NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 880
China was initially skeptical.
Having a Secret Research Institute that they didn’t even create themselves was suspicious enough, coupled with the ethically and morally questionable tactics being employed… It was only natural to suspect a trap right from the start.
Therefore, the first possibility that crossed their minds was, “They’re probably trying to lure us into a trap by throwing out some absurdly brutal topic.” If they fell for that material and conducted experiments, they’d be globally condemned for “conducting cruel biological experiments in China,” and thus, they doubted and doubted again.
But a lure isn’t just something that catches you because you don’t know. Even knowing it’s a trap, the bait can be so enticing that you simply can’t bring yourself to walk away. Greed blinds people, narrowing their vision and leading them to underestimate the dangers they must bear. Ultimately, it fosters a misplaced confidence that they can retrieve the bait without falling into a trap, pushing them into reckless actions that lead to their downfall.
China thought this enticing material was far too plausible to just disregard as a lie, and secretly mobilized loyal Alchemists and Wizards to verify the data.
[This… is really damaged, but it makes some sense. Where on earth did this come from…?]
[I’ve never seen anything like this in academia… This is at least ten years ahead.]
[More than that, it seems like this was a collaborative research effort involving various experts. The depth is impressive, and the breadth is no joke.]
Thus, the verifying Alchemists and Wizards spoke in unison.
The likelihood of it being real was very high, and its credibility was also extremely plausible. Moreover, while the subject matter was indeed brutal, compared to what is currently available in academia, there is a gap of at least 10 to 50 years. And this difference is based not on the past, but on the standards of modern scientific advancements which are rapidly accelerating…
Upon receiving such reports, China knew it couldn’t just let it go.
With a 10 to 50-year advantage based on the accelerating standards of modern magical science, they might as well experience a world shattering transformation.
The difference could be as drastic as between a cargo truck and a rail elevator…!!!
An Evil Being tempts them.
“Step into sin, and I shall reveal the truth to you.”
“By getting your hands stained with blood, wealth will follow, so why hesitate?”
That temptation was truly hard to refuse, so China had no choice but to shut its eyes tight and yield.
Unaware of who had been there or who had conducted the research, and why it was stored in a Biological Server using a human brain rather than an ordinary machine server… they resolved to take that evil library, the Gebura Archive, for themselves.
“Evil terrorists have destroyed a city. Who knows when such a thing might happen again?”
“China must be strong, for without strength, it cannot protect its people.”
“Knowledge is not a sin. The use of knowledge merely splits into good and evil depending on direction.”
“Even if there are sacrifices among a few, they cannot be compared to the whole populace. Through their noble sacrifice, China can maintain order and its people will lead peaceful lives.”
“China lacks power to counter asymmetric threats. This incident has confirmed that it is vulnerable to a few strong foes rampaging around, which must be remedied. Otherwise, such things will continue to happen.”
“Not all of this data is evil. There are many things that align with or are significantly more advanced than the projects we were originally pursuing. Ignoring this would be foolish.”
And so, the terrible research commenced.
Budgets were crafted under various guises and laundered through clever means. The funds generated in this way became the resources needed to fully understand the knowledge contained within the Gebura Archive. At the same time, horrific events began to unfold all across China.
Cases of missing people surged in the underdeveloped regions that had been pushed to the back of development priorities.
Curiously, even the Public Security, which had installed CCTV nationwide, struggled to find the perpetrators, and some would even treat reports of missing individuals with skepticism, thinking they might have just moved to another area. When complaints arose, they would either suppress them with authority or nonchalantly resort to violence.
Seeing this behavior from the Public Security, the people thought,
“It seems like there are so many chaotic events in the country that they’re neglecting their own duty. They certainly seize any opportunity to have a free meal, those lazy old folks.”
“Really, how can we trust the Public Security? It’s wise to protect oneself.”
Surprisingly, this behavior from the Public Security wasn’t unique.
To most of the people, the Public Security felt like wolves. Corruption, authority, and a penchant for bribes painted a violent image.
