from the very stones themselves, creating an eternal illumination that banished the darkness of the deep.

"What do you call this place?" he asked Ao Shun, overwhelmed by the grandeur surrounding them.

Ao Shun’s eyes held a mixture of wonder and sorrow as he gazed upon the preserved city. "In the oldest human texts, this place was known as the Heart of the Abyss. The center of the first great civilization, where all knowledge was gathered and all peoples lived in harmony."

As they walked deeper into the city, signs of recent activity became apparent. The pristine streets showed disturbances, and some of the buildings had been opened, their contents clearly ransacked by someone searching for specific items.

"Jiaolong’s been busy," Bi’an observed. Crystalline devices hummed with energy. Channels had been carved into ancient stone to direct mana.

"This is something that’s been taking him weeks," Suanni said, examining the extent of the modifications. "He’s been preparing something massive for a while now."

"Which means," Grim said slowly, working through the implications, "he’s been able to come and go from the North Sea realm without you knowing. How is that possible?"

Ao Shun’s expression darkened. "There are secret passages between the realms, known only to the Dragon Kings. If Jiaolong learned of them..."

"Or if someone told him," Xu Wu added quietly.

As they continued exploring the city, they discovered more of Jiaolong’s modifications. Ancient buildings had been converted into workshops, their interiors filled with strange machinery that pulsed with the same golden light as the city itself. Most disturbing were the chambers that appeared to be designed for holding living creatures.

"Modification chambers," Lin realized with growing horror, examining one of the devices. "He’s been using the city’s power source to corrupt sea creatures, turning them into something else."

Movement in the shadows between the ancient buildings caught their attention. At first, it was just a flicker at the edge of vision, but as they watched, more shapes began to emerge from the deeper parts of the city.

The creatures that approached were clearly once normal sea life, but something had twisted them into something monstrous. A school of fish moved as a single writhing mass of scales and teeth. An octopus sported additional limbs that ended in razor-sharp claws. Most disturbing of all, what had once been a sea turtle now had multiple heads and moved quicker than any of them.

"They’re organized," Suanni observed with a growing alarm. "Look at how they’re positioning themselves."

The corrupted creatures weren’t approaching randomly—they were taking coordinated positions throughout the city streets, cutting off potential escape routes while maintaining tactical formations. It was the kind of strategic thinking that normal sea creatures simply didn’t possess. Especially after being down in the trenches for so long.

"The modifications aren’t just physical," Lin realized with horror. "He’s enhanced their intelligence as well. These aren’t just monsters—they’re soldiers."

More creatures continued to emerge from the buildings, and Grim began to understand the true scope of what Jiaolong had accomplished. The Heart of the Abyss had been turned into a fortress, defended by an army of corrupted guardians that had been specifically designed to protect whatever work was being done here.

The largest of the creatures—something that might once have been a whale but now sported multiple rows of shark-like teeth and arms that ended in razor-sharp claws—positioned itself at the center of the formation and let out a sound that was part roar, part song. It was clearly some kind of signal, because the other corrupted guardians immediately began to advance.

"Here they come," Grim said, drawing his sword as the first of the twisted creatures launched itself toward them in the Heart of the Abyss.