Chapter 108: Freedom

After they cleaned up the nethersea brand, Maria explored the Stultifera Navis with Zofia in order for her to gain more information about the ship.

Meanwhile, Garcia and Alfonso who were being influenced by the hivemind got a sudden clarity of mind. Though Garcia still looks like a seaborne.

"You're alright, stranger." Alfonso nodded at him, just like how a sailor would give someone their respect.

"Eww, an old man as a tsundere?" Ash remembered Nian's description of those types and he recoiled from the uncuteness.

"Tsundere?" Alfonso just tilted his head and Garcia also looked at him with a confused expression. Which fascinated Ash, not expecting that seaborne can get confused.

"Anyways, you're lucky, old man. We've been working on a little cure for those with seaborne parts. And you don't mind trying the prototypes right?" Ash offered and they looked at each other.

"Ash, is that wise?" Gladiia raised a brow. It would be human trials without further testing. Which means it is inhumane experimentation.

"They don't have a choice, it's either be hunted down in Iberia or go to Paradiso to get a chance at another life." Ash shrugged.

"The boy's right, we're over a hundred years old now missy." Alfonso sighed and he bowed at Ash due to regaining his mind a bit.

Now, he could clearly remember the dress he put on Garcia before she turned into a seaborne. It was ripped all over her body. And her original traits aren't recognizable anymore.

Garcia patted him on the back and Alfonso nodded. "Let's walk shall we?" He offered to them and they agreed.

"This is my ship, the golden dreadnought that sailed through horrors for 60 years." Alfonso looked around like he was reminiscing.

"It's still in pretty good shape too, I would definitely make more of these. I think I know just how to make Nian motivated to create more of these." Ash chuckled. A movie about warships would make Nian excited.

"Aye, she was made for the rough seas that are crawling with seaborne. Pretty thing the tough girl is." Alfonso looked at the stern and he could remember her crew.

Garcia held his hand tightly and Alfonso nodded. "I'll leave her to you. I never did like the scientist types. You don't see their beauty, but I'll let it slide just this once." Alfonso laughed heartily.

"Well, it is mine now. That isn't even a debate old man." Ash laughed as well, but they were surprised when Garcia took his gun and shot herself on the head.

Alfonso stabbed his saber onto the middle of his chest. Destroying his heart immediately.

"I leave her to you. Make her sail again... The new generation doesn't need the old. Oi, inquisitor. Tell Carmen to shut the fuck up." Alfonso took Garcia's body and went overboard.

Ash stopped Irene who was about to run. He shook his head and the inquisitor was both confused and angry.

"He made his choice." Ash looked at the spot where they were before going overboard.

The abyssal hunters nodded at his decision. For decades, they were haunted by the memories of the seaborne tearing their crew apart.

And they could understand it. To want peace, to just rest. The two just didn't see another purpose, unlike the abyssal hunters that wanted to see Ash succeed against the seaborne.

They were made to win against them. And he was the key to realize that. And they don't want to admit it because they're edgy, but the abyssal hunters made some friends in Paradiso.

Even Gladiia who is as cold as ice likes Margaret and Shining. Birds of the same feather and all that.

"But why?" Irene couldn't understand. Ash just gave them a chance to turn their life around. Enjoy their years together.

"Some things are just too hard to explain Irene. Their choice is neither correct or wrong. It's just based on their experiences and views. And taking that route is what they think would give them peace." Ash patted her head and Irene begrudgingly accepted his explanation.

"What happened? We heard a gunshot." Maria and Zofia appeared, ready to fight.

"Alfonso and Garcia killed themselves." Ash explained succinctly.

"Oh... I guess that's understandable." Zofia frowned, but she would most likely do the same.

"Come on now, they're finally able to rest. Let's go back to the eye of Iberia." Ash clapped and they focused their attention back to the mission.

Maria nodded and she led them to the control room so they could make the ship sail.

"Does this thing even have enough energy to work?" Ash asked Maria and she smiled wryly.

"No, not really." Maria scratched her head. She already checked the originium reactors of the ship and they were all a dud.

"I guess I got to give the old man his wishes." Ash shrugged and he made the water under the ship form a strong current.

They started moving towards the eye of Iberia rapidly. Team Mudrock and Kal'tsit's support fleet saw the massive dreadnought sail towards them.

