Witch, Fireball and the Evil God of Steam-Chapter 733 - 105: Outside the Story (2)

Only the Old Gods can tear open a gap in the world where they live.

The white-haired little girl is an honest child, she has hinted enough.

She smiled and reached out her left hand to him.

At the instant of touching the palm, countless fragments about the laboratory flickered before his eyes, like a movie sped up a thousand times.

This is not his memory.

Everything that happened in the laboratory overturned the story presented in "Scarlet"'s memory of the company boss and comatose daughter. He watched, from the perspective of a test subject, batches of children being sent into the lab, brought into the operating room, their states weakening day by day until disappearing completely.

The researchers' lies told that those missing children were sent out of the lab, being raised by good families, living affluent lives.

In reality, every late night the researchers would pile the bodies covered with white cloth together and take them to places unknown for disposal.

Researchers always told them this experiment concerned the future of humanity, each one of them is a national treasure. This engulfed many with a mission, gradually losing themselves in a near brainwashing process, they no longer questioned the specifics, even the pain from the equipment was a necessary path to creating a better future.

But the progress of the experiment never went smoothly.

No matter how the researchers tried, what drugs were injected, or how they cut open their bodies, they couldn't get the desired result.

Even those top genetic scholars gathered together could not explain the "different races" theory.

This daily routine continued until suddenly one day, after a strong earthquake, people outside brought terrifying news.

Their city was destroyed.

Most residents died in the quake, only a few hid in shelters and survived.

This meant everyone in the lab failed.

As the city's "hope", they couldn't stop this from happening before its destruction.

However, the experiment did not stop with despair. The survivors found new embers in the devastated city, the rescue team found a black lotus in the ruins, containing some transcendental energy, researchers believed this would be the key to changing everything.

A new research was imminent.

They still needed to do more.

Some caught sight of a new path at the end of science, sparking a wilder thought.

Perhaps...

They could create a "god".

Ethan witnessed the downfall of the City of Truth from another perspective. Yet for staying in the shelter's lab the whole time, the truth of the "earthquake" remained elusive, but the scraps of conversation between researchers revealed enough, since the first day back in the dream, he had a peculiar premonition.

The Democratic Assembly seemingly knew long before that this city would eventually be destroyed.

They not only foresaw the city's end but precisely grasped the countdown to destruction, allowing ample time to build a large shelter beneath the surface, even select the people to enter the shelter.

"This time, perhaps you can witness the story's end."

The white-haired little girl tightened her grip on his hand, "But, beware of enemies beyond the story."

Ethan felt dazed, the palm's touch turned into delusion, watching her body grow increasingly faint until completely transparent.

The people in the lab were still busy.

And now, he must choose between two versions of a story.

"Yo."

Leaving the lab, a familiar figure was already waiting at the corner of the corridor.

"Director Lin."

"Seems you've uncovered a lot of the inside story, but before that, I have something to tell you."

Merlin lit a cigarette for himself, its nicotine scent wafted through the corridor, better than the shelter's second-hand smoke.

Now just recently, he had made a decision.

"Forget about Pioneer Company, or that large-scale real-person holographic game, it's an idea we implanted in your mind."

This time, no beating around the bush, no jest or teasing, but an open and sincere dialogue.

The confidentiality agreement of the shelter was seriously violated; such a breach could render countless efforts useless, just that statement alone was enough to have him executed on the spot.

Yet, recent events compelled Merlin to suspect the committee never intended to rebuild their city, nor to fulfill the promise of letting everyone bask under the sun made during the experiment.

Instead of inexplicably waiting for death, he decided to act.

Furthermore, he was running out of time, today might be his only chance to meet Ethan.

"If you have a way to ensure the ensuing conversation won't be heard by others, I'd be immensely grateful."

His request took immediate effect.

The cigarette tail froze mid-air, all the noise vanished at that moment because even time ceased its flow, as if the world was left with just him and Ethan.

This gave Merlin a chill.

He began to introduce himself, "Maybe you're more familiar with the name 'Merlin'."

"Go on."

"Mr. Ethan, you're a capable person, perhaps able to bring rebirth to a ruined world, so many of ours have pinned hope on you—this was our A plan, attempt to implant a notion into your mind to make you one of us; if all goes well, we would focus on conveying the truth of the world's destruction to you in the future."

The story of the boss and daughter would continue, as initially when the dream experiment started, Chen Qi planned to execute the previous plan.

Find a way to make Ethan believe the "otherworldly" life was a two-year real game, while in fact he was in deep sleep in a cryo pod, next, he would wake from the dream to face this devastated world with them.

Merlin confessed candidly, "Personally, I still favor this low-risk, beautiful ending."

A world without injury, that's what everyone in the shelter hoped for.

"But things aren't progressing smoothly."

Ethan raised an eyebrow.

Not surprising, whenever one mentions "original plan," it's usually not progressing smoothly.

"Unfortunately, I found many things the committee hid from us, and you may not believe it, but by our generation, not many remember how the world was destroyed; from birth we stayed in the shelter, adults warned never return to the surface to avoid disaster."

Merlin paused slightly, "I believe the committee is eager for you to appear, but perhaps for different reasons."

Now his goal was to clear interfering options for Ethan and tell him all he knew.

Merlin had heard many deeds about Ethan.

Ethan trusted sincere communication could resolve many issues, and this time he decided to place faith in Ethan.

"Actually, the director you met yesterday is someone from the Minister, I admit I lied to you about him," Merlin said, "Today at 4:12 AM, he was found by neighbors to have shot himself at home, police deem it a suicide, this is why I must find you—perhaps tomorrow, police would find my corpse in the apartment, but before that, I've done all I can."