On the way out, even though the base was always kept at a constant temperature, Bai Zhou felt inexplicably chilled to the bone, his limbs stiff.
It turned out that he wasn't the only one keeping an eye on Adjutant Han—Adjutant Han had his eye on him as well.
After "devouring" Section Chief Liu, the man seemed impatient to "devour" him too.
...Last night, when Adjutant Han told the bald man to collect the "fresh goods" tomorrow evening, could that have included him as well?
If that were the case, the reason Adjutant Han had been so inexplicably good to him—and so eager for him to become an Extraordinary—became very easy to see.
—Yet why?
Why was he in such a desperate rush?
So many people were fine, so why specifically Section Chief Liu and a newly hired newcomer like him?
Had the two of them done something, or did they possess something special that made them worth "devouring"?
What he was most uncertain and anxious about was whether "devouring" him was merely Adjutant Han's idea, or the Major's behind him.
...A multitude of riddles tangled in Bai Zhou's mind, weighing heavily upon his heart.
Though he was walking through the familiar, bustling base surrounded by lively crowds,
Bai Zhou could not feel the slightest sense of security.
Although everything he passed looked the same as always, in Bai Zhou's eyes, the impression was completely different from before.
When the fully armed patrols saw him, they still smiled and greeted him.
Flashing bright white teeth.
—Those were the very tools they used to cannibalize people.
They were cannibals; there was no guarantee they wouldn't devour Bai Zhou.
The watchtowers stood silently.
The gray and black buildings stood in muted silence, and passing specialists were neatly dressed in sharp attire.
Then there were the ubiquitous slogans, ringing with righteous conviction.
...Who would ever imagine that behind all this lay another hidden, ravenous maw dripping with blood?
The false honeypot trap:
A stranger catering to your every whim.
The real honeypot trap:
A leader valuing you, the organization showering you with money, the world respecting you, comrades shouting that they won't abandon you, and your spirit dedicated to fighting for the Federation.
—Who wouldn't be dazzled by that?
Yet the truth was that this base was perpetually devouring people, and Bai Zhou might be next.
Perhaps this was also part of the truth of Blue Star's mystical realm—
a world where people ate people.
Even if ordinary specialists ever harbored doubts, all they could do was "play the fool" and feign ignorance.
Otherwise, what else could they do?
The massive profits were more than enough to blind their eyes and leave them no time to think further.
Even if Bai Zhou stood up right now, raised his arms, and righteously exposed the darkness of the Special Control Bureau and the ugly face of Adjutant Han...
where was the evidence?
Setting aside how many people would even believe him,
before anyone could even be convinced—
all the people involved in the scheme—unknown in number and power—would immediately crush Bai Zhou to death by any means necessary.
And then, peace would return, as if nothing had ever happened.
Tomorrow, Special Control Bureau Branch 36 would once again be the beautiful, harmonious, unified Branch 36 fighting for justice!
Perhaps becoming an "Extraordinary" was the threshold that marked one as "fattened up" to be slaughtered and devoured;
while the ordinary rank-and-file without the aptitude to become "Extraordinary" could instead profit from it indefinitely.
Above them were the vested interests who knew the truth.
Below them were the vested interests who remained blissfully ignorant.
—So right now, who was the "newcomer" caught in the middle of everyone?
Bai Zhou!
Perhaps from the very day his high contamination-resistance physique had been discovered, he had already become a succulent piece of "fat meat" in the eyes of the brass.
Bai Zhou shuddered where he stood.
Fortunately—
Section Chief Liu's funeral had allowed Bai Zhou to uncover it all in advance.
No one knew he was a Rank 1 "Adventurer."
He was a Destined who commanded the Moon Cinder Holy Oath Slash, carrying a mechanical spear-gun... with Crow behind him.
Was a Rank 1 Destined Adventurer strong enough?
Passable.
Yet in a base teeming with talent, there was certainly no shortage of people stronger than him... such as the Major and Adjutant Han.
However, Bai Zhou felt...
No matter how powerful one's strength, if it remained out in the open day after day to be schemed against, the edifice would collapse eventually.
No matter how weak one's power, if hidden deeply enough and underestimated, it could still pry loose the boulder atop the mountain.
—Strength through weakness.
Only by striking from the unexpected could victory be won!
...
Returning to his dormitory, Bai Zhou set down the Intellect Awakening Potion and found that Crow was not in the room.
So, changing into his uniform, Bai Zhou hurried out once more.
...Though he possessed trump cards that could catch enemies off guard, one could never have too much hidden power.
Bai Zhou needed to become stronger.
Because Adjutant Han already had his sights on him.
Now, his enemies included not just Adjutant Han, but everyone standing behind the adjutant.
Not merely for Section Chief Liu, but for his own survival, he had to prepare for the worst in the near future.
—Staying in this base would soon no longer be an option.
But if that were the case...
then he still had a few final things to take care of!
