Conan: Begins to collaborate with Miss Bayonetta and become famous

Chapter 839 Ruins of the Northern Territory (1)

Ten years ago.

北纬 58°31‘00.8‘‘，西经 176°13‘12.6‘‘

Bering Strait.

2 month 29 day.

12:01 EST, Russia.

The inky black sea was surging and rolling, and huge ice floes were colliding and drifting like ghosts in the thick fog and hurricane.

Suddenly, a nuclear submarine, completely black in color and like a deep-sea monster, slowly and silently emerged from the dark abyss.

Its bow, like a Great Wall of Steel, cruelly split the waves, instantly crushing any unfortunate schools of fish that passed by into dust.

Deep in the submarine, inside a spherical cabin filled with precision instruments.

The walls are densely packed with steamed bun-sized signal lights and interfaces, enough to make anyone with trypophobia collapse.

In the center of the room stands a huge cylindrical device that looks like a reinforced server cabinet. It exudes a cold aura that keeps strangers away. It is obviously the core for storing the highest level of secrets.

The captain walked forward on the metal grid floor and carefully took out two keys made of a special alloy from the inner pocket of his uniform.

"Mission report." He said in a steady voice, and precisely put the two keys together to form a cross-like structure.

The interface was tightly fitted, and a cold scarlet light shone in the center of the cross.

"K-599 'Sevastopol' nuclear submarine."

He inserted the combined key into the device's only lock.

"Operation Codename: 'Horseshoe'. Day 74."

Turn your wrist steadily, half a circle, then another half a circle.

"The autonomous learning defense system we are testing has been operating flawlessly so far."

With a soft click, the heavy front cover of the device opened. The captain held the bottom with both hands and slowly and calmly pulled the entire core module out.

He exchanged a reassuring glance with the senior crew member beside him. With another crisp "ding," a book-sized sub-device in the middle of the module was individually unlocked.

The captain held it in his hand, and the densely packed holes on its surface instantly lit up with a reassuring green light.

His eyes gleamed with pride and wonder: "You could even say... it's working miraculously."

"We are currently sailing under the Arctic ice using dead reckoning and expect to return to port in five days."

"During its 25,000-nautical-mile voyage, the Sevastopol proactively approached multinational naval forces and successfully evaded all detection."

The submarine lurks in the deep blue water like a ghost, like an ancient sea monster patiently lying dormant and waiting for its opportunity.

He looked at it carefully for a moment, and after confirming that it was correct, he carefully pushed the "horseshoe" core back into place.

"Horseshoe's sonic cloaking capabilities have exceeded everyone's expectations." The captain's tone was filled with unquestionable pride, like a father boasting about his most outstanding child.

The core returned to its original position, and the light spots on the surface instantly turned from green to red, returning to that unsettling scarlet color that seemed to be breathing life.

The captain closed the cover, turned the key in reverse, and pulled it out.

He handed one of the keys to the most trusted crew member next to him.

Neither of them put it in their pockets, but solemnly hung it on the necklace around their necks.

"At this moment, we possess the world's most advanced war technology."

"This is the most terrifying killing machine ever created by mankind."

They bent down and crawled through a vertical passage that was only wide enough for one person to pass through. It was like a huge chimney, but it was horizontal.

The captain walked out first, looking around as usual.

The thick drainage pipes are intertwined like a giant python. They seem messy, but they reflect precise order everywhere.

The rear crew member did not follow immediately, but carefully tightened and locked the round waterproof hatch behind him.

Above, the copper-red surface of the pipes reflected the cold light, and was covered with black cables as thick as vines.

"Want to find us? It's like looking for a needle in a haystack." The captain's voice echoed in the metal corridor with absolute confidence.

Back at the command center, the atmosphere changed instantly.

On the huge sonar screen of the console, a clear blue light spot was flashing continuously in the western quadrant, which was extremely eye-catching.

The sonar operator immediately reported, his voice tense: "Captain! Target detected! Codename S-83, a US Virginia-class nuclear attack submarine! Bearing 130 degrees, approaching us!"

The captain looked at the first mate beside him, a man with a thick beard and a stern face.

The first mate immediately understood and gave the order decisively: "Duty officer, all personnel enter level one combat status!"

"Everyone, take your positions!" The first mate's voice was calm. It was obvious that he was already accustomed to this cat-and-mouse game and did not even need the captain to give orders personally.

The captain himself was holding a silver-gray thermos cup, pacing calmly in the command cabin, sipping the coffee in the cup, like a bystander.

But when he spoke, every word carried absolute authority: "Watch officer, reporting the boat's status."

"50 meters deep, 72 meters from the seabed, 21 meters from the ice cap above." The voice of the officer on duty was steady and clear.

"How far is it to the deep-sea cliff?" asked the captain.

"Two kilometers. We'll reach the edge of the Aleutian Trench in six minutes," said the officer on duty.

The captain, without the slightest hesitation, blurted out his command, displaying a precise decisiveness that contrasted with his relaxed demeanor: "Maneuver and adjust course! Helmsman, turn left 15 degrees, maintain the new course at 100 degrees, standard speed, and ascend at a steady pace to a safe depth."

"Command transferred to the captain." The helmsman responded.

"Command received." The captain confirmed.

"Adjust course to 100°." The helmsman repeated the order, steering the -ton behemoth to slowly turn.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the screen, thinking it was just a routine evasive contact—

That blue light spot strangely appeared right above the radar!

Almost at the same time, inside the spherical cabin deep inside, all the red spots of light on the surface of the "Horseshoe" core began to flash wildly and irregularly, as if some creature had fallen into an extremely violent state!

"The course is stable at 100°." The helmsman reported.

"Yes." The captain's voice was cold. "Weapons officer, target range."

The weapons officer stared at the screen, his brow furrowed, his voice filled with a hint of disbelief and confusion: "Locked on... Initial estimated range is 15,000 meters. But... sir,"

He raised his head and looked at the captain. "This distance doesn't make sense! The sonar signal is too clear and too strong! I feel... the target is actually much closer!"

"Wait! Captain!" The weapons officer suddenly interrupted, the data on the screen suddenly refreshed, "The range has been drastically reduced! It's now 10,000 meters! It...it's approaching at high speed!"

The calmness on the captain's face froze instantly.

This was the first time in his decades of deep-sea career that he encountered such a strange and inexplicable situation!

"No submarine can have this speed!" the captain shouted coldly, his first reaction being that it was a system misjudgment.

"No! Sir!" The weapons officer's voice rose in shock. "All data links cross-verified, a match! This is the real distance! It's right there!"

The captain's face showed no trace of panic, only absolute calmness and determination. His gaze was sharp, and his voice was resolute, piercing the suddenly condensed air in the command cabin:

"Helmsman! Full starboard! Emergency turn 270 degrees! All boats silent! Dive to maximum depth immediately!"