Chapter 270: Chapter 265: Outfitting
The final forty-eight hours were approaching.
In Underground Lab Number One.
No one spoke; only the low hum of the Magic Array’s operation could be heard.
Valerius had forgone sleep, the residue of a stimulant potion clinging to his graying beard.
He circled the incubation tank, using his Spiritual Power to repeatedly sense the operational status of the "life field."
Elvin and the members of his Mage Corps sat on their respective energy nodes, meditating with their eyes closed to maintain the stability of their Spiritual Power.
The final preparations were complete.
Armor components forged by Ola were displayed in categorized groups on the empty ground around the incubation tank, each piece gleaming with a dull luster.
Prefabricated Magic Arrays for maintaining the internal environment were stacked together, awaiting installation.
Suddenly, the incubation tank shuddered slightly.
Everyone snapped to attention.
’It’s coming!’
The network of dark red veins covering the surface of the largest flesh cocoon suddenly lit up.
"RIIIP—"
A tear appeared at the top of the cocoon.
Followed by a second, and a third.
The tears spread rapidly like a spiderweb.
"THUMP!"
A heavy, muffled sound came from underwater, and a tentacle over two meters in diameter emerged from the crimson liquid, resting on the edge of the incubation tank.
Its dark, keratinized skin cracked the tank wall with just a light touch.
As everyone watched with bated breath, a massive head slowly surfaced.
Crimson liquid slid off its smooth skin, forming small waterfalls that crashed back into the tank and sent up huge splashes.
Its size far exceeded everyone’s estimates. The head alone, now above water, took up nearly half the length of the incubation tank.
Valerius instinctively took a step back, and the datapad in his hand fell to the floor with a CLATTER.
It lacked the mouthparts and fangs of a traditional Magical Beast. Instead, its head rose smoothly to a whale-like structure at the top.
On either side of its head, two enormous eyes, each over five meters in diameter, slowly opened.
They were a translucent blue.
The great beast’s eyes swiveled, filled with the curiosity of a newborn, and fixed on Velin, the only one who remained calm, standing before the main console.
It could sense a "scent" it liked coming from the tiny person.
Immediately after, the two slightly smaller cocoons also burst open, revealing equally massive bodies.
The three great beasts floated quietly in the tank, nearly filling it to capacity.
Velin raised his hand.
"Prepare for connection to the Hive Matrix."
A Worker Ant carrying a metal box scurried to the edge of the tank.
Inside the box were three "Hive Terminals."
Velin released a Spring Messenger to interact with the three "little" ones.
The familiar Spiritual Power calmed them considerably, and they ignored the small bug crawling on them.
The Hive Terminals entered their bodies without issue. Under Sarah’s guidance, the terminals would then crawl toward the command cavity.
Throughout the process, the behemoths didn’t struggle at all, as docile as three large dogs.
Before long, Sarah’s voice rang in Velin’s mind.
Father, Leviathan One has connected to the Hive Matrix. Vitals are stable. Attempting initial information exchange...
It... It is calling you... ’Father.’
Its emotions are simple... affection, and... hunger.
The corner of Velin’s mouth twitched.
’Don’t even have a wife yet, and I’ve already got four kids.’
With a thought, he called up the system.
[Deep Sea Lord: Leviathan One]
[Level: Level 5 Magical Beast]
[Bloodline: Storm Sea Marquis (Golden Tier) 45%, Mixed Bloodline 55%]
[Abilities: Colossal, Iron Hide, Water Pressure Immunity, Lightning Resistance, Innate Magic]
[Overall Evaluation: A deep-sea War Giant Beast with unparalleled potential. Currently in its larval stage of development, its abilities have not reached their peak. Requires a long time and vast resources to mature.]
A Level 5 Magical Beast.
Velin understood.
This was just the beginning. Its rating was based on its Golden Tier bloodline potential, but right now, it was a juvenile beast with a massive body and a terrifying rating but little else. Its true combat effectiveness would need to be filled in by subsequent armament and growth.
"Begin internal outfitting," Velin issued a new command.
