"Alright, let's drop this. Hurry and get this thing to Luthor."
Savage cut the conversation short and, with Bai Qi, walked to a secluded corner. Through the Shadow Kingdom, they entered a secret chamber within the submarine.
"You're here."
Luthor was already waiting in the chamber, accompanied by Metallo and Doctor Octopus.
"What exactly requires the three of us to act simultaneously?"
Doctor Octopus had been engrossed in a highly precise experiment in his laboratory when Bai Qi's summons, a direct order, made him abandon his work. However, he bore no ill will; rather, he felt a flicker of anticipation, wondering what experiment was so urgent.
Metallo, who had been leisurely watching television with a cup of coffee in the lounge, was abruptly pulled here by a Shadow Ninja. Utterly clueless about the situation, he wore a bewildered expression.
Savage produced the crystal given to him by Caldran, saying, "I need you to create an amplifier to cover the entire submarine with the energy of this crystal."
"That's it?"
Doctor Octopus's voice held a hint of dissatisfaction. "If it's just to build an amplifier, there's no need for all three of us."
Bai Qi clearly saw Doctor Octopus's pique and stepped forward. "Otto, don't underestimate this crystal. It's an invaluable treasure."
"Treasure?"
Upon hearing this, Doctor Octopus's interest was piqued. He crouched down to examine the crystal closely. As far as he knew, Bai Qi wouldn't lie to him. Yet, no matter how he looked, it seemed to him to be just a stone emitting strange fluctuations.
Bai Qi continued, "This crystal comes from Atlantis. Although it's likely a replica, the energy it emits can repel the Trench creatures."
No one present was foolish. They instantly grasped the key point in Bai Qi's words.
After all, the Trench were the greatest disaster at sea. Any creature or vessel that strayed into their territory would be brutally sunk. If this crystal could be replicated, wouldn't that mean they could move freely within the Trench's domain? And then, all the sunken ships and treasures within the Trench territory would be theirs for the taking.
However, as a scientist, Doctor Octopus was more interested in purely discovering the secrets of Atlantis within the crystal.
"Now, get this amplifier made quickly. Once the submarine successfully enters the Great Trench, this crystal will be yours. As for whether you can discover anything from it, that will depend on your own abilities."
Under the operation of the three top minds—Luthor, Doctor Octopus, and Metallo—the amplifier was completed in no time. The Trench creatures, which had been stealthily approaching, vanished instantly the moment the amplifier was activated.
Savage and Bai Qi, meanwhile, were in the command center, overseeing the overall situation.
Confirming that the danger had passed, Savage waved his hand, and the submarine ventured towards the deeper seabed.
As the submarine descended, sunlight became increasingly scarce. Darkness enveloped their surroundings, with only the submarine's searchlights piercing the gloom. All sorts of bizarre deep-sea fish swam past the vessel. Strangely, these deep-sea fish showed no fear of the blinding searchlights or the submarine. On the contrary, they exhibited extreme aggression, often hurling themselves at the submarine with reckless abandon.
Although most of them shattered themselves while the submarine remained unharmed, if the submarine hadn't been sufficiently robust, these deep-sea fish alone could have caused considerable trouble.
Soon, Harry's voice crackled over the command center's intercom, "Mr. Mitelt, Mr. Zhao, please proceed to Cabin 23 immediately. Repeat, Mr. Mitelt, Mr. Zhao, please proceed to..."
Savage and Bai Qi exchanged glances. They handed over command of the control room to Savage's deputy and quickly proceeded to Cabin 23.
Cabin 23 was where the deep-sea creature samples were stored.
Given that they were in the Trench's territory and near the Great Trench, Luthor and the other scientists had specifically designed this cabin to collect biological samples for research upon their return.
"Sirs, you've arrived."
Upon seeing Bai Qi and Savage, Harry bowed hastily and then presented the recently captured deep-sea fish.
Due to the deep-sea pressure, the captured creatures were stored in special pressurized tanks.
When the two saw the fish in the pressurized tank in Harry's hand, their brows furrowed. In unison, they said, "Why is it so ugly?"
Indeed, the deep-sea fish contained within the pressurized tank possessed an exceptionally grotesque appearance. While they had known that deep-sea fish were often bizarre due to pressure, they had never encountered one like this before.
It looked as if it had undergone seven or eight mutations from nuclear radiation.
More importantly, not only was this fish ugly, but it was also extremely aggressive. Upon being brought out, it ceaselessly slammed against the walls of the pressurized tank. Even when its skull became severely deformed from the repeated impacts, it did not stop, eventually crashing itself to death.
"Not only that."
Saying this, Harry produced more pressurized tanks. Every deep-sea fish captured within them had, without exception, rammed against the tank walls and ultimately killed themselves.
At this moment, Doctor Octopus, clad in white, appeared before them. Behind him, on a laboratory table, lay a half-dissected deep-sea fish.
Doctor Octopus removed his goggles and said, "I have dissected these fish and found that their skeletal structures have undergone severe mutations. They can no longer be considered fish. I will write a detailed report for you later."
As Doctor Octopus spoke to them, four mechanical arms were already engaged in precise dissection.
"There is one more thing I must mention. Fifteen minutes ago, the crystal used to ward off the Trench creatures ceased to function. That was precisely when we were attacked by the first deep-sea fish."
"You mean, even the Trench creatures dare not venture into these waters lightly?"
As he spoke, a bad premonition washed over Savage.
"I believe so. The Trench are degenerated Atlanteans. While they have lost their intelligence, they possess strong biological instincts. Since even they dare not venture here easily, I fear there is a threat even greater than the Trench in these waters, and it is very close to us."
Hearing this, Savage dared not linger. He instructed Doctor Octopus to continue studying the deep-sea fish and quickly returned to the command center to take charge.
However, Savage left in such haste that he failed to notice Bai Qi hadn't followed. When Savage returned to the command center, the scene before him left him speechless with shock. The wreckage of numerous sunken ships almost carpeted the entire seabed.