I write obituaries for the gods

"Have you heard of space-based weapons?" Lin Chen asked.

All eyes immediately turned to Lin Chen.

"Space-based weapons? You mean those satellite weapons that drop tungsten rods from near-Earth orbit and kill using kinetic energy?" Jiang Zhengge said.

“Yes, space-based weapons are not feasible in reality because the transportation cost of materials is too high. Using the same level of fuel to make missiles would be more threatening,” Lin Chen nodded. “However, W weapons do not seem to need to consider such costs.”

“Humanity’s oldest fear is the fear of the stars,” Li Zhanyi nodded slightly. “Near Earth orbit has an inexhaustible pool of subspace emotions!”

“That is indeed a possibility,” Jiang Zhengge nodded slightly. “If the Black Star were to take off, the entire world would fall within its attack range. Imagine that horrific scene…”

At this point, Lin Chen suddenly recalled the information he had obtained from the memories of the English captain:

"We both understand that once the 'whale' lands, the world's格局 will be completely changed."

"By then, even demigods will become victims of the times, and you will no longer be important. Instead, you will become destabilizing factors that hinder the rule."

This statement was made by Zuo Xia. Although he did not know the full picture of WHALE, the materials provided to him by the foundation must have contained similar elements, which is why the director was so terrified and made such a judgment.

Just as everyone was feeling uneasy about the situation, an unfamiliar voice rang out on the communication channel:

"Don't be too pessimistic, investigators. While the space-based weapon theory you mentioned is the most likely possibility, from a technical standpoint, it is not yet feasible."

Lin Chen looked up and saw that a video call had started on the computer on the conference table.

In the image, a woman with long chestnut hair, wearing a white researcher's uniform, is sitting in a chair.

"Let me introduce myself. I am Isabel Vernej, an oracles scholar, and I have recently been transferred to your advisory position, taking over Professor Jürgen's duties."

Upon seeing the surname Vernei, Lin Chen immediately looked at Senior Lucy—her surname was also Vernei.

Lucy simply turned her head away, avoiding looking at the screen.

“Lucy, it’s been a long time,” Isabel said with a smile and waved to Lucy. “I’ve missed you so much.”

"What a load of rubbish! Go spend your whole life studying your visions," Lucy retorted without any politeness.

"It's that kind of family dynamic again..." Lin Chen smiled helplessly and said to Isabel:

"Professor Isabel, continuing from where we left off, why can't the W-based space weapon technology be implemented?"

“Because the accuracy of both tears was too poor,” Isabel said. “The first time, at Ironhorn Bridge, was a known case of W weapon going out of control. The second time, it was only with the guidance of a fallen demigod that it barely found its direction, and even that direction was not very accurate.”

"Even if Black Star really is a space-based weapon, it doesn't have a sufficiently good navigation system. They can't just send a demigod up there and then drop it down to use as a beacon, can they?"

“It’s not impossible,” Li Zhanyi said, almost as if possessed. “Their artificial god project…isn’t it supposed to mass-produce demigods?”

“It is possible, but given the number of demigods in the whale nest, they can only produce 6 to 10 at most a year,” Isabel said. “And even so, this method is still not precise enough. It’s like using a slingshot to shoot mosquitoes on the ground from near-Earth orbit, hitting them wherever they happen to land.”

"Furthermore, the Whale Nest has been destroyed. At least in Rain City, they no longer have a base for producing demigods, so they can only capture the existing demigods."

"It seems we need to eliminate all the existing Gamma-class and Delta-class demigods..." Lin Chen mused. "That would prevent them from becoming ammunition for space-based weapons..."

After he finished speaking, he looked up and found that everyone was staring at him.

"Did I say something strange?" Lin Chen was stunned.

“It’s alright, young people tend to have extreme ideas. Professor Isabel, please continue.” Jiang Zhengge rubbed his temples.

Professor Isabel nodded and said:

"Well, my personal opinion is that, assuming the 'space-based weapon theory' is the most probable event, you should try to investigate its 'location methods'."

“That’s true,” Jiang Zhengge nodded. “How much longer do you think we have?”

