Devouring World Dragon

Chapter 212 The Snake Man and the Oldest Human
(Jin Yong has passed away...)
This girl was, after all, just a high school girl. Many girls her age were still nestled in their parents' arms, acting coquettishly and looking forward to future love.

However, fate is unpredictable, and she is forced to travel around with her father, adoptive mother, and a slightly eccentric, thin young man, experiencing gunfights in cities, fighting against the shadow government that controls the world, going to Antarctica to find the Nasus base, flying to the moon to confront Hitler, and facing strange creatures such as vampires and werewolves...

Her experiences in less than half a year are already legendary, but why would she want such a legendary experience?

Even though she inherited her parents' stubbornness and refusal to admit defeat easily, being in the underwater environment still made her feel frustrated and uneasy.

Roberts looked at his daughter, who was squatting on the ground in frustration and refusing to move forward, while Uberto gave him a look.

Should we take a break for now?

Roberts thought for a moment and nodded.

Uberto continued to work on his equipment, while Roberts sat beside Joan. The strained relationship between father and daughter, caused by long-term estrangement, had gradually faded with their shared experiences of life and death over the past six months, but they still rarely had a heart-to-heart talk like this.

"Dad...why aren't you afraid?"

Beside Uberto, Joan, who was sitting with her legs drawn up, couldn't help but speak up.

She didn't understand. The three of them were in the deep sea with nowhere to escape and no idea what way to survive. Wasn't Roberts afraid?
Roberts looked at his daughter beside him. Despite having faced life and death several times, her face still carried an immaturity and naivety. After thinking for a moment, he placed his hand on his daughter's head and said softly.

“Joan, everyone is afraid, but being afraid is useless. Dad is also afraid, but I just don’t show it.”

However, he was met with a skeptical and distrustful look from his daughter.

In Joan's view, her father had never shown any fear. She was simply puzzled as to why he wasn't afraid, never considering that he might have been. As for Roberts's explanation, she dismissed it as a clumsy attempt by Roberts to comfort a child.

But Roberts shook his head.

“Joan, Dad is indeed afraid. In fact, Dad is afraid of many things. There’s the memory of that time when I was a child, being locked in the dark room of the training camp when I was a little older, and... your mother’s matter. Dad is actually afraid of many things.”

When she mentioned Joan's mother, Betty, Roberts paused for a moment before continuing.

Looking at his daughter in front of him, stroking her hair and feeling the soft strands slip through his fingers, his gaze was complex as he spoke softly.

"Of course Dad is scared too, but Dad also realizes that being scared is not enough. Whenever Dad realizes this, he forces himself to overcome this fear and conquer it."

“Joan, remember, there is no one in this world who is fearless. As long as you are human, you will be afraid. What makes humans human is that they are flawed.”

“Joan, fear is not shameful, because it is human nature. But at the same time, only those who know fear can unleash fearless courage. Humans have a precious heart, which can be beautiful or evil. Humans feel fear, but at the same time, they also feel the power of courage. This power makes humans noble and great, transcending our innate limitations.”

As he said this, for some reason, a thought suddenly struck him, and he murmured to himself unconsciously.

"Perhaps, only heartless beasts know nothing of fear."

But Joan looked confused and puzzled by Roberts' words; at her age, she couldn't quite understand what her father was trying to say.

Seeing the confusion on her daughter's face, Roberts didn't explain anything. He simply bent down and kissed her forehead, then embraced her, feeling his soft and fragile daughter in his arms. He closed his eyes and whispered words of comfort.

"Qiong, don't worry, as long as Dad is here, he will make sure nothing happens to you."

……

“Roberts, you may not understand yet, but your daughter was destined to be involved from the moment she was born. This fate that has lasted for thousands of years, perhaps it is time to end.”

"A thousand-year destiny? What do you mean?!"

"Heh, no matter how angry you glare at me or how nervous you are, it won't change anything. Your daughter has been chosen. No, or rather, she's the only candidate in the world..."

"..."

"No, I can't say it directly. You've seen a lot, you should understand that some things are dangerous just to mention..."

"..."

"It seems you've come to your senses. She has already been chosen; she is the crucial key."

"How can I save my daughter?"

"The only way out is to put aside our differences and unite as one. Although the hope is slim, I will do everything I can to help you... for my own sake and for the sake of the world."

……

The argument before Joan woke up echoed in his mind. Although Uberto hadn't dared to say it directly due to some concerns, Roberts had a vague guess. He had witnessed many things and had personally experienced similar situations. If it was really as he suspected…

"As long as Dad is here, nothing will happen to you."

