"The Holy Emperor once said that lies are meaningless; only truth can unite humanity." A rare ripple of emotion was discernible in Magos Sigma's voice.
Megumi Iruma keenly noticed that whenever these Imperials spoke of the Holy Emperor, their emotions always showed a slight tremor.
No matter how cold their voices had been before, they would always waver because of the Holy Emperor.
It was truly unimaginable what level of prestige a person must possess for merely uttering their name to make it difficult for others to suppress their excitement.
Led by Magos Sigma and the three-striped Captain of the Man-Eaters, Megumi Iruma was able to exit the room and see the outside world.
Stepping out of the door and walking a few paces down the brightly Litte corridor, she discovered that she was actually in a surprisingly large laboratory. The tall surrounding walls were entirely composed of white steel and silver plates, clean and gleaming. The air was pure and sterile.
Megumi Iruma could feel the coldness in the air. This was not because her senses were overly keen.
Anyone wearing only a soft outer layer, with nothing underneath, would feel the change in temperature.
Megumi Iruma followed her two escorts down the long corridor. The rooms along the way were all very large, conducting various experiments.
All sorts of unfamiliar facilities were arranged on the floors of the rooms, emitting humming sounds. They all looked incredibly advanced. The principles of many machines were beyond Megumi Iruma's comprehension. This was not due to Megumi Iruma being uneducated.
As the Captain of GUTS, Megumi Iruma held several doctoral degrees and had participated in alien lifeform communication projects.
However, the research instruments used by the Imperium still surpassed her understanding. The fields involved in those instruments were beyond her imagination.
Megumi Iruma didn't get a clear look at what was being researched in many of the rooms, only catching fleeting glimpses of some Imperial instruments and equipment.
It wasn't until she passed a research lab with an outer wall replaced by transparent glass that she saw what was being studied inside. That room also contained a large number of instruments.
Smooth, prismatic reaction columns floated in the air.
Electric arcs crackled around the smooth reaction columns. The focusing array shimmered with a soft glow, releasing an energy field of light. The radiance within the field was sealing a special experimental sample.
Megumi Iruma had personally witnessed the monsters Golza and Melba destroy the giant statues in the pyramid. The material composing the statues was similar to the experimental sample before her. The Imperium was researching and reverse-engineering Ultraman. There were many staff members in the laboratory.
Some were clad in red robes, with numerous metallic prosthetics embedded in their bodies, just like Magos Sigma nearby.
Others wore technical robes and appeared to have maintained their fully human form, without undergoing any mechanical modifications. They worked together diligently, striving to unravel the secrets of the ultra-ancient warriors.
"Where is this place?" Megumi Iruma asked.
"The turning point of human civilization," Magos Sigma replied.
In her heart, she secretly added, "And also the beginning of my, Magos Sigma's, glorious path."
By deciphering the power of the giants and obtaining the technology left behind by that ancient civilization,
her contribution to the Imperium would undoubtedly be listed among the very first few.
Imagine allowing the Imperium to summon those giants and monsters at will, adding a powerful new force to the Titan Legion.
And even dedicating the entire universe to the Holy Emperor.
Such an achievement, perhaps only Cawl could surpass her.
Even Magos Krul would have to respectfully address her as Magos-sama.
"I don't like this riddle-like and metaphorical way of speaking," Megumi Iruma said. "Simply tell me, where is this place?"
"An underground space in the Himalayas," Magos Sigma replied in a cold, mechanical voice. "27 degrees 59 minutes North latitude, 86 degrees 56 minutes East longitude, 125 meters below sea level."
"You're researching Ultraman here?" Megumi Iruma asked.
"Yes, we need the power of the giants; the Imperium can use it to accomplish many things."
Magos Sigma spoke as she walked ahead, eventually leading Megumi Iruma to a room.
After entering the password and commands, the door hissed open. The room was large.
Various data crystals, storage devices, and books were strewn about in disarray. They were all piled together haphazardly. They didn't seem to have been properly organized.
A large, iron-clad warrior stood in the center of the room.
He held a staff with a golden double-headed eagle at its tip and complex, obscure runes carved into its shaft.
A special power surged around him.
Megumi Iruma felt a sense of familiarity.
She also possessed this kind of power within her.
A supernatural force that could be controlled by soul and will.
Megumi Iruma had only occasionally felt that power before.
