LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 5: Aftermath
Chapter 5 - Aftermath
[Hong Kong – Aftermath]
Oblivion waded back into the ocean, disappearing beneath the waves to heal his wounds. The ruined city of Hong Kong was left in stunned silence, the only sounds the crackling of fires, the distant wail of sirens, and the echoing drips of viscous, blue Kaiju blood. Where Oblivion had stood, the ground was scorched and blackened, the very rock seemingly fused together.
Where the two Kaiju had been, there were now only empty craters, the ground around them scorched and smooth.
[Pan Pacific Defense Corps HQ – Shatterdome]
The PPDC, still reeling from the destruction and the sheer scale of the Kaiju onslaught, struggled to comprehend the events. The appearance of the colossal creature, the "Sky Destroyer" as it was now ominously dubbed by the public, had thrown their carefully laid plans into chaos.
"It was… beyond anything we've ever encountered," Marshal Pentecost muttered, staring at the holographic projections of the battle. "Two Category IVs, and then… that thing. It was like a god from the deep."
Dr. Thorne, his face pale, analyzed the data streams. "The energy readings… were off the charts. The creature's size, its strength… it's unlike anything we've ever seen. It's as if it's… evolving."
"Evolving?" Pentecost echoed, a shiver running down his spine. "The Kaiju are evolving, and now this… this monster.".
On another screen, news broadcasts from around the world played in a chaotic montage. Reporters struggled to find words to describe what they had witnessed. The footage, shaky and often obscured by smoke and debris, showed the new creature's arrival, its battle with the Kaiju, and then… nothing. The Kaiju simply vanished.
"A third behemoth has emerged from the depths!" one reporter exclaimed, his voice filled with panic. "It appeared during the Kaiju attack in Hong Kong, engaging both creatures in a terrifying battle!"
"Experts are baffled," another reporter stated, standing in front of a ruined cityscape. "This new creature is unlike anything we've ever seen. Its size, its power… it's unprecedented. "
"Is it a Kaiju?" a third reporter asked, his face pale. "Or is it something else entirely? Something far more… dangerous?"
The public reaction was a mixture of fear, confusion, and awe. Social media exploded with images and videos of the battle, the new creature dubbed "Sky Destroyer" by some, "The Obsidian Giant" by others. Conspiracy theories ran rampant, with some claiming it was a government weapon gone rogue, others believing it was a divine punishment, and still others whispering of ancient prophecies and forgotten gods.
[Shatterdome – Continued]
"We need to classify it," Pentecost said, turning to Thorne. "What is it?"
Thorne shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "We don't know, Marshal. Its DNA… or rather, the lack thereof… it's unlike anything in our database. There's no genetic material to analyze. It's not Kaiju, that's for sure. Its biology… it's almost extraterrestrial. And the fact that it completely eradicated the Kaiju… it's terrifying."
"Extraterrestrial? Send an expedition to the Pacific and try to track its origin that thing was twice the size of a category IV and we need to know what is it?" Pentecost repeated, his brow furrowed. The implications were staggering. If this creature wasn't from Earth, where did it come from? And why would it consume the other kaiju?
Raleigh and Mako, still recovering from their near-death experience in Hong Kong, watched the news reports in stunned silence. They had witnessed the "Sky Destroyer" firsthand, its power beyond comprehension.
"That… that wasn't a Kaiju," Raleigh muttered, his voice hoarse. "It was something else entirely."
Mako, her face pale, nodded in agreement. "More than just a predator. It felt… ancient, primordial."
They discussed the possibility of coexisting with such a creature, an idea that seemed absurd at first. But as they analyzed the situation, they realized that humanity's current approach was failing. "We can't keep fighting," Mako said, "We're losing. We need to find another way."
Raleigh, remembering the devastation wrought by the Kaiju, hesitated. "But what if it turns against us? What if it sees us as a threat?"
Mako looked at him, her eyes filled with a determined glint. "Then we have to find a way to communicate, to understand it. We can't just fight everything we don't understand."
They knew it was a long shot, a gamble with the fate of humanity. But they also knew that their current path was leading to inevitable destruction. The appearance of the "Sky Destroyer" had forced them to confront a harsh reality: humanity was not the apex predator of this planet. There were forces at work far beyond their comprehension, forces that would ultimately shape the destiny of both mankind and the planet itself.
[Shatterdome – Continued]
Pentecost turned to Raleigh, who had been brought to the Shatterdome for a debriefing. "Raleigh, you were closest to it. Did you get any sense of its intentions?"
Raleigh shook his head. "It was… focused on the Kaiju. It didn't seem to pay us any attention. It was like… it was in its own world."
"It didn't attack us," Mako added. "It could have easily destroyed Gipsy, but it didn't."
Pentecost considered their words. This new creature had appeared during a Kaiju attack, engaged both creatures with overwhelming force. It hadn't attacked any human targets. Was it a protector? A rival to the Kaiju? Or something else entirely? Something far more… unsettling?
"We need to find it," Pentecost said, his voice firm. "We need to understand what it is, where it came from, and what it wants. Before it reappears."
The world had changed once again. The Kaiju threat was still present, but now there was another player on the board, a powerful and enigmatic force that had the potential to change the course of the war. A force that made Kaiju vanish without a trace.
(PPDC Perspective – Mariana Trench)
A deep-sea submersible descended into the Mariana Trench, its powerful lights cutting through the darkness. The crew was on a mission to investigate the energy signatures detected after the Hong Kong incident. As they approached a deep-sea vent, their sonar picked up an enormous object moving in the distance. The object was far larger than any known marine creature. Before they could get a clear visual, the object disappeared, leaving only swirling currents and a faint energy signature.
(Oblivion Perspective)
Oblivion sensed the approach of the human machines. He was still healing from his injuries, but he was aware of their presence. He observed them from a distance, curious but cautious. He then used his new ability, subtly shifting his form, becoming even more streamlined and agile, allowing him to slip away undetected into the deeper trenches.
[Kaiju Research Facility – Connecting to Kaiju Brain]
Dr. Newton Geiszler, a brilliant but eccentric Kaiju biologist, was in his lab, preparing for a dangerous experiment. He was about to attempt a neural handshake with a preserved Kaiju brain, hoping to glean information about the Kaiju's origins and their plans.
"Neural interface online," Geiszler said, connecting a series of wires and electrodes to the Kaiju brain. "Initiating drift sequence."
The lab filled with a low hum as the neural connection was established. Geiszler's eyes rolled back in his head as he entered the Kaiju's mind.
The experience was overwhelming. He was bombarded with images, sounds, and emotions, a chaotic torrent of alien sensations. He saw glimpses of the Anteverse, the Kaiju's home dimension, a hostile and alien world. He saw images of the Precursors, the creators of the Kaiju, their motives still shrouded in mystery.
Then, he saw something else. Images of a colossal, obsidian creature, a being of immense power. The Kaiju feared this creature, recognized it as a threat. And he heard a message, a warning: "They are sending another. A Category V. And more… they know of the Obsidian One. They have prepared."
Geiszler broke the connection, gasping for air, his mind reeling from the experience. He rushed to contact the Shatterdome.
[Shatterdome – Continued]
"Marshal," Geiszler's voice crackled through the comms, "I've made contact. They're sending another Kaiju. A Category V. But that's not all. They know about the… Obsidian One. They're preparing for it."
The room fell silent. The implications were clear. The Kaiju were aware of Oblivion, and they were actively preparing to fight him. The war was about to escalate to a whole new level.