Roberts silently made a vow in her heart.

Just then, a hoarse and strange voice rang out. "Although I understand that you father and daughter have a lot to say, I'll still interrupt you for a moment. I may have found a way out..."

Looking at the faint light in the distance, the three did not rush forward.

After advancing for about half an hour using Uberto's instruments, some things gradually appeared in the originally desolate wilderness, such as broken stone tablets, desolate buildings, human-like corpses, strange armor, etc. However, judging from the corpse, it was a humanoid creature with a long tail, resembling a four-legged snake.

When they saw the strange corpse, both of them except Joan showed unusual expressions, especially Uberto, whose face was unusually serious and cold. They seemed to have realized something.

As they continued forward, a faint light gradually appeared in what had been a completely dark place in the distance.

"What do you think lies ahead, Uberto?"

"I don't know, but I don't think it's anything good... This is a strange protective shield located thousands of miles underwater. What's inside this shield may be older than the history of human civilization. I can't estimate what might appear here."

Uberto paused for a moment, then spoke again in a hoarse, strange voice.

"But that corpse... if it's really as we suspect, then perhaps we've truly found an incredible place. Roberts, why did we end up here? Do you think it's fate or coincidence?"

Roberts' expression remained unchanged, but his eyes were filled with determination.

Qiong was somewhat confused by the two's cryptic conversation and couldn't help but ask.

"Dad, Uberto, what are you talking about?"

Roberts didn't speak, but Uberto looked at her, staring at her with his vertical snake eyes, his mouth, which was gradually growing sharp teeth, opening and closing.

"Joan, do you know the legend of the snake people?"

But before Joan could speak, he shook his head.

"No, perhaps I shouldn't have asked that. After all, the legend of the snake people is a very secretive record, and you probably wouldn't know about it."

"In some extremely ancient legends of the Otherworld, there was a group of creatures living in the sea. Legend has it that they had snake-like bodies but human-like limbs. They built a highly advanced civilization in the seabed, which coexisted with the Atlanteans. Humans called it the Snake-People Civilization. But according to legend, this Snake-People Civilization has disappeared."

"I hadn't expected this before, but now it seems... the seabed, the protective shield, the snake-like humanoid corpses, perhaps they haven't disappeared after all."

As he spoke, Uberto took a deep breath, but his narrowed trachea made his breathing sound strange, like he was in a leaky pipe.

“Roberts, I think we'd better prepare for battle. Are you sure we should continue? Robert…”

But there was no response from beside him. Uberto turned to look at Roberts beside him, only to see that Roberts had raised her head and seemed to be looking at something in the distance, without answering Uberto.

"Roberts?"

"I think... we no longer need to consider whether or not to move forward."

Looking into the distance, Roberts murmured.

Uberto followed Roberts' gaze, and his pupils reflected the massive army that was approaching like a dark cloud...

"Boom!!!"

Accompanied by the thunderous roars of the sea monsters, the massive, Titan-like creatures were driven forward. In the center of the army, a general, carrying a banner and clad in golden armor, revealing only his vertical, serpentine eyes, rode atop a whale. The enormous whale, as large as a small mountain, floated in the air on clouds, its body covered in heavy golden armor, soaring through the air and spewing mist. Beautiful mermaids riding dolphins played flutes and lyre, providing music for the army. Towering sea giants trudged heavily, their armor making them appear like towering gods. Winged creatures soared through the air, bows and arrows and brass muskets ready to fire at the enemy. Armored fish-men advanced in orderly formation on land, their whiskers swaying in the wind, yet their calm and deadly aura was palpable…

The ancient snake-people civilization had not disappeared; at this moment, they appeared before the three of them.

……

Somewhere on the coast.

The vast ocean stretches to the horizon, its azure waters meeting the sky. The capricious nature of the sea inspires awe in humanity; after all, who can remain in the sea without feeling reverence for it?
But today, before this most ancient humankind, the ever-changing sea appears unusually calm, its waters still and waveless, even somewhat submissive.

The oldest human being gazed at the sea before him, his muscles and body exposed, feeling the sea breeze caressing his skin, seemingly lost in thought, recalling something.

After a long while, he walked towards the sea.

The seawater gradually submerged his ankles, his waist, his hair... until it completely drowned him.

Underwater, the oldest humans trudged through the fine sand, their long hair swaying like seaweed in the ocean. Gazing silently at the darkness before them, they walked step by step toward the deepest part of the seabed.

In the seawater, countless low voices could be faintly heard speaking respectfully.

"king."

The oldest human, the king of the sea and lord of the snake people, who was banished by the snake people.

(End of this chapter)