They would teach them how their ancestors lived.
The atmosphere was extremely heavy in the command room of the Lunaris Dreadnought as Achilles and a few others observed the scenes unfolding.
Dr. Shaw's expression was even heavier. He knew more than the rest of them, thanks to the data streaming in from the Andromeda Sentinels.
He didn't want them to think that what they were seeing was all there was. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the footage from the Capital City of Thorns.
"Apart from what just occurred in the Colony Capital of Thorns under the Thornveil Dynasty, there are also videos and images surfacing from several other Colony Cities… within other Dynasties."
The screens flickered, cycling through new footage.
One scene showed a monstrous creature that looked like an island with a shell- a massive turtle, alive and advancing toward a colony city. It breathed a beam of radiant green light, smashing into and obliterating the transparent barrier surrounding the city.
The barrier shattered in seconds. The green beam struck the city and instantly decimated miles of land and buildings.
An unknown number of people died within moments.
Ethereal Physiology Masters rose into the sky from the Colony City to face off against this newly emerged Ancient One- this colossal turtle while Achilles watched with a solemn, weighted gaze.
Even the memories of the Ancient Ones he had assimilated held no knowledge of a being .
The ancient times were vast and immeasurable. The lands stretched out for tens of thousands of miles. Not every Ancient One knew the others. The memories he'd devoured from Bixi and the others only included those who existed in their nearby regions.
This massive turtle that resembled a continent in motion- this was his first time seeing it.
And yet… it wasn't the only thing he saw.
Dr. Shaw continued to scroll through more footage. In another video, hundreds of colossal behemoths burst forth from cratered earth, and each one looked like…
Massive. Fucking. Dragons.
Captured by drones flying across the Cenotaph Wild Lands, the feed cut out just as one of the dragons raised its majestic head and released a stream of crimson flame into the sky, turning it blood-red.
Each one broadcasting a new kind of horror… and awe.
All of it represented one thing.
A terrifying change was sweeping across their world- one that shattered everything they thought they knew, and promised to rewrite everything yet to come.
Dr. Shaw's expression was tight with grim realization as he spoke again.
"I can definitively confirm that the Capital City of Thorns has fallen into the hands of the Ancient Ones. That means one of the Thirteen Dynasties has officially fallen today. I can't speak for every other region… they don't have the same surveillance as the Dynasties, and I don't know whether other parts of the world are slightly better… or much worse. But…"
He shook his head and sank back into his seat, at a loss for words.
He inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly- gathering his composure while every gaze in the room slowly turned toward one man.
They all looked toward the young man who had just done the impossible for Neon. In the face of such overwhelming devastation, they had nowhere else to turn.
Dr. Shaw, too, turned his gaze toward Achilles and asked softly.
"You've shown us multiple impossible feats today. After everything you just witnessed- after an entire Dynasty has fallen into the hands of Ancient Ones- do you really think your newly proclaimed Kingdom of Neon will be okay? Or should we all just drink ourselves to death and wait to be enslaved or slaughtered?"
The words landed heavy, weighted by dread. Yet within them was something raw- a sense of someone who was desperate! Dr. Shaw was searching for even a fragment of hope, something to keep him from spiraling into despair.
And Achilles… looked at him calmly.
His Primordial Avatar still glowed with that golden brilliance, his skin radiant and otherworldly.
Majestic. Controlled. Resolute.
"In this world," he said, "we're watching powers rise that none of us understand. I'll only say this- I am another power rising that few understand."
"I don't know what the future holds," he continued, "but I won't live in fear. I won't give in to despair. I refuse to wait to be subjugated or slaughtered. I'll keep moving forward- for the life I want to build, for the one I love. Ancient Ones won't change that, and I won't stop fighting. And even though we've just seen horrors beyond imagining…I want you all to keep fighting too. For the city you've risked everything to protect. And if that's not enough… then fight for your own lives. For your families."
He didn't stand there and offer false hope.
He didn't promise salvation.
He promised only one thing. He would fight.
Dr. Shaw exhaled deeply, then stood, a flicker of a smile breaking across his face.
"That's more than enough for me. What do you want us to do?"
An Overseer stepped forward, asking for orders.
Achilles looked at him and then at the others, and spoke with a steady voice.
"The Draconic Hybrids I control will patrol the city and continue cleansing it. A newly risen Ancient Mountain lies nearby. I'll enter it personally to ensure no powerful threats remain. From the rest of you… I need every single Evolutius Crystal inside Neon. Every last one. Any Aeonic Evolutius Cores or related materials will also be critical."
He made the request calmly, even though the truth behind it was monumental. Acquiring Neon's reserves of Evolutius Crystals would fuel one of his most significant Assimilations and help reduce his corruption value.
There were many paths he could take to achieve terrifying levels of power: assimilating Ancient Ones, seizing treasures from this awakened world… and the other path- one tied to his lineage.
Hidden deep in his bloodline. Locked within his dreams. There, he could access memories- relics of power that could be assimilated if he could endure the cost of existence corruption.
And Organic Crystals and Primordial Energy were essential to keeping that corruption in check.
"You give me this," he said, lifting his hand, "and I won't leave you empty-handed."
He opened his palm, golden-green light swirling above it.
A radiant fruit shimmered into existence- lush with emerald and gold light.
A creation bursting with potent waves of Primordial Energy and Evolutius Energy was finally put to use!