There was a place in the Central Federation District called the Land of Forgotten. Its overall structure resembled an inverted pyramid, built from special metal and buried nearly a thousand meters underground. It was where major criminals were imprisoned—the greater their crimes, the deeper their cells.
Once imprisoned there, no one was ever released. The prisoners vanished from the world as though they had never existed, which was how the Land of Forgotten got its name.
Since its construction nearly three hundred years ago, the cell at the very tip of the "pyramid" had remained vacant. Yet a few months ago, someone had finally become its occupant...
Sunlight had been driven from the long corridor, leaving the entire space dim. Only the crystals embedded in the walls emitted faint light. Having been deprived of daylight for years, the air in the corridor was damp and murky, making it deeply uncomfortable.
Ke Li, Felinton's current ruler, walked down the corridor. Gone was the flattering, ingratiating manner he had shown Hua Zhen before. His face was terrifyingly dark, giving off the sense that he might devour someone at any moment.
A tall young man followed behind him, bearing an eighty-percent resemblance to him. The two walked in silence, and the atmosphere was heavy.
At the end stood a massive metal gate. Two Mecha Guardians stood on either side, nearly two meters tall, their bodies composed of countless tiny metal scales. Beneath their outer shells were innumerable moving components. Purple glowing crystals were embedded in their chests, while their heads held a row of Compound Eye Devices that gleamed with cold light.
When Ke Li and the young man approached, the guardians scanned them first. Once their identities were confirmed, they turned and opened the gate before returning to their original positions.
Ke Li stared at the two mechas for a while, then seemed to recall something. He turned to the young man. "Ao Ge, what did you gain from your trip there? Did you find a way through the outer defensive line?"
"Nothing at all..." Ao Ge sighed. "Father, you know how it is. There are an astonishing number of mechas like these in the ruins. Once the defense network is triggered, all of them activate. With Felinton's current technology, there's absolutely no way for us to continue exploring deeper!"
Seeing how certain he was, Ke Li frowned. "Even you can't get in?"
Ao Ge did not answer, but the helplessness in his eyes gave Ke Li the answer.
"I understand. Come inside with me..."
The cell was enormous. Four massive square metal pillars stood in the center. Powered by a circular platform below, the intricate patterns on the pillars shot out several streams of blue particles, forming a small cage.
Someone was imprisoned inside the cage. More than a dozen wide straps bound him to a round pillar. He was in his thirties, and beneath his chestnut hair was a pale face. He was plain-looking and visibly frail. A pair of shattered glasses rested on his nose as his lifeless eyes stared at Ke Li and his son entering the room, utterly devoid of spirit.
"Ge Na? He was the one who sabotaged the shielding equipment at the base?" Ao Ge said in stunned disbelief upon recognizing the man in the cage.
Ke Li's expression was gloomy as he gritted his teeth. "Interrogation was useless, and even hallucinogens had no effect. If I didn't need to learn who was behind him, I would've killed him long ago!"
"Even hallucinogens don't work? How is that possible?!" Ao Ge repeated, clearly shocked.
Ke Li ignored him. Walking to the front of the cage, he looked at the man inside. "Ge Na, you were always the person I trusted most. But I never imagined you would do something like this! Do you know that because of your foolish actions, you've pushed Felinton to the brink of destruction?!"
The more he spoke, the angrier he became. By the latter half, he was nearly roaring, his voice echoing through the cell for a long time.
"Forgive... forgive me, Governor. I've disappointed you..." Ge Na's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper scraping across a tabletop. One could imagine the inhuman treatment he had endured during this time.
Ke Li showed no pity. "Tell me. Who exactly ordered you to do this? I'll give you a quick death!"
Ge Na bit his lip hard. A trace of struggle flashed through his eyes. After tremblingly exhaling, he closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, Governor... I still cannot tell you who that person is..."
"Damn bastard!"
