Chapter 447 - 400: Gains and Conditions (Part 2)

Chapter 447: Chapter 400: Gains and Conditions (Part 2)

"Used for this Apocalypse Rule..." Zhang Minglu froze. "You want them to stare directly at Crimson Terra?"

...

"Finch, did you know that experts from several nations have filed a joint complaint against you?"

In a top-floor office of the Soloma Crisis Management Bureau, the King sat in his swivel chair, his gaze fixed on the high clouds drifting outside the window as he spoke slowly.

The Crisis Management Bureau was a department established by Soloma to counter the Apocalypse Rules, its function similar to North Star’s Strategy Research Room.

The bearded Finch, who had led the previous night’s experiment to explore Crimson Terra, now stood behind the King, an indignant look on his face. "Hmph. Your Majesty, those people are just being overly dramatic. The subjects signed consent forms. They knew the risks. What do they have to complain about? If we were as fainthearted as them, stopping the experiment the second a subject whimpers, we’d never discover anything!"

The King said nothing, stroking the scepter in his right hand.

Finch snuck a glance at the King’s expression in the window’s reflection. Seeing no sign of anger, he relaxed slightly.

"There were five test subjects in total. One was declared brain-dead after failed resuscitation. Two others suffered permanent brain damage, and one experienced multiple neurological seizures... Only one had relatively less severe symptoms."

Finch’s expression faltered. He thought he was about to be held accountable.

But to his surprise, the King’s next words brought him a sense of relief.

"The issue is why you agreed to let that liar stop the experiment. As you said, he signed the contract."

"I’m sorry, Your Majesty... It was my fault! I wanted to tie the bastard to the chair, but the others disagreed. Then the last subject made a breakthrough, so I let it slide... I won’t be so lenient next time, you can rest assured!"

The King nodded slightly. "I’ve read the report. It mentioned that the unknown phenomenon the subject discovered was... a Red Halo?"

"Yes," Finch said. "He reported that after staring at Crimson Terra for more than three seconds, his mind was flooded with terrifying images. They were all generated from his deepest fears, from childhood to the present, and each one felt incredibly real. He barely managed to stay sane, relying on the Resistance from his high Psychic Power, and tried to find something unknown within those horrific visions.

And what he found was a Red Halo. The halo wasn’t one of his fears, so it had to be the unknown element. But the moment he noticed it, it vanished. It was gone in a flash."

The King swiveled his chair around to face Finch, his expression unreadable. "A Red Halo. Is that the only clue you have?"

"...I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I’ll keep trying. I’ll continue the experiments until I find out what that Red Halo is and figure out a way to capture it!"

"North Star will be leading the next experiment. Don’t forget, this is a joint Human Federation exploration."

"North Star?!" Finch was clearly displeased. "The North Star experts were the ones screaming at me to halt the experiment last night! What can those indecisive people possibly achieve? Your Majesty, just let me conduct my own private research. I’ll find the answer faster than the Human Federation!"

"No," the King refused flatly.

Finch was taken aback. He hadn’t expected this.

As an expert who had led many projects over the years, he knew it was common practice for Soloma to cooperate with international organizations on the surface while secretly dispatching its own teams to investigate independently.

’Why not this time?’

"Your Majesty..."

"That’s enough. No means no."

The King’s tone left no room for argument.

’I can’t afford any complications before Dr. Heisen’s Angel Project is a success.’ Any action that might attract the attention of other nations—especially North Star—could not be permitted.

Dr. Heisen had told him that after acquiring the Memory Digitization technology from the nano-lifeforms, they would need half a year to integrate and apply it to the project.

His primary requirement for this half-year was stability.

Finch saw the King’s cold expression and knew that once a decision was made, it was final.

He nodded in resignation. "Very well, Your Majesty... I’ll prepare to join the experiment in North Star, then."

"You won’t be leading this experiment, so keep your opinions to yourself. Simply record the results in detail. That will be sufficient."

Just then, the King felt a vibration from his coat pocket. He said to Finch, "You may leave."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Finch lowered his head and left the room.

The King pulled a phone from his pocket. In an age of advanced smart devices, he was, surprisingly, still using an old-fashioned push-button phone.

After he pressed the answer button, a young man’s voice came through.

"I believe you owe me an explanation."

Demanding an explanation from the King of Soloma from the very first sentence—who could be on the line?

The King, however, did not seem angry. He replied coolly, "An explanation for what?"

"Are you going to pretend you don’t know? Really?" Although the young man’s voice was calm, it held a trace of suppressed fury. "Please explain to me why I’ve lost my access privileges to Eden Island."

"Why do you need to go to the island?"

"What do you think? Need I remind you that my wife and child are on that island?"

"Oh? I was under the impression you didn’t care about them. Need I remind you of the document you signed before joining the Eden Project? It clearly states that if your child is born on the island, custody does not belong to you or your wife. You should be well aware of this, Adam."

Adam fell silent on the other end of the line.

The Eden Project was a mysterious, long-term initiative launched by the Soloma Empire two years prior, right as the Apocalypse Rules first descended.

The project’s core mission was to gather the handful of Soloma Ascenders with the highest initial Psychic Power thresholds, transport them to Eden Island, and allow these men and women to freely form relationships, couple, and procreate.

The purpose of the project was to screen the resulting offspring, selecting the cream of the crop for a child born with an innately high Psychic Power threshold and growth rate. The project referred to this child as the "Son of God," believing they would one day lead the world forward.

Now, after nearly two years, the project was finally bearing fruit.

A small batch of newborns had been born on the island.

However, every Ascender who participated in the project had signed a document before setting foot on the island.

The document stipulated that all children born on the island would be raised by the government of Soloma; the parents would not have custody rights.

"...I’m well aware of that document. I signed it, and I’ll honor it. But I’m not asking for custody. I’m asking for visitation rights. Don’t I even have the right to visit my own child, His Majesty the King?"

"You do not," the King said. "This is for your own good."

"For my own good?"

"Out of sight, out of mind. You’re only asking for visitation rights now. If you see the child, you might change your mind and decide you want custody."

"I don’t care about your grand reasoning. All I know is that the document doesn’t strip me of my right to visit as a father."

"The answer is no."

"And if I insist on setting foot on the island?"

Adam’s voice remained calm over the phone, but the King knew him well enough to recognize he was genuinely enraged.

’I can’t afford any complications before the Angel Project is a success.’

"You may visit your child, on one condition: you complete a mission for me."

"...Eliminate the Fire Worship Cult?"

"No. I want you to capture the true leader of the Fire Worship Cult alive. I don’t care if it’s the public-facing Pope or someone else hiding in the shadows."

Adam’s voice grew heavy. "Capture him alive... You must know his abilities are likely related to Mind Control. What, do you plan to capture him so you can use him to control others?"

"How I choose to deal with that person is none of your concern," the King said. "Adam, my patience with you has its limits. You should remember that. Capture the target during the joint operation, and I will let you visit your child on the island. Otherwise... you are welcome to test the consequences of forcing your way in."

With that, the King hung up and put his phone away.

He gazed out the window at the distant horizon, gave a cold snort, and, leaning on his cane, turned and left.