"So they are successful?" Kal'tsit was pleased and thought that the Stultifera Navis can be reverse engineered to fight against threats.

'They would surely make a navy that is far stronger than Iberia's back in their golden age. But I guess that their alliance having it would be better than some random country.' Kal'tsit didn't know if she should be relieved or anxious.

"Ash seems to be a competent leader, Kal'tsit. Don't be paranoid." Ascalon noticed her nervousness.

"You're right..." Kal'tsit sighed and she thought it was embarrassing. 'Here I am, millennia years old and being comforted by Ascalon.' Kal'tsit smiled wryly.

"They have retrieved the Stultifera Navis..." Carmen was both in awe and positively excited at seeing Iberia's flagship.

Though he'll be in for a rude awakening. As Ash yoinked it already by right of conquest. He would send messages to the members of the red axis immediately to put pressure on Iberia too.

Ash landed in front of them and they were quickly met by Nian. "So cool! Is that our new ship?" Nian grinned and Ash nodded.

"She's a beauty ain't she? Maria is already reverse engineering the thing. We'll have to send Closure, Astgenne, and Eunectes to quicken the pace." Ash nodded at her.

"Oh yeah! I'll make tons of it for sure!" Nian's eyes sparkled.

"Good work Ash." Kal'tsit nodded at him and Ash gave her a hole boring stare.

"W-what?" Kal'tsit got nervous and Ash squinted his eyes. "AMa-001. I won't pry, but you better tell me what his identity is." Ash pointed at the Dokutah after sending her a mental message.

Kal'tsit went wide eyed and she froze on the spot. Worrying Ascalon, Amiya, and the Dokutah who was singled out.

"Y-yes... H-how?" She blinked dumbly and Ash sighed. "I saw that your sibling was created." He now pointed at Skadi and Kal'tsit broke into a cold sweat.

"Are you okay Dr. Kal'tsit?" Amiya looked at her with worry and Kal'tsit nodded, though she was a bit pale.

"It's fine Amiya, come on. Let's go back to Rhodes island. We have left it for far too long." Kal'tsit retreated and they gave her a weird look.

"What was that about?" Gladiia raised a brow and Skadi is also curious on why he pointed at her.

"It's about history, you know? The hush hush stuff." Ash waved his hand and they dropped it.

Nian and Maria then fortified the tower with black steel. Replacing the dilapidated parts slowly, before remaking its support system completely.

"Hey Carmen, Alfonso has a message for you. He said to shut the fuck up." Ash announced and Carmen snorted.

"That guy has never liked the inquisition." Carmen laughed and Ash added another one.

"And I'll be taking the ship, so if you have complaints. You better agree to his request." Ash shrugged and Carmen got shocked.

"W-what? You can't do that!" Carmen shouted and the inquisitors made themselves sparse. They really don't want to have an altercation with Ash.

"Oh yes we can, the allied nations will be confiscating the Stultifera Navis. It is going to be a defensive weapon against the seaborne." Ash doubled down and Carmen got depressed.

They couldn't really do anything against the allied nations. They were the strongest countries, banding together. What are Iberia's chances to even win against one of them? Virtually none.

"Do you really have to be so brutal about it." Irene commented and Dario smiled wryly.

"Well, do you want to face the seaborne all by yourselves or not? We can just box you in by building fortresses outside of the border, that works too." Ash gave them an ultimatum and they paled immediately.

"No! No! That's fine, thank you." Carmen wasn't an idiot. That was totally legal, and they'll be trapped with the seaborne. He only imagined it for a quick second and that would already give him nightmares.

"Okay, glad we understand each other." Ash smirked and they continued on with their work.

"Team, I have to leave you here. The abyssal hunters will be returning with me. I need to do something." Ash informed his subordinates and they saluted.

"We'll kill anything that moves!" Lappland smiled sweetly and the Rhodes islanders shivered at her happy expression.

"Don't. Just kill the seaborne, or we'll be charged with war crimes." Ash deadpanned at her and Lappland pouted.

"I'll keep her in line." Mudrock smacked her head and Lappland glared at them. "You're bullying me! I'll file a complaint to Soleil and Luna!" Lappland threatened.

