Chapter 114 146: The Doors of Guf!

Stepping on their heads to solve the problem at its root?

Misato was actually quite sharp; she knew this simple explanation didn't cover even one percent of the conspiracy. SEELE were indeed world-destroyers, but saving the world wasn't as simple as just eliminating them.

The elders had prepared for a long time, investing massive resources—resources that transcended national entities. No one but the controllers of the world could achieve this.

Take the images on the screen: a single giant laboratory cost over a hundred billion dollars. Hundreds of researchers, starting at the doctorate level, were working on a single experiment—including titans in various fields. The cost of the EVA being used for the test exceeded that of a carrier strike group.

Certain things cannot be accomplished by an individual. Superheroes only exist in movies; even if a youth is strong enough to defy the heavens, it is difficult for him to launch a research experiment of this scale.

'Shinji, how insidious.'

Misato understood instantly. Since the boy couldn't become the hen himself, he was borrowing the hen to lay the egg—stealing the research fruits that SEELE spent countless resources on, all while not having to bear the consequences of a failed experiment.

"Then what do you intend to do?"

"Use their hands to study the Negative Universe and find a way to slay gods."

Shinji didn't hide it. Katsuragi Misato was someone he trusted implicitly.

'I see. No wonder he sought out Ritsuko.'

She nodded. Ritsuko Akagi was also a titan in this field, with the help of MAGI. Misato couldn't help in finding a way, but Ritsuko could.

'Damn, I should have joined the Research Department back then.'

Misato ground her teeth and pulled up a chair. The three of them sat in a row, watching the operations of the North American Branch. These people were SEELE's confidants, not under the command of NERV HQ, and were even better equipped in terms of resources.

"A MAGI prototype?"

"A clumsy replica at best. Its processing power is only 30%. Those old men think they've found a treasure," Ritsuko snorted, lighting another cigarette.

"However, the researchers are more impressive than the ones on my end. Oh, that's Dr. Clemenceau, an expert in imaginary number theory; Dr. Mendech, world number one in data

acquisition; Dr. Erika, who researched the Second Impact alongside your father—even Vice Commander Fuyutsuki has consulted him."

She introduced them like her own family treasures. Shinji and Misato didn't understand the technicalities, but they recognized names that were regulars in scientific journals.

[Final preparations complete. Personnel, please evacuate the site.]

[Data collectors pre-activated. Acquisition frequency—]

[Pilot preparing to enter EVA Unit-04.]

An electronic synthesized voice, similar to MAGI, rang out. The dense crowd of researchers receded like a tide, leaving only a web of cables and various instruments.

"A pilot? The Fourth Child?"

Misato's eyes widened as she saw a red-haired youth in a black plugsuit walking toward the entry plug. The Operations Department had heard nothing of this.

"You don't actually think all the pilots in the world are on record, do you? Did you think SEELE wouldn't keep a few backups?"

Ritsuko crushed her cigarette butt into an overflowing ashtray and said mockingly:

"The Marduk Institute was established by Chairman Keel and Commander Ikari. As for which number he is—this boy has never appeared in the records, so don't worry about it."

Only pilots officially on file would be documented. This was true.

"He knows nothing... he's just... like..."

"Like a tool, right? Pilots were always meant to be such things."

Ritsuko glanced at Shinji beside her and corrected herself: "Of course, Shinji-kun doesn't count. He is special."

'Special, my foot.' Rei Ayanami, Asuka, and Shinji Ikari were all tools, puppets controlled by the masterminds, expendable props.

Misato's lips twitched. This job had once filled her with guilt—clueless children used as cannon fodder.

No, if Shinji weren't so reliable, the three at HQ would still be cannon fodder.

The world was that cruel. Just like the red-haired youth on the screen acting like a punk; it was obvious no one had told him how dangerous this experiment was.

[Entry plug in position.]

[Synchronization rate 4%, margin of error—]

[Maintaining depth. Communications open. Mental contamination check: between + and -.]

[EVA Unit-04, activate.]

Misato felt nauseous listening to Dr. William saying things like "Relax, it'll be over in a moment," "Aze, you'll definitely be fine," and "This is part of saving the world, there's almost no danger."

Purely deceiving a child. If it wasn't dangerous, why are you hiding behind sixteen layers of alloy armor? You should be in there with him during the experiment.

Regardless of the outcome, this kid named Aze was dead. The Angel core would directly cause mental contamination; a mental breakdown would be the luckiest possible outcome.

"It's beginning," Shinji said flatly. He would not mourn for a stranger.

"Data transmission delay is at 5. I've had MAGI assist with corrections."

Ritsuko's fingers flew across the keyboard. This was her first time conducting remote research.

"Don't be in a rush. Collect the data, then study it slowly later."

Shinji leaned forward as the entire laboratory turned red.

[Power injection initiated. Voltage stable.]

[N2 bomb safety disengaged. All protective devices active.]

[Angel Core, initiate contact.]

[Space stability maintained. Particle wavelength normal.]

