Chapter 101: Unwanted Politics and Strange Vines
Philip finished signing the last of the agreements with Dr. Remi, rising from his seat with a nod of respect.
"Three days," Dr. Remi reminded him with a knowing grin. "Your order will be ready."
Philip returned the smile. "I'll be back."
He turned, preparing to leave, when a familiar voice echoed down the hallway.
"Philip."
It was Athena.
Her tone was calm, but layered with something deeper,diplomacy, hesitation… and perhaps curiosity.
Philip paused, glancing over his shoulder. Athena approached with a composed grace, dressed in a simple black coat, her long dark hair pinned back elegantly. Her sharp blue eyes met his without fear ,but with a respect that hadn't been there the last time they'd met.
Behind her, Frank excused himself quietly. "I'll talk with Doc for a bit. You two chat." He disappeared into Dr. Remi's private study, leaving Philip and Athena alone in the hallway.
Athena stopped a few paces from him. "I wanted a word."
Philip waited.
She took a slow breath. "After the events in Ibadan ,after the collapse of the Church of Darkness strongholds ,there's… a power vacuum."
Philip raised an eyebrow, silently urging her to continue.
Athena did. "My family has always maintained certain ties… not direct political control, but strong enough to stabilize things when needed. But now ,too many foreign powers are looking toward Nigeria. The factions are restless."
Philip remained silent, arms folded.
Athena hesitated, choosing her next words carefully. "If you would consider cooperating ,even an alliance of convenience ,it would send a message. The circles I move in, they listen to me. But they fear you. A neutral stance from you would help stabilize the situation."
Philip's expression hardened. His voice, when it came, was cool and even:
"I'm not interested in politics. Not in ruling this country, or controlling factions. I only care about my company, my family… and growing stronger."
He met her gaze without flinching. "If anyone threatens what's mine ,I'll deal with them. But I won't play their games."
Athena's lips tightened. She had expected the answer ,but hearing it confirmed left her shoulders relaxing slightly.
"I understand," she said softly. "Still… be careful. You've made enemies already."
Philip nodded once. "I'm used to that."
He turned to go, but Athena's voice caught him again ,this time, a faint whisper.
"You're the Emperor candidate, aren't you?"
Philip froze. Slowly, his gaze narrowed dangerously as he looked back over his shoulder.
Athena raised both hands. "I'm not here to threaten you. We thought it was Frank ,but you awakened at the same time. It can only be you."
Philip's mind raced. He could kill her now to keep the secret, but something in her tone stopped him.
Athena continued quickly. "I just want to work with you. To protect Nigeria. Yes, my family has interests ,but this is bigger than that."
Philip sneered faintly. "You want to protect your interests ,not the country."
Athena didn't argue. "Perhaps. But for goodwill… I will share this: my great-grandfather once entered an ancient trial space, long ago. From his journal, he described an Emperor Artifact. He felt its aura during old festivals in Ile-Ife ,buried deep beneath the ancient city. Dormant, but still there."
She lowered her voice further. "Every world, every continent has such artifacts ,they connect to the Emperor's space. Even the World Demigods hold some. The Beasts of the Beast World have one too. Every planet linked to the Emperor's Lineage possesses at least one."
Philip's expression remained cold, but internally… her words intrigued him.
Without replying, he turned and strode away ,his cloak swirling behind him, footsteps echoing through the polished halls.
Meanwhile…
In Dr. Remi's private laboratory, Frank set a sealed crystal container onto a rune-etched stone workbench. Inside, two strange vines twisted together ,one shimmering blue, the other a deep, almost luminous purple. Both pulsed faintly with an unnatural rhythm.
Dr. Remi leaned over the container, eyes narrowing with curiosity.
"You brought me a puzzle, Mr. Frank?"
Frank scratched the back of his head. "Something like that. These vines… I found them in an ancient ruin on UR ,during one of my trips."
Dr. Remi's eyes sharpened. He extended his hand, fingertips glowing with diagnostic mana. Carefully, he probed the vines with layered senses.
A deep frown creased his face.
Reaching for a runic blade, he sliced a tiny sample from the blue vine. The fragment bled,not sap, but pure liquid mana, shimmering with power. Droplets pooled onto a crystal dish.
"Incredible…" he murmured.
Frank leaned forward eagerly. "Think it's usable?"
Dr. Remi's voice was thoughtful. "The blue vine absorbs ambient mana ,and stores it. In essence, it functions as a high-grade mana potion. Possibly better than anything I've crafted."
Then he turned to the purple vine. "This one is stranger. Its mana has a calming, almost stabilizing resonance. It could be used for mental fortification… or even soul stabilization when handling volatile energies."
Frank grinned. "Sounds like it could sell well."
Dr. Remi chuckled. "Sell? With the right extraction ,this could revolutionize alchemy here in Lagos. No one has anything like this. If this is from a wild, untapped source…"
His eyes gleamed. "Where exactly did you find these?"
Frank scratched his chin. "Deep ruin, old wards, traps everywhere. But these vines were growing at the core ,untouched."
Dr. Remi leaned back. "I'll need time to study them. If they prove stable ,we could harvest entire fields of this. A new class of elixirs could be born."
Frank smiled wider. "You handle the alchemy, Doc ,I'll handle the supply chain."
A new business venture had just been born.
Frank handed over nearly three-fourths of the vines he'd harvested ,enough to fill the entire chamber. Dr. Remi immediately summoned assistants to transfer the vines into specialized mana-sealed vaults for safe storage.
As the paperwork was signed, a NAM agent in a cloak entered the room. With a soft shimmer, he pulled back his hood ,revealing green skin and pointed elf-like ears.
When his gaze fell on the purple vine, he stiffened in shock. His eyes widened.
"You found this… on UR?"
Frank nodded. "Yeah. Why?"
The NAM agent's voice grew hushed. "That vine… carries traces of soul resonance. It could potentially be refined into a drug for the soul itself."