Of course, things were gradually improving, but the people’s perception remained the same.
Human perception is driven by inertia; the older one gets, the harder it becomes to change.
By middle age, most people didn’t trust the Public Security, and the elderly would often say, “It’s wiser to rely on oneself than trust the Public Security in a crisis.”
However, despite this image, many still sought to befriend the Public Security. Just as wolves treat their own pack well, the Public Security was known to offer help to those they deemed associates.
Therefore, even as missing persons cases surged, the Public Security’s standing was unshaken. In fact, the more danger was sensed, the harder people tried to befriend the Public Security, consequently strengthening their authority.
The only ones suffering were those who went missing.
Indeed.
Only those who went missing bore the brunt of it.
Generally, when crime rates surge, an atmosphere of unease spreads across the nation, yet that was not the case this time.
It was because the ones suffering were considered insignificant.
Those in backwater regions, who were deemed much less important.
Those worthless beings working labor jobs for meager wages, surviving on bland food as their staple.
The lowest individuals in an equal China.
Commonly referred to as “migrant workers.”
The targets of the abductions were exclusively them.
Thus, while people felt uneasy about the rising number of missing cases, they found solace in the fact that the victims were migrant workers, and they went about their daily lives.
Few shed tears.
Migrant workers were replaceable.
Though they lived in the same country, they were treated almost like livestock.
Even among the many people in China, they were the most common of existences.
Very few would weep for such beings.
And even fewer cared.
And so, amidst everyone’s indifference, people began to disappear.
And those who were abducted were used as “specimens.”
No, to put it positively… they made noble sacrifices for the future of the nation.
There was no problem.
Since ancient times, in China, the populace was like weeds.
Left unchecked, they grow and multiply on their own.
Just as no one feels guilt for burning weeds for warmth or tossing them aside.
And thus, the rulers of China were no different.
And so, everything flowed smoothly.
Now, China would soon regain its rightful order and roar back into the world.
The fallen dragon would carry the pearl again and once more shine down upon the center of the world.
That is what China believed.
That is what China was convinced of.
But can one expect favoritism from the heavens?
Heaven neither loves nor hates anyone particularly.
It simply entices human lives, guiding them to flow, to break, to exist in a high and aloof manner.
China did not realize that.
Perhaps they simply did not think about it.
Or maybe they were caught off guard by a sudden stroke of fortune, short-sightedness kicking in.
It’s possible they were unable to think clearly due to greed for the horrific, forbidden knowledge that lay dormant in the Gebura Archive alongside the accompanying sense of treachery and guilt.
Or perhaps.
It simply ran out of luck.
* * *
Where the golden double-headed eagle spreads its wings wide.
Where a shining crown exudes majesty amid the chill.
There, where even the coldest snow cannot bury the forceful authority.
In the heart of Russia, an old man spoke.
“Gebura Archive.”
The eyes, set deep within the rugged hollows, gazed at the documents. Those sharp eyes reminiscent of a bird of prey frowned, and the angular jaw shifted as if to twist before returning to place.
He was the top authority of Russia.
The legal leader governing this vast wasteland—the President.
“Gebura Archive, Gebura Archive. The pandas have picked up something odd…”
The old man muttered in a deep, powerful voice before tossing the papers aside.
As if to say that the contents within were something he couldn’t bear to look at.
Yet even after throwing them, the contents swirled in his mind.
“Organ transplantation, cannibalism, fusion of Warriors and Wizards, human bombs, chimeras, cloned soldiers, artificial organs…”
The documents declare.
An unidentified server named the “Gebura Archive” has been discovered in China, and the Chinese Government has begun to study the materials within. Additionally, excellent Russian agents successfully approached the Gebura Archive and extracted all the information.
The documents reveal.
China has been conducting research, grinding countless people as they attempt to restore the damaged data after only the minimum verification process.
All of it leads to one conclusion.
“The paradox of the Red Queen.”
The President smiles.
“If we don’t study it, we’ll fall behind; it’s unavoidable…”
It was a smile dripping with the Smell of Blood.