Shrouded Seascape

"This map contains the location of the IMF's kennels as well as the activity hotspots of their stray dogs. If you don't want to attract the IMF's attention, you'd best avoid those areas."

A map made out of thick iron emerged from the furnace and moved along the conveyor belt toward Anna. Anna grabbed the map and swept her gaze across the locations marked with screws. Then, she tossed the map to a Fhtagnist behind her.

"Thanks. Now, there are only two conditions that are yet to be met. Once you've handled those two, I will tell you how to perform the absorption," Anna said, feeling slightly pleased. Tonight's excursion was not in vain.

Gao Zhiming would finally be safe for now. The IMF was no longer an immediate threat.

"Anomalies capable of altering memories are rare, especially Controllable ones. Fortunately, I know who has one. They owe me a favor, so the Anomaly that you've requested will soon be delivered to you.

"As for the ten powerful Anomalies, I'll need some time to prepare them. Unlike the IMF, we don't contain those things for no reason."

"Ah, right," Anna quickly added, "Those Anomalies must have physical forms. I don't want any Anomalies that can't be touched."

To absorb an Anomaly, it had to be destroyed first. If it couldn't be destroyed, then it couldn't be absorbed.

"Then, I'll need more time to prepare," the Shattered God said, nodding. "Go back and wait for my call."

Was the deal complete? The others clearly hadn't processed it yet, and they were still surprised by just how easygoing the other party was, as well as the fact that things had gone so smoothly.

The majority of those who had decided to follow Anna had expected a fierce battle to break out. At the very least, there was supposed to be a vicious argument.

Unlike them, Anna knew that the deal was only made possible by her proven prowess. She had upended two IMF sites, after all. If it weren't for her strength as a deterrence, the Shattered God would do what the IMF had done. They would imprison her and use every method possible to force information out of her.

"Pleasure doing business," The bronze doll extended its bronze hand toward Anna.

When Anna grabbed its hand, a sizzling noise echoed immediately. The bronze doll was scorching hot, at least several hundred degrees Celsius. Despite the intense pain, Anna's expression remained unchanged as she returned the handshake.

The bronze doll had held nothing back, sharing information that Anna needed at the moment. In return for the gesture of goodwill, Anna decided to improve their relationship.

"Ah, I almost forgot. This location must already be on the radar of another organization. You'd better change locations just in case," Anna remarked. Then, she told the bronze doll about Luvlyn, who had pretended to be an IMF staffer.

"I understand, but please rest assured. We're not that easy to handle. And it doesn't matter even if they end up destroying the entire factory."

"What do you mean? Are you not afraid that the IMF will come here and dismantle you?"

"Do you know why I'm called the Shattered God? That is not my original name, and I am just a fragment. There are many others like me. They can't possibly clean us all up." �

Anna examined the massive machinery before her. "I'm suddenly curious. What will happen if your fragments are put together?"

The entire factory came to a halt once again. Then, the bronze puppet's gear eyes turned slowly, settling on the woman in front of it.

"Some matters are better kept private, Miss Anna. Have I asked you for the reason behind those conditions of yours? No, right?"

Anna smiled gently and retracted her seared hand. "You're right. I'll wait for your good news back at home, then."

***

It was already late at night, but Anna still couldn't sleep as she sprawled out on the bed clad in her undergarments. She was in Gao Zhiming's tiny room, and she had squeezed in on the bed, sprawled out next to him.

Anna stroked her black diamond ring with her slender fingers, and her gaze was transfixed on the boy in her arms.

Gao Zhiming was just eight years old, but Anna could already see traces of that man on him. For some reason, that man's scarred and one-eyed face overlapped with Gao Zhiming's face as she stared at the latter.

Anna turned instinctively, moving her mouth toward his lips, but she moved back and kissed him on the cheek instead.

The eight-year-old child's face was so nice, so soft, and so adorable. However, complex emotions rose unbidden in Anna's heart upon being reminded of what Gao Zhiming would eventually do to her in the future.

Upon feeling an itch on his face, Gao Zhiming shifted downward in his sleep, rubbing his face against Anna's chest before eventually nuzzling up against her.

Anna sighed and embraced him. He must have truly grown up without a mother figure. His habits haven't changed at all despite becoming an adult.

Charles had some odd habits, and Anna noticed them when they were still together in the Subterranean Sea. She had brushed them off at the time, but she ought to have known better, as they were actually foreshadowed.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

While holding the young Charles in her arms, Anna couldn't help but think of the Charles in the Subterranean Sea. "How is he doing nowadays? If he has accepted my wish on my stead, then does that mean he's already a god?"

"That's not it. Knowing how he does things, he must be dead by now. Haha, that scumbag deserves it."

"Big Sister? Who are you talking to?" A drowsy Gao Zhiming asked, raising his head from Anna's bosom.

Anna pushed his head back down and said, "Sleep."

Just like that, Gao Zhiming drifted back to dreamland amidst a bed of clouds while taking in the sweet scent lingering in the air.

Charles' status does not matter. It doesn't matter whether he's still alive or has already died. What's important is Sparkle; I wonder how she's doing. She won't do anything foolish like what Charles did, will she?

Probably not. If I'm destined to go back to the Subterranean Sea with Gao Zhiming, then my past self should have saved Sparkle right now.

Anna stewed in her own thoughts for quite a while until she stood up. Troubled and unable to sleep, Anna decided to silence her thoughts by taking a bath with her other fleshly body.

Anna's right hand gripped a bar of soap, and she moved it across the smooth back of her other fleshly body. The unconscious fleshly body was leaning against Anna due to the effects of gravity, which made the scrubbing quite difficult.

With great difficulty, Anna was finally done scrubbing her other fleshly body, and she proceeded to carry it toward the bathtub.

Soon, two bare, gorgeous figures were resting against each other in the white bathtub. Anna closed her eyes and quietly enjoyed the moment of peace. She had recently taken up the habit of taking baths.

Humans had to relax from time to time, and baths were a convenient and quick method to do so. Moreover, it also allowed her to clean her other fleshly body, which meant dealing with two birds using just one stone.

At first, Anna thought that the pile of scrap metal in that factory would contact her in no time, but she received no news even by the time Gao Zhiming had learned to write.

When Gao Zhiming had mastered three-digit addition and subtraction, they finally paid her a visit. It was at an ordinary noon, and the two were in the middle of their lunch.

Anna peeled a boiled egg and put it in Gao Zhiming's mouth, who was sitting on her lap. Then, she looked up at the bronze doll on the television and asked, "So how is it? Is it done?"