I did not know whether this Deep Diving Project could be considered a complete success. We had, in fact, achieved our original goals: conduct a deep dive, test the performance of the experimental Deep Diving Ship model, gather data from the Abyss Deep Zone for the construction of a more powerful Deep Diving Ship, obtain more than two valid Databases, and finally withdraw safely from the Testing Ground. All of those goals had now been met, but there had been an unforeseen development: we had lost a test universe with excellent conditions.
The loss was not unbearable, nor had it affected the overall gains of the Deep Diving Project. But knowing that the Fallen Apostles had been behind it left a thorn in our throats. Sandora was especially furious. She had tripled the troops guarding every Abyss Gate within the Empire that was used for research, preventing Fallen Apostles from suddenly emerging from them. Beyond that, however, there was little she could do. The Empire was not yet capable of assembling a fleet able to fight within the Abyss Domain.
After dealing with whatever Abyssal power might have clung to us—it felt like we had just taken a stroll through a plague zone—we three headed to Shadow City Headquarters, where everyone was already waiting. In the Officer Lounge, I saw Qian Qian sprawled bonelessly across the sofa, lazily whining and moaning. She had absolutely no awareness of her status as the Empire's Matriarch. In such a serious military facility, right in front of several guards at the door, she was openly playing with a doll. The doll was resisting fiercely. To stop Qian Qian from putting strange little outfits on her, she had already shed feathers all over the floor. Well, that doll was Suigintou.
"Ah, A Jun... eek..."
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