Chapter 548: The Forest Sea Returns to Tranquility (6)

This doctor… he cannot control everything he has created, and has become a slave to knowledge.

Tony understands his feelings well.

When he was kidnapped by the terrorist group "Ten Commandments Gang" in the Middle East and forced to research missiles, that sense of powerlessness also tormented him. In the end his answer was—only when you wield absolute force can you become the master of knowledge—at least it prevents those who covet the knowledge in your mind from having undue intentions.

And the Lady Black Tower and Luosi Gumu in the canopy further reinforced this idea.

——

"I finally understand… the past twenty years, everything that happened here was just an experiment. Everything we built with our own hands… never belonged to us."

Du Deli's expression hardened: "Stop deceiving yourself, Cha— you knew from the start what murky waters you were wading into. You merely chose to turn a blind eye. Come on, detonation expert. It's time for the legion to taste our power."

Xing watched Zhadeweike walk into the laboratory, awaiting the AI's detonation charge preparation.

"…How many non‑enemy targets are within the blast radius?" Du Deli asked.

AI: "Calculating… Estimated that within the detonation range there are 24 bodies of satellite size or larger. Among them are three sub‑planets that host civilizations above D‑grade."

Du Deli nodded satisfactorily: "Hmm… collateral damage is within acceptable limits. The detonation plan proceeds as usual." Since Zhadeweike seemed to have his bones pulled out, looking lost, he turned to the other researcher beside Zhadeweike: "The time has come, expert, press the detonation button."

Unexpectedly, that researcher had no intention of pressing the button.

"…What does this mean? I said—press the detonation button!"

Then all that met him was silent stillness; Du Deli smirked, "I get it. You're afraid of bearing the blame, right? No worries. The one who presses that button is neither you nor me; future histories will never mention either of our names. Now… press it."

But the other still did not trigger the explosion.

Du Deli inhaled deeply, as if suppressing the fury in his heart: "…You sympathize with Dr. Zhadeweike, don't you? What a pity, I never intended to burst your idol bubble… but Zhadeweike doesn't deserve your sympathy. He foresaw a similar end long ago, yet chose to forget the consequences and threw himself into research at any cost. His selfishness is putting his own talent above everything—others' affairs? He simply doesn't care."

Although that researcher still refused to detonate, in the end a nearby soldier forced him to press it.

During the AI's countdown, Zhadeweike lifted his head, hesitating, and looked at Du Deli: "Du, I…"

"Don't blame me, Cha. We all must answer for our choices."

"They will curse my name for eternity, they will… what price have you paid, Du Deli?"

Du Deli smiled and shook his head: "See, Cha… that's your problem, you always take your gifts and talents for granted. You have no idea there are people like me—"

"—We will never be remembered by anyone."

——

Genshin Impact.

The countdown was silent, yet everyone inside Bubu Hall seemed to hear the wail of billions of lives vanishing in an instant.

"Um… cough cough cough—!"

Bai Shu suddenly covered his mouth, a violent uncontrolled coughing spurt erupted, his already pallid face instantly turning even sallow. He leaned on the medicine cabinet, as if all his strength had been drained in an instant, unable even to keep his body upright.

"Mr. Bai!" Xingqiu hurried forward to help.

"It's fine…" Bai Shu waved his hand, his voice hoarse, he took several deep breaths, trying to calm the surging blood and even more turbulent emotions.

"Three civilizations above D‑grade, just… gone?" Changsheng, coiled around Bai Shu's neck, also lost his usual laziness, his voice full of shock and dread, it was too flippant… just pressing a button, as if nothing had happened.

"How many lives is that? Hundreds of thousands? Millions? Even…"

"Consider it this way: in an instant he annihilated three civilizations like those on the Teyvat continents, right? In addition, there are 21 planets, with an unknown number of beings wiped out instantly." Bai Shu rasped, "We, as physicians, exhaust our knowledge, only trying to save as many lives as possible before the gate of ghosts, and they… they… a single thought can… cough cough cough…!"

Thinking of this, Bai Shu couldn't help but cough violently again.

Such utter disregard for life made him feel a physiological nausea and dizziness.

Changsheng lightly tapped Bai Shu's head with the tip of his tail: "Hey hey, I tell you, don't get so worked up, aren't you aware of your own condition? If you get angry, just stop looking."

"No… I want to know what happened next, I need to know how many more people died by this weapon."

Although all this is long over, the scream that once echoed to the heavens has, within two amber epochs, become a sigh in the cosmos, yet he still wishes to know the truth that was blurred by countless blood‑red stains centuries ago.

Bai Shu looked up toward the window; the sun had long set, the sky turned a lonely deep blue, a few solitary stars flickered silently.

Originally… this night sky should have had a few more stars, right?

——

As the countdown hit zero, the entire memory space trembled violently, Xing's vision went white, and he realized he was no longer in the laboratory but standing at the doorway of a distant emotional space.

She stepped inside and saw an aged Zhadeweike standing before a shattered puzzle.

Zhadeweike turned: "Hello, Xing… now you've lived through half my life and know my story."

"I don't know how to regard you."

"I feel the same, child… after that day, I never dared to cast even a glance at a mirror." Zhadeweike lowered his head, his voice trembling: "I'm afraid of seeing a demon… a murderer who has taken countless lives and homes."

"That day in the control room was also the last time I saw Du Deli. Perhaps reality is as he said, that pawns don't deserve names. After that, I disbanded the team, abandoned the original lab. I managed to take some crucial data, not wanting it to fall into the hands of the unscrupulous."

"I learned from his mouth that the senior officials of the tech development department who ordered the use of the 【Imaginary Number Collapse Pulse】 were subject to a special project review, and later lost contact." Zhadeweike shook his head in pain, "But I know the company won't give up easily. Our research is too valuable… even if they publicly issue condemnations, they won't truly abandon the technology related to the imaginary pulse."

"…so I went on the run; I didn't want to spend my whole life living in a shadow. When I needed help most, I could think of only one name. We had only met briefly before, yet he pierced my pretenses and excuses."

"Luosi Gumu."