A giant mechanical arm embedded the core into Unit-04's abdomen, where there was a mount similar to a diamond ring setting. Countless artificial "vessels" linked the EVA's nerves. As the distance closed, everyone inside and outside the screen held their breath.

Click.

The ruby-like core was placed inside. Myriads of electronic lights flickered to life.

[Embedding complete. Contact rate 1%, 2%, 3%...]

Countless data points jumped. Shinji narrowed his eyes, seeing the space visibly distort. Then, alarms blared through the entire laboratory.

[Mental contamination detected.]

[Energy threshold out of control. Particle wavelength berserk. Shifting to manual mode.]

[Denied. High energy reaction detected.]

[Energy overload 100%, 120%, 153%...]

[Entry plug depth exceeds safety limit. Life support system failure.]

The youth's piercing screams echoed. Countless researchers frantically tried to terminate the experiment. Shinji only saw Unit-04 snap all its safety restraints, clutching its head in agony as everything in the laboratory distorted.

Yes—the steel, the instruments, they all warped like a mirage. Physics became a joke in that moment. An energy extremely foreign to humanity, even difficult to observe, surged from the core. 500mm alloy armor was no different from a sheet of paper under the wash of higher-dimensional energy.

'A Warp Rift...'

The scene was so familiar. 40K was different from here; it had a deep, direct connection with the Warp. A second later, the screen turned into white noise. Nothing could be seen.

Only faint breathing remained in the room. It took Katsuragi Misato a long while to recover.

"This... did it fail? That was too fast."

They had prepared for months, yet from the start of the experiment to failure, it took less than thirty seconds.

"Yes, it failed. Energy from the Warp surged through the rift; it is impossible for human technology to block it."

Shinji had already predicted the outcome. Failure meant destruction. The result of "playing with fire" is only to get burned.

This was humanity's first direct contact with the Negative Universe. It was so crude and violent; it would be a miracle if it didn't fail.

"They opened the Doors of Guf. The energy of the Negative Universe will submerge everything."

Ritsuko Akagi bit her pen, typing with one hand. "The door only stayed open for 0.01 seconds, but the destructive power it caused is terrifying."

"That's a good thing. It would be more troublesome if they created a rift that couldn't be closed."

Shinji breathed a sigh of relief. The Negative Universe and the Warp had fundamental differences; the biggest being that the Negative Universe has no consciousness and will not sustain the existence of the rift.

"Did we monitor what happened inside?"

"There is no monitoring in a visual sense. I need to wait for the data to be transmitted back, then deduce what happened in that instant."

Ritsuko remained rigorous. Hearing a ringtone, she picked up her phone and nodded calmly: "Yes, I understand. Patch through the satellite footage."

She tapped the keyboard, and another image appeared on the screen—a bird's-eye view from a low-earth orbit satellite.

A burst of intense light suddenly appeared on the blue planet, spreading across an area of hundreds of kilometers. When the second satellite passed over the orbit, a massive blank space appeared in Colorado, USA.

Yes, a blank space. The city, the ground facilities, and the mobilized army had been wiped away as if by an eraser. Everything was gone without a trace; not even the smallest fragment could be seen. There was only a massive crater.

"The Second Impact..."

Misato clutched the cross on her chest, her breathing becoming rapid. Clearly, this triggered unpleasant memories.

Those people were lunatics. In a single experiment, tens of thousands of people simply evaporated from the Earth?

"A scar left by the Sea of Dirac? It's purer than the Second Impact, but the scope of the impact isn't as large."

Ritsuko was much calmer, but her eyes were still glazed. "The Negative Universe is impossible to control. That raging tide gushes out, and human technology cannot resist it. Energy sweeps away everything in the material universe. That is the essence of an 'Impact'."

"So SEELE wants to use a stable sacrifice to resonate with the Negative Universe, thereby deploying an Anti-AT Field, rather than directly opening the Doors of Guf and letting the surging energy destroy everything?"

Shinji talked to himself. Whether this experiment succeeded or not, it wasn't a loss for SEELE.

If it worked, they could create a god. If it failed, they could use the opportunity to observe the Negative Universe. For him, it was the same.

"Finish the data analysis as quickly as possible. Focus on the 0.01 seconds when the material world made contact with the Negative Universe. Such a crude contact will leak a lot of information. Find out how to maintain that rift, and what exactly is inside the Negative Universe."

"No problem. Give me some time. By the way, are you sure you want to open the Doors of Guf? SEELE has already shown you the result."

The conversation between the two caused Misato's heart to skip a beat. She looked at Shinji with an aghast gaze, nearly calling him crazy. But the youth remained calm and resolute.

"Of course. If I don't open the Doors of Guf, I am powerless while staying in the material universe. To annihilate any enemy, I must at least be on the same dimension as them. This is the basic of basics."

Shinji's exclusive "Human God-Slaying Project" had already taken shape. Seeing that humans really did have a way to establish a direct link with the Negative Universe only strengthened this resolve.

Either it comes here, or I go there.

Those Doors—I am definitely opening them.

Read ahead (100 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting