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endbook rogue 2 1 1
The few defensive measures left behind in the asylum are obviously no match for Ulpianus. After brushing aside a trap or two and clearing out some Seaborn disguised as ordinary objects, he now finds himself standing inside Cicero's laboratory.
......
For a few days, Ulpianus has followed the tracks of Cicero, a Church of the Deep bishop. While the bishop had no chance of surpassing Ulpianus in terms of strength or skill, he did seem to have a knack for prolonging his life. Leaving behind a severed limb, he fled from Ulpianus's grasp. Ordinarily, the experienced Hunter would've given chase to finish off his wounded prey. However, one particular thought gave him pause:
Generally speaking, the Bishops of the Deep tend to operate around Iberian settlements, often mingling with the villagers to spread their faith. However, this place was remote and barren. Even when the bishop was attacked, nobody came to his aid — no villagers, not even Sea Terrors. Truly an unprecedented occurrence.
Unless—
To assuage his doubts, Ulpianus decided to set aside the hunt for Cicero, instead searching the surrounding area to see if he could find any leads. After a few days, he discovered the asylum that housed Cicero's laboratory.
......
Everything in the cave laboratory is neat and orderly, with all the documents and letters categorized and carefully stored in dry bookshelves.
Ulpianus has no interest in Cicero's research. He has seen far too many experiments that blaspheme humanity and trample across ethical lines. What he cares about more is the correspondence between Cicero and the other Church of the Deep bishops.
Normally, when a Church of the Deep bishop appears in Seaborn form, their research and letters will have been completely destroyed by their warped carcass.
But not this time. Cicero obviously did not expect to be raided by an Abyssal Hunter. Perhaps he chose to flee in a completely different direction in an attempt to prevent Ulpianus from discovering his trove of knowledge.
Out of caution, he glances across the catalogue of research topics. After confirming that none of the now-halted research topics would have any sort of influence on Ægir, he turns his attention towards the personal notes and letters.
Upon the envelopes appear some names that make his heart skip a beat.
They were people scattered among Ægir's technical colleges, academies, and art world. Some were designated as the Bishops of the Deep many years ago.
Most of them still maintain considerable status and influence in Ægir to this day. Just from seeing these names, one can already surmise the extent of the damage the cult has inflicted upon the whole of Ægir society.
That was only the beginning.
Information such as the close conversations that took place following the hunt of Ishar'mla, the bishops' surveillance of the surviving Abyssal Hunters, and the trajectory of Ægir's movements over time reveal themselves to Ulpianus through the letters. As time passed, Ishar'mla's biological existence remained inside the body of the Hunter who slew Him, and the bishops began to take a greater interest in this particular Hunter's whereabouts, as well as the movements of the other Leviathans. As of the more recently dated letters, the bishops seem to have reached a conclusion:
They wish to send the Hunter who slew Ishar'mla back to the ocean. Only then can Ishar'mla awaken once more, as long as He can meet the one who caused the Profound Silence—
As for his personal opinion, Cicero seemed to believe that the Profound Silence would speed up the amalgamation of humanity and Seaborn, and that the technology to transform Abyssal Hunters may become mainstream in Ægir. When a generation of human beings accepts the gifts in order to fight against the Seaborn, they will then be able to give birth to the perfect humans he envisions. Without a doubt, he sought to advance this plan despite the disagreement of the other bishops.
The words written on the letters are like a trawling net, attempting to entangle and kill the Abyssal Hunters and Ægir within it. But even to the end, Ulpianus is unable to piece together the complete picture of the conspiracy. He has run out of time.
As he reaches out towards an unread letter, seawater suddenly rushes into the laboratory, the torrent consuming all of Cicero's research. Then, the Sea Terrors follow.
The Sea Terrors that seemingly swarm the entire asylum slither, tear, and bite, trying to free their kin from within Ulpianus' body.
Ulpianus raises the anchor.
He has already heard about the incident at Sal Viento. Even now, the Church of the Deep still plans on designing a hunter who can capture him?
As long as he knows, as long as he still lives.
He will not allow that to happen.