“It depends on how far the foundation has come,” Isabel said, “but one thing is certain: if such a positioning system exists, it will require many experiments, and such experiments will definitely cause quite a stir.”

"Then there's no problem. Thank you for your guidance," Jiang Zhengge said.

You're welcome~

Isabel glanced at Lucy, who looked unhappy, and waved her hand again:

"Little Lucy~ When are you going to make your big sister a cocktail?"

"Get lost, go find your favorite anomalous entity to make you a cocktail," Lucy said impatiently.

“…”

After the communication ended, Jiang Zhengge stood up and clapped his hands:

"Alright, that's the end of today's work. We've had a pretty good harvest, killing a bunch of demigods and getting some crucial intelligence."

"To minimize the impact on public opinion, the Royal Draco will sail as planned and return to the Rain City tomorrow. Everyone, find a room to sleep, get a good night's rest, and enjoy the luxury cruise."

Just as Jiang Zhengge was about to leave, Lin Chen suddenly stood up:

"Old Jiang, is the 'brother' of Triton and Xileina the same person?"

Xileina's brother's psychic ability is "blockade," while Triton is an Alpha-level demigod who can command the wind and rain.

These two people are completely unlike the same person.

Lin Chen had realized that the biggest obstacle to the investigation was Triton, an Alpha-level demigod.

Jiang Zhengge is the person here who knows Triton best.

Even if it was very likely that this was Section Chief Jiang's scar, Lin Chen had to ask about it.

"..."

Jiang Zhengge turned his head, his profile showing signs of vicissitude, and that sense of weariness filled his eyes once again.

“They’re not the same person, are they?” Lin Chen said.

“Yes and no,” Jiang Zhengge said softly, “It’s a very long story.”

"Can you tell us?" Lin Chen asked.

.......

The Foundation's headquarters in the Pearl Beach area.

When tide Lena entered the warm water ecological zone, Triton was soaking in salt water, resting with his eyes closed.

Hearing the sound of bare feet stepping on the tiles, Triton opened his eyes and smiled at his sister on the shore.

“The operation went smoothly. I’ve cleared away most of the redundancy regarding Black Star,” Triton said, fiddling with the salt water. “Rest assured and move forward with the plan. I’ll clear the obstacles for you.”

"You used Bachter as bait, and he died on that ship?" Xileina asked softly.

“Yes,” Triton looked up. “It’s a real shame. He clearly has much greater potential, but he’s too arrogant. He actually let his crew split up… Perhaps he’s fantasizing about being a Rombarro and wants to try commanding operations?”

“That was your son,” Xileina said calmly. “Your son is dead, and you don’t feel even a little bit of emotion?”

"Should I have any emotions?" Triton felt strange.

tide Lena stared at him for a while, then stepped forward, her ankles sinking into the pool.

She looked at her brother, who was so close to her: his face was so familiar, so familiar that she hadn't gone a day without missing him.

“You’re just imitating him,” Xileina said softly. “You don’t understand what feelings are.”

"I think I understand enough, but am I still not doing enough?" Triton frowned and scratched his head. "Sister, then tell me what I should do?"

“You should protect your blood relatives with your life,” Xileina whispered, “just as you protected me back then.”

"Is that so? Then I'll give it a try next time," Triton said casually.

tide Lena stared at the face in front of her for a while, then turned around and went ashore.

"The Mentis cult hasn't been completely eradicated yet. They were deeply involved in the 'Republic' project and know far too much. You'll have to spend more time on it."

"Don't worry, my people are already taking care of it," Triton said lazily. "Don't stay up late, Xileina."

tide Lena did not turn back.

She walked out of the ecological area, entered the private elevator, and pressed the button to go to her dormitory floor.

Inside the slowly moving elevator, she stared blankly ahead, the scene of that disaster flashing through her eyes once again—

"Katrina, an Alpha-level anomalous entity, is one of the known 'Calamity Entities'."

At the conference table, Jiang Zhengge rested his chin on his hands.

"It has not appeared in the real world since Hurricane Katrina in 05 and has been hidden for a long time."

"However, its sub-entities have appeared in various parts of the ocean and invaded our world from various angles, causing numerous small-scale damages."