With the appearance of Yulian from the time capsule, she felt that power more and more frequently.
But she could only sense those powers; she couldn't control them.
"A latent seed," the giant spoke, his voice hoarse and dry.
He reached up and removed his heavy helmet.
Revealing a weathered face, marked by battle scars. To Megumi Iruma's surprise, the other person's eyes were completely black, without any light.
As if their eyes were gateways to hell. That would suck people's souls in, with no salvation ever.
"He is Kahulan, the Man-Eaters' Librarian, a powerful warrior who serves the Imperium faithfully. He is responsible for your enlightenment."
"Journeying to the Empyrean is a very dangerous endeavor," Kahulan said. "Remember, do not believe in those so-called 'beautiful' things. If you choose to listen to those lies, your soul will be marked by those detestable gods."
The enlightenment ritual soon began. The work pod in the room was pulled out.
Several tech-priests installed the psionic cable patch interfaces onto various parts of Megumi Iruma's body.
She had not undergone interface surgery. The connecting cables of the psionic device could not directly link to her nerves. They could only connect to her nervous system using these metal plates.
Such a method was sufficient.
After all, this woman was only meant to serve as an observer.
Lying in the rest pod, Megumi Iruma could feel the cold mechanical hands brushing over her smooth skin.
She considered her figure quite attractive, otherwise, she wouldn't have had so many admirers.
But those individuals seemed devoid of any emotion. There was no hint of desire in their gaze; even their remaining flesh-and-blood eyes showed no longing for the opposite sex.
Perhaps in their eyes, she was merely an organic life form composed of flesh and bones.
Had they completely abandoned worldly desires?
Megumi Iruma wondered to herself.
But she received no answer.
A tech-priest placed a sensor pad on Megumi Iruma's head and positioned a head-ring, integrating a conductor and a psionic amplifier, on her forehead.
Megumi Iruma didn't know how these devices worked.
But when the hum of the machines began,
she entered a very peculiar state.
Her soul seemed to detach from her body, watching herself lying in the work pod from a third-person perspective.
And those busy people.
Even Magos Sigma's face was clearly visible.
Beside her, the Librarian had also laid down in his own work pod.
Dense cables were embedded into the interface ports on his skull.
Just as she was about to do something, she was stopped.
An invisible will prevented her action.
"We don't have much time," a voice came from the air. "You must learn how to enter the Empyrean. Relax your mind, and think of nothing."
The voice that echoed in her ear possessed a certain guiding power.
Megumi Iruma followed the instructions, relaxing her mind and will.
Soon, terror and darkness assailed her, making her regret her request to know the truth.
She was pulled into a bizarre, turbulent ocean. The seawater was as crimson as blood, churning and roaring with earth-shattering force.
Strange and terrifying laughter and roars emanated from the depths of the ocean.
Yet that was merely one scene; more things unfolded before her soul. Those grotesque and horrifying scenes appeared one after another, utterly terrifying.
Evil voices cried out their hunger for flesh and souls. The screaming of a dying world echoed in this terrifying space. Twisted storms swept through her soul, attempting to tear her apart.
"Don't be afraid."
The voice sounded, bringing a sense of reassurance to Megumi Iruma.
"This is merely the shallow layer of the Warp; what you see is insignificant. Remember not to be afraid, for if you are, you will attract those monsters."
Megumi Iruma saw the dim figure beside her.
It was the Librarian, Kahulan.
He appeared very ethereal, as if a gust of wind could blow him away.
"What kind of monsters?"
"You wouldn't want to know. Stay focused, stay resolute, always remember that you are human, and do not get lost in lies."
"Where is this place?" Megumi Iruma asked. "Is it hell?"
"No, these are merely insignificant things; you must delve deeper to see the truth. Remember, do not show fear, and do not be afraid. I am by your side, and you are under the Holy Emperor's protection; nothing can harm you."
"No!!"
Megumi Iruma woke up screaming, her hands slapping against the transparent work pod lid.
Her voice was distorted by fear.
She thrashed her soft limbs wildly, as if trying to break her own body. The tech-priests tried to control her body and remove the mechanical devices from her.
Preventing her vigorous movements from harming herself.
Megumi Iruma's eyes were wide, as if they were about to pop out of her head.
She screamed so forcefully. That her jaw dislocated from the sheer effort of her full-throated shriek.
