The trench shook like an earthquake. Godzilla's dorsal fins burned brighter and brighter, streaks of atomic blue racing up their jagged edges. Above, Project Aegis's "contact" torpedoes detonated harmlessly against the water — but the sound, the pulse, the intent carried straight to the King.
Godzilla roared.
It was not a sound. It was a force, a tidal wave of sound that flattened the water, rattled the trench walls, and crushed Lin against the rock. His new Titan Instincts shrieked warnings in his skull.
> [Critical Threat State Detected.]
[Time Limit: 15 seconds.]
The system menu still blinked in his mind.
Apex Heir.
Abyssal Rival.
Blue energy began to coil in Godzilla's throat, a faint glow building like a star about to explode. The humans above were no longer an annoyance — they were a target.
---
Project Aegis – Submarine Control Room
"Dear God…" The sonar technician's face went white as the massive spike in energy readings filled his screen.
"He's charging," Dr. Keller said, voice breaking. "Shut down everything. Now."
"It's too late," the technician whispered. "He's going to—"
The submarine's hull groaned as the water outside vibrated. The men could feel the pressure of the roar even through reinforced steel.
Keller turned to the live drone feed. In the murky water below, the hatchling — Lin — glowed faintly. "It's reacting to him," Keller muttered. "That's no ordinary juvenile. That's something… new."
---
Below – The Trench
Lin's claws dug into the rock. His dorsal plates flickered between dim and bright, his entire body trembling. I can't hide. I can't outrun this. I have to choose.
Godzilla's gaze flicked to him again, one golden eye glimmering like molten sun. For a heartbeat, the King's glow dimmed, waiting.
The system's voice became a whisper:
> [Ten seconds remaining.]
Lin's mind flashed with images: his old life as a powerless human, the M.U.T.O.'s claws tearing at him, the abyss waiting to swallow him. This world didn't forgive weakness. But it rewarded survival.
Heir… or rival?
He slammed his claw against the glowing "Apex Heir" option.
> [Choice Confirmed: Apex Heir.]
[Evolution Initiated.]
Pain tore through Lin's body, sharper than any before. His dorsal plates elongated, their edges jagged like crystalline blades. Blue bioluminescence traced his veins. His chest swelled with heat. The ocean around him bubbled as his form expanded, scales hardening, tail thickening with muscle.
> [Stage Up: Proto-Titan Form.]
[New Skill: Atomic Echo.]
[Description: Emits a scaled-down atomic pulse resonant with Titan hierarchy. Used to communicate or assert presence.]
Lin roared — not a screech, but a sound that harmonized with Godzilla's. The trench vibrated with their combined frequencies.
Godzilla's glowing eyes narrowed. His dorsal fins dimmed slightly as he tilted his massive head, regarding Lin not as prey but as… something else.
---
Project Aegis – Submarine Control Room
"What… is it doing?" a crewman whispered.
Keller stared at the readings. "It's… it's synchronizing with Godzilla. Almost like it's calling him." He grabbed the comm mic. "All stations, stand down. Don't fire another shot. That hatchling isn't just surviving — it's evolving into… an heir."
"An heir to what?" the technician asked.
Keller's eyes never left the screen. "To the throne."
---
Below – The Trench
Godzilla turned upward toward the surface, dorsal fins glowing faintly but no longer at full charge. He released a low, thunderous rumble — not a roar of war, but a command. The currents shifted around Lin, carrying a faint trace of the King's aura.
> [New Objective: Survive Titan Trial.]
[Description: The King has acknowledged you. Now you must prove yourself worthy or be destroyed.]
Lin's new dorsal plates flickered with blue fire. His claws flexed. For the first time, he felt the ocean responding to him — currents bending, smaller creatures scattering at his presence.
But before he could process it, a shadow slithered out of the abyss.
A second juvenile M.U.T.O., larger than the first, lunged from the darkness — and this time it wasn't alone. Smaller silhouettes followed, their shapes alien and jagged, drawn to the trench by the massive energies released.
Lin whipped around, his tail slicing through the water like a blade. Of course… of course they'd come now.
Above, the humans watched in horror as their sonar filled with new dots — dozens of them, converging on the trench.
Godzilla roared once, a warning thunder that shook the water. Lin's Titan Instincts flared.
This was no longer a fight. It was a trial.
---
To be continued…
⚡️ Next Chapter Teaser:
Lin's first true test as Godzilla's potential heir begins — a battle against a swarm of predators drawn by Titan energy. Meanwhile, Project Aegis scrambles to decide whether to intervene, capture, or flee before two forces — heir and King — reshape the ocean battlefield.