"Father, what exactly is going on? Ge Na doesn't seem like someone who would betray Felinton, does he?" After leaving the cell, Ao Ge finally voiced the doubts in his heart. He had only recently returned to Felinton, so it was normal that he did not know the situation.
Having failed to get an answer again, Ke Li was extremely agitated. He sighed helplessly. "Ge Na's family is no longer in the Federation District~"
"What?!"
Felinton secretly researched Super Genes. To prevent researchers like Ge Na from having concerns holding them back, their families would naturally be taken somewhere safe. Put nicely, they were under strict protection. Put bluntly, their families were being controlled to prevent these people from leaking important secrets. After all, it concerned the survival of the entire Felinton Civilization.
"Father, since this has already happened, our highest priority is to find whoever planned it behind Ge Na's back. The Third Prince of the Angel Civilization has already arrived. If that person meets with him and leaks news of the Ancient Civilization Ruins..."
Ke Li slammed his fist against the wall, his expression so dark it seemed water could drip from it. "That's exactly what worries me. The only people in Felinton capable of taking Ge Na's family away without a sound are those four. But whether there's one person behind this, two people, or perhaps..."
He paused there and fixed his son with a sharp gaze. "Ao Ge, which of those four do you think is the most suspicious?"
Ao Ge knitted his brows in thought. "Bang Ni and Dai Wei can be ruled out first..."
"Why should those two be ruled out first?" Hua Zhen raised his brows as he looked at Ai Wen, the Acting Prefect, voicing the question in his heart.
"You may not know this, Your Highness..." Ai Wen bowed slightly. "Among the Five Heads of the Federal Government, Dai Wei has always been Ke Li's strongest supporter. It was precisely because his financial group bought off those small federation states that Ke Li received the highest number of votes in the election and became Felinton's current ruler!"
"What does he get out of it?" Hua Zhen asked.
"Business, of course~" Ai Wen smiled. "Even people of a Spacefaring Civilization still have an intense desire for money, just as we Angels desire resources. Dai Wei is one of the foremost examples. He helped Ke Li become ruler, then obtained all kinds of conveniences from him, monopolizing the Federation's economy to strengthen his own financial group!"
Hua Zhen nodded in understanding. "Then what about that woman, Bang Ni? Why rule her out?"
"Bang Ni may look young, but she is shrewd and highly capable. She surpasses the other four heads in every respect. When Felinton was electing its ruler, she was Ke Li's strongest competitor. But later, because of something, she withdrew from the election..."
"Oh? What happened?" Hua Zhen asked curiously.
"Bang Ni fell in love with Ke Li's son~"
"Damn, this... Ke Li's methods are way too filthy. He actually used a handsome-man trap on his competitor?" Hua Zhen twitched his lips. I don't just want the ruler's position—I want to be your father too. What kind of messed-up thing is that?
"That's why, Your Highness, among the Five Heads of the Federal Government, Dai Wei and Bang Ni are probably the ones who least want anything to happen to the Felinton Civilization. Their fortunes rise and fall with Ke Li's!" Ai Wen concluded.
"Then the mole in Felinton is either that old man Huo Er or that cold-faced Ya Erman~" Hua Zhen scratched his chin. "Ai Wen, which one do you think it is?"
"Hiss~~ Well..." Ai Wen frowned.
"Since Huo Er was the previous ruler, Father has always wanted him to fade from public view. You even joined forces with Dai Wei to impose economic sanctions on his federation district. It's not impossible that he bears a grudge over that..." Ao Ge narrowed his eyes as he spoke.
"As for Ya Erman~ because of the foolish actions of the ruler in his federation district three hundred years ago, they have suffered no shortage of public condemnation. If he wants to use news of the Ancient Ruins to regain the Angel Civilization's trust, that would make sense too. Both of them are suspected of being the mastermind!"
Ke Li rubbed his aching forehead and said coldly, "Then do this... Send people to watch those two. If you discover any sign of them making contact with that Third Prince, act immediately!"
"I understand, Father!"
Before you continue