Charles, wrapped like a mummy, lay on the bed, staring blankly at the white ceiling.


    He seemed to be daydreaming, but his mind was occupied with the brief statements made by the mantises.


    Though the creatures had only spoken a few sentences, their words carried significant implications.


    They had mentioned a disaster caused by humans, and judging from their behavior, this disaster had also affected them.


    Secondly, from their second statement, it seemed that a group of humans had previously negotiated with them and established some kind of contract. These humans were most likely the Foundation.


    What puzzled Charles the most was the first point. If it was such a major disaster, why was there no record of it in the history of the Underground Sea?


    When he first arrived, he had studied the history of the Underground Sea in search of an exit. Before the invention of the steam turbine, the records mainly documented sinkings or changes in island sovereignty, with no mention of any particularly unusual disasters.


    Could it have been a major disaster on the surface? But how could a surface disaster affect the mantis-like monsters living in the Underground Sea?


    As Charles pondered these questions, the door opened. Entering the room were the stern-faced doctor and an excited Hoon.


    "Governor Charles, you’re finally awake. We thought you might never wake up."


    Charles glanced at the doctor. Hadn’t he woken up earlier?


    "Please tell me, what exactly are those creatures living on the cave ceiling? Did you see the Land of Light?"


    Twisting the itchy bandage on his left arm, Charles sat up and recounted what had happened.


    "The bugs are numerous. I saw at least a few hundred of them. The crack leading to the Land of Light seems to be their nest. To reach the Land of Light, we must drive them all away. How many ships like the Ascension Vessel do you have now?"


    "There are two more on the Rebirth, but we’ve run out of the suits that can withstand the divine light. They were originally for underwater use, so we didn’t prepare many."


    Charles shook his head. "Even with the suits, two ships won’t be enough. They’re very powerful. We need far more strength than that."


    "Hmm…" Hoon pondered for a long time before looking up. "Please wait. This matter is beyond my authority. I need to consult the Pope."


    With that, he stood up and left. The excitement on his face had vanished, replaced by furrowed brows.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Hundreds of six-meter-long monsters would be easy to handle on the ground with the current population of the island. But they were stuck at the top, bathed in deadly divine light, making it difficult to deal with them.


    As for the disaster the mantises mentioned, Charles didn’t bring it up with Hoon. His purpose in involving the Church of Light was to have them help him reach the surface. Introducing other issues might distract them.


    One step at a time, Charles remained focused on his current goal: returning to the surface. Only after reaching the surface would he consider the next steps.


    "I feel like I’ve recovered enough. Can I get out of bed now?" Charles, wrapped in bandages, asked the doctor.


    "Hmph, severe burns, and you want to get out of bed in such a short time? Go ahead and try." The doctor leaned against the wall, holding a metal flask, watching with amusement.


    As Charles moved, he felt a sharp, needle-like pain all over his body.


    Glancing at the doctor, Charles began to unwrap the bandages.


    When he reached the last layer, he found the gauze stuck to the scabs beneath.


    With a "rip," Charles tore off the bandage, a searing pain making him tremble. Clenching his teeth, he continued to peel off the blood-soaked gauze.


    "Enough, enough. If your body doesn’t hurt, my eyes do." The doctor, with a look of disgust, stepped forward and quickly rebandaged the wounds.


    "Hold onto that black relic of yours that boosts recovery. Don’t remove the bandages for five days. After that, you can take a few steps."


    Just as Charles’ arm was rebandaged, Hoon pushed the door open and entered. "Governor Charles, the Pope wishes to see you."


    "Now? How?"


    Charles’ bed was carried by several burly men onto a wooden boat, which swiftly glided toward the nearby golden ship.


    Soon, Charles was in a lavishly decorated room, face to face with the so-called "Pope"—a three-meter-tall sculpture of an elderly man.


    The sculpture, with its hands empty and raised upward, wore only a stone skirt around its waist.


    As debris fell from the sculpture, it turned to face Charles on the bed. Its voice was hollow and distant, as if coming from a faraway place.


    "Greetings, young man. I’ve heard of your deeds. All you’ve done for the God of Light will be duly rewarded."


    "Why have you summoned me? I’ve already told Hoon everything."


    "*Chuckle* Please repeat it for me, Governor of Hope Island."


    Charles looked at the sculpture with a puzzled expression. What were the Church of Light people up to?


    Though confused, Charles quickly recounted the situation above.


    After a moment of silence, the sculpture spoke. "Hmm, though I don’t know what you’ve omitted, your account of the situation above is truthful."


    Charles’ heart tightened. Could this thing detect lies? No! Not only could it detect lies, but it also knew he had hidden what the mantises had said!


    As if sensing Charles’ confusion, the sculpture chuckled. "Please forgive me. This is a matter of great importance to our church. We must be cautious."


    Charles’ expression turned grim. The feeling of having his thoughts probed was unsettling.


    "Since you’ve confirmed I’m telling the truth, what will the Church of Light do? I believe those creatures are social. If we don’t act soon, there’s no guarantee they won’t multiply."


    "Young man, what did I just say? Don’t try to scare me with false information. I can detect lies. Don’t worry. Hoon’s group was just the vanguard. Soon, I’ll mobilize all the church’s forces in the Northern Sea to Hope Island. We’ll return to the Land of Light as quickly as possible."


    As Charles was carried out, Hoon pressed his forehead, marked with a white triangle, to the ground, prostrating himself respectfully.


    "Hmm… Hoon, I saw many strange visions in him. It seems he’s not from here."


    Hoon raised his head to look at the sculpture. "Then, Your Holiness, our plan—"


    "Proceed as planned. We must reach the divine realm. As the mortal representative of the Sun God, I feel our deity’s suffering. We must aid our god."


    "As you wish, Your Holiness."