127. Du Zexin, utterly wicked
Due to time constraints, Li Aozi didn't stay for long. He modified his cybernetic head, using [Remaining Moon] to eliminate the genetic information within, and added some materials to the solidified biochemical pool before teleporting back to Shuiyue Fort, catching a ride back to school.
During this time, he contacted people from the Scholarship Association. Trevila has many prestigious schools, and there were a few peers in the association who had passed their exams to get in. In their conversation, they expressed great admiration for Li Aozi as the founder and hoped to visit him someday.
Li Aozi didn't refuse, but he needed to find a way to eliminate the negative effect preventing him from learning knowledge.
After returning to school, holding [Remaining Moon] Omega energy, Li Aozi was no longer worried about exposing his cybernetic identity and contacted the woman recommended by Mordot that day.
......
Four days later, Shuiyue Fort, abandoned factory in the suburbs.
"...This is the situation."
Romulus knelt on one knee, lowering his head to report to the person in front of him:
"Lord Mozilan was seriously injured by that unknown man, who also took away his Omega energy. We had no chance to intercept him. His strength... was at least Delta level."
He spoke every word cautiously, not daring to conceal anything, not even his own incompetence and mistakes.
Beads of sweat formed on Romulus' forehead. He was well aware of the terrifying nature of the man before him.
If he dared to conceal anything, he would be torn to pieces like a sheet of paper.
The man in the shadows was silent for a moment, then slowly uttered one word:
"Hmm."
What did 'hmm' mean? Was it dissatisfaction? Understanding? Or perhaps ridicule?
Before Romulus could speculate further, the man's gaze shifted to Mozilan, standing hesitantly to the side:
"Romulus says your Omega energy was taken, and you got a beating—yet you look completely fine to me."
"I..."
Mozilan extended his hand, clenched his fist, his expression subtle, with complex emotions in his eyes:
"Although he took my Omega energy, because of that... these hands have become normal."
He clenched his fists forcefully.
"I can punch, I can grasp, I can feed myself without relying on an exoskeleton, I don't need to worry about getting overly emotional and sealing myself into a piece of paper, nor do I have to worry about being stuck in the two-dimensional world forever, unable to escape—"
"Is this the extent of your ambition?"
The man said coldly.
"But, Father... isn't this the reason we came here?" Mozilan bit his lip. As a [Mutant], his [Charisma] was not low. He had a decent, handsome appearance. Now that Omega energy no longer troubled him, his personality had softened, no longer as extreme.
Mozilan spoke solemnly:
"No matter what, our objective has been achieved, and I am no longer bound by the sequence's curse. Father... can we go home?"
"Home?" The man said coldly, exuding a dangerously oppressive aura.
Under the man's pressure, Mozilan stumbled back repeatedly. As a Delta level, he couldn't even remain upright in front of him. Panicking, he turned to Romulus, who was merely at Gamma level peak, and called out:
"Romulus, say something."
Romulus was stunned, thinking, "You two father and son are arguing, how could I dare speak?" But the man's gaze had already fallen on him, leaving him no choice but to give a bitter smile and brace himself:
"Lord Remaining Moon, I think Lord Mozilan has a point."
"Reason." Remaining Moon rested his face on one hand, asking coldly.
"We've already been stuck on White Candle Star for three years, and surely the brothers are dissatisfied with the prolonged losses."
Romulus cautiously added:
"Our fleet has had no income for years, and the brothers have had a tough time, Lord Remaining Moon as well. Moreover, you don't want to truly clash with a civilization like Crystal Tower—although they aren't a legal civilization, their strength is still third-rate within the Abyss. They are not someone we, without a backing, can provoke."
Remaining Moon nodded:
"In your opinion, what should we do?"
"Honorable sir, I dare not overstep your authority, but I believe resuming our normal business is what the brothers in the fleet truly desire... This is just a suggestion, not necessarily correct. If you don't care, just ignore it."
Romulus made a respectful hand gesture, humbly responding.
"Yes, Father, we were delayed this long because of my problem. Although that man named Du Zexin had ill intentions, he inadvertently helped me. Now I can also switch to other Omega energies, and regaining my strength shouldn't take long—"
"Shut up!" Remaining Moon scolded angrily, "Do you think it's that simple? Some space junk? This is Sequence Omega energy! The power of a natural disaster!"
He harshly rebuked his son, clearly disappointed:
"I did all this to help you break the curse while also fully utilizing the great power of [Remaining Moon] Omega energy. Otherwise, how can you succeed me? The universe changes in an instant, the Abyss won't remember anyone's death, only the path, only power, only entities like narrative-level civilizations are eternal and immortal. Do you understand, you foolish child!"
After scolding for a while, Remaining Moon saw his son remain silent, and his heart softened.
"Father," Mozilan said, aggrieved, "I'm sorry, I didn't consider that..."
"Forget it," Remaining Moon sighed, "What's done is done. What else can I do now?"
"So, my lord... should we retreat now?"
"Retreat? Retreat, my ass." Remaining Moon sneered, "Do you really think I'd leave without wrapping things up properly?"
Mozilan's eyes gleamed with realization, catching the subtext: "Father, you mean there's another plan?"
Remaining Moon waved his hand casually, raising a piece of stored information into a higher dimension, projecting a detailed model:
"Two years ago, I attacked the thirteen academies of Trevila. Although I failed to steal the pre-civilization relic, I did discover some secrets."
He raised his hand, enlarging the structure of the model, pointing out several academies in the Trevila city cross-section:
"Here, White Candle Interstellar University, the Grand Library of the College of Magical Applications."
"And here, Trevila University, the Forbidden Attic of the School of Magical Engineering."
"Magitech University, the Theoretical Magic Workshop, the Archives."
"These three universities each hide a portion of forbidden knowledge. Only by collecting all three portions can one synthesize the true pre-civilization relic."
Hearing this, Mozilan was confused and couldn't help but ask, "Father, what exactly is this pre-civilization relic? Why do we need three portions of forbidden knowledge to synthesize it?"
"Hah..."
Remaining Moon folded his arms, exhaled slowly, and after a moment of silence, said:
"Strictly speaking, it's a fragment of the body of one of the Destroyers, 'Eye of Discernment.'"
"Wha—" Mozilan's pupils shrank, "Are you insane? Father, that thing... we can't touch it. Destroyers and [Society] research are absolutely prohibited! Narrative-level civilizations will eradicate us!"
"Hear me out, foolish child." Remaining Moon said calmly, "That body fragment is different from other Destroyer fragments... because it itself is a societal institution."
"You mean... there's a [Society] that opposes the Destroyers? Turning a Destroyer's fragment into part of itself."
"Or it could be that the Destroyers and [Society] have always been mortal enemies."
Remaining Moon glanced at his son:
"Although Destroyers and [Society] are forbidden to research, societal institutions as weapons and equipment have never been restricted—so we can exploit this loophole and possess a societal institution made from a Destroyer fragment."
"But doing this..."
"I know your concerns. If we want it, others want it too. For outlaws like us, this thing is a hot potato." Remaining Moon was very clear in his thinking: "So, I plan to sell it at a good price. Think about it, losing this will undoubtedly be a massive blow to the Crystal Tower civilization. Now, who would be the happiest about that?"
Mozilan thought for a moment:
"The Night Butterfly Federation!"
"Correct." Remaining Moon nodded, "We didn't come here for nothing. Once we have it, we leave—and by the way, we can give that bastard Du Zexin a proper thrashing."
He grinned, revealing a fierce smile:
"Sequence Omega energy is not something you can just take easily."