Infinite wealth In A New World - Chapter 368
Chapter 368: Activate It
Sunny stood before the heavy, reinforced blast door deep within the subterranean dark space. The air here was stale, untouched for years, carrying the metallic scent of dormant power. He lowered his gaze to the palm print scanner embedded in the wall.
After a moment of hesitation, he raised his hand and pressed his palm against the cold glass surface.
[ERROR.]
[Identity Mismatch.]
Sunny frowned slightly, withdrawing his hand. “Right. Strict security.”
He closed his eyes, focusing on his internal structure. His bones shifted with a sickening crunch, his muscles realigned, and his aura fluctuated. In seconds, the Monkey King was gone. Standing in his place was the spitting image of the former ruler of the Star Nation—King Sunny Draco.
He tried again, placing the same palm on the scanner.
[Success.]
[Welcome Back, King Draco.]
Sunny rolled his eyes at the mechanical greeting. “Finally.”
With a hydraulic hiss, the heavy blast door slid sideways, retreating into the wall to reveal a cavernous darkness beyond. Sunny stepped onto the precipice of the walkway.
BAM!!
BAM!
BAM!!
Floodlights the size of houses slammed on in sequence, chasing away the shadows and illuminating the vast hangar. As the light hit the center of the chamber, the sheer scale of what lay within was revealed.
Sunny blinked. Even though he had seen this weapon in the fragmented memories of the real Draco, witnessing it in person was a visceral shock.
Resting on the landing gear was the Red Ship.
It was a leviathan of crimson metal, sleek and predatory. It dwarfed anything Sunny had ever seen; it was larger than five Earth airplanes fused together, a floating fortress designed for the void. The hull was etched with glowing circuits that pulsed like veins, but what truly stunned him was the weaponry. Rows of energy cannons bristled along the flanks, and a main cannon sat beneath the nose, large enough to swallow a building. It was a machine built for one purpose: absolute annihilation.
”If my memories serve me right, this weapon has enough firepower to destroy five planets with a single volley. Truly terrifying,” Sunny muttered, his voice echoing in the vast hangar.
He walked along the gantry towards the ship, the sound of his footsteps lonely in the quiet. He stopped in front of the main airlock.
”The door leading to this room requires the unique biological signature of the Royal Family,” he said to the empty air, analyzing the locking mechanism. “This information was buried deep by the bloodline. Even Matilda, the current Queen, doesn’t know this exists.”
He traced the symbol of the Star Nation etched into the hull.
”This was one of the reasons I handed her the throne so easily when I escaped… I knew that without me—without Draco—she could never access the true power of the nation. She holds the crown, but I hold the gun.”
He pressed a concealed button on the hull.
HISSS.
The airlock depressurized, and the ramp descended with a heavy thud. Sunny stepped into the ship’s interior. The air inside was recycled and cool, humming with low-frequency energy.
”Cockpit first.”
Navigating through the labyrinthine corridors using Draco’s memories, Sunny arrived at the bridge. He pushed the final entry button, and the iris door spiraled open.
The cockpit was a masterpiece of engineering. Empty chairs lined the stations for navigators and gunners, all facing a panoramic viewport. At the center, elevated on a dais, sat the Commander’s Seat, surrounded by dormant control screens.
Sunny walked up the steps, ran his hand over the leather of the chair, and sat down. He leaned back, testing the fit.
”Hmm… This ship is no different from a warship.” he mused.
[Sorry, my King, but you are wrong.]
”Huh?!”
Sunny snapped his head up. The main screen flickered to life, displaying the digital avatar of a woman. Her features were sharp, intelligent, and composed of shifting blue data streams.
”Oh? This is new,” Sunny muttered. Draco’s memories hadn’t been clear on the specifics of the AI’s personality.
[Yes, my King. I am a more advanced vessel than any other in existence.]
The AI answered, her voice echoing smoothly through the bridge’s speakers.
”So, from the moment I entered this ship—”
[Yes, I have been observing you,] the AI interrupted politely:
[I am also the reason why you faced no automated defenses or security protocols on your way to the bridge. I recognized your bio-signature immediately.]
”O…k… Thanks for that.” Sunny relaxed back into the chair, crossing his legs. “Tell me, is there something special about this ship besides its size?”
[Apart from my planetary-class weaponry, I possess capabilities in hyperspace calculation, stealth cloaking, and biological reconstruction. But perhaps the King would like to watch the Holographic message left by the last Commander.]
Sunny sat up straight. The last Commander. That would be his “father”—the previous King of the Star Nation.
”Play it.” He ordered.
[Compliance, my King.]
A beam of cohesive light shot down from a projector in the ceiling. It hit the floor and scrambled for a moment before resolving into a high-definition, three-dimensional image of the late King. He stood tall, wearing his full ceremonial armor, his gaze fixed directly on Sunny.
”Why do you look so surprised?” the hologram asked with a knowing smile.
Sunny blinked, taken aback by the timing. Before he could ask if this was an interactive AI or a recording, the Image answered.
”Before you ask, I am not real. This is a recording… And if you’re seeing this, it means I am dead, and I failed to tell you about this ship in person.” The Holographic King’s expression shifted, his smile fading into a look of somber regret.
”What secret is he talking about?” Sunny murmured to himself, leaning forward.
”Let me introduce you properly. You must have already met her before seeing this message… The brain of this ship is known as Kitty.”
Sunny raised an eyebrow at the screen. “Kitty?”
”Kitty controls everything,” the King continued, gesturing around him. “From the weaponry to space jumps, invisibility cloaking, and the medical pods. Everything is under her command, so be nice to her.”
The King paused, looking down as if gathering his thoughts.
”You already know everything about the kingdom, but you don’t know anything about the Pods… You must have heard rumors of the ancient sarcophagi that strengthen the body and prolong life… Yep, I am referring to those.”
He smirked proudly, as if imagining his son’s stunned face.
”You and Bella were placed in these pods when you were infants. That is why your potential was so high. And now, I want you to have them… You can place anyone you trust in them to build your own elite guard. But, a warning.”
The Holographic image stepped closer, the light intensifying as he leaned in to whisper, his face grave.
”Do not place a pregnant woman in there. The energy density is too high. It could kill the fetus instantly.”
With that dark warning delivered, he stood upright and cleared his throat, shaking off the gloom.
”Where was I? Oh, yeah! After the pods, there are the weapons. These are weapons created from star-metals and volatile chemicals harvested from all over the nine nations… They are strong enough to wipe out planets. At the moment, there are five charges loaded in the ship.”
Sunny moved his gaze around the bridge, absorbing the weight of that statement. Five shots. Five dead worlds. He slowly nodded his head.
The hologram’s face suddenly turned serious, dropping the fatherly facade for that of a ruler.
”Enough joking around. Hey, son… listen closely. In this ship, there is one object placed here by your grandfather.”
The King sighed, running a hand through his digital hair.
”Even I don’t know how to use or activate it. It’s beyond my understanding. Maybe… maybe you can give it a try. But be careful. Even Kitty doesn’t know the full extent of this object’s powers… Go and find it. Kitty will guide you.”
With a final, lingering look at the chair, the King gave a sharp nod.
”Good luck, Draco.”
The light cut off, and the hologram vanished, leaving Sunny alone in the silence of the cockpit, the mystery hanging heavy in the air.