"Generally speaking, the most imposing of all is the 'multi-eyed sirens'."

“The one that Triton killed,” Li Zhanyi nodded, “No…two of them…”

Jiang Zhengge nodded slightly:

"You have already witnessed the power of the 'Multi-Eyed Sirens' firsthand. Whenever it appears, it can cause massive erosion, destroying the ecosystem of an entire ocean. Its physical strength is very high, and ordinary firearms can hardly harm it."

"Imagine what would happen if even just one tentacle of such a thing appeared in the city?"

After Jiang Zhengge finished speaking, Lin Chen recalled the story that the section chief had told him before.

“tide Lena’s family in Yudu died in a gamma-level anomaly incident,” Lin Chen said softly. “Was that incident caused by the ‘Multi-Eyed Sirens’?”

Jiang Zhengge nodded heavily.

He gazed at the dark sea outside the porthole, his voice becoming much lower:

"Since I met Xilena, the Rom Hunter has practically become an informant for the Bureau of Investigation's First Division in the Liberty District. My personal relationship with Xilena has also deepened, and I often go to her house for meals."

"Back then, her brother wasn't called 'Triton' yet. Every time I went to her house, he would always silently wait in a corner, sometimes making a crystal ball, sometimes just gazing at his sister."

"He was always protecting Xileina, but he hardly ever spoke. Sometimes I would forget that he even existed."

"Later, I finally managed to strike up a conversation with him and asked him why he was always staring at Xileina and never joined our chat."

Jiang Zhengge picked up the wine on the table, poured himself a full glass, and held it up to the light.

“He just toasted me,” Jiang Zhengge said. “He said… ‘You’re her good friend, I shouldn’t interrupt your conversation, I’ll just watch.’”

“He sounds like a really good person,” Li Zhanyi murmured, “not at all like that madman Triton.”

“He talked to me a lot while we were drinking that day, for the first time,” Jiang Zhengge nodded. “He said that on the day of Hurricane Katrina, it was Xileina who did everything she could to protect him so that he could leave New Orleans.”

"He said that his life was given to him by Xileina, so he was destined to return his life to Xileina."

“He said it was his prophecy, and the third card his mother turned over for him was the ‘Hanged Man,’ which meant he was destined to sacrifice himself.”

“Sacrifice…” Lin Chen murmured.

He seemed to have already realized how the story would end.

Jiang Zhengge nodded heavily, took a small sip of wine, and said softly:

"That was the first time Rain City was invaded by the 'Multi-Eyed Sirens.' The first alarm was Delta-level, and the price was the disappearance of several slum children."

"The second...the third...such alarms continued for a week, and countless residents went missing in puddles."

"And my parents also went missing during an air raid."

Upon hearing Jiang Zhengge's words, Li Zhanyi gently covered her mouth.

"Old Jiang..." she murmured softly.

Jiang Zhengge has never mentioned this past event.

Faced with everyone's concerned gazes, Jiang Zhengge simply smiled softly, as if those past events had long since drifted away.

"Under these circumstances, the gangs in the Liberty district ceased hostilities and joined forces to find the Rom Hunters, hoping that Xilena could take in the anomalous entity."

"Actually, before that, the Rom Hunter had handled many similar situations. Xilena herself was confident enough, after all, she was a demigod, and she was already... very capable back then."

At this point, Jiang Zhengge suddenly laughed.

His smile was tinged with sadness, as if he had just stepped out of the rain.

“tide Leina’s brother died in that battle,” Jiang Zhengge said softly. “He protected tide Leina with his life, which gave me the opportunity to rescue her.”

"Boom!"

Thunderclaps flashed, illuminating the skyline of the rain-soaked city.

Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, tide Leina gazed calmly at the torrential rain outside.

Many years have passed since that disaster. From the hurricane to the multi-eyed siren, those memories mixed with despair, cries, and loneliness seem to have gradually faded with the washing away of the continuous rain.

tide Lena thought she had long since let go of the past, but time and time again, she was overwhelmed by despair, yet she always managed to find a way out.

But today, when she faced the "brother" who was no longer her brother, that familiar feeling of loneliness welled up in her heart once again.