Megumi Iruma wept uncontrollably.
She finally understood why ignorance was bliss.
And finally understood why the so-called Holy Emperor made these Imperials so emotional. That position was not a symbol of desire and power.
But of suffering and duty.
bearing the heavy burden of saving humanity and resisting those dark futures.
Megumi Iruma's body was trembling.
Just a glimpse of those truths was enough to make her collapse.
What a resilient and powerful soul it must be to bear such a heavy responsibility. That terrifying truth was absolutely not something a being like her should accept.
All the darkness and cruelty that any literary work could describe paled in comparison to what she saw. The bloodshed and terror contained within the truth had already far exceeded the limits of human imagination.
Countless humans were slaughtering each other in the game.
Everywhere was cruel indulgence, a river of blood from the slaughter.
In such a universe, all the beautiful virtues of humanity had vanished.
Only baseness, shamelessness, cunning, and cruelty remained.
Humans were tormented by terrifying and bloody games, vying for so-called rewards.
Constantly offering one bloody feast after another to the immortal daemons dwelling beyond time and space. There was no day of liberation.
Only because human greed, desire, ambition, betrayal, and selfishness created the shackles that trapped them.
And another future was even more terrifying. The entire universe had decayed, occupied by the terrifying evil creatures lurking within.
Nightmarish anomalies had replaced reality. The stars had turned into skulls, into various unimaginable horrors, and even the cold, dark eternal void wriggled with unspeakable things.
Everything had corrupted, everything had fallen.
Filled with evil, plunged into an endless abyss. The only slightly better one was the farming universe where many beings lived like puppets.
However, that was merely a superficial beauty. Those beings lived their lives according to scripts that had been repeated countless times, like dolls.
Growing systematically like rice in a paddy field, and then being harvested. The gods hidden behind the scenes enjoyed watching those beings perform scenes of joy and sorrow, just like savoring delicious dishes.
People were oblivious to this, only repeating the pain over and over again, believing it to be the freedom they had fought for and the control of their own destiny.
"Are those all true?" Megumi Iruma's body was trembling. The truth revealed by the Imperium was tens of thousands of times more terrifying than the dark apocalypse in her dreams.
Of course, there was another possibility. The dark apocalypse she dreamt of was merely the beginning.
Once the entire universe was occupied by those terrifying entities, those cruel things would also happen in this universe.
"You should ask yourself if you should believe what you've seen with your own eyes, Captain Iruma. the Imperium has opened battlefields in multiple universes, and the scenes you saw are merely reflections of other battlefields. We have seen the end of many universes, and they all had powerful civilizations and technologies, but in the end, they all failed."
"Do you really think those Ultramen can protect humanity forever? How long do you think Ultraman can resist against those terrifying darkness? Many things are indeed beautiful and worthy of awe, but..."
"Don't say anything more." Megumi Iruma interrupted Sigma, "I'll help you. But I am just a mortal, and I don't know how to help you."
"It's alright, we will help you draw out the power and knowledge passed down from your ancestors within you." Magos Sigma extended a hand, helping Megumi Iruma, who was lying in the workstation, to get out.
Kahuran also awoke from his workstation.
He looked very tired.
Protecting a seed that had not yet mastered psionic abilities while traveling in the Multiverse was an exhausting task.
If it had been before the firewall was established, Kahuran would never have dared to do such a thing.
Only under the Holy Emperor's protection could he accomplish this seemingly insane feat.
"You must learn to use your power." Kahuran said weakly, "Psionics is a rare gift, but also a curse. If not used properly, it will attract attacks from those monsters."
Megumi Iruma nodded.
At the end of the journey, she saw things so terrifying that they shouldn't exist.
Monsters born from the dreams of the most deranged madmen. Those things were more terrifying and incomprehensible than the hellish daemons concocted by humans.
Merely describing their appearance would cause people great harm. Two attendants helped Megumi Iruma out of the room.
Her legs were weak, and her face was flushed with fear.
Her nerves were even slightly numb, making it difficult to control her body.
Fortunately, she hadn't drunk any water, otherwise, a very embarrassing scene might have unfolded.
Magos Sigma led Megumi Iruma to the depths of the laboratory. There stood a silver door made of an unknown alloy.
Faint light shimmered around it.
Clearly, it was protected by a force field.
Magos Sigma extended a mechanical arm composed of countless threads.
