The Doctor Has Always Been Thick-Skinned / The Path Was Laid Long Ago

"Because you lack racial characteristics, you are closest to us." The Doctor removed her hood, revealing her appearance, which lacked any racial features. "I don't know everything either."

"What is the Command System?" Exusiai curiously. In the past, the scholars of Sankta had studied many secrets about themselves, such as why Sankta were optimistic by nature and could empathize with each other, and why their wings and halos were so special.

"It can't be explained in a few words, but the Command System is the very foundation of your Sankta existence."

The Doctor suddenly remembered something. She was torn between whether or not to tell Exusiai something, but she was also worried that it would lead to uncontrollable consequences.

"What I'm about to say might cause you to fall from heaven. Do you still want to listen?"

"Speak," Exusiai seemed to have foreseen this. "Mostima also fell from heaven, but she's still doing just fine, isn't she? Besides, it's not like I'm unwanted. After falling from heaven, will Mizuki not marry me?"

Exusiai had already guessed this when Doctor. Agasa chose to remain silent. It wasn't just that she was worried that Dr. Agasa wouldn't be able to accept it, but that she was worried that this content would have a real impact on her.

"Actually, your ancestors were Sarkaz."

"..."

Silence fell over the entire cave, except for the sound of Mizuki's footsteps suddenly stopping.

"What did you say?!"

Exusiai had considered what important news the Doctor might have to tell her, but this was just too important!

"Doctor, are you kidding me? Sankta and Sarkaz have been fighting so fiercely over the years, how could they possibly be the same kind?"

"Can you tell me if the Sankta race existed two thousand years ago?"

The Doctor wasn't surprised by Exusiai's reaction, but didn't say much more. Fortunately Exusiai didn't fall from grace because of this.

"More than a thousand years ago, your ancestors, for reasons unknown, found something and broke away from the Sarkaz to become the Sankta, but this in itself was very dangerous."

"A cold Command System grants you a sense of identity, but for a machine without self-awareness to operate in the name of God and fulfill a mission it doesn't even understand, there must be something wrong somewhere."

Mizuki gently took Exusiai's hand, knowing that his girlfriend's head was probably burning up from the Doctor's words, and this gesture offered Exusiai some comfort.

"I'm fine... just a little overloaded."

Exusiai let out a slight sigh of relief. She couldn't think of any reason why Doctor would lie to her. It couldn't be just for fun, and Mostima's fall from grace vaguely proved this point.

Not only Exusiai, but everyone except Mizuki, including Muelsyse, was shocked by the news, but Specter quickly recovered.

"So, this is the price to pay for transforming from Sarkaz to Sankta?"

"What's the meaning?"

Everyone turned to look at Specter, who pointed to his own chest and then to Exusiai's chest.

"I heard that the average chest size of the Sankta is... considerably smaller than that of the Sarkaz."

"..."

I don't know why, but everyone seems to think that Specter's statement makes a lot of sense.

Chapter 166 The Doctor is Always Shameless

The cave was just an entrance, and it was man-made. The marks didn't look too old. Mizuki placed his hand on it and gently stroked it, realizing that it was the mark he had left. With his strength, opening such a passage was not a problem.

"Be careful, the moss on this stone wall, besides glowing, also secretes a corrosive venom."

As Mizuki spoke, she reached out and gently poked a flower. It was quite rare for a flower to bloom in this dark, sunless cave. It would be even better if the toxin it secreted wasn't the kind that could kill a dozen people in a few seconds with just a drop.

The venom was seeping into the air, but fortunately, this situation had been taken into account when they arrived. Apart from Mizuki and Muelsyse, who had special abilities, the remaining five people were all wearing gas masks and goggles. However, they no longer found the scenery of the cave to be particularly beautiful; instead, they found it somewhat terrifying.

Especially when you see those normally quiet plants suddenly extend their branches to gently touch Mizuki, as if to say hello, it's really a little scary to even think about it. Cute as it may be, Mizuki can sometimes really give you a fright.

"Mizuki, I remember we were supposed to go to the bottom of the sea, right?"