"I'm going to review your complaint fairly." Ash laughed and he flew to the skies with the abyssal hunters.

After some flying, they quickly arrived at Paradiso and he led the hunters to a testing room. "Stay here, we need to check if it's going to work."

He nodded at them and they were both scared and excited to be rid of their seaborne influence.

Though Skadi has accepted that she most likely would not have that privilege. But the orca trusted that Ash will find a way.

"I'll find a way." Ash patted her head and she nodded cutely.

Ash went to the lab. Saria, Silence, and even Dorothy were marveling at the sequenced genes of the seaborne.

It was simply amazing. There are thousands upon thousands of genes that enhance their bodies. Resistance to cold, heat, denser bones, more efficient nervous systems, stronger muscles, more twitch fibers.

The seaborne is an awe inspiring piece of genetic engineering. And Ash didn't want to know if the Dokutah had any hand in making these things. Because if he did, he can't think of him as anything but a crazy son of a bitch.

"Now, let's get to work." Ash was feeling nervous. Because he has to change the abyssal hunters whole essence. It's not an exaggeration to say that he will be performing a feat of genetic engineering that cannot be done with humanity's current understanding of science.

Because he will be cheating, Ash quickly focused and enhanced his neural network to the maximum.

Working with the seaborne genes for months, he of course memorized what they could do. And he went to work.

Ash went back to the hunters and put a hand on them. "Don't move, don't even breathe too hard. I need to focus, distract me and you'll have some dire consequences." Ash reminded them and they nodded seriously.

It was an arduous and perilous process. Ash changed their genome one by one. Modifying them painstakingly.

Starting with the hard ones first. They were hard wired genetically to react to chemical signals from the behemoths.

And that basically turns them into drones that are compelled to obey the behemoths. He removed that completely.

There was still a mysterious component that Ash doesn't know. But that is more prominent on Skadi. A type of arts like Kaschey's. Imprinting their will on the seaborne or those that are infected with its cells.

He left it alone though, that's a bit too dangerous to touch upon. And the hunters got by for years with just their will power.

Skadi watched it all intently. She didn't even blink much. Wanting to see her friends be free from their seaborne influence.

Ash also took out the aggression from their genes. They were really prone to violence, i.e. Specter. Which is Laurentina deep down.

Even Gladiia which is a level headed individual would tear apart enemies with extreme prejudice. They were really violent when they get into battle.

They could see Ash sweat. Every strand of their DNA had to be checked by him after all. Removing the harmful ones and only leaving the good ones.

And when he finished, he sat down on the ground immediately. "Damn, that isn't energy extensive... But it sure as hell is exhausting." He huffed.

"Are you okay master?" Laurentina checked up on him with a frown.

"I'm fine..." Ash raised a hand so he could have a breather. His head was throbbing. 'I've mapped out their genes... I can start creating my own abyssal hunters.'

He grinned and Ash could now give the data to the scientists. With his prior augment serums, they can modify it to be safe and use it on their soldiers.

Though they would need to be handpicked. Because strong willed individuals will be needed. It was better to be safe than sorry. Ash has to be around to counteract the subordination arts of the behemoths.

And he was sure as hell that when the time came to fight them, he would be keeping them busy alongside the other Feranmuts.

"Thank you Ash." Skadi hugged him from behind and he definitely liked her gratitude, feeling her large and soft chest squish on his back.

"We still need to do yours." He checked her genome, but it was incredibly chaotic. It was even worse than super powered cancer.

She was adapting to anything super quickly. Even faster than the seaborne. And he won't be touching that with a ten foot pole. It was too damned dangerous.

And if she starts resisting his powers, then it was game over.

"I feel... Great." Gladiia blinked as she looked around. She felt so relaxed and calm. Just like when she was a normal swordfish Aegirian.

"You're welcome." Ash kissed her and she gaped like a goldfish.

"Ara~ I'm getting quite jealous." Laurentina smirked at Gladiia.

"I told you I'll hold you to it, you're unnaturally warm. That was an experience." Ash chortled and Gladiia pouted at him.

They then laughed at Gladiia. Laurentina and Skadi started singing and the captain soon followed. He closed his eyes, enjoying their melodious and strong voices that were filled with joy.

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Thanks for reading everyone, ciao.