Driven by his will, the skin on the massive bulge atop Leviathan One’s head slowly opened from the midline to the sides, blooming like a flower to reveal a vast cavity nearly eighty meters long and thirty meters wide.
The inner walls of the cavity were moist, elastic muscle tissue, still pulsing rhythmically.
Artisans and Mages who had long been waiting began their work.
As the first plate of magical alloy was lowered into the cavity, the artisans, standing on mobile scaffolding, used special rivet guns to fix the plate to the fleshy inner wall.
"BANG! BANG! BANG!"
The sounds of hammering echoed within the cavity. The flesh trembled from the impact, but the wounds quickly self-repaired, enveloping and fusing with the metal plate.
Plate after plate of alloy was riveted on, and soon the entire inner cavity was covered with a sturdy metal lining.
Most of the pain nerves in the cavity had been eliminated during its formation, so the rather gory "renovation" scene caused it no harm.
Next came the prefabricated Magic Arrays, each inscribed with Runes.
Freshwater circulation system installed!
Air purification Array is operational!
Gravity stabilization field activated! Internal space has locked to a horizontal baseline!
Report after report flowed into Velin’s mind in real-time via Sarah.
"Master," Velin said to the excited Valerius beside him, "Researcher 56’s Gravity Array was truly a genius idea."
The Master laughed in response.
"With this, you could make this big guy dance in the sea, and the people inside wouldn’t feel a thing. You could pour a glass of water and not spill a drop!"
Velin nodded slightly, turning his attention back to the massive project.
"Internal work is complete. Begin external armor and core implantation."
Under Ola’s roars, two massive moonglow crystal shields were installed over Leviathan One’s eyes.
Alloy armor covered in deflector Runes was placed over the top of its head, directly above the biological cabin.
The ends of its eight tentacles were also fitted with sharp, armor-piercing cones forged from obsidian marrow.
Finally, Leviathan One’s command chamber opened once more.
A team of elite Knights worked together to push a cart.
On the cart was a massive, humming metal sphere, its surface crackling with electricity.
The Thunder Diamond—an energy core created through the combined efforts of all the alchemists of the Origin Association, which could also amplify the Leviathan’s lightning Magic.
The core was carefully placed into a pre-made recess in the deepest part of the chamber.
The moment the core connected to the chamber’s energy network and was activated—
"VMMMM!"
Ethereal blue arcs of electricity erupted from the thunder core, spreading through the Leviathan’s entire body along the energy circuits that permeated the chamber!
Within the underground space, everyone saw blue light flare up simultaneously in the seams of Leviathan One’s armor, at the edges of its eye shields, and on the tips of its armor-piercing tentacle cones, before vanishing in a flash.
At that moment, the world’s first biological submarine had officially completed its outfitting!
It was a living, deep-sea fortress made of flesh and steel, integrating life support, spatial stabilization, and powerful armaments!
Suddenly, a slightly childish thought echoed directly in Velin’s mind through the Hive Matrix.
Father... I want to move.
You may.
Sarah, open the S-type channel. Let it embrace the true ocean.
Yes, Father.
Following Sarah’s actions, a heavy alloy gate at the end of the incubation tank rose, revealing a dark channel.
Leviathan One let out a low hum. With a flick of its massive body, it slid into the channel like a fish and vanished into the darkness in an instant.
Everything seemed peaceful.
Suddenly—
A muffled tremor came from diagonally above.
The crystal chandeliers on the laboratory ceiling shook violently, casting flickering light.
"Hold on!" Valerius yelled, grabbing the console and shouting to the researchers around him. "What’s happening?!"
Before Velin could respond, Sarah’s voice sounded in his mind.
Father, it’s not an earthquake! It’s Leviathan One! It... it just performed a full-speed acceleration in the deep sea!
This was definitely not just "moving a little."
A moment later, the tremors slowly subsided.
Just as everyone was catching their breath, still reeling from the shock, that familiar, pure thought echoed in Velin’s mind again, filled with excitement.
Father. Fun.
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