"Yeah, but going this way means less diving and less chance of being spotted, saving a lot of trouble."

Although they had walked for a long time, they were generally heading downwards. The Doctor didn't doubt that Mizuki was lying to her, but she still couldn't help but look around. Anyone who rashly entered this place would definitely suffer a great loss, and it would be good luck to be able to return alive.

However, because of the existence of the Seaborn, the Iberia could not even go out to sea, and they were afraid of the sea and dared not easily approach the coast. Moreover, Tide Stone Town had long been dilapidated and deserted, and it was like this when Mizuki came.

"I thought Mizuki came looking for the research institute, but I didn't expect you to be here to pave the way."

Miss Doctor muttered to herself. She had initially thought this was a path she had left behind, but upon closer reflection, she realized it was impossible. In the millions of years that had passed, no one could say how much the world had changed; Mizuki had merely opened a path.

"Hmm, I also thought it was the Doctor who cleared the path, but these marks are very new, exactly the same as the marks left by my tentacles."

After walking for a while, Mizuki and the others stopped. Before them was a small lake, covered by what appeared to be a thin film, preventing seawater from flowing directly into the cave.

The seawater was clear, and the fluorescent lights in the water illuminated the surroundings. Several Sea Siren girls emerged from the water, holding some things that looked like grass balls in their hands.

"We'll be going into the water from here. Don't worry about the oxygen; we just need to speed things up."

This place is at least four or five hundred meters underwater, but the destination is in the deeper part of the ocean. We really can't expect to walk there. The Iberia side will probably find out that something is wrong by morning.

The Sea Siren created a hollow water shield centered on themselves and threw the seaweed balls onto it as an oxygen source. These seaweed balls are essentially a type of Seaborn, so they provide enough nutrients for respiration.

"Be careful not to fall in, otherwise you'll be crushed by the pressure of the deep sea if you fall outside the water shield."

Siren No. 12345 nearly startled the Doctor so much that she fell off her back. She quickly hugged the other's slender waist tightly—literally, slender waist.

"Do you like big ones?" Exusiai poked Mizuki's waist. "How come everyone's breasts are so big..."

"I learned about my figure from the Doctor and Skadi, so don't be jealous."

Mizuki picked up Exusiai and placed her on the back of another Sea Siren. He and Skadi, of course, didn't need to go through all that trouble. If the Abyssal Hunters couldn't withstand the water pressure, they couldn't possibly become the sharp blade in Aegir's hands.

As for Mizuki, he jumped into the water and swam quickly towards their destination with everyone.

The deep sea was tranquil. Although being near Mizuki felt as warm as the ocean, it was not the real sea. Skadi and Specter had finally returned to the ocean, and an indescribable excitement welled up from the bottom of their hearts. Skadi could sense that Ishar-mla was also very happy, and even wanted to possess her body and swim around, but she didn't dare, mostly because she didn't want to upset Mizuki. To put it bluntly, she was the opposite of being henpecked.

This experience was truly novel for Exusiai and Texas. The seaweed balls formed by the micro -Seaborn constantly provided oxygen, allowing Miss Sea Siren to practically float in the air without any support, even though she was inside an oxygen mask.

"Wow, that's amazing! Can Mizuki hear me?"

Exusiai waved to her lover. Perhaps worried that the darkness of the deep sea would make everyone feel oppressed, Mizuki returned to her pure white form, illuminating the surroundings with her own Illustrious. She wasn't worried about attracting any ferocious predators, as the Seaborn itself was the most powerful species in this ocean.

He simply nodded to Exusiai to indicate that he could hear him, but speaking would be troublesome, as he didn't like drinking seawater.

Texas, with a chocolate bar in her mouth, watched Skadi and Specter swim freely and quickly, alternating like they were performing a duet. She suddenly felt a little envious of their ability to move so freely in the sea.

"Tsk tsk, my dad is so handsome." Siren No. 666, carrying Texas on her back, couldn't help but sigh. Mizuki was indeed beautiful in this form.