*Beep—*
Arriving before the low gray building, Bai Zhou drew his newly issued P3 specialist ID card and swiped it at the entrance.
Black Box Maintenance Department, newly promoted Sector Supervisor, Bai Zhou—
had arrived at his loyal Black Chamber Sector 3.
The working stiff impassively commenced his "routine duties" for the day.
Walking down the pitch-black corridor where no one else stirred, Bai Zhou inspected his surroundings, passing iron door after iron door of the Black Chambers.
As a supervisor, he had the authority to enter the Black Chambers at any time and inspect the Black Boxes whenever he wished.
—In any case, he wouldn't be staying in this damned place much longer...
He had to milk it for all it was worth before getting out!
Although barely a day remained, Bai Zhou wasn't without opportunities to grow stronger.
He would use the privileges of his current position to squeeze out every advantage possible to arm himself.
Using the organization's resources against the organization?
Perfectly reasonable.
—Otherwise, how could he do justice to his new status as a P3 supervisor?
Hadn't all his hard work getting promoted in the organization been so he could enjoy the spoils of victory today?
In a highly hazardous and specialized division like the Black Box Maintenance Department, if a P3 supervisor had enough nerve, what he could do was far beyond anything an ordinary specialist could imagine.
Because this was the position closest to the Black Boxes.
At first, Bai Zhou had wanted nothing more than to pack up every Black Box in the sector and smuggle them all away.
Unfortunately, when drafting a specific plan of action, he realized the difficulty was far too great and had no choice but to give up with regret.
Yet there was one thing that was remarkably easy for Bai Zhou right now—
*Tap.*
Bai Zhou came to a stop before Black Chamber F-13777.
Dense information about the [Crown of Johor] was posted across the black metal door.
With a jingle, Bai Zhou produced a large ring of brand-new keys, found the corresponding one, and unlocked the door.
With a creak—
Bai Zhou stepped slowly into the cramped, dim Black Chamber.
Closing the door behind him with one hand, he looked up to see the Black Box resting quietly in the center.
[Containment Protocol: Keep the crown submerged in sealed distilled water. Direct starlight is strictly prohibited. The crown must remain at all times in a dim environment isolated from external light.]
[Addendum: Water must be replaced and containment resealed every seven days.]
"—Today is the seventh day."
Bai Zhou picked up the bucket on the floor and set it onto the platform to the side.
This was what he had ordered his subordinates to place in the Black Chamber ahead of time the previous night.
"Time to change the water."
On his very first day taking office, Supervisor Bai Zhou commenced his duties with "conscientious dedication."
As a P3 supervisor in the Maintenance Department, he naturally no longer needed senior staff to guide or oversee him like a rookie.
Conducting maintenance on a Black Box independently was entirely routine.
Unfortunately, the corridor of the Black Chambers was dead silent, without a soul in sight...
Otherwise, anyone seeing the newly appointed supervisor working with such diligence and devotion would have given a thumbs-up and praised Adjutant Han for choosing the right man.
With a click,
Bai Zhou held his breath, kept quiet, and slowly opened the sealed Black Box.
A sealed water tank came into view.
It was a glass case filled with distilled water. The golden crown rested quietly at the bottom, looking utterly lifeless in the dim light.
A... crown of thorns.
Submerged in the water, the thorn-shaped metallic crown was layered with intricate, gorgeous ancient patterns. Twelve thorns grew from it, curving toward one another in pairs until their tips met, as if cupping or holding up something.
Even though he had already obtained a "Jurassic Pass" from it once, this was Bai Zhou's first time beholding the true appearance of the Crown of Thorns.
It was also the closest he had ever been to the crown.
His gaze moved involuntarily toward the thing hovering above the crown—something that could not possibly be ignored.
—The very thing that had been his greatest motivation to become a P3 sector supervisor.
[Though the age of gods has long shattered, may someone still wear the crown bathed in blood, to become the new... King of Gold]
The ancient blood-red words hung right before him, fragmented and blurred.
Yet whether in sheer presence or the suffocating pressure rolling off it, it far surpassed the clear last words left behind by Empress Irene.
The age of gods shattered.
Wearing the crown bathed in blood.
King of Gold.
How was one supposed to fulfill this dying wish?
And if he fulfilled it, what would happen?
Bai Zhou had no interest in becoming some kind of great golden king right now—the base didn't seem to lack gold, anyway.
Still, since it sounded so impressive, there was no reason fulfilling the dying wish wouldn't yield "good stuff."
—Even something on par with the [Jurassic Pass] would do!
Perhaps it could help Bai Zhou break the deadlock then and there!
That was precisely why he had come today.
...Studying the crown resting in the distilled water tank, looking at the mysterious ancient dying wish,
Bai Zhou stood silently in place, his lips pressed tight as countless thoughts raced through his mind.
He did not drain the water, nor did he replace it.
Water splashed with a soft rush...
Something was fished out of the tank.
In the gloom, a pair of hands held up the crown.
Chapter 28