Chapter 1 The So-Called Sacred Coffin

The so-called "Sacred Coffin" wasn't actually a coffin, but a black box with sides of one meter and a height of less than half a meter. The box was made of an unknown material, its surface covered with dark red ancient runes. Several straight engravings divided the upper half of the box into several polygons of varying sizes, making it look as if it were pieced together from many parts.

It was smaller than Hao Ren had expected.

The room containing the Sacred Coffin was located in the center of the cave. Hundreds of knights and monks guarded the stone house, which was itself shaped by the most powerful earth mages to ensure that it could withstand the tentacles of the First Born even if they attacked. Powerful magical artifacts were placed in the four corners of the stone house to transmit the divine power of the monastery on the surface to the Sacred Coffin. Thick scripture tapestries were also hung on the four walls of the stone house. These arrangements, in addition to providing protection, could also amplify a certain bioelectric signal released from the Sacred Coffin: perhaps after the original tissue inside the box died, the facilities in the stone house could delay the suppression signal for another day or two.

The stone house could not accommodate too many people, so only Hao Ren, Vivian, Ofra, and Archbishop Auben went inside. Hao Ren curiously observed the black box, placing his hand on its surface. It felt warm to the touch, unlike cold stone or metal. Of course, it was also possible that some kind of "organism" inside the box was heating the device. He patted his pocket and called out the data terminal, "Can you sense anything?"

"Complex signals are being released from inside the container, including electromagnetic waves of three frequencies and some other types of interference," the data terminal circled above the "Sacred Coffin. "It's just a signal transmitter, constantly releasing signals to calm down that big guy around us."

Archbishop Auben curiously looked at the small blue brick floating in the air, but considering the incredible power and technology of the foreigners, he did not comment on this seemingly humanistic "alchemical device." Ofra quickly asked, "Can you copy this signal?"

"At least we need to make actual contact and get some tissue samples or something," the data terminal flickered. "It's easy to simulate the electromagnetic waves released by the Sacred Coffin with just technological equipment, but this kind of thing involving mysticism… this unit thinks we should examine it carefully."

Hao Ren looked at Archbishop Auben, "Can this be opened?"

The runes on Archbishop Auben's forehead flickered in sequence, a sign of intense thought, but before setting out, the Pope had personally instructed him to cooperate with the foreigners' "research activities," so after some thought, he nodded, "Yes, but please be careful. It is irreplaceable."

As he spoke, the Archbishop placed his hand on top of the Sacred Coffin and chanted an ancient scripture in a low voice. With the chanting, the runes and lines on the surface of the Sacred Coffin gradually brightened, and then the lid of the container cracked into several parts along the straight lines, slowly floating upwards and scattering away.

Inside the container was a large mass of… something hard to describe.

It was a mass of dark red, bizarre material that resembled biological tissue, mixed with a hint of plant-like green. The overall mass of bizarre tissue looked like several animal embryos connected end to end, with a faint light flickering slowly within its depths. There was also about a third of a container of thick red liquid, its texture quite similar to "Source Blood," and the bizarre biological tissue was immersed in it.

However, although these liquids and biological tissues looked bizarre, they did not give a sense of disgust at all. Incredibly, they exuded a reassuring atmosphere, even with a certain holy aura: this was the material from which life originated, even more ancient than the First Born.

"This is the 'Progenitor of Life'..." Ofra said softly, as if afraid of alarming this mass of material. "It's the first time I've seen it."

"I once had the honor of seeing it once, one hundred and fifty years ago," Archbishop Auben frowned. "It was a little more active then than it is now."

"It's dying," the data terminal quickly concluded. "This is an organ that has been cut off… or an organ that has fallen off on its own during some normal evolution process. In any case, it's incomplete. The main part has disappeared, and this part of the organ is gradually failing."

Vivian frowned, "What was it originally supposed to do?"

