Chapter 394: Setting the trap

The men inside the room sat in silence, their expressions grave and unreadable. Much like Christopher, none of them had spoken a word since arriving, despite the fact that they had known one another for years.

The circumstances of their gathering made the silence all the more significant. They had come from different corners of the world, each carrying their own responsibilities, interests, and reasons for being involved in the project. For all of them to abandon those obligations and appear here at the same time could only mean one thing.

They had been summoned by someone none of them could afford to defy.

Christopher, in particular, had been confused ever since Arthur called him and ordered him to halt the production of the clones. Arthur had offered no explanation, nor had he given Christopher any indication of what had prompted the sudden decision.

Now, however, the situation was far more serious.

Arthur had not only summoned Christopher. He had called the other five people involved in the project as well.

They sat around a long table inside one of their shared bases of operation, waiting in tense silence until the door finally opened.

Arthur stepped into the room.

No one greeted him.

Instead, a voice immediately broke the silence.

"What is the meaning of this, Arthur? You know I’ve been occupied with the Prime Minister’s security."

The speaker was the man responsible for the security of the nation’s highest authority, and the irritation in his voice made it clear that he had little patience for unnecessary meetings.

Arthur paid him little mind. He walked calmly toward his seat and took it, carrying himself with the same unshakable confidence he always had.

In a strange way, that reassured Christopher.

For the past few days, he had wondered whether something had changed in Arthur. Seeing him now, sitting there with that same composed, almost arrogant bearing, eased some of those doubts.

But it did nothing to answer the question everyone else was asking.

"Why are we stopping the project when we’re so close to completing it?"

Another man spoke. He was the foreign delegate responsible for handling foreign relations and exchanges with the neighboring nation. Unlike the first speaker, his irritation was quieter, but no less apparent.

Arthur unbuttoned his blazer and leaned back in his chair.

"It’s because I have a few concerns that could ruin our chances of getting them sanctioned."

A collective click of the tongue followed his words.

Annoyance.

"Now what?" another man demanded, his voice carrying a mocking edge. "We’ve already gone over this a long time ago. And you, Arthur, were the one responsible for convincing us in the first place."

He leaned forward slightly.

"Do you want us to convince you now that you’ve suddenly started having second thoughts?"

Christopher immediately intervened.

"Gentlemen, Lady Sophia, please let him speak first. We all trusted his judgment. That’s why we mutually agreed to let Arthur take the lead."

The irritation around the table did not disappear, but no one argued with him.

They couldn’t.

Whatever their individual motives for becoming involved in the project, they had all reached the same conclusion when it began.

Arthur was the best person to lead it.

And if a man like Arthur had suddenly decided to halt the project when they were this close to its completion, then whatever had caused his change of heart was worth hearing.

Arthur interlaced his fingers on the table and raised a question.

"The developers of AMP, the Artificial Magic Pool. I spoke with that team recently, and what I learned is that the pools don’t have any specific preference when it comes to magic."

That immediately drew a frown from several people.

"You mean to say they could absorb Absence too?"

Christopher reacted similarly, though he was less shocked than the others. Instead, a sense of resignation settled over him. Somehow, he had sensed that this possibility would become a problem sooner or later.

But he still couldn’t see why it mattered.

"Why does it matter? Absence or Genesis, as long as they’re working."

His reasoning was met with several nods.

"Exactly. All we need to know is that we can use those clones to eradicate large numbers of monsters without putting our soldiers at risk."

The agreement around the table grew stronger with every passing second.

Arthur, however, remained unfazed.

That unsettled Christopher more than the revelation itself.

"You’ve already considered that, haven’t you?"

The words silenced the room.

Every pair of eyes turned toward the blond man.

Arthur leaned back in his chair. His gaze wandered across the room without settling on anyone in particular.

"Why has none of us considered trying to gain control over the forced brains we’ve implanted in them?"

A murmur passed through the room.

