CHAPTER 266: CHAPTER 185: TORCH_3

To them, there is nothing more exciting than technological innovation in this world.

However, the council members were a bit restless, they had no interest in technological inventions, especially at this juncture. After ensuring the ark’s normal operation, they still needed to clarify the authority, more importantly, who would serve as the captain of the ark?

The chairman decided to stay in Ophira and fight until the last moment, which meant they needed to elect a new ruler.

Ethan listened silently to the council members’ debates amidst the crowd; ultimately, they seemed to temporarily agree on a representative.

An elder stepped out of the crowd and walked straight to Gray, his face full of a fake smile as if trying to make his tone sound as amiable as possible, "Now is not the time for argument, I have only one question, can you make the ark sail?"

This was the only question the council members cared about.

Gray-Lid indeed showed some peculiar changes, but they didn’t care.

They even preferred Gray-Lid over the stubborn Gelb as the ark’s technical advisor.

Gray was still a child.

A child means they are easier to manipulate, just let him taste some sweetness, and he will wholeheartedly serve everyone on the ship.

"Of course."

Gray looked up at the elder, smiling innocently, "I can even let you board the ark right now for a look, but that requires some preparations."

"What preparations?"

"They require your sincerity, let the ark hear your voice."

They were all in the mechanical fortress, Gray guiding the elder, "Now, are you willing to continue to sacrifice yourself for the spark of civilization?"

"Willing."

The answer came without a trace of hesitation; the elder’s tone was noble and solemn.

He had faced too many similar queries in his life, even forming memories of the tone when he answered.

Every council member of the Deep Sea Council had sworn the same oath, it was a promise they made to the people.

However, this time, the elder’s promise was met with a response in reality.

He only had time to let out a scream, which was abruptly cut off as everyone saw the rising flames, devouring the elder in the blink of an eye, burning everything that belonged to him to ashes, followed by a wisp of white smoke rising from the flames, twisting and changing as if it possessed life.

It seemed to want to burrow back into the flames, into its own body.

But an invisible force dragged it upwards, absorbed into the steel bastion.

Somewhere from an unseen source, a majestic bell tolled throughout the fortress.

Everyone was frozen in place due to the bell, until it disappeared, the council members awoke as if from a dream.

"What, what did you do to him?"

The council members asked Gray in terror.

"I did nothing to him; he merely fulfilled his own oath."

Gray continued to smile, "’To sacrifice oneself for the spark of civilization,’ what an exalted character! Each of you has made the same oath, now it is time for you to fulfill your promise... Do not worry, he is still alive and will forever exist with the ark as a spark of the civilization’s flame."

He relished the council members’ incredulous looks, as if silently accusing a betrayal by the "god."

No one willingly becomes the firewood for the continuation of others’ existence, even if it’s a fair trade.

They gained fame, wealth, status, while people from the slums fought fiercely for a piece of bread, they frequented extravagant banquets, enjoying fine wines and gourmet dishes from various countries.

Perhaps, in the eyes of the Master of Tides, this was considered compensation.

"The game of power is over."

Gray had to bring this bad news to the council members, "The next step is to fulfill your oaths. Each of you has promised ’to sacrifice yourself for the spark of civilization,’ and there is only one way to activate the ark—that is to use your souls as its fuel, time is tight, now whose turn is it?"

Council members at the front row took a step back.

This was originally a favorable position, as they believed those who boarded the ark first would gain the advantage.

Gray questioned the crowd, "Hmm? Didn’t you make the oath?"

No one dared to respond to his inquiry.

People never feel satisfied or comforted by privileges; they only crave more.

"Fortunately, He foresaw this; when you made the oaths, the contract was already fulfilled; now, who should be called upon first?"

"Bang—!"

The gunshot interrupted Gray, the bullet hitting his heart.

The shooter Jacob maintained his pose with trembling hands; his mind had been extremely unstable these days, Gray constantly tortured his remaining sanity, fear finally crushed his last piece of rationality.

Dead?

That demon who poisoned minds!

The next moment, Jacob felt he was hallucinating, seeing Gray, struck in the heart by the bullet, still standing, and what flowed from the wound was not blood but pitch-black shadows.

"Demon, he is possessed by a demon!"

Jacob, disregarding everything, pulled the trigger, firing all his bullets, but the demon was not killed, the shattered wounds connected into one, faintly revealing Gray’s essence.

"In that case, let’s start with you, Mr. Jacob."

The demon gave him a smile.

Jacob instinctively wanted to flee, but before he could take a step, flames obscured all their vision.

He lost control over his body, his gaze floated into the air along with his consciousness, as if becoming a spectator of this world.

Unable to make a sound, unable to move even a finger, the only thing he could do was watch and listen, yet everything occurring had nothing to do with him anymore.

"Next..."

"Let me try."

The council members saw someone walking out of the queue, and upon seeing the young man, Gray could not hide his uncontainable delight; it was an instinctive reaction from his fragmented soul, even though all consciousness had dissipated, some instinct remained.

Gray’s smile widened, "Please go ahead, but before that, please make an oath... Mr. Ethan, are you willing to sacrifice yourself for the spark of civilization?"

"No."

The silent dedication of the two volunteers helped Ethan understand the principle of the ark.

It was, in fact, just a simple energy issue, unrelated to contracts, souls, rituals.

He walked past Gray without hesitation, looking up at the steel bastion.

Every crevice of the precise structure was filled with electric currents.

It was a familiar feeling, as if the ship was responding to him.

This ark, empty for several eras, had always been waiting for a captain.

And now, its captain had finally returned.