Chapter 664: Calculated Plot Reveal

"Seriously?! Visitors from beyond our world? Do you mean aliens? Hasn't their existence been disproven long ago? The Heroes who went into space detected no signs of intelligent life!"

"It would be an insult to just call them aliens, but it's not entirely wrong. They are foreign to our entire universe, not just our planet. Is that so hard to imagine? Enigma City's Gates are literally filled with piles of otherworldly monsters."

"Well, if you put it that way… Gates don't contain 'intelligent' life either, so it really is hard to picture."

"Ignorance isn't a sin. You will understand when you do see them. Unfortunately, Aurora's roguery had cost us the chance to give them a proper welcome, and even worse, created complications regarding their transition to our world."

"But… If you don't mind me asking. What makes these beings so special, or rather, what makes it so important for us to welcome them? It's not like our world is in the same desperate state it was in years ago. Back then, nobody would mind asking aliens, demons, or anything that promised to help."

'For a cooked script, he really does pose some great questions.'

The entire news report was still meant to be a glaze show for the invaders, but the way it was framed made it more like a logical reconstruction of the topic.

In fact, this question really attacked the City Council's agenda in its weakest point.

Wasn't Enigma City supposed to be the world's most advanced haven?

A world that was doing okay had no business accepting outside help. The semi-apocalypse of the past was the only exception when humanity was ready to accept any solution, viable or not.

Using helpless orphans and turning them into enhanced soldiers was just one example of how far they were willing to go.

"To begin with, why bother enlisting the help of a foreign entity?"

"That's a very valid question. After all, back when countries were still the major forces that wrestled for control over Earth, not one of them would welcome the interference of other countries."

For a second, it even seemed like the expert had switched sides, only a few more sentences away from defeating the very own debate he put up.

"However, this analogy in itself doesn't fit. There is simply no room for comparison."

At that moment, the look in the expert's eyes completely changed as it shone with adoration.

"These Great Beings are fully beyond our comprehension. They have the ability to fix all of humanity's problems!"

What he just said wasn't simply a part of a script; he completely believed every word.

"Removing all Gates, establishing proper order over Ability Users, ending the existence of all Villains, truly creating a safe haven, and even advancing humanity's civilization to the next level! All of these are things they could achieve by exerting the slightest bit of effort!"

"This… That's at the level of bestowing miracles."

"Exactly! Their capabilities are at the level where it feels like they are creating miracles, but it's just simple actions to them."

'The visual input does help narrow things down.'

Looking at the glow in the expert's eyes, Leo was sure of it.

This guy wasn't just an instructed actor; he himself was one of the secret cult's fanatics.

"Umm…"

"Do you find it hard to believe? Do you find me insane? I'm sure you would be treated in the same way if you went back in time a few decades and told someone about the feats that Ability Users are capable of."

'Even I'm convinced, heh.'

The example the expert used was just too perfect an analogy.

In a world where the impossible had already become possible once in the form of the ever-evolving Ability Users, nothing could really be considered impossible.

"Look around you. Enigma City might be called the best place on earth, but even the efforts of the City Council have their limit."

In order to prove a point, even belittling the higher-ups was allowed. After all, they were the very ones who instructed doing so.

"Villains are everywhere, and while not as bad as back then, Gate Breaks are still a frequent happening. According to statistics, you are more likely to die in a Gate Break than getting hit by a car!"

Of course, car accidents were already at an all-out low due to the regulations of Enigma City, but old standards being carved in everyone's minds, such a statement made it seem like Gate Break mortality was very high.

"You aren't wrong, but it's not really that bad…"

"Yes! But there is better! We are talking about Ascended Beings! Why limit yourself to subpar standards that are just acceptable when there is promise of something heavenly?!"

'Greed, the one moving force that knows no bounds.'

This was the culmination of the entire news report's discussion.

Give something to the people to look forward to, and keep reinforcing that idea until anything below that is no longer worth considering.

"Besides, it's already been decided that the Great Beings will be visiting our world; the message that covered the skies on every spot on Earth has confirmed that point. So…"

'Then comes the finishing blow.'

"Ascended beings, are you sure you want us to be standing on the wrong side when they do arrive?"

'Fear!'

On the opposite side of greed, intimidation was also a very strong motivator.

This was a universal rule in all novels. When the enemy's strength was too high, there was always bound to be traitors who would sell their allegiance for a chance to survive.

So when such an enemy is instead painted as an ally…

"Th-Then how can you be so sure of all the things you just said? This isn't just a hypothesis, right? How can you be so sure that these visitors are who you say they are?"

"Of course not. How can I speak so confidently about a hypothesis? As I already explained, Special Gates can serve many purposes, and from one such outlier Gate, we have received their very first message a long time ago!"