Chapter 116: Arc 4: Chapter 4: Titan in the Volcano

In the cold wind of the night, the small jet plane lands in an airport in the West Indies.

This was a military airport built on the edge of Isle de Mona, Merlin could see from the window that this airport was specially built for Monarch.

In the darkness at the edge of the airport, Merlin even saw several armed soldiers patrolling the vicinity. This was basically a half-militarised base, so it seems that the WSC values the research results of Monarch greatly. Otherwise, they would not have built a half-permanent base on a remote island like this.

"We'll be taking a car for the remainder of the journey."

Professor Serizawa brings Merlin and Hill down the gangway, there was already a black military vehicle waiting for them at the edge of the airport.

"The soldiers here?"

Merlin looks at the fully armed soldiers and couldn't help but ask:

"They're here to protect you? Or?"

"Those are from the military."

Disdain flashes in Professor Serizawa's eyes as he says to Merlin in a low tone:

"Originally the NSA was responsible for the security of Monarch, we weren't that valued back then and there were only a dozen soldiers doing security work. But 10 days ago, these soldiers were suddenly stationed in Isle de Mona, they come from different countries and they bring heavy weapons...I don't think they're here to protect us."

"You're saying, they're on guard against the titan in the volcano?"

Merlin squints his eyes and says:

"If a creature can snooze out in deep lava, then that means that neither regular bullets nor even cannon fire can pose a threat against it. Do these soldiers know what they're dealing with?"

"No, they don't."

Vivienne answers:

"But the colonel leading them does, we suspect that this is the military's attitude. Those aggressive soldiers are planning to wipe out these ancient titans, which goes against the research aim of Monarch."

"We track ancient creatures across the globe not to exterminate them."

Professor Serizawa leans against the slowly moving car and says to Merlin beside him:

"We're trying to find a way for humans and monsters to coexist, this world isn't just ours...in ancient times, this world also belonged to them."

"We simply announced our rule to the world while these creatures were asleep. But sleeping ancient creatures...won't keep sleeping forever, and humanity would never give up its dominance over the Earth."

"Conflict leads to war. War causes destruction..."

Professor Serizawa had a concerned tone.

Merlin on the other hand was not that concerned, he had experienced for himself the Kree war a few weeks ago; he knows that even Godzilla, who withstood the Kree's dismantling ray, is not invincible on this planet.

At least, a fully unleashed Carol can go toe to toe with it.

Though it's uncertain who the victor will be.

"The military has always been like this, a few days ago, they even tried to threaten me as to give them all the work of my research."

Merlin's lies came like natural, he says disdainfully:

"Those idiotic soldiers think that the weapons in their hands make them invincible, they plan on eradicating all the irregulars on this planet; little do they know that the assimilation between humans and irregulars had already begun hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago; those creatures hide amongst human society, and like mutants, they've already become part of the existing world order."

'Yeah, order."

Ishiro Serizawa looks out of the window and says softly:

"Perhaps real order will come when the beasts awaken."

"You're being too sadistic, professor."

Merlin frowns and says to Ishiro Serizawa:

"When I started researching on irregulars, I had also thought of them to be unstoppable; they're mostly stronger and more powerful than humans, compared to them, humans have no distinct advantage."

"But as my research on irregulars progressed, I realized that it's not due to luck that humanity takes the lead in the mainstream world. As powerful as those irregulars are, they also have clear weaknesses; humans may be weak, but we don't have any lethal weaknesses...even if those beasts return, they'll never truly decimate civilization with their few numbers."

Merlin extends his hand and makes a stance of confrontation, saying:

"The confrontation between the two will become a stalemate, and eventually form a new order; but trust me, in that new order, humans will not become food."

"Professor Merlin, you have a very interesting point."

Professor Vivienne who listened with relish on the side says:

"I oftentimes say that my mention is being too sadistic, I believe that man and monster would eventually find a place for each other in the new world."

"Pets!"

Professor Serizawa suddenly says so.

"Pets?"

Merlin looks at Ishiro Serizawa and asks confusingly:

"Are you saying that creatures like Godzilla would become our pets? That's a tad unrealistic?"

"No!"

Professor Serizawa closes his eyes, seeming to be exhausted, and says in a low tone:

"We would become their pets."

"Uhh."

Merlin and agent Hill were surprised, moments later, Merlin chuckles dryly:

"That's quite the sadistic view you have there."

The people remained silent over the next dozen minutes, the car proceeded through the darkness silently, and as they got closer to the volcano, the terrain became harder to move through. And halfway up the mountain, large mechanical machines were working, the flickering lights radiate the remote volcanic crater.

It seems that the WSC who had just taken over the project was planning on building a military-grade winding road on the edge of the volcano.

But the road was yet finished, so the military vehicle could only stop a hundred meters away from the volcanic crater.

"The lab is inside the volcano, we've set an undisturbed space there."

Vivienne helps agent Hill with her luggage while telling Professor Merlin:

"There's an elevator below the volcano, it can take us there directly."

"You're quite experienced in building labs."

Agent Hill looks around and says in a seemingly surprised tone:

"It looks like this isn't your first time building labs like this?"

"It indeed isn't the first time."

Vivienne answers casually:

"Monarch has 7 observatories across the globe, meaning 7 ancient titans whose traces were found. But currently, there are only...mmm, 3 that have been observed directly, the rest are just traces."

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Professor Serizawa walks in the front while carrying his bag, when he wasn't talking, he seemed to be a somewhat sad yet quiet researcher.