Everyone else was swimming, but he alone seemed to be swaying, like a butterfly fluttering, as if an invisible force was pushing him from behind. He could swim forward without moving himself, and his long, thin hair, like vines, swayed with the current, appearing exceptionally graceful.

Texas even thought that if it was Mizuki, it might explain why there were mermaids in Iberia legends who could bewitch people with their beauty and singing voice.

"Texas stepmother, what are you eating? Can I have some too?"

That beautiful atmosphere was shattered instantly, and Texas didn't know what to say for a moment. But Siren No. 666 wasn't wrong either; she was also one of Mizuki's girlfriends, and in terms of status, she could be considered the stepmother of these Sea Siren.

Texas didn't bother to answer, but simply took out a chocolate bar and gave it to Siren No. 666. Then, watching Mizuki swim freely in the sea, she felt an indescribable fondness for it.

The Sea Siren are very fast, faster than Skadi and Specter. If Gladiia were here, she could definitely keep up with the Sea Siren's speed, but the two of them would need Mizuki's help to manipulate the water to keep up.

Unfortunately, this place isn't too far from their destination, but that's relative to Mizuki. Otherwise, at their normal speed, Skadi and Specter would need at least four hours to reach their destination.

Aside from Skadi and Specter, Mizuki herself also enjoys this feeling. As the old saying goes, every Aegir yearns to swim freely in the depths of the ocean, and Mizuki is no exception.

(This feels great, the seawater temperature is perfect, although it's a bit dark.)

Mizuki couldn't help but look at the Doctor. She was clearly also full of curiosity, but she was very good at controlling her emotions and not showing them.

Today, he slightly deceived the Iberia. Mizuki knew they wouldn't trust someone as dangerous as him to move freely in Iberia, so from the beginning, he had the Sea Siren arrange the meeting place in Tide Stone Town. The Iberia were only worried about potential changes here, such as Mizuki setting an ambush, but they didn't expect that their goal was not peace talks or war.

In essence, all of this stemmed from the fact that the Iberia side placed too much emphasis on the peace talks, neglecting other aspects. While this was a mistake, it was also understandable, given that they should have prioritized the peace talks above all else.

For fifty years, it failed to recover from the Great Silence, and instead further depleted its strength. At first, the surrounding countries might have been wary, after all, even a weakened camel is bigger than a horse, and Iberia was not easy to provoke at that time.

But how much resources and military strength have been consumed in the fight against the Seaborn over the years? The number of spies infiltrating Iberia is countless compared to before.

"Iberia has it pretty tough."

The Doctor sighed softly, thinking to herself that this could be considered an undeserved disaster. Aegir aside everything else, the Church of the Deep probably originated from there and gradually spread to the land. Now, Aegir has blocked the Seaborn with a special shield. The Doctor also wanted to ask what the "Matrix" in Aegir's hand was.

Aegir is a country not to be underestimated, not only because their civilization has remained unbroken for thousands of years and their scientific level is high, but also because they have a richer heritage.

It's important to understand that the Abyssal Hunters were modified to swim freely in the ocean, but other Aegir could not move around so freely. A race unsuitable for living on the seabed has established its own civilization there, either because they are bound by chains or because they are blinded by profit.

Miss Doctor guessed it was the latter. Without receiving enough benefits, how could Aegir stay in the deep sea for long? He arrogantly looked down on civilizations on land, not realizing that he had only gotten a slightly larger slice of the pie.

"Second Aunt, do you sympathize with them?"

"What sympathy? When they were rampaging through Terra with some of Aegir's technology, did they ever imagine they'd end up like this? Bolivar's 130 years of suffering and the current division and fragmentation— Iberia can't just wash its hands of it all so easily."

With a cold snort, how could Doctor possibly sympathize with Iberia? They might be innocent in the Seaborn affair, able to cry foul, but when Bolivar's land was seized, why didn't they consider that he was also innocent?

"None of these colonialists are innocent."

In comparison, her Mizuki is simply an angel! Mizuki is indeed the best in the world!