Numerous metal filaments converged into a fine needle, which he inserted into the control panel's interface.
He input his biological imprint information.
A pale green glow adorned his massive body. The scanning activation swung back and forth. The embedded electronic components emitted a sequence confirmation hum after reading his biological imprint information.
Once the confirmation sound echoed, a series of metal gears began to turn.
With bangs, hisses, and sub-audible hums, the bolts disengaged, the stasis field, kill traps, and impact locks all deactivated. The heavy door slid open.
White mist flowed out from the doorway, surging like a breached dam around their ankles.
Megumi Iruma saw what was inside.
Upon entering, there was a smooth platform with railings.
In front of the platform was a huge space. Three giant stone statues were placed inside, protected by an invisible force field.
Seeing the appearance of the three giant stone statues, Megumi Iruma's head began to ache, and she couldn't help but cry out in pain. The three statues triggered memories that didn't belong to her.
She glimpsed an ancient war. Those Ultramen fighting in human cities. Tiga was among them. The difference was, his body was shining with black light. The memory fragments were very chaotic and partial.
Megumi Iruma couldn't fully piece together the truth of the matter, but she uttered the names of the three giant statues.
"Dahlam, Hudra, Carmilla. Dark Giants, enemies sealed for eternity."
"It seems you've gained some ancestral memories." Magos Sigma's voice was as mechanically cold as ever, only fluctuating when he spoke of the Holy Emperor.
"They are Dark Giants." Megumi Iruma said.
"Can you release them?" Magos Sigma asked, "They are failures, but they can give us a more intuitive understanding of how the power of giants affects their hosts."
"Won't it be too dangerous?" Megumi Iruma said with some unease, "They are very strong, and they fought against other righteous Ultramen in ancient times without falling into a disadvantage. Once they are released, it is very likely to bring unimaginable crises."
"I will slaughter them before they cause any crisis." Shar, who had been silent, spoke up, "You can rest assured about that."
Megumi Iruma looked at Magos Sigma, seeking his opinion.
Magos Sigma nodded, and the sound of gears moving came from his neck.
"The Primaris Marines are the most powerful warriors of the Imperium; they wield god-slaying power."
Hearing this, Megumi Iruma nodded.
"I don't know if I can, but I can try. I hope you truly have a way to restrain those giants."
"Feel free to try, Captain Iruma. If we can't handle these guys, the Imperium would have no face to claim it can lead humanity out of that terrible future."
The blood of the ancient priestess flowed within Megumi Iruma. The wisdom and power of successive priestesses resided within her, awaiting her to unearth and utilize them.
Breaking the seal was not difficult.
When the sealing force field that enveloped the three giant stone statues disappeared, the giant stone statues, sealed for thirty million years, revived.
Dark power surged. Transforming the original stone statues into Ultramen covered in dark runes and patterns. The eyes of the three Dark Ultramen lit up red, filled with terrifying hatred and malice.
A terrifying voice echoed in Megumi Iruma's mind.
Filled with madness and hatred.
"Tiga, why, why did you betray us!!"
"Truly miraculous technology, to be able to return to normal through such means after being stone statues for tens of millions of years." Magos Sigma showed a hint of fanaticism. The power of giants must be in the Imperium's hands.
Not just for use in war.
If it could be applied to various military technologies or shelters, the effect would definitely be even more astonishing.
Hearing the voice, Carmilla looked down and saw a human whose body was covered in bio-prosthetics, with little flesh remaining.
She immediately roared. Tiga had betrayed them precisely for these fools.
"Foolish humans, your era has ended." Carmilla roared, "Darkness will devour everything, tremble, cry, let out desperate screams and helpless wails."
"Weep, the apocalypse has arrived."
"Kill all these fools."
Dahlam and Hudra, the two giants wielding dark power beside Carmilla, also roared in unison. Their fury was as terrifying as a hundred thousand volcanoes combined.
It had been suppressed for thirty million years.
Carmilla also sensed Yuzare's aura.
Her gaze locked onto Megumi Iruma.
"It was you, you damned woman, who deceived Tiga, made him betray me, made him leave me."
Carmilla extended her hand, intending to crush the damned woman to death.
Her body was still in its giant form.
A casual movement could cause immense destruction.
Megumi Iruma's face turned pale.
If she were caught and hit hard a few times, she would be splattered.