As Merlin and Hill walk behind the two, Hill lowers her voice and says to Merlin:

"She's lying...I can feel it."

"Mmm."

Merlin also nods and says:

"There's definitely more than 7, and they've definitely discovered more than just 3 large beasts...they still don't trust us."

"Why are these scientists so oversensitive?"

Agent Hill asks confusedly:

"It's like a secret organization."

Facing the question his helper asked, Merlin presses his glasses, he looks at the opened elevator in front of them and says:

"Considering the secret they're guarding...it's easy to understand why they're so oversensitive. Maybe they're not lying on purpose, and it's just to protect us."

"Come on, let's go see that Radon in the fire."

---

Merlin and Hill follow Vivienne Graham into the lab in the volcano, it was currently midnight, so aside from a few observers, there were no other people inside this lab filled with high-tech observers.

Professor Serizawa was a true activist, after confirming that Monarch requires the help of the mysterious Professor Merlin, he no longer hides the secret of Isla de Mona.

With Vivienne's help, while putting on the silver high-temperature protective clothing, Professor Serizawa says to Merlin and Hill behind him:

"The observation chamber is deeper ahead, near the belly of the volcano; the temperature inside is very high, and you need to put on a protective suit to get close."

Merlin nods, he and Hill put on the hard-to-move protective suits that can withstand the heat of nearly 1000 degrees, the one-piece clothing had a window used for observation in front of it, but it felt really uncomfortable when put on.

Professor Serizawa looks back at the two already prepared guests, he nods at them and presses the button to open the observation chamber.

"Clang"

Following a heavy sound, the heavy metal door in front of them slowly begins to open outwards, but what appeared before them was not a path that leads straight towards the belly of the volcano, instead, it was a mountain path with red lights flashing at the end of the path.

"Look! There's a mural here."

As they walked into the pathway, agent Hill pats on Merlin's arm, the latter turns around and sees the murals on the wall; they seem to be drawn using blood or some kind of red pigment.

They were some very abstract pictures, but one could still see faintly the interaction between the ancient human tribes and the titan in the volcano drawn with blurry lines.

Or to say, they were sacrifices...

"The ancient people of this place viewed the titan in the lava as a god."

Professor Serizawa stops, he extends his hand and says in awe:

"We've detected the pigments on this mural, it was dried up blood...but it's hard for us to guess whether it was from the sacrifices offered by the ancient human shamans to show their awe or blood of courage spilled by the warriors who challenged the flaming titan."

"One thing's for sure, it's existed for a very long time. Perhaps even tens of thousands of years."

"Tens of thousands of years?"

Merlin shakes his head:

"That is unrealistic, as long as it's a living being, it's impossible for it to not eat or drink for such a long time, it's too long even for hibernation."

"We suspect that it draws the energy from the heat to sustain the minimum circulation of its body."

Professor Serizawa says:

"You'll know the exact situation once you see it with your own eyes."

 As he finishes, the quiet Professor Serizawa continues leading Merlin and Hill forward. Vivienne remained in the lab to monitor their situation, carrying out a rescue if needed.

After walking along the hotter path for a few minutes, Merlin's vision suddenly brightens.

Heat glows flicker in the belly of the volcano as threads of black smoke that represent high heat comes up from below; beneath the cliff they were standing on, threshing lava was still flowing, meaning that this volcano was still an active one.

Even without Professor Serizawa pointing it out, Merlin could see the terrifying cocoon-like creature near the wall of the volcanic belly with most of its body submerged in lava.

It was like a bat-like flying creature, from the small part of its body exposed from the lava, its standing height should be around 30-40 meters. It used its large wings to cover its body layer by layer, making it hard for people to see its head.

The lower part of its body was submerged in lava, in its long period of sleep, its body had permanently assimilated with the rocks of the volcano, and from the rocks left on its wings, this majestic creature seems to have died, or fossilized.

"Bam"

A deep sound echoes in the volcano.

It was the sound of its heart beating.

It was slow, perhaps taking several hours, or even days, to beat once.

This proves that it was still alive, just under a deep sleep like hibernation.

It may even awaken at any moment.

"My god..."

When she saw the large creature that existed in the belly of the volcano, the always calm gaze of agent Hill turns sluggish and she couldn't help but let out an exclamation.

Next to her, Merlin moved his lips, but he remained quiet.

He had seen starships armadas in space, he had seen destructive war, he had seen the flame goddess soaring across the stars, he had also seen the blue beam that stormed out of the atmosphere.

The creature before him did make him feel surprised, but it didn't have that shocking feeling.

Professor Serizawa had been quietly observing the two people beside him, although he could not see the two's expressions through the protective suit, he could still sense agent Hill's astonishment from her exclamation, just the reaction they had when they first saw Rodan.

But Professor Merlin did not.

No exclamation, no sluggishness, not even much emotional reaction.

This seems to prove that this mysterious professor Merlin was the real deal, at least, he's seen scenes as astonishing as the ancient creature in front of him.

"Its body has assimilated with the lava."

Professor Serizawa points at the black frames constructed on the walls of the volcano's outer ring, the frame extended to the terrifying beast like a spiderweb.

"The temperature's too high, we have no way to measure the data. Even with a protective suit, we can't get past the lava and poisonous fog to get a closer look. Even bullets would melt as it gets close to it."

"Mmm."

Professor Serizawa's explanation makes Merlin nod, he looks at the ancient titan engraved into the volcanic wall, and moments later, he says softly:

"I need some time to prepare."

"Tomorrow! TOmorrow we'll be able to get close to this titan forged in fire."

 

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