"Because it’s impossible," someone replied. "Those minds are dead. All they do is regulate the magic inside their bodies."

Someone else snickered.

"What’s with the sudden curiosity? Would you just get to the point..."

The words died in his throat when Arthur suddenly turned his gaze toward him.

There was no anger in his eyes. No irritation. Nothing at all.

That emptiness was enough.

The man immediately fell silent, and so did everyone else.

They might have been powerful figures in their respective nations, but if they stepped outside the cocoon of authority and influence that protected them, Arthur possessed more than enough strength to suppress every person in the room by himself.

Arthur didn’t need to threaten them.

His silence did it for him.

"Their minds cannot be controlled," he said calmly. "But their emotions can be."

He paused, allowing the words to settle.

"Those dead brains could still be manipulated into turning against us. Have you ever wondered why a corrupted human gradually deteriorates to the point where they can no longer recognize themselves? Their minds die too, yet they continue to crave human flesh."

Silence descended over the room.

No one immediately found a response.

One by one, they began looking at each other, the same unsettling possibility taking shape in every mind.

Christopher was the first to break the silence.

"Arthur..." His voice had lost its earlier confidence. "Are you suggesting they might become our enemies instead?"

Arthur shook his head.

"At the moment, it’s only speculation. But we can’t afford to take that risk."

"It doesn’t matter."

The voice came from a man who had remained silent until now. His words were slightly slurred by his accent as he leaned forward, resting his weight against the table.

"I’ve already promised my clients that I would at least show them a sample. And I’m not leaving without them today."

Arthur hummed quietly.

Christopher tensed.

Once again, silence settled over the room.

Then Arthur asked, "Anyone else who wishes to take samples to show their respective clients?"

For a moment, nobody answered.

Then one head nodded.

Another followed.

Soon, several of them were nodding in agreement.

Among them was the security chief responsible for protecting Guhang’s Prime Minister.

"There will be a summit soon," he said. "I intend to show them what we’ve accomplished and have it officially commissioned."

Arthur nodded.

"Understood. Don’t worry. Your shipment will be delivered by tomorrow."

Christopher stared at him.

"Arthur?"

Arthur didn’t answer.

He simply rose from his seat.

His purpose in calling this meeting had never been to warn them. He had come here to find a way to lure them into a trap.

And just as his Lord had wished, they had walked straight into it themselves.

Arthur advanced toward the exit without another word, a barely suppressed smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

’I hope he will be satisfied with the results.’

....

"I never knew Blake had a close friend like you," Corella said with a smile.

Kyle and Blake exchanged a glance. Blake immediately looked away, a faint hint of embarrassment crossing his face.

Kyle nearly rolled his eyes.

He had spent almost half a day coming up with a believable lie, and this was what he had settled on. A loner and borderline antisocial man like Blake suddenly having a friend close enough to invite over for dinner?

It was barely convincing.

Still, Kyle had no choice but to commit to it.

"We got acquainted during his stay in Montclair. Actually, I discovered his training warehouse by accident. After that, we started training together from time to time."

He added the details carefully, hoping they would give the fabricated friendship enough history to sound natural.

Corella went, "Oh," before turning her attention back to him.

"I heard you recently awakened. How was your stay at the HQ?"

Kyle barely suppressed a dry smile.

"Eventful. I learned a lot."

Corella nodded, her expression softening into a warm smile.

"This profession can be taxing, and sometimes downright horrifying. If you ever feel like you need someone to talk to, you can always join us for a meal or spend your leisure days with us. We could go to an amusement park or anywhere else you’d like."

Kyle’s shoulders eased.

Corella hadn’t changed at all.

She was still the same kindhearted, welcoming person he remembered. The sort of woman who could somehow make even the most uncomfortable situations feel a little easier.

And, strangely enough, she would have been a perfect match for his uncaring and indifferent brother.

Kyle nodded.

"Understood. I will."