Chapter 251: 247: The Glowing Statue of the Underwater Ruins

Qi Ming sat in the driver's seat of the Drumm vehicle, carrying Senior Ji Shi Zhun and Aizumi Makoto, heading toward Xiang Tenggong Xiangyin Beach.

On the way, he explained the relevant situation.

"Some factories have long secretly discharged massive industrial waste into the ocean, and due to ocean currents, these wastes have accumulated in the Ondeku Sea region."

"The nitrogen and phosphorus in the waste caused the proliferation of microorganisms that consumed oxygen, turning the seabed into an oxygen-free zone."

"Anaerobic bacteria took advantage of this to reproduce en masse, merging together to form the anaerobic sea beast 【Kadan】."

Senior Ji Shi Zhun: "Is this a disaster brought upon ourselves…?"

As a journalist who had filmed on battlefields drenched in blood and fire, Senior Ji Shi Zhun was unfazed by this.

Qi Ming: "Yes. If this monster truly turns Earth into an oxygen-free planet, it will be a catastrophe for all other life."

"To prevent this monster from overturning Earth's ecosystem, we must destroy it."

Hearing this, Fūgū Miya's face grew grim, and he couldn't help recalling the words of the black-clad Fūgū from last night.

"Humans are a tumor on Earth. Their actions not only backfire on themselves but also bring annihilation to other life forms."

Has it already begun to come true?

He spoke: "Are we defeating this monster just to gloss over humanity's stupidity?"

Due to his inner turmoil, he did not tell anyone about the black-clad Fūgū from last night.

Qi Ming glanced at Fūgū Miya; he knew this would strike a nerve.

Prepared in advance, he replied clearly: "One thing at a time. Who decided to dump pollutants? Punish those merchants. Why should innocent civilians pay for their crimes?"

Fūgū Miya: "Can't we elevate individual actions to a collective level? If those 'innocent civilians' become merchants, they too will pollute the ocean for profit—that's human nature."

Qi Ming: "Are you saying humans are inherently evil? But whether nature is good or evil, human behavior is constrained by social norms and laws."

"Humans can change. I will advocate for nations to enact strict laws against this behavior."

Aizumi Makoto, as a major corporate CEO, asked: "Will advocacy even help?"

"CEOs will only pretend to act under public pressure. Once the fuss dies down, they'll go right back to business as usual."

Qi Ming smiled: "I never planned to rely on public opinion alone. Watch closely!"

…………………………

Meanwhile, Moritomo sent Kishida and Yamana to pilot the Dolphin to attack the oxygen-free lifeform emitting the light sphere.

"So many glowing organisms… We must be close to the enemy's lair."

After descending for thirty minutes, Kishida said, gazing at the numerous glowing sea creatures ahead.

Yamana asked: "What's your basis?"

Kishida: "These glowing organisms' ancestors existed long before Earth had oxygen. Oxygen is toxic to them."

"When their enzymes combine with oxygen, they neutralize it—and the chemical reaction produces light."

"The glow of these organisms is a remnant of the oxygen-free world from ages past."

Yamana: "But Earth now has oxygen. By evolutionary law, these anaerobic lifeforms should have been eliminated."

Kishida nodded: "They're incompatible with this environment. If they forcibly reshape Earth into their ideal habitat, it will cause mass extinction and set evolution back tens of millions of years. We cannot allow it."

Yamana: "Exactly. Let's destroy this creature that opposes Earth's development… Wait, what's that? That can't be an anaerobic lifeform."

Kishida: "That's not a lifeform at all. It's a… statue."

Before them stood a colossal humanoid statue on the seabed, its form older than antiquity, its face untouched by time, its hollow eyes deep and eternal, gazing forward for millions of years. Kishida and Yamana were stunned—they had come to hunt a monster, yet found this immense statue.

Kishida tapped his keyboard: "Scanned it. No life signs. Just a simple statue."

Yamana: "Who built a statue on the seabed?"

Kishida: "Perhaps it's part of a sunken ancient city ruin. We must report this discovery to the captain."

The news quickly reached the Victory Team's command room and Qi Ming's PDI communicator.

Looking at the image of the giant, Qi Ming immediately recognized it.

This was the 【Ancient Sea God】 from Episode 34 of *Gao Si*, "The Wrath of the Sea God"!

It was an environmental safeguard device placed by an ancient civilization, known as the "Great Guardian of the Sea."

It awakens when the ocean is polluted and attacks the civilization responsible.

Ocean pollution has already triggered the mutation of the anaerobic sea beast 【Kadan】. Could the Sea God be about to…

"Boom!"

On the Dolphin, Yamana and Kishida felt the seabed tremble—the statue began to glow.

"The statue's energy levels are rising!"

The massive statue slowly rose from the seabed, preparing to leave the ocean floor to destroy human civilization.

Yamana cried out: "The statue came to life! So this is what they mean by 'living fossil'!"

Ocean pollution had not only birthed the sea beast 【Kadan】, but also awakened this 【Ancient Sea God】.

"This is the consequence humanity created…" Fūgū Miya's face darkened further.

Qi Ming contacted Kumi: "Kumi, go with Vice-Commander Nishijo to the archaeological team excavating the underwater ruins. Ask them if they found a 'beautiful white seashell.'"

"Only someone with a 'pure heart' can embed the seashell into the 'Meteor Stone' on Ondeku Coast to halt the statue's activity."

Kumi replied quickly: "Understood. We're on our way!"

After speaking, Qi Ming turned to Fūgū Miya: "The ancient civilization that placed the statue never intended total annihilation. They also created a device to stop it—leaving room for change. They believed civilizations learn from punishment."

Fūgū Miya fell silent again. Qi Ming watched the statue emerge from the sea, thinking: This arrival is perfectly timed.

He had no intention of destroying this lifeless statue that grants no Star-Credit—it could be treated as an "ally."

With this, his plan became even more complete.

Senior Ji Shi Zhun asked: "Does 'pure heart' mean someone with a pure, kind soul? Who will you send to place the shell?"

Qi Ming: "Mayumi. She's a nurse who saves lives, and she once willingly sacrificed herself for others. She must have a 'pure heart.'"

But when Qi Ming called, he learned Mayumi and her boyfriend Takuma were on vacation abroad and wouldn't return anytime soon.

Aizumi Makoto said: "We don't need outsiders. We're all sacred Ultrawarriors, fighting to protect the world and justice—we all have 'pure hearts.' We can do it ourselves."

Qi Ming: "…."

——————————

This ideological conflict is too hard to write.

Write too much, readers get bored; write too little, it's shallow. After ten hours of effort, I've only managed this much.

Let me reflect further. I'll try for ten thousand characters tomorrow.

Flip down for a bonus chapter.

(End of Chapter)