Chapter 511: Black Owl
Chapter 511: Black Owl
"Okay..."
Before the head of Research Zone One could even begin his report, the King's voice interrupted, causing the official to choke on his words. He guessed that His Majesty might be dissatisfied with the recent progress and hastily began his update.
"Your Majesty, the fifteen primary research projects in Zone One have been relatively stable. However, the four projects—artificial souls, aging reversal, memory implantation, and mind manifestation—remain unchanged from before, and there's still no progress to report..."
"I understand," Prince Andre, lying in his chair, nodded after hearing the report. Then, in a grave and aged tone, he continued, "Compared to the other eleven major research projects, these four are indeed more challenging. Not only do they have little connection to your previous studies, but they also haven't been underway for long. Only after capturing those purifiers recently have things started to get back on track. I can understand the lack of progress for now."
The official from Research Zone One secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed he had passed this hurdle.
But just as he relaxed, the King's tone shifted, and he rapped his knuckles on the armrest twice, sounding displeased. "What about the other research projects? Why are they only stable? I've allocated so much energy and budget to you over the years, and every time I ask, you say the progress is stable. But where are the results? Why can't you produce even one?"
"..."
Damn it! I shouldn't have come to report this.
As the King's sharp questioning continued, the official's back glistened with sweat, and he reluctantly replied, "You know, each of these fifteen research projects in Zone One is of such significance that any substantial progress could add another day of celebration to our kingdom's calendar.
Research of this caliber indeed requires a long time to bear fruit, often spanning decades or even requiring the continuous efforts of several generations before any results are seen. So..."
"So, you're saying I'll likely not live to see these projects come to fruition?"
"Well... it's hard to say..."
Wiping the sweat from his brow, the official from Research Zone One spoke with embarrassment. "Many of the research projects in Zones 2 to 18, while not as crucial as Zone One, are related to our work here. If those associated projects make significant progress, our research in Zone One might also take a substantial leap forward."
"Then tell me, how many more steps do you need to take before I die, and even one of these projects comes to fruition?"
"That... it's hard to give an exact number, but there are still many steps ahead..."
"Fine, then. Take your time," Prince Andre, feeling relieved, crossed his legs again and leisurely asked, "Let's talk about research later. How's the preparation that Prince Andre asked you to make coming along?"
"It's all done!"
Seeing that the King had finally stopped pressing about research progress and asked a question he could confidently answer, the official from Research Zone One exhaled and eagerly replied, "The moment the Aleron Kingdom's delegation arrived, we replaced the pest repellent and nutrient solutions in the city's sprinkler system with adrenaline neutralizers soaked in divine flesh.
The two purifiers who abducted Atifi 01 were late arrivals, so their effects are uncertain. But the purifiers from the Aleron Kingdom, having undergone over a week of sprinkler treatment, can no longer enhance their reaction speed to inhuman levels."
The entire kingdom is divided into two levels, with 864 blocks in total. Each block is equipped with a Position Stone extracted from anomalies, and their positions correspond to each other. When attacked, the power will be evenly distributed across all blocks, ensuring minimal damage.
"Hmm, this is a commendable achievement."
After listening to the report from the head of Research Zone One, Prince Andre nodded in satisfaction. Then, with a languid demeanor, he spoke in a dignified tone:
"Go focus on your research. I want to see at least one or two results before I die.
If you can achieve that, then everything is negotiable. But if you fail, on the day I pass away, you, as the head of Zone One, will accompany me to the Afterlife, and you will continue to work for me there!"
"Okay... Yes..."
Faced with the threat of the "King's Majesty," the head of Research Zone One felt a chill down their neck and could only respond with a meek agreement, not daring to speak further.
Once the room was completely silent, Prince Andre, who had been lying on a recliner, released the metal plate at the end of the copper wire, which was attached to a spring. It snapped back into the hidden compartment on the other side of the bookshelf with a 'shoo' sound.
This guy... While he does get things done, he's becoming more and more annoying.
Glancing at the hidden compartment on the bookshelf, Andre confirmed that it was completely closed and wouldn't be discovered. He couldn't help but sigh, then rested his legs on the footstool and leaned back in the recliner, deep in thought.
The most challenging aspect for the Purifiers is not their bizarre abilities. After all, aside from a few exceptional ones, most Purifiers have limited destructive power. With Corlock Kingdom's technological advancement far surpassing other nations, if they were to mobilize the entire military-industrial complex, destroying a city wouldn't be much of a challenge either. Even in a direct confrontation with an Aquarius Division Director, victory is not out of reach.
However, the problem lies with the Aquarius Division Directors themselves. These high-level Purifiers possess immense individual destructive power. Compared to the less flexible hot weapon legions, their flexibility is truly remarkable.
Moreover, with the bizarre anomalies, if they were to infiltrate and cause trouble, it would be nearly impossible to stop them. After all, it's not feasible to have the legions turn their weapons on the entire Corlock Kingdom.
So, the only options are to either ignore them or launch an all-out offensive. Once the time comes to take action, it must be decisive.
As for whether to act now...
Prince Andre frowned, deep in thought. After a while, he stood up and walked towards the balcony. He searched the storage rack and found a black owl mask covered in dust. He forcefully pressed it onto his face.
Whoosh...
Gray fog enveloped the space, and the familiar bone table reappeared in the peculiar space filled with gray mist. Unlike before, most of the seats around the long table were empty, and only two figures were pulled over.
"You're... Black Owl?"
After identifying the other's mask, the hooded figure sitting behind Prince Andre raised their head, revealing a snake mask.
"Aren't you usually uninvolved with the League of Tyrant Kings? Why are you suddenly looking for me?"
"I need backup."
Black Owl, who was behind Prince Andre's mask, spoke up after stating his request straightforwardly:
"Snow Owl has been captured by the Purification Bureau. It's time to take action, but my arrangements might not be effective against the Aquarius Director. That's why I'm asking for your support to ensure I can kill the Sagittarius Division Director!"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