The data terminal scanned the structure of the "Progenitor of Life" in more detail. "It may be the ganglion of the First Seed, the part used to issue orders and receive commands. This unit has discovered that it has a strong ability to send and receive information, like a powerful relay antenna. At the same time, it also has some ability to think and judge… but this part of the function has died. The First Seed is truly wonderful. Its organs can survive for so long after being separated from the main body..."

Hao Ren instantly grasped a key phrase: "Receive orders?! Receive what orders?"

"This unit doesn't know. This unit only scans. It has a structure similar to an antenna, and it's estimated that it can carry out faster-than-light communication," the data terminal landed back on Hao Ren's shoulder. "Perhaps it receives orders from that Creator Goddess. You said that the First Seed was released by that goddess to observe the starry sky, so this thing must have a communication function. After flying to its destination, it can fax a photo and send a couple of videos to its creator..."

Hao Ren's eyes were immediately glued to the mass of biological tissue. He originally thought that this thing was just a simple suppressor, but he didn't expect that it might be the ganglion of the First Seed, and he didn't expect that it was also an antenna!

But thinking about it, it was normal. If the illusion he had seen was true, then the Creator Goddess's purpose of planting seeds was to observe the starry sky, so these First Seeds must have communication capabilities—the Sacred Coffin contained the seed's antenna!

But now was definitely not the time to take this thing back for research. Hao Ren shook his head and calmed down, "Let's see if we can copy this thing first, or figure out the mechanism by which it suppresses the First Born."

"If you're going to do it, do the whole thing, don't just copy these signals. We need to make a clone, and that requires a little bit of tissue sample." As the data terminal spoke, it floated forward. When Archbishop Auben saw this, he immediately stood in front of the Sacred Coffin subconsciously, his face full of tension. "Don't destroy…"

"Just extracting a few cells won't kill it," the data terminal bypassed Auben. "This thing has more vitality than you think. Even if it's in its twilight years, it's still healthier than you."

As he spoke, the data terminal had floated above the mass of tissue, but then it stopped there without moving. Hao Ren looked at it for a few seconds before he couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

The data terminal flew back in a flash, "Damn it, this unit forgot that it doesn't have hands! This unit is a PDA, what kind of probe is there!"

Hao Ren: "..."

In the end, it was the omnipotent autonomous machinery in Hao Ren's personal space that was responsible for collecting samples of the "Progenitor of Life" and sealing them in a special container that could maintain the viability of biological tissues. This type of container was standard equipment for Inspectors, used to collect specimens of carbon-based organisms from strange worlds or to store leftovers—okay, the instruction manual didn't mention the second function, but Hao Ren had developed this use himself and said it was quite effective.

Archbishop Auben was no longer surprised by the strange things Hao Ren took out.

"The equipment on the Behemoth should be able to replicate this thing, but that won't solve the fundamental problem," Hao Ren looked at the giant tentacles on the side of the cave with his hands on his hips. "We still have to find a way to kill this thing. Clean and thorough, and…"

"And it's best not to make too much noise," Ofra pointed to the ground beneath everyone's feet. "This is the underground west of Sunset Volcano, and the nearest lava column is only a few hundred meters away. Every magical emperor suppressed the First Born with different methods. The Dragon Spine Mountains used mountains to form cages, as well as those stone giants, and here, it's using lava. There are huge lava columns around the key organs of the First Born, and beneath our feet is likely the largest lava lake in the world. The elemental flames in the crater of Sunset Mountain suppress these subterranean fires to prevent them from accidentally erupting or awakening the First Born, but if you're like last time…"

"Orbital bombardment will damage the magma system, causing the continental shelf to collapse. At least half of Holletta will experience a mass extinction, and if rock vapor enters the atmospheric cycle, the lives of at least a third of the entire planet will be wiped out," the data terminal took over. "She's right. This unit's radar shows that this area is completely covered by a complex network of lava flows. Those lava columns and lava rivers wrap around the First Born like a net. Obviously, they are man-made."

Hao Ren opened his mouth, "…Then I have to use my brain."