After swimming for about half an hour, a glimmer of light suddenly appeared ahead. In fact, the Sea Siren were extremely fast, but since everyone's speed was relatively similar and there were no reference points on the seabed, they naturally couldn't sense the light.

"It's over there."

Siren No. 666 spoke, it swam quickly with everyone there. It was a place all the Seaborn knew, and it was also their starting point.

"What is that... a corpse?"

Exusiai keenly spotted a colossal creature; in fact, it should have been the first thing everyone saw, as it was the largest source of light in the area. Countless juvenile Seaborn swarmed around it, tearing at and devouring its flesh.

"Those are 'Spreading Branches,' the four Seaborn that existed Four Primordials. They were among the original leaders of the Seaborn the Brood, and they willingly died to nourish the entire swarm with their own flesh and blood. Izumik's Heart of Deep Blue is one of them."

The Sea Siren introduced themselves to the group, then stopped in front of a door. After detecting Doctor's facial features, the door opened automatically, and a thin membrane blocked out all the seawater.

The group went inside and encountered another door. Then, the Doctor's own voice came from somewhere.

"Biometric features confirmed, mental characteristics confirmed, please enter your password."

"Do I need a password?"

The Doctor couldn't help but scratch her head. This wasn't quite what she had expected. And if a password was required, how did Mizuki get in in the first place? He couldn't possibly still remember the password, could he?

"Yes, and this password was set by you personally. I can give you a hint; it's related to your favorite person."

"My favorite person... Priestess the best in the world?"

After thinking about it for a moment, the Doctor felt this was the most likely explanation, since Mizuki's ancestors probably hadn't even been born when the research institute was first established.

"Incorrect answer."

"Ugh, this is so troublesome. You recognized me, can't you just let me in?"

"That won't do. You set it up yourself, saying it was to prevent anyone from breaking into the facility and that extra precautions were needed. Even if you don't reveal the names, it won't work."

"Was I mentally unstable back then?"

The Doctor student couldn't help but complain, "Why do we need something like a password when all we need is pupil recognition and heart rate recognition?"

"It seems you still remember the unanimous evaluation of you by all your colleagues back then."

Damn, this is even more embarrassing. The Doctor student felt that the unfathomable image she had painstakingly built up had completely collapsed. What kind of person was she to have received such evaluations from her colleagues?

So who are you?

"Prts00, I should have another sister on land. She was an improved version of me, but unfortunately, she has no signal, and I don't know how she is doing."

"How did Mizuki get in when he came? He probably didn't know the password, right?"

"He truly doesn't know, but one of the rules you set for me was not to hinder or restrict any of Mizuki's actions, so he can come and go freely."

"..."

Now even the Doctor was starting to doubt her own judgment. Giving Mizuki the highest level of access, but in doing so, she ended up restricting herself—no, giving Mizuki access?

"Mizuki is my husband!"

"Password correct, welcome back, Executor 001."

This slogan is a bit too shameful, but given the Doctor's thick skin, it's actually quite understandable. Everyone can only sigh that she truly lives up to her Doctor.

Chapter 167 The decision to pave the way had already been made.

Miss Doctor felt that she was probably a bit poisoned, poisoned by Mizuki, otherwise there was no way to explain why she would give Mizuki such high privileges while blocking her own home from entering.

But others wouldn't think that way, especially Muelsyse. When she entered the research institute, she realized that what the Doctor said was true. Compared to this, even Columbia's most advanced laboratories seemed like unfinished buildings.

Despite the passage of countless years, the entire laboratory still maintains the appearance of being operating normally just yesterday, with not even much dust.

Muelsyse couldn't quite understand the words and symbols floating in mid-air, but he had a vague feeling that any one of them could cause a major upheaval in the current academic world of Terra.

"Don't be shy, make yourself at home. It's a pity we don't have any food or drinks, but please make do."

Miss Doctor did indeed suffer from amnesia, but she didn't become mentally impaired. Those memories were always in her mind, and even if she couldn't recall them, the instinctive sense of familiarity would never disappear.

So she skillfully took out a few chairs, casually wiped off the dust, and then had everyone sit down for a while before coming to the control panel.